JULY 1, 2013

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1899 - Charles Laughton, motion picture actor and director, acting teacher, husband of motion picture actress Elsa Lanchester, and a Capitol Records artist, is born in Scarborough, Yorkshire, England
105 Years Ago Today In 1908 - Alvino Rey, inventor of the amplified guitar at age 15, steel pedal guitarist, popularized the use of the Sonovox to make his steel guitar "talk", bandleader, husband of Louise King of the Capitol Records recording group The King Sisters, and Capitol Records artist (1946-1959) is born Alvin McBurney in Oakland, California
1945 - Debbie Harry, singer, songwriter, Playboy Club bunny, motion picture actress, singer with the Capitol Records band The Wind In The Willows, and a Chrysalis Records artist (both with the band Blondie and as a solo artist), is born in Miami, Florida and named Deborah Ann Harry three months later when she is adopted

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Andy Russell (with orchestra conducted by Al Sack)'s Capitol Records single "Amor" is #6 up from #7 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago (And Far Away)" is #10 down from #6
1947 - Johnny Mercer, with The Pied Pipers (June Hutton, Clarke Yocum, Hal Hopper, Chuck Lowry), and Paul Weston and His Orchestra (Ray Linn, Ray Woods, Zeke Zarchy, and Don Anderson on trumpet; Allan Thompson, Bill Schaefer, Carl Loeffler, and Abe Lincoln on trombone; Herbie Haymer on tenor saxophone; Fred Stulce, Matty Matlock, Hap Lawson, and Lenny Hartman on reeds; Milt Raskin on piano; George Van Eps on guitar; Jack Ryan on bass; and Nick Fatool on drums), record the tracks "Don't Take Your Meanness Out On Me" (released by Capitol Records as part of the album "Willard Robinson's Deep River Music") and "School Days" (released by Capitol on the album "Campus Classics") in Los Angeles, California
1950 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Mona Lisa" is #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Kay Starr (with Lou Busch and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Bonaparte's Retreat" enters the chart at #17 and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Nola" re-enters the charts at #19
1954 - Capitol Records terminates its relationship with Lockwood Miller (who owns all the shares of Capitol Records of Canada Ltd. as well as the rights to the name since 1949) and forms Capitol Records Distributors of Canada Limited with head office in Toronto, a branch office in Montreal, and three independent distributors in the west part of the country
1957 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "I'm Gone" is #25 down from #24 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady" is #29 down from #19
1957 - Nat "King" Cole (with additional vocals by The McCoy Boys and the orchestra conducted and arranged by Billy May)'s single "Send For Me", with "My Personal Possession" (with additional vocals by The Four Knights and arranged by Nelson Riddle) on the flip side, enters Billboard's R&B singles chart which it will top for two weeks.
55 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Harry James and His Orchestra (with James, Nick Buono, Bob Rolfe, and Ollie Mitchell on trumpet; Bob Edmondson and Ray Sims on trombone; Ernie Tack on bass trombone; Willie Smith and Herb Lorden on alto saxophone; Bob Poland and Sam Firmature on tenor saxophone; Ernie Small on baritone saxophone;  Jack Perciful on piano; Dennis Budimir on guitar; Russ Phillips on bass; and Jackie Mills on drums) record the tracks "Willow Weep for Me" and "Moten Swing" (both arranged by Ernie Wilkens), "Do You Know What It Means To Miss New Orleans" and "You're My Thrill" (both arranged by James 'Jay' Hill, "I Want A Little Girl" (also arranged by Ernie Wilkens), and "The New Two O'Clock Jump" (arranged by Neal Hefti) with producer Bill Miller in Los Angeles, California for their Capitol Records album "Harry's Choice"
55 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Nat "King" Cole (on vocals) with Dave Cavanaugh directing his own arrangements to the orchestra (John Anderson, Joe Newman, Wendell Culley, Thad Jones, and Gene "Snooky" Young on trumpet, Henry Coker, Benny Powell, and Al Grey on trombone, Marshall Royal and Frank Wess on alto saxophone, Frank Foster and Billy Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Charlie Fowlkes on baritone saxophone, Gerry Wiggins on piano, Freddie Green on guitar, Eddie Jones on bass, and Sonny Payne on drums) records the titles "Avalon", "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home?", "The Late, Late Show", and "Welcome To The Club" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California between 1:30 PM and 5:30 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the songs on Cole's album "Welcome To The Club" (W 1120).
50 Years Ago Today In 1963 - The Beatles record the titles "She Loves You" and "I'll Get You" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England with producer George Martin. Capitol Records will release the songs in the United States together as a single (Capitol 44281) and on the band's album "The Beatles Second Album".
1964 - Peggy Lee, with Billy May conducting his orchestra (Justin Gordon, Paul Horn, Theodore Nash, and Maury Stein on reed; Conrad Gozzo, Manny Klein, and Ray Triscari on trumpet; Milt Bernhardt, Ed Kusby, and Kenny Shroyer on trombone; James Decker on french horn; John Pisano on guitar; Chuck Berghofer on bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stan Levey on drums; and Francisco Aguabella on bongos and conga), records the tracks "Talk To Me Baby" (arranged by Dave Grusin), "Make Believe" (arranger unknown), "When In Rome" (arranged by Dave Grusin), and "The Girl From Impanema" (arranged by Billy May) with producer Dave Cavanaugh at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Captiol Records album "In The Name Of Love". I wonder if she heard any of Onzy Matthews sessions being held next door, or if Onzy listened in to Lee's session?
1964 - Arranger, pianist and singer Onzy Matthews (with Bud Brisbois, Bobby Bryant, Melvin Moore, John Anderson, and Bob Rolfe on trumpet; Dave Wells on bass trumpet and trombone; Lou Blackburn, Pete Myers, and Dick Leith on trombones; Gabe Baltazar on alto saxophone; Clifford Scott on alto and tenor saxophone; Curtis Amy and Alex Nelson on tenor saxophone; Jay Migliori, baritone saxophone; Ray Crawford on guitar; Jim Crutcher on bass; and Chiz Harris on drums) records the tracks "Make Someone Happy", "I Thought About You", (all with Matthews on lead vocal with an overdubbed female chorus and unreleased until they appear on Mosaic Records 2007 3 CD set "Mosaic Select: Onzy Matthews") and "Ray-on Blues" (which will appear on Matthews' Capitol Records album "Sounds For The '60s") at The Capitol Tower Studios, in Hollywood, California
1966 - Dick Curless and Kay Adams record their album "A Devil Like Me Needs An Angel Like You" with produced by Buck Owens at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1967 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart
45 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "Sweet Rosie Jones"
45 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records, releases The Main Attraction's album "And Now The Main Attraction"
1969 - Capitol Records releases The Band's debut album "Music From Big Pink"
1969 - Capitol Records of Canada releases "Franck Pourcel's album "The Way It Used To Be"
1976 - Natalie Cole's Capitol Records album "Natalie" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
35 Years Ago Today In 1978 - Bhaskar Menon becomes Chief Executive of EMI Music Europe and International, based in London, England, and Capitol Industries, based in the United States
1987 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' album "Magical Mystery Tour" on CD
1990 - M.C. Hammer's Capitol Records album "Please Hammer Don't Hurt 'Em" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums' chart
1997 - Capitol Records releases John Hiatt's last album for the label, "Little Head"
1997 - Capitol Records releases Radiohead's debut album, "OK Computer", in the United States

