AUGUST 31, 2016

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Ella Fitzgerald, with a small backing group, finishes sessions for her Verve album "Ella Fitzgerald Sings The Rodgers & Hart Songbook" in Studio A at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with producer Norman Granz
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Benny Carter conducts his own arrangements to trumpet player Jonah Jones as well as Joe Graves, Conrad Gozzo, Uan Rasey, Shorty Sherock, and Mannie Klein also on trumpet, Milt Bernhart, Joe Howard, Lewis McCreary on trombone, George Roberts on bass trombone, Abe Most on clarinet and alto saxophone, Skeets Herfurt on alto saxophone, Plas Johnson and Babe Russin on tenor saxophone Chuck Gentry on baritone saxophone, Ray Sherman on piano, Jack Marshall on guitar, Mike Rubin on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums as they record the titles "Two O'Clock Jump", "Sugar Blues", and "I Can't Get Started"  in Los Angeles, California with producers Tom Morgan and Curly Walter. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "Jonah Jones And The Quartet/Glen Gray And The Casa Loma Orchestra" (T 1660).
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Lettermen (vocalists Jim Pike, Tony Butala, and Bob Engemann), with Perry Botkin, Jr. conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), record the titles "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", "The Lonely Bull", "A Place For The Winter" and "Till The End Of Time" in Los Angeles, California. After overdubs are recorded on September 1, 1966, Capitol Records will issue "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes" and "A Place For The Winter" on the group's album "Warm" (T 2633) and have yet to issue "The Lonely Bull" and "Till The End Of Time".
1969 - Capitol Records group "The Band" opens for Bob Dylan at the British Isle of Wight Festival and later backs him up during his set
45 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Bloodrock (Steve Hill on keyboards and vocals, Nick Taylor on guitrar and vocals, Lee Pickens on guitar, Ed Grundy on bass and vocals, Rick Cobb on drums and percussion, and Jim Rutledge on vocals) co-produces and records the titles "American Burn", "Crazy About You, Babe", "Don't Eat The Children" and as yet to be issued take of "Changes" at The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California with co-producer John Palladino and engineers John Wilson and Cecil Jones. Capitol Records will issue the first three titles on the group's album "Bloodrock U.S.A." (SMAS-645).
1993 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Garth Brooks' album "In Pieces"
1999 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's album "Risk"
2002 - Lionel Hampton, vibraphonist and member of Benny Goodman and His Orchestra and The Benny Goodman Quartet while they recorded for Capitol Records, dies of heart failure at age 94 in New York City
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Capitol Records band OK Go perform their song "Here It Goes Again" on treadmills (as it's done in their video for the song) at the MTV Music Awards held this night in New York City

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1867 - Charles Baudelaire, poet, art critic, philosopher, and translator of the works of Edgar Allen Poe into French, died at age 46 in Paris, France after spending two years in a semi-paralyzed state after a stroke.
1939 - Jerry (aka "J.I.") Allison, songwriter (co-wrote "That'll Be The Day" with Buddy Holly) and drummer with The Crickets, is born Jerry Ivan Allison in Hillsboro, Texas
1945 - Van Morrison, songwriter and singer with the band Them and as a solo artist, is born George Ivan Morrison in Belfast, Northern Ireland

AUGUST 30, 2016

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Vocalist and pianist Julia Lee and Her Boyfriends (Karl George on trumpet, Dave Cavanaugh on tenor saxophone, Lucky Ennois on guitar, Red Callender on bass, and Sam "Baby" Lovett on drums), record the titles "Since I've Been With You" (without Cavanaugh), "Out In The Cold Again", "Young Girl Blues", and "On My Way Out" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Since I've Been With You" as a single (Capitol Americana 40008) with "A Porter's Love Song" (recorded on August 26, 1946) on the flipside, "Out In The Cold Again" as a single (Capitol 1896) with the instrumental "Charmaine" (recorded November 14, 1947) on the flipside, "Young Girl Blues" as a single (Capitol 379) with "I'll Get Along Somehow" (recorded August 26, 1946) on the flipside, and "On My Way Out" as a single (Capitol 340) with "Oh Marie" (recorded August 26, 1946) on the flipside.
1955 - Judy Garland records the track "On The Atchison, Topeka & The Santa Fe" at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California
1957 - Buck Owens' has his first solo recording session for Capitol Records at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California or it's the day when Ken Nelson signed Buck Owens to Capitol Records as a solo artist. If anyone knows for sure which it is, please leave a comment.
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Benny Carter conducts his own arrangements to trumpet player Jonah Jones as well as Joe Graves, Conrad Gozzo, Uan Rasey, Shorty Sherock, and Mannie Klein also on trumpet, Milt Bernhart, Joe Howard, Lewis McCreary on trombone, George Roberts on bass trombone, Abe Most on clarinet and alto saxophone, Skeets Herfurt on alto saxophone, Plas Johnson and Babe Russin on tenor saxophone Chuck Gentry on baritone saxophone, Ray Sherman on piano, Jack Marshall on guitar, Mike Rubin on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums as they record the titles "Ciribiribin", "West End Blues", and "Tenderly" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "Jonah Jones With Glen Gray & The Casa Loma Orchestra" (T 1660).
1965- The Beatles are back at The Hollywood Bowl for the last time for a show which was recorded and was used for tracks for the 1977 Capitol Records album "Live At The Hollywood Bowl"
1968 - Mary Hopkin's first single, "Those Were The Days", is released on Apple Records with Capitol Records distributing it in the United States
45 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Bloodrock (Steve Hill on keyboards and vocals, Nick Taylor on guitrar and vocals, Lee Pickens on guitar, Ed Grundy on bass and vocals, Rick Cobb on drums and percussion, and Jim Rutledge on vocals) co-produces and records the titles "It's A Sad World" and "Rock And Roll Candy Man" at The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California with co-producer John Palladino and engineers John Wilson and Cecil Jones. Capitol Records will issue the first three titles on the group's album "Bloodrock U.S.A." (SMAS-645).

1972 - John Lennon's concert at Madison Square Gardens is recorded and will be released on the album "Live In New York City" by Apple Records with distribution in the United States by Capitol Records

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1937 - Jack Kapp of Decca Records signs Judy Garland signs her first recording contract.

AUGUST 29, 2016

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - During a split session held this day in Los Angeles, California with Paul Weston and his Orchestra (lineup unlisted but including trumpet, trombone, reed, piano, celeste, guitar, bass and drum players) first The Pied Pipers (vocalists June Hutton, Chuck Lowry, Hal Hopper, and Clark Yocum) record the titles "Either It's Love Or It Isn't" and "Walkin' Away With My Heart" then Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers record the the titles "Winter Wonderland" and a rejected take of "Baby, I'm True To You". Capitol Records will initially release "Either It's Love Or It Isn't" and "Walkin' Away With My Heart" together as a single (Capitol 306) and "Winter Wonderland" as a single (Capitol 316) with "A Gal In Calico" (recorded September 27, 1945) on the flipside.
1954 - Dave Cavanaugh, A&R Representative for Capitol Records, announces that The Four Keys, formerly with Aladdin Records, have been signed to Capitol.
1955 - Judy Garland, with an orchestra conducted by Jack Cathcart, records the track "Carolina In The Morning", for her Capitol Records album "Miss Show Business", at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue Studios in Hollywood, California
1965 - Capitol Records president Alan Livingston presents The Beatles gold records for their soundtrack album "Help!" at the end of a press conference that was recorded for possible use as a promotional record, and also filmed. Later that night, The Beatles perform the first of two concerts at The Hollywood Bowl that happen over two consecutive nights. Recordings of some of these performances will appear when Capitol Records releases "Live At The Hollywood Bowl" in 1977.
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beatles perform their last live concert in the United States with a show at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California. The last song was "Long Tall Sally." At Paul McCartney's request, the audio of the show was recorded to tape.
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - The limited 40th Anniversary edition of The Beach Boys' Capitol Records album "Pet Sounds" is due in stores in both a 2 disc green vinyl version and a CD/DVD set with extras.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1952- Don Schlitz, country/western songwriter (including "The Gambler" and "The Greatest" for Liberty and Capitol Records Nashville recording artist Kenny Rogers and the Broadway musical "The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer"), is born in Durham, North Carolina
1968 - Dean Martin's father, Gaetano "Guy" Crocetti, dies at age 73

AUGUST 28, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1923 - Boots Faye, singer, guitarist, fiddle player, and Capitol Records recording artist, is born Grace Eloise Tartsch in Springfield, Missouri
1928 - "Texas" Bill Strength, singer, guitarist, radio personality and Capitol Records recording artist (1953-1956) is born in Bessemer, Alabama

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, Paul Weston conducts his own arrangements to his orchestra and a string section (lineups unlisted) as they record the titles "You Go To My Head" and "All The Things You Are" at the first session and the titles "Deep Purple", "Somebody Loves Me", and a new take of "East Of The Sun (West Of The Moon)" at the second session. Capitol Records will initially issue all the titles on Paul Weston and His Orchestra's album "Music For Memories" (BD-37). All the titles will be re-recorded in October 1958 in stereo and released by Capitol on a new album still titled "Music For Memories" (ST 1222).
1948 - Pee Wee Hunt's Capitol Records single "Twelfth Street Rag", with "Somebody Else, Not Me" on the flipside, hits #1 on the U.S. singles charts where it stays for 8 weeks and becomes the biggest hit of Capitol Records’ first 10 years
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Gordon Jenkins conducts his orchestra and The Ralph Brewster Singers (lineups unlisted) as they record "The Song Has Ended", "So Beats My Heart", "Moon Over Miami", and "How Are Things In Glocca Morra?" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra's album "Night Dreams" (T 781).
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Milton Kilpatrick records the titles "Up To My Ears In Tears", "When I Met You", and "Just A Doggone Dream" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will initially issue "Up to My Ears In Tears" and "When I Met You" together as a single (Capitol 4634) and has yet to issue "Just A Doggone Dream".
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "Buck Owens Sings Harlan Howard" that was produced by Ken Nelson
1965 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "California Girls" peaks at #3 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' album "Revolver"
1999 - Early "Wee Willy" Williams, guitarist and member of the Capitol Records group Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, dies in Manatee, FL

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
35 Years Ago Today In 1981 - Kasim Sulton records the titles "Evil", "Roll The Dice", and "Give Him Up". EMI America Records will release "Evil" and "Roll The Dice" on Sultan's album "Kasim" (ST-17063). "Give Him Up" is eventually released by Slick Music on CD on Sulton's album "The Basement Tapes" (SM-003).

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1937 - Martin Johan Nielsen, Jr., my father, is born in Chicago, Illinois. This is the third year he hasn't been with us and I can't tell you how much I miss him.

AUGUST 27, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1937 - Tommy Sands, singer, former husband of Nancy Sinatra, and Capitol Records artist, is born Thomas Adrian Sands in Chicago, Illinois
1940 - Dickie Harrell, original drummer with Capitol Records group Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps, is born Richard C Harrell in Portsmouth, Virginia.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Frank De Vol conducts his own arrangements to his orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record the titles "If You Are But A Dream" and "The Breeze And I" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will initially release both titles on Frank De Vol and His Orchestra's album "Classics In Modern" (CC-88).
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Vocalists Margaret Whiting and Jimmy Wakely, with an orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Let's Live A Little" and "I Don't Want To Be Free" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will initially issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 5-1816).
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Buddy DeFranco, with Russ Garcia and His Orchestra, begin two straight days of sessions to record tracks for his album "Broadway Showcase" at The Capitol Tower Studios, in Hollywood, California
1959 - Frank Sinatra records the tracks "It's Alright With Me" and "C'est Magnifique" with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra at 20th Century Fox studios in Los Angeles, California for the soundtrack of the motion picture "Can Can" whose soundtrack album will be released by Capitol Records in 1960.
1967 - Brian Epstein, record store owner and manager of The Beatles, dies of a drug overdose while the band is in Bangor, Wales visiting Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to learn about transcendental meditation
1990 - Capitol Records Nashville release Garth Brooks' album "No Fences" and television sound track album "Call Me Claus"
2002 - Capitol Records releases Coldplay's second album "A Rush Of Blood To The Head"
2002 - Capitol Records releases Grand Funk Railroad's compilation 4 cd limited box set "Trunk Of Funk" which contains the band's first four Capitol Records albums.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1965 - The Beatles meet, talk and play music with Elvis Presley at his home in Bel Air, California for the first and only time and later party with members of The Byrds and actor Peter Fonda

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1990 - Steve Ray Vaughn, guitarist, is killed shortly after midnight in a helicopter crash after a show in Alpine Valley, Wisconsin at age 45. He is later buried at Laurel Land Cemetery in Dallas, Texas.

AUGUST 26, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Valerie Simpson, songwriter and singer as a solo act on Motown Records and with the Capitol Records duo Ashford and Simpson (1982-1989), is born in The Bronx, New York.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1967 - Bobbie Gentry's Capitol Records single "Ode To Billie Joe", the flipside of her debut single "Mississippi Delta", knocks The Beatles' Capitol Records single single "All You Need Is Love", with "Baby You're A Rich Man" on the flipside, out of the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1968 - Apple Records releases The Beatles' single "Hey Jude", with "Revolution" on the flipside. The single is distributed by Capitol Records in the United States.
1968 - Merle Haggard records the track "I Take A Lot Of Pride In What I Am" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1974 - Capitol Records releases Unicorn's single "Ooh! Mother", with "Bogtrotter" on the flipside. Both tracks are produced by Pink Floyd guitarist David Gilmour.
1997 - Matador Records, with distribution by Capitol Records, releases the 2 CD compilation "What's Up Matador" with one disc of unreleased materials and one disc of greatest hits from artists on the Matador label. The sticker on the album says "Do Not Pay More Than $10".

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1968 - At the EMI Sales Convention, a promotional film for Apple Records is shown which includes footage of The Beatles in Abbey Road Studios, Paul McCartney doing acoustic versions of "Blackbird" and "Helter Skelter", and Paul with Mary Hopkins both in Abbey Road Studios and his home. The footage of "Blackbird" appears on the video version of "The Beatles Anthology".
1994 - Collectibles Records releases Capitol Records recording group The Magnificent Men's compilation album "Golden Classics" on CD
15 Years Ago Today In 2001 - The last rerun of "The Bozo Super Sunday Show" airs at 7:00 a.m. CT on WGN in Chicago, Illinois. Capitol Records sold the rights to Bozo to Larry Harmon who trained Bozos and licensed cartoons for local stations throughout the U.S. The Chicago version was the last one on the air.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1930 - Lon Chaney, Sr. (born Leonidas F. Chaney), motion picture actor ("The Phantom Of The Opera", "The Hunchback Of Notre Dame", etc.) and father of motion picture actor Lon Chaney, Jr. ("The Wolfman"), dies at age 47 of cancer.

AUGUST 25, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1908 - Ray John Heindorf, composer, conductor (conducted the orchestra for the Capitol Records soundtrack album "Streetcar Named Desire" in 1951), orchestrator, and Capitol Records recording artist (the single, "Four Deuces" with "Streetcar" on the flipside, is Heindorf's first record released under his own name), is born in Haverstraw, New York
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Steve Buckley, marketing and sales agent for United Artists (1977-1978) and Capitol Records (1978-1984) at the Washington, D.C. branch before becoming Regional Promotions Manager in Miami and then A&R manager for Black Music at The Capitol Tower in Hollywood, is born Steve T. Buckley III in Little Rock, Arkansas and is currently married to Hazel Payne, former member of Capitol Records recording group A Taste Of Honey

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1950 - Nat "King" Cole And His Trio, with arranger Pete Rugolo conducting the orchestra, (unknown except for Shelly Manne on drums), and the vocal group The Judd Conlin Rhythmaires (Conlin, Mac McLean, Charlie Parletto, Loulie Jean Norman & Gloria Wood) record the tracks "Make Believe Land" and "Get To Gettin'" (with Jack Costanzo on bongos} as well as the tracks "Little Christmas Tree" (with additional vocals by The Singing Pussycats) and "Frosty The Snowman" (with additiona vocals by The Singing Pussycats), and "Song of Delilah" with Dave Barbour conducting the orchestra at Capitol Records' (formerly radio station KHJ's) studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California.
1957 - Kid Ory starts two straight days of sessions to record tracks that will appear on his albums "Song Of The Wanderer" and "Dance With Kid Ory Or Just Listen"
1958 - Peggy Lee's Capitol Records single "Fever", with "You Don't Know" on the flipside, peaks at #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Vocalist Bunny Shivel, with unlisted others, records the titles "You'll Never Find A Love Like Mine", "Spellbound" and "The Slide" at the Columbia Recording Studio, 804 16th Avenue South, Nashville, Tennessee with producer Marvin Hughes. Capitol Records will issue "You'll Never Find A Love Like Mine" and "The Slide " together as a single (Capitol 5765). "Spellbound" has yet to be released.
1969 - Capitol Records releases Grand Funk Railroad's debut album "On Time"
1979 - The Knack's Capitol Records single "My Sharona" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1979 - Stan Kenton, pianist, band leader and Capitol Records artist dies at age 67 of complications of a stroke, at Midway Hospital in Hollywood, California which he had entered on August 17, 1979 after the stroke
1992 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Garth Brooks' album "Beyond The Season"
1999 - Boots Faye (born Grace Eloise Tartsch), singer and Capitol Records recording artist, dies at age 75, three days before her 76th birthday

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1930 - Sean Connery, motion picture actor, is born Thomas Sean Connery in Edinburgh, Scotland

