JULY 13, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

1942 - Roger McGuinn, digital distribution advocate, techie, and 12-string Rickenbacker guitarist with such bands as The Byrds and Capitol Records group McGuinn, Clark and Hillman, is born James Joseph McGuinn in Chicago, Illinois.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1942 - Capitol Records issues another three singles in its second-ever release:
107. Bobby Sherwood and His Orchestra's “The Elks' Parade” and “I Don’t Know Why”
108. Paul Whiteman And His Orchestra's “Serenade In Blue” with vocal by Martha Tilton and “I’ve Got A Gal In Kalamazoo” with vocal by The Mellowaires
109. Johnnie Johnston's “Conchita Marquita (Lolita Pepita Rosita Juanita Lopez)” and “Windmill Under The Stars”
All nine of Capitol's releases are listed together in a July 11, 1942 Billboard Magazine ad placed by Modern Music Sales Company.

1942 - At Capitol Records' twelfth ever recording session, Sir Lancelot (aka vocalist Lancelot Pinard) and His Calypso Singers (lineup unlisted), with a unidentified guitarist, record the titles "Pearl Harbor", "Sing A Tropical Song", "Young Girls Today", and "Look Out For Wife" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records which has yet to issue any of the titles.

1955 - Arranger and tenor saxophonist Bill Holman (with Dave Madden on baritone saxophone; Conte Candoli on trumpet; Bob Evenvoldsen on valve trombone; Paul Moer on piano; Ralph Pena on bass; and Shelly Manne on drums) records the tracks "The Mild One", "My Buddy", "Where Or When", and "Bon Mot" at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios in Hollywood, California. The tracks will remain unissued until they appear on Mosaic Records box set "Kenton Presents Cooper, Holman & Rosolino".

1958 - The Kingston Trio record a live date at the hungry i, where they would perform 30 songs, only 12 of which were later released by Capitol Records until Bear Family Records in Germany released its box set "The Kingston Trio - The Guard Years" in 1997, which contained the entire concert.

1959 - The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "M.T.A." is #15 up from #18 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

1959 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Under Your Spell Again" with "Tired Of Livin'" on the flipside.

1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" is #6 down from #2 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #18 down from #12, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #26 down from #16, The Beach Boy's Capitol Records single "Shut Down" is #33 down from #31, and Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #37 down from #30. Also, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #4 on Billboard magazine's Middle-Road Singles chart, #5 on the magazine's Hits Of The World - Hong Kong chart,  #12 on KDWB's Fabulous Forty Survey in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota, also #18 on Cash Box magazine's Top 100 Singles chart, #22 on KFWB's Fabulous Forty Survey in Los Angeles, California and #26 on Billboard magazine's Hot R&B Singles chart. Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #1 on KDWB's Favorite Albums chart in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota and #64 on Billboard magazine's Top LP's -150 Best Sellers - Monaural chart. Cole's album "Ramblin' Rose" is #79 also on Billboard magazine's Top LP's -150 Best Sellers - Monaural chart. 

1963 - Capitol Records announces a sales drive for Cole's catalog which covers the singer's 29 LP's and offers dealers one free album for each two purchased. Capitol is backing up the Cole push with an extensive national promotional campaign, including a full-page Life magazine ad, wind displays, point-of-sale material, and local radio and newspaper plugs. 

1964 - Capitol Records releases The Beatles' single "A Hard Day's Night" with "I Should Have Known Better" on the flipside and The Beach Boys' album "All Summer Long".

60 Years Ago Today In 1966 - At 10:00 AM, The Chocolate Watchband enter American Recording Studios to start their first recording session for Tower Records, a subsidiary of Capitol Records. David Aguilar of the group has a great article about what led up to that first session and who was there.

1970 - Capitol Records re-releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's albums "Sweet Hour Of Prayer" and "Let Me Walk With Thee" packaged together with new cover art.

1985 - Duran Duran's Capitol Records single "A View To A Kill" is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart becoming the first title song from the James Bond franchise of movies to reach the top of the U.S. charts. Ironically, on the same day, the original members of Duran Duran perform for the last time at the Live Aid concert held at JFK Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until they give a reunion concert in 2003.

1993 - Pianist Don Pullen (with Carlos Ward on alto saxophone, Nilson Matta on bass, J.T. Lewis on drums, and Mor Thiam on djembe, tabula, rainsticks, wind chimes, and vocals) perform at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland. Capitol Records records the performance and releases the tracks "Yebino Spring", "Ah George, We Hardly Knew Ya", "Capoeira", "Kele Mou Bana" and "Aseeko! (Get Up And Dance!" on the album "Live-- Again Live At Montreux" in 1995.

2004 - Capitol Records releases Rochester, Minnesota band The F-UPS self-titled debut album.

20 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Red Buttons, comedian, actor and Capitol Records artist (on the original motion picture soundtrack to "Pete's Dragon" with another Capitol Records artist Helen Reddy), who also did voice work with Capitol Records artist Judy Garland on the animated feature film "Gay Purr-ee", dies of vascular disease at his home in Century City at age 87. Here's hoping that, wherever he his, he's finally getting a dinner.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1927 - Ike Cole, pianist, singer, and brother of Capitol Records artist Nat "King" Cole, is born in Chicago, Illinois.

1939 - Frank Sinatra has his first recording session when he's the featured vocalist with new bandleader Harry James and His Orchestra on the tracks "Melancholy Mood" and "From The Bottom of My Heart".

1942 - Stephen Jo Bladd, drummer with the EMI America group The J. Geils Band, is born in Boston, Massachusettes.

1949 - Singer and pianist Amos Milburn (with Maxwell Davis tenor saxophone, Chuck Norris on guitar, Ralph Hamilton on bass, and Lee Young on drums) records the tracks "Roomin' House Boogie", "Walkin' Blues" (without Davis on tenor saxophone), and "Blue And Lonesome" for Aladdin Records at Radio Recorders, in Los Angeles, California. The first two tracks will be released on separate singles by Alladin in the United States and the last track wil be released by Aladdin in France on Milburn's album "Vicious, Vicious Vodka".

75 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Arnold Schoenberg, a tonal composer whose works were recorded for Capitol Records by the Hollywood String Quartet, dies in Los Angeles, California at age 76.

