HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1945 - Gordon Waller, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and part of the Capitol Records duo Peter and Gordon is born Gordon Trueman Riviere Waller in Braemar, Scotland
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Jimmy McCulloch, the lead guitarist in the band Wings and a member of bands including Thunderclap Newman and Stone The Crows, is born in Glasgow, Scotland. Miguel Terol has a tribute page to Jimmy on The Musicians' Olympus website.
ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
80 Years Ago Today In 1938 - Eugene Jochum conducts The Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record the fourth movement of Bruckner's "Symphony N° 5 In B Flat" in six parts in Hamburg, Germany for Telefunken Records. After Capitol Records licenses Telefunken's catalog for release in the United States, it will issue the complete fourth movement on the album "BRUCKNER - Symphony #5 In B Flat (Disc 2)" (P-8050).
1942 - It's a Thursday, and with its name officially changed from Liberty Records, Capitol Records opens for business in a small 15’x50’ office with no air conditioning at 1483 Vine Street in Hollywood, California, just south of Sunset Boulevard, next to photographer Gene Lester's studio. The site of Capitol's first office is currently the entrance to the Bank of America parking structure.
The approximate location of Capitol's first office is highlighted in blue.
Capitol Records' first office's storefront entrance.
Also on this day Glenn Wallichs personally brings Hollywood disc jockey Peter Potter, creator and M.C. of the "Peter Potter's Picks" and “Juke Box Jury” radio shows, a pre-release copy of “Cow-Cow Boogie” probably pressed by Clark Phono Company in Newark, New Jersey, which due to war restrictions, used a proprietary non-shellac material which had better sound reproduction properties.
The company's first employees included chairman Buddy DeSylva, president Johnny Mercer, vice-president Glenn Wallichs, head of A&R Dave Shelley, Pacific Coast sales manager Floyd Bittaker (East Coast sales were initially handled by Modern Music Sales Company's Nat Cohn in New York City), publicity manager Jack Lawson, and the company's first female employee, 17 year old recent graduate of Santa Monica High School Auriel Macfie, who operated the small switchboard and was also the company's receptionist and typist.
Capitol Records' first female employee, Auriel Macfie, in a photo from 1946
Auriel is in the center of the back row in this photo from 1943.
After seeing Potter's enthusiastic reaction, Wallichs decides, for what would be the first time in the history of the American music industry, to give free copies of releases to disc jockeys and reviewers in order to promote Capitol Records' acts and the sound quality of its recordings. The records are personalized with labels bearing each recipient's name (which would often lead to Capitol's few employees having to stay up to 3:00 A.M. to fill them out). This quickly makes Capitol Records a favorite of disc jockeys across the country and forces the rest of the industry (not for the last time) to follow Capitol. So all those underpaid record company and radio station employees, as well as reviewers, that were able to make ends meet over the years by selling their promos to used record stores have Capitol, Glenn Wallichs, Peter Potter, and Freddie Slack and His Orchestra with vocalist Ella Mae Morse to thank.
Peter Potter with Capitol Records artists Stan Kenton, Frank Sinatra, and Kay Starr
1942 - At Capitol Records' fifth recording session Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record "He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings" with vocals by Connie Haines, "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" featuring Jenkins on piano, "Paradise", and, with vocals by Martha Tilton and Jenkins again featured on piano, "I'll Remember April" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "He Wears A Pair Of Silver Wings" and "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" together as a single (Capitol 106, the last single in Capitol's initial release to retail), "Paradise" (as well as "I'm Always Chasing Rainbows" and "I'll Remember April") in the album "Time To Dance With Gordon Jenkins And His Orchestra" (CCF-264), and "I'll Remember April" as a single (Capitol 105) with "The Angels Cried" (recorded April 6, 1942) on the flipside.
