FEBRUARY 21, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Vince Welnik, keyboardist with the Capitol Records band The Tubes and The Grateful Dead, is born in Phoenix, Arizona

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - The Voices Of Walter Schumann (vocal choir - lineup unlisted), with rhythm accompaniment (lineup also unlisted), records the title "In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin'" and the as yet unissued take of the title "Wonderful Counselor" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin'" on the group's album "Great Gettin' Up Mornin'" (CCN-316).
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Vocalist Johnny Parker, with Sid Feller directing the orchestra (featuring Will Bradley on trombone with unlisted others), records the titles "Caring", "My Love Serenade", "Go Tell Your Troubles To Somebody Else", and "When Are You Gonna Come Home" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "Caring" and "When Are You Gonna Come Home" together as a single (Capitol 1516) and "My Love Serenade" and "Go Tell Your Troubles To Somebody Else" together as a single (Capitol 1442).
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Don Wilson records narration overdubs on to band tracks recorded by The INR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Franz Andre in Brussels, Belgium in 1950 for the four parts of Paul Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" at Capitol Records' studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the parts on Wilson's album "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (DBS-3094) as part of the label's Classics For Children line.
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Vocalist Betty Hutton, with Vic Schoen directing the orchestra and chorus (lineups unlisted), records the titles "Sleepy Head" and "Hit The Road To Dreamland" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 3383).
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Les Baxter conducts his own arrangements to his orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record the titles "Green Eyes", "The Breeze And I", "Nightingale", and "Ay, Ay, Ay" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Baxter's album "Caribbean Moonlight" (T 733).
1957 - Buck Owens signs a recording contract with Capitol Records in Los Angeles, California
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - During two sessions held this day at Goldwyn Studios in Hollywood, California, piano and celeste player Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Dalton Smith, Bud Brisbois, Bob Rolfe, and Sanford Skinner on trumpets, Bob Fitzpatrick, Tom Shepard, Jim Amlotte, and Bob Knight on trombones, Albert Pollan on tuba, Dwight Carver, Gene Roland, Gordon Davison, and Joe Burnett on mellophones, Pete Chivily on bass, Art Anton on drums, and Larry Bunker on percussion) records the titles "O Holy Night", "O Come All Ye Faithful", and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" at the first session between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM and the title "Angels We Have Heard On High" and some of "Christmas Medley - Joy To The World/We Wish You A Merry Christmas/Away In A Manger/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/The First Noel/Silent Night" at the second session between 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM. After finishing recording "Christmas Medley" on March 14, 1961, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Kenton's album "A Merry Christmas" (T 1621).
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' single "Nowhere Man" with "What Goes On" on the flipside (Capitol 5587) in the United States.
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Girls (vocalists Diane Sandoval,  Margaret Sandoval,Rosemary Sandoval, and Sylvia Sandoval), with unlisted others, record the as yet unissued takes of the titles "Goodbye, Boys, Goodbye" and "Top 20" and the titles "Chico's Girl" and "The Dumb Song" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the titles "Chico's Girl" and "The Dumb Song" together as a single (Capitol 5675).
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Roundabouts (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Falling So In Love With You" and "Hey! Little Lover" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 5627).
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Vocalist Verdelle Smith, with Alan Lorber conducting the orchestra (Irving Markowitz and Burt Collins on trumpets, Richard Berg on cornet, Joe Grimaldi and Art Kaplan on reeds, Ernie Hayes on organ, Lee Pockriss on piano, Allen Hanlon and Al Gorgoni on guitars, Russ Saunders and Earl Chaplin on bass, Maurice Belkin on cello, Ted Sommer on drums, and Michael Chimes on harmonica), records the titles "Over The Rainbow", "Oh How Much I Love You", and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Smith's album "(Alone) In My Room" (T 2476).
1967 - The Beatles record tracks for their song "Fixing A Hole" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England
1970 - John Ono Lennon's Apple Records single "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)", with Yoko Lennon Ono's "Who Has Seen The Wind?" on the flipside, enters the U.S. Pop singles charts one day after being released and just 26 days after being recorded
45 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Vocalist Merle Haggard and The Strangers (lineup unlisted), at a live performance at the Assembly of God Tabernacle in Keyes, California after a "Introduction" by Reverend J.D. Smith and the congregation singing "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms", perform the titles "Guide Me, Lord", "The Family Bible", "I'll Be List'ning", and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" with the congregation joining in, then Reverend Smith delivers the "Closing Prayer". Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Haggard and The Strangers's two LP set "The Land Of Many Churches" (SWBO-803).
1987 - Crowded House's Capitol Records single "Don't Dream It's Over", with "That's What I Call Love" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1988 - Tanya Tucker (with Paul Davis and Paul Overstreet)'s Capitol Records single "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love", with "Heartbreaker" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country Singles charts
1990 - Bonnie Raitt's Capitol Records album "Nick Of Time" wins the Grammy for Album Of The Year
1990 - Paul McCartney, Polygram, Parlophone, Vee-Jay, Swan, Capitol, Apple, Columbia and Capitol (again) Records artist, is honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd annual Grammy Awards ceremony
2007 - Al Viola, mandolin player, guitarist, member of the Page Cavanaugh Trio, session musician for motion pictures (most notably the mandolin solo in the soundtrack for "The Godfather"), and a Capitol Records and Liberty Records session musician at many sessions for Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Frank Zappa and with Bobby Troup, dies of cancer at age 87 at his home in Studio City, California. I was able to talk to Al briefly at Bill Miller's wake in 2006 and he was a very approachable guy and was still performing until late January 2007 at Spazio, a jazz supper club, in Sherman Oaks, California
5 Years Ago Today In 2011 - Haila Stoddard, actress, Broadway producer as herself and as Bonard Productions which produced in association with Charles Russel the musical "Sail Away" whose original Broadway cast album was distributed by Capitol Records, died of cardiopulmonary arrest at her home in Weston, Connecticut at age 97.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1965 - Gary Lewis and The Playboy's United Artists Records single "This Diamond Ring" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1982 - "Murray The K" Kaufman, disc jockey at Radio WINS in New York City and early United States supporter of The Beatles (aka "The Fifth Beatle"), dies of cancer at age 60 in Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1977 - Members of the band KISS have small quantities of their blood taken after their appearance at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York which will later be mixed with the red ink used for the band's pseudo-autobiographical Marvel Comics comic book
2003 - Tom Glazer, singer and songwriter (best known for "On Top of Spaghetti" [1963]) dies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at age 88