JUNE 14, 2014

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1905 - Nappy Lamare, banjo player, guitarist, singer, member of the group The Bob Crosby Bob Cats, and a Capitol Records session and solo artist, is born Joseph Hilton Lamare on Dumaine Street in New Orleans, Louisiana. Jazz Connection Magazine wrote a wonderful biographical article to celebrate Nappy's centennial birthday.
65 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Alan White, drummer with the Apple and Capitol Records group Plastic Ono Band, drummer on John Lennon's album and single "Imagine", George Harrison's album "All Things Must Pass" and single "My Sweet Lord", as well as drummer for the group Yes, is born in Pelton, County Durham, England
1963 - Chris DeGarmo, songwriter, lead and rhythm guitarist with the Capitol Records band Queensryche (1982-1997, 2003), is born Christopher Lee DeGarmo in Wenatchee, Washington
45 Years Ago Today In 1969 - MC Ren, Capitol Records artist and vocalist with Priority Records (now a subsidiary of Capitol Records) group NWA, is born Lorenzo Patterson in Compton, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - The King Cole Trio records the track "The Christmas Song" (which Mel Tormé and Robert Wells wrote specifically for Nat) at WMCA Studios in New York City. This is the first of four separate recordings Cole would make of the song during his lifetime. Cole was not happy with this version and would persuade Capitol Records to let him re-record the track with a string section, arranged by Charlie Grean, with producers Carl Kress and Walter Rivers on August 19, 1946
65 Years Ago Today In 1949 - Freddie Slack's Quartet (actually a septet, with Neal Hefti on trumpet, John Haliburton on trombone, Hank Horn on baritone saxophone, Slack on piano, Bob Bain on guitar, Paul Moresy on bass, and Maynard Sloate on drums) record the tracks "Whatever Happened To Ol' Jack?" (with Phil Gordon and Bobby Troup on vocals) and an untitled Phil Moore instrumental (that went unissued until Mosaic Records released it on their 2005 3 CD set "Mosaic Select: Freddie Slack") in Los Angeles, California.
1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s debut Capitol Records single "Here In My Heart" (with "I Cried Myself To Sleep" on the flip side) hits #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records charts, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Wheel Of Fortune" is #18, Jane Froman (with orchestra conducted by Sid Feller)'s Capitol Records single "I'll Walk Alone" is #16, and Ella Mae Morse (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Blacksmith Blues" is #19
1955 - Arranger Bob Cooper, on tenor saxophone, oboe, and english horn (with Bud Shank on flute, alto saxophone, and tenor saxophone player; Jimmy Giuffre on clarinet, tenor saxophone and baritone saxophone; Bob Enevoldsen on tenor saxophone, bass clarinet, and valve trombone; John Graas on french horn; Claude Williamson on piano; Ralph Pena on bass; and Shelly Manne on drums) records the tracks "All Or Nothing At All" (which Capitol Records released on the album "Kenton Presents Bob Cooper - Shifting Winds"), "'Round Midnight", and "Tongue Twister" (both of which will finally be released by Mosaic Records as part of its 1999 box set "Kenton Presents Cooper, Holman & Rosolino") with producer Stan Kenton at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California
1957 - Sessions begin for arranger Martin Denny's Liberty Records album "Exotica Volume II" (with Denny on piano and celeste; Arthur Lyman on vibes, marimba, xylophone, and percussion; Augie Colon on bongos, congas, latin effects, and bird calls; Bernard Miller on string bass; Jack Shoop on alto flute and baritone saxophone; Roy Harte on drums and percussion; and Gil Baumgart on percussion and also helping with arranging) in The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with recording engineers Val Valintin and Ted Keep
50 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "My Heart Skips A Beat" returns to the #1 position on the U.S. Country singles charts
1965 - Capitol Records release The Beatles' album "Beatles VI"
1965 - Capitol Records releases the Buck Owens' EP "Four By Buck Owens'
1965 - The Beatles record the tracks "I've Just Seen a Face" (six takes) and "I'm Down" (seven takes) and the rest of the group stays as Paul McCartney records the track "Yesterday" in Studio 2 at EMI's Abbey Road studios in London, England. "Yesterday" will be released by Capitol Records in the U.S. as a single and on the album "'Yesterday' and Today" as well as by United Artists on the soundtrack to the group's second motion picture "Help!".