1946 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, Chico Alvarez, John Anderson, Ken Hanna on trumpet; Kai Winding, Miff Sines, Milt Kabak on trombone; Bart Varsalona on bass trombone; Al Anthony, Boots Mussulli on alto saxophone; Vido Musso, Bob Cooper on tenor saxophone; Bob Gioga on baritone saxophone; Stan Kenton on piano; Bob Ahern on guitar; Eddie Safranski on bass; Shelly Manne on drums; June Christy, Gene Howard, Ray Wetzel on vocals), record the Pete Rugolo compositions "Rika Jika Jack" (with vocals by Christy and the band and trombone solo by Kai Winding), "Artistry in Boogie" (with piano solos by Kenton and Pete Rugolo, bass solo by Eddie Safranski, tenor saxophone solo by Vido Musso, trumpet solo by Chico Alvarez, and trombone solo by Kai Winding), "Come Back To Sorrento" (with trumpet solo by Vido Musso) and an incomplete take of "Collaboration" (piano solo by Pete Rugolo) at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California
60 Years Ago Today In 1948 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #1 on The Billboard magazine's Best-Selling Popular Retail Records and Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys charts, #2 on the magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Records chart, #3 on the magazine's Canada's Top Tunes chart, #4 on the magazine's Best Selling Retail Race Records chart, and #5 on the magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Race Records chart. Also, The Pied Pipers' Capitol Records single "My Happiness" enters the top 20 at #9 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Sportsmen's a cappella Capitol Records single "You Can't Be True, Dear" is #15, Peggy Lee's Capitol Records single "Mañana" is #18, and Jack Smith and The Clark Sisters' Capitol Records single "Baby Face" is #19
60 Years Ago Today In 1948 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #1 on The Billboard magazine's Best-Selling Popular Retail Records and Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys charts, #2 on the magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Records chart, #3 on the magazine's Canada's Top Tunes chart, #4 on the magazine's Best Selling Retail Race Records chart, and #5 on the magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Race Records chart. Also, The Pied Pipers' Capitol Records single "My Happiness" enters the top 20 at #9 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Sportsmen's a cappella Capitol Records single "You Can't Be True, Dear" is #15, Peggy Lee's Capitol Records single "Mañana" is #18, and Jack Smith and The Clark Sisters' Capitol Records single "Baby Face" is #19
1949 - Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #7 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer's Capitol Records single "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is #11, Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable" is #12, and Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo)'s Capitol Records single "Careless Hands" is #16.
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Capitol Records filed the masters it purchased for Les Paul and Mary Ford's title "Dangerous Curves" which it will issue on the duo's album "Les & Mary" (EAP-4-577 on 7" EP, EBF2-577 in a 7" two EP set, H2-577 on 10" LP, and W 577 on 12" LP).
1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra and Chorus' Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s single "A Blossom Fell" and its flip side "If I May" which also includes The Four Knights is #6, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" is #10, Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s "The Ballad Of Davy Crockett" is #11, and Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s single "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" is #18
1956 - Capitol Records releases Gene Vincent and The Blue Caps' Capitol Records single "Woman Love", with "Be-Bop-A-Lula" on the flipside and the group, with Vincent on vocals, Cliff Gallup and William Williams on guitar, Jack Neil on bass, and Dickie Harrell on drums, play their first-ever gig at Myrtle Beach.
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Coronetist and bandleader Red Nichols and His Five Pennies (Jackie Coon on mellophone, Moe Schneider on trombone, Wayne Songer on clarinet and alto and baritone saxophones, Bill Wood also on clarinet, Heinie Beau also on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Jerry Kasper on bass saxophone, Bobby Hammack on piano, Allan Reuss on guitar, Morty Corb on bass, Jack Sperling on drums, and Ralph Hansell on vibraphone and bells) record the titles "Davenport Blues", "Buddy's Habits", "Delta Rolls", and "Washboard Blues" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles Nichols and His Pennies' album "Parade Of The Pennies" (T 1051).
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Vocalist Molly Bee, with an orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "To Be Or Not To Be In Love", "Honey, I'm In Love With You", a new take of the title "After You've Gone", and an overdub for the title "Five Points Of A Star" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "To Be Or Not To Be In Love" and "Honey, I'm In Love With You" on Bee's album "Young Romance" (T 1097) and the take of "After You've Gone" recorded at this session as a single (Capitol F064) with the final mix of "Five Points Of A Star" on the flipside.
