JANUARY 17, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1913 - Vido Musso, clarinetist and tenor saxophonist with Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, Gene Krupa and His Orchestra, Harry James and His Orchestra, Woody Herman and His Orchestra, Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra, and Capitol Records artist Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (1945-1947) as well as his own small groups, is born in Carini, Italy
85 Years Ago Today In 1931 - Clifford Solomon, tenor saxophonist with Capitol Records artist Johnny Otis as well as John Mayall, Charles Brown, Ray Charles and others, is born in Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Johnny Mercer's Capitol Records single "Personality", with "If I Knew Then" on the flipside, enters The Billboard magazine's "Records Most-Played On The Air" chart at #9 and its "Most-Played Juke Box Records" chart at #13.
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Tex Ritter (on vocals), with Wesley Tuttle on guitar and Cliffie Stone on bass, records the titles "Down In The Valley", "Billy The Kid", "O Bury Me Not On The Lone Prairie", "Ridin' Ole Paint", "De Camptown Races", "Sam Bass", "Zebra Dun", "Trail To Mexico", "Whoopee Ti Yi Yo (Get Along Little Doggies)", "Casey Jones" and "When The Work's All Done This Fall" for the Capitol Records Transcription Service at Radio Recorders' studios in Hollywood, California. The Capitol Records Transcription Service will issue the first five titles on transcription disc G-26 and the rest of the tracks, except "Casey Jones" on transcription disc G-25. Bear Family Records will issue all the titles in Germany in the 4 CD box set "Tex Ritter - Have I Stayed Away Too Long?" (BCD 16239),65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - The Hollywood String Quartet (Felix Slatkin leader and violin, Paul Shure on violin, Paul Robyn on viola, and Eleanor Aller on cello), with Kurt Reher on cello, records parts 1 and 2 of the third and fourth movements of Franz Schubert's "Quintet In C Major, Op. 163" at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the parts for the title on the Quartet's album "SCHUBERT - Quintet In C Major, Op. 163" (P-8133).
1947 - Merle Travis' Capitol Records single "Divorce Me C.O.D.", with "Missouri" on the flipside, is back to #1 for the thirteenth and last week on The Billboard magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Folk Records chart (the precursor to the Country Music chart) after falling to #2 on the January 10th chart.
1952 - Kay Starr is called into Capitol Records' Melrose studios in Hollywood, California late at night to quickly record, with Harold Mooney directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), the tracks "Too Busy", "Wheel Of Fortune" and "Three Letters" for a rush release. Capitol Records will release "Wheel Of Fortune" as a single (Capitol 1964) in February 1952 with "Angry" on the flipside. The single will become Starr's first gold record and will eventually become the #2 selling single of 1952.
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Jack Teagarden (on trombone and vocals), with Harry Geller's Orchestra (Simon "Si" Zentner, Benny Benson, and Lloyd Ulyate on trombone, George Roberts on bass trombone, Gus Bivona on alto saxophone, Eddie Miller on tenor saxophone, Ray Sherman on piano, Jack Marshall on guitar, Mike Rubin on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums), records the titles "Stars Fell On Alabama", "Old Pidgeon-Toed Joad", "My Kinda Love", and "Peg O' My Heart" at Capitol Records' studios on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Teagarden's album "This Is Teagarden" (T 721).
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby, with Johnny Green conducting The MGM Studio Orchestra (which included Jimmy Zito, Joe Triscari, and Uan Rasey on trumpet, Herb Taylor, Nick DiMaio, and Si Zentner on trombone, Art Shapiro on bass, and unidentified others), record the title "Well Did You Evah?" at MGM's studios in Culver City, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on the original soundtrack album for the movie "High Society" (W 750).
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Rose Maddox (on vocals), with "Gentleman" Jim Pierce on piano, John Calvin Maddox, William Everett "Billy" Strange, and Roy Ernest Nichols on guitars, Norman Daniel Hamlett on steel guitar, Allen J. Williams on bass, and Marion Z. "Pee Wee" Adams on drums, records the titles "Conscience, I'm Guilty", "Read My Letter Once Again", "Tall Men", and "Early In The Morning" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California between 1:30 PM and 4:30 PM. After overdubs are recorded for "Early In The Morning" on January 18, 1961, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Maddox's album "A Big Bouquet Of Roses" (T 1548).
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Diane Maxwell, with the Hank Levine Orchestra and chorus (lineups unlisted) records the titles "Whispering Pines", "Remember Me, I'm The One Who Loves You", "Born To Be With You", and a as yet unreleased take of "Big Shot Nothing Bringer" in Los Angeles, California with producer Ken Nelson. Capitol Records will issue the first and third titles together as a single (Capitol 4541) and the second title as a single (Capitol 4571) with "Rainbows" (recorded April 26, 1961) on the flipside.
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Pianist Lee Evans (aka Eli Levine), with uncredited musicians in a orchestra, records a as yet unissued take of the title "Where Have You Been" and the titles "The Moon Is Yellow", "Beyond The Reef", and "Tin-Tun-Tan" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue the last three titles on Evan's album "Big Piano, Big Band, Big Sound" (T 1625).

