JULY 16, 2017

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
75 Years Ago Today In 1942 - At Capitol Records' first session in New York City, New York, drummer Ray McKinley and His Orchestra (Larry Brooks, Dick Cathcart, Jack Steele, and Pete Candoli on trumpet, Bill Corti, and Jim Harwood on trombone, Brad Gowans on valve trombone, Joe Park on tuba, Mahlon Clark on clarinet and alto saxophone, Herb Tompkins on alto saxophone, Jerry Feld and Paul Thatcher on tenor saxophone, Walt Wegner on baritone saxophone, Lou Stein on piano, Dennis Sandoli on guitar, and Gus Van Camp on bass), record the titles "Big Boy" (with Imogene Lynn on vocals), "Hard Hearted Hannah" (with Ray McKinley on vocals), "Cheatin' On Me" (with Lynn on vocals), and "Long Island Clarinet" and may have also recorded at the same session "Manhattan Serenade" (with Lynn on vocals), "Rock-A-Bye Baby" (with Lynn on vocals), "That Russian Winter" (with McKinley on vocals), and "Without A Song", but some discographies give the last four titles as being recorded on July 18, 1942. Capitol Records will issue "Big Boy" and "Hard Hearted Hannah" together as a single (Capitol 131), "Manhattan Serenade" and "Without A Song" together as a single (Capitol 117), and "Rock-A-Bye Baby" and "Without A Song" together as a single (Capitol 128). The take of "Long Island Clarinet" was rejected and destroyed. Mosaic Records will issue all the remaining titles as part of its Mosaic Select series in the box set "Freddie Slack" (MS-018). Here's "Big Boy" as performed for a video "Soundie".
1946 - Peggy Lee (on vocals with Buddy Cole's Four Of A Kind: Dave Barbour on guitar, Phil Stephens on bass, Cole on piano, celeste and organ, and Tommy Romersa on drums) records the tracks "Lullaby Of Broadway", "Solitude", "I Get A Kick Out Of You", "Lover, Come Back To Me", "I Don't Know Enough About You" , "Oh! Look At Me Now", "I Got It Bad And That Ain't Good", and "Someday Sweetheart" with recording engineer John Palladino for Capitol Records Transcription Service at Radio Recorders, 7000 Santa Monica, Hollywood, California. The tracks will be issued on the 1998 Mosaic Records box set "The Complete Peggy Lee & June Christy Capitol Transcription Sessions"
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Frank Sinatra with The Ralph Brewster Singers (Sue Allen, Betty Allen, Ralph Brewster, Peggy Clark, Barbara Ford, Lee Gotch, Beverly Jenkins, Jimmy Joyce, Gene Lanham, Bill Lee, Ray Linn, Jr., John Mann, Thora Mathiason, Dorothy McCarty, Loulie Jean Norman, Betty Noves, The Ralph Brewster Singers: Thurl Ravenscroft, Ginny Roos, Max Smith, Bob Stevens, Bill Thompson, Bob Wacker, Betty Wand, Gloria Wood, and Norma Zimmer), records the tracks "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas", "Jingle Bells", "The Christmas Waltz", and "The First Noel", which are arranged by Gordon Jenkins who also conducts the orchestra (Victor Arno, Harry Bluestone, Walter Edelstein, Sol Kindler, Joseph Livoti, Nick Pisani, Joseph Quadri, Lou Raderman, Mischa Russell, and Marshall Sosson on violins; William Baffa, Louis Kievman, Paul Robyn, and David Sterkin on violas; Cy Bernard and Armand Kaproff on cellos; Bill Miller on piano; Nathan Gangursky and John Ryan on bass; Allen Reuss on guitar; and Kathryn Thompson on harp), in Studio A of The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for Sinatra's Capitol Records album "A Jolly Christmas" with producer Voyle Gilmore
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocal, trombone, bass; Don Barbour on vocal and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocal and drums; Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone, and bass) with arranger Pete Rugalo conducting the studio orchestra (Pete Candoli, Conrad Gozzo, Ray Linn, Buddy Childers, and Don Fagerquist on trumpet; Milt Bernhart, Frank Rosolino, Herbie Harper, and Tommy Pederson on trombone; George Roberts on bass trombone; Clarence Karalla on tuba; Bud Shank, Harry Klee, Herbie Mann, Bob Cooper, and Chuck Gentry on saxophones and flutes; Laurindo Almeida on guitar; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Red Mitchell on bass; Shelly Manne on drums; Bernie Mattinson on vibraphone and percussion; Milt Holland on percussion; Chico Guerrero on bongos and percussion; and Carlos Vidal on congas and percusssion) record the tracks "The Breeze And I", "Brazil", and "Tangerine" (all three of which Capitol Records will release on the group's album "Voices In Latin"), as well as "Julie Is Her Name" (without the percussionists and with arranger Dick Reynolds replacing Rugolo as conductor, which Capitol Records will release as a single [F3779] with "Sometimes I'm Happy" recorded May 24, 1957 on the flip side) at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. I wonder if they or Sinatra listened in to each others sessions as they were held the same day.
1958 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocal, trombone, bass; Don Barbour on vocal and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocal and drums; Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone, and bass) with arranger Dick Reynolds conducting the studio orchestra (Al Viola on guitar; Geoff Clarkson on piano; Red Mitchell on bass; Shelly Manne on drums and an uncredited string section) record the tracks "Time Was", "I Heard You Cried Last Night", and "I'll Remember April" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. All the tracks will appear on the group's Capitol Records album "Voices In Love".
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - The Beach Boys sign a long-term contract with Capitol Records
1963 - The Beatles record, for radio broadcast on the BBC, the tracks "I Got A Woman", "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)", "Crying, Waiting, Hoping", "To Know Her Is To Love Her", "Long Tall Sally", "The Honeymoon Song", "Glad All Over", "I Just Don't Understand", a medley of "Kansas City" and "Hey! Hey! Hey! Hey!", "Slow Down", that were released by Capitol Records in 1996 on the 4 CD set "The Beatles Live At The BBC", and and "Devil In Her Heart" that was one of three B sides (whose A-Side was "Baby It's You" that was recorded on June 1, 1963) on a CD-Single released to promote the 4 CD album.
1963 - Judy Garland and her daughter Lisa Minnelli, at the time both Capitol Records recording artist, make live recordings of a medley of the songs "Together We Could Make Such Beautiful Music", "The Best Is Yet To Come", "Bob White (Whatcha Gonna Swing Tonight?)" and "Bye Bye Baby" as well as the songs "Together (Wherever We Go)", "Let Me Entertain You", "Two Lost Souls" and the show's closing theme song "Maybe I'll Come Back" in Studio 43 at CBS Television City in Los Angeles, California for episode #3 of "The Judy Garland Show". This would be the first time they worked together professionally for a rehearsed scheduled performance. Judy, on her own, would also record the tracks "Liza (All the Clouds'll Roll Away)", "Come Rain Or Come Shine" and "As Long As He Needs Me" for the show. The live recording of "As Long As He Needs Me" would appear on the Capitol Records album "Just For Openers".
1969 - Merle Haggard records the track ""Okie From Muskogee" which Capitol Records will release with "If I Had Left It Up To You" on the flip side on September 15, 1969
1980 - Linda McCartney starts recording the track "Loves Full Glory" (finishing it October 1980) with lead guitar played by her son James McCartney and pedal steel guitar played by Lloyd Green. The track will be released by Capitol Records and MPL Communications in 1998 on McCartney's posthumous compilation album "Wide Praire".
20 Years Ago Today In 1997 - Capitol Records releases the video for Foo Fighter's single "Everlong" directed by Michel Gondry
2008 - Jo Stafford, Capitol Records artist, both as a member of The Pied Pipers and as a solo artist, and wife of Capitol Records artist and the label's first music director, dies of congestive heart failure at her home in Century City, California at age 90.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Bob Brookmeyer (on valve trombone and piano) records (with Jimmy Giuffre on clarinet, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone; Jim Hall on guitar; Ralph Pena on bass; and Dave Bailey on drums) the track "Honeysuckle Rose", with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Al Schmitt, at Costal Studios in New York City for his Pacific Jazz album "Traditionalism Revisited". Pacific Jazz's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records' parent company, Universal Music Group.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1951 - Cary Grant leaves his hand and footprints in cement at ceremony #94 at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California