JUNE 30, 2009

REST IN PEACE
2009 - Harve Presnell, singer, Broadway, Television and Motion Picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (as part of the Roger Wagner Chorale and on the original Broadway cast album "The Unsinkable Molly Brown") has died of pancreatic cancer at age 74 at St. John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California.

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
70 Years Ago Today In 1939 - Janet H. Shifflett, machinist for fifteen years at Capitol Records and for Audiopak for seven years, is born Janet Henry in Warren County, Virginia
1944 - Glenn Shorrock, singer with the Capitol Records group The Little River Band, is born in Rochester, England
60 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Andy Scott, guitarist with the Capitol Records group The Sweet, is born Andrew Scott in Wrexham, Wales, United Kingdom

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - It's a busy day for drummer Zutty Singleton as he and his Creole Band (Norman Bowden on trumpet, Shorty Haughton on trombone, Barney Bigard on clarinet, Fred Washington on piano, Bud Scott on guitar, and Ed Garland on bass) record the tracks "Oh, Didn't He Ramble" and "Crawfish Blues", and at the same session, with his trio (Singleton on drums, Bigard on clarinet, and Washington on piano), record a couple of takes of "Barney's Bounce" and "Lulu's Mood". All the tracks will be released by Capitol Records.
1947 - Freddie Slack (on piano and celeste, with Gene Englund on bass, and Dave Coleman on drums), records the tracks "Humoresquire" (with Hilmer "Tiny" Timbrell on guitar) and "Celeste Boogie" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records, but the tracks would remain unreleased until included in the 2005 Mosaic Records 3 CD set "Mosaic Select: Freddie Slack".
1951 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young" (with "That's My Girl" on the flip side) is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon" is #3 down from #2, and Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Mockin' Bird Hill" is #17 down from #9, and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Josephine" entes the top 20 at #20
1955 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger Nelson Riddle leading an unknown studio orchestra, records the track "I Thought About You" written by Jimmy Van Husen with lyrics by Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California for his Capitol Records album "songs for swingin' lovers!"
1956 - Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps' Capitol Records single "Be Bop A Lula" enters the top 40 of Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart at #23 up from #43, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "How Little We Know" enters the top 40 tied at #33 (up from #53) with Little Richard's single "Slippin' And A Sliddin'", Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Poor People Of Paris" is #37 down from #31, and Dean Martin's Capitol Records single "Standing On The Corner" is in a three way tie at #40 (down from #34) with Kay Starr's single "Second Fiddle" and Eddie Fisher (with Hugo Winterhalterr and His Orchestra)'s single "On The Street Where You Live"
1960 - Arranger and tenor saxophonist Bill Holman (with Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Conte Candoli, Lee Katzman on trumpet; Frank Rosolino and Lew McCreary on trombone; Ken Shroyer on bass trombone; Vince DeRosa and John Cave on french horn; Joe Maini and Charlie Kennedy on alto saxophone; Richie Kamuca and Bill Perkins on tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Joe Mondragon on bass; and Mel Lewis on drums) records the tracks "Speak Low", "Lush Life", "Shadrack", and "In A Sentimental Mood" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for his Capitol Records album "Bill Holman - Great Big Band"
1972 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Everybody's Had the Blues Sometimes" hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1973 - George Harrison's Apple Records single "Give Me Love (Give Me Peace On Earth)", with "Miss O'Dell" on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, knocking Paul McCartney and Wings' Apple Records single "My Love", with "The Mess" on the flip side, out of the top spot after a 4 week stay, and will itself be knocked out of the following week by Billy Preston's A&M single "Will It Go Round In Circles" with Preston's version of Lennon and McCartney's "Blackbird" on the flip side.
35 Years Ago Today In 1974 - Anne Murray's Capitol Records single "He Thinks I Still Care" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
25 Years Ago Today In 1984 - Tina Turner's Capitol Records album Private Dancer enters Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
1995 - Capitol Records Nashville artist Garth Brooks buries the glass master of his LP "The Hits" beneath his star on the legendary Hollywood Walk of Fame. It was the first time something like this had been done.
2003 - An article in the Los Angeles Times states that Capitol Records pays a dime per square foot in property taxes for The Capitol Tower with an annual tax payment of $11,000. Doing the math, it works out that the total "official" square footage of The Capitol Tower is 110,000 square feet.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1917 - Lena Horne, singer, motion picture and television actress, and United Artists Records artist (1965-1966) is born Lena Mary Calhoun Horne in Brooklyn, New York
1931 - Andrew Hill, pianist and Blue Note Records artist, is born in Chicago, Illinois
1953 - Pianist and vocalist Amos Milburn (with Noble Watts on tenor saxophone, Paul Williams on alto and baritone saxophone, Mickey Baker on guitar and an unknown bass player and drummer) records the tracks "Let's Have A Party", "Without Someone To Call Your Own", "One Scotch, One Bourbon, One Beer" (without Watts on saxophone), and "Sorrowful Heart" at Audio Video Studios, in New York City, New York for his Aladdin Records album "Let's Have A Party"
1956 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm In Love Again" is still #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and its flip side, "My Blue Heaven", is #22 down from #21. Imperial Records' catalogue is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1962 - Bobby Vee's Liberty Records single "Sharing You" is #16 up from #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Dion's Laurie Records single "Lovers Who Wander" is #30 down from #14, and Dinah Washington's single "Where Are You" is # 40 down from #36 up from #46. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Laurie, Liberty, and Roulette Records catalogs.
1963 - Arranger Onzy Matthews (with Dupree Bolton on trumpet; Earl Anderza on alto saxophone; Hadley Caliman on tenor saxophone; Roosevelt Wardell on piano; Clarence Jones on bass; and Chuck Carter on drums) records the tracks "Joe And I" and "Midnite Lament" at Pacific Jazz Studios, in Los Angeles, California. The tracks will remain unreleased until they became part of the 2007 Mosaic Records 3 cd set "Mosaic Select: Onzy Matthews"
25 Years Ago Today In 1984 - Rupert Perry's last day as president of EMI America Records. The next day he will become executive assistant to the chairman of EMI Music Worldwide, based in Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1939 - Future Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra makes his first appearance with future Capitol Records artist Harry James’ band at a show held at the Hippodrome Theatre in Baltimore, Maryland
1956 - The Goons' Parlophone Records single "I'm Walking Backwards for Christmas" enters the UK singles charts
1963 - Brian Epstein signs The Foremost
2006 - "The Beatles LOVE", the latest Cirque du Soleil production which celebrates the musical legacy of The Beatles, holds it's Gala Premiere at The Mirage in Las Vegas and Paul McCartney, Ringo Starr, Yoko Ono and Olivia Harrison are expected to attend. This joint artistic venture marks the first time that The Beatles' company, Apple Corps Ltd., has agreed to a major theatrical partnership. Sir George Martin, The Beatles' original producer, and his son Giles Martin have been working with the entire archive of Beatles recordings to create the musical component for "LOVE". Apple Corps Ltd. will later release the show's soundtrack album through EMI Music. For more info go to issue 60 of Beatlefan online.