FEBRUARY 21, 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1951 - Vince Welnik, keyboardist with the Capitol Records band The Tubes and The Grateful Dead, is born in Phoenix, Arizona

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1951 - The Voices Of Walter Schumann (vocal choir - lineup unlisted), with rhythm accompaniment (lineup also unlisted), records the title "In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin'" and the as yet unissued take of the title "Wonderful Counselor" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "In That Great Gettin' Up Mornin'" on the group's album "Great Gettin' Up Mornin'" (CCN-316).
1951 - Vocalist Johnny Parker, with Sid Feller directing the orchestra (featuring Will Bradley on trombone with unlisted others), records the titles "Caring", "My Love Serenade", "Go Tell Your Troubles To Somebody Else", and "When Are You Gonna Come Home" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "Caring" and "When Are You Gonna Come Home" together as a single (Capitol 1516) and "My Love Serenade" and "Go Tell Your Troubles To Somebody Else" together as a single (Capitol 1442).
1951 - Don Wilson records narration overdubs on to band tracks recorded by The INR Symphony Orchestra conducted by Franz Andre in Brussels, Belgium in 1950 for the four parts of Paul Dukas' "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" at Capitol Records' studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the parts on Wilson's album "The Sorcerer's Apprentice" (DBS-3094) as part of the label's Classics For Children line.
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Pianist and vibraphonist Ben Light, with unlisted organ, guitar, bass and drums players, records the titles "Rose Room", "I Got Rhythm", "I'm Getting Sentimental Over You", and "Benny's Bounce" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Light's album "Juke Box Favorites" (H-330).
1956 - Vocalist Betty Hutton, with Vic Schoen directing the orchestra and chorus (lineups unlisted), records the titles "Sleepy Head" and "Hit The Road To Dreamland" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 3383).
1956 - Les Baxter conducts his own arrangements to his orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record the titles "Green Eyes", "The Breeze And I", "Nightingale", and "Ay, Ay, Ay" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Baxter's album "Caribbean Moonlight" (T 733).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - The Farmer Boys (Bobby Adamson on lead vocals, Woodie Wayne Murray on harmony vocals), with The Desert Stars ("Jelly" Sanders on fiddle, Gene Breeden on electric guitar, Buck Owens on rhythm guitar, Norman Hamlett on steel guitar, Bud Mills on bass, and Richard Stokes on drums), record the titles "Flash, Crash And Thunder", "Yearning, Burning Heart", "No One", and "Someone To Love" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue "Flash, Crash And Thunder" and "Someone To Love" together as a single (Capitol F3732) and "Yearning, Burning Heart" and "No One" together as a single (Capitol F3827).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Nelson Riddle conducts his own arrangements to His Orchestra (Harry Edison, Conrad Gozzo, Shorty Sherock, Pete Candoli, Mannie Klein, and Mickey Mangano on trumpet, Dick Nash, Murray McEachern, Tommy Pederson, and Jimmy Priddy on trombone, George Roberts on bass trombone, Vince De Rosa or John Cave on French horn, Willie Schwartz and Harry Klee on alto saxophone and flute, Ted Nash, Babe Russin, Justin Gordon, and Jim Williamson on tenor saxophone, Joe Koch or Chuck Gentry on baritone saxophone, Bill Miller on piano, Nick Bonney or Allan Reuss on guitar, Joe Comfort or Joe Mondragon on bass, Alvin Stoller on drums, Frank Flynn on vibraphones and percussion, and a unlisted string section led by Felix Slatkin) as they record the titles "You Leave Me Breathless", "Then I'm Happy", and "I Get Along Without You Very Well" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Then I'll Be Happy" and "I Get Along Without You Very Well" on Riddle's album "Hey! Let Yourself Go!" (T 814) and have yet to issue the take of "You Leave Me Breathless" recorded at this session but will release a take of the song recorded on February 25, 1957.
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Buck Owens signs a recording contract with Capitol Records in Los Angeles, California
1961 - During two sessions held this day at Goldwyn Studios in Hollywood, California, piano and celeste player Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Dalton Smith, Bud Brisbois, Bob Rolfe, and Sanford Skinner on trumpets, Bob Fitzpatrick, Tom Shepard, Jim Amlotte, and Bob Knight on trombones, Albert Pollan on tuba, Dwight Carver, Gene Roland, Gordon Davison, and Joe Burnett on mellophones, Pete Chivily on bass, Art Anton on drums, and Larry Bunker on percussion) records the titles "O Holy Night", "O Come All Ye Faithful", and "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" at the first session between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM and the title "Angels We Have Heard On High" and some of "Christmas Medley - Joy To The World/We Wish You A Merry Christmas/Away In A Manger/Hark! The Herald Angels Sing/The First Noel/Silent Night" at the second session between 4:30 PM and 7:30 PM. After finishing recording "Christmas Medley" on March 14, 1961, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Kenton's album "A Merry Christmas" (T 1621).
1966 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' single "Nowhere Man" with "What Goes On" on the flipside (Capitol 5587) in the United States.
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Bobby Kalina, with unlisted others, records the titles "When Saturday Night Becomes Sunday Morning", "Two Loves", and "Old English, New English" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "When Saturday Night Becomes Sunday Morning" and "Two Loves" together as a single (Capitol 4747) and has yet to issue "Old English, New English".
1966 - The Girls (vocalists Diane Sandoval,  Margaret Sandoval,Rosemary Sandoval, and Sylvia Sandoval), with unlisted others, record the as yet unissued takes of the titles "Goodbye, Boys, Goodbye" and "Top 20" and the titles "Chico's Girl" and "The Dumb Song" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the titles "Chico's Girl" and "The Dumb Song" together as a single (Capitol 5675).
