APRIL 23, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

95 Years Ago Today In 1931 - Kelton "Kelso" Dean Herston, a music executive who opened and headed the Nashville offices for United Artists and Capitol Records, the music director for the television show "Hee Haw", a prolific jingle writer, and a music publisher is born in Rogersville, Alabama.

1974 - Carlos Dengler (aka Carlos D.), a musician, actor, filmmaker, and one-time bass guitarist and keyboardist for the Matador and Capitol Records band Interpol is born Carlos Andres Dengler in Queens, New York.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1947 - At their first session for Capitol Records, Mel Blanc and Arthur Q. Bryan record the titles "Bugs Bunny Meets Elmer Fudd - Part 1", "Bugs Bunny Meets Elmer Fudd - Part 2" and "Daffy Duck Flies South - Part 1" using a script by Tedd Pierce and Warren Foster and adapted by Alan Livingston and with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to his Orchestra (Uan Rasey, and Emanuel "Mannie" Klein on trumpets, Ed Kusby and Carl Loeffler on trombones, Mario Grilli on French horn, Harold Lawson, Jules Kinsler, Gordon Green, Arthur Fleming, and George Smith on saxophones, Edwin "Buddy" Cole on piano, Noel Boggs on guitar, Phil Stephens on bass, John Cyr on drums, June Weiland on harp, Nick Pisani, Mischa Russell, and Olcott Vail on violins, David Sterkin on viola, and Cy Bernard on cello), in Radio Recorders' studios at 932 North Western Avenue in Hollywood, California between 8:00 PM and 12:00 AM on April 24, 1947. After additional vocals by Pinto Colvig and the title "Daffy Duck Flies South - Part 2" are recorded on April 30, 1947, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the children's album "Bugs Bunny's Stories for Children" (CC-64).

1948 - The King Cole Trio start seven straight days of performances at Radio City in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and their Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #2 on The Billboard magazine's Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys chart and #7 on the magazine's Best-Selling Popular Retail Records chart.

1949 - Jo Stafford and Gordon MacRae (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "'A' You're Adorable", the flipside of "I Need You", debuts at #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart where it will peak the next week at #3.

1949 - Mel Tormé has three Capitol Records singles in the top 20 of Billboard's Best Selling Singles chart: "Careless Hands" (with orchestra conducted by Sonny Burke), with "She's A Home Girl" on the flipside, is at #9, "Again" (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugolo) debuts at #18, and it's flipside, "Blue Moon", debuts at #20 (in a tie with Frankie Yankovic & His Yanks' single "Blue Skirt Waltz").

1953 - During two sessions held on this day in Los Angeles, California, Jack Barbour and His Rhythm Rustlers (lineup unlisted and featuring Bob Osgood on vocals and Odes McDowell on unlisted contribution) record the titles "Grandma's Favorite" in G, "Silver Lake" in G, "Late For Supper" in D, and "Bye Bye Baby" in D at the first session and the titles "Silver Bell" in C, "Jackson's Breakdown" in D, "Bully Of The Town" in C, and "Hornet's Nest" in D at the second session. Capitol Records will issue "Grandma's Favorite" and "Silver Lake" in the album "Jack Barbour And His Rhythm Rustlers - Square Dance Favorites (Without Calls)" (DAS-4040 on 10" shellac and KASF-4040 on 7" vinyl), "Late For Supper" and "Bye Bye Baby" in the album "Jack Barbour And His Rhythm Rustlers - Square Dance Favorites (without calls)" (DAS-4041 on 10" shellac and KASF-4041 on 7" vinyl), "Silver Bell" and "Hornet's Nest" in the album "Jack Barbour And His Rhythm Rustlers - Square Dance Favorites (without calls)" (DAS-4044 on 10" shellac and KASF-4044 on 7" vinyl), and "Jackson's Breakdown" and "Bully Of The Town" in the album "Jack Barbour And His Rhythm Rustlers - Square Dance Favorites (without calls)" (DAS-4045 on 10" shellac and KASF-4045 on 7" vinyl).

1958 - Nat "King" Cole opens at The Coconut Grove at The Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California.