1953 - Future Capitol Records artists Louis Prima and Keely Smith are married. If anyone knows where, please contact me.

1957 - Bob Brookmeyer records (with Brookmeyer on valve trombone and piano; Jimmy Giuffre on clarinet, tenor saxophone, and baritone saxophone; Jim Hall on guitar; Joe Benjamin on bass; and Dave Bailey on drums) the tracks "Louisiana", "Santa Claus Blues", "Truckin’", "Some Sweet Day", "Sweet Like This", "Jada", and "Don’t Be That Way" with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Al Schmitt at Costal Studios in New York City for his Pacific Jazz album "Traditionalism Revisited". Pacific Jazz's catalog is currently owned by Unibersal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #21 down from #14 on Billboard's Hot 100 single chart, Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Sweeter Than You" enters the top 40 at #24 up from #53 and it's flip side "Just A Little Too Much" also enters the top 40 at #32 up from #42, Dion and The Belmonts Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #33 down from #19, and David Seville and The Chipmunk's Liberty Records single "Ragtime Cowboy Joe" enters the top 40 at #36 up from #65. Liberty, Imperial, and Laurie Records catalogs are currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

1963 - Nat "King" Cole and Jack Gale have formed the Cole and Gale Music Distributing company which joins their existing companies Sweco and Comet Music Corporations which have now moved to new headquarter on West 57th Street which will also be the home of Cole's recording company, K-C Records, Inc. Cole and Gale have also acquired sole selling rights to the Burke-Van Heusen Music, George Simon, Inc., Simon House, Johnny Burke, Inc., and Jimmy Van Heusen, Inc. catalogs.

1963 - The Essex's Roulette Records single "Easier Said Than Done" is still #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Jan and Dean's Liberty Records single "Surf City" is #2 up from #7, The Chiffons' Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #5 up from #6, and The Fleetwoods' Dolton Records single "Goodnight My Love" enters the top 40 at #40 up from #48. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Roulette, Liberty, Laurie, and Dolton Records catalogs.

1972 - Elvin Jones records the tracks "Soultrane" (with Steve Grossman on tenor saxophone, Gene Perla on bass, Jones on drums, Albert Duffy on tympani, and Frank Ippolito on percussion), "One's Native Place" (with Thad Jones on flugelhorn, David Liebman on flute, Steve Grossman on soprano saxophone, Jan Hammer on piano, Gene Perla on bass, Jones on drums, Albert Duffy on tympani, Frank Ippolito on percussion, and Carlos Patato Valdes on conga), and "G. G." (with Thad Jones on flugelhorn, David Liebman and Steve Grossman on tenor saxphone, Jan Hammer on piano, Gene Perla on electric bass, and Jones on drums) with producer George Butler and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at The Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey for Jones' Blue Note Records album "Mr. Jones". Blue Note Records catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, Universal Music Group.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1962 - The Blossoms record the track "He's A Rebel", written by Gene Pitney, with Bobby Sheen singing high tenor for producer Phil Spector. When Philles Records releases the track as a single, with "I Love You Eddie" on the flipside, they called the group The Crystals. The single would hit #1  on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart on November 3, 1962 and stay for two weeks.

JULY 12, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1919 - Paul Villepigue, clarinetist, flutist, player of the entire range of saxophones, and arranger (for Ben Pollack/Chico Marx band and such Capitol Records artists as Charlie Barnet, Stan Kenton, June Christy, Mel Tormé, and Alvino Rey), is born Paul Fabian Villepigue, Jr. in Ottawa, Kansas.

1927 - Conte Candoli, trumpet player, older brother of trumpet player Pete Candoli, and member of Capitol Records groups Woody Herman and His Orchestra (1950) and Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (1951-1953, 1955) as well as many other groups including Doc Severinsen's Tonight Show band, is born Secondo Conte Candoli in Mishawaka, Indiana.

1938 - Bill Cosby, comedian, television and movie actor, producer, and Capitol Records artist, is born William Henry Cosby, Jr. in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

75 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Cheryl Ladd, television actress, singer and Capitol Records artist (solo and as a vocalist with Josie & The Pussycats) is born Cheryl Jean Stoppelmoor in Huron, South Dakota.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

80 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Peggy Lee with her husband Dave Barbour and His Orchestra records the titles (which they also co-wrote) "Don't Be So Mean To Baby" (which remains unreleased), "It's A Good Day" (which Capitol Records will release as single #322 with "He's Just My Kind" on the flipside), and "I've Had My Moments" (which was rejected) with producer Lee Gillette in Los Angeles, California.

80 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (Buddy Childers, Ray Wetzel, Chico Alvarez, John Anderson, Ken Hanna on trumpet; Kai Winding, Miff Sines, Milt Kabak on trombone; Bart Varsalona on bass trombone; Al  Anthony and Boots Mussulli on alto saxophone; Vido Musso and Bob Cooper on tenor saxophone; Bob Gioga on baritone saxophone; Kenton on piano; Bob Ahern on guitar; Eddie Safranski on bass; Shelly Manne on drums; and June Christy on vocals) record the tracks "Ain't No Misery In Me" (with vocals by Christy and solos by Winding on trombone and Mussulli on alto saxophone), "Artistry In Percussion" (with solos by Manne on drums and Winding on trombone), two takes of "Safranski (Artistry In Bass)" (with solos by Safranski on bass and Kenton on piano), and "Artistry in Bolero" (with solos by Safranski on bass, Kenton on piano, Musso on tenor saxophone and Winding on trombone) at Radio Recorders in Los Angeles, California with producer Lee Gillette. All the tracks except the second take of "Safranski (Artistry In Bass)" will appear on the 78 rpm version of their Capitol Records album "Artistry in Rhythm". The second take of Safranski (Artistry In Bass)" will replace the first on the 33 1/3 rpm version of the album.

1947 - Red Ingle and The Natural Seven (with vocals by Cinderella G. Stump aka Jo Stafford)'s Capitol Records single "Tim-Tay-Shun" (aka "Temptation) is still #5 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart.

1952 - Jane Froman (with orchestra conducted by Sid Feller)'s Capitol Records single "I'll Walk Alone" is still #14, Nat "King" Cole (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Somewhere Along The Way" (with "What Does It Take" on the flipside) is #13 up from #16, Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s Capitol Records single "Take My Heart" (with "I Never Cared" on the flipside) is #15 up from #17, and Nat "King" Cole (with Billy May and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Walkin' My Baby Back Home" (with "I'm Hurtin'" on the flipside) enters the top 20 at #20 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart.

