DECEMBER 27, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1901 - Marlene Dietrich, motion picture actress, singer, and Capitol Records artist (1961-1965), is born Maria Magdelene Dietrich in Berlin-Schöneberg, Germany. In his autobiography, Dave Dexter, Jr. remembers her calling him to get hundreds of promotional copies of her albums to give out while she was touring.
65 Years Ago Today In 1950 - Terry Bozzio, drummer with Captain Beefheart, Frank Zappa and The Mothers Of Invention, and the Capitol Records group Missing Persons as well as one-time husband of Missing Persons' lead singer Dale Bozzio, is born

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1945 - Andy Russell's Capitol Records single "I Can't Begin To Tell You", with "Love Me" on the flipside, is released by Capitol Records and will peak at #7 on the U.S. Pop singles charts in 1946
70 Years Ago Today In 1945 - June Christy (on vocals) and The Kentones (Ray Wetzel on trumpet,  Gene Roland on valve trombone, Boots Mussulli on alto saxophone, Fred Zito on piano, Dave Barbour on guitar, Eddie Safranski on bass, and Eddie Spanier on drums) record the titles "Mean To Me", "September In The Rain", "You Took Advantage of Me", "Stompin' At The Savoy", "(I Don't Stand A) Ghost Of A Chance With You", "The One I Love Belongs To Somebody Else", and "Moonglow" at Radio Recorders' studios in Hollywood, California for The Capitol Records Transcription Service which will release the first, second, and sixth titles together on transcription disc B-23 and "Stompin' At The Savoy" on transcription disc B-22. Mosaic Records will issue all the titles in the CD box set "The Complete Peggy Lee And June Christy Capitol Transcription Sessions" (MD5-184).
1946 - Merle Travis' Capitol Records single "Divorce Me C.O.D.", with "Missouri" on the flipside, is #1 on The Billboard magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Folk Records chart.

1947 - During two sessions held at Universal Studios in Chicago, Illinois Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm (Nellie Lutcher on piano and vocals, Hurley Ramey on guitar, Charles "Truck" Parham on bass, and Alvin Burroughs on drums) recorded the titles "Fine Brown Frame", "Humoresque (Opus #7)", "Imagine You Having Eyes For Me", and "Alexander's Ragtime Band" at the first session between 12:30 PM and 4:30 PM and the titles "Without A Song", "Wish I Was In Walla Walla" and "Life Is Like That" at the second session between 4:30 PM and 7:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue the first song as a single (Capitol 15032) with "Pig Latin Song" on the flipside, the second song as a single (Capitol 1728) with "The Song Is Ended" on the flipside, the third song as a single (Capitol 15112) with "I Thought About You" on the flipside, the fourth song as a single (Capitol 15180) with "My Little Boy" on the flipside, and the sixth song as a single (Capitol 15279) with "A Maid's Prayer" on the flipside. Bear Family Records will issue all the tracks on Lutcher's box set "Nellie Lutcher And Her Rhythm" (BCD 15910).

