APRIL 28, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1926 - Blossom Dearie, singer, pianist, songwriter and Capitol Records artist (1964 for one album, "May I Come In?", currently available on Blue Note Records), also on the original soundtrack to the television show "Multiplication Rock!", is born in East Durham, New York
1945 - John Wolters, record producer, singer, and drummer with the Capitol Records group Dr. Hook, is born John Christian Wolters in Pompton Lakes, New Jersey. Sadly, he'll die of liver cancer in San Francisco, California on June 16, 1997.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1945 - Johnny Mercer, Jo Stafford and The Pied Pipers (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Candy" is at #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart.
70 Years Ago Today In 1940 - Capitol Records registers the masters for Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra's titles "12th Street Rag", "Somebody Else, Not Me", "The Object Of My Affection", and "Wabash Blues" which were recorded at sessions held between August 8, 1946 and December 29, 1947 for The Capitol Records Transcription Service. Capitol Records will issue "12th Street Rag" and "Somebody Else, Not Me" together as a single (Capitol 15105), has yet to issue "The Object Of My Affection", and will issue "Wabash Blues" as a single (Capitol 15299) with "High Society" (recorded August 15, 1946, also for The Capitol Records Transcription Service) on the flipside. According to a story told by James B. Conkling, the non-commercial transcription of "12th Street Rag" was so popular amongst DJs that it was decided to release it commercially but the original wax master was either broken or lost, so they had to transfer the audio for an existing transcription disc. The title went on to sell over a million copies, becoming one of Capitol's biggest hits during the label's first ten years.

1949 - Smiley Burnette signs a contract with Capitol

1951 - Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Popular Retail Records chart, they are also at #3 with their Capitol Records single "Mockin' Bird Hill", Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young" with Les Baxter conducting the orchestra using Nelson Riddle's arrangement, is at #5, and Stan Kenton and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "September Song" enters the chart at #20.
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - During a split session held this day in Los Angeles, California, first Les Baxter conducts his own arrangements to His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record the titles "Gigi" and "La Valse Moderne" then vocalist Helen O'Connell, with Harold Mooney and His Orchestra (lineup also unlisted) records the titles "No Other Love" and "Night For Love". Capitol Records will issue "Gigi" as a single (Capitol 2479) with "I Love Paris" (recorded April 6, 1953) on the flipside, has yet to issue "La Valse Moderne", and will issue "No Other Love" and "Night For Love" together as a single (Capitol 2487).
1956 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Poor People Of Paris" is still #1 on Billboard's Best Selling Popular Retail Records chart, Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Lisbon Antigua" is #4, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young To Go Steady" is at #35 (in a three way tie with Bill Haley and The Comets' single "See You Later, Alligator" and George Cates and His Orchestra's single "Moonglow And Theme From 'Picnic'"), and Dean Martin (with Dick Stabile and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Innamorata (Sweetheart)", is at #39 (in a tie with The Four Lads (with Ray Ellis and His Orchestra)'s single "Standing On The Corner")
1957 - Gene Vincent receives a gold record from Capitol during a show in Chicago for sales of over 2 million copies of the single "Be-Bop-A-Lula", which would go on to sell over 9 million copies
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Twelve-year-old Laurie London's Capitol Records single "He's Got The Whole World In His Hands" is #3 on Billboard's Top 100 Singles chart, Dean Martin (with Gus Levine, His Orchestra, and Chorus)'s Capitol Records single "Return To Me" is #16, The Four Prep's Capitol Records single "Twenty-Six Miles" is #25, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #28, and Ed Townsend's Capitol Records single "For Your Love" is #29 (in a tie with Betty Johnson's single "Little Blue Man").
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #15 on WMGM's Top 40 Survey in New York City, New York and #35 on KOBY 1550 AM's Original Top Forty Survey Of The Greater San Francisco-Oakland Bay Area in California.

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Gil Evans signs a contract with Capitol Records.

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - The Jordanaires (vocalists Hugh Gordon Stoker, Hoyt H. Hawkins, and Neal Matthews, Jr.) with unlisted others, record the titles "Sock Hop", "Where Mary Go", and "Wella Wella Honey" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records has yet to issue "Sock Hop" and will issue "Where Mary Go" and "Wella Wella Honey" together as a single (Capitol F4025).

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Vocalist Tommy Sands, with Bob Bain's Music (Merrill E. Moore on piano, Bob Bain on lead guitar, Buck Owens on rhythm guitar, and unlisted bass and drums players) records the titles "Honey Love" and "Big Date" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Honey Love" on Sands' album "Sands Storm!" (EAP-2-1081 on 7" vinyl EP and T 1082 on 12" vinyl) and "Big Date" as a single (Capitol F3985) with "After The Senior Prom" (recorded April 15, 1958) on the flipside.

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Del Courtney and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Rose Room", "Medley: My Baby Just Cares For Me/Everywhere You Go/Little White Lies/Mama's Gone, Goodbye", "Blue Room", "C'est Si Bon", and "Medley: Never Say Never Again/Way Down Yonder In New Orleans" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Rose Room" and "Medley: My Baby Just Cares For Me/Everywhere You Go/Little White Lies/Mama's Gone, Goodbye" on Courtney's album "Dancing 'Til Daybreak" (T 1070) and has yet to issue "Blue Room", "C'est Si Bon", and "Medley: Never Say Never Again/Way Down Yonder In New Orleans".

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Producer Webley Edwards, with Al Kealoha Perry, John Kamana, Joseph Halemano Nicholas, James Kaopuiki, Winona Beamer, Daniel Kaleihini, Kent Girhard, Lani, Kealiiwahamana, Miriam Purini, Iwalani Kahalewai, Iwalani Kamahele, Sam Kapu, and chanters and chorus (lineups unlisted), records the titels "Fire Goddess" with the addition of Haunani Kahalewai, "Canoe Song (Chinemutu)", "Flame Dance (Nohili)", "Forbidden Waters (Way Kapu)" with Haunani Kahalewai, "Temple Dance" with the addition of Jules Ah See, "Thoughts Of Love (Manao He Aloha)" with Haunani Kahalewai, "Sharskin Drums (Pahu)", "Beauty Hula (Hooheno Keia No Beaute)" with the addition of Benny Kalama, featuring John Kamana, Sol Kamahele, Purini, and Haunani "Chant Of The Island (Kaulana Na Pua)" with Haunani Kahalewai and Benny Kalama and featuring John Kamana, Sol Kamahele, Purini, and Haunani, "Knife Dance (Na Pahi Hola E Pae)", "Tapa Dance (Tomo Pono - Halii Ka Moena) with Haunani Kahalewai, Hawaiian Bamboos (Anapau Nani Wale)" with Haunani Kahalewai, "The Old Church (E Kolo Mea Nui)", and dubbed "Fire Goddess" to become "Pele, Fire Goddess" in an unlisted studio in Hawaii. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "Hawaii Calls: Fire Goddess" (T/ST 1033) as by Webley Edwards with Kealoha Perry.

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - During two sessions held this day in New York City, New York, Johnny Richards conducts his own arrangments to His Orchestra (Ray Copeland, Burt Collins, Al Stewart, and John Bello on trumpets, Billy Byers, Jim Dahl, and Jimmy Cleveland on trombones, Julius Watkins on French horn, Jay McAllister on tuba, Gene Quill on alto saxophone, Frank Socolow on tenor saxophone, Bill Slapin also on tenor saxophone as well as on piccolo, Shelly Gold on bass saxophone, Bob Panecoast on piano, Chet Amsterdam on bass, Jimmy Campbell on drums, and Joe Venuto on xylophone and percusssion) as they record a new take of "How Are Things In Glocca Morra)" and the title "Estoy Cansado (I'm Tired)" at the first session and the titles "Terpsichore", "Omo Ado" with the band on vocals, "What Is There To Say", and "Je Vous Adore" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles recorded at both sessions on Richards' album "Experiments In Sound" (T/ST 981) and also "Estoy Cansado (I'm Tired)" and "What Is There To Say" together as a single (Capitol F4094).
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Pianist and bandleader Count Basie and His Orchestra (Wendell Culley, Snooky Young, Thad Jones, and Joe Newman on trumpets, Henry Coker, Al Grey, and Benny Powell on trombones, Frank Wess on alto saxophone and flute, Marshall Royal also on alto saxophone, Frank Foster and Billy Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Charles Fowlkes on baritone saxophone, Freddie Green on guitar, Eddie Jones onbass, and Sonny Payne on drums), using an arrangement by Jimmy Mundy, record the title "Ol' Man River" in Capitol Records' studios in New York City, New York for Roulette Records. After Roulette's catalog is acquired by EMI, Blue Note Records will issue the title on the CD "Blue Broadway - Show Tunes Blue Note Style" (8-29095-2).

1965 - The Beatles receive the Grammy for "Best Vocal Performance by a Group" for "A Hard Day's Night
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Pink Floyd's Capitol Records album "Dark Side Of The Moon" hits #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart. It'll be #1 for only 1 week, but it will stay on Billboard's charts for 741 weeks.
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Brush Arbor (lineup unlisted) records the titles "We Need Rain", "Now That It's All Over", and "Alone Again, Naturally" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's album "Brush Arbor N° 2" (ST-11209) and will also issue "We Need Rain" as a single (Capitol 3968) with "Folk, Rock, Pop, Middle Of The Road Country singer" (recorded August 26, 1974) on the flipside, "Now That It's All Over" as a single (Capitol 3733) with "Song To Mary Anne" (recorded June 9, 1973) on the flipside, and "Alone Again, Naturally" as a single (Capitol 3672) with "Washington County" (recorded on an unlisted date in June 1973) on the flipside.
1974 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Things Aren't Funny Anymore", with "Honky Tonk Night Time Man" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1974 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records single "The Loco-motion" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1985 - Sleepy Willis, who worked with Dick Curless on the Capitol Records album "The Soul of Dick Curless" and later would become Curless' lead guitarist, agent, and manager, is inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame
1991 - NBC-TV airs Liberty Records (later to become Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks' network special "This Is Garth Brooks"
2006 - Wanda Jackson, former Capitol Records artist (1956-1973), is on stage at 7:00 pm in the Jensen Concert Hall at the Stephens Performing Arts Center at the Idaho State University in Pocatello. Any first-hand accounts would be appreciated!
5 Years Ago Today In 2013 - Lonnie Carter, songwriter and the bass guitarist and a vocalist in the Capitol Records group Steve Miller Band, dies at age 66 from lung cancer and complications from early-onset Alzheimer’s disease at Avamere Care Center in Lebanon, Oregon.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1896 - George Ewing Lee, a baritone saxophone player, singer, bandleader (George E. Lee and His Novelty Singing Orchestra, which featured his sister, future Capitol Records artist Julia Lee, on vocals and piano), is born in Boonville, Missouri
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - David Seville's Liberty Records single "Witch Doctor" is #1 on Billboard's Top 100 Singles chart, and Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Believe What You Say" is #13 with the flip side "My Bucket's Got A Hole In It" at #20. Liberty and Imperial Records' catalogs are currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Trombonist Bennie Green, with Billy Root and Gene Ammons (as "Jug") on tenor saxophones, Sonny Clark on piano, Ike Isaacs on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums, records the titles "Lullaby Of The Doomed", "We Wanna Cook" with band on vocals, "That's All", multiple mono and stereo takes of "Soul Stirrin'" with vocals by Bennie Green and Babs Gonzales, "B. G. Mambo", and "Black Pearl" in recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's studio at his parent's home in Hackensack, New Jersey. Blue Note Records will issue all the titles on Green's album "Soul Stirrin'" (BLP1599 in mono and BST81599 in stereo) and also "Lullaby Of The Doomed" and "We Wanna Cook" together as a single (Blue Note 45-1709), "That's All" and a mono version of "Soul Stirrin'" (spliced together from take 12 up to the piano solo and take 13 from the piano solo and ensemble) together as a single (Blue Note 45-1708).
1979 - Blondie's Chrysalis Records single "Heart Of Glass" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.
35 Years Ago Today In 1983 - Vocalist Sheena Easton, with unlisted others records the title "Wish You Were Here Tonight" in an unlisted studio. EMI America will issue the title as a single (EMI America 8172) with "Telefone (Long Distance Affair" (Recorded April 12, 1983) on the flipside.
30 Years Ago Today In 1988 - Vocalist Dianne Reeves, with Mulgrew Miller on piano, Charnett Moffett on bass, and Marvin "Smitty" Smith on drums, records the titles, "For All We Know" with the addition of Greg Osby on alto saxophone, "You Taught My Heart To Sing", "How High The Moon", and "Do Watcha Gotta Do" in recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Blue Note Records will issue "For All We Know", and "You Taught My Heart To Sing" on Reeve's album "Remember" (B1-90264 on 12" vinyl LP and 7-90264-2 on CD) and rejected the takes of "How High The Moon" and "Do Watcha Gotta Do" recorded at this session.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
2005 - The U.S. Postal Service has a ceremony in New York City, New York to celebrate the release of a postage stamp featuring E.Y. "Yip" Harburg, writer of such well known songs as "Over the Rainbow" (with Capitol Records artist Harold Arlen) from "The Wizard of Oz" and (with Jay Gorney) "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"