1957 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone and bass; Don Barbour on vocal and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocal and drums; and Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone, and bass) with arranger Pete Rugolo conducting the studio orchestra (Frank Rosolino, John Halliburton, Milt Bernhart, and Herbie Harper on trombone; George Roberts on bass trombone; Clarence Karella on tuba; Herbie Mann on piccolo, flute, and alto flute; Howard Roberts on guitar; Jimmy Rowles on piano; Red Mitchell on bass; Shelly Manne on drums; Bernie Mattinson on vibraphones and percussion; Milt Holland on percussion; and Chico Guerrero on bongos and percussion) record the tracks "Yesterdays", "Mine", "Again", "What's New", and "Star Eyes" in Los Angeles, California for their Capitol Records album "Voices In Latin".

1958 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #25 on KFWB's Fabulous Forty Survey in Los Angeles, California and #34 on Cash Box magazine's Best Selling Singles chart. Also, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "St. Louis Blues" is #6 on CKWX's Best Selling LP's chart in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.

1962 - Bobby Darin signs a three-year contract with Capitol Records.

1963 - It's a Friday night, and Nat "King" Cole performs two of his latest hits, "Ramblin' Rose" and "Where Did Everyone Go?" on "The Jack Paar Show" on NBC-TV at 10:00 PM EDT. Also appearing on the show are fellow Capitol Records artists Les Paul and Mary Ford, actor Peter Ustinov, and Bob Williams with his dog Louis.

1965 - Brian Wilson records an instrumental backing track with a rough lead vocal for the song that will become "Sloop John B" at Western Recorders in Hollywood, California.

1979 - Minnie Ripperton, singer with a five-octave range and a Capitol Records artist (1976-1979), dies at approximately 10:00 AM of breast cancer at age 31 at Cedars-Sinai Hospital, Los Angeles, California with her husband, Richard Rudolph, by her side.

2003 - Benny Carter, composer, bandleader, trombonist, clarinetist, trumpeter, alto saxophonist, and Capitol Records artist, dies at age 96 of possible bronchitis at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles, California. There is a nice biographical article on Jazz Beat's site by Floyd Levin.

2005 - Billboard Radio Monitor reports that Joanna Carter has been promoted to senior director of creative services at Capitol Records Nashville.

20 Years Ago Today In 2006 - It is reported this day that Syd Barrett, songwriter, guitarist, and founding member of Pink Floyd, had died "peacefully a couple of days ago", either from complications of diabetes or of cancer, at his home in Cambridgeshire, England at age 60.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1895 - Oscar Hammerstein II, Broadway, motion picture, and television lyricist (including "Rose-Marie", "The Desert Song", "Sunny" "Show Boat", "Carmen Jones", "Oklahoma!", "South Pacific", "Carousel", "The King And I", "Cinderella", "The Sound Of Music" and many others) and producer, is born Oscar Greeley Clendinning Hammerstein II in New York City, New York. Capitol Records has released the original motion picture soundtracks to "Oklahoma!", "Carousel" and "The King And I", a 10" album of cover versions of songs from "South Pacific" recorded by Capitol Records artists, and many Capitol Records artists have recorded cover versions of Hammerstein's songs, some of which appeared on Capitol's compilation CD "Hello Young Lovers: Capitol Sings Rodgers and Hammerstein" that was released on April 5, 1994.

1952 - Al Martino (with orchestra conducted by Monty Kelly)'s BBS Records single "Here In My Heart" is #2 up from #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart.

1962 - At the Marquee Club in London, England, The Rolling Stones make their debut performance. At the time, the group consisted of singer Mick Jagger, guitarists Keith Richards and Brian Jones, bass player Dick Taylor, pianist Ian Stewart, and drummer Mick Avory. The Rolling Stones catalog used to be distributed by Virgin Records and is currently being distributed by Interscope Records in the United States and Polydor Records in the U.K., both of which are imprints of Capitol and Virgin Records' current parent company, Universal Music Group.

1972 - Drummer Elvin Jones (with David Liebman and Steve Grossman on tenor saxophones and Gene Perla on bass) records the track "New Breed" for Jones' Blue Note Records album "Mr. Jones" with producer George Butler and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at The Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, NJ. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Blue Note Records catalog.

30 Years Ago Today In 1996 - Jonathan Melvoin, keyboardist with the Virgin Records group Smashing Pumpkins, dies of a heroin overdose at age 34 in New York City, New York.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1854 - George Eastman, inventor of the Kodak camera and roll film upon which motion picture film is based, is born in Waterville, New York.

2008 - At 2:25 PM Alaska time, after about 12 hours of labor (which his mom will never let him forget), our grandson, Alexander Lee Johnson, is born at 19.75" and 7 pounds 1 ounce in Juneau, Alaska.

JULY 11, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1920 - Yul Brynner, Broadway and motion picture actor and Capitol Records artist ( on the 1956 soundtrack for "The King And I") is born Yuliy Borisovitch Briner in his parents' home, a four-storey house, at 15 Aleutskaya Street, Vladivostok, Russia.

1947 - Jeff Hanna, a guitarist and the lead vocalist ("Mr. Bojangles") of the United Artists and Capitol Records group The Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, is born in Detroit, Michigan.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1950, lyricist, librettist, music publisher, Broadway and motion picture producer, and co-founder of Capitol Records with Johnny Mercer and Glenn Wallichs, who put up $25,000 of his own money to start the company, dies of heart failure in Hollywood, California at age 55.

1953 - Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "April In Portugal is #4 down from #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "Vaya Con Dios" is #5 up from #6, Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Half A Photograph" is #12 up from #17, Les Baxter and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Ruby" is still #15, and Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "Allez-Vous-En" (the flipside of "Half A Photograph) is #17 up from #18. Also, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Pretend" is #13, his single "Return To Paradise" is #17, his single "I Am In Love" is #43, and its flipside "My Flaming Heart" is #45 on Cash Box magazine's Best Selling Singles chart and Cole's Capitol Records single "Can't I?" is #2 and his single "I Am In Love" is #6 on The Billboard magazine's R&B Territorial Best Sellers - New York City chart.

