APRIL 17, 2022

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1933 - David Axelrod, a composer, arranger, record producer, and Capitol Records artist, is born in Los Angeles, California.

1967 - Liz Phair, a musician, singer, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist is born in New Haven, Connecticut.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1946 - The King Cole Trio (Nat "King" Cole on piano and vocals, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Johnny Miller on bass) record two takes of the title "Could 'Ja", two takes of the title "Baby, Baby All The Time", and the titles "Oh, But I Do" with a vocal ensemble (possibly just Cole, Moore, and Miller) and the instrumental "Rex Rumba" (aka "Rumba A La King") at Radio Recorders' studios on Western Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue the second take of "Could 'Ja" on the compilation album "Campus Capers" (BD-58), the second take of "Baby, Baby All The Time" as a single (Capitol 15165) with "Money Is Honey" (recorded November 3, 1947) on the flipside, "Oh, But I Do" as a single (Capitol 274) with "You Call It Madness (But I Call It Love)" (recorded May 1, 1946) on the flipside, and "Rex Rhumba" as a single (Capitol 15240) with "Kee-mo Ky-mo (The Magic Song)" (recorded September 26, 1948) on the flipside. Mosaic Records will issue all the titles and takes in the box set "The Complete King Cole Trio Sessions" (MR27-138 on vinyl and MD18-138 on CD).

75 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Merle Travis' Capitol Records single "So Round, So Firm, So Fully Packed", with "Sweet Temptation" on the flipside, is still #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart.

75 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Benny Goodman (on clarinet), with Jimmy Rowles on piano, Harry Babasin on bass, and Tommy Romersa on drums, records the titles "The Bannister Slide" (with Ernie Felice on accordion and Al Hendrickson on guitar), "Benny's Boogie", and "How High The Moon" (with Ernie Felice on accordion and Ray Sims on trombone) in Radio Recorders' studios at 932 North Western Avenue in Hollywood, California, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Goodman's album "Benny Goodman Rides Again" (BD-57).

70 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Cliffie Stone and His Square Dance Band (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Virginia Reel", "American Patrol", "Shot Gun Boogie", and "Moonwinks" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Virginia Reel" and "American Patrol" together as a single (CAS-4025), "Shot Gun Boogie" as a single (CAS-4026) with "Washington And Lee Swing" (recorded on October 10, 1946) on the flipside, and "Moonwinks" as a single (Capitol CAS-4034) with "Stepping Stone Schottische" (recorded on January 9, 1952) on the flipside.

70 Years Ago Today In 1952 - The Four Knights (Gene Alford - 1st tenor vocals, John Wallace - 2nd tenor vocals and guitar, Clarence Dixon - baritone vocals, and Oscar Broadway - bass vocals), with an unlisted orchestra, record a new take of the title "Easy Street" and the titles "I'm The World's Biggest Fool", "If I Had My Way", "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie", "Doo Wacka Doo", and "Oh Miss Hannah" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Easy Street" and "Oh Miss Hannah" on the group's album "Spotlight Songs" (T 346), "I'm The World's Biggest Fool" and "It's A Sin To Tell A Lie" together as a single (Capitol 2087) and "Doo Wacka Doo" as a single (Capitol 2127) with "Win Or Lose" (recorded May 13, 1952) on the flipside. Capitol Records will sell the master to "If I Had My Way" to Coral Records which will issue it on the group's self-titled album "The Four Knights" (CRL-57221).

1953 - Bandleader and pianist Joe "Fingers" Carr (aka Lou Busch) and His Ragtime Band (Mannie Klein on trumpet, Tommy Pederson on trombone, Skeets Herfurt on clarinet and alto saxophone, Phil Stephens on bass, and Nick Fatool and John Cyr on drums) record the titles "Down Home Rag", "Canadian Capers", "Sweet Georgia Brown", and "San Antonio Rose" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "Joe 'Fingers' Carr And His Ragtime Band" (EAP-1/2-443 on 7" EPs, EBF-443 on 7" EP set, H-443 on 10" LP, and T 433 on 12" LP).

65 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Violinist Nathan Milstein, with William Steinberg conducting The Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, records Dvorak's "Concerto In A Minor, Opus 53 For Violins And Orchestra" and Glazounov's "Concerto In A Minor, Opus 82 For Violin And Orchestra" at Syria Mosque in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Milstein's album "DVORAK - Concerto In A Minor, Opus 53 For Violin And Orchestra/GLAZOUNOV - Concerto In A Minor, Opus 82 For Violin And Orchestra" (P-8382).