1948 - Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae's Capitol Records single "My Darlin, My Darling", with "Girls Were Made To Take Care Of Boys" on the flipside, is #3 on the U.S. Pop singles charts
65 Years Ago Today In 1950 - Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely (on vocals), with probably Paul Sells and a unidentified orchestra, record the title "Easter Parade" at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 1382) with "Let's Go To Church (Next Sunday Morning)" (recorded March 1, 1950) on the flipside.
65 Years Ago Today In 1950 - Jimmy Wakely (on vocals), with Paul Sells and a unidentified orchestra, records the titles "The Easter Egg Parade" and "There's That Same Old Love Light In Your Eyes" at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue "The Easter Egg Parade" on the children's record album "Peter Cottontail/The Easter Egg Parade" (CAS-3090) with "Peter Cottontail" (recorded  February 23, 1950) on the flipside and "There's That Same Old Love Light In Your Eyes" as  a single (Capitol 2172) with "When I Say Goodnight" (recorded July 20, 1949) on the flipside.
65 Years Ago Today In 1950 - Pinto Colvig and miscellaneous Capitol Children's records artists record "Part 1" and "Part 2" of a sample children's record that Capitol Records will issue as a promo. (No title listed).
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Jean Shepard (on vocals), with J.R. "Jelly" Sanders on fiddle, Bill Woods on piano, Charles Lee "Fuzzy" Owen, Alvis "Buck" Owens, and Lewis Talley on guitar, Clarence Roy Lee on bass, and John Cuviello on drums, records the titles "You're Calling Me Sweetheart Again", "He Loved Me Once And He'll Love Me Again", "Girls In Disgrace", "This Has Been Your Life", and "Just Give Me Love" at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue the first two titles together as a single (Capitol 3401), "Girls In Disgrace" on Shepard's album "Songs Of A Love Affair" (T 728), "This Has Been Your Life" as a single (Capitol 3340) with "I Learned It All From You" (recorded December 29, 1955) on the flipside, and "Just Give Me Love" as a single (Capitol 3514) with "Thank You Just The Same" (recorded on December 28, 1955) on the flipside.
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - The Notes (aka The Four Notes - lineup unlisted) record the titles "Cha Jezebel", "Don't Leave Me", and the as yet unissued titles "That's All There Is To That" and "Times Two, I Love You" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will purchase the masters and release the first two titles together as a single (Capitol 3332).
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Maria Cole (on vocals), with Dennis Farnon directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the as yet unissued titles "Crazy In The Heart" and "Somebody's Gotta Lose" and the titles "No School Tomorrow" and "Just The Boy" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the last two titles together as a single (Capitol 3351).
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - In New York City, New York, Capitol Records registered the masters in the United States for the Edith Piaf's French Columbia label recordings of the titles "Suddenly There's A Valley", "Avant Nous", "Les Amants D'un Jour", and "Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots (L'Homme À La Moto). Capitol Records will issue "Suddenly There's A Valley" and "Black Denim Trousers And Motorcycle Boots (L'Homme À La Moto)" together as a single (Capitol 3368) and all the titles except "Les Amants D'un Jour" on the 2 disc LP set "The Definitive Edith Piaf" (TBL 2193).
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - The Four Preps (Bruce Belland on tenor vocals, Marvin Inabnett on high tenor vocals, Glen Larson on baritone vocals, and Ed Cobb on bass vocals),  with Lincoln Mayorga directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), record the title "Calcutta" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 4508) with "Gone Are The Days" (recorded September 26, 1950) on the flipside.
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Alicia Adams (on  vocals), with Ernie Freeman conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the title "Oom-Dooby-Doom" and the as yet unissued titles "One Of Three" (even with overdubs recorded on January 4, 1961), "Johnny, Please Let Me Out", and "Mister Right" (even with overdubs recorded on January 3, 1961) with producer Karl Engemann in Los Angeles, California. After overdubs are recorded on January 3, 1961, Capitol Records will issue the final version of "Oom-Dooby-Doom" as a single (Capitol 4545) with a purchased master of "Love Bandit" (no session information listed but with Lincoln Mayorga conducting the orchestra [lineup unlisted], also with producer Karl Engemann, and overdubs recorded on January 4, 1961) on the flipside.
1964 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "I Feel Fine" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and its flipside, "She's A Woman", is #2
1966 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "Open Up Your Heart"
1988 - Poison's Capitol Records single "Every Rose Has Its Thorn", with "Back To The Rocking Horse" on the flipside, is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and is, so far, the group's only #1 single

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1963 - Merle Haggard's Tally Records single "Sing A Sad Song", with "You Don't Even Try" on the flipside, enters Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart where it will peak at #19. Haggard's Tally masters are currently owned and distributed by Capitol Records.
35 Years Ago Today In 1980 - John Lennon's Geffen Records/Lenono Music single "(Just Like) Starting Over" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles Chart and Lennon's and Yoko Ono's Geffen Records/Lenono Music album "Double Fantasy" is #1 on Billboard's Pop album chart. Capitol Records currently distributes all of Lennon's catalog and has reissued "Double Fantasy" as a remastered CD on the Capitol label.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1879 - Sydney Greenstreet, motion picture and radio actor, is born Sydney Hughes Greenstreet in Sandwich, Kent, England,
1906 - Oscar Levant, pianist, singer, motion picture actor, and television quiz show panelist, is born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
1927 - The Jerome Kern and Oscar Hammerstein II musical "Show Boat" premieres at the Ziegfeld Theatre in New York City.
1932 - Radio City Music Hall opens in New York City. It is the largest indoor theatre in the world at the time, with a nearly 10,000-square-foot stage and seating more than 6,200 people. The gala grand opening show is a six-hour extravaganza that will lose half a million dollars within three weeks.
1947 - Buffalo Bob (Smith), Clarabelle the Clown (Bob Keeshan, the future Captain Kangaroo), Judy Canova, and a host of others join puppet Howdy Doody for the premiere of his self-titled television show on NBC-TV. The show will stay on the air for 13 years and be revived in the 1970s.
1981 - Hoagy Carmichael, songwriter (one-time partner with Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer) and motion picture actor, dies of a heart attack at age 82 in Rancho Mirage, California