JANUARY 24, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
80 Years Ago Today In 1936 - Jack Scott, singer, guitarist, and Capitol Records artist (1961-1964), is born Giovanni Dominico Scafone, Jr. in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
1939 - Ray Stevens, comedian, actor, singer, 1980 Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee, and Prep Records (1957, the label was a subsidiary of Capitol Records) and Capitol Records (1958) artist, is born Harold Ray Ragsdale in Clarksdale, Georgia
1941 - Neil Diamond, singer, songwriter, motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (1980 - soundtrack to "The Jazz Singer" and 2014-present), is born Neil Leslie Diamond in Brooklyn, New York.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - The Pied Pipers (vocalists June Hutton, Chuck Lowry, Hal Hopper, and Clark Yocum), with Paul Weston and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted), record the titles "In The Moon Mist" and "Madame Butterball" at Radio Recorders' studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 243).
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - The Ewing Sisters (vocalists Jeanne Ewing and Jolaine Ewing), with Van Alexander conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted), recorded the titles "Fiddle Faddle" and the as yet unreleased takes of the titles "Old Man Of The Mountain", "Willow Will You Weep For Me", and Papagayu" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Fiddle Faddle" as a single (Capitol 1421) with "You've Been So Good To Me, Daddy" (recorded January 4, 1951) on the flipside.
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Jimmie Skinner (on vocals and guitar), with Ray "Curly" Lunsford on electric mandolin, Art Wooten on fiddle, and a uncredited guitarist and bass player, records the titles "Running Out Of Time", "Station Door Blues", "Falling Rain Blues", and "It's All The Same To Me" at radio station WROL's studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue the first two titles together as a single (Capitol 1413) and the last two titles together as a single (Capitol 1476).
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Violinist Nathan Milstein and pianist Leon Pommers record Wieniawski's "Mazurka, Op. 19, N° 2", Gluck-Kreisler's "Melodie", an unissued take of Nardini's "Larghetto", Chopin's "Nocturne In C Sharp Minor", and Stravinsky's "Russian Maiden Song" in Capitol Records' Studio A in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue all the titles except "Larghetto" on Milstein's album "Milstein Miniatures" (P-8339). Capitol Records' catalog of classical music is currently released by Warner Music Group. Here's Side 1 and here's Side 2.
1953 - Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "Side By Side", with "Noah" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Pop singles chart
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - The George Shearing Quintet (Johnny Rae on vibraphone, George Shearing on piano, Jean "Toots" Thielemans on guitar and harmonica, Al McKibbon on bass, Bill Clark on drums) with Armando Peraza on congas and a string choir (lineup unlisted) arranged and conducted by Dennis Faron, record the titles "September Song", "'Round Midnight", "Starlight Hour", and "Autumn Leaves" in Los Angeles, California between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM. After an overdub is recorded for "'Round Midnight" on January 26, 1956, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's album "The Velvet Carpet" (T 720).
55 Yeas Ago Today In 1961 - Tennessee Ernie Ford (on vocals), with unlisted others, records the titles "His Love (Makes the World Go Round)", a as yet unissued take of the title "900 Pages Of 66 Books", the titles "Dark As A Dungeon" and a as yet unissued take of the titles "Four Feet Wide, Six Feet Long And Six Feet Deep" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "His Love (Makes The World Go Round)" and "Dark As A Dungeon" together as as single (Capitol 4531).
1962 - Future Parlophone and Capitol Records artists The Beatles sign a management contract with Brian Epstein at his office at the NEMS record store in Whitechapel
50 Yeasr Ago Today In 1966 - Nancy Wilson (on vocals) with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Ronnell Bright on piano, John Collins on guitar, Charles "Buster" Williams and Ralph Pena on bass, Shelly Manne on drums, Catherine Gotthoffer on harp, and a string section with Edward Bergman, Harry Bluestone, Samuel Boghossian, Walter Edelstein, Jacques Gasselin, James Getzoff, Benny Gill, Dan Lube, Lou Raderman, Mischa Russell, Ambrose Russo, Marshall Sosson, and Albert Sternberg on violins, Allan Harshman, Virginia Majewski, and Sanford Schonbach on viola, and Armand Kaproff, David Pratt, Nino Rosso, and William Vandenburg on cello), records the titles "Try A Little Tenderness", "Close Your Eyes", "Too Late Now", and "Don't Go To Strangers" in The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Wilson's album "Tender Lovin' Care" (T 2555).
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The New Classic Singers (lineup unlisted) record "Bye Bye Blues", "A Taste Of Honey", "Yesterday", "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)", "Lover's Concerto", and "The World's Greatest Lover (Don Juan)" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's eponymous album "The New Classic Singers" (T 2440).
1968 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Sing Me Back Home", with "Good Times" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Country singles chart
1979 - Brian Wilson, member of the Capitol Records group The Beach Boys, divorces his wife, Marilyn Rovell
1982 - Juice Newton's Capitol Records single "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)", with "Ride 'Em Cowboy" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Country singles cart
30 Years Ago Today In 1986 - Gordon MacRae (born Albert Gordon MacRae), singer, Broadway, motion picture, and television actor, and Capitol Records artist (1947-1969), dies of of pneumonia, the result of complications from cancer of the mouth and jaw, at age 65 in Lincoln, Nebraska
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Capitol Records releases Roseanne Cash's album "Black Cadillac", Linda Ronstadt's 2 CD compilation "The Best Of Linda Ronstadt", and Starsailor's album "On The Outside". EMI/Capitol Records releases Al Green's album "Livin' For You".

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1925 - Jimmy Scott, conga drummer, is born Jimmy Anonmuogharan Scott Emuakor in Nigeria. Paul McCartney, who got to know Scott when he played in London night clubs, used Scott's catch phrase "ob-la-di ob-la-da" (a Yoruba tribal phrase meaning "life goes on") as the basis of The Beatles' track "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da".
1945 - Spirits of Rhythm record the tracks "Honeysuckle Rose", "Last Call Blues", "She Ain't No Saint", and "Scattin' The Blues" for Black & White Records in Los Angeles, California. EMI Music, Capitol Records parent company, currently owns the Black & White catalog
1947 - Warren Zevon, singer, songwriter, and Virgin Records America artist (1987), is born in Chicago, Illinois.
1964 - Brian Epstein signs Sounds Incorporated to a management and agency contract with NEMS Enterprises and gets them a deal with EMI.
30 Years Ago Today In 1986 - Vincent Minnelli (born Lester Anthony Minnelli), Broadway and motion picture director, father of Capitol Records artist Liza Minnelli and husband for six years to Capitol Records artist Judy Garland, dies at age 82 and is later interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
1987 - Future Capitol Records/Grand Royal Records artists The Beastie Boys' Def Jam single "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)", with "Paul Revere" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.