JUNE 8, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!
100 Years Ago Today In 1918 - Robert Preston, Broadway and motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (original Broadway cast album "The Music Man") is born Robert Preston Meservey in Newton, Massachusetts
1936 - Odessa Harris who, with producers Earl Wainwright and Bill Wyler, recorded the tracks "You're What I Need" and "Since I Fell For You", "The Color Of His Love Is Blue" and "Driving Wheels", which were released in 1967 as two singles for the Uptown Records label (a subsidiary of Tower Records, itself a subsidiary of Capitol Records), is born in West Helena, Arkansas
1936 - James Darrin, motion picture and television actor and singer, who would record his first album, "Album No. 1", for ColPix Records in Studio A of The Capitol Tower Studios in 1959 and return 42 years later in 2001 to record his album "Because Of You" for Concord Jazz Records, is born James William Ercolani in Philadelphia Pennsylvania
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Jeff Rich, drummer with the Capitol Records group Status Quo is born
1962 - Nick Rhodes, the keyboardist for the Capitol Records bands Duran Duran and Arcadia as well as The Devils, is born Nicholas James Bates in Moseley, West Midlands, England

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1931 - Future Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer marries Ginger Meehan (born Elizabeth Meltzer), in New York City. Ginger would suggest the name Capitol Records over dinner at Chasen's restaurant in Beverly Hills after the company couldn't retain the rights to the name Liberty Records.
1946 - The King Cole Trio’s recording of “(Get Your Kicks On) Route 66” enters the U.S. R&B charts, where it will peak at #3
1946 - Andy Russell's Capitol Records single "Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The Inside)" is #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Alvino Ray and His Orchestra (with vocals by Rocky Coluccio)'s Capitol Records single "Cement Mixer (Put-Ti Put-Ti) is #9
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Pretend" is #4 on Britain's Top 5 Singles chart.
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Vocalist Betty Hutton, with Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangments to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Goin' Steady" and "Wanderin' Eyes" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Goin' Steady" as a single (Capitol 2522) with "No Matter How You Say Goodbye" (recorded June 5, 1953) on the flipside and has yet to issue "Wanderin' Eyes".

65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Vocalist and guitarist Hank Thompson and His Brazos Valley Boys (Amos Lee Hedrick and Robert "Bob" White on fiddles, Gilbert "Gil" Baca on piano, Billy Gray and Merle Travis also on guitars, Wayma "Pee Wee" Whitewing on steel guitar, Billy Briggs Stewart on bass, and Paul McGhee on drums) record the titles "Go Cry Your Heart Out", "Wake Up Irene", "A Fooler And A Faker", and "Breakin' The Rules" in Capitol Records' studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California between 3:30 PM and 6:30 PM, with producer Ken Nelson. Capitol Records will issue "Go Cry Your Heart Out" and "Wake Up Irene" together as a single (Capitol 2646 on 10" shellac and F2646 on 7" vinyl) and "A Fooler And A Faker" and "Breakin' The Rules" together as a single (Capitol 2758 on 10" shellac and F2758 on 7" vinyl).
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Guitarist and vocalist Freddie Segrest (as Freddie Hart"), with Amos Lee Hedrick on fiddle, Gil Baca on piano, Billy Gray also on guitar, Wayma "Pee Wee" Whitewing on steel guitar, and Billy Briggs Stewart on bass, records the titles "Butterfly Love", "My Heart Is A Playground", "Whole Hog Or None", and "Secret Kisses" in Capitol Records' studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California from 10:30 PM to 1:30 AM on June 9, 1953, with producer Ken Nelson. Capitol Records will issue "Butterfly Love" and "My Heart Is A Playground" together as a single (Capitol 2524 on 10" shellac and F2524 on 7" vinyl) and "Whole Hog Or None" and "Secret Kisses" together a single (Capitol 2588 on 10" shellac and F2588 on 7" vinyl.
65 Years Ago Today In 1953 - Violinist Sascha Gorodnitzki begins three straight days of sessions at Capitol Records' studios in New York City, New York to record Brahms' "Variations And Fugue On A them Of Handel" and "Variations On A Theme Of Paganini, Opus 35". Capitol Records will issue both titles on Gorodnitzki's album "BRAHMS - Variations On A Theme Of Paganini, Opus 35/Variations And Fugue On A Theme Of Handel" (P-8227).