1958 - Vocalist Tommy Sands, with Bob Bain's Music (Merrill E. Moore on piano, Bob Bain on lead guitar, Buck Owens on rhythm guitar, and unlisted bass and drums players) and a vocal chorus (lineup unlisted), records the titles "Blue Velvet", "Hearts Of Stone", "Maybelline", and "Little Mama" with an unlisted tenor saxophonist in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Sands' album "Sands Storm!" (T 1081).

1958 - Vocalist Robert Mitchum, with Justin Gordon on saxophone, Milt Raskin on piano, Jack Marshall, Otis "Joe" Maphis, and Howard Roberts on guitar, Tiny Timbrell on bass, and Nick Fatool on drums, records the titles "My Honey's Lovin' Arms" and "The Ballad Of Thunder Road" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California between 8:30 PM and 11:30 PM. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol F3986) and "The Ballad Of Thunder Road" on the multi-artist compilation album ""Shutdown" (T/DT 1918).

1958 - Guitarist Jack Marshall directs an orchestra (lineup unlisted) as they record the title "Thunder Road Chase" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol F3978) with "Fingerpoppin'" (recorded January 2, 1958) on the flipside.

1958 - The Jonah Jones Quartet (Jonah Jones on trumpet, Hank Jones on piano, John Brown on bass, and Harold Austin on drums) records the titles "Some Enchanted Evening", "The Blues Don't Care", and, with Jonah Jones also on vocals, "It's A Good Day" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records has yet to issue "Some Enchanted Evening" and will issue the other two titles on the quartet's album "Jumpin' With Jonah" (T/ST 1039).

65 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Judy Garland's Sunday night concert at Carnegie Hall is recorded live by Capitol Records and rush-released as a double album which will go on to win 5 Grammys and be the #1 album for 13 weeks. It will be remastered and re-released in 2001 for its 40th anniversary under the supervision of then-VP of Catalog A&R Paul Atkinson.

1963 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #3 on WABC's Hot Prospects ("Hits Of Tomorrow, Today!") chart.

1963 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, vocalist Tennessee Ernie Ford, with The San Quentin Prison Choir (40 unlisted vocalists) and Jack Fascinato conducting the orchestra (lineup unlisted), records the titles "We Gather Together" and "Whiter Than Snow" at the first session and the titles "Come Thou Fount", "Somebody Dig A Golden Deed", "Higher Ground", "God Of Our Fathers", and "Must Jesus Bear The Cross Alone" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "Tennessee Ernie Ford And The San Quentin Prison Choir - We Gather Together" (T/ST 1937).

1967 - Sonny James' Capitol Records single "Need You", with "On And On" on the flipside, hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

1968 - Ben Kalama directs his own arrangements to the orchestra (lineup unlisted but features Hawaiian guitar players) as they record the titles "Sleepy Lagoon", "Adventures In Paradise", "Lovely Hula Girl", "My Tane (My Man)", "Heavenly Islands (Le Bateau De Tahiti)", "Trade Winds", "Hawaiian Rose", "Ebb Tide", "I'll Weave A Lei Of Stars For You", "Sweet Someone", "Palisa", and "Kalena Kai" in an unlisted studio in Hawaii with producer Webley Edwards. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the album "Webley Edwards Presents: 'Hawaii Calls' Soft Hawaiian Guitars - Favorite Instrumentals Of The Islands - Volume 6" (ST 2917).

1968 - Vocalist Peggy Lee, with Lou Levy conducting His Orchestra (Victor Paz, Al De Risi, Tony Robilotte, and Lew Soloff on trumpets and flugelhorns, Ray De Sio, Mort Trautman, and Bill Watrous on trombones, Alan Robinson on French horn, Hubert Laws on saxophone and flute, Jean "Toots" Thielemans on harmonica, Mundell Lowe on guitar, Ben Tucker on bass, Grady Tate on drums, and Francisco Aguabella on percussion) performs the titles "Personal Property", "By The Time I Get To Phoenix", "Something Stupid", "Until It's Time For You To Go", "Keep Your Hand On The Plow", and "Big Spender" during a performance at the Copacabana Club in New York City, New York that is taped. Capitol Records has yet to issue "Big Spender" and will issue all the other titles on Lee's album "2 Shows Nightly" (ST-105).

1968 - Overdubs are recorded in Nashville, Tennessee for Sonny James' titles "She Thinks I Still Care" and "I Fall To Pieces". Capitol Records will issue the final mix of "She Thinks I Still Care" on James' album "Heaven Says Hello" (ST 2937) and the final mix of "I Fall To Pieces" on James' album "Born To Be With You" (ST-111).

1969 - Glen Campbell's Capitol Records single "Galveston", with "How Come Every Time I Itch I Wind Up Scratchin' You" on the flipside, hits #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

1969 - The Beach Boys finish recording the title "Break Away", written by Murray Wilson and produced by Brian Wilson with Carl Wilson on lead vocals. The title will be released as a single, with "Celebrate The News" on the flipside, by Capitol Records on June 23, 1969, and peak at #63 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.

1973 - Capitol Records registers the masters it purchased for Red Simpson's titles "Awful Lot To Learn About Truck Drivin'", "You Still Got A Hold On Me", "Gas, Food And Lodging", and "Feeling Like Tarzan", which were recorded April 1, 1973 in Portland, Oregon, and will issue "Awful Lot To Learn About Truck Drivin'" and "You Still Got A Hold On Me" together as a single (Capitol 3616) and has yet to issue the other two titles.

1973 - The Trend (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Castaways" and "What Am I Gonna Do?" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Castaways" as a single (Capitol 3725) with "Places" (recorded April 20, 1973) on the flipside and has yet to issue "What Am I Gonna Do?".

40 Years Ago Today In 1986 - Harold Arlen (born Hyman Arluck in Buffalo, New York), bandleader, pianist, Broadway actor, singer, composer ("Stormy Weather", "Over The Rainbow" and many others and worked with lyricists "Yip" Harburg, Capitol Records' co-founder Johnny Mercer, Ted Koehler, and others) and Capitol Records artist, dies at age 81 in New York City, New York and is later interred next to his wife, Anya Taranda, in Ferncliff Cemetery in Hartsdale, New York.

1988 - Iron Maiden's Capitol Records album "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart.

15 Years Ago Today In 2011 - Tom King, a guitarist and founding member of the Capitol Records band The Outsiders who co-wrote the band's biggest hit, "Time Won't Let Me," died at age 68 at a nursing home in Wickliffe, Ohio, after a period of declining health.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1924 - The Gramophone Company (later to become EMI, Capitol Music Group's parent company) records His Majesty King George V's speech at the opening of the Wembley Exhibition. The recording was made by a semi-electrical process with the wireless loudspeaker connected by a short tube to the recording box.

90 Years Ago Today In 1936 - Roy Orbison, singer, songwriter, guitarist, and Virgin Records America recording artist, is born Roy Kelton Orbison in Vernon, Texas.

1942 - Sandra Dee, motion picture actress and future wife of Capitol Records artist Bobby Darin, is born Alexandra Zuck.

1962 - Decca Records releases Tony Sheridan and The Beat Brothers (aka The Beatles with Pete Best on drums) single "My Bonnie", with "The Saints" (aka "When the Saints Go Marching In") on the flipside, in the United States.

1973 - Billy May and The Time-Life Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record overdubs in Los Angeles, for the title "Dear Heart" which was recorded on April 12, 1973, at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. Time-Life Records will issue the final mix of the title as part of its "As You Remember Them Series" in the three-LP set "Volume 7 - Billy May".

1983 - Michael Murphy, with unlisted others, records the title "The Heart Never Lies" in an unlisted studio for Liberty Records. No issuing information by either Liberty or EMI America is listed.

1994 - Pink Floyd's Columbia Records album "The Division Bell" debuts at #1 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart where it will stay for 4 weeks. spending 4 weeks as the top album in the country. The album will be certified Gold, Platinum, and Double Platinum in the US in June of 1994 and Triple Platinum in January of 1999. Pink Floyd's catalog is now distributed by Capitol Records.