Wednesday, December 23, 2015

DECEMBER 23, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1929 - Chet Baker, trumpet and fluglehorn player, singer, and Pacific Jazz and Capitol Records artist as a solo artist and as a member of the Gerry Mulligan Quartet and Quintet and with the Miles Davis Nonet, is born Chesney Henry Baker in Yale, Oklahoma
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Dave Murray, songwriter and guitarist with the EMI/Harvest/Capitol Records band Iron Maiden, is born David Michael Murray in Edmonton, London, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Tex Ritter's Capitol Records single "I’m Wastin’ My Tears On You", with "There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - During a split session in Los Angeles, California. first Vicki Young (on vocals), with Joe "Fingers" Carr (on piano) and The Joy-Riders (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Spanish Man" and "Tell Me In Your Own Sweet Way" then Joe "Fingers" Carr (on piano) and The Joy-Riders record the still unissued title "La Madelon". Capitol Records will issue "Spanish Man" and "Tell Me In Your Own Sweet Way" together as a single (Capitol 3358).
60 Yeas Ago Today In 1955 - Dick Haymes (on vocals), with Ian Bernard and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "You'll Never Know", "Love Walked In", and "Little White Lies" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Haymes' album "Rain Or Shine" (T 713).
1952 - Skeets McDonald's Capitol Records single "Don’t Let the Stars Get In Your Eyes", with "Big Family Trouble" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1959 - Buck Owens (on vocals and guitar), with unlisted others, records the titles "Above And Beyond", "Excuse Me (I Think I've Got A Heartache)", "Take Me Back Again", and "Til These Dreams Come True" in Los Angles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "Under Your Spell Again" (T 1489).
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Wings of a Dove", with "Next To Jimmy" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Nat "King" Cole (on vocals), with Ralph Carmichael conducting the orchestra (Wilbur Schwartz, Justin Gordon, and Arthur Smith on reeds, Bobby Hammack on piano, John Collins on guitar, Joe Comfort on bass, Lee Young on drums, a string section with Victor Arno, Israel Baker, Harry Bluestone, Emil Briano, James Getzoff, Henry Hill, Joseph Livoti, Dan Lube, Rickey Marino, Bill Miller, Alex Murray, Erno Neufeld, Lou Raderman, Isadore Roman, Ralph Schaefer, Paul Shure, Albert Steinberg, and Gerald Vinci on violn, Alvin Dinkin, Stanley Harris, Allan Harshman, Ray Menhennick, Gary Nuttycombe, and Milt Thomas on viola, Mike Rubin on arco bass, Justin DiTullio, Armand Kaproff, Emmett Sargeant, Joseph Saxon, Eleanor Aller Slatkin, and William Vandenburg on cello, and Kathryn Thompson on harp), records the titles "The Touch Of Your Lips", "You're Mine, You!", "Illusion", "Funny (Not Much)", "Not So Long Ago", "Only Forever", and "Lights Out" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California between 6:30 PM and 11:30 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Cole's album "The Touch Of Your Lips" (W 1574).
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, The Roger Wagner Chorale (lineup unlisted but including lead vocals by Marilyn Horne, Marie Gibson, and Charles Bressler) and The Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra (lineup unlisted), with Alfred Wallenstein conducting, record parts of Ottorino Respighi's "Laud To The Nativity" at the first session and parts of Claudio Monteverdi's "Magnificat" at the second session. After the rest of the pieces are recorded on December 24, 1960, Capitol Records will issue both titles on the groups' album "RESPIGHI - Laud To The Nativity/MONTEVERDI - Magnificat" (P-8572).
1964 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "I Feel Fine", with "She's A Woman" on the flipside, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. This is the 30th song by the group to hit Billboard's Hot 100 in 1964, the most songs in one year by any group.
1964 - Brian Wilson, singer, songwriter, producer and member of the Capitol Records group The Beach Boys, suffers a nervous breakdown on flight from Los Angeles to Houston and decides to retire from live performances.
50 Years Ago Today In 1965 - Tower Records registers in the United States the masters of vocalist Vince Hill's titles "Take Me To Your Heart Again" (listed as "La Vie En Rose" in master file and with Johnny Arthey conducting his own arrangements to unlisted musicians) and "Push Push" (with Johnny Scott conducting his own arrangements to unlisted musicians and background singers) which were recorded in England. Tower Records, a subsidiary of Tower Records, will release both titles together as a single (Tower 207).
1968 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Wichita Lineman", with Campbell's self-penned "Fate Of Man" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Country Singles charts.
