JANUARY 25, 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1924 - Speedy West, pedal steel guitarist and Capitol Records artist(1949-1962), is born Wesley Webb West in Springfield Missouri
1950 - Michael Cotton, keyboard and synthesizer player with the Capitol Records group The Tubes, is born in Kansas City, Missouri

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1943 - Capitol Records issues Freddie Slack and His Orchestra's "Black Magic" with vocals by Margaret Whiting with "Hit The Road To Dreamland" with vocals by The Mellowaires on the flipside (Capitol 126), Six Hits And A Miss' "You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To" with "Would You Rather Be A Colonel With An Eagle On Your Shoulder Or A Private With A Chicken On Your Knee" on the flipside (Capitol 127), and Ray McKinley and His Orchestra's "That Russian Winter" with "Rock-A-Bye Bay" on the flipside (Capitol 128) as part of the label's eleventh ever release.
1945 - Tex Ritter's Capitol Records single "I'm Wastin' My Tears On You", with "There's A New Moon Over My Shoulder" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1945 - Rex Stewart's Big Eight (Stewart on cornet, Lawrence Brown on trombone, Al Sears on tenor saxophone, Harry Carney on baritone saxophone, Eddie Heywood piano, Ulysses Livingston on guitar, Junior Raglin on bass, Keg Purnell on drums, and Joya Sherrill on vocals) records the instrumental tracks "T'ain't Like That" (2 versions, with the first released and the second unissued), "Dutch Treat", and "Rexercise" which will be released by Capitol Records, and "Blue Jay" (with Sherrill on vocals) which will be released by Pausa 9033, in Los Angeles, California. All the tracks are included on Mosaic Records 1997 box set "Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions"
1951 - Billy May conducts his own compositions to the orchestra (Mannie Klein and Uan Rasey on trumpet, Ed Kusby and James Priddy on trombone, John Graas on French horn, Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt, Jules Kinsler, Gordon Green, Fred Falensby, and Arthur Fleming on saxophones, Edwin "Buddy" Cole on piano, Phil Stephens on bass, John Cyr on drums, Kathryn Thompson on harp, and a string section with Ivan Eppinoff, Lou Raderman, and Felix Slatkin on violin, Paul Robyn on viola, and Cy Bernard on cello) as they record the instrumental tracks for the parts one and two of the title  "Elmer Elephant" and parts one and two of the title "Henery Hawk" at Capitol Records' studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California between 9:00 PM and 12:00 AM. After Mel Blanc records vocal tracks for both titles and all the parts on January 30, 1951 and Don Wilson records narration tracks for both parts of "Elmer Elephant" on March 26, 1951, Capitol Records will issue both parts of "Elmer Elephant" on the children's record album "Elmer Elephant" (CAS-3099) and both parts for "Henery Hawk" on the children's record album "Henery Hawk" (CAS-3098).
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, Calilfornia, vocalist Margaret Whiting, with Lou Busch directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "I Could Write A Book", "I'll Walk Alone", and "The Isle Of Skye" at the first session. The second session is a split session where first vocalist Margaret Whiting, with Lou Busch directing the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Try Me One More Time" and "Foggy River" then pianist Lou Busch, as Joe "Fingers" Carr, with the vocal group The Carr-Hops and an orchestra (both lineups unlisted), records the titles "Good Time Charlie" and "That Ever-Lovin' Rag". Capitol Records will issue "I Could Write A Book" and "I'll Walk Alone" together as a single (Capitol 2000), "The Isle Of Skye" as a single (Capitol 2681) as the flipside of "Moonlight In Vermont" (recorded October 29, 1952), "Try Me One More Time" and "Foggy River" together as a single (Capitol 1984) and "Good Time Charlie" and "That Ever-Lovin' Rag" together as a single (Capitol 2081).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, clarinetist Les Brown and His Band Of Renown (Wes Hensel, Don Smith, Mickey McMahan, and Bob Styles on trumpet, Ray Sims, Roy Main, and Jim Hill on trombone, Stumpy Brown on bass trombone, Matt Utal and Ralph La Polla on alto saxophone, Billy Usselton on tenor saxophone, Abe Aaron on tenor and baritone saxophone, Butch Stone on baritone saxophone and vocals, Norman Pockrandt on piano, Vernon Polk on guitar, Mel Pollan on bass, and Lloyd Morales on drums) records the title "In The Mood" at the first session and "My Melancholy Baby", "Josephine", "Morning Star (Remember When)", and, with vocals by Butch Stone, "Original Joe" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue "In The Mood" "My Melancholy Baby", "and "Josephine" on Brown's album "" (T 812), "Original Joe" as a single (Capitol F3655), and has yet to issue the take of "Morning Star (Remember When)" recorded on this date.
