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.