1955 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Live Fast Love Hard Die Young", with "Forgive Me Dear" on the flipside, becomes Young's first #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1959 - Franck Pourcell and His French Fiddlers' Capitol Records single "Only You (Loin De Vous)" is # 9 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart
1960 - John Stewart, member of the Capitol Records group The Kingston Trio marries Julie Koehler, whom he met in high school
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #4, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #9, The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Surfin' U.S.A." is #10, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #11, The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "Reverend Mr. Black" is #26, and The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Shut Down' (the flip side of "Surfin' U.S.A.") is #32.
Also, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #4 on Billboard magazine's Middle-Road Singles chart, #24 on KFWB's Fabulous Forty Survey in Los Angeles, California, and #35 on C-Fun's C-Funtastic Fifty chart in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Also, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "Ramblin' Rose" is #43 on Billboard magazine's Top LPs - 150 Best Sellers - Monaural chart.
1967 - Wynn Stewart's Capitol Records single "It's Such A Pretty World Today", with "Ol' What's Her Name" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
1967 - Vocalist Al Martino, with Peter De Angelis conducting his own arrangement to unlisted musicians, records the titles "Making Memories", "Red Is Red", "Can't Take My Eyes Off  You", "Now (Before Another Day Goes By)", and "Release Me" in New York City, New York with producers Tom Morgan and Marvin Holtzman. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Martino's album "Mary In The Morning" (T/ST 2780).
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, The Lettermen (vocalists Jim Pike, Tony Butala, and Bob Engemann), with unlisted others, record the titles "Leavin' Again" and "Playin' Piano" at the first session and the titles "Under The Sea" and "Here To Stay" at the second session. After overdubs are recorded for "Leavin' Again", "Under The Sea", and Here To Stay" also on June 8, 1968 and for all the titles on June 13, 1968, Capitol Records will issue the final mix of "Playing The Piano" as a single (Capitol 2254) with "Sally Leroy" (recorded June 10, 1968) on the flipside as by The Lettermen Present Tony Butala and has yet to issue any of the other titles which were listed as by Tony butala in the Capitol file on unissued masters.

1969 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Running Bear", with "Midnight Mood" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.
45 Years Ago today In 1973 - Overdubs are recorded in Los Angeles, California for Glen Campbell's titles "A Beautiful Love Song" and "Bring Back My Yesterday", then Campbell, on vocals with unlisted others, records the titles "Wedding Bells", "Cold, Cold Heart", and "Take These Chains From My Heart". Capitol Records will issue the final mixes of "A Beautiful Love Song" and "Bring Back My Yesterday" together as a single (Capitol 3669), "A Beautiful Love Song" also on Campbell's album "Houston (I'm Comin' To See You)" (SW-11293) and "Wedding Bells", "Cold, Cold Heart", and "Take These Chains From My Heart" on Campbell's album "I Remember Hank Williams" (SW=11253).

1974 - Paul McCartney & Wings' album "Band On The Run" hits #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart

1975 - Linda Ronstadt's Capitol Records single "When Will I Be Loved", with "It Doesn't Matter Anymore" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts
35 Years Ago Today In 1983 - Vocalist Juice Newton, with an orchestra (lineup unlisted) using arrangements by Charles Calello, records the title "Keeping Me On My Toes" at the Conway Recording Studio in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on Newton's album "Dirty Looks" (ST-12294).
30 Years Ago Today In 1988 - Vocalist Anne Murray, with unlisted others, records the titles "Slow All Night" and "I'm Losing Your Love" at the Nightingale Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue "Slow All Night" as a single (Capitol 44219) with "Flying On Your Own" (recorded January 29, 1988) on the flipside. No issuing information is listed for "I'm Losing Your Love".