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1957 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Teenager's Romance" is #9 down from #8 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Valley Of Tears" is #13 up from #16, and Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'" is #24 up from #37,
1959 - Trombonist and vocalist Jack Teagarden (with Don Goldie on trumpet and vocals; Henry Cuesta on clarinet; Don Ewell on piano; Stan Puls on bass; Ronnie Greb on drums) performs six (yes, six!) sets at The Roundtable in New York City, New York:
Set One: "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues" (incomplete and rejected), "That's A Plenty" (unissued), "Tin Roof Blues" (unissued), "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home" (unissued), "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You/I Can't Get Started" (unissued)"South Rampart Street Parade" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse), "Mixed Emotions" (unissued), and "Jazz Me Blues" (rejected)
Set Two: "Fidgety Feet" (rejected), "Basin Street Blues" (unissued), "Big Noise From Winnetka" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse), "When" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse)
Set Three: "South Rampart Street Parade" (rejected), "Stars Fell on Alabama/When A Woman Loves A Man" (unissued), "Honeysuckle Rose" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse"), "Sweet Georgia Brown" (unissued), "Junk Man" (unissued), "Lover" (with Sol Yaged on clarinet, unissued)
Set Four: "Original Dixieland One-Step" (unissued), "St. James Infirmary (instrumental version)" (unissued), "Royal Garden Blues" (unissued), "Stardust" (released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's albums "At The Roundhouse and "The World of Jack Teagarden"), "Jada" (unissued), "When The Saints Go Marching In" (vocal by Teagarden and Goldie, rejected), "Atlanta Blues" (unissued), "(Back Home Again In) Indiana" (unissued)
Set Five: "St. James Infirmary" (vocal by Teagarden and released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's albums "At The Roundhouse and "The World of Jack Teagarden"), A Hundred Years From Today" (vocal by Teagarden, unissued), "14200 St. Louis Blues (vocal by Teagarden and released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's album "At The Roundhouse"), "Lulu's Back In Town" (rejected), and "Tap Room Blues" (rejected)
Set Six (no audience): "Ol' Man River" (with Teagardeon on baritone horn, unissued), "Lulu's Back In Town" (rejected take one), "Lulu's Back In Town" (take two, unissued), "When The Saints Go Marching In" (with vocals by Teagarden and Goldie and released by Roulette Records on Teagarden's albums "At The Roundhouse and "The World of Jack Teagarden"), "Tap Room Blues" (rejected), "Big Noise From Winnetka" (rejected), "Riverboat Blues" (with vocals by Teagarden, unissued), and "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues" (unissued). All the sessions are recorded by Roulette Records and will finally be released by Mosaic Records on the 2003 box set "The Complete Roulette Jack Teagarden Sessions".
1964 - United Artist Records announces that The Beatles' soundtrack to "A Hard Days Night" has sold 1 million copies in just 4 days
1966 - The Beatles play three performances at Budokan Hall in Tokyo, Japan which are subsequently released on the bootleg album "Three Nights in Tokyo"
45 Years Ago Today In 1968 - There are two conflicting reports about John Lennon and Yoko Ono for this date. The first reads that John Lennon publicly declares his love for Yoko Ono at the opening of his first art exhibition in London, England. The other states that John Lennon and Yoko Ono are hospitalized after an auto accident in Scotland. If anyone knows for sure what happened, please leave a comment.
1975 - Ringo Starr divorces his wife Maureen Cox

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1897 - Three years after the first issue of Billboard Advertising was published, the monthly publication is renamed to The Billboard