1966 - Ron Tepper, manager of Capitol Records' press and information services, sends out a letter to reviewers requesting they disregard and, "if possible", send back (yeah, right) their promotional copy of the "Butcher Cover" version of The Beatles' album "'Yesterday' and Today" album. His assistant, Mickey Diage, handled the distribution of the letter and coordinated the return of the album and promotional posters that used the same artwork
1967 - The Beach Boys (Alan Jardine, Brian Wilson, Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson with session musician Diane Rovell) record the track "Heroes And Villains" at The Beach Boys Studio at 10452 Bellagio Road, Bel Air, California from 3PM to 6PM
1968 - Ken Errier, Capitol Records solo artist (1957), member of Capitol Records recording act The Four Freshmen (1953-1955), and second husband to actress Jane Withers, dies in a small plane crash in California
45 Years Ago Today In 1969 - Vocalist Letta Mbulu is back in The Capitol Tower Studios with arranger H.B. Barnum who conducts the studio orchestra (Tony Terran and Freddie Hill on trumpet and flugelhorn; Charles Loper on trombone; Dick Leith on trombone and bass trombone; Jackie Kelso on tenor saxophone and flute; Jim Horn on tenor saxophone, soprano saxophone, flute, oboe, and recorder; Dick Houlgate on bass saxophone and flute; Don Randi on piano, electric piano and harpsichord; Mike Melvoin on organ; Al Casey, John Gray, and Les Buie on guitar; Bob West on bass and electric bass; Earl Palmer on drums, tympani and bells; Joe Clayton on congas; King Errison on bongos; Gary Coleman boo bams and tamborine; John Guerin on bells, tympani, and mallets; Ken Watson on mallets, traps, and Latin percussion) to record the tracks "Gumba Gumba", "Kukuchi", "What More Could Be Right", and "Only When You're Mine Again" for her Capitol Records album "Free Soul"
1976 - The Beatles' Capitol Records compilation album "Rock 'N' Roll Music" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1998 - Capitol Records releases The Beastie Boys album "Hello Nasty"
2000 - Merrill Moore, Capitol Records artist and contract session player (1955-1958), country swing and boogie woogie pianist, dies in San Diego, California of cancer
2003 - On the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, Capitol Records Nashville artist, Trace Adkins is invited by Little Jimmy Dickens to become a member with a formal induction to be held on August 23, 2003
2005 - A scheduled performance by Capitol Records recording artists Saosin is cancelled due to police reaction to a shooting that occured at the venue a few days earlier
5 Years Ago Today In 2009 - Bob Bogle, original lead guitarist and founding member of the Dolphin/Doltin Records label group "The Ventures" died of complications from non-Hodgkin's lymphoma at age 75 in a local Southern California hospital according to fellow co-founder Don Wilson.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
85 Years Ago Today In 1929 - Cy Coleman, child prodigy pianist, composer (best known for "Witchcraft" and "The Best Is Yet To Come" both recorded by Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra, as well as "Hey Look Me Over" for the musical "Wildcat", and the musical "Sweet Charity" with lyricist Dorothy Fields), is born Seymour Kaufman in New York City, New York.
1941 - Future Capitol Records artist Tex Ritter weds actress Dorothy Fay. Their marriage that will last until his death on January 2, 1974
1950 - Harold Perry, radio actor and Capitol Records artist, plays his best known role, The Great Gildersleeve, for the last time after 13 years. Perry is changing networks but he can't take Gildersleeve with him so he will be replaced by Willard Waterman, who will play Gildersleeve for the next 8 years on radio and then for several years on television but, as a mark of respect for Perry, will never imitate Perry's signature laugh.
1961 - Boy George, singer, Broadway musical performer and Virgin Records artist with group The Culture Club and as a solo artist, is born George Alan O'Dowd in Eltham, Kent, England. Virgin Records is a subsidiary of Capitol Music Group.
1963 - Sarah Vaughan, with arranger Benny Carter conducting the studio orchestra (Ed Kusby, Tom Shepard, Dick Nash, and Bob Knight on trombone; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Bobby Gibbons on guitar; Red Callender on bass; Earl Palmer on drums, and unknown string section), records the tracks "These Foolish Things", "Look For Me, I'll Be Around", "Friendless", and "The Man I Love" at United Recorders' studios in Los Angeles, California during her last session for her Roulette Records album "Lonely Hours"
50 Years Ago Today In 1964 - Ringo Starr rejoins Parlophone and Capitol Records group The Beatles on tour when he arrives in Melbourne, Australia after missing part of the tour due to illness

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1895 - Cliff Edwards (aka "Ukulele Ike"), singer, ukulele player, Broadway (introduced the song "Toot, Toot, Tootsie"), radio ("The Rudy Vallee Show") and motion picture actor (introduced the song "Singing In The Rain"), and the voice of Jiminy Cricket in Walt Disney's animated feature "Pinocchio", is born in Hannibal, Missouri.
105 Years Ago Today In 1909 - Burl Ives, singer, author, actor, and voice of the world's second best known snowman, is born Burl Icle Ivanhoe Ives in Jasper County, Illinois
1942 - Walt Disney releases the animated movie "Bambi"
1961 - Liberty Records releaes Johnny Burnette's sixth single for the label "I've Got A Lot Of Things To Do" with "Girls" on the flip side
1977 - Alan Reed, motion picture, radio and television actor, and voice of Fred Flintstone, dies of a heart attack at age 69 in West Los Angeles, California
1986 - Alan Jay Lerner, Broadway and motion picture lyricist and librettist (including "Brigadoon", "Paint Your Wagon", "Royal Wedding", "My Fair Lady", "Gigi", "Camelot" and others), and screenwriter ("An American In Paris") dies of lung cancer in New York City at age 67
20 Years Ago Today In 1994 - Henry Mancini (born Enric Nicoloa Mancini), composer (co-wrote "Moon River" with Capitol Records' co-founder "Johnny Mercer"), arranger, and television ("Peter Gunn") and film scorer ("The Pink Panther" series and many others) dies at age 70 of cancer of the pancreas and liver in Beverly Hills, California
2000 - Bob Rolontz, record executive and originator of the Platinum record certification, dies at age 79