1960 - Time Magazine runs an article about Capitol Records artists The Kingston Trio and the success of their album "Sold Out".

1963 - Buck Owens records the title "Love's Gonna Live Here Again" which Capitol Records will release as a single on August 19, 1963, with "Getting Used To Loving You" on the flipside. The title will go to #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart.

1964 - Billboard Magazine runs an article "Beatles' LP: 4 Days That Shake The Industry" about how the soundtrack to "A Hard Day's Night" sold 1 million copies in 4 days, becoming one of the fastest selling albums in recording history.

60 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beach Boys' Capitol Records single "Wouldn't It Be Nice", with "God Only Knows" on the flipside, peaks at #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

1972 - Merle Haggard records the track "It's Not Love, But It's Not Bad" which Capitol Records will release as a single with "My Woman Keeps Lovin' Her Man" on the flipside in August 1972.

1987- Heart's Capitol Records single "Alone", with "Barracuda" (live version recorded at NHK Hall, Tokyo, Japan, June 1986), on the flipside, hits #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

1999- Helen Forrest (born Helen Fogel), singer with the bands of Artie Shaw, Benny Goodman, Harry James, and the Sam Donahue led Tommy Dorsey Orchestra, radio performer (on "The Dick Haymes Show"), motion picture actress (including "Bathing Beauty" and "Two Girls And A Sailor"), and Capitol Records artist (1955 album "Voice Of The Name Bands"), dies of congestive heart failure at the Motion Picture Country Home and Hospital in Woodland Hills at 82 and is later laid to rest in Mount Sinai Memorial Park in Los Angeles, California.

2000 - Capitol Records releases Everclear's album "Learning How To Smile, An American Movie, Volume I". I designed the "frowny face", an adaption of Harvey R. Ball's "smiley face" image, that was used as the main packaging graphic for the album's first single "Wonderful".

20 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Bill Miller, longtime musical director, accompanist, and friend of Frank Sinatra, dies at Montreal General Hospital in Canada at age 91. His daughter Meredith was with him at the hospital when he passed. He had been working at a month-long gig that started June 28 with Frank Sinatra, Jr. at Le Cabaret du Casino, 1 Avenue du Casino, Montreal. Army Archerd's blog has an article giving the specifics and reactions from the Sinatra family.

In private life, Bill was a kind, quiet, and patient man whose unquestioning loyalty to friends, and love of his family, was remarkable. Professionally, it was all about the music and the craft, modestly giving every session an extra something that even he couldn't put into words but you could always hear. He had an amazing ear for the well done, and would only become annoyed or, on a rare occasion, angered when faced with the uncaring or sloppy. I was fortunate to be able to talk to Mr. Miller at his home on June 4, 2006. Bill was inside watching the ball games, which he said he only really took interest in during the playoffs. After introductions, and him finding out about my interest in Capitol, he turned down the TV and we talked for a little while. His memory was very much intact, but after being caught in a mudslide in the '60s that also killed his wife, he had some hearing problems. I told him about meeting Vernise Pelzel and Louise Yocum, the daughter and wife, respectively, of Sinatra's music coordinator and copiest Vern Yocum, the previous weekend and he said that he remembered Vern very well and how much Vern would do anything to help Nelson Riddle meet his deadlines. I told him about meeting the curator of the Nelson Riddle collection at the University of Arizona, Tucson, and how he was able to tell how much Vern had done by looking at the handwriting on the charts. Bill said that he remembered how proud Vern was proud of his bodybuilding son and would show him photos of Ray Yokum all the time. I asked Bill if he could help identify some of the players at Sinatra's "Tone Poems Of Colors" sessions. He suggested looking at listings of the session players before and after the "Tone Poem" sessions to get an idea of who was working at that session, as it was normal to get the same people together. We talked about some of the producers who worked with Sinatra, he remembered how Voyle Gilmore was the serious one of the crowd that included Dave Cavanaugh and Lee Gillette. He talked about Sinatra starting out at the Capitol Studios on Melrose and how the first singles with Axel didn't go well. He felt the first real recordings for Capitol started when Nelson Riddle started arranging for Frank for "I've Got The World On A String". He said he had been back in Studio B in the Tower last year working with Frank Jr. on tracks. I told him about the live recording of Sinatra that Capitol released last year as part of the Las Vegas Centennial tribute and Bill said that Capitol recorded a lot of the shows be he didn't know what they had done with the tapes. He hadn't heard about the release of the Las Vegas CD (a few weeks later, after he had left for Montreal, I dropped off a copy of the disc I had bought for him). We talked about people who were still around like Jo Stafford and Martha Tilton and I told him how Stafford and Weston's papers were joining those of Nelson and Vern's at The University of Arizona Tucson's School Of Music. I told him that Nellie Lutcher was still alive in L.A. though no longer performing. He was surprised at that, saying that she must be at least as old as he is, if not more. We talked about Freddie Slack. Bill said he wasn't a big fan of but that was probably because he was jealous that he couldn't play the piano like Freddie. A call from his daughter Meredith in Berkeley ended the conversation. Later, I would thank him for his time and I was invited back after he came back from Montreal. I'm just glad for the time I had.

20 Years Ago Today In 2006 - The 30th-anniversary release of The Steve Miller Band's album is rescheduled to Tuesday, July 18th, 2006.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

95 Years Ago Today In 1931 - Thurston Harris, singer with the groups The Lamplighters, The Tenderfoots, and The Sharps, and a solo Aladdin Records artist (best known for the track "Little Bitty Pretty One"), is born in Indianapolis, Indiana. I designed the album packaging for Harris' EMI America's 1986 greatest hits compilation with art director Henry Marquez.

1937 - George Gershwin, composer (who worked with future Capitol Records co-founder Buddy DeSylva on songs such as "Stairway To Heaven" as well as with his brother Ira Gershwin), dies in Beverly Hills, California at age 38 from an inoperable brain tumor. Many Capitol Records artists have covered songs written by Gershwin and his compositions were featured as part of the "Capitol Sings" series on the CD "Fascinatin' Rhythm: Capitol Sings George Gershwin".

