APRIL 19, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1927 - Don Barbour, singer in the Capitol Records group The Four Freshmen, is born in Greencastle, Indiana

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
70 Years Ago Today In 1948 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California Jan Garber and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Rambling Wreck From Georgia Tech/Fight Alabama", "Maryland, My Maryland/Hark The Sound Of Tal Heel Voices", "Washington And Lee Swing/Glory To Old Georgia", and "Maine Stein Song/Hail To Old O.S.C." at the first session and "Yale's Boola Song/The Princeton Canon Song", "The Fordham Ram/Hail To Pitt", "On, Brave Old Army Team/Anchors Aweigh", and "Lights Out (University Of California)/Strike Up The Band (UCLA)" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Garber's album "College Medleys" (CD-95 on 10" shellac album, EBF-154 on 7" EP set, and H-154 on 10" LP).
1951 - General Douglas MacArthur delivers a farewell address before a joint meeting of Congress in the chamber of the House of Representatives in the Capitol Building in Washington, D.C. Capitol Records will issue two highlights of the speech on the 78 RPM version (DAS-274) and six excerpts on the 10 inch 33 1/3 RPM version (H-274) of the album "General MacArthur Farewell Address".
Here's the entire speech: Part One, Part Two, Part Three, and Part Four of the entire speech.
1954 - Frank Sinatra, with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting the orchestra (Harry Edison on trumpet, Tommy Pederson and Ray Sims on trombone, George Roberts on bass trombone, Abe Most and Skeets Herfurt on alto saxophone, Eddie Miller and Babe Russin on tenor saxophone and clarinet, Joe Koch on baritone saxophone, Frank Flynn on vibraphone, Bill Miller on piano, Bob Bain on guitar, Joe Comfort on bass, and Alvin Stoller on drums), records the titles "All Of Me", "Jeepers Creepers", "Get Happy", and "Taking A Chance On Love" for his Capitol Records album "Swing Easy" at radio station KHJ's studios (now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and the Academy Film Archive) at 1313 North Vine Street, Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Sinatra's album "Swing Easy" (H-528)
1955 - It's a Tuesday, and Capitol Records album department head, Francis Scott, leaves on the first leg of a trip to London to confer with executives of Electric & Musical Industries, Ltd. on a mutual exchange of masters between the companies.
1956 - Actress Grace Kelly, actress and Capitol Records artist (on the motion picture soundtrack to "High Society", and whose duet with Bing Crosby on the single "True Love" earned a Gold record [the last in Crosby's career]), marries Prince Rainier III of Monaco
1956 - During two sessions held this day in The Capitol Tower at 1750 Vine Street in Hollywood, California vocalist and trumpet player Louis Prima, with Keely Smith on background vocals and tenor saxophonist Sam Butera & The Witnesses (James "Little Red" Blount Jr. on trombone, William "Willie" McCumber on piano, Jack Marshall on guitar, Amado Rodrigues on bass, and Robert "Bobby" Morris on drums) records the titles "Medley: Just A Gigolo/I Ain't Got Nobody (And Nobody Cares For Me)", the instrumental "Body And Soul", "Oh Marie", and "Buona Sera" at the first session between 7:00 PM and 10:00 PM and "Jump. Jive An' Wail", "(Nothin's Too Good) For My Baby", "(I'll Be Glad When You're Dead) You Rascal You", and "Medley: Basin Street Blues/When It's Sleepy Time Down South" at the second session between 10:00 PM and 1:00 AM on April 20, 1951. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Prima's album "the Wildest!" (T 755).
1956 - Pianist Lou Busch as Joe "Fingers" Carr, with an orchestra (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Spaghetti Rag", "12th Street Rag", and "The Old Piano Roll Blues" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Carr's album "Mister Ragtime" (T 760).
1956 - Vocalist Sonny James, with Bill Simmons on piano, Paul Buskirk on electric mandolin, and possibly Paul Brawley on bass, and William Pecchi on drums, records the titles "Twenty Feet Of Muddy Water" and "All Mixed Up" at the Jim Beck Studio in Dallas, Texas. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 3441).
1957 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone", with "Missing Persons" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #6 on The Billboard magazine's R&B Best Sellers In Stores and Most Played R&B By Jockeys charts, #28 on Cash Box magazine's Best Selling Singles chart and The Billboard magazine's Top 100 Sides chart, and #29 on The Billboard magazine's Honor Roll Of Hits chart.

