DECEMBER 29, 2015

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1943 - Rick Danko, rhythm guitar player with the group The Hawks and electric bass player and singer with the Capitol Records group The Band, is born in Green's Corners, outside of Simcoe, Ontario, Canada
1944 - Patti Drew, singer with the Capitol Records group (1964) The Drew-vels (which includes her sisters Lorraine and Erma and bass vocalist Carlton Black) and a Capitol Records solo artist (1967-1971), is born in Charleston, North Carolina. Her mother, a domestic worker for Capitol Records regional promoter Maury Lathower in Evanston, Illinois, invited him to hear her daughters sing at a church function and he got the group signed to Capitol.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons", with "The Best Man" on the flipside, is #1 on The Billboard magazine's Records Most-Played On The Air chart and is the group's first #1 Pop hit.

1947 - The Dinning Sisters record the track "Buttons And Bows" for Capitol Records which will release it as a single with "San Antonio Rose" on the flip side. The single will enter Billboard's Pop singles charts on October 22, 1948 were it will stay for 16 weeks, eventually peaking at #7.

1952 - Fletcher Henderson, band leader, pianist, arranger, and member of the Capitol Records band Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, dies in New York City, New York at age 55
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - During two session that take place at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California between 10:30 PM and 2:00 AM the next day on December 30, 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 guitars, Clarence Roy Lee on bass, and John Cuvielllo on drums, records the titles "It's Hard To Tell The Married From The Free", "Did I Turn Down A Better Deal?", "A Passing Love Affair", and "I Married You For Love" at the first session and the titles "I'll Thank You All My Life", "I Learned It All From You", "Hello, Old Broken Heart", and "Sad Singing' And Slow Ridin'" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles from the two sessions, except "I Learned It All From You", on Shepard's album "Songs Of A Love Affair" (T 728) and "I Learned It All From You" as a single (Capitol 3340) with "This Has Been Your Life" (recorded December 27, 1955) on the flipside.
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Nat "King" Cole (on vocals), with Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Pete Candoli, Harry Edison, Conrad Gozzo, Vito Mangano, and Shorty Sherock on trumpet, Francis "Joe" Howard and Paul Tanner on trombone, Juan Tizol on valve trombone, George Roberts on bass trombone, Willie Smith, Mahlon Clark, Don Raffell, William "Buck" Skalak, and Bob Lawson on saxophones, Bill Miller on piano, Herman "Tiny" Mitchell on guitar, Joe Comfort on bass, and Lee Young on drums), records the titles "Mr. Juke Box" with a mixed vocal group (5 unlisted male and female vocalists), "Dame Crazy", "I Just Found Out About Love", "I Got Love" with a mixed vocal group (5 unlisted male and female vocalists), and "My Personal Possession" with additional vocals by The Four Knights (Cliff Holland and John Wallace on tenor vocals, Clarence Dixon on baritone vocals, and Oscar Broadway on bass vocals) at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California between 7:00 PM and 11:30 PM. Capitol Records will issue "Dame Crazy" and "I Just Found Out About Love" on Cole's EP "Songs From 'Strip For Action'" (EAP-1-709), "My Personal Possession" as a single (Capitol F3737) with "Send For Me" (recorded May 14, 1957) on the flipside, and the first four titles on Cole's CD "Night Lights" (5-31964-2).
60 Years Ago Today In 1955 - Nathan Milstein on violin, and Arthur Balsam on piano, record a as yet unissued take of Giuseppe Tartini's "Violin Sonata In G Minor, Devil's Trill" in New York City, New York for Capitol Records. Milstein, with pianist Leon Pommers, would record a new take of the title on January 29, 1959 in New York City, New York.
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Whittemore & Lowe (Arthur "Buck" Whittemore and Jack Lowe on piano duets), with The Gene Lowell Singers (lineup unlisted), record the titles "Love Music (From 'The Great Imposter')" and "Theme From 'Go Naked In The World'" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue the two titles together as a single (Capitol 4522).
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Ray Anthony (on trumpet) and His Entertainers (Bob Robinson on trombone, Bob Hardaway on tenor saxophone, Leo Anthony on baritone saxophone, a unknown pianist, Carson Smith on bass, and Nick Ceroli on drums), record "Molly Brown Overture", "Molly Brown Finale", and a remake of the title "Dolce Far Niente" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Ray Anthony's album "Swing · Dream · Dance To The Unsinkable Molly Brown" (T 1576).
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Stan Freberg (on vocals), with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), recorded the titles "The Midnight Ride Of Paul Revere" with additional vocals by Paul Frees, Jesse White, and June Foray, "The Boston Tea Party" with additional vocals by Paul Frees and Peter Leeds, and "The Thanksgiving Story" with additional vocals also by Paul Frees and Peter Leeds in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the last two titles on Freberg's album "Stan Freberg Presents The United States Of America" (W 1573) and all the titles on the CD release of the album (7-92061-2).
55 Years Ago Today In 1960 - Dakota Stanton (on vocals), with a small band (lineup unlisted), records the title "All In My Mind" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 4512) with "Hey Lawdy Mama" (recorded September 16, 1960) on the flipside.
1962 - The Green River Boys (a "one-off" group, one of whose members is future Capitol Records solo artist Glen Campbell)' Capitol Records single "Kentucky Means Paradise", with "Truck Drivin' Man" on the flip side, enters Billboard's Country singles chart where it will peak at #20
