DECEMBER 5, 2010

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1922 - Don Robertson, pianist, songwriter, accompanist and arranger for Capitol Records group The Dinning Sister, husband of Lou Dinning, rehearsal and session pianist for Capitol in the 1950s, 1972 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Association's Songwriter's Hall of Fame, and Capitol Records artist (1956, best known for the track "The Happy Whistler"), is born Donald Irwin Robertson in Peking, China
1946 or 1952 - Andy Kim (aka Baron Longfellow), singer, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist (1968-1976), is born Andrew Joachim or Andre Youakim in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. If anyone knows Andy's true birth year and name, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - The Dinning Sisters (Ginger Dinning, Jayne Bundesen and Jean Dinning on vocals) with Dean Elliott and his Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the track "Years And Years Ago", the (as of 2005) unissued track "The Man Who Paints The Rainbow", and the track "He Like It! She Like It!" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the first and last tracks together as a single (Capitol 353).
1947 - At a recording session that starts at 9:30pm and ends at 2:00pm at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles, California Rend Ingle (aka Ernest Ingle on clarinet and saxophone) & The Natural Seven record the tracks "Oh! Nick-O Demo (vocals by Red Ingle and Betty Holland), "Cigareets, Whuskey And Wild, Wild Women" (includes vocals by Jay Novello as a drunken heckler and The Might and Main Street Choral Society), "Cigardust (Stardust)" (vocals by Karen Tedder) and "I Surrender Dear". Capitol will issue the first track as a single (Capitol 15210) with "Serutan Yob (Nature Boy)" on the flip side, the second track as a single (Capitol 57-722) with "Tim-Tay-Shun (Temptation)" on the flip side. Bear Family Records will issue all the tracks in Germany on the CD "Tim-Tay-Shun" (BCD 16115).
1947 - The Pied Pipers (vocal group that includes June Hutton, Chuck Lowry, Hal Hopper and Clark Yocum) with Paul Weston and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the tracks "Mary Lou", "I'll See You In My Dreams", It's Watcha Do with Watcha Got" and "Highway To Love" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks as singles. The first track with Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers' track "Rhode Island Is Famous For You" on the flip side (Capitol 489), the second track with "Ok'l Baby Dok'l" on the flip side (Capitol 495), the third track with "Yes, We Have No Bananas" on the flip side (Capitol 15233) and the last track with "My Happiness" on the flip side (Capitol 15094).
60 Years Ago Today In 1950 - Unidentified artists record the track "Panchito, The Little Burro Who Could Not Bray (Parts 1 and 2) at Capitol's studios on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue the tracks together as the children's album "Panchito, The Little Burro Who Could Not Bray" (Capitol F32032).
1951 - Stan Kenton (on piano) and His Orchestra (Maynard Ferguson, John Howell, Conte Candoli, Stu Williamson and John Coppola on trumpet; Dick Kenney, Bill Russo, Harry Betts and Bob Fitzpatrick on trombone; George Roberts on bass trombone; Stan Fletcher on tuba; Bud Shank on alto saxophone and flute; Art Pepper on alto saxophone and clarinet; Bob Cooper on tenor saxophone, oboe and English horn; Bart Caldarell on tenor saxophone and bassoon; Bob Gioga on baritone saxophone and bas clarinet; Ralph Blaze on guitar; Don Bagley on bass; Shelly Manne on drums and on strings with concert master Alex Law: Earl Cornwell, Phil Davidson, Dwight Muma, Maurice Koukel, Barton Gray, Seb Mercurio, Danny Napolitano, Charlie Scarle and Ben Zimberoff on violin; Paul Israel, Aaron Shapiro and Dave Smiley on viola; Gregory Bemko, Zachary Bock and Gabe Jellen on cello) record the tracks "A Horn", "City Of Glass: 3rd Movement - Reflections" and "City Of Glass - 2nd Movement - Dance Before The Mirror" at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue Studios in Hollywood, California between 3:00pm and 6:00pm. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on Kenton's album "City Of Glass/This Modern World" (W 736).
