APRIL 26, 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
1938 - Duane Eddy, guitarist, Capitol Records artist (album "His Twangy Guitar, and The Rebels") and M-G-M motion picture star, is born in Corning, New York
75 Years Ago Today In 1942 - Bobby Rydell, motion picture actor, singer and Capitol Records artists (after leaving Cameo Records, until 1969, when he signed with Reprise), is born Robert Ridarelli in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1960 - Roger Taylor, drummer and percussionist for the Capitol Records bands Duran Duran and Arcadia, is born in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, West Midlands, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Kay Starr's Capitol Records single "Wheel Of Fortune", with Harold Mooney conducting the orchestra and "Angry" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart, and Ella Mae Morse's Capitol Records single "Blacksmith Blues", with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra and originally released as the flipside of a re-issue of Freddie Slack's "Cow Cow Boogie" and then with "Love Me Or Leave Me" on the flipside, is #3
1958 - Laurie London's Capitol Records single is #1 on The Billboard magazine's "Most Played By Jockeys" chart for the second week in a row.
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Capitol Records records a concert by Judy Garland, with Mort Lindsey conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra, at Manhattan Center in New York City New York. Judy performs the songs "Sail Away", "Something's Coming", "Why Can't I?", "Just In Time", "Do What You Do", "Get Me To The Church On Time", "The Party's Over", "Joey, Joey, Joey", "Hey Look Me Over", "Some People", and "Never Will I Marry". Capitol Records will issue all the tracks except "Why Can't I?" and "Do What You Do" on the compilation CD "Judy Live" (CDP 7-92343-2) and "Why Can't I?" on the compilation CD "Classic Judy Garland - The Capitol Years - 1955-1965" (CDP 7243-5-39282-2-3). As of yet, the incomplete recording of "Do What You Do" (Judy's hoarse voice that night only let her sing the vocals for the first verse) has not been released. There's a great first hand account of the performance on Steve Jarret's site.
1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys single "Help Me Rhonda" with "Kiss Me Baby" on the flipside
45 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Buck Owens records the track "Ain't It Amazing, Gracie" which Capitol Records will release as a single with "Good Old Days (Are Here Again)" on the flip side
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
1978 - Apple and Capitol Records artist Ringo Starr stars in his first TV special in the United States - an updated version of Mark Twain's "The Prince and the Pauper"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1958 - David Seville's Liberty Records single "Witch Doctor", with "Don't Whistle At My Baby" on the flipside, is #1 The Billboard magazine's Best Selling Pop Singles In Stores and Top 100 Sides charts for the second week. Seville (aka Ross Bagdasarian) would use the techniques from this single to create the sound of The Chimpmunks.

1980 - Dottie West's United Artists Records single "A Lesson In Leavin'", with "Love's So Easy For Two" on the flip side, becomes her first solo single to reach #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart. United Artists' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

1981 - Sheena Easton's EMI America Records single "Morning Train (Nine To Five)", with "Calm Before The Storm" on the flipside is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
1984 - Count Basie (born William James Basie), composer, pianist, organist, and bandleader, who recorded sessions for (among others) the RCA/Bluebird, Decca, Roulette Jazz, and Pablo labels, died of pancreatic cancer in Hollywood, Florida. Roulette's catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
30 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Cutting Crew's Virgin Records America single "(I Just) Died In Your Arms", with "For the Longest Time" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, becoming the group and the label's first #1 single in the United States
1999 - Sinead O'Connor, a former Chrysalis Records artist, is ordained as the first woman priest in the Latin Tridentine Church, a Roman Catholic splinter group, as Mother Bernadette Mary. She will next appear as a performer on this day in 2005 when she makes a live on-stage appearance at the fifth annual Jammy Awards in New York City, New York with the group Burning Spear.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
40 Years Ago Today In 1977 - The Studio 54 discothèque opens in New York City, New York and will close on the same date three years later in 1980.