AUGUST 24, 2016

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Capitol Records issues "The Thrill Is Gone" with "Mister Five By Five" on the flipside (Capitol 115) by Freddie Slack and His Orchestra with vocals by Ella Mae Morse as part of the label's fifth ever release.
1953 - During two sessions held this day at Capitol Records' studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California vocalist and pianist Nat "King" Cole, with Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra and a chorus of singers (lineups unlisted) records the titles "Why?", "Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup", and an as yet to be issued take of "Little Fingers" at the first session then, with the addition of John Collins on guitar and Charlie Harris on bass, records "For A Moment Of Your Love", "I Envy", a new take of "Sleeping Beauty", and Cole's third version of "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)". The sessions were recorded with producer by Lee Gillette and were Hi-Fi mono recordings done on an Ampex 200 tube recorder using Ampex tape. Capitol Records will initially issue "Why?" as a single (Capitol 2687) with "Answer Me, My Love" (recorded on December 3, 1953) on the flipside, "Darling Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" as a single (Capitol 3027) with "The Sand And The Sea" (recorded on December 20, 1954) on the flipside, "For A Moment Of Your Love" as a bonus track on the CD version of Cole's album "Ballads Of The Day" (7-99776-2), "Sleeping Beauty" on the EP version of Cole's album "10th Anniversary" (EAP-2-514), and this version of "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)" as a single (Capitol 2955) with "(All I Want Fro Christmas Is) My Two Front Teeth" (recorded on August 2, 1949) on the flipside.
1964 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' single "Matchbox" with "Slow Down" on the flipside and The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Something New" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1978 - Louis Prima, composer, trumpeter, bandleader, and Capitol Records recording artist, dies in New Orleans at age 77 after being in a coma since 1976 as a result of brain surgery to remove a tumor.
1987 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles albums "The Beatles" (aka "The White Album") and the soundtrack to the United Artists animated movie "Yellow Submarine" on CD for the first time in the United States as part of a simultaneous world wide release
1988 - Nat Stuckey, radio personality, band leader of The Louisiana Hayriders, and composer (co-wrote, with Buck Owens and Don Rich, Owens' #1 country song "Waitin' In Your Welfare Line", released by Capitol Records, which will be #1 for seven weeks), dies in Nashville, Tennessee at age 55
1999 - Capitol Records Jazz, a division of Blue Note Records, which is owned by Capitol Records, releases the compilation album "Trumpet Blues: The Best Of Harry James"
2004 - Capitol Records Canada releases Don Yute's album "Boobilious"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1924 - Francis Barraud, painter of the "His Master's Voice" pictures, the corporate logo for His Master's Voice and EMI, dies

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1962 - Producer Phil Spector records a "wall of sound" version "Zip-A-Dee-Doo-Dah" with Bobby Sheen doing the lead vocal with former Capitol Records singing group (1957-1958 and formerly known as The Dreamers until Capitol exec Tom Fransend renamed the group) The Blossoms (Darlene Wright [soon to be renamed Darlene Love], Fanita James, and Gloria Jones) doing backup vocals. When the track is released it will be credited to Bob B. Soxx and the Blue Jeans.

AUGUST 23, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1917 - Tex Williams (aka Jack Williams until given the nickname "Tex" by band leader Spade Cooley), singer, guitarist, band leader, actor and Capitol Records artist (1946-1951 and 1960-1974) is born Sollie Paul Williams in Ramsey, Fayette County, Illinois
1949 - Rick Springfield, singer, guitarist, actor, and Capitol Records artist (1972-1973) is born Richard Lewis Springthorpe in in Guildford, New South Wales, Australia

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1954 - Frank Sinatra records the titles "When I Stop Loving You", "White Christmas" and "The Christmas Waltz" with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the studio orchestra (John Hacker, Dominic Mumolo, Warren Webb, and James Williamson on reeds; Simon Zenther on trombone; George Roberts on bass trombone; John Cave and Vincent De Rosa on french horn; Victor Bay, Alex Beller, Harry Bluestone, Walter Edelstein, Henry Hill, Mischa Russell, Paul Shure, and Felix Slatkin on violin; Stanley Harris and David Sterkin on viola; Cy Bernard, Edgar Lustgarten, and Eleanor Slatkin on cello; Bill Miller on piano; Joe Comfort on bass; Allan Reuss on guitar; Lou Singer and Alvin Stoller on drums), and with background vocals by The Jimmy Joyce Singers, at radio station KHJ's studios (now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and the Academy Film Archive) at 1313 North Vine Street, Hollywood, California with producer Voyle Gilmore between 8:00 PM and 12:00 AM. Capitol Records will issue "When I Stop Loving You" as a single (Capitol 2922) with "It Worries Me" (recorded May 13, 1954) on the flipside and the last two titles together as a single (Capitol 2954).
1964 - The Beatles perform their first concert at The Hollywood Bowl. The show is recorded and some of the songs will be released by Capitol, after being remastered and sonically cleaned up by on the album "Live At The Hollywood Bowl" in 1977.
1968 - Ringo Starr quits The Beatles during a recording session for their self-titled album (aka "The White Album"). He will return to the group on September 3, 1968 and finds flowers on his drum kit from the rest of the band.
1993 - Capitol Records releases Duran Duran's single "Too Much Information" on cassette and CD. The CD had two versions of "Too Much Information" with "Drowning Man" and a live version of "Hungry Like A  Wolf" that was recorded at Tower Records in Hollywood California on May 15, 1993. The cassette single had "Too Much Information" with "Drowning Man" and also came with a free cassette, called "No Ordinary EP" with live versions "Hungry Like the Wolf", "Notorious", and "Come Undone" also recorded at the Tower Records concert.
1994 - Capitol Records releases the compilation album "Christmas With Bing Crosby"
20 Years Ago Today In 1996 - Alyce King Clarke, member of the Capitol Records singing group The King Sisters (1957-1966), dies following a long history of respiratory problems

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Nat "King" Cole speaks at the Republican National Convention in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California
1962 - John Lennon marries Cynthia Powell at the Mount Pleasant Registry Office in Liverpool, England
1963 - EMI releasses The Beatles' fourth single, "She Loves You" with "I'll Get You" on the flipside, in England.
1965 - The Beatles' United Artists soundtrack album to the United Artists motion picture "Help!" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. Capitol Records currently owns the United Artists catalog.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Keith Moon, actor, singer, and drummer with the band The Who, is born Keith John Moon in Central Middlesex Hospital on Acton Lane in Willesden, England

AUGUST 22, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1948 - Sam Neely, singer, guitarist, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist (1968-1974), is born in Cuero, Texas
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Ricky Lynn Gregg, singer, guitarist and Liberty Records recording artist (1992-1994) is born in Longview, Texas. Liberty Records became Capitol Records Nashville.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - The King Cole Trio (Nat "King" Cole on piano and vocals, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Johnny Miller on bass) record the title "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" at WMCA Studios in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will initially release the song as a single (Capitol 304) with "The Best Man" (recorded on August 19, 1946) on the flipside.
1947 - The King Cole Trio (Nat "King" Cole on piano and vocals, Oscar Moore on guitar, Johnny Miller on bass) records the title "Nature Boy", with Frank DeVol conducting an orchestral backing, in Los Angeles, California
1949 - Lonzo and Oscar's Winston County Pea Pickers (Lloyd "Lonzo" George on vocals and guitar, and Rollin "Oscar" Sullivan on mandolin and vocals) record the tracks "Who Pulled the Plug From the Jug?", "Love is Sweet But Oh, How Bitter", "Sheepskin Corn", "I’ll Go Chasing Women" at their second Capitol Records recording session
1960 - Frank Sinatra begins recording sessions for his Capitol Records album "Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!" at The Capitol Tower Studios with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle and producer Dave Cavanaugh
1964 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Something New" peaks at #2 on Billboard's album chart where it will stay for nine weeks, kept out of the #1 spot by United Artist's soundtrack to The Beatles' movie "A Hard Days Night" which stayed at the #1 spot for 14 weeks
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beatles' album "Revolver" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
30 Years Ago Today In 1986 - Capitol Records releases Paul McCartney's album "Press To Play" in the United States
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Bruce Gary, percussionist and drummer with the Capitol Records group The Knack, dies at the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 55
5 Years Ago Today In 2011 - Nick Ashford, singer, songwriter, and with his wife Valerie Simpson part of the Capitol Records vocal duo Ashford and Simpson ("Solid as a Rock"), dies in a New York City Hospital of throat cancer at age 70.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1987 - Former Capitol Records artist (1963-1968) Roy Clark becomes a member of the Grand Ole Opry
1989 - EMI America Records releases The Red Hot Chilli Peppers' album "Mother's Milk". EMI Music Group, Capitol Records' parent company, currently owns EMI America's catalog.
1992 - EMI in the U.K. exclusively releases Capitol Records band Iron Maiden's album "Live At Donington"

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1917 - Johnny Lee Hooker, guitarist, is born near Clarksdale, Mississippi
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - 20th Century Fox's film "The Girl Can't Help It" premieres in Hollywood, California
1968 - Cynthia Lennon files for divorce from John Lennon

AUGUST 21, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1920 - Sarah Churchill, singer with Capitol Records artists Benny Carter and His Orchestra, is born Sarah Valentine in Colfax, Louisiana
95 Years Ago Today In 1921 - Uan Rasey, Capitol Records artist as a trumpet player in Frank Devol and His Orchestra, Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra, and with the studio orchestra for the Four Freshmen, band manager for Billy May's Capitol Records big band, first trumpet in MGM and Paramount Picture's studio orchestras, and teacher, is born in Glasgow, Montana
1938 - Kenny Rogers, singer, guitarist and Liberty and Capitol Records recording artist, is born Kenneth Donald Rogers in Houston, Texas
1939 - James Burton, songwriter ("Suzie Q" with Dale Hawkins), member of The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and guitarist who, with his '53 Telecaster, was part of Rick Nelson's Imperial Records recording group, did session work with producer Ken Nelson for Capitol Records artists Merle Haggard and Buck Owens which helped define "The Bakersfield Sound", and was part of the backing band on Virgin Records recording artist Roy Orbison's "Black And White" special, is born in Dubberly, Louisiana. If anyone knows what James' middle name is, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1949 - The country and western team Lonzo and Oscar (Lloyd George and Rollin Sullivan) have their first Capitol Records recording session as Lonzo and Oscar's Winston County Pea Pickers and record the tracks  "I Wonder Why She Almost Drives Me Wild", "My Dreams Turned into a Nightmare", "Pretty Little Indian Maid", "Tickle the Tom Cat’s Tail". If anyone knows which studio and/or city where the session was held, please leave a comment.
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Capitol Records artist Lou Rawls opens for Capitol Records band The Beatles at a concert held at Crosley Field in Cincinnati, Ohio
1972 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's single "Pea-Pickin' Cook" with "Song (Mama's Song)" on the flip side
1973 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records album "We're An American Band" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1979 - The Knack's Capitol Records single "My Sharona" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1990 - Capitol Records releases Syd Barrett's solo album "The Madcap Laughs" for the first time on CD.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
80 Years Ago Today In 1936 - Future Capitol Records recording group The Benny Goodman Quartet, with the recently added Lionel Hampton on vibraphone, records its first track, "Moon Glow"
1944 - Jackie DeShannon, singer, songwriter and Liberty Records artist, is born Sharon Lee Myers in Hazel, Kentucky. Liberty's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1960 - Matt Hurwitz, writer and Capitol Records/Beatles fan (who got to interview Alan Livingston at the release party for The Beatles' "1" album in The Capitol Tower)  is born.
1977 - Crystal Gayle's United Artists Records single "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue", with "It's All Right With Me" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1904 - Count Basie, pianist, composer, and band leader, is born William Basie in Red Bank, New Jersey
1935 - Benny Goodman and His Orchestra, whose shows up to this time had not been great successes in terms of attendance, finish their current tour at The Palomar Ballroom in Los Angeles, California with a show that is also aired on a nation-wide hookup. The packed audience at the ballroom is the band's most enthusiastic. The rave reviews of the performance, which put some of the credit to the audience's responsiveness on the three hour earlier time difference between when the band's spot on the "Let's Dance" radio show was being aired in Los Angeles versus New York City, assure Goodman and his band's success and "The Swing Era" begins.
1958 - Walter Schumann, composer ("Theme From Dragnet") and songwriter, dies at age 44
1942 - After over 5 years of production, Walt Disney releases the animated movie "Bambi" with RKO Radio Pictures handling distribution.

2005 - Dr. Robert Arthur Moog, inventor of the Moog Synthesizer, dies age of 71 in Asheville, North Carolina of a glioblastoma multiforme brain tumor

AUGUST 20, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1905 - Jack Teagarden, trombonist, band leader, singer and Capitol Records recording artist, is born Weldon John Teagarden in Vernon, Texas
1952 - John Hiatt, singer, musician, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist (1995-1997), is born in Indianapolis, Indiana. If anyone knows his middle name, please leave a comment.
1952 - Doug Fieger, actor, guitarist, and lead singer of the Capitol Records band The Knack, is born in Detroit, Michigan. If anyone knows his middle name, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY1948 - The comedy team Martin and Lewis (Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis) sign with Capitol Records. Martin had already signed a personal singing contract with Capitol on August 12, 1948.
1949 - Gordon MacRae and Jo Stafford's Capitol Records single "Whispering Hope" debuts on the singles chart where it will peak at #4
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Les Paul and Mary Ford’s Capitol Records single “The World Is Waiting For The Sunshine” sells its first million copies

Capitol Records co-founder, chairman, and president Glenn Wallichs presents a gold record to Bing Crosby to honor "True Love" selling a million copies.

60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Bing Crosby's and Grace Kelly‘s Capitol Records single “True Love”, from the Capitol Records soundtrack album for the MGM motion picture "High Society", sells its first million copies.
1957 - The Kingston Trio hear the song "Tom Dooley" for the first time at talent audition at The Purple Onion, 140 Columbus, San Francisco, California. They will re-arrange the song and add a spoken intro when they record it for their demo disc, which is given to Voyle Gilmore at Capitol Records, who signed them to the label. The track also appears on their self-titled Capitol Records debut album, "The Kingston Trio".
1969 - All four Beatles are in the recording studio (EMI Studios, Abbey Road, London, England) at the same time for the last time. They'll mix part of the "Abbey Road" album, decide the running order of the songs, and decide where to clip the end of the track "I Want You (She's So Heavy)"
1973 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's single "Colorado Country Morning" with "Daddy Usta Say" on the flipside
5 Years Ago Today In 2011 - Ross Barbour, founding member of the Capitol Records vocal group The Four Freshmen, dies of lung cancer at his home in Simi Valley, California at age 82.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1959 - Ella Fitzgerald finishes recording tracks for her Verve Records album "Ella Fitzgerald Sings The George And Ira Gershwin Songbook" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle and producer Norman Granz

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1919 - The 19th Amendment to the United States Constitution is ratified, giving women the right to vote
1942 - Isaac Hayes, singer, songwriter, and cartoon voice artist, is born Isaac Lee Hayes in Covington, Tennessee
1950 - Jerome Brailey (aka "Bigfoot" Brailey), drummer with various bands including P-Funk, Parliament, Funkadelic, and Mutiny is born. If anyone knows his middle name, or where he was born, please leave a comment
1965 - KRS-One, singer, songwriter, and producer, is born Lawrence Krisna Parker in Brooklyn, New York
1972 - 112,000 people gather at Los Angeles Coliseum for an all-day concert called Wattstax. Isaac Hayes, Albert King, The Staples Stingers, Rufus & Carla Thomas, The Bar-Kays, and others performed. Stax Records president Al Bell had the concert filmed and the footage has been shown as part of a documentary on PBS.

BTW - Today is my step-daughter Maureen Johnson's 37th birthday!

AUGUST 19, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1972 - Sammi Cheng, actress, singer (Cantonese, Mandarin, and English) and Capitol Records Hong Kong recording artist (until a contractual dispute in 1996 led to her signing with Warner Bros. HK), is born Cheng Sau Man

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - The King Cole Trio (Nat "King" Cole on piano and vocals, Oscar Moore on guitar, Johnny Miller on bass, and William Jack "The Bear" Parker on drums), with an unidentified string section and producers Carl Kress and Walter Rivers, record the title "The Best Man", a new take of Mel Tormé's and Robert Wells' "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas to You)" (after an initial take by just Cole, Moore, and Miller on June 14, 1946) this time using a string arrangement by Charlie Grean, and the title "You Should Have Told Me" in the WMCA Studios in New York City, New York. Cole was able to convince Capitol execs to invest more money to re-record "The Christmas Song" because he felt that the song would work better with a string section. In all there are at least six version of the song using Cole's vocals from 4 different sessions. Wikipedia has a good article describing all the versions, how to identify them, and where to find them. Capitol Records will initially issue "The Best Man" as a single (Capitol 304) with "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" (recorded on August 22, 1946) on the flipside, "The Christmas Song (Merry Christmas To You)" as a single (Capitol 311) with the instrumental "In The Cool Of The Evening" (recorded on September 6, 1946) on the flipside, and "You Should Have Told Me" as a single (Capitol 356) with "I Want To Thank Your Folks" (recorded on December 18, 1946) on the flipside.
1957 - Gene Vincent's Capitol Records single "Lotta Lovin'", with "Wear My Ring" on the flipside, enters Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart where it will peak at #13
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "All You Need Is Love", with "Baby You're A Rich Man" on the flipside, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1968 - Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) releases Pink Floyd's single "Let There Be More Light" with "Remember A Day" on the flip side
1969 - The last session where original music is recorded for The Beatles' last album recorded as a group, "Abbey Road", occurs in Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios in London with George Harrison recording of the MOOG part for the track "Here Comes The Sun" with producer George Martin, engineers Geoff Emerick and Phil McDonald and second engineer Alan Parsons. All further sessions for the album are held for for only mixing, remixing, and mastering purposes.
1979 - Dorsey Burnette, songwriter, singer and guitarist, who recorded with his brother Johnny as the Burnette Brothers for Imperial and Liberty Records (whose catalog is now owned by Capitol Records) and as a solo artist for Liberty and Capitol Records, dies of a heart attack at age 46 in Canoga Park, California
2003 - Capitol Records releases The Dandy Warhols' album "Welcome To The Monkey House"
2003 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Dierk Bentley's self-titled debut album as an enhanced CD
5 Years Ago Today In 2011 - Jay Ranellucci (born Julio (Jay) Francis Ranellucci on March 16, 1933), recording engineer for Capitol Records from 1957 to 2007, passes away peacefully at age 78. He started his career in Korea with Armed Forces Radio as a radio broadcast specialist. On leaving the service in 1955, he worked at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles until he started at Capitol Records in 1957 where he worked as a recording engineer until his retirement in 2007 - a remarkable 50- year career working with such music/entertainment greats as Nat Cole, Julie London, Peggy Lee, the Kingston Trio, the Beach Boys, Stan Kenton, Stan Freberg, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Hoyt Axton, Jo Stafford, Bobby Darin, Bing Crosby, Nancy Wilson, Merle Haggard, The Band, and many others. He was also a lifelong fan of old-time radio, both drama and comedy, and had a tremendous memory for actors names and associated time periods, as well as the associated trivia of the genre. His sense of humor was well-known and stories were fascinating. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, a stepdaughter, 2 granddaughters, and a great-grandson.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1943 - Billy J. Kramer, singer and front man for the Parlophone Records (a subsidiary of EMI) recording artists Billy J. Kramer and The Dakotas (whose manager was Brian Epstein, were produced by George Martin, and whose first three hits were songs written by Lennon & McCartney that weren't used by The Beatles), is born William Howard Ashton in Bootle, Liverpool, England
1948 - Capitol Records recording artist Dean Martin and his wife's daughter, Deana (Dina) Martin, is born
1967 - Capitol and Apple Records artist Ringo Starr and his wife Maureen's son Jason Starkey is born
35 Yeas Ago Today In 1981 - Neil Tennant and Chris Lowe, who will form the EMI Records recording duo The Pet Shop Boys, meet for the first time by chance at an electronics shop on the Kings Road in Chelsea, England. EMI currently owns Capitol Records. The Pet Shop Boys were released in the U.S. by EMI America whose catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1979 - Groucho Marx (born Julius Henry Marx), comedian, Broadway, motion picture, and television actor, radio and television game show host ("You Bet Your Life"), and part of the comedy team The Marx Brothers, dies of pneumonia at age 86. He will later be cremated, and the ashes will be interred in the Eden Memorial Park Cemetery in Mission Hills, Los Angeles, California

