MARCH 19, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Paul Atkinson, original guitarist with the group The Zombies and Vice President A&R Catalog for Capitol Records until 2001, is born Paul Ashley Warren Atkinson in Cuffley, Hertfordshire, England. I met with Paul several times while doing work for Capitol. He would listen to your case if you really had a passion for a project and had done your research to back it up, but he had the unenviable job of having to justifying the cost of re-releasing material with predicted sales and having to say "no" when the numbers just didn't add up. I remember going to his 55th birthday party in the small 12th floor conference room in The Capitol Tower and how he played guitar for his department's track for the annual employee Christmas album.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - During two sessions held this day at Radio Recorders' studios on Western Avenue in Hollywood, California, vocalist and guitarist Jack Guthrie and his Oklahomans (Charles Linville on fiddle, "Porky" Freeman on electric guitar, Red Murrell on rhythm guitar, and Allen Williams on bass), under the direction of Cliffie Stone, record the titles "The Clouds Rained Trouble Down", "You Laughed And Cried", "This Troubled Mind O' Mine", and "I'm Telling You" at the first session and "Bow Down Brother", "It's Too Late To Change Your Mind", "Look Out For The Crossing", and "Chained To A Memory" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue "The Clouds Rained Trouble Down" as a single (Capitol 341) with "Oakie Oogie" (recorded October 22, 1946) on the flipside, "You Laughed And Cried" and "It's Too Late To Change Your Mind" together as a single (Capitol 406), "This Troubled Mind O' Mine" as a single (Capitol Americana 40012) with "I'm Building A Stairway To Heaven" (recorded October 25, 1944) on the flipside, "I'm Telling You" and "Chained To A Memory" together as a single (Capitol 309), "Bow Down Brother" as a single (Capitol 47-40118) with "You're Gonna Be Sorry" (recorded October 22, 1946) on the flipside, and "Look Out For The Crossing" as a single (Capitol 57-40131) with "No Need To Knock Upon My Door" (recorded October 24, 1957) on the flipside. Capitol will also release "This Troubled Mind O' Mine" and "Chained To A Memory" on Guthrie's memorial album "Oklahoma Hills" (AC-76).
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - During two split sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, the vocal group The Starlighters (Vince Degen, Tony Paris, Imogene Lynn, Jerry Duane, and Howard Hudson), with Buddy Cole and his orchestra (lineup unlisted), record the title "I Whistle A Happy Tune" then vocalist Jerry Lewis, with Dick Stabile conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the title "Never Been Kissed" at the first session. At the second session, The Starlighters, again with Buddy Cole and his orchestra, record the title "Sweet, Sweet Pauline" then vocalist Dottie O' Brien, with unlisted others, records the titles "Yak Yak Song" and "I Don't Wanna Go Home". Capitol Records will issue both of The Starlighters titles together as a single (Capitol 1481), Jerry Lewis' title as a single (Capitol 1482) with "A Hunting We Will Go" (recorded January 10, 1951) on the flipside, and both of Dottie O'Brien's titles together as a single (Capitol 1485).
1955 - Tennessee Ernie Ford's Capitol Records single "Ballad Of Davy Crockett (From Walt Disney's Davy Crockett)", with "Farewell (From Walt Disney's Davy Crockett)" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Organist Jackie Davis, with a unidentified orchestra, records the title "We'll Be Together Again" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on the sampler album "Full Dimensional Sound From The Capitol Tower" (S 9031).
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Vocalist Judy Garland, with Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Dirty Hands, Dirty Face" and "April Showers". Nelson Riddle and the orchestra will also record the band tracks for the titles "I Feel A Song Comin' On" and "Maybe I'll Come Back" for which Judy will record vocal overdubs on March 27, 1956. Capitol Records will issue "Dirty Hands, Dirty Faces" and "April Showers" on Garland's album "Judy" (T 734) and "April Showers" as a single (Capitol 6126) with "The Man That Got Away" (recorded April 23, 1961) on the flipside.
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Waitin' In Your Welfare Line" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "Nowhere Man", with "What Goes On" on the flipside, is #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1979 - The group America signs with Capitol Records
20 Years Ago Today In 1996 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' Apple Records compilation "Anthology 2" in the United States

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1928 - Henry Ford Maddox, vocalist, mandolin and guitar player, with the group The Maddox Brothers & Rose which featured his sister, future Capitol Records artist Rose Maddox, is born in Boaz, Alabama
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Gary Lewis & The Playboys' Liberty Records single "Sure Gonna Miss Her", with "I Don't Wanna Say Goodnight" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles chart
1983 - Thomas Dolby's Harvest Records single "She Blinded Me With Science", with "Flying North" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Harvest Records is a subsidiary of Capitol Records.
1988 - Natalie Cole's Manhattan Records single "Pink Cadillac", with "I Wanna Be That Woman" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart where it will peak at #5. Manhattan Records is a division of Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1872 - Anna Held, actress, singer, one-time wife of Broadway producer Florence Ziegfeld, is born Helene Anna Held in Warsaw, Poland. The Institute of the American Musical in Los Angeles, California has a large collection of Held memorabilia, costumes and props, that was donated by her family.
1928 - Patrick McGoohan, stage, motion picture and television actor ("Danger Man" [aka "Secret Agent" in the United States], "The Three Lives of Thomasina", "The Scarecrow of Romney Marsh" "Braveheart", "Escape from Alcatraz", "The Silver Streak", "Ice Station Zebra", "I Am a Camera", and "The Prisoner" [which he also directed and wrote episodes]) is born in in Astoria, Queens, New York
1957 - Elvis Presley purchases his home, the Graceland mansion, in Memphis, Tennessee from Mrs. Ruth Brown-Moore