JULY 13, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1942 - Roger McGuinn, digital distribution advocate, techie, and 12-string Rickenbacker guitarist with such bands as The Byrds and Capitol Records group McGuinn, Clark and Hillman, is born James Joseph McGuinn in Chicago, Illinois

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1955 - Arranger and tenor saxophonist Bill Holman (with Dave Madden on baritone saxophone; Conte Candoli on trumpet; Bob Evenvoldsen on valve trombone; Paul Moer on piano; Ralph Pena on bass; and Shelly Manne on drums) records the tracks "The Mild One", "My Buddy", "Where Or When", and "Bon Mot" at Capitol Records Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California. The tracks will remain unissued until they appear on Mosaic Records box set "Kenton Presents Cooper, Holman & Rosolino".
1958 - The Kingston Trio record a live date at the hungry i, where they would perform 30 songs, only 12 of which were later released by Capitol Records until Bear Family Records in Germany released it's box set "The Kingston Trio - The Guard Years" in 1997, which contained the entire concert
1959 - The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "M.T.A." is #15 up from #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1959 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Under Your Spell Again" with "Tired Of Livin'" on the flip side
1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" is #6 down from #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #18 down from #12, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #26 down from #16, The Beach Boy's Capitol Records single "Shut Down" is #33 down from #31, and Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because is #37 down from #30
1964 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' sing'e "A Hard Day's Night" with "I Should Have Known Better" on the flip side
1966 - At 10:00 AM, The Chocolate Watchband enter American Recording Studios to start their first recording session for Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records. David Aguilar of the group has a great article about what led up to that first session and who was there.
40 Years Ago Today In 1970 - Capitol Records re-releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's albums "Sweet Hour Of Prayer" and "Let Me Walk With Thee" packaged together with new cover art
25 Years Ago Today In 1985 - Duran Duran's Capitol Records single "A View To A Kill" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart becoming the first title song from the James Bond franchise of movies to reach the top of the U.S. charts. Ironically, on the same day, the original members of Duran Duran perform for the last time at the Live Aid concert held at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until they give a reunion concert in 2003
1993 - Pianist Don Pullen (with Carlos Ward on alto saxophone, Nilson Matta on bass, J.T. Lewis on drums, and Mor Thiam on djembe, tabula, rainsticks, wind chimes, and vocals) perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. Capitol Records records the performance and releases the tracks "Yebino Spring", "Ah George, We Hardly Knew Ya", "Capoeira", "Kele Mou Bana" and "Aseeko! (Get Up And Dance!" on the album "Live-- Again Live At Montreux" in 1995.
2004 - Capitol Records releases Rochester, Minnesota band The F-UPS self-titled debut album
2006 - Red Buttons, comedian, actor and Capitol Records artist (on the original motion picture soundtrack to "Pete's Dragon" with another Capitol Records artist Helen Reddy), who also did voice work with Capitol Records artist Judy Garland on the animated feature film "Gay Purr-ee", dies of vascular disease at his home in Century City at age 87. Here's hoping that, wherever he his, he's finally getting a dinner.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1927 - Ike Cole, pianist, singer, and brother of Capitol Records artist Nat "King" Cole, is born in Chicago, Illinois
1939 - Frank Sinatra has his first recording session when he's the featured vocalist with new bandleader Harry James and His Orchestra on the tracks "Melancholy Mood" and "From The Bottom of My Heart"
1942 - Stephen Jo Bladd, drummer with the EMI America group The J. Geils Band, is born in Boston, Massachusettes
1949 - Singer and pianist Amos Milburn (with Maxwell Davis tenor saxophone, Chuck Norris on guitar, Ralph Hamilton on bass, and Lee Young on drums) records the tracks "Roomin' House Boogie", "Walkin' Blues" (without Davis on tenor saxophone), and "Blue And Lonesome" for Aladdin Records at Radio Recorders, in Los Angeles, California. The first two tracks will be released on separate singles by Alladin in the United States and the last track wil be released by Aladdin in France on Milburn's album "Vicious, Vicious Vodka"
1951 - Arnold Schoenberg, a tonal composer whose works were recorded for Capitol Records by the Hollywood String Quartet, dies in Los Angeles, California at age 76
1953 - Future Capitol Records artists Louis Prima and Keely Smith are married. If anyone knows where, please contact me.
1957 - Bob Brookmeyer records (with Brookmeyer on valve trombone and piano; Jimmy Giuffre on clarinet, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone; Jim Hall on guitar; Joe Benjamin on bass; and Dave Bailey on drums) the tracks "Louisiana", "Santa Claus Blues", "Truckin’", "Some Sweet Day", "Sweet Like This", "Jada", and "Don’t Be That Way" with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Al Schmitt at Costal Studios in New York City for his Pacific Jazz album "Traditionalism Revisited". Pacific Jazz's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #21 down from #14 on Billboard's Hot 100 single chart, Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Sweeter Than You" enters the top 40 at #24 up from #53 and it's flip side "Just A Little Too Much" also enters the top 40 at #32 up from #42, Dion and The Belmonts Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #33 down from #19, and David Seville and The Chipmunk's Liberty Records single "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" enters the top 40 at #36 up from #65. Liberty, Imperial, and Laurie Records catalogs are currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1963 - The Essex's Roulette Records single "Easier Said Than Done" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Jan and Dean's Liberty Records single "Surf City" is #2 up from #7, The Chiffons' Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #5 up from #6, and The Fleetwoods' Dolton Records single "Goodnight My Love" enters the top 40 at #40 up from #48. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Roulette, Liberty, Laurie, and Dolton Records catalogs.
1972 - Elvin Jones records the tracks "Soultrane" (with Steve Grossman on tenor saxophone, Gene Perla on bass, Jones on drums, Albert Duffy on tympani, and Frank Ippolito on percussion), "One's Native Place" (with Thad Jones on flugelhorn, David Liebman on flute, Steve Grossman on soprano saxophone, Jan Hammer on piano, Gene Perla on bass, Jones on drums, Albert Duffy on tympani, Frank Ippolito on percussion, and Carlos Patato Valdes on conga), and "G. G." (with Thad Jones on flugelhorn, David Liebman and Steve Grossman on tenor saxphone, Jan Hammer on piano, Gene Perla on electric bass, and Jones on drums) with producer George Butler and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at The Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey for Jones' Blue Note Records album "Mr. Jones". Blue Note Records catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1962 - The Blossoms record the track "He's A Rebel" written by Gene Pitney with Bobby Sheen singing high tenor for producer Phil Spector. When Philles Records releases the track as a single, with "I Love You Eddie" on the flip side, they called the group The Crystals. The single would hit #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart on November 3, 1962 and stay for two weeks.