AUGUST 17, 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
125 Years Ago Today In 1893 - Mae West, Broadway, radio, and motion picture actor, playwright, screenwriter, singer, and Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) artist (on her album "Way Out West") is born in Mary Jane West in Bushwick, Brooklyn, New York.
1954 - Eric Johnson, guitarist, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist (1987 -1996), is born in Austin, Texas. If anyone knows his middle name, please leave a comment.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1942 - Capitol Records' fourth-ever release contains Jack McLean and His Orchestra's "Take Me" with vocals by Wayne Gregg and chorus with "St-St-St-Stella" with vocals by Ted Tubb and a male vocal trio on the flipside (Capitol 112), Freddie Slack and His Orchestra's "He's My Guy" with vocals by Ella Mae Morse with the instrumental "Doll Dance" on the flipside (Capitol 113) and Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra's "At Last" with "Be Careful, It's My Heart" on the flipside (Capitol 114) with vocals on both by Connie Haines.
70 Years Ago Today In 1948 - During a split session held this day in Los Angeles, California, first the vocal group The Pied Pipers (lineup unlisted), with an orchestra (lineup also unlisted), record the title "Rendezvous With A Rose", then vocalists Jo Stafford, Gordon MacRae, and The Starlighters (lineup unlisted), also with an orchestra (lineup also unlisted) record the titles "Say Something Sweet To Your Sweetheart" and "Bluebird Of Happiness".  Capitol Records will issue "Rendezvous With A Rose" as a single (Capitol 15216) with "Mind If I Love You" (recorded September 27, 1944) on the flipside and "Say Something Sweet To Your Sweetheart" and "Bluebird Of Happiness" together as a single (Capitol 15207).

70 Years Ago Today In 1948 - Vocalist Jack Smith, with unlisted others, records the titles "Two Unusual Men", "Songs About The Sea", "Animal Songs", "Calendar Songs", "Holidays", "Four Funny People", "Ten Little Injuns", and "The Giggely Pig" in Radio Recorders' studios at 932 North Western Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue "Two Unusual Men" and "Songs About The Sea" together as a single (Capitol 0-30004), "Animal Songs" and "Calendar Songs" together as a single (Capitol 0-30005), "Holidays" and "Four Funny People" together as a single (Capitol 0-30006), "Ten Little Injuns" and "The Giggely Pig" together as a single (Capitol 0-30007). Toyland Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records, will issue "Songs About The Sea" and "Holidays" together as a single (J-17) and "Four Funny People" as a single (J-22) with The Three Pixies' (aka The King Sisters) "Three Old Men" (recorded August 30, 1948) on the flipside.

70 Years Ago Today In 1948 - Vocalist and guitarist Eugene "Smokey" Rogers, with an orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the title "Hair Of Gold" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 15217) with "Ball Of Fire" (recorded October 30, 1947) on the flipside.

70 Years Ago Today In 1948 - The King Cole Trio start a week of gigs at The Coona Club in El Cerrito, California. It is taken as being Joe Comfort's first official night as part of  The King Cole Trio, replacing bass player Johnny Miller, who had played with the trio for the past nine years. There is a photo of Joe Comfort laughing in the club on page 2 in the September 8, 1948 issue of Down Beat magazine.

1951 - At their first session together, Nat "King" Cole records the titles "Unforgettable", "My First And My Last Love", and "Lovelight", with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), at Capitol's studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue "Unforgettable" and "My First And My Last Love" together as a single (Capitol 1808) and "Lovelight" on Cole's album "10th Anniversary" (W 514). Cole would re-record the "Unforgettable" in stereo on March 30, 1961. That take would later be used for the duet recording with his daughter Natalie..