65 Years Ago Today In 1957 - At two sessions held at Bradley Film & Recording Studio in Nashville, Tennessee, Sonny James (on vocals and guitar), with Chet Atkins on guitar, Floyd T. "Lightnin'" Chance on bass, Murrey M. "Buddy" Harman Jr. on drums, and The Jordanaires (lineup unlisted) as a vocal chorus, records the titles "A Fool Such As I", "Near You", and "Ages And Ages Ago" at the first session and the titles "Just Out Of Reach (Of My Two Open Arms)", "I'll Never Get Over You", "I Forgot More Than You'll Never Know" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on James' album "Sonny" (T 867).

1958 - Vocalist and guitarist Hank Thompson, with The Brazos Valley Boys (Tommy Camfield and Robert "Bob" White on fiddle, Vic Davis on piano, Billy Gray and Merle Travis also on guitars, Floyd Lester "Bobbie" White on steel guitar, Billy Briggs Stewart on bass, and John Sterling "Butch" White on drums), records the titles "Squaws Along The Yukon", "Two Hearts Deep In The Blues", and the instrumental title "Gathering Flowers" featuring Merle Travis on guitar in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California at an extended session between 6:00 PM and 9:30 PM. After vocal overdubs are recorded for "Squaws Along The Yukon" and "Two Hearts Deep In The Blues" on May 6, 1958, Capitol Records will issue the final mix of "Squaws Along The Yukon" and "Gathering Flowers" together as a single (Capitol F4017) and the final mix of "Two Hearts Deep In The Blues" as a single (Capitol F4502) with "Just One Step Away" (recorded December 18, 1958) on the flipside.

1958 - Jackie Gleason conducts His Orchestra (a large string orchestra featuring Romeo Penque on alto saxophone and flute, Bernie Leighton on piano, and unlisted others) as they record the titles "Close Your Eyes", "All This And Heaven Too", "Without Love", "More Than You Know", and "You Stepped Out Of A Dream" in New York City, New York for Capitol Records which rejects all the takes recorded at this session and will record new takes on April 29, 1958.

1958 - During two sessions held this day in New York City, New York, organist Jackie Davis, with Eddie Costa on vibraphone, Kenny Burrell and Mundell Lowe on guitars, and Burtell Knox on drums, records the titles "All Of You", "Say Darling", and "It's The Second Time You Meet That Matters" at the first session and the titles "Wish", "Push De Button", and "Long Before I Knew You" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all of the titles, except the take of "Say Darling" recorded at this session which was rejected and recorded again on April 18, 1958, on Davis' album "Most Happy Hammond" (T/ST 1046).

1960 - Capitol Records artist Gene Vincent is seriously injured after the taxicab hired after a gig in Bristol, England, blows a tire while rounding a curve on the way back to London, England and crashes into a cement post at 70 mph on the A4 at Chippenham, Wilshire. Vincent survives with a badly injured leg that will give him a limp for the rest of his life, but Liberty Records artist Eddie Cochran, who was touring with Vincent and shared the cab, is killed at age 21 and Cochran's girlfriend, songwriter Sharon Sheeley, is seriously injured. Cochran is later interred in the Forest Lawn Cypress cemetery in Cypress, California.

1963 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "All Over The World" is #8 on KVCV 600 AM's "Top Pop 40" survey in Redding, California.

1963 - During two sessions held this day in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California, bandleader and pianist Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Bud Brisbois, Dalton Smith, Conte Candoli, Bob Behrendt, and Bob Rolfe on trumpets, Bob Fitzpatrick, Kent Larsen, Gilbert Falco, and Jim Amlotte on trombone, Dave Wheeler on bass trombone and tuba, Dwight Carver, Tony Scodwell, Joe Burnett, and Bob Grull on mellophones, Gabe Baltazar on alto saxophone, Steve Marcus and Ray Florian on tenor saxophones, Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone, Joel Kaye baritone and bass saxophones, Don Bagley on bass, Dee Barton on drums, and Larry Bunker and Frank Guerrero on percussion), record the titles "Kentonova", "Painted Rhythm", "Artistry In Bossa Nova", and "Opus In Chartreuse" between 12:00 PM and 4:00 PM and the titles "Artistry In Rhythm", "Jump For Joe", "Loca-Nova", "Eager Beaver", and "Opus In Pastels" at the second session between 4:00 PM and 7:30 PM. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Kenton and his orchestra's album "Artistry In Bossa Nova" (T/ST 1931).

1963 - Tenor saxophonist King Curtis with unlisted vibraphone, piano, guitar, bass, drums, and strings players, records the titles "Sukiyaki" and "Summer Dream" in (listed as possibly) Capitol Records' studios in New York City, New York. Bear Family Records will issue both titles in Germany in the three-CD set "King Curtis - Blow Man Blow (The Capitol Years 1962-1965)" (BCD 15670).

