APRIL 30, 2022

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1940 - Darrell McCall, a singer, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist (1961-1962), is born in New Jasper Township, Greene County, Ohio.

1946 - James Lee Stanley, a folksinger, songwriter, guitarist, founder of Beachwood Records, whose 1985 album "James Lee Stanley/Live" was re-released by Beachwood and distributed nationally by Capitol Records in 1988, is born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

1979 - Sean Mackin, the violinist and backing vocalist in the Capitol Records (2002-2006) group Yellowcard, is born in Jacksonville, Florida.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1938 - Vocalists Peter Anders and Aulikki Rautawaara, with Hans Schmidt-Isserstedt conducting The Berlin Opera Hous Orchestra (lineup unlisted), record Lehar's "When Two Are In Love - Duet (From 'Das Rastelbunder')" in Berlin, Germany for Telefunken Records. After Capitol Records licenses Telefunken's catalog for release in the United States, it will issue the title on the album "Franz LEHAR - Songs From His Operettas/Oskar STRAUS - Operetta Excerpts" (P-8139).

75 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Mel Blanc is in the studio to record the title "Porky Pig In Africa" for the Capitol Records children's album "Bugs Bunny Stories For Children" which is produced by Alan Livingston with music by Billy May and story by Tedd Pierce and Warren Foster.

1948 - The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #1 on The Billboard magazine's Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys chart, #2 on the magazine's Best-Selling Popular Retail Records chart. "Nature Boy"'s flipside, "Lost April" is #1 on The Billboard  magazine's Record Possibilities - The Disk Jockeys Pick chart. Also, The King Cole Trio start seven straight days of performances at the Lake Club in Springfield, Illinois.

1948 - Capitol Records registers the masters it purchased on April 5, 1948 from Gold Seal Records of Cliffie Stone and His Orchestra's titles "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again" and "So Long To The Red River Valley" and will issue "When My Blue Moon Turns Gold Again" as a single (Capitol 15108) with "Take It Any Way You Can Get It" (recorded December 3, 1947) on the flipside and "So Long To The Red River Valley" as a single (Capitol 15157) with "He's A Real Gone Oakie" (also recorded December 3, 1947) on the flipside.

1949 - Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Sonny Burke)'s Capitol Records single "Careless Hands" is #9 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable" is #11, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #13, Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Need You" is #15, Mel Tormé's Capitol Records single "Blue Moon" is #23, Jack Smith and The Clark Sisters (formerly called The Sentimentalists when they recorded with Tommy Dorsey and His Orchestra) with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Cruising Down The River" is tied with Gordon MacRae (with studio orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "So In Love" (from the Cole Porter musical "Kiss Me Kate") at #27, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra) is tied with herself at #29 with her Capitol Records single "Forever And Ever" and its flipside "A Wonderful Guy" (from the Rodgers & Hammerstein musical "South Pacific").

1953 - Vocalist Frank Sinatra, at his second session for Capitol Records and his first with arranger Nelson Riddle conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Conrad Gozzo, Mannie Klein, Vito "Mickey" Mangano, and Rubin "Zeke" Zarchy on trumpets, Si Zentner, Joe Howard, Jimmy Priddy, and Milt Bernhart on trombones, Skeets Herfurt, Jack Dumont, Ted Nash, Ted Romersa, and Joe Koch on saxophones and woodwinds, Bill Miller on piano, Al Hendrickson on guitar, Phil Stephens on bass, and Alvin Stoller on drums), records the titles "I've Got The World On A String", "Don't Worry 'Bout Me", "I Love You", and "South Of The Border (Down Mexico Way)" at radio station KHJ's studios (now the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Science's Pickford Center for Motion Picture Study and The Academy Film Archive) at 1313 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California with producer Voyle Gilmore between 8:00 PM and 11:30 PM. Not bad for Riddle's first day on the job. The arrangements and conducting of "I Love You" and "South Of The Border (Down Mexico Way)" have at times been credited to Billy May but, at the time of this session, May is on tour with his own band. It turns out Riddle was asked to arrange those titles in the style of Billy May. Capitol Records initially will issue "I've Got The World On A String" as a single (Capitol 2505) with "My One And Only Love" (recorded May 2, 1953) on the flipside and will later re-issue it also as a single (Capitol 1669) with "Young At Heart" (recorded December 9, 1953) on the flipside, and issued "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" as a single (Capitol 2787) with "I Could Have Told You" (also recorded on December 9, 1953) on the flipside, and "I Love You" and "South Of The Border (Down Mexico Way" together as a single (Capitol 2638).

1955 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Unchained Melody" is #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Tennessee Ernie Ford with Cliffie Stone's Band's Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #8, Nat "King" Cole with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup" is #10 and both sides of their single "A Blossom Fell" with "If I May" on the flipside debut at #27.

1968 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, Ray Budzilek directs His Boys (lineup unlisted) as they record the titles "Vito's Silver Wedding", "Monopol Polka", "Beer And Bourbon Oberek", and "Christina's Polka" at the first session and the titles "Bell Tone Oberek", and with the addition of Lenny Daniels on vocals, "Cradle Song", "I'm In Love With Jenny", and "Fortunes Of War" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "Polka Night! with Ray Budzilek And The Boys In The Band" (T 1104).

1968 - Vocalist Janice Harper, with Gordon Jenkins and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Devotion", "Par Avion", "Beyond The Reef", and "Hands Across The Sea" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "Devotion" and "Hands Across The Sea" together as a single (Capitol F3984) and, with "Beyond The Reef", on Harper's album "With Feeling" (T 1195). Capitol has yet to issue "Par Avion".

1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

1966 - After being introduced by Ernest Tubb, Capitol Records artist Ray Pillow, best known at the time for his duets with Jean Shepard, is made a member of The Grand Ol' Opry.

