APRIL 4, 2022

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1885 - Arthur Murray, dancer, dance instructor, businessman and founder of the Arthur Murray Dance Studios franchise, television dance show host with his wife Kathryn Murray, inspiration for the song "Arthur Murray Taught Me To Dance In A Hurry" written by Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer and Victor Schertzinger and introduced by Capitol Records artist in the Paramount movie "The Fleet's In", for whom the "Arthur Murray" series of dance albums were created by Capitol Records, is born Moses Teichman in New York, New York.

1914 - Frances Langford, a singer, radio performer, motion picture actress, a part of Bob Hope's U.S.O. touring company, and a Capitol Records artist (album "Sings Old Songs For Old Friends") is born Frances Newbern in Lakeland, Florida.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

80 Years Ago Today In 1942 - It's a Saturday, and Johnny Mercer signs a recording contract with Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records) two days before the label's first recording session.

1946 - Pinto Colvig, Billy Bletcher, and Sara Berner (on vocals), with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to his orchestra (Emanuel "Mannie" Klein, Uan Rasey, and Leonard Mach on trumpet, Elmer Smithers and James Skiles on trombone, J. A. Krechter, Harry Schuchman, Victor Garber, and Vincent Spolidoro on saxophones, Edwin "Buddy" Cole on piano, Phil Stephens on bass, John Cyr on drums and a string section with Mischa Russell, Harry Bluestone, and Samuel Freed on violin, Paul Robyn on viola, and Cy Bernard on cello), using a script by session producer Alan Livingston, record the titles "Bozo At The Circus, Part 1" and "Bozo At The Circus, Part 2" at Radio Recorders' original studios at 932 N. Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California (which is now either the parking lot of the Taco Bell or the Thai Angel restaurant). After the last two parts of the album are recorded at the same location on April 12, 1956, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Bozo's debut children's album "Bozo At The Circus" (BBX-34).

1953 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Pretend" is #6, his single "Can't I" is #25 and its flipside "Blue Gardenia" is #36 on Cash Box magazine's Best Selling Singles chart. "Pretend" is also #4 on The Billboard magazine's Best Selling Singles and Most Played by Jockeys chart #5 on the magazine's Most Played In Juke Boxes chart. Also, at 9:00 PM EST, Nat "King Cole appears on this evening's episode of CBS-TV's "This Is Show Business".

1955 - Capitol Records releases Faron Young' single "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die Young" with "Forgive Me Dear" on the flipside.

1956 - Vocalist Frank Sinatra, with Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Vincent De Rosa on French horn, Harry Klee on flute, Mitchell Lurie on clarinet, Champ Webb on oboe, Bill Miller on piano, Bob Bain on guitar, Mike Rubin on bass, Irving Cottler on drums, Kathryn Julye on harp) and The Hollywood String Quartet (Paul Shure and Felix Slatkin on violins, Alvin Dinkin on viola, and Eleanor Slatkin on cello), records the titles "I've Had My Moments", "Blame It On My Youth", "Everything Happens To Me", and "Wait Till You See Her" in the Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 Vine Street in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue the first three titles on Sinatra's album "Close To You" (W 789), the last title on Sinatra's album "Frank Sinatra Sings The Select Rodgers & Hart" (W 1825), and all the titles on the CD "Close To You And More" (7-46572-2).

1958 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #7 on WMCA's Wax To Watch chart in New York City, New York.

1958 - The Kingston Trio (Donald "Dave" Guard on vocals and guitar, Robert "Bob Shane" Schoen on vocals, guitar, and banjo, and Nicholas "Nick" Reynolds on vocals and guitar), with Morty Corb on bass and celeste, records the titles "Scarlet Ribbons (For Her Hair)" and "When The Saints Go Marching In" in Studio B of The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 8:00 PM and 11:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue "Scarlett Ribbons (For Her Hair)" as a single (Capitol F3970) with "Three Jolly Coachman" (recorded February 5,1958) on the flipside and on the group's EP "Raspberries, Strawberries" (EAP-1-1182) and "When The Saints Go Marching In" as a single in Australia (CP1373) with "The Tijuana Jail" (recorded February 18, 1959) on the flipside.

1964 - The Beatles' have 12 songs on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart with titles at #1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 14, 44, 49, 69, 79, 84 and 88. The band also becomes the only act to date in Billboard history to have three consecutive # 1 songs ("Can't Buy Me Love" takes over the # 1 spot from "She Loves You", which succeeded "I Want to Hold Your Hand"). The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Meet The Beatles" is also #1 on Billboard's album chart.

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

1965 - Freddie and The Dreamers' Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) single "I'm Telling You Now", with "What Have I Done To You" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's "Hot 100" singles chart.

55 Years Ago Today In 1967 - The Geezinslaw Brothers (vocalists Sam Allred and Raymond Dewayne Smith), with unlisted musicians, record the titles "Change Of Wife", "If They Could See The Self Come Out Of Me", "I Wouldn't Do It", and "I'm A People" in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Kelso Herston. Capitol Records will issue the first, second, and last title on the duo's album "My Dirty Lowdown, Rotten, Cotton Pickin' Little Darlin'" (ST 2771), and the third title on their album "Chubby" (Capitol ST 2885). Unfortunately, only "Change Of Wife" is currently available on YouTube.

