JANUARY 17, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1913 - Vido Musso, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, Gene Krupa and His Orchestra, Harry James and His Orchestra, Woody Herman and His Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, and Capitol Records artist Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (1945-1947) as well as his own small groups, is born in Carini, Italy
1931 - Clifford Solomon, tenor saxophonist with Capitol Records artist Johnny Otis as well as John Mayall, Charles Brown, Ray Charles and others, is born in Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Johnny Mercer's Capitol Records single "Personality", with "If I Knew Then" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
60 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Kay Starr is called into Capitol Records' Melrose studios in Hollywood, California late at night to quickly record, with Harold Mooney directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), the tracks "Too Busy", "Wheel Of Fortune" and "Three Letters" for a rush release. Capitol Records will release "Wheel Of Fortune" as a single (Capitol 1964) in February 1952 with "Angry" on the flip side. The single will become Starr's first gold record and will eventually become the #2 selling single of 1952.
1965 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "You're The Only World I Know", with "Tying The Pieces Together" on the flip side, is #1 on the Country singles charts.
1969 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "The Christmas Song" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
40 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "I'll Still Be Waiting For You" with "Full Time Daddy" on the flip side
1976 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Roots Of My Raising", with "The Way It Was In '51" on the flip side, enters the Country singles charts
20 Years Ago Today In 1992 - Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks' first TV special airs on NBC-TV
1996 - Tower, Harvest, and Capitol Records group (The) Pink Floyd is inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame
1998 - Cliffie Stone, singer, songwriter, bandleader, radio and television variety show host, personal manager, 1989 Country Music Hall Of Fame inductee, Capitol Records A&R executive and record producer, dies in Los Angeles, California at age 80

ON THIS DATE NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1918 - Elmore James, guitarist and songwriter (whose Blues songs have been covered by Capitol Records artists from The Raspberries to Bonnie Raitt) is born in Durant, Mississippi
1981 - John Lennon's Geffen/Lenono Music Records single "Woman", with Yoko Ono's "Beautiful Boys" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Capitol Records currently distributes the John Lennon and Yoko Ono catalogs.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1880 - Mack Sennett, motion picture director, producer and studio owner, is born Michael Sinnott in Richmond, Quebec, Canada.
1978 - Benny Goodman returns to Carnegie Hall forty years and one day after his 1938 concert to celebrate the show's anniversary. Goodman puts together a big band, which includes George Benson on guitar, but does not recreate the first concert's playlist. A recording of the new show will be released in 1982.