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