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Vocalist Tennessee Ernie Ford, with Jack Fascinato conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "One Suit" and "The Watermelon Song" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol F3649).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Glen Gray leads The Casa Loma Orchestra (Shorty Sherock, Conrad Gozzo, and Mannie Klein on trumpet, Walt Benson, Joe Howard, Si Zentner, and Murray McEachern on trombone, Skeets Herfurt on alto saxophone, Gus Bivona on clarinet and alto saxophone, Ted Nash and Jules Jacob on tenor saxophone, Chuck Gentry on baritone saxophone, Ray Sherman on piano, George Van Eps on guitar, Mike Rubin on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums), using arrangements by Gene Gifford and Larry Wagner, as they record the titles "Blow The Smoke Away" with vocals by Kenny Sargeant, "Georgia On My Mind", Out Of Space", and, also with vocals by Kenny Sargeant, "It's The Talk Of The Town" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Blow The Smoke Away" on the multi-artist compilation album "Dancing Smooth 'N Easy" (T/ST 1156) and "Georgia On My Mind", Out Of Space", and "It's The Talk Of The Town" on the group's album "Casa Loma Caravan" (T 856).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Violinist Nathan Milstein and Leon Pommers on piano records portions of Mozart's "Sonata In C Major For Violin And Piano, K. 296" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue the complete title on their album "MOZART Sonatas For Violin & Piano" (P-8452).
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Vocalist Bobby Edwards, with Billy Liebert on piano, Glen Campbell and Allan Reuss on guitar, Lawrence "Red" Wooten on bass, and Roy Harte on drums, records the titles "Singing The Blues", "Here In My Heart", "Mr. Misery", "I Don't Play Love" and "Someone New" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 1:00 PM and 5:30 PM. Capitol Records will issue "Singing The Blues" as a single (Capitol 4726), "Here In My Heart" and "Someone New" together as a single (Capitol 4789), and has yet to issue "Mr. Misery" and "I Don't Play Love".
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Guitarist John Gray, with Herb Ellis also on guitar, Don Bagley on bass, and Bob Neal on drums, records the titles "Love Is Just Around The Corner", "Witchcraft", "Where Am I to Go" and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Gray's album "The New Wave" (T/ST 1852).
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - The Brothers Castro (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Midnight Sun", "Summertime", and "Serenata" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's album "Latin & Hip" (T/ST 1706).
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Ronnie Height, with unlisted others, records the titles "A Little Love" and "Moody Ways" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records has yet to issue either title.
1964 - The Beatles' Capitol Records single "I Want To Hold Your Hand" with "I Saw Her Standing There" on the flipside is #1 on Cashbox Magazine's Top Singles chart and will peak at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart the next week on February 1, 1964
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Vocalist Ferlin Husky and The Hush Puppies (lineup unlisted) record the titles "I Know You're Going Away", "Misty Blue", "Cryin' Time", and "Learn From A Fool" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue "I Know You're Going Away" on Husky's album "White Fences And Evergreen Trees" (ST-115), "Misty Blue" and "Learn From A Fool" on his album "What Am I Gonna Do?" (T/ST 2705), and "Cryin' Time" on his album "Just For You" (T/ST 2870).
1969 - The Beatles record tracks for the songs "Two Of Us", "For You Blue", and "Let It Be"
40 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Bob Seger and The Silver Bullet Band's Capitol Records album "Night Moves" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1929 - Benny Golson, tenor saxophonist, composer, arranger, member of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers, and United Artists Records artist, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1963 - Cilla Black makes her stage debut at Liverpool's Cavern Club
1963 - After Capitol Records passes on them, EMI awards the US record label Vee-Jay the right to distribute Beatles records in the United States
1964 - Swan Records releases The Beatles' single "She Loves You", with "I'll Get You" on the flipside
1981 - Blondie's Chrysalis Records single "The Tide Is High" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
30 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Dan Seals EMI America single "You Still Move Me", with "I'm Still Strung Out On You" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Country singles chart
1990 - Ava Gardner, actress and second wife of Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra, dies of pneumonia
1998 - Janet Jackson's Virgin Records single "Together Again" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
90 Years Ago Today In 1927 - Antonio Carlos Jobim, guitarist, pianist, composer (converted the Brazilian Samba into the intimate Bossa Nova), music producer and singer, is born in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
1938 - Etta James, singer, is born Jamesetta Hawkins in Los Angeles, California
1949 - The first Emmy Awards are presented at a ceremony at The Hollywood Athletic Club