AUGUST 18, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1939 - Molly Bee, singer ("Tennesse Tango", "I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus", etc.), radio and television performer, who was 13 when she signed with Capitol Records, is born Molly Beechwood in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. If any one knows her middle name, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Margaret O'Brien, with Marissa O'Brien and Harold Peary, records wild tracks for a yet to be issued take of the title "Let's Go To Mexico" in Los Angeles, California.

1963 - In Watseka, Illinois (on a bill with Ray Price), Capitol Records recording artists The Louvin Brothers perform for the last time together. Both Ira and Charles would go on to record for Capitol as solo artists.

45 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Al De Lory, conducting his arrangement to the orchestra, records "Jesus Christo" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will later release the track as a single (Capitol 3196).

45 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Joyous Noise (Lee Montgomery on vocals, Lance Wakely on guitar and vocals, Marc McClure on guitar, keyboards, percussion, and vocals, Dennis Dragon on drums, and Happy Smith on bass), with Ricardo Rincorn on congas and percussion, the Joyous Noise Chorus (lineup unlisted) on vocals, and producer John Palladino, record the title "If People Could Just Get Along". Capitol Records will issue the title on the group's self-titled album "Joyous Noise" (SMAS-844).

40 Years Ago Today In 1976 Richard Torrance records the tracks "Circle Of Confusion" and "Moonlight Trippin'" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will release both tracks on Torrance's album "Bareback" (SW-11610).

1978- Peabo Bryson's Capitol Records album "Reaching For The Sky" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.

1979 - The Knack's Capitol Records debut single "My Sharona", with "Let Me Out" on the flipside, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
30 Years Ago Today In 1986 - Vocalist Freddie Jackson, with Jenny Peters on backing vocals, James McKinney on keyboards, Mike "Dino" Campbell on guitar, Timmy Allen on bass, engineers Rowe Shamir and Ron Banks, and producer Gene McFadden, records the title "Janay". Capitol Records will issue the title on Jackson's album "Just Like The First Time" (ST-12495).

1990 - Poison's Capitol Records album "Flesh & Blood" peaks at #2 on Billboard's album chart

2010 - Kenny Edwards, guitarist, singer, songwriter and founding member of Capitol Records group The Stone Poneys, dies at age 64 of complications of the blood disorder thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP), and prostate cancer at a hospital near his home in Santa Barbara, California. Read more at The Los Angeles Times.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1945 - Sarah Dash, singer with the group Labelle and a solo EMI Manhattan recording artist (1988-1989), is born in Trenton, New Jersey. EMI Manhattan's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records. If anyone knows her middle name, please leave a comment. 

1962 - Ringo Starr makes his on stage debut as The Beatles drummer when they perform at The Cavern Club in Liverpool, England

1957 - Tenor saxophonist Hank Mobley, with Kenny Dorham on trumpet, Sonny Clark on piano, Jimmy Rowser on bass, and Art Taylor on drums, records the tracks "My Reverie", "Curtain Call", "On The Bright Side", "The Mobe", "Don't Get Too Hip", and "Deep In A Dream (without Dorham on trumpet), for Blue Note Records with producer Al Lion and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at the Van Gelder Studio, Hackensack, New Jersey. Blue Note sold its catalog to Liberty Records, which was acquired by United Artists Records, which was bought by EMI and currently Capitol Records, under Bruce Lundvall leadership in New York City, controls the Blue Note catalog.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1920 - Shelley Winters, actress, is born Shirley Schrift in St. Louis, Missouri. Winters appeared in the movie "Pete's Dragon" whose soundtrack was released by Capitol Records. If anyone knows her middle name, please leave a comment. 
1969 - The Woodstock Music and Art Fair ends mid-morning

AUGUST 17, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1893 - Mae West, Broadway, radio, and motion picture actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer and Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) artist is born in Mary Jane West in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York.
1954 - Eric Johnson, guitarist, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist (1987 -1996), is born in Austin, Texas. If anyone knows his middle name, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Capitol Records releases Jack McLean and His Orchestra's "Take Me" with vocals by Wayne Gregg and chorus and "St-St-St-Stella" with vocals by Ted Tubb and a male vocal trio on the flipside (Capitol 112), Freddie Slack and His Orchestra's "He's My Guy" with vocals by Ella Mae Morse and the instrumental "Doll Dance" on the flipside (Capitol 113) and Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra's "At Last" with "Be Careful, It's My Heart" on the flipside (Capitol 114) with vocals on both by Connie Haines as part of the label's fourth ever release.
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - At their first session together, Nat "King" Cole records the titles "Unforgettable", "My First And My Last Love", and "Lovelight", with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), at Capitol's studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue "Unforgettable" and "My First And My Last Love" together as a single (Capitol 1808) and "Lovelight" on Cole's album "10th Anniversary" (W 514). Cole would re-record the "Unforgettable" in stereo on March 30, 1961. That take would later be used for the duet recording with his daughter Natalie.
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - The Kingston Trio record the track "Take Her Out Of Pity" for their Capitol Records album "Close Up" with John Stewart, who had recently replaced Dave Guard, on lead vocal
1964 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' single "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" with "She Knows Me Too Well" on the flipside.
1970 - Capitol Records releases The Band's album "Stage Fright"
35 Years Ago Today In 1981 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' soundtrack album to "A Hard Day's Night" on the Capitol Records label for the first time after parent company EMI buys the United Artists catalog
1992 - Capitol Records releases the compilation CD "Puttin' on the Ritz: Capitol Sings Irving Berlin" as part of their "Capitol Sings" series

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1964 - Colin James, blues guitarist, actor, and Virgin Records recording artist, is born Colin James Munn in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Capitol Records currently owns Virgin's catalog. I worked on the final design for his debut album on Virgin, talked with him at the office, and saw him open for Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Wiltern theater in Los Angeles, California.
1977 - Future Capitol Records Nashville (1998-2000) artist Steve Wariner has his first recording session as a solo artist. It's at RCA's Studio B, in Nashville, Tennessee, with Chet Atkins (in whose band Wariner had played bass) producing.

AUGUST 16, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1940 - T.S. Bonniwell (aka Sean Bonniwell), singer, guitarist, songwriter, founding member of the group The Music Machine, and a Capitol Records solo recording artist (the 1969 album "Close"), is born Thomas Harvey Bonniwell in San Jose, California
1949 - Bill "Sputnik" Spooner, songwriter, guitarist, vocalist, and founder of the Capitol Records recording group The Tubes, is born William Spooner in Phoenix, Arizona. Thanks Mel for the update on which city in Arizona is Bill's birthplace.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Johnny Mercer, with Freddie Slack and His Orchestra (Slack on piano; Ray Linn, Jack Mootz, and Ernie Figueroa on trumpets; Kenny Wygal and Roger Ingram on trombone (an email from Kenny Wygal's daughter Tricia reads that her father played trumpet for Freddie Slack not trombone); Jack Ordean and Jimmie Rudge on alto saxophone; Don Brassfield and Everett McLaughlin on tenor saxophone; Sam Sachelle on baritone saxophone; Al Hendirckson on electric guitar; Hilmer "Tiny" Timbrell on guitar; Harry Babason on bass; and Dave Coleman on drums) record the tracks "The H.C. Potter's Ball" with Mercer and Don Raye on vocals, and "The Necessary Evil Blues" with just Mercer on vocals. After recording Mercer's tracks, Freddie Slack and His Orchestra (same lineup as above), record the tracks "Half After" "Cocktail Repartee", and "What Is This Thing Called Rebop? All the tracks were recorded in Los Angeles, California and remained unissued until 2005 when they appeared on Mosaic Records' 3 CD compilation "Mosaic Select: Freddie Slack".
1947 - Tex Williams' Capitol Records single "Smoke, Smoke, Smoke (That Cigarette)" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Red Ingle and The Natural Seven (with vocals by Cinderella G. Stump aka Jo Stafford)'s Capitol Records single "Tim-Tay-Shun" peaks at #2 up from #3
1950 - Nat "King" Cole (on vocal and piano), with Irving Ashby on guitar, Joe Comfort on bass, Jack Costanzo on bongos, and The Stan Kenton Orchestra (including Maynard Ferguson, Jim Salko, Buddy Childers, Chico Alvarez, and Shorty Rogers on trumpet; Milt Bernhart, Harry Betts, Bob Fitzpatrick, Johnny Halliburton, and Herbie Harper on trombone; Bud Shank and Art Pepper on alto saxophone; Bob Cooper and Bert Calderal on tenor saxophone; and Bob Gioga on baritone saxophone), records the tracks "Orange Colored Sky" (arranged by Pete Rugalo) and "Jam-Bo" (arranged by Shorty Rogers) with producer Lee Gillette at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California
1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s Capitol Records single "Here In My Heart" is #7 down from #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Somewhere Along The Way" is #12 up from #13 and its flip side "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" with Billy May and His Orchestra is #14 up from #19
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Louis Armstrong, with Buddy Rich on drums and the Oscar Peterson Trio, records the track "April in Paris" for Verve Records album "Ella and Louis" in The Capitol Tower Studios, in Hollywood California
1958 - The Kingston Trio records the tracks "New York Girls", "They Call The Wind Maria", and "Shady Grove/Lonesome Traveler" for their Capitol Records album "...From The Hungry i"
55 Years Ago Today In 1961 - The Kingston Trio records the track "Oh Sail Away" for their Capitol Records album "Close-Up"
1968 - Apple Records releases Mary Hopkin's single "Those Were The Days", which is produced by Paul McCartney, with "Turn, Turn, Turn" on the flip side. The record becomes Apple's first big hit, selling 4 million copies worldwide, and is distributed by Capitol Records in the United States.
20 Years Ago Today In 1996 - The Figgs' Capitol Records debut album "Banda Macho" hits #10 on CMJ's Radio Top 200 records chart
2005 - Capitol Records releases Bob Seger's album "Back In '72" on CD for the first time
2005 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Chris LeDoux's compilation album "Anthology Volume 1"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1929 - Bill Evans, pianist and Blue Note Records recording artist, is born William John Evans in Plainfield, New Jersey. Capitol Records currently owns Blue Note Records catalog.
1952 - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Mulligan on baritone saxophone, Chet Baker on trumpet, Bob Whitlock on bass and Chico Hamilton on drums) records for the first together in the afternoon at the Laurel Canyon bungalow of recording engineer Phil Turetsky. Using Turetsky's early model Ampex tape recorder, they record the tracks "Bernie's Tune" and "Lullaby Of The Leaves which are released as a single by Pacific Jazz. The single will become the label's first big success. Pacific Jazz's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.
1962 - Brian Epstein fires The Beatles' drummer Pete Best and hires Ringo Starr to replace him
1968 - Arranger Gerald Wilson (with Ollie Mitchell, Dalton Smith, Alex Rodrigues, Tony Rusch on trumpet; Frank Strong, Lester Robertson, and Thurman Green on trombone; Mike Wimberly on bass trombone; Jim McGee and George Hyde on french horn; Anthony Ortega on alto saxophone, flute, and piccolo; Ramon Borjorquez on alto saxophone; Hadley Caliman and Harold Land on tenor saxophone; Richard Aplanalp on baritone saxophone; Henry DeVega, Pete Terry, and Bill Perkins on reeds; Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphones; Mike Wofford and Jimmy Rowles on piano, organ, and electric harpsichord; Mike Anthony on guitar; Wilton Felder on electric bass guitar; Carl Lott on drums; and Hugh Anderson and Joe Porcaro on percussion) records the tracks "California Soul", "Yesterlove", and "Lullaby From Rosemary's Baby" with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Lanky Linstrot at Liberty Records' studios on Third Street in Los Angeles (near Robertson Boulevard in Beverly Hills), California for his World Pacific Records album "California Soul".
1977 - Elvis Presley, father of Capitol Records artist Lisa Marie Presley, is pronounced dead of heart failure at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee at age 42
20 Years Ago Today In 1996 - Thorn EMI shareholders voted in favour of demerger proposals. The resulting media company is now known as EMI Group PLC
2007 - It is announced that EMI has hired Saatchi & Saatchi to handle marketing of its back catalog

BTW - It's my daughter Alys' 17th birthday! She was born at 1:37 AM at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

AUGUST 15, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1923 - Rose Marie, singer, radio, motion picture and television actress, child star as Baby Rose Marie, and Capitol Records artist (the original Broadway cast album for "Top Banana"), is born Rose Marie Mazetta in New York City, New York.
1925 - Rose Maddox, singer, member of the group The Maddox Brothers and Rose, and a Capitol Records solo artist, is born Roselea Arbana Maddox in Boaz, Alabama.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Freddie Slack and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Cow Cow Boogie", with vocals by Ella Mae Morse, becomes Capitol Records' first single to enter Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart when it debuts at #9. The flipside is Freddie Slack and His Orchestra's "Here You Are" with vocals by David Street.
1955 - Frank Sinatra records the titles "Look To Your Heart", "Love And Marriage", "The Impatient Years" and "Our Town" with Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Harry Klee, Ted Nash, Joseph Palange, Willie Schwartz, and Warren Webb on reeds; Francis Howard on trombone; George Roberts on bass trombone; John Cave, James Decker and Vincent De Rosa on french horns; Victor Bay, Alex Beller, Harry Bluestone, Alex Murray, Erno Neufeld, Nick Pisani, Nathan Ross, Mischa Russell, Paul Shure, Felix Slatkin, Marshall Sosson, and Gerald Vinci on violin; Alvin Dinkin, Stanley Speigelman, and David Sterkin on viola; Armand Kaproff and Edgar Gilbert on cello; Max Albright on drums; Alton Hendrickson on guitar; Frank Flynn on vibraphone; Kathryn Julye on harp) and chorus (Sweet Blair, Vince Degen, Jack Gruberman, John Gustavson, Ray Linn Jr., Gil Mershon, Robert Namlin, Charles Parlato, William Reeve, Robert Wacker, Allan Wattson, and Norma Zimmer) at radio station KHJ's studios (now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and the Academy Film Archive) at 1313 North Vine Street, Hollywood, California between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM with producer Voyle Gilmore. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the soundtrack EP for the television special "Our Town" (EAP-1-673).
1958 - Over the next two days, live performances at the Hungry i in San Francisco, California are recorded for The Kingston Trio's album "...from the Hungry i"
1963 - Liza Minnelli, with Mort Garson conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra, records the titles "Day Dreaming", "His Woman", "My Little Corner Of The World", and "We'll All Be Together" with producer Si Rady in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "Day Dreaming" and "His Woman" together as Minnelli's second single for the label (Capitol 5103) and the DRG label will issue all the songs on the 2 CD set "Liza! Liza!: Complete Capitol Collection".
1965 - The Beatles perform at Shea Stadium in New York City before 55,600 fans. For all you time travelers, there are still some unused tickets that show up for sale online, but then there's the paradox - if you use the ticket, how will you buy it in the future?
1969 - The Beach Boys re-record the track "Cotton Fields" with Orville "Red" Rhodes on steel pedal guitar at Sunset Sound's studios in Hollywood, California with band member Al Jardine handling lead vocals as well as producing chores. Capitol Records will release the track as "Cottonfields" on the group's last single for the label, and last mono release, on April 20, 1970 with "The Nearest Faraway Place" on the flipside. It will be the band's only single not to enter Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1995 - Capitol Records releases Blind Melon's second album "Soup"
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Trace Adkins' album "Dangerous Man"
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Capitol Records releases Bonnie Raitt's DVD/CD "Bonnie Raitt And Friends" which was recorded live at the Trump Taj Mahal in Atlantic City, New Jersey on September 30, 2005 for the live concert series "VH1 Classic Decades Rock Live!"
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Capitol Records releases The Panic Channel's debut album “(ONe)”
10 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Capitol Records Nashville releases Keith Urban's single "Once In A Lifetime". No word yet on if there's a flipside or if it will only be a digital release.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
75 Years Ago Today In 1941 - Peggy Lee, at her first recording session, supplies the vocals for Benny Goodman and His Orchestra when they record the title "Elmer's Tune". Both Lee and Goodman will later record for Capitol Records.
1964 - Dean Martin's Reprise Records single "Everybody Loves Somebody", with "Return To Me" on the flipside, knocks The Beatles' Capitol Records single "A Hard Day's Night" out of the #1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.
1969 - The Woodstock Music And Art Fair begins at 5:07pm EDT. One of the festival's main organizers is Artie Kornfeld who, at the time, was a VP of A&R and producer at Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1935 - Will Rogers (Vaudeville, Broadway and Motion picture actor as well as a newspaper columnist, age 55, born William Penn Adair Rogers) and pilot Wiley Post (record setting aviator, developer of one of the first pressure suits for high altitude flying, age 36, born Wiley Hardeman Post) are killed when Post's plane crashes when trying to takeoff from a lagoon south of Point Barrow, Alaska where they had landed to ask directions.

AUGUST 14, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
100 Years Ago Today In 1916 - Alyce King, singer with the Capitol Records recording group The King Sisters, is born Alyce Driggs in Payson, Utah. If anyone knows her middle name, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1964 - The Beatles record a cover version of Little Willie John's "Leave My Kitten Alone" at EMI Studios in London which will, after appearing on many bootlegs, finally be released officially by Capitol Records as a track on The Beatles' "Anthology 1" in 1995
1964 - Johnny Burnette, songwriter, guitarist, singer, Coral Records recording artist with his brother Dorsey Burnette and Paul Burlison as The Rock 'n Roll Trio, Imperial Records recording artist with his brother Dorsey Burnette as The Burnette Brothers, solo artist on Freedom Records (a subsidiary of Liberty Records), Liberty Records, and Capitol Records, drowns after his small fishing boat is hit by a cabin cruiser on Clear Lake in California. He's later interred in Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California.
1967 - The Seeker's Capitol Records single "Georgy Girl", with "When The Stars Begin To Fall" on the flipside, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1978 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles single "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Heart's Club Band" with "With A Little Help From My Friends"/"A Day In The Life" on the flip side
1993 - Capitol Records releases Poison's fifth album "Native Tongue"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Eddie Cochran is filmed performing the song "Twenty Flight Rock" on a 20th Century Fox sound stage in Los Angeles, California for the film that at the time was called "Do Re Mi" which became "The Girl Can't Help It". A digitally remastered version of the movie was released on August 8, 2006 as part of "The Jayne Mansfield Collection", a three movie box set released by Fox. The song will be released by Liberty Records, whose catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.
60 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Bertolt Brecht, dramatist, stage director, poet, and lyricist (original German lyrics for "Mack The Knife" from "The Three Penny Opera") dies of a heart attack in Berlin, Germany at age 58 and is buried in the Dorotheenfriedhof in Berlin. "Mack The Knife" has been recorded by various Capitol Records artists including Peggy Lee, Bobby Darin, Les Baxter, and Frank Sinatra.

AUGUST 13, 2016

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1948 - "Smilin' Jack" Smith's Capitol Records recording of "You Call Everybody Darlin'" enters Billboard's singles charts. It will peak at #13.
1953 - Dean Martin, with Dick Stabile conducting the orchestra (Virgil Evans, Maurice Harris, Manuel Stevens, and Charles Zimmerman on trumpet, Marshall Cram, Francis "Joe" Howard, George Roberts, and Elmer Smithers on trombone, Jack Dumont, Chuck Gentry, Herman Gunkler, and David Harris on saxophones, Ernie Felice on accordion, Edwin "Buddy" Cole on piano, Vince Terri on guitar, Phil Stephens on bass, Ray Toland on drums, and Max Grolnik, Ralph Hansell, and Jack Rose on marimbas), records the tracks "That's Amore (That's Love)" (which was used in the soundtrack of Martin and Lewis' Paramount Pictures movie "The Caddy"), "You're The Right One", then just the musicians record a band track for the title "I Want You" (which Martin would re-record with vocals on December 24, 1953) , then Martin returns to vocals and records the title "I'd Cry Like A Baby" (which he will also re-record on December 24, 1953) at Capitol Records' studios on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California between 10:30 PM and 12:30 AM on August 14, 1948. Capitol Records will issue "That's Amore" and "You're The Right One" together as a single (Capitol 2589) and will issue this take of "I'd Cry Like A Baby" in the 2 CD set "Dean Martin - The Capitol Years" (7-98409-2).
1965 - Capitol Records releases the soundtrack to The Beatles' movie "HELP!"
1994 - Capitol Records band Blind Melon play at the 25th anniversary Woodstock concert
2003 - Ed Townsend, singer ("For Your Love"), BMI Award-winning songwriter ("What's Goin' On"), producer, and Capitol Records artist (1958-1959) who recorded two albums with arranger Nelson Riddle, dies of heart failure at age 74 in San Bernadino, California

2009 - Les Paul, guitarist, guitar designer, inventor of various multi-track recording devices, and Capitol Records solo artist as well as part of the Capitol Records duo Les Paul and Mary Ford, has died at the age of 94 at White Plains Hospital in White Plains, New York, with family and friends by his side, of complications from pneumonia. The flag on The Capitol Tower has been lowered to half mast.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1964 - The Joe Pass Quartet (Pass on guitar, John Pisano on rhythm guitar, Jim Hughart on bass, Colin Bailey on drums) record the tracks "Jambalaya", "Cold Cold Heart", "You Win Again", and "Hey Good Lookin'" with producer Richard Bock for Pacific Jazz Records at the Pacific Jazz studios in Los Angeles, California. The Pacific Jazz catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
50 Years Ago Today In 1941 - According to The New York Times, the first recorded use of the term "disc jockey" appears in Variety magazine

1942 - Walt Disney Pictures releases the movie "Bambi"

AUGUST 12, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1929 - Buck Owens, guitarist, singer, bandleader, television variety show co-host, record producer, and Capitol Records artist, is born Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. in Sherman, Texas

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1948 - Dean Martin signs his first contract with Capitol Records.
1974 - To commemorate his 25th anniversary with the label, Capitol Records releases two double album compilations by Tennessee Ernie Ford entitled "Yesterday" (blue cover containing Gospel Hymns) and "Today" (lavender cover containing Ford's pop hits)
1977 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Live At The Hollywood Bowl" is certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.
1985 - Kyu Sakamoto, singer and Capitol Records artist (best known for his #1 single "Sukiyaki"), dies in the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123 near Tokyo, Japan that also kills, both on board and on the ground, 520 other people
1998 - Tanya Tucker and Tanya Tucker, Inc., bring suit against Capitol Records, Inc., alleging breach of contract in two counts and sought compensatory damages, attorney fees and pre-judgment interest, along with a trial by jury.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
135 Years Ago Today In 1881 - Cecil B. DeMille, motion picture director, is born Cecil Blount DeMille in Ashfield, Massachusetts. DeMille's movie "The Squaw Man" was the first feature length film shot in Hollywood for the fledgling Laskey Players Company. The movie's success would lead to creating a permanent studio in Hollywood which would become Paramount Pictures. Paramount Pictures would eventually hire Buddy DeSylva as production manager. This would give him enough money of his own to be able to invest $25,000 with Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs to form Capitol Records.
1960 - Pete Best, drummer, auditions for The Beatles at the Blue Angel Club

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1972 - The last U.S. ground troops withdraw from Vietnam

AUGUST 11, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1920 - June Hutton, singer with the Capitol Records group The Pied Pipers, a Capitol Records solo artist, and wife of arranger and conductor Axel Stordahl, is born in Chicago, Illinois. If anyone knows her middle name, please leave a comment.
1949 - Eric Carmen, singer with the Capitol Records band The Raspberries, is born Eric Howard Carmen in Cleveland, Ohio

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1962 - The Beach Boys' debut Capitol Records single "Surfin' Safari" peaks at #14 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. The single's flip side "409" also charted and peaks at #76.
1964 - The Beatles record the track "Baby's In Black" at EMI Studios in London, England. It's the first session for their album "The Beatles For Sale"
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - John Lennon, with the rest of The Beatles in attendance, apologizes for his misinterpreted remarks regarding Christianity at a press conference held in The Astor Tower Hotel in Chicago, Illinois
1975 - Capitol Records Canada releases Brian Browne's album "Morning, Noon, & Night Time Too", Malka And Joso's album "Jewish Songs", Lee Gagnon's album "Discotheque" and The Kings Singers' album "Keep On Changing"
1998 - Matador Records, with distribution by Capitol Records, releases Liz Phair's third album "whitechocolatespaceegg"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1964 - United Artists releases The Beatles' first movie "A Hard Day's Night"
1964 - Atco Records releases Tony Sheridan and The Beatles' single "Ain't She Sweet", with "Nobody's Child" on the flipside
1972 - Elvis and Priscilla Presley, parents of Capitol Records artist Lisa Marie Presley, file for divorce

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1954 - Joe Jackson, singer and songwriter, is born David Ian Jackson in Burton-upon-Trent, Staffordshire, England

AUGUST 10, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1940 - Jonie Mosby, member of the Capitol Records husband and wife country duo Johnny & Jonie Mosby, is born Janice Irene Shields in Van Nuys, California. Some of the duo's songs were also released by Challenge, Toppa, Columbia, Liberty (whose catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company EMI Music Group) and Ban Dar Records.
1967 - Chris Gaines, singer as part of the Capitol Records band Crush and as a Capitol Records solo artist, is born in Brisbaine, Australia according to the biography in his "greatest hits" album "...In The Life of Chris Gaines" which was released by Capitol Records in 1999. Gaines in reality is Garth Brooks who recorded this album as a "pre-soundtrack" to a movie called "The Lamb" that was in development at Paramount Pictures but never released.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS
65 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Capitol Records releases Les Paul and Mary Ford's single "The World Is Waiting For The Sunshine" (Capitol 1748) with "Whispering" on the flipside.
1964 - The Beach Boys record the track "When I Grow Up"
1964 - Capitol Records Canada releases Andy Stewart's album "Scottish Soldier", Larry Dubin's Big Muddys' album "At The Ports Of Call", and Ottawa based The Esquires' album "Introducing The Esquires"
1965 - Freddie Slack, pianist, bandleader, and Capitol Records artist, dies in Hollywood, California at age 55
20 Years Ago Today In 1996 - Capitol Records and King Kini present "Return To The Ultra-Lounge" at Club Velvet in Minneapolis, Minnesota to celebrate the release of six volumes of Capitol's Ultra-Lounge series
2004 - Capitol Records/EMI releases Blondie's "Blondie: Singles Box" set in the U.S.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Ian Anderson, flutist and vocalist with the band Jethro Tull, is born in Blackpool, England. Jethro Tull's catalog was distributed by EMI America in the 1990s and, since the closing of that label, is currently distributed by Capitol Records
1962 - Julia Fordham, singer and Virgin Records recording artist is born in Partsmouth, Hampshire, England, UK. Capitol Records currently owns Virgin and its catalog.
1964 - Neneh Cherry, singer and Virgin Records recording artist is born in Stockholm, Sweden. Capitol Records currently owns Virgin and its catalog.
1985 - Northern Songs, owner of the Lennon-McCartney song catalog, is sold to Michael Jackson for $47.5 million. The sale will be finalized on September 6, 1985. The only Lennon-McCartney songs not included are "Love Me Do", "P.S. I Love You", "Please Please Me", and "Ask Me Why".

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1898 - Jack Haley, singer, dancer, and motion picture actor (best remembered as The Tin Man in "The Wizard Of Oz", is born in Boston, Massachusetts
1907 - Leo Fender, guitar manufacturer, is born Clarence Leonidas Fender in Fullerton, California
1945 - Japan surrenders to the United States, ending the second World War

AUGUST 9, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
The Wallichs Family: Mrs. Dorothy Wallichs, Glenn Wallichs, their daughters Linda and Susan, and his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Oscar Wallichs at a luncheon honoring Glenn on the groundbreaking of The Capitol Tower on September 27, 1954. It was also Glenn and Dorothy's 21st wedding anniversary.

1910 - Glenn Wallichs, electronics inventor, founder of the Wallichs' Music City chain of record and music shops, co-founder (as well as vice president and eventually president and chairman of the board) of Capitol Records and it's associated companies, is born Glenn Everett Wallichs in Grand Island, Nebraska. Wallichs will also become the first record executive to come up with the idea (and implementing it) of giving free personalized promotional copies of upcoming releases on high quality vinylite to radio disc jockeys to encourage airplay.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1947 - Tex Williams' Capitol Records single "Smoke! Smoke! Smoke!", with "Roundup Polka" on the flip side, hits #1 on the U.S. pop charts. The single is also the first release (40001) on the red and gold Capitol Americana label.
40 Years Ago Today In 1976 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's last album for the label, "For The 83rd Time", whose title references how many albums Ford had, in various configurations, released on Capitol.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1957 - Flutist Herbie Mann (with Jimmy Rowles on piano, Howard Roberts on guitar, Buddy Clark on bass, Mel Lewis on drums, and Frank DeVol conducting a string section) records the tracks "Moonlight In Vermont", "Body And Soul", "Oodles Of Noodles", and "Stardust", then (with just Rowles, Clark and Lewis) the tracks "Let's Dance", "Strike Up The Band", St. Louis Blues", and "Tenderly", and then (with Laurindo Almedia and Tony Rizzi on guitar, Tony Reyes on bass, Milt Holland on drums, and Frank "Chico" Guerrero on congas) the tracks "Frenesi", "Baia", "Peanut Vendor", and Evolution of Man(n)" for his Verve Record albums "The Magic Flute of Herbie Mann" at The Capitol Tower Studios. Some of the tracks will also appear on the Verve/VSP album "Big Band Mann".
1958 - EMI, Capitol Records parent company, signs 17 year-old singer Cliff Richard to the label
40 Years Ago Today In 1976 - Brother Records releases two singles by The Beach Boys - "It’s O.K." with "Had To Phone Ya" on the flipside and "Everyone's In Love With You" with "Susie Cincinnati" on the flipside. Capitol Records currently distributes Brother Records catalog.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1945 - Nagasaki, Japan is the second, and so far last, city to have a United States atomic bomb dropped on it. After this bomb is dropped the Japanese military forces, under orders by its emperor, will surrender to the United States, not knowing that the U.S. has used up all it's existing atomic weapons.
1967 - Joe Orton, English playwright and author who had been commissioned by The Beatles' manager Brian Epstein to write the screenplay for The Beatles' next movie "Up Against It", is found murdered and his lover, Kenneth Halliwell, is dead from an overdose of sleeping pills in their Islington flat. Their bodies were discovered by The Beatles' PR man Derek Taylor.
1969 - The bodies of Sharon Tate, Jay Sebring, Abigail Folger, Voytek Frykowski, and Steven Parent are found, murdered by Charles Manson's "family". They are found in a house that Tate and her husband, Roman Polanski, had recently leased. It's previous tenant was The Beach Boys' producer (as well as the son of Doris Day and, at the time, boyfriend of Candice Bergen) Terry Melcher. When Manson sent his "family" to "kill everyone in the house", he didn't know that Melcher had moved out. Manson, after meeting The Beach Boys' drummer Dennis Wilson, wrote a song originally titled "Cease To Exist", but released as "Never Learn Not To Love" (after Wilson changed some of the lyrics and took sole writing credit), the flip side of The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Bluebirds Over The Mountain", on December 2, 1968. Wilson also produced tracks for a demo for Manson at The Capitol Tower Studios in 1968 and had gotten Melcher to listen to Manson at an audition for a possible recording contract with Capitol. Melcher turned Manson down, earning Manson's hatred. Manson's "family" also killed Leno and Rosemary LaBianca at their nearby residence.
1974 - Richard Nixon resigns from the presidency of The United States of America and Gerald Ford is sworn in as the country's thirty eight president.
1995 - Jerry Garcia, guitarist and vocalist with The Grateful Dead, dies at the Serenity Knolls drug rehabilitation center in Forest Knolls, California at age 53 of a heart attack exacerbated by sleep apnea.

AUGUST 8, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1902 - Welton Becket, architect whose firm Welton Beckett and Associates designed The Capitol Tower, is born Welton David Becket in Seattle, Washington
1907 - Benny Carter, alto saxophonist, trumpet player, clarinetist, pianist, trombone player, songwriter, arranger, bandleader and Capitol Records artist, is born Bennett Lester Carter in New York City.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1946 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records album (4 78rpm discs), "The King Cole Trio Volume 2" (BD 29), hits #1 on The Billboard magazine's Best-Selling Popular Record Albums chart.

1957 - Nat "King" Cole, with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle, records the track "An Affair To Remember" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California

1960 - Judy Garland is back in EMI Studios in London, England, with Norrie Paramour conducting the studio orchestra, to record the tracks "After You've Gone", "I Can't Give You Anything But Love (Baby), "It's A Great Day For The Irish", and "Judy At The Palace" (a medley that includes "Shine On Harvest Moon", "Some Of These Days", "My Man" and "I Don't Care"). Capitol Records will release the tracks on the album "Judy In London" in 1972.
50 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' album "Revolver" in the United States as well as their single "Eleanor Rigby" with "Yellow Submarine" on the flipside
1969 - The Beatles are posed walking across Abbey Road by photographer Iain MacMillan for the cover shot of their Apple Records album "Abbey Road" which will be distributed by Capitol Records in the United States
1975 - Julian "Cannonball" Adderley, saxophonist and Capitol Records artist, dies at St. Mary Mercy Hospital, in Gary, Indiana at age 46, 25 days after suffering a stroke in a cafe which put him in a coma
1989 - Irv Cottler, studio drummer on various Capitol Records recording sessions, who appeared on albums by Bobby Darin, June Christy and, for over 36 years, Frank Sinatra, dies of cardiac arrest in Rancho Mirage, California at age 71. Spaceagepop.com has a short but fun biographical article about Cottler on their site.
2007 - A hundred year celebration of Capitol Records artist Benny Carter and his music will be held tonight at the Hollywood Bowl.

AUGUST 7, 2016

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1910 - Freddie Slack, pianist, bandleader, and Capitol Records artist, is born Frederick Charles Slack in Westby, Wisconsin
1913 - George Van Eps, innovator of the seven string (extra bass string) guitar, Capitol Records and Columbia Records (as part of Paul Weston and His Orchestra) studio musician (1950s), and a Capitol Record solo artist (late 1960s) is born George Abel Van Eps in Plainfield, New Jersey
90 Years Ago Today In 1926 - Stan Freberg, voice actor for cartoons, puppeteer, radio and television actor, commercial writer and creative director, and Capitol Records artist is born Stanley Victor Freberg in Los Angeles, California and will grow up in Pasadena, California
1943 - Dino Valente, songwriter, singer and original member of the Capitol Records band Quicksilver Messenger Service, is born Chester William Powers, Jr. in New York City

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1958 - The Louvin Brothers, with Spider Rich and Odell Martin, record the tracks "Read What's in My Heart", "Red Hen Hop", "She Will Get Lonesome", "I Wonder If You Know", and "Blue" for their Capitol Records album "Country Love Ballads"
1997 - Capitol Records Nashville artist Garth Brooks performs a free evening concert in Central Park's North Meadow in New York City, New York for over 750,000 fans

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1957 - The Quarry Men play at the Cavern Club in Liverpool, England
1957 - Oliver Hardy (born Norvell Hardy), actor and part of the film duo Laurel and Hardy, dies after a series of strokes at age 65. Hardy was one of the celebrities on the cover of The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band"
1985 - George Thorogood And The Destroyers' EMI America album "Bad To The Bone" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the EMI America catalog.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1939 - My mother was born Roberta Joan Stolz in Midlothian, Illinois
1969 - Joseph Kosma, composer (best know for "Autumn Leaves" for which Capitol Records' co-founder Johnny Mercer wrote the English lyrics) and motion picture, ballet and light opera scorer, dies at age 63 near Paris, France