APRIL 6, 2022

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1924 - Dorothy Donegan, a pianist, leader of The Dorothy Donegan Trio, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Chicago, Illinois.

95 Years Ago Today in 1927 - Gerry Mulligan, an arranger, songwriter, pianist, clarinet and baritone saxophone player, bandleader, Capitol (solo and as part of Miles Davis' "Birth Of The Cool" band), Pacific Jazz, and a Blue Note Records artist is born Gerald Joseph Mulligan in New York City, New York.

85 Years Ago Today In 1937 - Merle Haggard, a singer, songwriter, guitarist, 1977 inductee into the Nashville Songwriter's Hall Of Fame, 1994 inductee into The Country Music Hall Of Fame, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Kern General Hospital, in Bakersfield, California.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

80 Years Ago Today In 1942 - The first recording session for Liberty Records (legally renamed Capitol Records on June 1, 1942) is held as a split session at C. P. MacGregor's studios at 729 S. Western Avenue in Los Angeles, California. First, vocalist Martha Tilton and the vocal group The Mellowaires (lineup unlisted), with Gordon Jenkins' Orchestra (Jenkins on piano and leading the rest of the unlisted musicians), record "Moondreams" (co-written by Johnny Mercer and J. C. "Chummy"  MacGregor) and "The Angels Cried" (written by Mercer alone), which features a solo by Hubert "Bumps" Myers on tenor saxophone. Johnny Mercer, with Gordon Jenkins and his Orchestra (lineup still unlisted but including Jimmy Van Heusen on piano), then records "Strip Polka" (words and music by Mercer and arranged by Paul Weston), with additional emcee vocals by Phil Silvers and harmony vocals by The Mellowaires, and "They Didn't Believe  Me" (music by Jerome Kern and lyrics by Herbert Reynolds). Capitol Records will issue "Moondreams" as a single (Capitol 138) with "Comin' Thru The Rye" (recorded June 25, 1942) on the flipside, "The Angels Cried" as a single (Capitol 105) with "I'll Remember April" (recorded June 4, 1942) on the flipside, "Strip Polka" as a single (Capitol 103) with "The Air-Minded Executive" (recorded May 21, 1942) on the flipside, and "They Didn't Believe Me" as a single (Capitol 129) with "Riffette" (recorded July 20, 1942) on the flipside.

Here's the podcast pilot I recorded about the first session.

1951 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Too Young", with "That's My Girl" on the flip side, enters the top 40 of the U.S. Pop singles charts.

1953 - Mel Blanc, using a script written by Ted Pierce and Warren Foster and adapted by Alan Livingston, records vocal overdubs in Los Angeles, California on to music tracks recorded by Van Alexander conducting His Orchestra on March 31, 1953 for the titles "Woody Woodpecker And His Space Ship: Part 1" and "Woody Woodpecker And His Space Ship: Part 2". Capitol Records will issue the final mixes of both titles on the children's record "Woody Woodpecker And His Space Ship" (CAS-3171 on 10" 78 RPM shellac and CASF-3171 on 7" 45 RPM vinyl).

1953 - Bandleader and pianist Duke Ellington and His Famous Orchestra (Clark Terry, Willie Cook, Cat Anderson, and Ray Nance on trumpets, Juan Tizol on valve trombone, Britt Woodman and Quentin Jackson on trombones, Russell Procope on alto saxophone and clarinet, Rick Henderson on alto saxophone, Jimmy Hamilton on clarinet and tenor saxophone, Paul Gonsalves on tenor saxophone, Harry Carney on baritone saxophone and bass clarinet, Wendell Marshall on bass, and Butch Ballard on drums) record the titles "Satin Doll", "Without A Song" with vocals by Jimmy Grissom, and "Cocktails For Two" in Capitol Records' studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue "Satin Doll" and "Without A Song" together as a single (Capitol 2458) and "Cocktails For Two" on Ellington's EP "Premiered By Ellington" (EAP-1-440 on 7" 45 RPM vinyl EP, EBF-440 on two-disc 7" 45 vinyl EP set, and H-440 on 10" 33 1/3 vinyl).

1953 - Les Baxter conducts His Orchestra and Chorus (lineups unlisted) as they record the titles "Ruby" featuring vocals by Danny Walton, "A Little Love (Can Go A Long, Long Way)", "I Love Paris" and "Manhattan" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Ruby" and "A Little Love (Can Go A Long, Long Way)" together as a single (Capitol 2457), "I Love Paris" as a single (Capitol 2479) with "Gigi" (recorded April 28, 1953) on the flipside, and "Manhattan" as a single (Capitol 2632) with "Love Theme From 'The Robe'" (recorded September 24, 1953) on the flipside.

