JUNE 28, 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
110 Years Ago Today In 1907 - Jimmy Mundy, tenor saxophonist, arranger (for both sides of Capitol Records' first released single, Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra's "I Found A New Baby" and "The General Jumped At Dawn"), and songwriter (including "Travlin' Light" with lyricst and Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer), is born in Cincinnati, Ohio
1923 - Pete Candoli, Capitol Records session trumpet player (with arrangers Billy May, Nelson Riddle, Don Costa, Gordon Jenkins, and Axel Stordahl; on albums by Frank Sinatra, Peggy Lee, Stan Kenton, and more) and husband (1960-1971) of one time Capitol Records artist Betty Hutton, is born Walter Joseph Candoli in Mishawaka, Indiana. There's a great biographic article about Candoli on the Jazz Professional website.
1926 - Mel Brooks, drummer, comedian, Broadway playright and producer, television and motion picture screenwriter, director, producer and actor, and a Capitol Records artist (with Carl Reiner on the "2000 Year Old Man" series of comedy albums), is born Melvin Kaminsky in Brooklyn, New York.
1936 - Tom Drake (aka Steven Yates), guitarist, singer, songwriter and founder of the Capitol Records group The Good Time Singers, is born Thomas Y. Drake in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
85 Years Ago Today In 1932 - Erich Kleiber conducts The Berlin PHilharmonic Orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record Beethoven's "German Dance #12" in Berlin, Germany for Telefunken Records. Capitol Records will license the masters and issue the title on the album "SCHUBERT - Symphony #7 in C Major/BEETHOVEN - German Dance #2" (EGL-8039 on 78 rpm, KGM-8039 on 45 rpm, and P-8040 on 12" LP).
1950 - Jess Stacy and His Trio (Jess Stacy on piano, George Van Eps on guitar, Morty Corb on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums) records the tracks "Careless" (which went unissued until it appeared on the 1997 Mosaic box set "Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions"), "I'll Be Seeing You" (which will be released by Capitol on the album "Classics In Jazz - Piano Stylists"), as well as "Can't We Be Friends" and "Imagination" (which Capitol Records will release together as a single)
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Jane Froman (with orchestra conducted by Sid Feller)'s Capitol Records single "I'll Walk Alone" is #14 up from #19, and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Carioca" is still #18 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart.
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Thirteen year old pianist and vocalist Frank "Sugar Chile" Robinson, with a orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Detroit Rag", "St. Louis Blues", the instrumental "Yancey Special", and, with Robinson on celeste, "Hum-Drum Boogie" in Detroit, Michigan. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Robinson's album "Boogie Woogie" (T 589).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - The Andrews Sisters (vocalists Laverne Andrews, Maxene Andrews, and Patty Andrews), with Billy May conduting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Conrad Gozzo, Mannie Klein, and Uan Rasey on trumpet, Simon "Si" Zentner, Ed Kusby, and Murray McEachern on trombone, Arthur "Skeets" Herfurt, Wilbur Schwartz, Justin Gordon, Gene Cipriano, and Fred Falensby on saxophones, Bill Miller on piano, Allan Reuss on guitar, Joe Comfort on bass, Milt Holland and David Grupp on drums, and Kathryn Julye on harp), record the titles "I Could Write A Book", "My Romance", "Younger Than Springtime", and "With Every Breath I Take" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the sisters' album "Fresh And Fancy Free" (T 860).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Carmen Dragon conducts The Hollywood Bowl Symphony Orchestra (lineup unlisted) in Los Angeles, California as they rehearse for a recording session for their Capitol Records album "The Music Of Christmas" to be held the next day on June 29, 1957.

1964 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "I Get Around", with "Don't Worry Baby" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart

55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - During a split session held in Los Angeles, California first vocalists Glen Campbell and Kathy Linden, with unlisted others, record the titles "Sweet Temptation" and "Never" then just Kathy Linden, with unlisted others, records the title "If You Really Love Me (Take Me Home)". Capitol Records have yet to issue either "Sweet Temptation" and "Never" and issued "If You Really Love Me (Take Me Home)" as a single (Capitol 4811) with "There'll Always Be Sadness" (recorded April 12, 1962) on the flipside.

1965 - Red Nichols, cornet player, band leader and Capitol Records artist (1956-1960), dies after a sudden heart attack in his suite at the Mint Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he and his band were performing. His ashes are later interred in the Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills cemetery. There's a nice biographic article by "Dr. Progresso" on the Hole In The Web site.

1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' album "Summer Days (And Summer Nights), produced by Brian Wilson. The album will enter Billboard's Hot 200 album charts on July 24, 1965, my fifth birthday, and contains the hits "Help Me, Rhonda" and "California Girls".
1965 - Capitol Records recording artists Bonnie Owens and Merle Haggard are married in Tijuana, Mexico
1966 - Merle Haggard records the tracks "Longer You Wait", "I Can't Stand Me", and "Bottle Let Me Down" at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with producers Ken Nelson and Fuzzy Owen and The Strangers (Roy Nichols, Glen Campbell, Lewis Talley, and Jack Collier on guitar, James Burton on guitar/dobro, Ralph Mooney on steel guitar, Bob Morris, Bert Dodson, Jerry Ward on bass, Helen Price and James Gordon on drums, George French, Glenn D. Hardin on piano, Bonnie Owens and Billy Mize on additional vocals) for Haggard's Capitol Records album "Swinging Doors And The Bottle Let Me Down"
1966 - Jackie Gleason conducts the orchestra as they record the track "A Taste Of Honey" for Gleason's Capitol Records album "A Taste Of Brass - For Lovers Only"
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - The West Coast Modern Folk Blues Workshop (lineup unlisted), with producer Nick Venet, record the titles "Yellow Brick Trip", "We're Off To See The Wizard", and "Ode To Jackie, Dorothy, and Alyce" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles as by The West Coast Workshop on the album "The Wizard Of Oz And Other Trans Love Trips" (T/ST 2776).
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - The Beach Boys (lineup unlisted) record the title "Little Pad In Hawaii" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on the group's album "Smiley Smile" (ST 2891).
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Vocalist Al Martino, with unlisted others, records the titles "Forgive Me, My Love", "Love Me Tender", "Darlin'", and "Can't Wait To See You Again" in New York City New York. Capitol Records will issue "Love Me Tender" on Martino's album "Mary In The Morning" (T/ST 2780) and have yet to issue the other three titles.

