AUGUST 2, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1937- Garth Hudson, instrumentalist (Lowrey organ, piano, keyboards, saxophones, accordion, horns) with the Capitol Records artists The Band, is born Eric Garth Hudson in Windsor, Ontario

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, Chico Alvarez, John Anderson, and Ken Hanna on trumpets; Kai Winding, Harry Forbes, and Miff Sines 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; and Shelly Manne on drums), with vocalist June Christy, record the tracks "Collaboration" arranged by Pete Rugolo, with solos by Kenton, Safranski, Winding and Alvarez; "Don't Want That Man Around" arranged by Rugolo with vocals by Christy and solos by Kenton, Safranski, and Alvarez; and two versions of "Opus In Pastels" arranged by Kenton using the saxophones and rhythm sections only at Radio Recorders studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Lee Gillette
50 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Judy Garland records the tracks "Lucky Day", "Stormy Weather", "Chicago", and "Do It Again" in stereo for the first time at EMI Studios in London England with producer Norman Newell and conductor Norrie Paramour. The recordings would eventually be released in 1972 on the Capitol Records Club album "Judy In London"
1986 - Enigma Records (which had joint venture and distribution deals with Capitol Records) releases Poison's debut album "Look What The Cat Dragged In". Capitol would buy Enigma in 1989 and currently EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company owns Enigma's catalog.
1999 - Chris Gaines' (aka Garth Brooks) video for his Capitol Records single "Lost In You" premieres on VH1

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1898 - Fred Gainsberg, The Gramophone Company (later to become EMI)'s first recording engineer, has his first recording session in London at Gramophone & Typewriter's basement studio on Maiden Lane in Convent Garden, London, England where he records a track sung by Syria Lamonte, a barmaid at Rules Restaurant which is also (and still) located on Maiden Lane. Miss Lamont, according to Gaisberg in a 1949 interview with Brian Rust, had "a large voice". He would later record her again in the same studio on October 3, 1898 when they recorded the track "When A Merry Maiden Marries" from Gilbert & Sullivan's operetta "The Gondoliers" which will become the earliest known surviving disc of a Gilbert & Sullivan selection.
1957 - The Stan Getz Quartet (Stan Getz on tenor saxophone, Lou Levy on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Stan Levey on drums) record the tracks "Where or When", "Woody'n You", "Smiles", "Three Little Words", "But Beautiful", "All God's Chillun Got Rhythm", "Time After Time Verve", and "This Can't Be Love" for their Verve Records album "Award Winner" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1957 - The Gerry Mulligan/Paul Desmond Quartet (Gerry Mulligan on baritone saxophone, Paul Desmond on alto saxophone, Joe Benjamin on acoustic bass, and Dave Bailey on drums) are in The Capitol Tower Studios to record the tracks "Body And Soul", "Blues In Time", "Wintersong" for their Verve Records album "Blues In Time" produced by Norman Granz
50 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Ella Fitzgerald is back in The Capitol Tower Studios to record the tracks "Get Happy", "Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead", "Sing My Heart", "Let's Take A Walk Around The Block (Alternate Take)", and "Sing My Heart (Alternate Take)" with arragements by Billy May who also conducts the orchestra which includes Ted Nash on alto saxophone, Paul Smith on piano, John Collins or possibly Al Hendrickson on guitar, Joe Mondragon on bass, and Alvin Stoller on drums