SEPTEMBER 24, 2013

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
90 Years Ago Today In 1923 - Fats Navarro, trumpet player, bandleader, and Capitol (as a member of Illinois Jacquet and His Orchestra and The Benny Goodman Sextet) and Blue Note Records (solo and part of The Tadd Dameron Sextet) artist, is born Theodore Navarro in Key West, Florida. Dr. Stuart A. Varden has a wondeful site on the life of Fats with a pretty detailed sessionography.
1924 - Sheila MacRae, singer, motion picture and television actress (best known as the third Alice Kramden on "The Honeymooners" segment of "The Jackie Gleason Show", wife of Capitol Records artist Gordon MacRae, and a Capitol Records artist as part of a duo with her husband, is born Sheila Margaret Stephens in London, England. Gordon and Sheila were at the opening night festivities for The Capitol Tower.
1936 - Jim Henson, puppeteer, television and motion picture producer, and creator of The Muppets (an adaptation of their move "Muppets Treasure Island" was released by Capitol Records), is born James Maury Henson in Greenville, Mississippi
1941 - Linda McCartney, photographer, singer, keyboard player, first wife of Paul McCartney, member of the Capitol Records group Wings, author, animal rights protector, vegetarian food manufacturer and, posthumously, a Capitol Records solo artist, is born Linda Louise Eastman in Scarsdale, New York

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - James (Jim) Baskett, Johnny Mercer, The Pied Pipers and Billy May conducting his own arrangements to his Orchestra (Uan Rasey on trumpet, Ed Kusby, Elmer Smithers, Carl Loeffler, and Arthur Frantz on trombone Nicholas Dann, J.A. Krechter, George Smith, Herman Berardinelli, and Arthur Fleming on saxophones, Ray Turner on piano, Phil Stephens on bass, Ralph Hansell on percussion, Kathryn Thompson on harp & a string section with Harry Bluestone, Ivan Eppinoff, Howard Halbert, Nicholas Pisani, Mischa Russell, Felix Slatkin, Marshall Sosson, and Olcott Vail on violin, Stanley Spiegelman and David Sterkin on viola, Cy Bernard and Fred Goerner on cello), using a script adaptation by Alan Livingston, record the tracks "Running Away, Part 2" and "Brer Rabbit And The Tar Baby, Part 2" at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will release both tracks as part of the children's album "Tales Of Uncle Remus" (Capitol CC-40).
1951 - Jan Garber and His Orchestra featuring Roy Cordell and The Dinning Sisters (Ginger, Delores and Jean Dinning) on vocals, record the tracks "Painting Clouds With Sunshine", "Heartbreak Hill" (with vocals by The Dinning Sisters), "We're In The Money (Gold digger's Song)", "Chances Are" (vocals by Roy Cordell), and "Jazz Pizzicato" (vocals by Roy Cordell) in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the first and third tracks together as a single (Capitol 1852), "Heartbreak Hill" as a single (Capitol 1858) with "No! No! No! Not That!" (record on October 12, 1951) on the flip side, and the last two tracks together as a single (Capitol 1827).
1951 - Bob Crosby and His Orchestra (with Bob leading Charlie Teagarden, Zeke Zarchy, and Ray Linn on trumpet, Murray McEachern, Ted Vesely, and Elmer Schneider on trombone, Matty Matlock on clarinet and alto saxophone), Willie Schwartz on alto saxophone, Eddie Miller on tenor saxophone, John Rotella on tenor and baritone saxophone, Stan Wrightsman on piano, Nappy Lamare on guitar, Phil Stephens on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums) record the tracks "I Never Was Loved By Anyone Else" and "Sans Souci" (both with vocal by Gisele MacKenzie), and "Crying Shame" (with vocals by Bob Crosby and Jeanne Gayle) in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the first two tracks together as a single (Capitol 1826) and the last track as a single (Capitol 1894) with "Savoy Blues" (recorded October 3, 1951).
1956 - The Andrews Sisters (vocalists Laverne Andrews, Maxene Andrews, and Patty Andrews) with The Robert Mitchell Boys Choir (8 unidentified children) and The Lynn Murray Orchestra (with unlisted musicians) record the as yet unissued track "Hosanna, Hosanna" and the tracks "A Child's Christmas Song" and "Silver Bells" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the last two tracks together as a single (Capitol F3583).
1956 - Nat "King" Cole on piano and vocals), with Stuff Smith on violin, John Collins on guitar, Alvino Rey on steel guitar, Charlie Harris on bass, and Lee Young on drums, records the tracks "Sometimes I'm Happy", "I Know That You Know", "When I Grow Too Old To Dream", and "Two Loves Have I" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California between 2 PM and 7PM. EMI and Capitol will release all the tracks together for the first time on the English pressing of Cole's album "After Midnight" (EMS1103).
1956 - At two sessions held this day in New York City, New York for Capitol Records Benny Goodman and His Orchestra record the as yet unissued tracks "'Warm Up' Derivations For Clarinet And Band" and "'Rag' Derivations For Clarinet And Band" at the first session and "'Ride Out' Derivations For Clarinet And Band" and "'Contrapuntal Blue' Derivations For Clarinet And Band" at the second session.
