MARCH 14, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1912 - Les Brown, bandleader and Capitol Records artist, is born Lester Raymond Brown in Reinerton, Pennsylvania
1922 - Les Baxter, singer, arranger, song and score writer, bandleader, member of Mel Torme's back up group The Mel-Tones, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Mexia, Texas

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Shoo-Fly Pie (And Apple Pan Dowdy)", with "I Been Down In Texas" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Pianist Lyle "Skitch" Henderson and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted), using arrangements by Henderson, record the titles "Swan Lake", "Rhapsody", and "Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Swan Lake" as a single (Capitol 255) with "Cynthia's In Love" (recorded March 21, 1946) on the flipside. The last two titles have yet to be issued.
1947 - Andy Russell (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Anniversary Song", with "My Best To You" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles chart

65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Mel Blanc records vocal tracks adapted by Alan Livingston from a script written by Ted Pierce and Warren Foster in Los Angeles, California over music tracks written by Billy May and recorded by May directing the orchestra (Mannie Klein, Uan Rasey, and Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy on trumpets, Ed Kusby and James Priddy on trombones, Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt, Jules Kinsler, Gordon Green, Fred Falensby, and John Hacker on saxophones, Don Ferris on piano, George Boujie on bass, Lou Singer on drums, Ann Mason Stockton on harp and a string section with Ivan Eppinoff, Mischa Russell, and Felix Slatkin on violins, Paul Robyn on viola, and Eleanor Slatkin on cello) the day before on March 13, 1951 for the title "Tweety's Puddy Tat Twouble". Capitol Records will issue the final mix of the title in four parts on the Bozo Approved Record-Reader children's album "Tweety's Puddy Tat Twouble" (DBX-3102).60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - The Serge Chaloff Quartet (Serge Chaloff on baritone saxophone, Sonny Clark on piano, Leroy Vinnegar on bass, and Philly Joe Jones on drums), record the titles "I've Got The World On A String", "Thanks For The Memory", "The Goof And I", "Susie's Blues", and "A Handful Of Stars" in The Capitol Towers Studios at 1750 Vine Street in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Chaloff's album "Blue Serge" (T 742).
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Vocalist and pianist Merrill Moore, with Cliffie Stone's Orchestra (Jimmy Bryant on electric guitar, a unlisted guitarist, Roy Lanham on rhythm guitar, "Speedy" West on steel guitar, Morty Corb on bass, and Roy Harte on drums), records the titles "Rock Island Line" and "King Porter Stomp" in Studio A of The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 Vine Street in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 3397).
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - The Jumping Jacks (Jack Marshall on guitar and Frank Carlson on drums), using Marshall's arrangement, records the title "Lady, Play Your Mandolin" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 3415) with "About A Quarter To Nine" (recorded March 5, 1956) on the flipside.

1958 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' second single "Sweet Thing" with "I Only Know That I Love You" on the flipside

1964 - Billboard reports that The Beatles' Capitol Records releases currently account for 60 per cent of record sales in the United States
1969 - The Honeys sign a new contract with Capitol Records
1970 - Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "All I have To Do Is Dream" with "Less Of Me" on the flipside, enters the U.S. Country singles charts
1989 - Donny Osmond signs with Capitol Records. I met Donny a couple of years earlier at the listening party for Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers' "Conscious Party" album at Virgin Records offices in Beverly Hills. He and I were the only two not drinking alcohol or smoking (anything).
2000 - Tommy Collins, singer, songwriter, 1999 inductee into the Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame, and Capitol Records artist, dies in Ashland City, Tennessee