APRIL 23, 2011

REST IN PEACE
2011 - Tom King, a guitarist and founding member of the Capitol Records band The Outsiders who co-wrote the band's biggest hit, "Time Won't Let Me," died at age 68 at a nursing home in Wickliffe, Ohio, after a period of declining health.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Mel Blanc has his first Capitol children's records session where he'll record "Bugs Bunny Meets Elmer Fudd" and "Daffy Duck Flies South" for the children's album "Bugs Bunny's Stories for Children" which was produced by Alan Livingston with stories by Tedd Pierce and Warren Foster, music by Billy May and with Arthur Q. Bryan supplying additional vocals.
1949 - Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable", the flip side of "I Need You", debuts at #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart where it will peak the next week at #3
1949 - Mel Tormé has three Capitol Records singles in the top 20 of Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart: "Careless Hands" (with orchestra conducted by Sonny Burke), with "She's A Home Girl" on the flip side, is at #9, "Again" (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo) debuts at #18 and it's flip side, "Blue Moon", debuts at #20 (in a tie with Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks' single "Blue Skirt Waltz")
50 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Judy Garland's Sunday night concert at Carnegie Hall is recorded live by Capitol Records and rush released as a double album which will go on to win 5 Grammys and be the #1 album for 13 weeks. It will be remastered and re-released in 2001 for its 40th anniversary under the supervision of then VP of Catalog A&R Paul Atkinson
1967 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Need You", with "On And On" on the flip side, hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1969 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Galveston", with "How Come Every Time I Itch I Wind Up Scratchin' You" on the flip side, hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1969 - The Beach Boys finish recording the track "Break Away", written by Murray Wilson and produced by Brian Wilson with Carl Wilson on lead vocals. The track will be released as a single, with "Celebrate The News" on the flip side, by Capitol Records on June 23, 1969 and peak at #63 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.
25 Years Ago Today In 1986 - Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck in Buffalo, New York), bandleader, pianist, Broadway actor, singer, composer ("Stormy Weather", "Over The Rainbow" and many others and worked with "Yip" Harburg, Capitol Records' co-founder Johnny Mercer, Ted Koehler, and others) and Capitol Records artist, dies at age 81 in New York City, New York and is later interred next to his wife, Anya Taranda, in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York
1988 - Iron Maiden's Capitol Records album "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1924 - The Gramophone Company (later to become EMI, Capitol Music Group's parent company) records His Majesty King George V's speech at the opening of the Wembley Exhibition. The recording was made by a semi-electrical process with the wireless loudspeaker connected by a short tube to the recording box.
75 Years Ago Today In 1936 - Roy Orbison, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Virgin Records America recording artist, is born Roy Kelton Orbison in Vernon, Texas
1942 - Sandra Dee, motion picture actress and future wife of Capitol Records artist Bobby Darin, is born Alexandra Zuck
1962 - Decca Records releases Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers (aka The Beatles with Pete Best on drums) single "My Bonnie", with "The Saints" (aka "When the Saints Go Marching In") on the flip side, in the United States
1994 - Pink Floyd's Columbia Records album "The Division Bell" debuts at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart where it will stay for 4 weeks. spending 4 weeks as the top album in the country. The album will becertified Gold, Platinum and Double Platinum in the US in June of 1994 and Triple Platinum in January of 1999. Pink Flyod's catalog is now distributed by Capitol Records.