DECEMBER 18, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1897 - Fletcher Henderson, one of the founders of the modern swing sound, pianist, band leader, composer, arranger, accompanist, and member of Capitol Records band Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, is born Fletcher Hamilton Henderson, Jr. in Cuthbert, Georgia
1919 - Anita O'Day, singer with Gene Krupa and His Orchestra, Woody Herman and His Orchestra, and Capitol Records band Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, as well as a solo artist for Verve Records, is born Anita Belle Colton in Chicago, Illinois

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago In 1945 - Frank De Vol (conducting his own arrangements) and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Masquerade" and "In A Little Spanish Town" at Radio Recorders' studio in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue "Masquerade" on De Vol's album "Waltzing On Air" (BD-53) and "In A Little Spanish Town" on De Vol's album "Concert Of Waltzes" (BD-31).
1947 - Red Norvo with Orchestra (Norvo on xylophone; Don Bonnie, Lloyd Rathburn, and Al Gershoff on reeds; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Red Callender on bass; and Irv Cottler on drums) record the tracks "Summer Night" (released by Capitol Records as the flip side of the single "Take The Red Car"), "El Rojo" (released by Capitol as the flip side of the single "I Don't Stand A Ghost Of A Chance With You", and "Band In Boston" (released by Capitol as the flip side of the single "Twelfth Street Rag", all arranged by Johnny Thompson, in Los Angeles, California
1947 - Stan Hasselgard and His All Star Six (Hasselgard on clarinet; Red Norvo on vibraphones; Arnold Ross on piano; Barney Kessel on guitar; Rollo Garberg on bass; and Frank Bode on drums) record the tracks "Swedish Pastry" (which will be released by Capitol Records as the flip side of the single "Who Sleeps"), two takes of "Sweet And Hot Mop" (the final take will be released by Capitol as the flipside of the final take of the single "I'll Never Be The Same"), "Who Sleeps", and two takes of "I'll Never Be The Same" in Los Angeles, California
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Frank Sinatra's Capitol Records single "Love and Marriage", with "The Impatient Years" on the flipside, is #2 on Billboard's Pop singles chart and Tennessee Ernie Ford's Capitol Records single "Sixteen Tons" is still #1 on the Country singles chart
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Felix Slatkin conducts The Concert Arts Orchestra (lineup unlisted) as the record the titles "Children's Corner Suite, Part 3", "Children's Corner Suite, Part 4", "Children's Corner Suite, Part 5", and "Petite Suite, Part 3" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the complete suites together on the orchestra's album "DEBUSSY - Children's Corner Suite/Petite Suite" (P-8328),
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - During a split session held today in Los Angeles, California first Helen O'Connell (on vocals) with Frank De Vol and His Orchestra conducted by Dave Cavanaugh (Ray Linn, George Seaberg, and Buddy Childers on trumpet, Ray Conniff, Tommy Pederson, and Tex Satterwhite on trombone, Billy Hamilton, Ronny Perry, Eddie Rosa, Pete Terry, and Joe Koch on reeds, Tommy Todd on piano, Jack Marshall on guitar, Norman Seelig on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums) record the titles "Would I Love You" with a male vocal group (lineup unlisted) and Gypsy Heart" then Frank De Vol and His Orchestra, conducted by Frank De Vol (probably the same musicians as above) featuring Tommy Hamilton and The Dream Makers (lineup unlisted) record "Seven Wonders Of The World". Capitol Records will issue "Would I Love You" and "Gypsy Heart" together as a single (Capitol 1368) and "Seven Wonders Of The World" as a single (Capitol 1359) with "Lullaby Of Broadway" on the flipside (recorded on December 1, 1950).
1963 - Buck Owen's Capitol Records single "Love’s Gonna Live Here", with "Getting Used To Losing You" on the flip side, is still #1 on Billboard's Country Singles chart
50 Years Ago Today In 1965 - Both sides of The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Day Tripper" with "We Can Work It Out" on the flipside, enter Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
50 Years Ago Today In 1965 - Peter And Gordon (vocalist Peter Asher and Gordon Waller), withunknown others, record the titles "My Heart Skips A Beat", "Memphis", and "Lonely Street" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue all the songs on the duo's album "Sing And Play The Hits Of Nashville, Tennessee" (T 2430).
1971 - Badfinger's Capitol Records single "Day After Day", with "Money" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1972 - Helen Reddy's Capitol Records single "I Am Woman", with "More Than You Could Take" on the flipside, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1982 - Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band's Capitol Records single "Shame On The Moon", with "House Behind A House" on the flip side, debuts on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
30 Years Ago Today In 1985 - Sheree Brown (on vocals), with unknown accompaniment, records the titles "Passing Thing" and "Get Down, I'm So Bad" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both tracks on Brown's album "Straight Ahead" (ST-12153).
1988 - Poison's Capitol Records single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", with "Back To The Rocking Horse" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1916 - Betty Grable, motion picture actress, singer, dancer, and one-time wife of actor Jackie Coogan and then Capitol Records artist Harry James, is born Ruth Elizabeth Grable in Saint Louis, Missouri
1931 - Allen Klein, businessman, artist manager (The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, and others) and record label owner (Cameo, Parkway, ABKC0), is born. If anyone knows where he was born and/or his middle name, please leave a comment.
1943 - Keith Richards, guitarist, singer, songwriter, founding member of the Virgin Records band The Rolling Stones, and a solo Virgin Records artist, is born in Dartford, Kent, England
1958 - MGM releases the motion picture "Some Came Running" starring Capitol Records artists Frank Sinatra and Dean Martin
1966 - The motion picture "The Family Way", with a musical score composed by Paul McCartney, premieres in London

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - Cliffie Stone's "Hometown Jamboree" debuts live as a one hour show on KLAC-TV (now KCOP Channel 13) at El Monte Legion Stadium. It will become a three hour Country, Rockabilly, and early Rock 'n' Roll show broadcast live from Compton (yes, Compton), California, in front of a very large and enthusiastic studio audience, and will last until September 12, 1959. Many Capitol, Liberty, and Imperial Records artists will appear on the show. There are clips of Liberty Records artist Eddie Cochran on YouTube from the show and, they may not be Capitol Records artists but, I really recommend checking out the clips of Columbia Records artists The Collins Kids if you're a fan of Rockabilly and early Rock 'n' Roll.
15 Years Ago Today In 2000 - British music magazine Melody Maker, which began publishing weekly in 1926, publishes its last issue