JUNE 1, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1890 - Frank Morgan, Broadway, motion picture (best known for multiple roles in "The Wizard Of Oz") and radio actor and Capitol Records artist (narrator on the 1949 Dr. Suess childrens records "Gossamer Wump"), is born Francis Phillip Wuppermann in New York City, New York
1921 - Nelson Riddle, trombonist, arranger, conductor, composer and Capitol Records artist as Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra is born Nelson Smock Riddle, Jr. in Oradell, New Jersey His son, Christopher Riddle (who took over running, and touring with, The Nelson Riddle Orchestra in 1986), has written a biographical article about his father for the American Music Hall of Fame. Nelson's family also has a website and Nelson's papers and memorabilia are now part of The Nelson Riddle Collection at the University of Arizona, Tucson, that is administered by Keith Pawlak.
1926 - Andy Griffith, Broadway, motion picture and television actor and Capitol Records artist, is born Andrew Samuel Griffith in Mount Airy, North Carolina

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - The Certificate of Amendment submitted by George G. DeSylva, John Mercer, and Glenn E. Wallichs on May 27, 1942 before Ms. Leta Niccum to change the name of the corporation from Liberty Records, Inc. to Capitol Records, Inc. is stamped as filed with the state of California, officially marking the beginning of Capitol Records.
Here's a rememberance about the beginning of Capitol Records from Margaret Whiting's 1987 autobiography "It Might As Well Be Spring" that she co-wrote with Will Holt which Ms. Whiting has graciously given me permission to reproduce.
Johnny Mercer and seventeen year-old singer Margaret Whiting were "...strolling around the Hillcrest Golf Course in 1941 with (composer) Harold Arlen and bandleader Bobby Sherwood,...Johnny said, in an offhand manner, 'I've got this idea of starting a record company. I get so tired of listening to the way everyone treats music. I keep feeling they're selling out. And I don't like the way artists are treated either. Bing Crosby isn't the only one who can make records. I don't know, I think it would be fun.'...One of (Mercer's) best friends was Glenn Wallichs, the owner of Music City, a record store across from NBC....One day Johnny went to visit Glenn, who took him in back to hear some of the new releases. Johnny shook his head, then blurted out 'How about coming in on a record company with me?' Let's try something new.' And Glenn said, 'Fine. You run the company and find the artists.' And Johnny said, 'And you run the business.'"
1942 - Tex Ritter signs with Capitol Records becoming the label's first Country Music artist. In 10 days, he will have his first recording session which will produce the track "Jingle Jangle Jingle"
1946 - Andy Russell (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Laughing On The Outside" is #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Retal Records chart and Alvino Ray and His Orchestra (with vocal by Rocky Coluccio)'s Capitol Records single "Cement Mixer (Put-Ti Put-Ti)" is #9
1956 - Jane Powell, with Buddy Bregman's Orchestra, records the tracks "Mind If I Fall In Love With You", "True Love", "What Gives? What Goes?", "Till The Next Time" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1958 - Capitol Records releases The Kingston Trio's first album "The Kingston Trio", produced by Voyle Gilmore, and on the same day, Trio member Dave Guard's eldest daughter, Catherine, is born
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Franck Pourcel and His French Fiddles' Capitol Records single "Only You (Loin De Vous)" is #9 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Capitol Records releases The Kingston Trio's album "The Kingston Trio At Large" and on the same day they record the track "A Worried Man"
1963 - Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Single chart, The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Surfin' U.S.A." (it's flip side, "Shut Down", is #33) is #4, Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" is #10, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #16, The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "Reverend Mr. Black" is #19, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #23, and The Beach Boy's Capitol Records single "Shut Down" (the flip side of "Surfin' U.S.A") is #33
1963 - The Beatles perform "Young Blood", "Sure To Fall (In Love With You)", "Baby It's You", and "I Got To Find My Baby" during a live in studio appearance at the BBC. The tracks will later be released by Apple Records on The Beatles' compilation cd "Live At The B.B.C." with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States
1966 - Billy May starts recording his album "Billy May Today!" in The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1966 - The Beatles finish work on the track "Yellow Submarine" for their album "Revolver" at Abbey Road Studios, London, England. The track would inspire the creation of their third film for United Artists, the animated feature "Yellow Submarine"
1967 - The Beatles' album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is released in the U.S.
1972 - Pink Floyd, with engineer Alan Parsons, begin work on their album "Dark Side Of The Moon"
35 Years Ago Today In 1974 - Capitol Records' Grand Funk Railroad performs in concert in San Diego, California. The performance is filmed and released on video tape and laserdisc in Japan.
1978 - The Knack perform for the first time when they hit the stage at the Whisky-A-Go-Go, in Hollywood, California
5 Years Ago Today In 2004 - EMI Capitol releases Dean Martin's compilation CD "Dino: The Essential Dean Martin" that contains 30 of Martin’s hits from both his Capitol Records (1949-1961) and Reprise Records (1960-1969) catalog
2005 - Thomas Allen Ritter, one time employee of Capitol Records, dies in his home in Winchester, Virginia at age 63

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Martin Denny and His Orchestra's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, Dion and The Belmonts' Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #6, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm Ready" is #16
1963 - Roulette Records single "Hot Pastrami With Mashed Potatoes (Part 1)" is #36
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Joe Pass Quartet (Bill Perkins on tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone, flute; Joe Pass on guitar; John Pisano on rhythm guitar; Frank Strazzeri on piano; and Jim Hughart on bass) record the tracks "I Believe In You", "It's A Wonderful World", "Hello Dolly", "Summer Night", and "The Sweetest Sound" for their Pacific Jazz Records album "12-String Guitar Movie Themes" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Pacific Jazz catalog and it's distributed by Blue Note Records, a division of Capitol Music Group.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
75 Years Ago Today In 1934 - Benny Goodman and his first permanent performing orchestra make their public peforming debut at Billy Rose's Music Hall, 1697 Broadway at W. 53rd St., New York, NY, which started out as the Hammerstein Theatre and would become CBS' Studio 50, home of "The Ed Sullivan Show" where The Beatles made their first U.S. television appearance, and currently home to "The Late Show With David Letterman"
1938 - Superman makes his first appearance on the cover of Action Comics #1