MAY 20, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
85 Years Ago Today In 1933 - Gil Garfield, member of the Capitol Records vocal group The Cheers, is born Gilbert Garfield in Los Angeles, California
1944 - Joe Cocker, singer and Capitol Records artist, is born John Robert Cocker in Sheffield, Yorkshire, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago And Far Away" is #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and it's flipside "I Love You" is #10
1944 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra record the tracks "How Many Hearts Have You Broken" and "She's Funny That Way" with vocals by Gene Howard, and "I'm Going Mad For A Pad" as well as two versions (one without and one with piano accompaniment) of "And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine" with vocals by Anita O'Day, at C. P. MacGregor Studios on Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will release "And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine" as a single with "How Many Hearts Have You Broken" on the flip side.
1947 - Carl Kress is at WMCA studios in New York City to records the tracks "The Goose From Gander" and "Swan Of Tonnelle Avenue" with Kress are Tony Mottola on guitar, Paul Ricci on clarinet, Bob Haggart on bass and Terry Snyder on drums. The tracks will be released as part of Kress' self-titled Capitol Records album in the label's "Classics In Jazz" series.
1950 - Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Dearie" is in a three-way tie for #20 on Billboards' Best Selling Retail Records chart with Frankie Lane's single "The Stars And Stripes Forever", and Hoagy Carmichael and Cass Daley (with Matty Matlock's All-Stars)'s single "The Old Piano Roll Blues"
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - At a split session held this day in Los Angeles, California, Dave Cavanaugh's Music (lineup unlisted but includes trumpet, violin, piano, guitar, bass, drums, and percussion players) records the titles "When The Hands Of The Clock Pray At Midnight" and "Give Me The Name, Age, Height And Size" with vocals by Helen O'Connell and Gisele MacKenzie then the title "Le Gros Bill (Big Bill) with vocals by just Gisele MacKenzie Capitol Records will issue "When The Hands Of The Clock Pray At Midnight" and "Give Me The Name, Age, Height And Size" together as a single (Capitol 2521 on 10" shellac and F2521 on 7" vinyl) as by Helen O'Connell and Gisele MacKenzie and "Le Gros Bill (Big Bill) as a single (Capitol 2695 on 10" shellac and F2695 on 7" vinyl) with "A Letter And A Ring" (recorded August 20, 1953) on the flipside as by Gizele MacKenzie.
1956 - Comedian and Capitol Records recording artist Harry Stewart, born Harry Edward Skarbo and who recorded as the characters Yogi Yorgesson, Hari Kari and Klaus Hammerschmidt, is killed at age 47 when his car goes off the road near Tonopah, Nevada while returning to Los Angeles, California from an appearance in Ely, Nevada.
1957 - Frank Sinatra records the tracks "Witchcraft", "Something Wonderful Happens In Summer", "Tell Her You Love Her" and "You're Cheating Yourself (If You're Cheating On Me)" at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra and produced by Voyle Gilmore.
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Vocalist Mark Murphy signs a contract with Capitol Records.
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - The Frank Moore Four (Frank Moore on accordion with unlisted tenor saxophone, bass, and drums players) record the titles "They Can't Take That From Me", "Frenesi", "Midnight Sun", and "Four Brothers" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "They Can't Take That From Me" and "Frenesi" on the group's self-titled album "The Frank Moore Four" (T 1127) and has yet to issue the takes of "Midnight Sun" and "Four Brothers" recorded at this session or on May 26, 1958.

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Pianist Leonard Pennario records the first half of Franz Liszt's "Sonata In B Minor" in Los Angeles, California. After Pennario records the last half on May 23, 1958, Capitol Records will issue the entire piece on Pennario's album "CHOPIN - Sonata In B Flat/LISZT - Sonata In B Minor" (P-8457).

60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - During two sessions held this day at EMI's Abbey Road Studio N° 1 in London, England, Erich Leinsdorf conducts The Philharmonia Orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record Rossini's "L'Italiana In Algeri Overture" and Weber's "Oberon Overture" at the first session and the first, fourth, and sixth movements of Kodaly's "Hary Janos Suite" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue "L'Italiana In Algeri Overture" and "Oberon Overture" on the album "Opera Overtures" (G/SG-8465) as by The Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf and all the movements of "Hary Janos Suite" on the album "PROKOFIEV - Lieutenant Kije Suite/KODALY-Hary Janos Suite" (P/SP-8508) also as by The Philharmonia Orchestra, conducted by Erich Leinsdorf.

55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone, and bass, Bill Comstock on vocals and guitar, Ross Barbour vocals, trumpet, and drums, and Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, flugelhorn, and bass), with Shorty Rogers conducting is own arrangements to the orchestra (Bub Brisbois, Al Porcino, Ray Triscari, Ollie Mitchell also on trumpet, Lew McCreary, Tricky Lofton, Bobby Knight, and George Roberts also on trombones, Ray Johnson on keyboards, Billy Strange on tenor guitar, Bill Pitman on bass guitar, Glen Campbell on 12-string guitar, Jimmy Bond also on bass, Earl Palmer also on drums, and Fats Blackstone on harminonica), record the titles "Baby Won't You Please Come Home", "When The Felling Hits You", "I Gotta Right To Sing The Blues", and "Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's album "Got That Feelin'" (T/ST 1950).