1969 - Merle Haggard (on vocals and guitar) and The Strangers (lineup unlisted) records the title "The Fightin' Side of Me" in Los Angles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 2719) with "Every Fool Has A Rainbow" (recorded on December 8, 1968) on the flipside.
45 Years Ago Today In 1970 - Glen Campbell (on vocals), with Al De Lory directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the still unissued title "Evie" and the titles "Here And Now" and "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream)" in Los Angeles, California. After overdubs are recorded on January 21, January 28 and February 2, 1971, Capitol Records will issue the final versions of "Here And Now" and "Dream Baby (How Long Must I Dream" together as a single (Capitol 3062).
At a Friars' Club Roast for Glenn Wallichs - date unknown.
Rear: Frank Sinatra, Danny Kaye, Gordon MacRae, and Nat Cole
Front: Glenn Wallichs, Dean Martin, and Stan Freberg
1971 - Capitol Records co-founder Glenn Everett Wallichs dies at age 61 in Los Angeles, California from a rare form of bone cancer. He is later buried at Forest Lawn Memorial Park (Hollywood Hills), in the Eternal Love section, Map E24, Lot 5590, Interment Space 1.
1972 - John Lennon's film "Imagine" premieres on national TV
1972 - Hurricane Smith (aka Norman Smith, EMI recording engineer at Abbey Road who worked with The Beatles and producer of Pink Floyd's second single "See Emily Play")'s Capitol Records single "Oh Babe, What Would You Say?" with "Getting To Know You (Is Like A New Dance)" on the flipside, debuts in the top 40 of both Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and Cashbox's Top 100 Singles chart. On a personal note, this is my favorite song. When if first came out I was 12 and it sounded so different from anything else on the radio at that time. Also, it was a song my whole family liked and would sing along to while driving around Buffalo that winter (having a song that the kids' singing wouldn't sound worse than Smith's vocals was a real plus for my parents). With it's lush string arrangement, smoking sax solo, and romantic (but down to earth and easy to understand) lyrics, this was also the song that started my interest in "earlier" music. Many thanks Norman!
40 Years Ago Today In 1975 - Glen Campbell (on vocals), with unlisted others, records the titles "Don't Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" and "Lay Me Down (Roll Me Out To Sea)" in Los Angeles, California with producers Dennis Lambert and Brian Potter. After overdubs are recorded for both titles on December 30, 1975, for "Lay Me Down (Roll Me Out To Sea)" on January 5, 1976, both titles on January 26 and February 5, 1976, and for "Don't Pull Your Love/Then You Can Tell Me Goodbye" on February 6, 1976, Capitol Records will issue both titles on Campbell's album "Bloodline" (SW-11516).
40 Years Ago Today In 1975 - Roy Drusky recorded the final overdubs for his track "When My Room Gets Dark Again" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue the final version of the title on Drusky's album "This Life Of Mine" (ST-11399).
35 Years Ago Today In 1980 - Sheree Brown (on vocals), with unknown accompaniment, records a still unissued take of the title "I'd Rather Be In Love With You" and the title "I Wanna Be By Your Side" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "I Wanna Be On Your Side" as a single (Capitol 5079) with "Get Down, I'm So Bad" (recorded December 18, 1980) on the flipside and on Brown's album "Straight Ahead" (ST-12153)
35 Years Ago Today In 1980 - During two sessions held today in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records, Cherie Currie records a still unissued take of "Always The Last To Know" at the first session and a still unissued take of "Tough Break" at the second session.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1938 - The "Spirituals To Swing" concert is presented at Carnegie Hall in New York City by music impresario John Hammond. Pianists Meade Lux Lewis, Albert Ammons, and Pete Johnson, vocalist Joe Turner, clarintetist Sidney Bechet, the Count Basie Orchestra, blues singer Big Bill Broonzy, and gospel singer Sister Rosetta Tharpe all appear on stage. The show is credited with starting the "Boogie Woogie" craze. Also, twenty nine year old Alfred Lion is in the audience and is so enthused by Lewis and Ammon's piano playing that he arranges a recording session, funded with start-up capitol by writer Max Margulis, exactly two weeks later on January 6, 1939 at 2:00 PM (listed as probably being at WMGM Studios) in New York City where he records 4 solos by each and 2 duets with both men playing on the same piano. Thus is Blue Notes Records born. Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol's parent company, and Blue Note Records is currently a division of Capitol Records, Incorporated. If anyone knows for sure which studio was used, please leave a comment.

No comments: