JANUARY 24, 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1936 - Jack Scott, singer, guitarist, and Capitol Records artist (1961-1964), is born Giovanni Dominico Scafone, Jr. in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
1939 - Ray Stevens, comedian, actor, singer, 1980 Nashville Songwriters Hall Of Fame inductee, and Prep Records (1957, the label was a subsidiary of Capitol Records) and Capitol Records (1958) artist, is born Harold Ray Ragsdale in Clarksdale, Georgia
1941 - Neil Diamond, singer, songwriter, motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (1980 - soundtrack to "The Jazz Singer" and 2014-present), is born Neil Leslie Diamond in Brooklyn, New York.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - The Pied Pipers (vocalists June Hutton, Chuck Lowry, Hal Hopper, and Clark Yocum), with Paul Weston and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted), record the titles "In The Moon Mist" and "Madame Butterball" at Radio Recorders' studios in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 243).
70 Years Ago Today In 1947 - During a split session held in Los Angeles, California with Paul Weston and His Orchestra (Ray Linn, Charlie Griffard, Zeke Zarchy, and Don Anderson on trumpet, Allan Thompson, Bill Schaefer, and Elmer Smithers on trombone, Fred Stulce, Matty Matlock, Herbie Haymer, Hap Lawson, and Len Hartman on saxophones, Milt Raskin on piano, George Van Eps on guitar, Jack Ryan on bass, Nick Fatool on drums, and a unidentified string section with six violins, two violas, a cello, and a harp) first vocalist Hal Derwin records the title "When Day Is Done" then vocalist Johnny Mercer records the title "Possum Song". Capitol Records will issue "When Day Is Done on the multi-artist compilation album "Somebody Loves Me - The Music Of Buddy De Sylva" (CD-49) and Mosaic Records will issue "Possum Song" as part of the three CD Mosaic Select set "Johnny Mercer" (MS-028).
70 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Trombonist Pee Wee Hunt and unlisted others record ten unlisted titles for The Capitol Records Transcription Service in Los Angeles, California. No issuing information is listed.
1951 - The Ewing Sisters (vocalists Jeanne Ewing and Jolaine Ewing), with Van Alexander conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted), recorded the titles "Fiddle Faddle" and the as yet unreleased takes of the titles "Old Man Of The Mountain", "Willow Will You Weep For Me", and Papagayu" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Fiddle Faddle" as a single (Capitol 1421) with "You've Been So Good To Me, Daddy" (recorded January 4, 1951) on the flipside.
1951 - Jimmie Skinner (on vocals and guitar), with Ray "Curly" Lunsford on electric mandolin, Art Wooten on fiddle, and a uncredited guitarist and bass player, records the titles "Running Out Of Time", "Station Door Blues", "Falling Rain Blues", and "It's All The Same To Me" at radio station WROL's studio in Knoxville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue the first two titles together as a single (Capitol 1413) and the last two titles together as a single (Capitol 1476).
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Vocalist Cathy Crosby, with additional vocals by Bob Crosy and with Vic Schoen and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Cathy" and "The Bucket Song" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 1988).
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Vocalist Gisele MacKenzien, with Buddy Cole directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Wishin'", "Goodbye Sweetheart", "Egbert, The Easter Egg", and Benny The Bob Tailed Bunny" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Wishin'" and "Goodbye Sweetheart" together as a single (Capitol 1983) and "Egbert, The Easter Egg" and "Benny The Bob Tailed Bunny" together as a single (Capitol 1997).
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - During a split session in Los Angeles, California with Vic Schoen conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted) first vocalist Bob Crosby records the titles "The General Has Gone To Bed" and "You Are All The World To Me" then Kay Starr records the titles "Please Be Kind" and "I've Got The World On A String". Capitol Records has yet to issue "The General Has Gone To Bed" and "You Are All The World To Me" and issued "Please Be Kind" and "I've Got The World On A String" on Starr's album "The Kay Starr Style" (T 363).
1956 - Violinist Nathan Milstein and pianist Leon Pommers record Wieniawski's "Mazurka, Op. 19, N° 2", Gluck-Kreisler's "Melodie", an unissued take of Nardini's "Larghetto", Chopin's "Nocturne In C Sharp Minor", and Stravinsky's "Russian Maiden Song" in Capitol Records' Studio A in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue all the titles except "Larghetto" on Milstein's album "Milstein Miniatures" (P-8339). Capitol Records' catalog of classical music is currently released by Warner Music Group. Here's Side 1 and here's Side 2.
1953 - Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "Side By Side", with "Noah" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Pop singles chart
1956 - The George Shearing Quintet (Johnny Rae on vibraphone, George Shearing on piano, Jean "Toots" Thielemans on guitar and harmonica, Al McKibbon on bass, Bill Clark on drums) with Armando Peraza on congas and a string choir (lineup unlisted) arranged and conducted by Dennis Faron, record the titles "September Song", "'Round Midnight", "Starlight Hour", and "Autumn Leaves" in Los Angeles, California between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM. After an overdub is recorded for "'Round Midnight" on January 26, 1956, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's album "The Velvet Carpet" (T 720).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Vocalist Al Martino, with Eugene Lowell directing The Sid Bass Orchestra (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Same Two Lips" and "There I Was In Love" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records has yet to issue either title.
1961 - Tennessee Ernie Ford (on vocals), with unlisted others, records the titles "His Love (Makes the World Go Round)", a as yet unissued take of the title "900 Pages Of 66 Books", the titles "Dark As A Dungeon" and a as yet unissued take of the titles "Four Feet Wide, Six Feet Long And Six Feet Deep" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "His Love (Makes The World Go Round)" and "Dark As A Dungeon" together as as single (Capitol 4531).
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Violinist Nathan Milstein, with a chamber orchestra (lineup unlisted), records Vivaldi's "Concerto In C Major, F.1 N° 3, Third Movement", "Concerto In A Major, F.1 N° 5, First Movement", "Concerto In A Major, F.1 N° 5, Second Movement", and "Concerto In A Major, F.1 N° 5, Third Movement" in New York City, New York. Angel Records, then a subsidiary of Capitol Records, will issue all the titles on Milstein's album "" (S-36001). Angel Records catalog is now owned by Warner Music Group.
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Future Parlophone and Capitol Records artists The Beatles sign a management contract with Brian Epstein at his office at the NEMS record store in Whitechapel
1966 - Nancy Wilson (on vocals) with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Ronnell Bright on piano, John Collins on guitar, Charles "Buster" Williams and Ralph Pena on bass, Shelly Manne on drums, Catherine Gotthoffer on harp, and a string section with Edward Bergman, Harry Bluestone, Samuel Boghossian, Walter Edelstein, Jacques Gasselin, James Getzoff, Benny Gill, Dan Lube, Lou Raderman, Mischa Russell, Ambrose Russo, Marshall Sosson, and Albert Sternberg on violins, Allan Harshman, Virginia Majewski, and Sanford Schonbach on viola, and Armand Kaproff, David Pratt, Nino Rosso, and William Vandenburg on cello), records the titles "Try A Little Tenderness", "Close Your Eyes", "Too Late Now", and "Don't Go To Strangers" in The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California between 5:00 PM and 10:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Wilson's album "Tender Lovin' Care" (T 2555).
1966 - The New Classic Singers (lineup unlisted) record "Bye Bye Blues", "A Taste Of Honey", "Yesterday", "No Matter What Shape (Your Stomach's In)", "Lover's Concerto", and "The World's Greatest Lover (Don Juan)" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's eponymous album "The New Classic Singers" (T 2440).
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Vocalist Ferlin Husky and The Hush Puppies (lineup unlisted) records the titles "The Bridge I Never Crossed", "General 'G'", and "What Am I Gonna Do Now?" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue "The Bridge I Never Crossed" as a single (Capitol 5938) and "General 'G'" and "What Am I Gonna Do Now?" together as a single (Capitol 5852).
1968 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Sing Me Back Home", with "Good Times" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Country singles chart
45 Years Ago In 1972 - Bridge (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Leave Her", "Reason Why", "Before The Sun Goes Down", and "Where Does Your Love Go" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Reason Why" and "Where Does Your Love Go" and has yet to issue "Leave Her" and "Before The Sun Goes Down".
1979 - Brian Wilson, member of the Capitol Records group The Beach Boys, divorces his wife, Marilyn Rovell
35 Years Ago Today In 1982 - Juice Newton's Capitol Records single "The Sweetest Thing (I've Ever Known)", with "Ride 'Em Cowboy" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Country singles cart
1986 - Gordon MacRae (born Albert Gordon MacRae), singer, Broadway, motion picture, and television actor, and Capitol Records artist (1947-1969), dies of of pneumonia, the result of complications from cancer of the mouth and jaw, at age 65 in Lincoln, Nebraska
2006 - Capitol Records releases Roseanne Cash's album "Black Cadillac", Linda Ronstadt's 2 CD compilation "The Best Of Linda Ronstadt", and Starsailor's album "On The Outside". EMI/Capitol Records releases Al Green's album "Livin' For You".

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1925 - Jimmy Scott, conga drummer, is born Jimmy Anonmuogharan Scott Emuakor in Nigeria. Paul McCartney, who got to know Scott when he played in London night clubs, used Scott's catch phrase "ob-la-di ob-la-da" (a Yoruba tribal phrase meaning "life goes on") as the basis of The Beatles' track "Ob-La-Di Ob-La-Da".
1945 - Spirits of Rhythm record the tracks "Honeysuckle Rose", "Last Call Blues", "She Ain't No Saint", and "Scattin' The Blues" for Black & White Records in Los Angeles, California. EMI Music, Capitol Records parent company, currently owns the Black & White catalog
70 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Warren Zevon, singer, songwriter, and Virgin Records America artist (1987), is born in Chicago, Illinois.
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Art Blakely (on drums, typmani, gong, and telegraph drum) and The Afro-Drum Ensemble (Yusef Lateef on flute, oboe, tenor saxophone, cowbell, and thumb piano, Solomon Ilori on vocals, pennywhistle, and talking drum, Ahmed Abdul-Malik on bass, Curtis Fuller on tympani, Chief Bey on congas, telegraph drum, and double gong, Montego Joe on Bambara drum, double gong, corboro drum, and log drum, Garvin Masseaux on chekere, African maracas, on congas, James Ola Folami on congas, and Robert Crowder on bata drum and congas) record the titles "Prayer by Solomon G. Ilori", "Ife L'ayo (There Is Happiness In Love)", "Ero ti Nr'ojeje", "The Mystery Of Love", "Ayiko Ayiko  (Welcome, Welcome My Darling)", "Obirin African (Woman Of Africa)", and "Tobi Ilu" at Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Blue Note Records will issue all the titles on Blakely's album "The African Beat" (BLP4097/BST84097).
1964 - Brian Epstein signs Sounds Incorporated to a management and agency contract with NEMS Enterprises and gets them a deal with EMI.
1986 - Vincent Minnelli (born Lester Anthony Minnelli), Broadway and motion picture director, father of Capitol Records artist Liza Minnelli and husband for six years to Capitol Records artist Judy Garland, dies at age 82 and is later interred in the Forest Lawn Memorial Park Cemetery in Glendale, California
30 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Future Capitol Records/Grand Royal Records artists The Beastie Boys' Def Jam single "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party)", with "Paul Revere" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.