MARCH 28, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1890 - Paul Whiteman, (aka "The King of Jazz") violinist, bandleader (who's members included future Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer as a vocalist and future Capitol Records artists Bing Crosby [also as a vocalist] and Jack Teagarden on trombone), who commissioned George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" and premiered it in 1924 with Gershwin on piano, motion picture actor, radio show host, music director for the ABC Radio Network, and Capitol Records artist whose first single for the label, "I Found A New Baby" with "The General Jumped At Dawn" on the flipside, was also Capitol Records' first released single, is born in Denver, Colorado.
1930 - Bill Hughes, trombonist who worked in sessions with Capitol Records artists Frank Sinatra and Nat "King" Cole, as well as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughn, Carmen McRae, Tony Bennett, Billy Eckstein, Sammy Davis, Jr., Lena Horne, Rosemary Clooney, is born in Dallas, Texas

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Jo Stafford, with Nat "King" Cole on piano, records the tracks "Ridin' On The Gravy Train", "I'll Be With You In Apple Blossom Time" (which will be released as the flip side of Cole's Capitol Records single "This Is Always"), "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home?", and "Cindy" (which she co-wrote with Johnny Mercer and her future husband Paul Weston and will be released as a single by Capitol Records with "I've Never Forgotten", also with Cole on piano, on the flip side)
65 Years Ago Today In 1947 - The Benny Goodman Sextet (Benny Goodman on clarinet, Ernie Felice on accordion, Tommy Todd on piano, Dave Barbour on guitar, Harry Babasin on bass, and Tom Romersa on drums) records the tracks "The Bannister Slide", "Eight, Nine and Ten" (with vocals by Peggy Lee), and "I Never Knew" (without guitar and accordion) at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the second track on Peggy Lee's CD "Rare Gems And Hidden Treasures" (5-27564-2) and the last track on the CD "The Best Of Benny Goodman" (8-21145-2). Mosaic Records will issue all three tracks in Goodman's box set "The Complete Capitol Small Group Recordings of Benny Goodman" (MQ6-148).
1948 - Capitol Records artist Nat "King" Cole marries future Capitol Records artist Maria Ellington, who will also be the mother of future Capitol Records artist Natalie Cole.
1950 - Dean Martin records the tracks "Choo'n Gum" and "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" which will be released together as a single by Capitol Records
1953 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "April In Portugal" enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
50 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Peggy Lee (on vocals), with Benny Carter conducting the orchestra (Conrad Gozzo, Ray Triscari, Al Porcino, and Shorty Sherock on trumpets, Tommy Shepard, Milt Bernhart, Ken Shroyer, and George Roberts on trombones, Justin Gordon on reeds, Lou Levy on piano, Al Hendrickson on guitar, Max Bennett on bass, Mel Lewis on drums, Emil Richards on vibraphones and percussion, and Francisco "Chino" Pozo on percussion) using arrangements by Carter and Billy Byers, records the tracks "Ain't That Love", "See See Rider", "Loads Of Love", and "I Believe In You" at The Capitol Tower Studios In Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue the first, second, and last tracks on Lee's album "Sugar 'N' Spice" (T 1772) and "Loads Of Love" as a single (Capitol F4750) with "The Sweetest Sounds" (recorded April 4, 1962) on the flipside.
50 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Billy May and His Orchestra (Uan Rasey, Conrad Gozzo, John Best, and Emanuel "Mannie" Klein on trumpets, Ed Kusby, Tommy Pederson, Murray McEachern, and William Schaefer on trombones, Harry Klee, Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt, Plas Johnson, Fred Falensby, and Chuck Gentry on saxophones, Jimmy Rowleson on piano, Al Hendrickson on guitar, Max Bennett on bass, Irving Cottler and Frank Flynn on drums) record the tracks "Loads Of Love", "No Strings", "Love Makes The World Go Round", "The Sweetest Sounds", and "Be My Host" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the tracks on May's album "The Sweetest Swingin' Sounds Of "No Strings" (T 1709).