1957 - Vocalist and guitarist Johnny Duncan, with The Blue Grass Boys (Danny Levan on fiddle, Denny Wright on lead guitar, Jack Fallon on bass, and Lennie Hastings on drums), records the title "Jig Along Home" at the IBC Studio in London, England for Columbia Records UK which was distributed by EMI in England. Capitol Records will issue "Jig Along Home" in the United States as a single (Capitol 3814) with "Last Train To San Fernando" (recorded May 20, 1957) on the flipside.
1957 - Leopold Stokowski conducts His Symphony Orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record Bach's "Mein Jesu, Was Für Seelenweh Befällt Dich In Gethsemane, S. 487" and Gluck's "Suite (Lento, from Iphigenie In Auslis)" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on the album "Leopold Stokowski & His Symphony Orchestra - Music For Strings" (PAO/SPAO-8415).
60 Years Ago Today In 1958 - Tenor vocalist and guitarist Hylo Brown and The Timberliners (Clarence "Tater" Tate on fiddle, Jim Smoak on banjo, "Red" Rector on mandolin, "Flap Jack" Phillips on bass), record the titles "It's All Over Now But The Crying", "Thunder Clouds Of Love", "Just Any Old Love", and "How Could You Forget So Soon?" at Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue "It's All Over Now But The Crying" and "How Could You Forget Me So Soon" together as a single (Capitol F4434), "Thunder Clouds Of Love" as a single (Capitol F4210) with "You Can't Relive The Past" (recorded August 16, 1958) on the flipside, and "Just Any Old Love" as a single (Capitol F4380) with "I Waited As Long As I Can" (also recorded August 16, 1958).
1961 - The Kingston Trio record the track "Take Her Out Of Pity" for their Capitol Records album "Close Up" with John Stewart, who had recently replaced Dave Guard, on lead vocal
1962 - Roger Wagner conducts The Roger Wagner Chorale and The Sinfonia Of London (lineups unlisted) as they record the titles "Little Drummer Boy", "Sweet Little Jesus" featuring tenor vocals by Richard Levitt, "Wassail Song" using an arrangement by Ralph Vaughan Williams, and "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "The Roger Wagner Chorale & The Sinfonia Of London - It Came Upon A Midnight Clear" (W/SW 1760).
1962 - Vocalist and guitarist Mitchell Torok, with unlisted others, records the titles "The Rio Grande" and "A Fool's Disguise" at the Bradley Film and Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 4846).
1964 - Capitol Records releases The Beach Boys' single "When I Grow Up (To Be A Man)" with "She Knows Me Too Well" on the flipside.
55 Years Ago Today In 1963 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Of Summer" is #9 in Hong Kong according to Billboard magazine's Hits Of The World charts.
1967 - Vocalist and guitarist Glen Campbell, with Al De Lory conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Hey Little One" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Hey Little One", after overdubs are recorded on August 29, 1967, and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", after overdubs are recorded August 29 and 31, 1967, on Campbell's album "By The Time I Get To Phoenix (T/ST 2851) and together as a single (Capitol 6113).
50 Years Ago Today In 1968 - Final overdubs are recorded for Linda Ronstadt and The Stone Poneys' title "The Long Way Around" (basic tracks laid down on July 29, 1968 and earlier overdubs recorded on August 9, 14, 15, 1968) in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the final mix of the title as a single (Capitol 2438) with "The Dolphins" (recorded November 20, 1968) on the flipside and on Ronstadt's debut solo album "Hand Sown...Home Grown" (ST-208).
1970 - Capitol Records releases The Band's album "Stage Fright"
1972 - Vocalist and guitarist Glen Campbell, with unlisted others, records the titles "All My Tomorrows" and "The Last Thing On My Mind" in Los Angeles, California. After overdubs are recorded for both titles on August 28 and 29, 1972, for "The Last Thing On My Mind" on August 31, 1972, and for "All My Tomorrows" on September 14, 1972, Capitol Records will issue both titles on Campbell's album "Glen Travis Campbell" (ST-11117).
45 Years Ago Today In 1973 - The Lettermen (vocalists Jim Pike, Tony Butala, and Gary Pike), with unlisted others, record the titles "Erase The Lines", "Goin' Home", "The You Part Of Me", and "Happy Together" in Los Angeles, California. After overdubs are recorded for all the titles later on August 17, 1973 and for "Erase The Lines" and "Happy Together" on August 18 and 22, 1973, Capitol Records has yet to issue "Happy Together" and the final mixes of "Erase The Lines" and "Going Home" on the trio's album "The Time Is Right" (SW-11470) and "The You Part Of Me" on the trio's album "Make A Time For Lovin'" (SW-11424) and as a single (Capitol 3810) with "Goodbye" (recorded January 30, 1973) on the flipside.
1977 - The Sylvers (lineup unlisted) record the title "You Make Me Wanna Rock" in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records which has yet to issue the title.
40 Years Ago Today In 1978 - Kenny Dale, with unlisted others, records the titles "Let's Build That Fire", "Music, Red Wine And Honky Tonk Angels", "Girl, I Don't Really Want To Go", and "The Last Of It All" in Nashville, Tennessee for Capitol Records which has yet to issue any of the titles.
1981 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' soundtrack album to "A Hard Day's Night" on the Capitol Records label for the first time after parent company EMI buys the United Artists catalog
1982 - Gary O'Connor, with unlisted others, records the title "Pretty Boy" in an unlisted location for Capitol Records which has yet to issue the title.
1982 - Mel McDaniel, with unlisted others, records the titles "The Gathering" and "Just Because It Feels Good" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue both titles on McDaniel's album "Naturally Country" (ST-12265).
1987 - Lorelei, with unlisted others, records the title "Hot Spot" in an unlisted location for Capitol Records. No issuing information is listed.
30 Years Ago Today In 1988 - Capitol Records registers the masters it acquired from Beggars Banquet Records for The Go-Betweens' titles "Love Goes On!", "Quiet Heart", "Love Is A Sign", "You Can't Say No Forever", "The Devil's Eye", "The Streets Of Your Town", "Clouds", "What There Anything I Could Do", "I'm Alright", and "Dive For Your Memory" and will issue all the titles in the United States on the band's album "16 Lovers Lane" (C1-91230).
1990 - Pearl Bailey, a singer, Broadway, motion picture, and television actress, and a Capitol Records artist (on Capitol Records' first original Broadway cast album "St. Louis Woman"), and who had co-starred with Capitol Records artist Nat "King" Cole in the motion picture "St. Louis Blues" and also had appeared on his television show, dies at age 72 at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
1992 - Capitol Records releases the compilation CD "Puttin' on the Ritz: Capitol Sings Irving Berlin" as part of their "Capitol Sings" series

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1964 - Colin James, blues guitarist, actor, and Virgin Records recording artist, is born Colin James Munn in Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada. Capitol Records currently owns Virgin's catalog. I worked on the final design for his debut album on Virgin, talked with him at the office, and saw him open for Stevie Ray Vaughn at the Wiltern theater in Los Angeles, California.
1977 - Future Capitol Records Nashville (1998-2000) artist Steve Wariner has his first recording session as a solo artist. It's at RCA's Studio B, in Nashville, Tennessee, with Chet Atkins (in whose band Wariner had played bass) producing.
1982 - At two sessions held this day in an unlisted location, Marty Balin, with unlisted others, records the title "What Love Is" at the first session and "Camilia" at the second session. EMI-America Records, distributed by Capitol Records, will issue "What Love Is" as a single (EMI-America 8153). No issuing information is listed for "Camilia".