80 Years Ago Today In 1946 - At his first recording session, Dean Martin records the tracks “Which Way Did My Heart Go?”, “All of Me”, “I Got the Sun in the Morning” and “The Sweetheart of Sigma Chi” for Diamond Records whose offices were located in The Brill Building in New York City.

1960 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Walking To New Orleans" is #21 up from #31 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, The Fleetwoods' Dolton Records single "Runaround" is #23 up from #25, and Don Costa and His Orchestra's United Artists Records single "Theme From 'The Unforgiven'" is still #27. Imperial, Dolton and United Artists Records' catalogs are currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

1968 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "Fancy Dance", "Upstairs", and "Sting Ray" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Thorne Nogar for their Pacific Jazz album "Powerhouse". Capitol Records now owns the Pacific Jazz catalog.

50 Years Ago Today In 1976 - Frank Sinatra marries Barbara Marx in Palm Springs, California.

20 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Nelson Riddle's Capitol Records album "Sing a Song With Riddle" is re-released on CD with the previously unreleased "Hey Diddle Riddle" album as a 2 disc set by DRG Records thanks to DRG's president Hugh Fordin being able to convince Capitol to license him the material. Unfortunately, according to someone who was involved with another record company that was trying to release the album itself last year, DRG's incomplete research has led to them leaving off 1 track from the album and an additional 2 tracks that were supposed to be released as a 45 single to coincide with the album's original release are also not on DRG's release.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1989 - Sir Laurence Olivier dies in Steyning, West Sussex, England, from complications of a neuromuscular disorder and cancer at the age of 82, and is interred in Poets' Corner in Westminster Abbey, London.

JULY 10, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

85 Years Ago Today In 1941 - Ian Whitcomb, singer, songwriter, ukulele player, bandleader, motion picture and television scorer, record producer, radio disc jockey and Tower Records (a subsidiary of Capitol Records) artist, is born Ian Timothy Whitcomb in Woking, Surrey, England.

1949 - Dave Smalley, guitarist and vocalist with the band The Mods (1964-1966) and The Choir (1966-1969), and bass guitarist (1970-1973) with the Capitol Records group The Raspberries is born David Bruce Smalley in Oil City, Pennsylvania.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1948 - Capitol Records has five of the top 20 songs on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart with The Pied Piper's Capitol Records single "My Happiness" at #4 up from #7, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #7 down from #3, Mel Blanc and The Sportsmen Quartet's Capitol Records single "The Woody Woodpecker Song" (with The Sportsmen Quartet's track "I’d Love To Live In Loveland With A Girl Like You" on the flipside) enters the top 20 at #8, Pee Wee Hunt and His Orchestra's Capitol Records single "Twelfth Street Rag" is #15 down from #11, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra)'s single "A Tree In The Meadow" (with "I'm Sorry, But I'm Glad" on the flipside), enters the chart at #17.

75 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Peggy Lee and Mel Tormé, with arranger Sid Feller conducting his orchestra (Buck Clayton and Bernie Privin on trumpet; Warren Covington, Lou McGarity, and Buddy Morrow on trombone; Barry Galbraith on guitar; Joe Shulman on bass; John Lewis on piano; and William Exiner on drums), record the tracks "Don't Fan The Flames" and "Telling Me Yes And Telling Me No" which Capitol Records will release together as a single (5-1738).

1952 - Tennessee Ernie Ford, with Cliffie Stone's Orchestra, records the tracks "The Tennessee Local" and "Blackberry Boogie" which will be released by Capitol Records on the Capitol Americana label (#2170) at Capitol Records' Melrose studios in Hollywood, California. "Blackberry Boogie" will peak at #6 on Billboard's Country singles chart.

1954 - Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Three Coins In A Fountain" is #8 down from #7 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Kay Starr (with orchestra conducted by Harold Mooney)'s Capitol Records single "The Man Upstairs" is #17 down from #14.

70 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Trumpeter Harry James (with Nick Buono also on trumpet; Juan Tizol on valve trombone; Willie Smith and Herb Lorden on alto saxophone; Francis Polifroni on tenor saxophone; Larry Kinnamon on piano; Joe Comfort on bass; and Buddy Rich on drums) records the track "What Am I Here For" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. The label will reject this version and James will re-record it on May 2, 1957.

1957 - Frank Sinatra, with The Ralph Brewster Singers (Sue Allen, Betty Allen, Ralph Brewster, Peggy Clark, Barbara Ford, Lee Gotch, Beverly Jenkins, Jimmy Joyce, Gene Lanham, Bill Lee, Ray Linn, Jr., John Mann, Thora Mathiason, Dorothy McCarty, Loulie Jean Norman, Betty Noves, Thurl Ravenscroft, Ginny Roos, Max Smith, Bob Stevens, Bill Thompson, Bob Wacker, Betty Wand, Gloria Wood, and Norma Zimmer) and arranger Gordon Jenkins conducting the studio orchestra (Victor Arno, Harry Bluestone, Walter Edelstein, Sol Kindler, Joseph Livoti, Nick Pisani, Joseph Quadri, Lou Raderman, Mischa Russell, and Marshall Sosson on violins; William Baffa, Louis Kievman, Paul Robyn, and David Sterkin on violas; Cy Bernard and Armand Kaproff on cellos; Bill Miller on piano; Nathan Gangursky and John Ryan on bass; Allen Reuss on guitar; and Kathryn Thompson on harp), records the tracks "Adeste Fideles", "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing", "It Came Upon A Midnight Clear", and "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" with producer Voyle Gilmore in Studio A at The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California for Sinatra's Capitol Records album "A Jolly Christmas".

65 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Faron Young's Capitol Records single "Hello Walls" is #39 down from #27 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

1965 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Beatles VI" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart.

1967 - Singers Merle Haggard and Bonnie Owens (with Roy Nichols on lead guitar; Glen Campbell, Lewis Talley, and Billy Mize on guitar; Norman Hamlett on steel guitar; Jerry Ward on bass; Eddie Burris on drums; and George French on piano) record the track "Look Over Me" with producer Ken Nelson at The Capitol Tower Studios, in Hollywood, California for Haggard's 1968 Capitol Records album "Sing Me Back Home".

1972 - Capitol Records releases Pink Floyd's single "Free Four" with "Stay" on the flipside.

1972 - Capitol Records group Heads, Hands & Feet perform live on a bill with The James Gang at Knob Hill in Clarkston, Michigan.

