JULY 8, 2012

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1904 - Bill Challis, arranger (most notably Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra's Capitol Records recording of "San") is born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago (And Far Way)" is #9 up from #10 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Andy Russell (with orchestra conducted by Al Sack)'s Capitol Records single "Amor" is #10 down from #6
1950 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Mona Lisa", with "The Greatest Inventor Of Them All" (I still haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of this song on CD yet) now on the flip side, is #1 up from #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart. The song was written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the Paramount Pictures movie "Captain Carey USA" (which I also haven't been able to find on DVD), starring Alan Ladd. Also charting on this date are Kay Starr (with Lou Busch and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Bonaparte's Retreat" at #16 up from #17 and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Nola" at #20 down from #19
55 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Composer and arranger Johnny Richards (with with Burt Collins, Jerry Kail, Paul Cohen, and Doug Mettome, on trumpets; Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl, and Frank Rehak, on trombones; Al Antonucci on french horn; Jay McAllister on tuba; Gene Quill on alto saxophone; Frank Socolow on tenor saxophone; Billy Slapin on baritone saxophone and piccolo; Shelly Gold on bass saxophone; Hank Jones on piano; Chet Amsterdam on bass; Maurice Marks on drums; and Willie Rodriguez on tympani) continues recording tracks in New York City for his Capitol Records album "Wide Range"
55 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Send For Me" returns to the top 40 of Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart tied for #24 up from #45 with Rusty Draper's single "Freight Train", Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone" is #36 down from #25, and Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady" is tied for #36 down from #29 with Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'"
1958 - The Capitol Records original motion picture soundtrack for "Oklahoma!" is the first album certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. At this time, the R.I.A.A. awards a Gold album for $1 million in sales based on the manufacturer's wholesale price and one million copies sold. In 1975 the requirement for number of copies sold is reduced to 500,000 with $1 million in sales.
1964 - Buck Owens records the tracks "Dont Let Her Know" and "I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)" (which Capitol Records will release together as a single) as well as "Buck's Polka". All the tracks will appear on Owens' Capitol Records album "I Don't Care".
1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Yesterday And Today" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1968 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Let The World Keep On A Turning"
1990 - Garth Brooks' Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single "The Dance", with "Friends In Low Places" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1991 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's compilation CD "Capitol Collectors Series: Tennessee Ernie Ford"
10 Years Ago Today In 2002 - The Vines' first Capitol Records album "Highly Evolved" is released. The video for the album's first single, "Get Free", is directed by Roman Coppola.
2003 - Capitol Records releases the original motion picture soundtrack for "How To Deal" which includes tracks from Capitol Records artists Syke Sweetnam and Liz Phair

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1935 - EMI (Ireland) is formed
1935 - Steve Lawrence, singer, television and motion picture actor, and United Artists Records artist, is born Sidney Leibowitz
55 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Teenager's Romance" is tied for #12 down from #9 with The Diamonds' single "Little Darlin'" on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Valley Of Tears" is #17 down from #13, and Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'" is tied at #36 down from #24 with Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady". Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, EMI Music Group.
1966 - Arranger Gerald Wilson (on maracas) and His Orchestra (Al Porcino, Jules Chaikin, Freddie Hill, Mel Moore, and Nat Meeks on trumpet; Mike Barone, John Ewing, and Lester Robertson on trombone; Ernie Tack on bass trombone; Anthony Ortega on alto saxophone and flute; Jimmy Woods on soprano and alto saxophone; Harold Land and Teddy Edwards on tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone; William Green on flute and piccolo; Roy Ayers on vibraphone; Jack Wilson on piano; Buddy Woodson on bass; Mel Lee on drums; and Max Garduno on conga) record the tracks "Chanson Du Feu Follet (Song Of The Mad Fire)", "Blues Latinese" and "The Golden Sword" for their Pacific Jazz album "The Golden Sword" with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Lanky Linstrot at TTG Studios, in Los Angeles, California. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Pacific Jazz's catalog.
1978 - Gerry Rafferty's United Artists Records album "City to City" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
20 Years Ago Today In 1992 - Taylor Mayne Pearl Brooks, daughter of Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks and his wife Sandy Mahl Brooks, is born

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
105 Years Ago Today In 1907 - Florenz Ziegfeld stages the first Ziegfeld Follies at the roof garden of the New York Theatre in New York City, New York
1946 - Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison leave their footprints in cement at ceremony #75 at Graumann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California
15 Years Ago Today In 1997 - Robert Zemeckis leaves his footprints in cement at ceremony #166 at Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California