50 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Cindy Malone (on vocals), with Jimmie Haskell directing an uncredited orchestra, records the tracks "The Fool I Used To Be" and "Things That Mean The Most To Me" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the first track as a single (Capitol 5115) with "Watch What You Do With My Baby" on the flipside. No issuing information is listed for the second track.
50 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Nathan Milstein (on violin), with an uncredited chamber orchestra conducted by Robert Irving, records Rimsky-Korsakov's "Fantasia On Russian Themes, Opus 33" (arranged by Kreisler) aka "Russian Fantasy" in New York City, New York. Angel Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records, will issue the track on Milstein's album "Music Of Old Russia" (S-36002).
1964 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Can't Buy Me Love" enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
45 Years Ago Today In 1967 - The Beach Boys cancelled a planned session in Los Angeles, California. If anyone knows the reason, please leave a comment.
40 Years Ago Today In 1972 - The Stewardesses (lineup unlisted) record the tracks "Fly Me" and "Lovin' Ain't Easy" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both tracks together as a single (Capitol 3326).
40 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Capitol Records registers the masters it purchased for Buddy Alan's tracks "I'm In Love" and "The Happiness Song" which were recorded earlier that year at Buck Owens Studios in Bakersfield, California and produced by Buck Owens Enterprises. Capitol will issue the two tracks together as a single (Capitol 3346).
1974 - The Capitol Records group The Raspberries break up
2000 - Capitol Nashville releases John Berry's compilation album "Greatest Hits"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1915 - Jay Livingston, pianist, Academy Award winning composer (with partner Ray B. Evans) of such songs as "Buttons and Bows", "Mona Lisa", "Silver Bells", "Silver Bells", "Tammy" and the theme song for the television show "Bonanza" and many others), motion picture actor, one-time brother-in-law of Capitol Records artist Betty Hutton, and brother of former Capitol Records Vice-President, President, and Chairman Of The Board Alan Livingston, is born in McDonald, Pennsylvania. If anyone knows Jay's middle name, please leave a comment.
1920 - Actors Douglas Fairbanks, Sr. and Mary Pickford, two of the four founders of United Artists Pictures (the others being Charlie Chaplin and director D.W. Griffith), get married. United Artists would later start a record label, United Artists Records, whose catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Groups parent company.
70 Years Ago Today In 1942 - Neil Kinnock, politician and vice president of the U.K. Gene Vincent Fan Club, is born in Tredegar, South Wales
1948 - John Evan, keyboard player with the Chrysalis Records group Jethro Tull, is born John Spencer Evans, in Blackpool, Lancashire, England
1958 - W.C. Handy (born William Christopher Handy), composer, guitarist, cornet player, a founder of Black Swan Records (the first black-owned record company), whose life was the basis of the motion picture "St. Louis Blues" which stars Capitol Records artist Nat "King" Cole as Handy, dies of acute bronchial pneumonia at age 84 before the movie is released later the same year, and is later buried in the Woodlawn Cemetery in Bronx, New York
50 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Jimmy Smith (with unlisted musicians) records the track "Walk On The Wild Side" for Verve Records. Blue Note Records will license the track and release it on Smith's album "The Definitive Jimmy Smith" (5-40038-2).
50 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Ged Grimes, percussionist, bassist, keyboard player and vocalist with the Virgin Records America group Meet Danny Wilson, is born Gerard Grimes. If anyone knows for sure where, please leave a comment.
1964 - Jan & Dean's Liberty Records single "Dead Man's Curve", with "The New Girl In School" on the flip side, enters the top 40 Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart where it will peak at #7. Liberty Records catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, the parent company of Capitol Music Group.
1966 - Gary Lewis and The Playboys record the track "Green Grass" which will be released as a single by Liberty Records with "I Can Read Between The Lines" on the flip side
1969 - Frank Loesser, composer, dies in New York City, New York at age 58
35 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Vera Lynn (on vocals with unlisted musicians on guitar, steel guitar, bass, drums, and strings) and the vocal group The Jordanaires record the tracks "My Mother's Eyes", "Make The World Go Away", and "You Don't Know Me" at The Owen Bradley Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. After creating an edited version of "My Mother's Eyes" EMI will release it and the last two tracks in England on Lynn's album "Vera Lynn In Nashville" (EMC 3203).