1989 - Mel Blanc, radio, motion picture and television actor, cartoon voice artist ("man of a thousand voices"), and Capitol Records artist, dies in Los Angeles, California at age 81 and is later interred in the Hollywood Forever Cemetery in Hollywood, California with the epitaph "That's All Folks" on his tombstone.

2005 - Dr. Cora Martin-Moore, head of the Capitol Records gospel group The Echoes of Eden Choir of St. Paul's Baptist Church, dies in Los Angeles, California at age 74.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1894 - Jimmy McHugh, pianist, song plugger, composer of pop songs (including "Let's Get Lost", "I Can't Give You Anything But Love", "On The Sunny Side Of The Street", "I'm In The Mood for Love", and many others) as well as Broadway and motion picture scores, is born James Francis McHugh in Boston, Massachusetts. McHugh collaborated with many lyricists including Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer as well as Ted Koehler, Ned Washington, Harold Adamson, Frank Loesser, and Dorothy Fields. Many Capitol Records artists have covered McHugh's songs and Capitol released a compilation of them as #17 of its "Capitol Sings" series of CDs "Jimmy McHugh - I Feel A Song Coming On".

1900 - After getting permission from British company The Gramophone Company (later to become EMI) and commissioning the original artist to make a copy, Emile Berliner registers the image of ‘His Master’s Voice’ with the U.S. Patent Office. In the United States, it will become the logo of the Victor Talking Machine Company (later RCA Victor). The image will remain the official logo for EMI in the United Kingdom.

1954 - Neil Tennant, singer, songwriter, and part of the EMI America Records duo Pet Shop Boys is born Neil Francis Tennant in North Shields, Northumberland, United Kingdom.

65 Years Ago Today In 1961 - Ricky Nelson's Imperial Records single "Travelin' Man" is #12 down from #7 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart, it's flipside "Hello Mary Lou" is #21 down from #15, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "It Keeps Rainin'" is #23 up from #24. Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, Universal Music Group.

1963 - It's a busy day at the BBC's studios in London as The Beatles record the tracks "A Taste Of Honey", "Memphis, Tennessee", "Sweet Little Sixteen", "Lonesome Tears In My Eyes", "Nothin' Shakin'", "The Hippy Hippy Shake", "So How Come (No-one Loves Me)", "Matchbox", and "Love Me Do" for the sixth episode of the radio show "Pop Go The Beatles" which Auntie Beeb will broadcast on July 23, 1963.

1968 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano and electric piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "Hey Jude", "Firewater", and (with Arthur Adams on guitar) "Love & Peace" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Thorne Nogar for their Pacific Jazz album "Powerhouse". Pacific Jazz's catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1954 - D.J. Dewey Phillips plays Elvis Presley's single "That's All Right" for its first time on radio, on WHBQ in Memphis, Tennessee.

1994 - Steven Seagal leaves his footprints in cement at ceremony #163 at Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California.

20 Years Ago Today In 2006 - The Cartoon Network starts showing episodes of "Pee-Wee's Playhouse" as part of its "Adult Swim" late night block of shows.

JULY 9, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1917 - Bob Howe, long time Capitol Records employee (retires in 1978), is born Robert Howe in Humbolt, Nebraska.

105 Years Ago Today In 1921 - Irv Kluger, drummer, vibraphonist, studio musician, and member of the Capitol Records group Stan Kenton and His Orchestra (1947-1948) as well as the bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Tex Beneke, and Artie Shaw, is born in Brooklyn, New York.

1924 - Leonard Pennario, pianist, composer, and Capitol and Angel Records artist is born in Buffalo, New York. Mary Kunz Goldman, Pennario's official biographer, has a daily blog about how she's progressing on writing her book.

1929 - Jesse McReynolds, vocalist, fiddle and mandolin player, and guitarist for the Capitol Records (1952) duo Jim and Jesse McReynolds, is born Jesse Lester McReynolds in Carfax (near Coeburn), Virginia.

45 Years Ago Today In 1981 - Emily West, singer and Capitol Records Nashville recording artist, is born Emily Nemmers in Waterloo, Iowa.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1942 - At Capitol Records' eleventh recording session, vocalist Johnnie Johnston, with Gordon Jenkins conducting his orchestra (lineup unlisted) records the titles "Dearly Beloved", "That Old Black Magic", "The Singing Sands Of Alamosa", and "Light A Candle In The Chapel" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "Dearly Beloved" as a single (Capitol 120) with "Easy To Love" (recorded May 12, 1942) on the flipside, "That Old Black Magic" as a single (Capitol 130) with "Can't You Hear Me Callin' Caroline?" (also recorded May 12, 1942) on the flipside and on the album "Time To Dance With Gordon Jenkins And His Orchestra" (CCF-264), and "The Singing Sands Of Alamosa" and "Light A Candle In The Chapel" together as a single (Capitol 118).

1947 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California, Paul Weston and His Orchestra (Ray Linn, Charlie Griffard, and Zeke Zarchy on trumpet; Allan Thompson, Bill Schaefer, and Elmer Smithers on trombone; Herbie Haymer on tenor saxophone; Fred Stulce, Matty Matlock, Hap Lawson, and Lenny Hartman on reeds; Milt Raskin on piano; George Van Eps on guitar; Jack Ryan on bass; and Nick Fatool on drums), record the titles "When The White Roses Bloom (In Red River Valley)" and "True" with vocals by Andy Russell, then "Just Around The Corner" with vocals by The Pied Pipers (vocalists June Hutton, Chuck Lowry, Hal Hopper, and Clark Yocum) at the first session then "Why Should I Cry Over You" with vocals by Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers, "I Want To Be A Friend Of Yours" with vocals by just The Pied Pipers, and "Louisville Lou" with vocals by just Johnny Mercer at the second session. Capitol Records will issue "When The White Roses Bloom (In Red River Valley)" and "True" together as a single (Capitol 450) as by Andy Russell, "Just Around The Corner" and "I Want To Be A Friend Of Yours" as single (Capitol 456) by The Pied Pipers, "Why Should I Cry Over You" as a single (Capitol 448) by Johnny Mercer with "Sugar Blues" (recorded July 1, 1947) on the flipside and "Louisville Lou" as a single (Capitol 15152) as by Johnny Mercer with "Love That Boy" (recorded October 24, 1947) on the flipside.

