DECEMBER 23, 2009

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
80 Years Ago Today In 1929 - Chet Baker, trumpetist, flugelhorn player, singer, and Pacific Jazz and Capitol Records artist as a solo artist and as a member of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and Quintet and with the Miles Davis nonet, is born Chesney Henry Baker in Yale, Oklahoma
1955 - Dave Murray, songwriter and guitarist with the EMI/Harvest/Capitol Records band Iron Maiden, is born David Michael Murray in Edmonton, London, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1944 - Tex Ritter's Capitol Records single "I’m Wastin’ My Tears On You", with "There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1952 - Skeets McDonald's Capitol Records single "Don’t Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes", with "Big Family Trouble" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
50 Years Ago Today In 1959 - Buck Owens records the tracks "Excuse Me I Think I've Got A Heartache" and
"Above And Beyond" for Capitol Records
1960 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Wings of a Dove", with "Next To Jimmy" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "I Feel Fine", with "She's A Woman" on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. This is the 30th song by the group to hit Billboard's Hot 100 in 1964, the most songs in one year by any group.
45 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Brian Wilson, singer, songwriter, producer and member of the Capitol Records group The Beach Boys, suffers a nervous breakdown on flight from Los Angeles to Houston and decides to retire from live performances
1968 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Wichita Lineman", with Campbell's self-penned "Fate Of Man" on the flip side, is #1 on Billboard's Country Singles charts.
40 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Merle Haggard records the track "The Fightin' Side of Me" for Capitol Records
1971 - Capitol Records co-founder Glenn Everett Wallichs dies
1972 - John Lennon's film "Imagine" premieres on national TV
1972 - Hurricane Smith (aka Norman Smith, EMI recording engineer at Abbey Road who worked with The Beatles and producer of Pink Floyd's second single "See Emily Play")'s Capitol Records single "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?" with "Getting To Know You (Is Like A New Dance)" on the flip side, debuts in the top 40 of both Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and Cashbox's Top 100 Singles chart. On a personal note, this is my favorite song. When if first came out I was 12 and it sounded so different from anything else on the radio at that time. Also, it was a song my whole family liked and would sing along to while driving around Buffalo that winter (having a song that the kids singing wouldn't sound worse than Smith's vocals was a real plus for my parents). With it's lush string arrangment, smoking sax solo, and romantic (but down to earth and easy to understand) lyrics, this was also the song that started my interest in "earlier" music. Many thanks Norman!

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1938 - The "Spirituals to Swing" concert is presented at Carnegie Hall in New York City by music impresario John Hammond. Pianists Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson, vocalist Joe Turner, clarintetist Sidney Bechet, the Count Basie Orchestra, blue singer Big Bill Broonzy, and gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe all appear on stage. The show is credited with starting the "Boogie Woogie" craze. Also, twenty nine year old Alfred Lion is in the audience and is so enthused by Lewis and Ammon's piano playing that he arranges a recording session, funded with start-up capitol by writer Max Margulis, exactly two weeks later on January 6, 1939 at 2:00 PM (listed as probably being at WMGM Studios) in New York City where he records 4 solos by each and 2 duets with both men playing on the same piano. Thus is Blue Notes Records born. Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music, Capitol's parent company, and Blue Note Records is currently a division of Capitol Records, Incorporated. If anyone knows for sure which studio was used, please leave a comment.