1956 - Laurindo Almeida on guitar, with Ray Turner on piano, records Gnattali's "Concertino For Guitar And Piano, Movements 1 and 2" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will release the track on Almeida's album "Impressoes Do Brasil (Impressions Of Brazil)" (Capitol P-8381).
1961 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Under The Influence Of Love" with "Bad Bad Dream" on the flip side. Other references list this single as being released on July 24, 1961. If anyone knows for sure which date is accurate, please leave a comment.
1962 - Capitol Records releases The Kingston Trio's single "One More Town" (Capitol 4842) with "She Was Too Good To Me" on the flip side. On the same day, the group records the track "New Frontier", written by John Stewart, for their upcoming Capitol Records album of the same name.
1966 - Billboard magazine, in an article with today's street date, reports that The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Paperback Writer", with "Eleanor Rigby" on the flip side, has sold 1.2 million copies in just 4 weeks and has become the band's 21st gold single, setting a record for the most gold records earned by any act in R.I.A.A. history to that date
1966 - The Knack records the tracks "I'm Aware", "No Show Today" and "Merry-Go-Round" in Los Angeles, California.
1968 - The Beatles' Apple Records single "Hey Jude", distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1969 - Before it's release, Capitol Records sends out new artwork to manufactures for the back cover of The Beatles' album "Abbey Road" which adds the song "Her Majesty" after "The End" in the track listing after many covers had been printed (and used) without listing the song. Both versions are shipped, with the revised version being rarer.
1971 - Helen Reddy records the track "I Think It's Going To Rain Today" in Los Angles, California. Capitol Records will issue the track on Reddy's album "No Sad Song" (Capitol ST-857).
40 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's album "Ernie Ford Sings About Jesus" (Capitol Capitol ST-11232)
1976 - The Pousette-Dart Band records the tracks "May You Dance" and "Listen To The Spirit" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both tracks on the band's album "Amnesia" (Capitol SW-11608).
1990 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's album "Rust In Peace"
1991 - Liberty/SBK Records, a division of Capitol Records, releases Billy Dean's album "Billy Dean". It will go on to be certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. and have 2 singles that peaked at #4 on the U.S. Country charts in 1991 - "You Don't Count the Cost" and "Only the Wind" - and two that charted in 1992 - "Billy the Kid" which peaked also at #4, and "If There Hadn't Been You" which peaked at #3.
1991 - Capitol Records releases Barbara Mandrell's last studio album for the label "Key's In The Mailbox".
1991 - Theodor Seuss Geisel (aka Dr. Seuss), cartoonist, writer, whose children's stories "Gerald McBoing Boing" and "Gossamer Wump" were released as double sided singles with original artwork paper sleeves by Capitol Records, dies at age 87 in La Jolla, California following several years of illness
1998 - Capitol Records releases Less Than Jake's album "Hello Rockview"
2002 - Tuckertime Records releases Tanya Tucker's album "Tanya" with distribution by Capitol Records Nashville
2002 - Capitol Records releases the compilation album "Judy Garland: The Capitol Years 1955-1965" on CD
2002 - Capitol Records Nashville releases John Berry's compilation album "Certified Hits"
10 Years Ago Today In 2003 - Matthew Jay, Capitol Records artist, dies at age 24 after falling seven stories from his apartment in Nottingham, England
2007 - Rob Sweitzer and Mark Padgett of the Capitol Records group Mae quit the band. They would return in 2010 and resumed playing with the band on June 19, 2010 when Mae played a show in Singapore.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1915 - Mary Jane Gumm (aka aka Janie, aka Susie or Suzy), member of the singing group The Gumm Sisters, sister of future Capitol Records artist Judy Garland and aunt to future Capitol Records artist Liza Minnelli, is born. If anyone knows where (possibly Grand Rapids, Minnesota), please leave a comment.
1942 - Gerry Marsden, lead singer with the Parlophone Records group Gerry and The Pacemakers (the second group managed by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein), is born in (Toxteth) Liverpool, England. Parlophone is distributed by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group in the United Kingdom.
1955 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Ain't That A Shame" is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart
1955 - "The Ford Star Jubilee" 90 minute variety show premieres on CBS-TV with Judy Garland, on her first television special, re-creating much of her popular stage show. Two days later, on September 26, 1955, Capitol Records releases Garland's album "Miss Show Business" which contains studio versions of many of the songs she performed on the special.
50 Years Ago Today In 1963 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano, Bobby Haynes on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "On Broadway Pacific", "Free Sample", "Sassy", "You Are Sometimes Only Rain", and "Moon River" for their Pacific Jazz album "Heat Wave" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer and recording engineer Richard Bock on to four track masters. Pacific Jazz's library is currently owned by Capitol Records and re-issued by Blue Note Records.
1964 - "The Munsters" premieres on CBS-TV. Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) group The Standells will make a guest appearance on an episode performing two songs
1977 - "The Love Boat" premieres on ABC-TV starring Gavin MacLeod, stepfather of Capitol Records' one-time VP of Creative Services Tommy Steele. Not knowing this the first time it happened while I was working freelance inhouse at Capitol, I was wondering why Captain Stubing was sitting on the couch in Tommy's office.
25 Years Ago Today In 1988 - Bobby McFerrin's EMI Manhattan single "Don't Worry Be Happy", the first a cappella record to top Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, is still #1