1963 - The "Good Guys" (at the time, Joe O'Brien (6-10 AM), Harry Harrison (10-1 PM), Jack Spector (1-4 PM), Dan Daniel (4-7 PM), B. Mitchel Reed (7-11 PM), Johnny Dark (overnights) Ed Baer (fill in and weekends), and Frank Stickle (fill in and weekends), on 5,000-watt radio station WMCA, become the first New York City disc jockeys to play The Beatles’ Capitol Records single "I Want to Hold Your Hand".
1964 - Buck Owens records the track "Gonna Have Love" for Capitol Records
50 Years Ago Today In 1965 - During two sessions held today in Los Angeles, California, Tennessee Ernie Ford & The Jack Halloran Choir (on vocals, lineup unlisted), with Jack Fascinato conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted) records the titles, "Hello, Dolly!", "L-O-V-E", and "Red Roses For A Blue Lady" at the first session and "Turn Around", "Dear Heart", and "King Of The Road" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Ford's album "My Favorite Things" (T 2444).
50 Years Ago Today In 1965 - The Great Danes (lineup unlisted) record as yet unissued takes of the titles "It Was Easier To Hurt Her", "Let Me Take You Away From This", "King Of Fools", and "Find Yourself Another Guy" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records.
50 Years Ago Today In 1965 - Charlie Wright, with Aurther Wright conducting his own arrangement to unlisted background vocalists and musicians, records the titles "Help Yourself", "Number One", and the as yet unissued titles "I Won't Be Your Fool Anymore" and "Two Individuals" with producers Wright, Jenkins, and Esked in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the first two titles together as a single (Capitol 5576).
1966 - The Beatles' record the track "Penny Lane" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England which will be released as a single by Capitol Records in the United States with "Strawberry Fields Forever" on the flipside
1967 - Paul Whiteman (aka "The King of Jazz"), who commissioned George Gershwin's "Rhapsody In Blue" and premiered the piece with Gershwin at the piano, bandleader (whose members included future Capitol Records artists Jack Teagarden and Red Nichols as well as vocalist and future Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer), radio and television show host, motion picture actor, and a Capitol Records artist (whose first single, "I Found A New Baby" [with "The General Jumped At Dawn" on the flip side] is the label's first release), dies in Doylestown, Pennsylvania at age 77
1969 - Capitol Records releases Grand Funk Railroad's album "Grand Funk" (aka "The Red Album")
1973 - Ringo Starr's Apple Records single "You're Sixteen", a cover of Johnny Burnette's Imperial Records track, with "Devil Woman" on the flipside and distributed by Capitol Records in the United States, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart at # 27 and will peak at #1 on January 26, 1974
1974 - Helen Reddy's Capitol Records single "Angie Baby" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
40 Years Ago Today In 1975 - The Lettermen (vocalists Donny Pike, Tony Butala, and Gary Pike), Vince Morton conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted) record overdubs for the titles "For The Good Times", "Loving Her Was Easier", "I Can't Help It", "The Last Thing On My Mind (If I'm Still In Love With You)", Today I Started Loving You Again", "Kiss An Angel Good Morning", "Leavin' With The First Light", "Take Me Home, Country Roads", "Before The Next Teardrop Falls", "Storms Of Troubled Times", the disco version of "The Way You Look Tonight" and the still unissued take of "Medley: Gone For Good/Missouri Melodies" in Los Angeles, California. More overdubs will be recorded January 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, and 13, 1976. Capitol Records will issue the final versions of the first ten songs on The Lettermen's album "Kind Of Country" (SW-11508) and the ninth and tenth titles together as a single (Capitol 4226).
35 Years Ago Today In 1980 - Cherie Currie records the as yet unissued takes of "I Surrender" and "You're A Baby" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records.
25 Years Ago Today In 1990 - Wilson Phillips' SBK Records single "Impulsive", distributed by Capitol Records, is still #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Etta Jones, with Barney Bigard, record the tracks "Blow Top Blues", "Salty Papa Blues", "Evil Gal Blues" and "Long Long Journey" in Los Angeles, California for Black and White Records. Black and White's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.
1958 - The Chipmunks with David Saville's Liberty Records single "The Chipmunk Song" is still #1 on Billboard's Pop singles chart and Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Lonesome Town" is #3. Liberty and Imperial's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records parent company EMI Music.
1962 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "It's Up To You", with "I Need You" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and will peak at #6 on February 2, 1963
1963 - The Beach Boys' Candix Records single "Surfin'" (their first single) debuts at #33 on Los Angeles radio station KFWB's "Fabulous Forty Survey" for this week
50 Years Ago Today In 1965 - Trumpet player Blue Mitchell, with Junior Cook on tenor saxophone, Chick Corea on piano, Gene Taylor on bass, and Joe Chambers on drums, records rejected takes of "Bring It On Home To Me" and "Port Rico" in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey for Blue Note Records. New and approved takes of both songs will be recorded on January 6,1966.
40 Years Ago Today In 1975 - Ronnie Laws (on flute and soprano and tenor saxophones), with Donald Hepburn and Michael Hepburn on electric piano, clavinet, and synthesizer, Marion The Magician on guitar, Nathaniel Phillips on electric bass, Bruce Carter on drums and Bruce Smith on percussion, record the title "Captain Midnite" at Total Experience Studio in Los Angeles, California with engineer F. Byron Clark and producer Wayne Henderson. Blue Note Records will issue the title on Laws' album "Fever" (BN-LA628-G on vinyl and 7-89541-2 on CD).