1966 - The Roundabouts (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Falling So In Love With You" and "Hey! Little Lover" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 5627).
1966 - Vocalist Verdelle Smith, with Alan Lorber conducting the orchestra (Irving Markowitz and Burt Collins on trumpets, Richard Berg on cornet, Joe Grimaldi and Art Kaplan on reeds, Ernie Hayes on organ, Lee Pockriss on piano, Allen Hanlon and Al Gorgoni on guitars, Russ Saunders and Earl Chaplin on bass, Maurice Belkin on cello, Ted Sommer on drums, and Michael Chimes on harmonica), records the titles "Over The Rainbow", "Oh How Much I Love You", and "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Smith's album "(Alone) In My Room" (T 2476).
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - The Howard Roberts Quartet (Howard Roberts on guitar, with three other unlisted musicians) records the titles "I Will Wait For You", "All", "So Nice (Summer Samba)", and "The Face I Love" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's album "Jaunty Jolly" (T/ST 2716).
1970 - John Ono Lennon's Apple Records single "Instant Karma! (We All Shine On)", with Yoko Lennon Ono's "Who Has Seen The Wind?" on the flipside, enters the U.S. Pop singles charts one day after being released and just 26 days after being recorded
1971 - Vocalist Merle Haggard and The Strangers (lineup unlisted), at a live performance at the Assembly of God Tabernacle in Keyes, California after a "Introduction" by Reverend J.D. Smith and the congregation singing "Leaning On The Everlasting Arms", perform the titles "Guide Me, Lord", "The Family Bible", "I'll Be List'ning", and "Just A Closer Walk With Thee" with the congregation joining in, then Reverend Smith delivers the "Closing Prayer". Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Haggard and The Strangers's two LP set "The Land Of Many Churches" (SWBO-803).
45 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Vocalist Roy Rogers, with unlisted others, records the titles "He'll Have To Go", "Candy Kisses", "Tennessee Waltz", "In Another Lifetime", and "A Letter To Roy" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue "He'll Have To Go", "Candy Kisses", "Tennessee Waltz" on Rogers album "Take A Little Love" (ST-11020), "In Another Lifetime" as a single (Capitol 3490), and have yet to issue "A Letter To Roy".
40 Years Ago Today In 1977 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, trombonist and percussionist Raul De Souza, with Patrice Rushen on electric piano, Dawilli Gonga on electric piano and synthesizer, Ian Underwood on synthesizer, Al McKay on guitar, Byron Miller on bass, Leon "Ngudu" Chancler on drums and vocals, Airto Moreira on percussion, records the titles "A Vontade Mesno (At Will)", "Banana Tree" Deborah Thomas, Lynn Davis, Victoria Miles, and Sybil Thomas on background vocals, and "A Song Of Love" at the first session and, with the addition of Freddie Hubbard on trumpet, the titles "Bottom Heat", "Wires" with vocals by Leon "Ngudu" Chancler, and "Sweet Lucy" with Deborah Thomas, Lynn Davis, Victoria Miles, and Sybil Thomas on background vocals at the second session. After overdubs are recorded on February 22, 23, 24, 25 and March 7, 8, and 9, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on De Souza's album "Sweet Lucy" (ST-11648).
30 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Crowded House's Capitol Records single "Don't Dream It's Over", with "That's What I Call Love" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1988 - Tanya Tucker (with Paul Davis and Paul Overstreet)'s Capitol Records single "I Won't Take Less Than Your Love", with "Heartbreaker" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country Singles charts
1990 - Bonnie Raitt's Capitol Records album "Nick Of Time" wins the Grammy for Album Of The Year
1990 - Paul McCartney, Polygram, Parlophone, Vee-Jay, Swan, Capitol, Apple, Columbia and Capitol (again) Records artist, is honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award at the 32nd annual Grammy Awards ceremony
10 Years Ago Today In 2007 - Al Viola, mandolin player, guitarist, member of the Page Cavanaugh Trio, session musician for motion pictures (most notably the mandolin solo in the soundtrack for "The Godfather"), and a Capitol Records and Liberty Records session musician at many sessions for Frank Sinatra, Nat "King" Cole, Frank Zappa and with Bobby Troup, dies of cancer at age 87 at his home in Studio City, California. I was able to talk to Al briefly at Bill Miller's wake in 2006 and he was a very approachable guy and was still performing until late January 2007 at Spazio, a jazz supper club, in Sherman Oaks, California
2011 - Haila Stoddard, actress, Broadway producer as herself and as Bonard Productions which produced in association with Charles Russel the musical "Sail Away" whose original Broadway cast album was distributed by Capitol Records, died of cardiopulmonary arrest at her home in Weston, Connecticut at age 97.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1965 - Gary Lewis and The Playboy's United Artists Records single "This Diamond Ring" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
35 Years Ago Today In 1982 - "Murray The K" Kaufman, disc jockey at Radio WINS in New York City and early United States supporter of The Beatles (aka "The Fifth Beatle"), dies of cancer at age 60 in Los Angeles, California

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
40 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Members of the band KISS have small quantities of their blood taken after their appearance at the Nassau Coliseum in Uniondale, New York which will later be mixed with the red ink used for the band's pseudo-autobiographical Marvel Comics comic book
2003 - Tom Glazer, singer and songwriter (best known for "On Top of Spaghetti" [1963]) dies in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania at age 88