1968 - Vocalist Tennessee Ernie Ford, with Jack Fascinato conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella", "While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks", and "The Little Boy King" in Los Angeles, California. After overdubs are recorded for "While Shepards Watched Their Flocks" and "The Little Boy King" on May 21, 1968 and for "Bring A Torch, Jeanette Isabella" on May 22, 1968, Capitol Records will issue the final mixes of all the titles on Ford's album "O Come All Ye Faithful" (ST 2968).

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, record the titles "Thank You Love", "You're A Big Boy Now", and "Don't You Ever Give Up On Me" in Los Angeles, California with producer Al De Lory for Capitol Records. No issuing information is listed.

1968 - Vocalist Sonny James, with unlisted others, records the titles "Crazy Arms", "'68 Rock Island Line", "I Fall To Pieces", and "Clinging To A Hope" in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue "Crazy Arms" on James' album "Heaven Says Hello" (ST 2937), after overdubs are recorded for "I Fall To Pieces" on April 23, 1968, the final mixes of the rest of the titles on James' album "Born To Be With You" (ST-111), and "Clinging To Hope" also as a single (Capitol 2595) with "Since I Met You Baby" (recorded January 17, 1969) on the flipside.

1969 - Capitol Records group The Band make their solo stage debut at the Winterland in San Francisco, California.

1970 - Apple Records releases Paul McCartney's first solo album, "McCartney", which is distributed by Capitol Records in the United States. McCartney plays all the instruments heard on the album.

1970 - The Beatles officially disband.

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 chart.

1973 - Pink Floyd's album "Dark Side Of The Moon" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.

1973 – Tavares signs a contract with Capitol Records.

1976 - Paul McCartney and Wings' Capitol Records single "Silly Love Songs", with "Cook Of The House" on the flipside, is #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

1978 - During two sessions held this day in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California, Caldera (lineup unlisted) records the title "Shanti" at the first session and "Passages" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue both titles on the group's album "Time And Chance" (SW-11810).

35 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Crowded House's Capitol Records single "Don’t Dream It’s Over", with "That's What I Call Love" on the flipside, is #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.

1998 - Linda McCartney (born Linda Eastman), photographer, activist, creator and owner of a vegetarian frozen meal company, keyboard player, singer, wife of Capitol Records artist Paul McCartney, member of the Capitol Records band Wings, and, posthumously, a Capitol Records solo artist, dies of breast cancer at age 56.

2000 - Godhead signs a contract with Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1955 - Imperial Records releases Fats Domino's single "Ain't That a Shame", with "Goin' Home" on the flipside. Imperial's catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Records' parent company.

65 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Composer, arranger, and conductor Johnny Richards (with Al Stewart, Charlie Shavers, Burt Collins, and Ray Copeland on trumpets; Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl, and Frank Rehak on trombones; Julius Watkins on French horn; Jay McAllister on tuba; Gene Quill on alto saxophone; Seldon Powell and Frank Socolow on tenor saxophone; Billy Slapin on baritone saxophone and piccolo; Shelly Gold on bass saxophone; Hank Jones on piano; Chet Amsterdam on bass; Jimmy Campbell on drums; Joe Venuto on tympani; Sol Gubin on maracas; Pete Terrace on bongos; Umbaldo Nieto on timbales; Carlos Valdes on congas; Raymond Rodriguez on tambauri; and Al Epstein on percussion) records the self-penned titles "La Pecadora" and "Ofo" for his Roulette Records album "The Rites Of Diablo" at Webster Hall in New York City, New York. Roulette's catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Records' parent company.

1963 - Tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse, with Joe Zawinul on piano, Grant Green on guitar, Sam Jones on bass, and Frankie Dunlop on drums, records the titles "Clo-E", "Little Sherri", "What Kind Of Fool Am I", and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" at recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey for Blue Note Records which rejected all the takes of all the titles.
1965 - Liberty Records releases Gary Lewis and The Playboys' single "Count Me In" with "Little Miss Go-Go" on the flipside. Liberty's catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Records' parent company.

1973 - Electric alto saxophonist Lou Donaldson, with electric pianist Horace Ott conducting his own arrangements to Thad Jones on trumpet, Garnett Brown on trombone, Seldon Powell on flute and tenor saxophone, Buddy Lucas on harmonica, Paul Griffin also on electric piano as well as piano and organ, David Spinozza, John Tropea, and Hugh McCracken on electric guitars, Wilbur Bascomb on electric bass, Bernard Purdie on drums, and Omar Clay and Jack Jennings on percussion, records the titles "Sanford And Son Theme", "This Is Happiness", and "Inner Space" at Generation Sound Studio in New York City, New York. Blue Note Records will issue all the titles on Donaldson's album "Sassy Soul Strut" (BN-LA109-F).

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1924 - Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios is formed after a merger of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures, and The Louis B. Mayer Company.

85 Years Ago Today In 1937 - Daffy Duck debuts in the Warner Bros.' cartoon "Porky's Duck Hunt"