1952 - Matthew "Sam" De Kemel (aka Bugle Sam, with Sharkey Bonano on trumpet, Jack Delaney on trombone, Bujie Centobie on clarinet, Stanley Mendelsohn on piano, Arthur Pons on guitar, Joe Loyacano on bass and Monk Hazell on drums) recorded the track "Has Anybody Seen My Kitty?", the (as of 2005) unissued track "Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet" and the tracks "Bugle Call Rag" and "Runnin' Wild" in New Orleans, Louisiana. Capitol Records will issue the first and third tracks together as a single (Capitol 2387) and the last track on the compilation album "The History Of Jazz, Volume 1 - N' Orleans Origins" (T 793).
1952 - Merle Travis records a rejected take of the track "Dance Of The Golden Rod", the track "Guitar Rag", and an unissued and lost take of the track "(Goodbye My) Blue Bell" for Capitol Records. Bear Family Records will release "Guitar Rag" in Germany on the CD "Guitar Rags And A Too Far Past" (BCD 15637).
1954 - Micki Marlo (on vocals), with an orchestra (lineup unlisted) directed by Dick Reynolds, records the tracks "Foolish Notion", "Prize Of Gold", "Can You" and "Don't Go, Don't Go, Don't Go" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the first two tracks together as a single (Capitol 3062) and the last two tracks together as a single (Capitol 3016).
1961 - Buck Owens records the track "Kickin' Our Hearts Around", written by fellow Capitol Records artist Wanda Jackson, for Capitol Records
1967 - Buck Owens records the track "Sweet Rosie Jones" for Capitol Records
40 Years Ago Today In 1970 - George Harrison's Apple Records single "My Sweet Lord", with "Isn't It A Pity" on the flip side and distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
40 Years Ago Today In 1970 - Capitol Records releases the soundtrack album to the cartoon show "Josie And The Pussycats" but features the real singers, Cathy Dougher (born Kathleen Dougherty), Patrice Holloway, and Cherie Moor (born Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor and later better known as actress Cheryl Ladd) on the cover in costume. Wikipedia has a great article about the making of the soundtrack album.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1901 - Walt Disney, cartoonist, animator, cartoon director, producer, studio creator and owner, theme park creator and owner, and television producer and host, is born Walter Elias Disney. Capitol Records will release soundtracks and original childrens records based on Walt Disney's creations.
1946 - Future Capitol Records artist and arranger Nelson Riddle arrives in Los Angeles, California after securing a job (with the help of his friend guitarist Bob Bain) arranging for Bob Crosby. Riddle will make the town his home base for the rest of his life.
1957 - Baritone saxophonist Gerry Mulligan (with Pail Palmieri on guitar, Dick Wetmore on violin, Calo Scott on cello, Vinnie Burke on bass, and Dave Bailey on drums), records the tracks "May-Reh", "The Preacher", "Good Bait", and "Bags' Groove" with producer Richard Bock in New York City for Pacific Jazz Records. The tracks will remain unreleased until being added to the CD version of Mulligan's Pacific Jazz album "The Gerry Mulligan Songbook" when it is released in 1995 by Capitol Records, whose parent company, EMI Music, currently owns the Pacific Jazz catalog. The recordings have also been recently re-issued as part of the three disc set "Mosaic Select: Gerry Mulligan" released by Mosaic Records.
1968 - C. P. MacGregor, Brunswick Records manager for the San Francisco territory in 1924, later record producer, transcriber, and recording Studio owner, dies in Hollywood, California at age 71. In 1924, MacGregor was . He later had his own studios, CP MacGregor Studios, at 729 S. Western Avenue, in Los Angeles (not Hollywood as is given in many descriptions), California, where many of Capitol Records' first artists were recorded, and whose accoustics had a great part in creating what was called "The Capitol Sound". Ironically, with the profits made from Capitol, MacGregor repainted his studios, which in turned changed the acoustics of the rooms so much that Capitol stopped using them. Last time I drove by (about 6 years ago), the building was still there, but recently looking at Google Earth, I'm not so sure it hasn't been turned into a parking lot. If anyone can confirm or deny this, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1932 - "Little Richard", singer, songwriter, motion picture actor, and television commercial spokesman, is born Richard Wayne Penniman in Macon, Georgia. Richard was a piano student of Capitol Records artist Esquerita who heavily influenced his stage persona. Richard would go on to later teach Parlophone and Capitol Records band The Beatles how to do his famous "Wooooo" when the band toured with him in England.