MAY 28, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
100 Years Ago Today In 1910 - T-Bone Walker, guitarist and Capitol and Imperial Records artist, is born Aaron Thibeaux Walker in Linden, Texas and would later become a major influence on many Blues guitarists including a very young Steve Miller when Walker visited Miller's father's home recording studio for impromptu sessions
1912 - Dave Barbour, guitarist, composer, arranger, band leader and husband of Capitol Records artist Peggy Lee, is born David Michael Barbour in Flushing, New York
1928 - Arno Marsh, tenor saxophone player with Capitol Records group Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, is born in Grand Rapids, Michigan
1944 - Billy Vera, singer (as a solo artist, in a duo with Judy Clay, and with the bands Resolution and Billy And The Beaters), songwriter, actor, voice over artist, music historian, 45 rpm collector, and producer of Capitol Records' "From The Vaults" series and writer of the liner notes for Mosaic Records upcoming release of Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer's compilation CD "Mosaic Select: Johnny Mercer", is born William Patrick McCord in Riverside, California and has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame at the north east corner of Vine and Yucca, right outside The Capitol Tower's Gogerty Building extension. Billy wrote me to correct an earlier post I made saying "The note writer on my first Atlantic LP wrote that my real name is William McCord, Jr., and the mistake has been continued ever since. Actually, my father and I have different middle names, which means I'm not a 'Jr. ... My full name is William Patrick McCord, born in Riverside, CA [where his father served as a pilot in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II and was stationed at March Field], not San Diego, as that same LP said. My mom [Ann Ryan] was one of The Ray Charles Singers on the Perry Como Show during the '50s and sang on a number of his hits. My dad [William J. "Bill" McCord] was an announcer on NBC in New York for almost 30 years [where he was the voice on such TV Quiz shows as "Tic Tac Dough" and "Twenty-One"], so there's a show biz background."
1968 - Kylie Minogue, singer, television and motion picture actress, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Melbourne, Australia

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - On her husband's, (Dave Barbour) 34th birthday, vocalist Peggy Lee records "Can't Help Lovin' That Man", "Mean To Me", "I'm Confessin' (That I Love You)", and "Summertime" for Capitol Records transcription service with Buddy Cole's Four Of A Kind (Dave Barbour on guitar, Philip Stephens on bass, Buddy Cole on piano, celeste and organ, and Tom Romersa on drums) at Radio Recorders studios at 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Los Angeles, California with engineer John Palladino
1949 - Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #8 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer's Capitol Records single "Baby It's Cold Outside" is #10, Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable" is #11, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugalo)'s Capitol Records single "Careless Hands" is #16, and Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Need You" is #18
55 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s single "A Blossom Fell" and it's flip side "If I May" (with The Four Knights and Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) are #6, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learin' The Blues" is #10, Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #11, and Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" is #18
55 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Frank Sinatra's Capitol Records album "In The Wee Small Hours" enters the top 20 of Billboard's album chart beginning a top 20 album career that would last, in the U.S., for next 39 years and 7 months until his album "Duets" exited the top 20 on December 31, 1994
1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls", with "Congratuations" on the flip side, is #12 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1966 - The Beach Boys' album "Pet Sounds" enters Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart where it will spend the next 39 weeks
1967 - Wynn Stewart's Capitol Records single "It's Such A Pretty World Today", with "Ol' What's Her Name" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
2006 - Dierks Bentley's Liberty Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records Nashville) single "Settle For A Slowdown" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1943 - Tony Mansfield, songwriter and member of the bands Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas as well as New Musik, is born
5 Years Ago Today In 2004 - Vance "Pinto" Colvig is inducted into the International Clown Hall of Fame as the original Bozo

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1943 - Monty Woolley places his hand and foot prints in cement outside Graumann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California during ceremony #69