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Coronetist and bandleader Red Nichols and His Five Pennies (Jackie Coon on mellophone, Moe Schneider on trombone, Wayne Songer on clarinet and alto and baritone saxophones, Bill Wood also on clarinet, Heinie Beau also on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Jerry Kasper on bass saxophone, Bobby Hammack on piano, Allan Reuss on guitar, Morty Corb on bass, Jack Sperling on drums, and Ralph Hansell on vibraphone and bells) record the titles "Davenport Blues", "Buddy's Habits", "Delta Rolls", and "Washboard Blues" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles Nichols and His Pennies' album "Parade Of The Pennies" (T 1051).
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Vocalist Molly Bee, with an orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "To Be Or Not To Be In Love", "Honey, I'm In Love With You", a new take of the title "After You've Gone", and an overdub for the title "Five Points Of A Star" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "To Be Or Not To Be In Love" and "Honey, I'm In Love With You" on Bee's album "Young Romance" (T 1097) and the take of "After You've Gone" recorded at this session as a single (Capitol F064) with the final mix of "Five Points Of A Star" on the flipside.
1962 - The Beatles' sign their first contract with Parlophone Records.
1962 - Capitol Records, as part of Capitol Single Release 841, releases singles by Dinah Shore ("Just A Brief Encounter" with orchestra conducted by Van Alexander), Tex Williams ("You Gotta Have A License" and "Ghost Of A Honky Tonk Slave" with orchestra conducted by Billy Liebert), The Beach Boys ("Surfin' Safari" and "409"), and Art and Dottie Todd ("Sweet Someone" and "Ring-A-Ding").
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Nat King Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #18 on WABC's Silver Dollar Sound Survey in New York City.
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - During two sessions held this day in Studio A of The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California, The Howard Roberts Quartet (Burkley Kendrix on organ, Howard Roberts on guitar, Chuck Berghofer on bass, and Earl Palmer on drums) record the titles "Li'l Darlin'" and "Call Me Irresponsible" at the first session and the titles "Turista" and "Get Me To The Church On Time" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue "Li'l Darlin'" and "Turista" on the quartet's album "H.R. Is A Dirty Guitar Player" (T/ST 1961) and has yet to issue the other two titles.
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Nat King Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #18 on WABC's Silver Dollar Sound Survey in New York City.
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - During two sessions held this day in Studio A of The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California, The Howard Roberts Quartet (Burkley Kendrix on organ, Howard Roberts on guitar, Chuck Berghofer on bass, and Earl Palmer on drums) record the titles "Li'l Darlin'" and "Call Me Irresponsible" at the first session and the titles "Turista" and "Get Me To The Church On Time" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue "Li'l Darlin'" and "Turista" on the quartet's album "H.R. Is A Dirty Guitar Player" (T/ST 1961) and has yet to issue the other two titles.
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Violinist Nathan Milstein, with Anatole Fistoulari conducting The Philharmonia Orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the part of the first movement of Saint-Saens' "Concerto N° 3 In B Minor" at E.M.I.'s studios on Abbey Road in London England. After Angel Records, then a subsidiary of Capitol Records, acquires the masters from E.M.I., it will issue the entire piece on the album "SAINT-SAENS - Concerto N° 3 In B Minor/CHAUSSON - Poeme For Violin & Orchestra" (S-36005).
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - David A. Axelrod conducts his own arrangements to an orchestra (Allen Di Rienzo, Freddie Hill, Ollie Mitchell, and Tony Terran on trumpets, Richard Leith and Lew McCreary on trombones, Vincent De Rosa, Bill Hinshaw, Arthur Maebe, and Henry Sigismonti on French horns, Gary Coleman on vibraphone, Howard Roberts and Pete Wyant on guitars, Carol Kaye on bass, Earl Palmer on drums, Gene Estes on percussion, Arnold Belnick, Nathan Ross, Myron Sandler, and Marshall Sosson on violins, Harry Hyams on viola, Harold Schneier on cello, and Ben Barrett on an unlisted instrument) as they record the titles "Holy Thursday", "Urizen" and "A Song Of Innocence" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Axelrod's album "Song Of Innocence" (ST 2982).