50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Vocalist Wanda Jackson, with The Party Timers (unlisted piano, guitar, rhythm guitar, steel guitar, bass, and drum players and chorus), records the titles "Who Do You Go To?", "My Baby Walked Right Out On Me", "The Half That's Mine", and "A Girl Don't Have To Drink To Have Fun" at Columbia Studio in Nashville, Tennessee with producers Ken Nelson and Kelso Herston.. Capitol Records will issue "Who Do You Go To?" and "The Half That's Mine" on Jackson's album "You'll Always Have My Love" (T/ST 2812), "My Baby Walked Right Out On Me" as a single (Capitol 2151) with "No Place To Go But Home" (recorded June 29, 1967) on the flipside, and "A Girl Don't Have To Drink To Have Fun" as a single (Capitol 2021) with "My Days Are Darker Than Your Nights" (recorded June 26, 1967) on the flipside and on Jackson's album "Cream Of The Crop" (ST 2976).

45 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Capitol Records registers the master for vocalist Buck Owens' title "You Ain't Gonna Have Ol' Buck To Kick Around No More", which he recorded at Buck Owens Studios in Bakersfield, California, and will issue the tiels as a single (Capitol 3429) with "I Love You So Much It Hurts" (recorded in July 1972 and registered on July 24, 1972) on the flipside as well as on Owens' album "In The Palm Of Your Hand" (ST-11136).

45 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Vocalist Merle Haggard, with unlisted others, records the titles "I Wonder Where I'll Find You Tonight" and "My Woman Keeps Lovin' Her Man" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Haggard's album "It's Not Love (But It's Not Bad)" (ST-11127).

40 Yeas Ago Today In 1977 - Richard Torrance, with unlisted others, records the title "Secrets Of Your Soul" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on Torrance's album "Double Take" (SW-11699).

40 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Lee Clayton, with unlisted others, records the title "Back Home In Tennessee" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on Clayton's album "Border Affair" (ST-11751).

40 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Mel McDaniel, with unlisted others, records the titles "Roll Your Own" and "Plastic Girl" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue "Roll Your Own" as a single (Capitol 4481) with "The Soul Of A Honky Tonk Woman" (recorded June 29, 1977) on the flipside and both titles on McDaniel's album "Gentle To Your Senses" (ST-11694).

1985 - Mischa Spoliansky (born Dec 28, 1898 in Russia), British composer who wrote the scores for several British films including "Saint Joan" (1957) whose soundtrack was released by Capitol Records, dies of natural causes in London, England at age 86.
1988 - Poison's Capitol Records album "Open Up And Say Ahh!" is certified Gold and Platinum by the R.I.A.A.

25 Years Ago Today In 1992 - Howard Roberts, guitarist and Capitol Records artist (1963-1969), dies in Seattle, Washington at age 62
1993 - The first recording session for Frank Sinatra's "Duets" album is held at The Capitol Tower Studios, but slight case of laryngitis and anxiety about being isolated in a sound booth causes Sinatra not to be able to perform. But four days later, after a special platform is built amongst the musicians and a hand mike is used for his vocals, Sinatra feels at ease and records nine tracks in five hours.
20 Years Ago Today In 1997 - Mrs. Miller (born Elva Ruby Connes), Capitol Records artist, dies at age 89 in Vista, California
2005 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's greatest hits album "Back To The Start"
2006 - Capitol Records artist Corinne Bailey Rae appears on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
75 Years Ago Today In 1942 - Roger Gambill, singer, member of The Kingston Trio (1973-1985) after they group left Capitol Records, is born
65 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s BBS Records single "Here In My Heart" is #2 down from #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart.
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - The motion picture "The Family Way", with musical score composed by Paul McCartney, premieres in the United States
1991 - "Paul McCartney's Liverpool Oratorio" debuts at Liverpool's Anglican Cathedral. McCartney co-wrote the 90-minute work with American-born composer Carl Davis to celebrate the 150th anniversary of Liverpool's Royal Philharmonic. The piece will later be released by Capitol Recorsd on an album.
2001 - The Country Radio Broadcasters awards former Capitol Records artist Buck Owens their Career Achievement Award with Brad Paisley making the presentation

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS
115 Years Ago Today In 1902 - Richard Rodgers, Broadway and motion picture composer (first with lyricst Lorenz Hart, then with Oscar Hammerstein II, and then on his own) is born Richard Charles Rodgers in New York City, New York. Capitol Records released the original Broadway cast album for Rodgers' "No Strings". His works have also been covered by many Capitol Records artist and are the basis for two compilation CDs released by Capitol - "Isn't It Romantic: Capitol Sings Rodgers and Hart" and "Hello, Young Lovers: Capitol Sings Rogers and Hammerstein".
80 Years Ago Today In 1937 - Sonja Henie leaves her skate prints in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California at ceremony #38
1985 - Route 66, the 59 year-old highway of 2,200 miles of blacktop and inspiration for Bobby Troup's song "Route 66" and the television show of the same name, whose instrumental theme song was written and recorded by Capitol Records artist Nelson Riddle and released by Capitol, is decertified as a U.S. highway