1948 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Nature Boy" is #4 on The Billboard magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Records chart, #5 on the magazine's Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys chart, #7 on the magazine's Best-Selling Popular Retail Records chart, and #13 on the magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Race Records chart. The King Cole Trio's Capitol Records single "Put 'Em In A Box" debuts at #30 also on The Billboard magazine's Most-Played Juke Box Records chart.

1949 - Margaret Whiting and Johnny Mercer (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Baby, It's Cold Outside" is still #4 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Mel Tormé (with orchestra conducted by Pete Rugalo)'s Capitol Records single "Again" is #11 down from #10, and Margaret Whiting (with Frank DeVol and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "A Wonderful Guy" is #17 up from #20.

1952 - Vocalist Tennessee Ernie Ford and Ella Mae Morse, with Cliffie Stone and His Orchestra (Billy Liebert on piano, Jimmy Bryant, and Billy Strange on guitar, Wesley "Speedy" West on steel guitar, Clifford Snyder aka Cliffie Stone on bass, and Roy Harte on drums) record the titles "I'm Hog Tied Over You" and "False Hearted Girl" at Capitol Records' studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California between 3:00 PM and 6:00 PM. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 2215).

1952 - Walter Gorecki and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Clamback Polka", "Gray Horse Polka", "Happy Mami Polka", and "Money Polka" in (listed as possibly) New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "Clambake Polka" and "Gray Horse Polka" together as a single (Capitol 2190) and "Happy Mami Polka" and "Money Polka" together as a single (Capitol 2282).

1955 - Nat "King" Cole's double sided Capitol Records hit "A Blossom Fell" (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) and "If I May" (with The Four Knights on backing vocals and Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra) is still #3 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Les Baxter and His Orchestra and Chorus' Capitol  Records single "Unchained Melody" is #4 down from #3, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Learnin' The Blues" with "If I Had Three Wishes" on the flipside, is still #5, and Tennessee Ernie Ford (with Cliffie Stone's Band)'s Capitol Records single "The Ballad Of Davy Crocket" is #25 down from #21.

1957 - During two sessions held this day in Los Angeles, California with producer Robert E. Myer, flutist Martin Ruderman and guitarist Laurindo Almeida record "Faure's "Sicilienne", Ravel's "Pièce En Forme De Habanera", Ibert's "Entr'acte", and Chopin's "Prelude N° 15 (Raindrops)" at the first session and Emile Desportes' "Pastorale Joyeuse" and "Ronde (For Flute & Piano)" and Gossec's "Tambourin" at the second session. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Almeida's album "Duets With The Spanish Guitar" (P/DP-8406).

1962 - Capitol Records buys the masters for The Genteel's (Ron Vinyard on lead guitar, Lenny Angelo, Richard Tornero, and Dave Aerni on guitar, Gerry Martin on bass, Bill Gifford on piano, and Carl Hubert on drums) titles "Take It Off" (produced by the song's composers Paul Buff and George Babcock) and "Hitchhiker" (produced by Voyle Gilmore) from Stag Records and will issue them together as a single (Capitol 4798).

1965 - Peggy Lee, with Sid Feller conducting his orchestra, records the tracks "Happy Holidays", Winter Wonderland", and "Little Drummer Boy" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California with producer Dave Cavanaugh for her 1965 Capitol Records album "Happy Holidays".

1969 - Pink Floyd record the track "Biding My Time" with producer Norman Smith at EMI's Abbey Road Studios in London, England. The track, written by Roger Waters, will eventually be released on the band's "Relics" album in May 1971.

1972 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Made In Japan", with "Black Texas Dirt" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

1973 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's album "Country Morning".

1982 - Wingy Manone, a trumpet player and a Capitol Records artist, dies at age 82 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

1982 - Nielsen/Pearson (Reed Nielsen and Mark Pearson), with unlisted others, record a rejected take of the title "I Can't See You Tonight" in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records.

1987 - Capitol Records registers the master for Marillion's (lineup unlisted) title "Tux On" and will issue it as a single (Capitol 44060) with "Sugar Mice" (registered on April 16, 1987) on the flipside.

1988 - Poison's Enigma Records single (distributed by Capitol Records) "Nothin' But A Good Time" with "Look But You Can't Touch" on the flipside, peaks at #6 on Billboard's Hot 100 Singles chart.

30 Years Ago Today In 1996 - Capitol Records releases two more volumes from its Ultra Lounge Series of compilation albums: "Volume 8: Cocktail Capers" and "Volume 9: Cha-Cha De Amor".

25 Years Ago Today In 2001 - The Country Music Association announces the inclusion of Capitol Records producer Ken Nelson and Capitol Records recording artists The Jordanaires into the Country Music Hall of Fame that will happen at a special ceremony in Nashville, Tennessee on October 4, 2001 and they will also be recognized during the Annual CMA Awards November 7, 2001 on CBS-TV.

2002 - Rod Steiger (born Rodney Stephen Steiger), television and motion picture actor and a Capitol Records artist (on the original motion picture soundtrack for "Oklahoma!"), dies of pneumonia and kidney failure at age 77 and is later interred in the Forest Lawn Hollywood Hills Cemetery.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

110 Years Ago Today In 1916 - Joe Liggins, an arranger, pianist, founder of Joe Liggins and His Honeydrippers and an Exclusive, Specialty, Mercury, and Aladdin Records artist, is born in Guthrie, Oklahoma.

1952 - The Gerry Mulligan Quartet (Mulligan on baritone saxophone, Chet Baker on trumpet, Jimmy Rowles on piano, and Joe Mondragon on bass) record the tracks "Hagi and Haig" and "She Didn't Say Yes, She Didn't Say No" at Phil Turetsky’s House in Los Angeles, California for Pacific Jazz  Records, whose catalog is now owned by Capitol Records.

1952 - Les Paul applies for his first patent, "Combined Bridge and Tailpiece for Stringed Instruments", on July 9, 1952, a one pickup design which was granted on March 13, 1956, #2,737,842.

