JUNE 18, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1906 - Ray Bauduc, songwriter, drummer (including sessions with Ben Pollack, Red Nichols, Jack Teagarden, Benny Goodman, Wingy Manone, Louis Prima, Glenn Miller and Bob Crosby) and bandleader of the Capitol Records group Ray Bauduc and His Bobcats, is born in New Orleans, Louisiana
1910 - Ray McKinley, drummer, singer, bandleader (took over leadership, with Jerry Gray, of Glenn Miller's Army Air Force band in 1944 after Miller was reported missing in action), and Capitol Records artist (1942), is born in Fort Worth, Texas
1926 - Bill N. Muster, Capitol Records merchandising manager (1953-1959) is born William N. Muster in Valapraiso, Illinois. Twenty four years to the day, in 1950, Munster will graduate with a BA in Journalism-Advertising, from the University of Illinois, School of Communication. His daughter, Nori J. Muster, has posted quite a bit of information about her father and Capitol Records in the 1950's on her website.
1940 - Sue Raney, singer, vocalist with Capitol Records group Ray Anthony and His Orchestra, and a solo Capitol Records artist, is born Raelene Claire Claussen in McPherson, Kansas
1942 - Sir Paul McCartney, singer, songwriter, guitarist, bass guitarist, pianist, drummer, member of the Parlophone, Capitol Records and Apple Records band The Beatles, solo artist, and member of the Apple Records and Capitol Records band Wings, is born James Paul McCartney in Walton Hospital, in Liverpool, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Capitol Records' first reviews in Billboard Magazine appear with praises for "Cow Cow Boogie" and "Strip Polka" two weeks before their official release
1947 - Johnny Mercer, with Paul Weston and his Orchestra (Zeke Zarchy on trumpet;, Fred Stulce, Matty Matock, Herbie Haymer, Hap Lawson, and Lenny Hartman on reeds; Milt Raskin on piano; George Van Eps on guitar; Jack Ryan on bass; Nick
Fatool drums and an unknow 13 piece string section) records the track "Country Boy Blues" in Los Angeles, California. The track which appear on the Capitol Records album "Willard Robinson's Deep River Music".
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Baby It's Cold Outside is #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugalo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #10, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Wonderful Guy" enters the top 20 at #15
1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra and Chorus' Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Nat "King" Cole's double sided Capitol Records hit "A Blossom Fell" (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) and "If I May" (with The Four Knights on backing vocals and Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) is #3, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" is #6, Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #16, and Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" is #24
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - With Brian Wilson producing using arrangements by Dick Reynolds, intrumental tracks for The Beach Boys songs "We Three Kings Of Orient Are", "Blue Christmas", "Santa Claus Is Coming To Town" and "White Christmas" are recorded at The Capitol Tower Studios for the album "The Beach Boys' Christmas Album". Vocals will be recorded later in June at Western Studios in Hollywood.
1965 - Peggy Lee, with Sid Feller conducting His Orchestra and producer Dave Cavanaugh, records the tracks "The Shadow Of Your Smile" and "Maybe This Summer" which will be released together by Capitol Records as a single, "They Say" which will be released on the Capitol Records album ""Then Was Then And Now Is Now", and "Stop Living In The Past" which will be released by Capitol as a single with "I Go To Sleep" (recorded on July 7, 1965) on the flip side, at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records album "Pet Sounds" enters the top 20 of Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1968 - Wanda Jackson records the tracks "Together Again", "Hurtin's All Over", "Swinging Doors", "There Stands The Glass", and "I Betcha My Heart I Love You" at Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producers Ken Nelson and Kelso Herston for her Capitol Records album "Cream Of The Crop" released in August of 1968
1972 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "That's Why I Love You Like I Do", with "Still Waters Run Deep" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1972 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "The Beatles At The Hollywood Bowl" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1991 - Capitol Records releases the 1961 album "Nat 'King" Cole Sings, George Shearing Plays", on CD for the first time
2002 - Capitol Records announces the release, re-mixed in 96kHz/24-bit PCM surround-sound at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood using the original multi-track master tapes, of Richard Thompson's 1991 album "Rumor and Sigh", Crowded House's 1986 album "Crowded House", Queensryche's 1990 album "Empire" and Bonnie Raitt's 1989 album "Nick Of Time"
2006 - Paul McCartney turns 64 (Woo!)

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1958 - Marty Haggard, singer, guitarist, and son of future Capitol Records artist Merle Haggard, is born Martin Ronald Haggard in Bakersfield, California
1961 - Horace Parlan (on piano with Booker Ervin on tenor saxophone, Grant Green on guitar, George Tucker on bass, and Al Harewood on drums record the tracks "Light Blue", "Up And Down", "The Book's Beat", two takes of "Fugee", "Lonely One" and "The Other Part Of Town" with producer Alfred Lion and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at Van Gelder's Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey studio. "Light Blue" and the second of "Fugee" will be released by Blue Note Records on Parlan's album "Up And Down" and the remaining tracks will finally be released by Mosaic Records on the 2000 box set "The Complete Blue Note Horace Parlan Sessions". Blue Note Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Records' parent company and is currently a division of Capitol Records
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beatles perform live at Sydney Stadium, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
35 Years Ago Today In 1974 - Henry Maddox, singer with the band The Maddox Brothers and Rose and brother to Capitol Records artist Rose Maddox, dies at age 46
1983 - George Russell and The Living Time Orchestra record tracks that will make up their 1984 Blue Note album "The African Game" and their 1987 Blue Note album "So What"
20 Years Ago Today In 1989 - Richard Marx's EMI Records single "Satisfied" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1991 - Curb Records releases Merle Haggards "18 Rare Classics" using songs from Haggard's time at Capitol Records

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1938 - Chick Webb and His Orchestra's Decca single "A-Tisket, A-Tasket", with vocals by Ella Fitzgerald, co-written (with Fitzgerald using his birth name Al Feldman) and arranged by Van Alexander, and with "Liza" on the flip side, enters the top 10 of the U.S. Singles charts
1942 - At ceremony # 64, Red Skelton leaves his footprints in cement at Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California