1968 - The Sugar Shoppe (Peter Mann on vocal and guitar, Laurie Hood on vocals, Victor Garber on vocals and guitar, and Lee Harris on vocals), with The Clique (Al Casey, Al Viola, Howard Robert, Louis Morrell, and Mike Deasy on guitars, Bill Plummer on sitar, Lewis Carroll on trumpet, Lew McCreary and Louis Blackburn on trombones, Abe Most, Jim Horn, and Plas Johnson on saxophones, Al De Lory, Larry Knechtel, and Michael Rubini on pianos and keyboards, Gary Coleman on vibraphone, and percussion, Carol Kaye and Don Bagley on basses, Earl Palmer and Stan Levey on drums, Hal Blaine on drums, vibraphone, and percussion, Stella Castellucci on harp) and a string section (Alfred Lastgarten, Arnold Belnick, Harry Hyams, Henry Roth, Israel Baker, James Getzoff, Marshall Sasson, Nathan Ross, Sam Boghossian, and William Hymanson on violins and violas, and Anne Goodman, Armand Kaproff, Frederick Seykora, and Nathan Gershman on cellos), using vocal arrangments by Peter Mann and instrumental arrangements by Mort Garson, records the titles "Follow Me (From 'Camelot')", "Baby, Baby", and "Hangin' Together" in Los Angeles, California with producer Al De Lory. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's self-titled album "The Sugar Shoppe" (ST 2949).

Peter Mann, Victor Garber, Laurie Hood, Lee Harris, and Al De Lory

1968 - The Beach Boys (lineup unlisted) record the title "Transcendental Meditation" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on the group's album "Friends" (ST 2895).

1968 - Guy Lombardo conducts His Royal Canadians (lineup unlisted) as they record the titles "Medley #1" and "Medley #2" in Las Vegas, Nevada for Capitol Records which has yet to issue either title.

1968 - Vocalist George "Goober" Lindsey, the vocal group The Jordanaires, and unlisted others record the titles "Introduction", "My Goal For Today", "Sweet Thang", "Write Me R.F.D.", and "I Ain't Good Looking (But I'm Mighty Sweet)" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Lindsey's album "Goober Sings!" (ST 2965).

George “Goober” Lindsey, promoting his 1968 album “Goober Sings” at KBBQ radio in Burbank, California. He’s flanked by KBBQ music director Larry Scott, Don Grierson of Capitol Records, and disc jockeys Bob Jackson and  Hugh Jarrett

1971 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Empty Arms", with "Everything Begins And Ends With You" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

1973 - Vocalist Marjorie McCoy, with unlisted others, records the titles "Shine", "Do Me Wrong, But Do Me", and "You Never Wanna Make Love To Me" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Shine" and "Do Me Wrong, But Do Me" together as a single (Capitol 3621). No issuing information is listed for "You Never Wanna Make Love To Me".

1973 - Overdubs are recorded in Los Angeles, California for Al Martino's titles "Hey Mama" and "If I Ever Give My Heart To You". After more overdubs are recorded for both titles on April 5 and 9, 1973, for "Hey Mama" on April 10, 1973, and for "If I Give My Heart To You" on April 11, 1973, Capitol Records will issue the final mixes of both titles together as a single (Capitol 3604) and "Hey Mama" on Martino's album "I Won't Last A Day Without You" (ST-11302).

1973 - Capitol Records registers the master it purchased for Buck Owens' title "Love Makes The World Go Round" which was recorded at Buck Owens Studios in Bakersfield, California and will issue the title on Owens' album "Arms Full Of Empty" (ST-11222).

1973 - Raspberries (Eric Carmen and Wally Bryson on vocals and guitars, Dave Smalley on electric bass, and Jim Bonfanti [listed as possibly] on drums) record the titles "I'm A Rocker", "On The Beach", "Ecstasy", and "Don't You Wait For Me" in The Record Plant studios New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "I'm A Rocker", "On The Beach", and "Ecstasy" on the group's album "Side 3" (SMAS-11220), "I'm A Rocker" as a single (Capitol 3765) with "Money Down" (recorded April 3, 1973) on the flipside, an edited version of "I'm A Rocker" as a single (Capitol 6327) with "Overnight Sensation" (recorded April 1, 1973) on the flipside, "Ecstasy" as a single (Capitol 3826) with the short version of "Don't Want To Say Goodbye" (recorded November 20, 1971) on the flipside, and has yet to issue "Don't You Wait For Me".

1978 - Colleen Peterson, with unlisted others, records the titles "Angelina" and "Need Your Lovin'" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Peterson's album "Takin' My Boots Off" (ST-11835).

1978 - Bert Sommer, with unlisted others, records the titles "Would You Rather Be Here" and "Break Away" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records. No release information is listed for either title.

1978 - Caldera (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Reviviscence" and "Mosaico" in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on the group's album "Time And Chance" (SW-11810).

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

70 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Gary Moore, a guitarist, singer, a founding member of Thin Lizzy, and a 10 Records and Virgin Records America solo artist, is born in Belfast, Northern Ireland. One of the first freelance design projects I worked on for Virgin Records America was converting the English 12" vinyl record, cassette, and CD packaging for Moore's "Wild Frontier" album for release in the United States. I met him while working for the label and I remember him being kind of shy and humble in person.

1988 - After a break from recording of seven years, Buck Owens duets with Dwight Yoakam to record the title "Streets Of Bakersfield" which will be released by Reprise Records as a single with Yoakam's "One More Name" on the flipside. Buck Owens will then begin recording again for Capitol Records later the same year.