MARCH 26, 2018

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1948 - Peggy Lee's Capitol Records single "Mañana (Is Soon Enough For Me", with "All Dressed Up With A Broken Heart" on the flipside is #1 on The Billboard magazine's Most Played By Disc Jockeys, Best-Selling Popular Retail, and Most-Played Juke Box Records charts for the week ending March 26, 1948.
70 Years Ago Today In 1948 - Vocal group The Sportsmen (Thurl Ravenscroft, Bill Days, Max Smith, and Martin Sperzel) record the titles "Toolie Oolie Doolie (The Yodel Polka)" and "You Can't Be True, Dear" in Los Angeles, California mostly a capella due to the American Federation of Musicians strike. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 15077).
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - The Smith Brothers (Vocalists Audrey L. Smith and John O. Smith) record the titles "The Sinner's Dream", "Little Orphan Boy", "I Have But One Goal" with the addition of Bill Lowery and Dennis "Boots" Woodall, and "I'm Gonna Sail Away" with the addition of Gospel singers (lineup unlisted) in (listed as possibly) Atlanta, Georgia. Capitol Records will issue "The Sinner's Dream" and "I Have But One Goal" together as a single (Capitol 2492) and "Little Orphan Boy" and "I'm Gonna Sail Away" together as a single (Capitol 2582).

1956 - Judy Garland records the titles "I'm Old Fashioned" and "Memories Of You" with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the studio orchestra at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue Studios in Hollywood, California for Garland's Capitol Records album "Judy". "I'm Old Fashioned" would not make it on to the initial release of the album in 1956, but it was eventually included as a bonus track on the 1989 CD release of the album.

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Vocalist Gene Vincent and His Blue Caps (Clifton Simmons on piano, Johnny Meeks on guitar, Grady Owen on rhythm guitar, Bobby Lee Jones on bass, Juvenal "Juvey" Gomez on drums, Eddie Cochran on chorus vocals, and Paul Peek and Tommy Facenda on handclapping and chorus vocals), records the titles "I Love You", "Teenage Parter", "Peace Of Mind", and "Lovely Loretta" at an extended session in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 10:00 AM and 1:30 PM. Capitol Records will issue "I Love You", "Teenage Partner", and "Peace Of Mind" on the album "A Gene Vincent Record Date" (EAP-1/2/3-1059 on 7" EP set and T 1059 on 12" LP) and "Lovely Loretta" on the EP "Gene Vincent - Hot Rod Gang (Film Soundtrack)" (EAP-1-985).

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - The George Shearing Quintet (Emil Richards on vibraphone, George Shearing on piano, Jean "Toots" Thielemans on guitar, Al McKibbon on bass, and Percy Brice on drums) with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to His Orchestra (Conrad Gozzo, Frank Beach, Mannie Klein, and John Best on trumpets, Ed Kusby, Joe Howard, Walter Benson, and George Roberts on trombones, Vincent De Rosa, John Cave, James Decker, Richard Perissi, and Arthur Frantz on French horns, and Red Callender on tuba), records the titels "Mine", "Beautiful Love", "If You Were Mine", and "Burnished Brass" at an extended session in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Shearing's album "Burnished Brass" (EAP-2/3-1038 on 7" EP set and T/ST 1038 on 12" LP).

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Harpist Marcel Grandjany records Turina's "Sacro-Monte, Opus 55 N° 5, Granados' "Andaluza (Playera)", and Padre Narciso Casanovas' "Sonata In F" in Studio A of Capitol Records' studios in New York City. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Grandjany's album "El Amor D'España" (P-8453).

Marcel Grandjany(harp).

1959 - Vocalist Frank Sinatra, with arranger Gordon Jenkins conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "I Can't Get Started", "Where Do You Go?", "A Cottage For Sale", and "Just Friends"  in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California for Sinatra's Capitol Records album "No One Cares".

1962 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (including Ray Starling, Gene Roland, Dwight Carver, and Carl Saunders on mellophonium and Alvino Ray on steel pedal guitar) begin 3 days of recording sessions (the other two days are March 29 and 30, 1962) with vocalist Tex Ritter for their Capitol Records album of Country and Western standards "Stan Kenton! Tex Ritter!"
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Pianist Cy Coleman, with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Ken Shroyer, Francis "Joe" Howard, Milt Bernhart, Ed Kusby, and William Schaefer on trombones, Justin Gordon, Ted Nash, and Wilbur Schwartz on woodwinds, Ben Tucker on bass, and Bob Thomas and Milt Holland on drums), records the titles "Leave It to Love", "Witchcraft", and "I'm Gonna Laugh You Out Of My Life" in The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for Capitol Records which has yet to issue any of the takes from this session. New takes of all the titles will be recorded on March 30, 1963, and Capitol Records will issue all those takes on Coleman's album "The Piano Witchcraft Of Cy Coleman" (T/ST 1952).

1966 - Brian Wilson's Capitol Records single "Caroline, No", with "Summer Means New Love" on the flipside, enters Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart where it will peak at #32 on April 30, 1966.

50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, Hardwater (lineup unlisted) records the title "Good Ole Friends" at the first session and "Love And I" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue "Good Ole Friends" as a single (Capitol 2373) with "Plate Of My Fare" (recorded March 29, 1968) on the flipside and with "Love And I" on the group's self-titled album "Hardwater" (ST 2954).

50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - The Beach Boys (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Even Steven" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records which has yet to issue the title.

45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Overdubs are recorded for Buck Owens' title "Arms Full Of Empty" and Capitol Records registered the master it purchased for Owens' title "Old Faithful". After additional overdubs are recorded for "Arms Full Of Empty" on April 13, 1973, Capitol Records will issue the final mix of the title as a single (Capitol 3688) with "Songwriter's Lament" (registered July 5, 1973) on the flipside and on Owens' album "In The Palm Of Your Hand" (ST-11136) and will issue "Old Faithful" on Buck Owens And The Buckaroos' album "Ain't It Amazing, Gracie?" (SMAS-11180).

45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Billy May and The Time-Life Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "California Nights" featuring Bob Bain on guitar, "Jazz Samba", "Petite Fleur" with Abe Most on clarinet, and "Viva Tirado" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California. Time-Life Records, as part of its "As You Remember Them" series, will issue "California Nights, "Jazz Samba", and "Viva Tirado" in the three-LP set "Volume 7 - Billy May" (STL 247) and "Jazz Samba" in the three-LP set "Volume 8 - Billy May" (STL 248).

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Eddie Cochran (on vocals, guitar, and guitar overdubs) records the title "Summertime Blues" (with Connie 'Guybo' Smith on electric bass, Earl Palmer on drums, and probably Sharon Sheeley and Jerry Capehart on handclapping) at Goldstar Studios in Hollywood, California. Liberty Records will release the song as a single (LIBERTY F-55144) with "Love Again" (recorded sometime in May of 1958) on the flipside. Universal Music Group, owners of EMI and Capitol Music Groups, now controls Liberty Records' masters.
1966 - Johnny River's Imperial Records single "Secret Agent Man", with "You Dig" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Sir Noël Peirce Coward, singer, songwriter, playwright, director, actor, filmmaker, novelist, and EMI Records artist, dies at his home, Firefly Estate, in Jamaica, West Indies at age 73 of heart disease.
40 Years Ago Today In 1978 - Crystal Gayle's United Artist Records single "Ready For The Times To Get Better", with "Beyond You" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart