DECEMBER 21, 2011

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
85 Years Ago Today In 1926 - Freddie Hart, singer, guitarist, songwriter and Capitol Records artist (1953-1956 and 1970) is born Frederick Segrest in Lockapoke, Alabama
85 Years Ago Today In 1926 - Edward W. Ray, executive assistant to the president at Imperial Records (1955-1964) and vice president for artist and repertoire at Capitol Records (1964-1969), is born in Franklin, North Carolina
1940 - Frank Zappa, singer, songwriter, guitarist, band leader, and conductor, is born in Baltimore, Maryland
65 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Carl Wilson, guitarist, singer, songwriter, record producer, youngest of the three Wilson brothers, husband to Capitol Records artist Dean Martin's daughter Gina, solo artist, and with the Capitol Records group The Beach Boys, is born in Hawthorne, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Andy Russell's Capitol Records single "I Dream Of You (More Than You Dream I Do)", with "Magic Is The Moonlight" on the flip side, enters Billboard's Pop singles chart where it will stay for 3 weeks and peak at #5
1947 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, Al Porcino, Chico Alvarez, and Ken Hanna on trumpet; Milt Bernhart, Eddie Bert, Harry Betts, and Harry Forbes on trombone; Bart Varsalona on bass trombone; George Weidler and Art Pepper on alto saxophone; Bob Cooper, and Warner Weidler on tenor saxophone; Bob Gioga on baritone saxophone; Kenton on piano; Laurindo Almeida on guitar; Eddie Safranski on bass; Shelly Manne on drums; Jack Costanzo on bongos; and June Christy on vocals) record the tracks "Metronome Riff (Pete's Riff)" (with the Metronome All Stars: Dizzy Gillespie on trumpet, Bill Harris on trombone, Flip Phillips on tenor saxophone, Buddy DeFranco on clarinet, Nat Cole on piano, Billy Bauer on guitar, and Buddy Rich on drums, solos by Cole, Bauer, DeFranco, Harris, Phillips Gillespie, Safranski, and Rich), "Introduction To A Latin Rhythm (Prologue Suite - First Movement)" (with Carlos Vidal on congas and Machito on maracas, solos by Kenton, Cooper, and Bert), "Journey To Brazil (Prologue Suite - Finale)" (with Carlos Vidal on congas and Machito on maracas, solos by Almeida, Bernhart, Bert, Cooper, Pepper, Porcino, Childers, and Costanzo), and "How High The Moon" (vocal by Christy, solos by Bert, Alvarez, and Pepper) at RKO-Pathe Studios, in New York City, New York
1962 - Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra record the tracks "Bonanza Theme", "New Naked City Theme", "Ballad Of Paladin", and "Dick Van Dyke Theme" for his Capitol Records album "More Hit TV Themes"
1963 - The Beach Boy's Capitol Records single "Be True To Your School", with "In My Room" on the flip side, peaks at #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1965 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "We Can Work It Out" enters Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
45 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beatles record the tracks for their songs "When I'm Sixty-Four" and "Strawberry Fields Forever"
45 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Good Vibrations", with "Let's Go Away for Awhile" on the flip side, and their Capitol Records albums "Little Deuce Coupe" and "Shut Down, Vol. 2." are certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. "Good Vibrations" is the only single by The Beach Boys to be certified Gold during the 1960s.
1974 - Grand Funk Railroad records the track "Some Kind Of Wonderful" for Capitol Records
1974 - Helen Reddy's Capitol Records single "Angie Baby" is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1985 - Heart's self-titled Capitol Records album hits #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart
1990 - Wilson Phillips' SBK Records single "Impulsive", distributed by Capitol Records, peaks at #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1992 - Nathan Milstein, violinist and Capitol Records artist (1958 with pianist Artur Balsam "Beethoven: Sonata Number 9 in A Major, Opus 47 "Kreutzer" and Sonota Number 8 in G Major, Opus 30 Number 3", released as part of the FDS series), dies at age 88, ten days before his 89th birthday on December 31, in London, England

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Nick Gilder, singer with the band Sweeney Todd and a solo artist with Chrysalis Records (1977-1979), is born in London, England. Chrysalis' catalog is owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group.
1963 - Jan and Dean record the track "Drag City" which will be released as Liberty Records single with "Schlock Rod Part 1" on the flip side and peak at #10 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Liberty's catalog is owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group.
1980 - John Lennon's Geffen/Lenono Music single "(Just Like) Starting Over" hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart 13 days after his death. The song is currently distributed by Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1905 - Harry Revel, composer ("Did You Ever See A Dream Walking", "Stay As Sweet As You Are", "Love Thy Neighbor", "Paris in the Spring" and many more) and winner (with songwriting partner Mack Gordon) of nine Academy Awards for nine different songs, is born in London, England
1914 - "Tillie’s Punctured Romance", the first six-reel feature-length comedy motion picture, is released. The film stars Marie Dressler, Charlie Chaplin, Mabel Normand and Mack Swain and is directed by Mack Sennett.
1937 - Walt Disney presents the first full-length animated feature, "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs", at the Carthay Circle Theatre in Hollywood, California