JULY 12, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1919 - Paul Villepigue, clarinetist, flutist, player of the entire range of saxophones, and arranger (for Ben Pollack/Chico Marx band and such Capitol Records artists as Charlie Barnet, Stan Kenton, June Christy, Mel Tormé, and Alvino Rey), is born Paul Fabian Villepigue, Jr. in Ottawa, Kansas
1927 - Conte Candoli, trumpet player, older brother of trumpet player Pete Candoli, and member of Capitol Records group Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (1948-1949 and 1951) as well as many other groups including Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show band, is born Conte Secundo Candoli in Mishawaka, Indiana
1938 - Bill Cosby, comedian, television and movie actor, producer, and Capitol Records artist, is born William Henry Cosby, Jr. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1951 - Cheryl Ladd, television actress, singer and Capitol Records artist (solo and as a vocalist with Josie & The Pussycats) is born Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor in Huron, South Dakota

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Peggy Lee with her husband Dave Barbour and His Orchestra records the tracks (which they also co-wrote) "Don't Be So Mean To Baby" (which remains unreleased), "It's A Good Day" (which Capitol Records will release as single #322 with "He's Just My Kind" on the flip side), and "I've Had My Moments" (which was rejected) with producer Lee Gillette in Los Angeles, California.
1946 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, Chico Alvarez, John Anderson, Ken Hanna on trumpet; Kai Winding, Miff Sines, Milt Kabak on trombone; Bart Varsalona on bass trombone; Al Anthony and Boots Mussulli on alto saxophone; Vido Musso and Bob Cooper on tenor saxophone; Bob Gioga on baritone saxophone; Kenton on piano; Bob Ahern on guitar; Eddie Safranski on bass; Shelly Manne on drums; and June Christy on vocals) record the tracks "Ain't No Misery In Me" (with vocals by Christy and solos by Winding on trombone and Mussulli on alto saxophone), "Artistry In Percussion" (with solos by Manne on drums and Winding on trombone), two takes of "Safranski (Artistry In Bass)" (with solos by Safranski on bass and Kenton on piano), "Artistry in Bolero" (with solos by Safranski on bass, Kenton on piano, Musso on tenor saxophone and Winding on trombone) at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles, California with producer Lee Gillette. All the tracks except the second take of "Safranski (Artistry In Bass)" will appear on the 78 rpm version of their Capitol Records album "Artistry in Rhythm". The second take of Safranski (Artistry In Bass)" will replace the first on the 33 1/3 rpm version of the album.
1947 - Red Ingle and The Natural Seven (with vocals by Cinderella G. Stump aka Jo Stafford)'s Capitol Records single "Tim-Tay-Shun" (aka "Temptation) is still #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart
1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s Capitol Records single "Here In My Heart" is #2 up from #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Jane Froman (with orchestra conducted by Sid Feller)'s Capitol Records single "I'll Walk Alone" is still #14, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Somewhere Along The Way" (with "What Does It Take" on the flip side) is #13 up from #16, Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s Capitol Records single "Take My Heart" (with "I Never Cared" on the flip side) is #15 up from #17, and Nat "King" Cole (with Billy May and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" (with "I'm Hurtin'" on the flip side) enters the top 20 at #20
1957 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocal, trombone and bass; Don Barbour on vocal and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocal and drums; and Ken Albers on vocal, trumpet, mellophone, and bass) with arranger Pete Rugolo conducting the studio orchestra (Frank Rosolino, John Halliburton, Milt Bernhart, and Herbie Harper on trombone; George Roberts on bass trombone; Clarence Karella on tuba; Herbie Mann on piccolo, flute, and alto flute; Howard Roberts on guitar; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Red Mitchell on bass; Shelly Manne on drums; Bernie Mattinson on vibraphones and percussion; Milt Holland on percussion; and Chico Guerrero on bongos and percusssion) record the tracks "Yesterdays", "Mine", "Again", "What's New", and "Star Eyes" in Los Angeles, California for their Capitol Records album "Voices In Latin"
1962 - Bobby Darin signs a three-year contract with Capitol Records
45 Years Ago Today In 1965 - Brian Wilson records an instrumental backing track with a rough lead vocal for the song that will become "Sloop John B" at Western Recorders in Hollywood, California
1979 - Minnie Ripperton, singer with a five octave range and a Capitol Records artist (1976-1979), dies at approximately 10:00 AM of breast cancer at age 31 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, California with her husband, Richard Rudolph, by her side
2003 - Benny Carter, composer, band leader, trombonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, alto saxophonist, and Capitol Records artist, dies at age 96 of possible broncitis at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California. There is a nice biographical article on Jazz Beat's site by Floyd Levin.
5 Years Ago Today In 2005 - Billboard Radio Monitor reports that Joanna Carter has been promoted to senior director of creative services at Capitol Records Nashville
2006 - It is reported this day that Syd Barrett, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of Pink Floyd, had died "peacefully a couple of days ago", either from complications of diabetes or of cancer, at his home in Cambridgeshire, England at age 60

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
115 Years Ago Today In 1895 - Oscar Hammerstein II, Broadway, motion picture, and television lyricist (including "Rose-Marie", "The Desert Song", "Sunny" "Show Boat", "Carmen Jones", "Oklahoma!", "South Pacific", "Carousel", "The King And I", "Cinderella", "The Sound Of Music" and many others) and producer, is born Oscar Greeley Clendinning Hammerstein II in New York City, New York. Capitol Records has released the original motion picture soundtracks to "Oklahoma!", "Carousel" and "The King And I", a 10" album of cover versions of songs from "South Pacific" recorded by Capitol Records artists, and many Capitol Records artists have recorded cover versions of Hammerstein's songs, some of which appeared on Capitol's compilation CD "Hello Young Lovers: Capitol Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein" on April 5, 1994
1962 - The Rolling Stones give their first performance at the Marquee Club in London, England. At the time, the group consisted of singer Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards, Brian Jones and Dick Taylor, pianist Ian Stewart and drummer Mick Avory. The Rolling Stones catalog is now distributed by Virgin Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records.
1972 - Drummer Elvin Jones (with David Liebman and Steve Grossman on tenor saxophones and Gene Perla on bass) records the track "New Breed" for Jones' Blue Note Records album "Mr. Jones" with producer George Butler and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at The Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Blue Note Records catalog.
1996 - Jonathan Melvoin, keyboardist with the Virgin Records group Smashing Pumpkins, dies of a heroin overdose at age 34 in New York City, New York

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1854 - George Eastman, inventor of the Kodak camera and roll film upon which motion picture film is based, is born in Waterville, New York
2008 - At 2:25 PM Alaska time, after about 12 hours of labor (which his mom will never let him forget), our grandson, Alexander Lee Johnson, is born at 19.75" and 7 pounds 1 ounce in Juneau, Alaska.