1962 - The Beach Boys (David Marks on guitar, Carl Wilson on guitar and vocals, Brian Wilson on bass guitar and vocals, Mike Love on vocals, and Dennis Wilson on drums and vocals) record the tracks "Surfin' Safari", "409", "Lonely Sea", and "Their Hearts Were Full Of Spring" at Western Recorders in Los Angeles, California with Brian Wilson producing the session. Capitol Records will issue "Surfin' Safari" and "409" as the band's first single for the label (Capitol 4777).

55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "Where Did Everyone Go" is #3 on KTKT 990 AM's Album Chart in Tucson, Arizona.
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Bandleader and pianist Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Milt Bernhart, Bob Fitzpatrick, Kent Larsen, and Jim Amlotte on trombones, Dave Wheeler on bass trombone, Laurindo Almeida on guitar, Don Bagley on bass, Dee Barton on drums, and Larry Bunker on percussion) and a vocal choir (Evangeline Carmichael, Betty Jane Baker, Loulie Jean Norman, Gloria Wood, Sue Allen, Peggy Clark, Jackie Allen, Sally Sweetland, Jimmy Joyce, Bill Lee, Jay Meyer, Thomas Kenny, Allan Davies, Ian Smith, Charles Schrouder, Bill Stafford, William Cole, and Bernie Parke) and Pete Rugolo conducting his own arrangements, record the titles "Daydreams In The Night (Machito)", "Those Wonderful Things (Lush Waltz)", "Intermission Riff", and "Eager Beaver" at an extended session held in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 1:00 PM and 4:30 PM with composer Milt Rasking supervising the session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Kenton's album "Artistry In Voices And Brass" (T/ST 2132).
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Vocalist Glen Campbell, with unlisted others, records the titles "John Henry", "Who Can I Count On?", and "Ole 99" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records which has yet to issue any of the titles.

1964 - The Beatles pre-record the tracks "Can't Buy Me Love"; "I Wanna Be Your Man"; "Long Tall Sally"; a medley that used "Love Me Do", "Please Please Me", "From Me To You", "She Loves You", and "I Want to Hold Your Hand"; "Roll Over Beethoven"; "Shout"; and "Twist and Shout" for an Associated Rediffusion UK TV special "Around The Beatles" that will air on May 9, 1964

