MARCH 22, 2017

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1948 - Disk jockey Jerry Marshall introduces Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" at 2:16 PM EST on WNEW's "Music Hall" program. By 2:20 PM, the station was swamped with calls. During the next few weeks, the song was played at least ten times a day on the station. Also, Nat and Nadine Cole are officially divorced.
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "Just One Of Those Things" is #6 on The Billboard magazine's Most Played By Jockeys chart and Cole's Capitol Records single "Angel Smile" is #55 on the magazine's Top 100 Sides chart and #59 on Cash Box magazine's Best Selling Singles chart
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - During two sessions held this day in New York City, New York for Capitol Records, pianist Cy Coleman, with unlisted others, records the title "It's A Wonderful World" at the first session and the titles "Fly Me To The Moon (In Other Words)", "Time After Time", and new takes of the titles "Blue Grass Groove", and "Sweet Georgia Brown" at the second session. Capitol has yet to issue any of the titles from either session.

1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' album "The Early Beatles".

50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Overdubs are recorded for Bonnie Owens' titles "How Can Our Cheatin' Be Wrong?" and "I'll Look You Over" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the final mixes of both titles on the album "Lead Me On" (ST-195) as by Bonnie Owens And The Strangers and "How Can Our Cheatin' Be Wrong" as a single (Capitol 2210) with "Yes, I Love You Only" (recorded February 2, 1968) on the flipside.

50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, The Howard Roberts Quartet (Roberts on guitar with unlisted others) record the titles "Music To Think By", "I Say A Little Prayer", and "Pretty Butterfly" at the first session and the titles "It's About Time", "Fred", and "Love Is Blue (L'Amour Est Blue)" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Roberts' album "Out Of Sight But 'In' Sound" (ST 2901).

50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - The Beach Boys (lineup unlisted) record the title "Passing" (originally listed as "Instrumental #1") in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on the group's album "Friends" ST 2895).

50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Overdubs are recorded in Los Angeles, California for Peggy Lee's titles "Daydream", "It'll Never Happen", and "Misty Roses". Capitol Records has yet to issue any of the titles.

50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - The Crackers (aka The Band, with Garth Hudson on piano, organ, and vocals, Richard Manuel on piano, organ, guitar, bass, and vocals, Jaime Robbie Robertson on guitar and vocals, Rick Danko on bass and vocals, and Levon Helm on drums and vocals) records new takes of the titles "Long Black Veil" and "Chest Fever" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue the new takes on the group's album "Music From Big Pig" (SKAO 2955).

50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Sidewalk Records, at the time being distributed by Capitol Records, purchases the masters for the soundtrack to the movie "Psych-Out" from American International Productions. The titles include, in order of appearance, The Storybook's "The Pretty Song From 'Psych-Out'" and "Rainy Day Mushroom Pillow", The Seeds' "Two Fingers Pointing On You", Bienzee Cryque's "Ashbury Wednesday", Strawberry Alarm Clock's "The World Is On Fire", The Storybook's "Psych-Out Sanctorum", "Beads Of Innocence from 'Psych-Out'", "The Love Children", and "Psych-Out", and Strawberry Alarm Clock's "The World's On Fire (Long Version)". Sidewalk will issue all the titles on the soundtrack album "Psych-Out" (T/ST-5913) and "Beads Of Innocence From 'Psych-Out'" and "Psych-Out" together as a single (Sidewalk 940). Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records, will issue "The Love Children" and "Psych-Out" on the compilation album "Best Of The Soundtracks" (ST 5148).

1969 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Only The Lonely", with "The Journey" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1971 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's single "Don't Let The Good Life Pass You By" with "Happy Songs Of Love" on the flipside
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Capitol Records registers the masters it purchased for Buck Owens' and Susan Raye's titles "Take A Taste Of My Wine", "I Think I'm Gonna Like Loving You", "Sweethearts In Heaven", "I've Got A Happy Heart", "Arms Full Of Empty", "All The Dreamin' They Can Stand", "Honey...Let's Fall In Love", "When You Get To Heaven (I'll Be There)", and "Love Makes The World Go Round" from Buck Owens Enterprises and will issue all the titles on Owens and Raye's album "The Good Old Days (Are Here Again)" (ST-11204), "Sweethearts In Heaven" as a single (Capitol 4100) with "Love Is Strange" (recorded April 11, 1975) on the flipside, and "When You Get To Heaven (I'll Be There)" as a single (Capitol 3601) with "The Good Old Days (Are Here Again)" (registered March 19, 1973) on the flipside.
1974 - Sam Donahue, tenor saxophone, trumpet, and valve trombone player, arranger, bandleader (his own, the U.S. Navy's, Billy May's for the Ray Anthony organization, Tommy Dorsey's which became the Frank Sinatra, Jr. Show's), Capitol Records session musician and member of the Capitol Records group Stan Kenton and His Orchestra, dies at age 56 of complications of cancer in Reno, Nevada
1977 - The Steve Miller Band's Capitol Records single "Fly Like An Eagle", with "Lovin' Cup" on the flipside, is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
30 Years Ago Today In 1988 - Vocalist Anne Murray, with unlisted others, records the titles "Who But You" and "If I Don't Fall Tonight" at Nightingale Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue "Who But You" as a single (Capitol 44341) with "You Make Me Curious" (recorded January 29, 1988) on the flipside. No issuing information is listed for "If I Don't Fall Tonight".
1977 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Southern Nights", with "William Tell Overture" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
1986 - Heart's "These Dreams", with "Shell Shock" on the flipside, is still #1 (the band's first) on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Pete Wylie, singer, guitarist, harmonica player, remixer, record producer, with the groups Echo And The Bunnymen and Wah!, and a Virgin Records America solo artist, is born in Liverpool, England. I designed the cover for the U.S. release of the 12" version of his single "Sinful".
1962 - Perry Bags, vocalist, and drummer with the EMI America group Jason & The Scorchers, is born. If anyone knows where Perry was born, please leave a comment. I worked on designs for the band's EMI America single "Golden Ball And Chain" and was at their video shoot for the single at the Palace Theater in Hollywood, California in 1986.
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Parlophone Records releases The Beatles' first album "Please Please Me"
40 Years Ago Today In 1978 - The Rutles' mockumentary "All You Need Is Cash", spoofing the career of The Beatles, produced by George Harrison (who also appears briefly as a reporter), and written by Eric Idle, makes it world debut when it airs on NBC-TV. It will air in the UK a week later.
1981 - Blondie's Chrysalis Records single "Rapture", with "Walk Like Me" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. Chrysalis' catalog was owned by Capitol Music Group's previous parent company, EMI Music Group. Capitol's current parent company, Universal Music Group, sold Chrysalis' catalog to Warner Music Group.