1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Caroline, No" peaks at #32 on the Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart. The title was recorded January 31, 1966 at Western Recorders, Hollywood, California, and released March 7, 1966, as Capitol single 5610 with Brian Wilson on lead vocals.

55 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Need You" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

1968 - Vocalist Lou Rawls, with H. B. Barnum conducting his own arrangments to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "A Beautiful Friendship", "Down Here On the Ground", and "Baby I Could Be So Good At Loving You" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Rawls' album "You're Good For Me" (ST 2927) and "Down Here On The Ground" also as a single (Capitol 2252) with "I'm Satisfied (The Duffy Theme)" (recorded May 1, 1968) on the flipside.

1968 - Brothers Make Two (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Just As Long As You're Mine", "Don't Be Ashamed", "I Won't Be Home For Dinner Tonight", "Something In The Rain", and "Golden Cinder" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Don't Be Ashamed" as a single (Capitol 2344) with "Autumn Lament" (recorded April 29, 1968) on the flipside and has yet to issue any of the other titles.

1968 - Vocalist John Anderson, with Shorty Rogers conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Wilderness", an unlisted title, "Don't Pat Me On The Back And Call Me Brother", and "If A Storm Wind Blows" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Wilderness", "Don't Pat Me On The Back And Call Me Brother", and "If A Storm Wind Blows" on Anderson's album "Kasandra" (ST 2957) and "Don't Pat Me On The Back And Call Me Brother" also as a single (Capitol 2342) with "Just Look In My Face" (recorded May 1, 1968) on the flipside.

1973 - Billy May and The Time-Life Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Manha De Carnaval", "Deserted City", "Night And Day", and "Scarborough Fair" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California. After overdubs are recorded at the same session for "Manha De Carnaval" and on May 3, 1973 for "Scarborough Fair", Time-Life Records, as part of its "As You Remember Them" series, will issue the final mixes of "Manha De Carnaval" and "Scarborough Fair" as well as "Deserted City" in the three-LP set "Volume 7 - Billy May" (STL 247) and "Night And Day" in the three-LP set "Volume 8 - Billy May" (STL 248).

1974 - Merle Haggard records the title "Old Man From The Mountain" for Capitol Records.

1974 - Capitol Records purchased the masters for vocalist Mike Lookinland's titles ""Love Doesn't Care Who's In It, "Gum Drop", and "I Want To Be Alone With You" in Los Angeles, California. 

Capitol Records issued the first two titles together as a single (Capitol 3914) and has yet to issue "I Want to Be Alone With You".

45 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Southern Nights" is still #1 on Billboard's singles chart.

45 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Klaatu's self-titled debut album on Capitol Records peaks at #32 on the Billboard album charts and will stay there for 3 weeks.

1978 - Dick Curless, bandleader and Capitol Records artist, is inducted into the Maine Country Music Hall of Fame.

1985 - Mickey Katz, comedian, klezmer style clarinet player, member and vocalist with Spike Jones and His City Slickers, father of Broadway, motion picture and television actor and Capitol Records artist Joel Grey, grandfather of motion picture and television actress Jennifer Grey, and a Capitol recording artist, dies at age 75 and is later interred in the Valley of Remembrance section of Hillside Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.

35 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Apple Records releases The Beatles' albums "Help!", "Rubber Soul" and "Revolver" on CD for the first time with their original UK track order and with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States.

1988 - Vocalist Willie Dixon, with unlisted others, records the titles "Study War No More", "Jungle Swing", and "I Do The Job" at an unlisted studio for Capitol Records. No issuing information is listed.

1995 - Capitol Records artist Roseanne Cash and record producer John Leventhal are married.

2000 - Jonah Jones, trumpet player and Capitol Records solo artist, dies at age 91.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1870 - Franz Lehar, the composer of the operettas "The Merry Widow and "Naughty Marietta" (selections from both were later recorded by Gordon MacRae and released first as separate 10" albums and later together as a single 12" LP by Capitol Records), is born in what is now Komrno, Slovakia.

1928 - Ten-year-old Steubenville, Ohio native Dino Crocetti (aka future Capitol Records artist Dean Martin) has his first Holy Communion and takes the name Paul as his confirmation name.

1933 - Willie Nelson, a singer, songwriter, disc jockey, motion picture and television actor, the founder of Farm Aid, and a Liberty Records artist, is born William Hugh Nelson in Abbott, Texas.

1938 - The Warner Bros. cartoon short "Porky's Hare Hunt", debuts in movie theaters, introducing future Capitol Records "artist" Bugs Bunny.

1943 - Bobby Vee, singer and Liberty Records artist (1959-1970), is born Robert Thomas Velline in Fargo, North Dakota.

1963 - Alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, with Grachan Moncur III on trombone, Bobby Hutcherson on vibraphone, Eddie Khan on bass, and Anthony Williams on drums, records the titles "Frankenstein", two takes of "Saturday And Sunday", "Blue Rodeo", and "Ghost Town" in recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder's studio in Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey. Blue Note Records will issue "Frankenstein", the first take of "Saturday And Sunday", "Blue Rodeo", and "Ghost Town" on McLean's album "One Step Beyond" (BLP4137 in Mono and BST84137 in Stereo) and all the titles and takes on the CD release of the album (7-46821-2).

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY

95 Years Ago Today In 1927 - Douglas Fairbanks and Mary Pickford become the first to put their hand and footprints in cement outside Sid Grauman's Chinese Theatre at 6925 Hollywood Boulevard in Hollywood, California.

1934 - Jerry Lordon, composer of "Apache", the first big hit for the UK group The Shadows, was born in London, England.

1983 - Muddy Waters (born McKinley Morganfield), Blues legend, dies in his sleep at age 68 at his home in Westmont, Illinois.