1965 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' single "Ticket To Ride" with "Yes It Is" on the flipside.
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - The Sidewalk Skipper Band (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Jeannie At The Circus", "(Would You Believe) It's Raining Flowers In My House", and "Seventeenth Summer" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records has yet to issue "Jeannie At The Circus" and will issue the other two titles together as a single (Capitol 2205).
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Overdubs recordings are started in Los Angeles, California for The Band's titles "I'm Ready (Bring It On Home)", "Loving You Is Sweeter Than Ever", and "Ill Wind". After more overdubs are recorded through April 27, 1973, and May 1973, Capitol Records will issue the final mix of "I'm Ready (Bring It On Home" on the group's album "Moondog Matinee" (SW-11214) and has yet to issue either of the other titles.
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - The Trend (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Home Cookin'" and "Revival" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Home Cookin'" as a single (Capitol 3659) with "Papa Was A Music Man" (recorded April 20, 1973) on the flipside. No issuing information is listed for "Revival".
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Sir Robert Charles Griggs, with unlisted others, records the titles "Uncle Ned", "Country Soul", "Cling Texas", and "In L.A." in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Griggs' album "The Legend Of Sir Robert Charles Griggs" (ST-11234).
1975 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records single "Bad Time", with "Good And Evil" on the flipside, enters the top 40 of Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
35 Years Ago Today In 1983 - Sherry Kean, with unlisted others, records the title "You're So Minor" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 5368) with "Would You Miss Me?" (recorded December 13, 1983) on the flipside.
30 Years Ago Today In 1988 - Capitol Records registers in Los Angeles, California the masters for Peter Bardens' titles "Westward Ho", "Black Elk", "Gold", "This Could Be Paradise", "Afterthought", "Speed Of Light", "Whisper In The Wind", "Heartland", "Columbine", and "Gold (Reprise)" and will issue all the titles on Bardens' album "Speed Of Light" (C1-48967 on 12" vinyl and 7-48967-2 on CD).
1990 - Dave Dexter, author, Kansas City reporter for Down Beat magazine (his reviews for Count Basie and His Orchestra got the band noticed), Capitol Records publicity and A&R man (got Peggy Lee to come out of retirement, signed Nellie Lutcher and Julia Lee) and record producer (The History Of Jazz series, New American Jazz all star album, Ella Fitzgerald, and many others), VP of A&R for Capitol Records' International division (created over 500 albums for "The Capitol Of The World" series of world music), remixed the early albums by The Beatles (until Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band) for U.S. release, editor and writer for Billboard Magazine, dies in Sherman Oaks, California at age 74. His papers have been donated to the University of Missouri Kansas City and they have a great biography of Dave as part of their Club Kaycee website.
2001 - Billy Idol and his band travel to New York City to tape his edition of "VH1 Storytellers". Ten months after the taping, on February 26, 2002, Capitol Records will release "Billy Idol's VH1 Storytellers" featuring 14 songs from the session including three tracks from his days fronting the band Generation X ("Dancing With Myself," "Kiss Me Deadly," "Ready Steady Go") to his 1983 solo hit, "White Wedding" and Idol's covers of Tommy James & The Shondell's "Mony, Mony" and the Doors' "L.A. Woman".
2011 - Roy Edward "Eddie" Burris, a drummer for Capitol Records artist Merle Haggard's band The Strangers who co-wrote the 1969 song "Okie From Muskogee" with Haggard, dies at age 79 of heart-related problems at a Tulsa, Oklahoma hospital.
2011 - Vanguard/Capitol Records releases Kimberly Caldwell's debut album "Without Regret"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Pianist Andrew Hill, with Woody Shaw on trumpet, Frank Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Jimmy Ponder on guitar, Reggie Workman on bass, and Idris Muhammad (aka Leo Morris) on drums, records the titles "Bayou Red", "Venture Inward" without Ponder on guitar, "Soul Special", "MC", and "Love Nocture" also without Ponder on guitar in recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Blue Note Records will issue all the titles on the CD release of Hill's album "Grass Roots" (5-22672-2) and "Soul Special" in the two-LP multi-artist compilation album "Blue Note Rare Grooves" (B1-35636).
1981 - Sheena Easton's EMI America single "Morning Train (Nine to Five)", with "Calm Before The Storm" on the flipside, is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. EMI America's catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, Universal Music Group.
35 Years Ago Today In 1983 - Michael Murphey recorded the title "Disenchantment" in an unlisted studio for Liberty Records. EMI America will reissue the title on Murphey's compilation album "Best Of Michael Martin Murphey" (ST-17143 on 12" vinyl and 7-46556-2 on CD).
30 Years Ago Today In 1988 - The Ralph Peterson Quintet (Terence Blanchard on trumpet, Steve Wilson on alto saxohone, (ss-1,as) Geri Allen on piano, Phil Bowler on bass, and Ralph Peterson on drums) record the titles "Enemy Within", "Monief" with Wilson on soprano saxophone, "The Short End Of The Stick", "Soweto 6", "Viola's Dance" again with Wilson on soprano saxophone, and "Bebopskerony" at A & R Studios in New York City, New York, in a session that ended early the next day on April 20, 1988, for Somethin' Else Records. Blue Note will issue all the titles on the quintet's album "V" (B1-91730 on 12" vinyl and 7-91730-2 on CD).
25 Years Ago Today In 1993 - At sessions that start today and go until April 23, 1993 at Sound On Sound studio in New York City, New York, guitarist Kevin Eubanks, with Dave Holland on bass and Mark Mondesir on drums, records the titles "Landing" and "Contact" with the addition of Robin Eubanks on trombone and Kent Jordan on alto flute, "Union" with Robin Jordan on trombone, and "Spirit Talk" with Kent Jordan on alto flute at the first session, the titles "Earth Party", ""Going Outside with Kent Jordan on alto flute, and "Living" with Robin Eubanks on trombone and Kent Jordan on alto flute at the second session, and the titles "Inside" with Robin Eubanks on trombone and "Journey" at the third session. Blue Note Records will lease all the masters from Kevin Eubanks and will issue all the titles on Eubank's CD "Spirit Talk" (7-89286-2).
25 Years Ago Today In 1993 - Bob Belden and Tim Hagans, with unlisted others, record the title "Venus De Milo" at an unlisted studio. Blue Note Records will issue the title on the CD "Blue Note Plays Prince" (8-6382602).
1995 - The Georgia legislature declares April 19, 1995 to be Johnny Mercer Day in the state for Mercer's "outstanding contributions to the field of music". Johnny Mercer is a co-founder of Capitol Records.