55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Sandra Sawn, with unlisted others, records the titles "Your Eyes Are Windows To Your Soul", "Why Must I Pay", and "Everybody Knows But Jim" in New York City, New York for Capitol Records which has yet to issue any of the titles.

1964 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "My Heart Skips A Beat" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts

1967 - Buck Owens's Capitol Records single "Sam's Place" is #1 on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Overdubs are recorded in Los Angeles, California for John Stewart and Buffy Ford's title "Lincoln's Train" (recorded May 6, 1968). Capitol Records will issue the final take of the title on Stewart and Ford's album "Signals Through The Glass" (ST 2975).
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, vocalist John Steward, with unlisted others, records the title "Omaha Rainbow" at the first session and a new take of the title "Lincoln's Train" at the second session for Capitol Records which has yet to issue the takes of either title recorded on this day.

1972 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Grandma Harp" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts

40 Years Ago Today In 1978 - Paul McCartney & Wings' Capitol Records single "With A Little Luck" hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
35 Years Ago Today In 1983 - Richard Leigh, with unlisted others, records the titles "It Ain't Gonna Worry My Mind" and "Whole New World" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 5247).
30 Years Ago Today In 1988 - The band Elvis Hitler (Jim Leedy, John Defever, Damian Lang, and Warren Defever) signs a contract with Capitol Records Inc. and will have three albums released by Enigma Records' subsidiary Restless Records, who at the time has a distribution deal with Capitol Records.

1997 - Capitol Records releases The Foo Fighters' self-titled debut album

20 Years Ago Today In 1998 - Frank Sinatra is interred at Cathedral City's "Desert Memorial Park" in Palm Springs, California at B-8, #151 with the inscription "The Best Is Yet To Come"

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1851 - Emile Berliner, an inventor and the developer of the disc gramophone, is born in Hanover Germany. His Berliner Gramophone Company would later become EMI, the parent company of Capitol Music Group
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - The Howard McGhee Sextet (Howard McGhee on trumpet, Gigi Gryce on alto saxophone, Horace Silver on piano, Tal Farlow on guitar, Percy Heath on bass, and Walter Bolden on drums) record the titles "Shabozz", "Tranquility", "Futurity", "Jarm (Fast Version)", "Jarm", "Ittapanna" and, without Gryce, "Goodbye" in radio station WOR's studios in New York City, New York. Blue Note Records will issue all the titles, except "Jarm (Fast Version)", on the sextet's album "Howard McGhee, Volume 2" (BLP 5024) and all the titles on the compilation CD "Howard McGhee Volume 2 - Tal Farlow Quartet" (4-957248-2).
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Chet Baker on trumpet, Gerry Mulligan on baritone saxophone, Carson Smith on bass, and Larry Bunker on drums) perform the titles "Five Brothers", "I Can't Get Started", "Ide's Side", "Funhouse" (aka "Haig And Haig"), and "My Funny Valentine" at a gig in The Haig at 638 South Kenmore Avenue in Hollywood, California which was recorded by Pacific Jazz Records. Blue Note Records will issue "Five Brothers" and "My Funny Valentine" on the compilatation CD "Gerry Mulligan Jazz Profile" (8-54905-2). Mosaic Records will issue all the titles in the box set "The Complete Pacific Jazz And Capitol Recordings Of The Original Gerry Mulligan Quartet And Tentette With Chet Baker" (MR5-102 on 5 LPs and MD3-102 on 3 CDs).
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Trumpet player Donald Byrd, with Sonny Red on alto saxophone, Jimmy Heath on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Eddie Khan on bass, and Albert Heath on drums, records the titles "All Numbers" and "On The Trail" at recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. The take of "On The Trail" was rejected. Blue Note Records will issue "All Numbers" on the CD release of Byrd's album "Blackjack" (8-21286-2).
1967 - Kit Clark, the accordion player and a vocalist with the Virgin Records America group Meet Danny Wilson, is born in Dundee, Scotland
2005 - A large brick monument is dedicated at the site of Capitol Records band The Beach Boys' members Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson's childhood home on 119th Street in Hawthorne, California, which had been demolished 20 years earlier to make way for a freeway. The site is also named an official California State Historical Landmark.
2011 - EMI's catalog is now on eMusic in the United States.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1985 - Forty Hard Rock music artists (including Jimmy Bain, Vivian Campbell and Ronnie James Dio [all three from Dio], Don Dokken [Dokken], Geoff Tate [Queensrÿche], Yngwie Malmsteen, Rob Halford [Judas Priest], Ted Nugent, Vince Neil [Mötley Crüe], Dave Meniketti [Y & T], Dave Murray and Adrian Smith [Iron Maiden]) gather at A&M Records Studios to participate in the making of a record called "Stars", part of project known as Hear 'N Aid to raise money for famine relief efforts in Africa and around the world.
1989 - Comedienne and actress Gilda Radner dies of ovarian cancer at age 42 in Los Angeles, California. After her death, her husband, Gene Wilder, and her cancer therapist, Joanna Bull, start Gilda's Club, now a worldwide support group helping those living with cancer.