AUGUST 19, 2011

REST IN PEACE
2011 - Jay Ranellucci (born Julio (Jay) Francis Ranellucci on March 16, 1933), recording engineer for Capitol Records from 1957 to 2007, passes away peacefully at age 78. He started his career in Korea with Armed Forces Radio as a radio broadcast specialist. On leaving the service in 1955, he worked at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles until he started at Capitol Records in 1957 where he worked as a recording engineer until his retirement in 2007 - a remarkable 50- year career working with such music/entertainment greats as Nat Cole, Julie London, Peggy Lee, the Kingston Trio, the Beach Boys, Stan Kenton, Stan Freberg, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Hoyt Axton, Jo Stafford, Bobby Darin, Bing Crosby, Nancy Wilson, Merle Haggard, The Band, and many others. He was also a lifelong fan of old-time radio, both drama and comedy, and had a tremendous memory for actors names and associated time periods, as well as the associated trivia of the genre. His sense of humor was well-known and stories were fascinating. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, a stepdaughter, 2 granddaughters, and a great-grandson.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1972 - Sammi Cheng, actress, singer (Cantonese, Mandarin, and English) and Capitol Records Hong Kong recording artist (until a contractual dispute in 1996 led to her signing with Warner Bros. HK), is born Cheng Sau Man

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1946 - The King Cole Trio are back in the WMCA Studios in New York City, with Carl Kress and Walter Rivers producing and a string arrangement by Charlie Grean, to re-record Mel Tormé and Robert Wells' "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" (the first time was on June 14, 1946 also at WMCA Studios) because Cole was able to convince Capitol execs to invest more money because he felt that the song would work better with a string section. In all there are at least six version of the song using Cole's vocals from 4 different sessions. The Both Sides Now chat board has a great thread about the song covering all the sessions. Just scroll to near the bottom of this link. At the same session the group (Cole on piano and voicals, Oscar More on guitar , Johnny Miller on bass, and William Jack "The Bear" Parker on drums) first recorded the track "The Best Man" and then later recorded "You Should Have Told Me".
1957 - Gene Vincent's Capitol Records single "Lotta Lovin'", with "Wear My Ring" on the flip side, enters Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart where it will peak at #13
45 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "All You Need Is Love", with "Baby You're A Rich Man" on the flip side, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1968 - Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) releases Pink Floyd's single "Let There Be More Light" with "Remember A Day" on the flip side
1969 - The Beatles' last session for their last album recorded as a group, "Abbey Road", occurs at Abbey Road Studios in London with the recording of the MOOG part for the track "Here Comes The Sun"
1979 - Dorsey Burnette, songwriter, singer and guitarist, who recorded with his brother Johnny as the Burnette Brothers for Imperial and Liberty Records (whose catalog is now owned by Capitol Records) and as a solo artist for Liberty and Capitol Records, dies of a heart attack at age 46 in Conoga Park, California
2003 - Capitol Records releases The Dandy Warhols' album "Welcome To The Monkey House"
2003 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Dierk Bentley's self-titled debut album as an enhanced CD

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1943 - Billy J. Kramer, singer and front man for the Parlophone Records (a subsidiary of EMI) recording artists Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas (whose manager was Brian Epstein, were produced by George Martin, and whose first three hits were songs written by Lennon & McCartney that weren't used by The Beatles), is born William Howard Ashton in Bootle, Liverpool, England
1948 - Capitol Records recording artist Dean Martin and his wife's daughter, Deana (Dina) Martin, is born
1967 - Capitol and Apple Records artist Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen's son Jason Starkey is born
30 Years Ago Today In 1981 - Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, who will form the EMI Records recording duo The Pet Shop Boys, meet for the first time by chance at an electronics shop on the Kings Road in Chelsea, England. EMI currently owns Capitol Records. The Pet Shop Boys were released in the U.S. by EMI America whose catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY]
1979 - Groucho Marx (born Julius Henry Marx), comedian, Broadway, motion picture, and television actor, radio and television game show host ("You Bet Your Life"), and part of the comedy team The Marx Brothers, dies of pnuemonia at age 86. He will later be cremated, and the ashes will be interred in the Eden Memorial Park Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California