JUNE 8, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1918 - Robert Preston, Broadway and motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (original Broadway cast album "The Music Man"), is born Robert Preston Meservey in Newton, Massachusetts
1936 - Odessa Harris who, with producers Earl Wainwright and Bill Wyler, recorded the tracks "You're What I Need" and "Since I Fell For You", "The Color Of His Love Is Blue" and "Driving Wheels", which were released in 1967 as two singles for the Uptown Records label (a subsidiary of Tower Records, itself a subsidiary of Capitol Records), is born in West Helena, Arkansas
1936 - James Darrin, motion picture and television actor and singer, who would record his first album, "Album No. 1", for ColPix Records in Studio A of The Capitol Tower Studios in 1959 and return 42 years later in 2001 to record his album "Because Of You" for Concord Jazz Records, is born James William Ercolani in Philadelphia Pennsylvania
1953 - Jeff Rich, drummer with the Capitol Records group Status Quo is born
50 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Nick Rhodes, keyboardist for the Capitol Records bands Duran Duran and Arcadia as well as The Devils, is born Nicholas James Bates in Moseley, West Midlands, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1931 - Future Capitol Records cofounder Johnny Mercer marries Ginger Meehan (born Elizabeth Meltzer), in New York City. Ginger would suggest the name Capitol Records over dinner at Chasen's restaurant in Beverly Hills after the company couldn't retain the rights to the name Liberty Records.
1946 - The King Cole Trio’s recording of “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66” enters the U.S. R&B charts, where it will peak at #3
1946 - Andy Russell's Capitol Records single "Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The Inside)" is #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Alvino Ray and His Orchestra (with vocals by Rocky Coluccio)'s Capitol Records single "Cement Mixer (Put-Ti Put-Ti) is #9
1953 - Hank Thompson, with producer Ken Nelson, records the tracks "Wakeup Irene" (which will be released by Capitol Records as a single with "Go Cry Your Heart Out" on the flip side in November 1953) and "Breakin' The Rules" (which will be released by Capitol as a single with "Fooler A Faker" on the flip side in March 1954) at Capitol's Melrose Studios in Hollywood, California
1955 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Live Fast Love Hard Die Young", with "Forgive Me Dear" on the flip side, becomes Young's first #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1959 - Franck Pourcell and His French Fiddlers' Capitol Records single "Only You (Loin De Vous)" is #9 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1960 - John Stewart, member of the Capitol Records group The Kingston Trio marries Julie Koehler, whom he met in high school
1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #4, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #9, The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Surfin' U.S.A." is #10, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #11, The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "Reverend Mr. Black" is #26, and The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Shut Down' (the flip side of "Surfin' U.S.A.") is #32
45 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Wynn Stewart's Capitol Records single "It's Such A Pretty World Today", with "Ol' What's Her Name" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1968 - The Beach Boys record the track "Sail Plane Song" (aka "Glide Plane Song"), that will become the song "Loop De Loop", at Brian Wilson's home studio with Carl Wilson on bass, Alan Jardine on guitar, Brian Wilson on piano, Bruce Johnston on organ and Dennis Wilson on drums
1969 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Running Bear", with "Midnight Mood" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1974 - Paul McCartney & Wings' album "Band On The Run" hits #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart
1975 - Linda Ronstadt's Capitol Records single "When Will I Be Loved", with "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1999 - Capitol Records releases the album "Mrs. Miller: Wild, Cool & Swingin'" as part of their UltraLounge Series
2005 - Capitol Records group The Shout Out Louds make their late night television debut on "The Late Show with David Letterman"
2005 - Nick Ulleseit, Jonathan Gelber, Jayinee Basu, Dan Kent and Taylor Baxley, Los Gatos, California students, flew to Los Angeles for the day to visit Capitol Records, getting tips about how to make themselves more marketable and successful, and a got a chance to promote their own music.
5 Years Ago Today In 2007 - Nellie Lutcher, arranger, songwriter, pianist, singer, bandleader (Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm), sister of Capitol Records artist Joe Lutcher, and a Capitol Records artist who was signed to the label in 1947 by Dave Dexter, Jr. after hearing her on a live benefit show (which she was booked to play by deejay Frank Bull) on Los Angeles radio station KFWB, dies at age 94 of of complications of old age old in a nursing home in Los Angeles, California. There was a memorial service on Tuesday, June 19, at 11AM at Founder's Church of Religious Science, 3281 W. 6th Street, in Los Angeles, California. I attended and it turned out to be an open casket service. Her family and friends filled the lower chapel and listened to rememberences and recordings of her music. She was laid to rest in an ivory white coffin with golden brass fittings.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1940 - Nancy Sinatra, singer, motion picture actress, and daughter of future Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra, is born Nancy Sandra Sinatra, Jr. in Jersey City, New Jersey
1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, Dion and The Belmont's Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #6, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm Ready" is #16. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Liberty, Laurie, and Imperial Records' catalogs.
1963 - Lou Christie's Roulette Records single "Two Faces Have I" is #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and The Chiffons' Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #36. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Roulette and Laurie Records' catalogs.
1968 - Paul McCartney was the best man at his brother Michael's wedding to hair stylist Angela Fishwick, held at St. Bridget's Parish Church in Carrog, Merioneth, North Wales (the same church where Paul and Mike's father Jim married his second wife in 1966). The other Beatles sent congratulatory telegrams (George and Ringo visited folksinger Joan Baez at her home in Carmel, California). The reception was held at Jim McCartney's home in Gayton, Cheshire, and featured a family sing-song, led by Paul at the piano.
1969 - Brian Jones, founding member and guitarist of future Virgin Records group The Rolling Stones, is fired from the band by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
35 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Kanye West is born Kanye Omari West in Atlanta, Georgia and, in 2002, was this close to being signed to Capitol
1981 - Duran Duran's self titled first album is released by Parlophone Records in the UK
1998 - Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr appear together in public for the first time since 1969 at a memorial service for Linda McCartney, which is also attended by among others Sting, Pete Townshend and Sir Elton John, at a private service at St. Martins-in-the-Fields church in London, England
2004 - Publisher Bill Lowery, who started Lowery Music Company (eventually becoming Lowery Music Group) because of a suggestion by Capitol A&R VP Ken Nelson and who's first million seller was "Be-Bop-A-Lula", dies of cancer at age 79 in Atlanta, Georgia

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
145 Years Ago Today In 1867 - Frank Lloyd Wright, architect and founder of the Taliesin School of Architecture, is born in Richland Center, Wisconsin
100 Years Ago Today In 1912 - Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures.
1941 - Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, vocalist for the bands The Parliaments and Funkadelic, is born in Elkhorn, West Virginia