1953 - Vocalist Mickey Katz and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "How Much Is That Pickle In The Window", "Wild Corsets", "Haim Afen Range (Home On The Range)", and "Tico Tico" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "How Much Is That Pickle In The Window" and "Wild Corsets" together as a single (Capitol 2456), Haim Afen Range (Home On The Range)" and "Tico Tico" together as a single (Capitol 2660), "How Much Is That Pickle In The Window", "Wild Corsets", and "Haim Afen Range (Home On The Range)" on Katz's album "Mish Mosh" (T 799), and "Tico Tico" on Katz's album "Katz Puts On The Dog" T 934).

1956 - The grand opening of The Capitol Tower at 1750 Vine Street, Hollywood, California takes place. Check out my April 6, 2006 posting in the April archives of this blog to find all the information and photos that I posted for the 50th anniversary of The Tower's opening.

1963 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "Dear Lonely Hearts" is #50 on Billboard magazine's Top LPs - 50 Best Sellers - Stereo and #60 on the magazine's Top LPs - 150 Best Sellers - Monaural chart. Cole's Capitol Records single "All Over The World" is #20 on Billboard magazine's Middle-Road singles chart, #43 on the magazine's Hot 100 chart, and #44 on Cash Box magazine's Top 100 Singles chart. Also, according to Billboard's Hits Of The World charts, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Skip To My Lou" is #2 in Denmark and in India  (courtesy of The Voice in Calcutta) his single "Dear Lonely Hearts" is #3.

1953 - Vocalist Bobby Darin, with Jack Nitzsche conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "18 Yellow Roses" and "Not For Me" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 4970) and on Darin's album "18 Yellow Roses & 11 Other Hits" (T/ST 1942).

1966 - Buck Owens records the title "Open Up Your Heart" which will be released by Capitol Records.

1968 - Vocalists George Lindsey and The Jordanaires (lineup unlisted), with unlisted others, record the titles "My Way Of Life", "Moccasin Branch", "I'll Live Here Till I Die", and "Cotton Fields (The Cotton Song)" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Lindsey's album "Goober Sings!" (ST 2965).

1968 - Syd Barrett officially leaves Tower Records' (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) band Pink Floyd.

1968 - After nearly four months of remodeling, The Beatles open their Apple Corporation office on the fourth floor of  95 Wigmore Street, London, England. The office workers find out that they can't play records during office hours so as not to disturb other tenants in the building. About three months later, the company will move to 3 Savile Road on July 15, 1968, after The Beatles buy the entire building.

1978 - Vocalist Juice Newton, with unlisted others, records the titles "You Fill My Life", "I'll Never Love Again", and "If There Could Be" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "You Fill My Life" on Newton's album "Take Heart" (ST-12000) and an edited version as a single (Capitol 4856) with "Tear It Up" (recorded May 1, 1979) on the flipside and "I'll Never Love Again" and "If There Could Be" on Newton's album "Well Kept Secret" (SW-11811).

1988 - Capitol Records registers the master it acquired from EMI for Hazell Dean's title "Whatever I Do (Wherever I Go)" but no issuing information is listed.

1999 - Red Norvo, a xylophonist, bandleader, Capitol Records session player, and artist, dies at the age of 91.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1945 - Bob Marley, a singer, songwriter, guitarist, husband of Rita Marley (a member of  I3), and literally the father of EMI America and Virgin Records group Ziggy Marley and The Melody Makers, is born Robert Nesta Marley in Rhoden Hall, Saint Ann Parish, Jamaica.

1971 - Donavan Freberg, a photographer and the son of Capitol Records artist Stan Freberg, is born.

1973 - Future Capitol Records band Queen sign their first recording contract.

1981 - Bob Hite (aka "The Bear"), guitarist, harmonica player, and founding member of the Liberty Records group Canned Heat, dies of a heart attack brought on by a combination of drug use and extreme weight at age 38. The attack happened in a van that was taking him home from a gig at The Palomino. Though his bandmates tried to revive him, they had to call paramedics when they got to Hite's home in Mar Vista, California, where he was later pronounced dead. If anyone knows for sure where Bob is buried, please leave a comment.

1998 - Pianist Jacky Terrasson records the title "Cumba's Dance" at Anderson Audio's studio in Brooklyn, New York. Blue Note Records will issue the title on Terrasson's album "Lulu On The Bridge" (4-95317-2 on CD).

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

105 Years Ago Today In 1917 - The United States of America enters the first world war.