MAY 7, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1950 - Prarie Prince, graphic designer, former drummer in the Capitol Records band The Tubes, and now with the band The New Cars, is born Charles L'Emprere Prince in Charlotte, North Carolina

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Peggy Lee, with the Four Of A Kind (Dave Barbour on guitar, Philip Stephens on bass, Buddy Cole on piano, celeste, and organ, and Tom Romersa on drums) records the tracks "I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me", "I've Had My Moments", "Them There Eyes", "Lonesome Road", and "You Brought A New Kind Of Love To Me" with arrangement by Heinrich "Heine" Beau at Radio Recorders, 7000 Santa Monica Boulevard, Hollywood, California for a transcription disc that will be released by Capitol Records for radio
1949 - Mel Torme (with orchestra conducted by Sonny Burke)'s Capitol Records single "Careless Hands" is #7 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable" is #8, Mel Torme (this time with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #9, and Weston and MacRae (again with Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Need You" is tied at #13 with Vaughn Monroe and His Orchestra's single "Red Roses For A Blue Lady", Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol & His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Forever And Ever" is #24, Jack Smith and The Clark Sisters (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Cruising Down The River) is #28, and Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Baby, It's Cold Outside" debuts at #30 in a tie with Bing Crosby (with Victor Young and His Orchestra)'s single "Galway Bay"
1950 - Nat "King" Cole performs "Mona Lisa" during the first of his eventual thirteen guest appearances on Ed Sullivan's CBS Television show.
1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #7, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Darling, Je Vous Amie Beaucoup" is #10, Cole and Riddle are also at #20 with a double sided Capitol Records hit single "A Blossom Fell" and its flip side "If I May" (with backing vocals by The Four Knights), and Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" debuts at #25
1958 - Bobby Hackett continues recording sessions for his Capitol Records album "At The Embers" by recording the tracks "Cheek To Cheek", "It's Been So Long", "If I Had My Way", and "That Naughty Waltz"
45 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Sloop John B.", with "You're So Good To Me" on the flip side and the original A side, peaks at #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1967 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Sam's Place" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1972 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Grandma Harp" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1998 - Eddie Rabbitt, singer, songwriter, guitarist and Capitol Records artist (1990 to 1992, during which time he recorded recorded the top 10 hit "Runnin' With The Wind"), dies of lung cancer in Nashville, Tennessee at age 56.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
45 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Del Shannon's Liberty Records single "The Big Hurt", with "I Got It Bad" on the flip side, enters Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. The next time Shannon enters the chart will be in 1981.
1967 - Capitol Records artist Judy Garland's appearance on Jack Paar's NBC special, "A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To Hollywood", is the last time she's on a primetime network television show

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1941 - Glenn Miller and His Orchestra record the track "Chattanooga Choo-Choo" for Bluebird Records (a subsidiary of RCA Victor Records) at the Victor Recording Studios in Hollywood, California. The single would later become the first record to be awarded a Gold record, for sales of 1 million copies. The idea for a Gold record was thought up as a publicity event by RCA Victor and later adopted by the R.I.A.A. in the 1950s
1945 - Representatives of the German army sign unconditional surrender documents ending World War II in Europe.
65 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Tokyo Telecommunications Engineering (later renamed Sony) is founded
1949 - "A - You're Adorable" by Perry Como becomes the first song available on RCA'S new 45rpm format to hit #1 on the Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records charts
1953 - Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Carson Smith and Larry Bunker record "Love Me or Leave Me" and "Varsity Drag" for Gene Norman's GNP label.
1955 - Bill Haley and The Comets' Decca single "Rock Around The Clock", with "Thirteen Women" on the flip side, debuts at #22 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart
55 Years Ago Today In 1956 - The Rock 'n' Roll Trio, consisting of Johnny Burnette, Dorsey Burnette, and Paul Burlison, has its first recording session for Coral Records at Pythian Temple Studio, in New York City, producing the single "Tear It Up" which will be covered by John Lennon on his Capitol Records "Rock 'n' Roll" solo album. Capitol wanted to sign the trio. but after the Burnettes and their manager, bandleader Henry Jerome, heard that Capitol might be also signing Gene Vincent, they decided to go with Coral. Capitol then signed Vincent who recorded "Be-Bop-A-Lula" three days before the Trio's session.
1962 - The Isley Brothers' single "Twist And Shout" is released. The track would later be covered by "The Beatles", with John Lennon doing lead vocals, on February 11, 1963.
45 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Rolling Stones' single "Paint It Black", with "Stupid Girl" on the flip side, is released on London Records