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - The Beach Boys (lineup unlisted) record the title "I Went To Sleep" in Los Angeles, California. After overdubs are recorded on November 18, 1968, Capitol Records will issue the final mix of the title on the band's album "20/20" (SKAO-133).
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - The Five Man Electrical Band (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Didn't Know The Time" and "Running Back" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue both titles on the group's self-titled album "Five Man Electrical Band" (ST-165) and "Didn't Know The Time" also as a single (Capitol 2260) with "We Go Together Well" (recorded June 3, 1968) on the flipside as by The Staccatos.
1969 - The Beatles' single "The Ballad Of John and Yoko", with "Old Brown Shoe" on the flipside, is released by Capitol Records in the U.S.
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Murry Gage Wilson, father of Brian, Carl and Dennis Wilson (and uncle to Mike Love) of The Beach Boys, dies of a heart attack at his home in Hawthorne, California at age 56. Murry was at one time co-producer of The Beach Boys, ran the band's publishing company Sea of Tunes, had his own album on Capitol ("The Many Moods Of Murry Wilson), and was manager and producer of the Tower Records band The Sunrays, and their website has a photos of them with Murry.
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Capitol Records Canada releases Edward Bear's album "Close Your Eyes" and Rolf Harris' album "You Name It".
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - The Band (Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel on keyboards and vocals, Jaime Robbie Robertson on guitar, and vocals, Rick Danko on bass and vocals, and Levon Helm on drums and vocals) begin four straight days of recording which will produce the titles "Ain't Got No Home" and "Holy Cow" at Bearsville Recording Studios in Bearsville, New York. After overdubs are recorded for "Holy Cow" in October of 1973, Capitol Records will issue the final mixes of both titles on the group's album "Moondog Matinee" (SW-11214).
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - The Band (Garth Hudson and Richard Manuel on keyboards and vocals, Jaime Robbie Robertson on guitar, and vocals, Rick Danko on bass and vocals, and Levon Helm on drums and vocals) begin four straight days of recording which will produce the titles "Ain't Got No Home" and "Holy Cow" at Bearsville Recording Studios in Bearsville, New York. After overdubs are recorded for "Holy Cow" in October of 1973, Capitol Records will issue the final mixes of both titles on the group's album "Moondog Matinee" (SW-11214).
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Vocalist Dick Curless, with Norman "Buddy" Spicher on fiddle, Hargus "Pig" Robbins on piano, Harold Ray Bradley, Ray Edenton, and Herman "Pete" Wade on guitars, Weldon Myrick on steel guitar, Bob Moore on bass, and Murrey M. "Buddy" Harman, Jr. on drums, records the titles "The Last Blues Song", Born In Country Music (Raised On Dixieland)", and "Room Full Of Roses" at the Jack Clement Studio in Nashville, Tennessee between 6:00 PM and 9:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Curless' album "The Last Blues Song" (ST-11211) and also "The Last Blues Song" and "Room Full Of Roses" together as a single (Capitol 3698).
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - Billy May and The Time-Life Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Angel" featuring Bob Bain on guitar, "Last Tango In Paris" featuring Warren Luening on trumpet, "Love Theme From 'The Godfather'", "Moment To Moment", and "Our Winter Love" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California. After overdubs are recorded at the same session for "Love Them From 'The Godfather'" and "Our Winter Love" and on July 5, 1973 for "Angel", Time-Life Records will issue the final mixes for all the titles in the three-LP set "Volume 8 - Billy May" (STL-248) as part of its "As You Remember Them" series.
35 Years Ago Today In 1983 - Industry (lineup unlisted) records the title "Shangri-La" in an unlisted studio. Capitol Records will issue the title on the group's album "Stranger To Stranger" (ST-12316).
1990 - Members of the International Sawyer Brown Fan Club hold their first meeting at a breakfast with the Capitol Nashville band the day before the Fan Fair 1990 opens in Nashville, Tennessee. Members of the band go to each table to chat and give autographs, and that afternoon there's an auction of Sawyer Brown memorabilia. There's a write up on the fan club's website about the breakfast and the fan fair.