1999 - Capitol Records releases the album "Mrs. Miller: Wild, Cool & Swingin'" as part of their UltraLounge Series

2005 - Capitol Records group The Shout Out Louds make their late night television debut on "The Late Show with David Letterman"
2005 - Nick Ulleseit, Jonathan Gelber, Jayinee Basu, Dan Kent and Taylor Baxley, Los Gatos, California students, flew to Los Angeles for the day to visit Capitol Records, getting tips about how to make themselves more marketable and successful, and a got a chance to promote their own music.
2007 - Nellie Lutcher, arranger, songwriter, pianist, singer, bandleader (Nellie Lutcher and Her Rhythm), sister of Capitol Records artist Joe Lutcher, and a Capitol Records artist who was signed to the label in 1947 by Dave Dexter, Jr. after hearing her on a live benefit show (which she was booked to play by deejay Frank Bull) on Los Angeles radio station KFWB, dies at age 94 of complications of old age old in a nursing home in Los Angeles, California. There was a memorial service on Tuesday, June 19, at 11:00 AM at Founder's Church of Religious Science, 3281 W. 6th Street, in Los Angeles, California. I attended and it turned out to be an open casket service. Her family and friends filled the lower chapel and listened to remembrances and recordings of her music. She was laid to rest in an ivory white coffin with golden brass fittings.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1940 - Nancy Sinatra, singer, motion picture actress, and daughter of future Capitol Records artist Frank Sinatra, is born Nancy Sandra Sinatra, Jr. in Jersey City, New Jersey
1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, Dion and The Belmont's Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #6, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm Ready" is #16. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Liberty, Laurie, and Imperial Records' catalogs.
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Lou Christie's Roulette Records single "Two Faces Have I" is #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart and The Chiffons' Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #36. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Roulette and Laurie Records' catalogs.
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Paul McCartney was the best man at his brother Michael's wedding to hair stylist Angela Fishwick, held at St. Bridget's Parish Church in Carrog, Merioneth, North Wales (the same church where Paul and Mike's father Jim married his second wife in 1966). The other Beatles sent congratulatory telegrams (George and Ringo visited folksinger Joan Baez at her home in Carmel, California). The reception was held at Jim McCartney's home in Gayton, Cheshire, and featured a family sing-song, led by Paul at the piano.
1969 - Brian Jones, a founding member and a guitarist in the future Virgin Records group The Rolling Stones, is fired from the band by Mick Jagger and Keith Richards
1977 - Kanye West is born Kanye Omari West in Atlanta, Georgia and, in 2002, was this close to being signed to Capitol
1981 - Duran Duran's self-titled first album is released by Parlophone Records in the UK
25 Years Ago Today In 1993 - Jim Tunnell, with Bob Belden, record the title "Kiss" at an unlisted studio. Blue Note Records will issue the title in Europe on the multi-artist compilation CD "Blue Note Plays Prince" (8-63827-2).
20 Years Ago Today In 1998 - Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr appear together in public for the first time since 1969 at a memorial service for Linda McCartney, which is also attended by, among others, Sting, Pete Townshend and Sir Elton John, at a private service at St. Martins-in-the-Fields church in London, England.
2004 - Publisher Bill Lowery, who started Lowery Music Company (eventually becoming Lowery Music Group) because of a suggestion by Capitol A&R VP Ken Nelson and who's first million seller was "Be-Bop-A-Lula", dies of cancer at age 79 in Atlanta, Georgia

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1867 - Frank Lloyd Wright, architect and founder of the Taliesin School of Architecture, is born in Richland Center, Wisconsin
1912 - Carl Laemmle incorporates Universal Pictures.
1941 - Clarence "Fuzzy" Haskins, a vocalist for the bands The Parliaments and Funkadelic, is born in Elkhorn, West Virginia