APRIL 24, 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1914 - Ray Leatherwood, bass player with Capitol Records artist Les Brown and His Band of Renown, also with Bob Chester's Orchestra, The Jack Teagarden Sextet, helped back Liberty Records singers Julie London, and Matt Dennis, toured with Capitol Records artist Bob Hope's troupe on 20 Christmas visits to U. S. military bases around the world for the U.S.O., and worked with Rosy McHargue's Ragtimers, but only for recording sessions, is born in Itasca, Texas
75 Years Ago Today In 1942 - Barbra Streisand, singer, Broadway and motion picture actress, televison variety special host and guest, Grammy, Oscar, Tony, and Emmy awards winner, and Capitol Records artist (the original Broadway cast album for "Funny Girl") is born Barbara Joan Streisand in Brooklyn, New York

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - Theremin player Dr. Samuel Hoffman, with Leslie (Les) Baxter conducting a vocal group and orchestra (lineups unlisted), records new takes of the titles "Celestial Nocturne", "Lunar Rhapsody", and "Lunette" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all three titles on Hoffman's album "Music Out Of The Moon" (CC-47 on 78 RPM, CCF-2000 on 45 RPM, and H-2000 on 33 1/3 RPM).
1946 - Vocalist Ella Mae Morse and pianist Freddie Slack, with a rhythm section (Al Hendrickson on guitar, Phil Stephens on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums), record the titles "Your Conscience Tells You" and "Pig Foot Pete" at Radio Recorders' studios at 932 North Western Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue the two titles together as a single (Capitol 278).
1948 - Peggy Lee (with then husband Dave Barbour and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Manana" is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart and The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #7
1950 - Mel Blanc is back in the studio again to records tracks for the children's singles "Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha" and "Daffy Duck Meets Yosemite Sam" Both tracks are produced by Alan Livingston with story by Warren Foster and Michael Maltese and music by Billy May. On "Bugs Bunny Meets Hiawatha" additional uncredited vocals are provided by Arthur Q. Bryan. On "Daffy Duck Meets Yosemite Sam" Vance "Pinto" Colvig, also the voice of Bozo for Capitol and Goofy for Disney, provides additional uncredited vocals.
1954 - Frank Sinatra's Capitol Records single "Young At Heart", with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra and "Take A Chance" on the flipside, is #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Answer Me, My Love", also with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra and "Why" on the flipside, is #6, Kay Starr (with Harold Mooney conducting the orchestra) has a hit double sided Capitol Records single with "The Man Upstairs" at #12 and it's flip side "If You Love Me (Really Love Me)" at #13, and Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "I Really Don't Want To Know", with "South" on the flipside, debuts at #20.
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Capitol Records' subsidiary Tower Records (no relation to the much missed chain of record stores) releases the first single in the U.S. by "The Pink Floyd" - "Arnold Layne" with "Candy And A Current Bun" on the flipside (Tower 333). The track is written by Syd Barrett and features "The Light Kings of England" - Roger Waters, Nick Mason, Syd Barrett and Rick Wright. For more information on Pink Floyd's discography on Tower Records, read this definitive article by Vernon Fitch. For more on the discography, and life, of late Syd Barret go to Stephen Scheider's tribute site.
1974 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records single "The Loco-motion", with "Destitute & Losin'" on the flipside, is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
1975 - Pete Ham (born William Peter Ham), singer, songwriter, and a founder and leader of the groups The Panthers, The Iveys and Apple Records and Capitol Records group Badfinger, hangs himself in the garage of his home in London, England at age 27, three days before his 28th birthday
40 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Southern Nights", with "William Tell Overture" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Glenn Cornick, bass player with the Chrysalis Records band Jethro Tull and the band Wild Turkey is born in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, England. Chrysalis' American catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Future Imperial and Capitol Records artist Ricky Nelson's first single, "A Teenager's Romance", with "I'm Walkin'" on the flipside, is released by Verve Records and sells 60,000 copies in three days
1959 - The final episode of "Your Hit Parade", the Saturday night pop-music show that's been running on radio since April 1935, and on television since 1950, is broadcast