20 Years Ago Today In 1998 - Pink Floyd's album "Dark Side Of The Moon" is certified 15x Multi-Platinum by the R.I.A.A.
20 Years Ago Today In 1998 at 9:00 AM eastern - A news item appears announcing that Gary Gersh, president & CEO, Capitol Records, and Glen Ballard, president, Java Records, have signed Lisa Marie Presley to an exclusive recording agreement with Java Records. Java Records was the joint venture between Capitol Records and writer/producer Ballard.
2001 - Diana Krall finished recording her album "The Look Of Love" in The Capitol Tower Studios
2001 - John Hartford, banjo player, triple Grammy Award winner, and composer (best remembered for Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Gentle On My Mind") dies at age 63 in a Nashville hospital after a lengthy battle with non-Hodgkins lymphoma
15 Years Ago Today In 2003 - Lisa Marie Presley performs during half-time of the first game of the 2003 NBA finals
2004 - 42 years to the day she started as Capitol Records' first female employee, Auriel Macfie Douglas, died. She is buried at O'ahu Cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii.
She was born September 22, 1924 and was just seventeen and newly graduated from Santa Monica High School as a journalism major when she started working for Capitol Records.
2004 - 42 years to the day she started as Capitol Records' first female employee, Auriel Macfie Douglas, died. She is buried at O'ahu Cemetery in Honolulu, Hawaii.
She was born September 22, 1924 and was just seventeen and newly graduated from Santa Monica High School as a journalism major when she started working for Capitol Records.
Her father helped develop tanks and bi-planes during first World War and, unfortunately, died in 1943 while Auriel was working at Capitol the same year as the group photo above. She would go on to write and edit Capitol's monthly promotional magazine "Capitol News" for two years then do promotion work for the Music Hall chain of theaters in Los Angeles, before going to New York City to first work for M-G-M Records and then became chief of NBC Radio's promotional magazine.
She married Russell D. Douglas on November 28, 1952, came back to Los Angeles, worked for various promotional firms as well as handling promotion for Pacific Ocean Park in the early 1960s, had her own promotional business with June Bundy Csida In later years, she also wrote and worked in the publishing industry.
2005 - Capitol Records artists hold the top 3 spots on Billboard's Country charts with Keith Urban's "Making Memories of Us" at #1, Trace Adkins' "Songs About Me" at #2, and Dierks Bentley's "Lot of Leavin' Left to Do" coming in at #3
2006 -The Rice Brothers (Wayne, Jim, and Joe Rice) with guitarist Dale Cooper, bassist Steve Lawrence, and fiddler Tom Cunningham perform during the evening service at Shadow Mountain Community Church (2100 Greenfield Drive, El Cajon, California) at 6:00 p.m. These former members of the band Brush Arbor will be playing and singing together for the first time since their Capitol Records days thirty years ago [1972-1974]. Wayne Rice has put up a homepage for Brush Arbor with a great discography and history.
ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Michelle Phillips, motion picture and television actress, singer with the group The Mamas And The Papas, and mother of SBK Records artist (as part of the group Wilson Phillips) Chynna Phillips, is born vocals Holly Michelle Gilliam in Long Beach, California
1960 - Pianist Randy Weston (with Cecil Payne on baritone saxophone, Ron Carter on bass, and Roy Haynes on drums) records the tracks "Portrait Of Patsy J", "Uncle Nemo", "Cry Me Not", "Honk Honk", "Saucer Eyes", "204", and "C.B. Blues" (all written by Weston), with producer Teddy Reig in New York City, New York for Roulette Records who will only release the track "Saucer Eyes" as part of "The Roulette Jazz CD Sampler" and will all finally be released in 2003 by Mosaic Records on the CD compilation "Mosaic Select: Randy Weston"
1964 - Chris Kavanagh, drummer with the EMI America Records group Sigue Sigue Sputnik as well as Big Audio Dynamite II, is born in England
ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1965 - The Rolling Stones' single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", with "The Under-Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" on the flipside, enters Billboard's singles chart where it will peak at #1, the band's first in the U.S.
1992 - Harrison Ford leaves his hand and footprints during ceremony #155 at Mann's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California
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