1965 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "You're The Only World I Know", with "Tying The Pieces Together" on the flipside, is #1 on the Country singles charts.

50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Guitarist Laurindo Almeida, with Stanley Wilson conducting The Concert Arts Chamber Orchestra (lineup unlisted), records Johann Sebastian Bach's "Arioso From The Harpsichord Concerto In F Minor" and Silvius Leopold Weiss' "Suite In A Minor (5 mvts.): Prelude/Allemande/Sarabande/Gavotte/Gigue)" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Almeida's album "Concerto For Guitar And Small Orchestra: VILLA-LOBOS - Concerto For Guitar And Small Orchestra/WEISS - Suite In A Minor/J.S. BACH - Arioso From The Harpsichord Concerto In F Minor" (P-8638).
1969 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "The Christmas Song" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
45 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Jerry Corbitt records the title "John Deere Tractor" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on Corbitt's album "John Corbitt" (ST-771).
1972 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "I'll Still Be Waiting For You" with "Full Time Daddy" on the flipside
40 Years Ago Today In 1976 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Roots Of My Raising", with "The Way It Was In '51" on the flipside, enters the Country singles charts
1992 - Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks' first TV special airs on NBC-TV
20 Years Ago Today In 1996 - Tower, Harvest, and Capitol Records group (The) Pink Floyd is inducted into the Rock 'N' Roll Hall Of Fame
1998 - Cliffie Stone, singer, songwriter, bandleader, radio and television variety show host, personal manager, 1989 Country Music Hall Of Fame inductee, Capitol Records A&R executive and record producer, dies of a heart attack at his Saugus, California home at age 80.

ON THIS DATE NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1918 - Elmore James, guitarist and songwriter (whose Blues songs have been covered by Capitol Records artists from The Raspberries to Bonnie Raitt) is born in Durant, Mississippi
35 Years Ago Today In 1981 - John Lennon's Geffen/Lenono Music Records single "Woman", with Yoko Ono's "Beautiful Boys" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Capitol Records currently distributes the John Lennon and Yoko Ono catalogs.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1880 - Mack Sennett, motion picture director, producer and studio owner, is born Michael Sinnott in Richmond, Quebec, Canada.
1978 - Benny Goodman returns to Carnegie Hall forty years and one day after his 1938 concert to celebrate the show's anniversary. Goodman puts together a big band, which includes George Benson on guitar, but does not recreate the first concert's playlist. A recording of the new show will be released in 1982.
1994 - The Northridge Earthquake hits the Los Angeles basin starting at 4:30:55 AM PST. Along with the unfortunate deaths that occured, structural damage will cause the later demolition of the original Brown Derby restaurant on Vine Street and the closure of The Pacific Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.