70 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Trumpeter Thad Jones (with Billy Mitchell on tenor saxophone, Kenny Burrell on guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Eddie Jones on bass, and Elvin Jones on drums), records the tracks "Billie Doo", "Let's", "In A Mellow Tone", and "Thedia" (all of which are rejected) and (with just Thad Jones on trumpet and Burrell on guitar) "Something To Remember You By" (which will be released by Blue Note Records [Japan] on the compilation album by various artists "The Other Side Of The 1500 Series") with producer Alfred Lion and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at The Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey. Blue Note's catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

1957 - The Mingus Three (Charles Mingus on bass, Hampton Hawes on piano, and Danny Richmond on drums) records the track "Summertime" in New York City, New York with producer Lee Kraft for their self-titled album for Roulette Records. Roulette's catalog is currently owned by Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.

1968 - The Jazz Crusaders (Wayne Henderson on trombone, Wilton Felder on tenor saxophone, Joe Sample on piano, Buster Williams on bass, and Stix Hooper on drums) record the tracks "Love Is Blue", "Promises, Promises", and "Cookie Man" at the Pacific Jazz Studios in Los Angeles, California with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Thorne Nogar for their Pacific Jazz album "Powerhouse". Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, now owns the Pacific Jazz catalog.

1972 - Wings, at their first public appearance, opens at Chateauvillon in the south of France and marks the first time Paul McCartney has appeared on stage since 1966.

1982 - Michael Johnson, with unlisted others, records the title "There's A Love" in an unlisted location. EMI-America, a subsidiary of Capitol Records, will issue the title on Johnson's album "Lifetime Guarantee" (SN-16390).

1989 - Future Capitol Records artist Eddy Raven's Universal Records single "In A Letter To You" is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts. The track will later be leased to Capitol Records for use on "Greatest Hits" compilations.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1955 - One year to the day from when it was released by Decca Records, Bill Haley and His Comets single "Rock Around The Clock", with "Thirteen Women" on the flipside, becomes the first Rock 'n' Roll song to hit #1 on Billboard's singles chart thanks to its use in the MGM movie "The Blackboard Jungle".

JULY 8, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

1904 - Bill Challis, arranger (most notably of Paul Whiteman and His Orchestra's Capitol Records recording of "San") is born in Wilkes Barre, Pennsylvania.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1944 - Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago (And Far Way)" is #9 up from #10 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Andy Russell (with orchestra conducted by Al Sack)'s Capitol Records single "Amor" is #10 down from #6.

1948 - The King Cole Trio end seven straight days of performances at the Capital Theatre in Salt Lake City, Utah.

1950 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Mona Lisa", with "The Greatest Inventor Of Them All" (I still haven't been able to get my hands on a copy of this song on CD yet) now on the flipside, is #1 up from #2 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart. The song was written by Ray Evans and Jay Livingston for the Paramount Pictures movie "Captain Carey USA" (which I also haven't been able to find on DVD), starring Alan Ladd. Also charting on this date are Kay Starr (with Lou Busch and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Bonaparte's Retreat" at #16 up from #17 and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Nola" at #20 down from #19.

1952 - Joe Resetar and His Orchestra (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Capitol Polka", "Little Man Polka", "Georgia Polka", and "Powder Puff Polka" in (listed as possibly) New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "Capitol Polka" and "Little Man Polka" together as a single (Capitol 2189) and "Georgia Polka" and "Powder Puff Polka" together as a single (Capitol 2304).

1952 - Roger Wagner conducts The Roger Wagner Chorale (lineup unlisted) as they record Brahms' "I'll Enter Your Garden/The Fiddler/How Sad Flows The Stream", "At Night/Awake, Awake/A House Stands 'Neath The Willows Shade", "In The Night/I'm Going Away/The Dead Youth/How Lovely Is The Maytime" in Los Angeles, California. After remastering the same day, Capitol Records will issue all the titles on the group's album "German Folk Songs" (P-8176).

1957 - Composer and arranger Johnny Richards and His Orchestra (Burt Collins, Jerry Kail, Paul Cohen, and Doug Mettome on trumpets, Jimmy Cleveland, Jim Dahl, and Frank Rehak on trombones, Al Antonucci on French horn, Jay McAllister on tuba, Gene Quill on alto saxophone, 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, Maurice Marks on drums, and Willie Rodriguez on tympani) record the titles "Nina Never Knew", a mono and a stereo take of "Walkin'", and "Cimarron" in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will issue "Nina Never Knew" and the mono version of "Walkin'" on Richards' album "Wide Range" (T 885). the stereo take of "Walkin'" on the reel to reel release of the album (ZC-32), and rejected the take of "Cimarron". The group would re-record it on July 11, 1957.

1957 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Send For Me" returns to the top 40 of Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart tied for #24 up from #45 with Rusty Draper's single "Freight Train", Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone" is #36 down from #25, and Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady" is tied for #36 down from #29 with Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'".

1958 - The Capitol Records original motion picture soundtrack LP for "Oklahoma!" is the first album certified Gold by the R.I.A.A. At this time, the R.I.A.A. awards a Gold album for $1 million worth of albums shipped based on the manufacturer's wholesale price. In 1975 the requirement is changed to 500,000 units shipped.

1963 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer is #3 on WCSH 970 AM's The WCSH "Live 25" chart in Portland, Maine and his Capitol Records album "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is the station's The 970 Album Spotlight choice.

1964 - Buck Owens records the tracks "Don't Let Her Know" and "I Don't Care (Just As Long As You Love Me)" (which Capitol Records will release together as a single) as well as "Buck's Polka". All the tracks will appear on Owens' Capitol Records album "I Don't Care".

60 Years Ago Today In 1966 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Yesterday And Today" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.

1968 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' single "Let The World Keep On A Turning".

1977 - Chuck Crane, with unlisted others, records the titles "Now You Know Just How It Feels" and "I'm Not Gonna Wait Forever" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Crane's album "Crane" (ST-11742).

1977 - Lee Clayton, with unlisted others, records the titles "Border Affair" and "Rainbow In The Sky" in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Clayton's album "Border Affair" (ST-11751).

1982 - Nielsen-Pearson (Reed Nielsen and Mark Pearson), with unlisted others, records the title "(Carolina) Carrie" in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 5225) with "Hasty Heart" (recorded July 15, 1982) on the flipside and on the duo's album "Blind Luck" (ST-12176).

1987 - Vocalist Don Williams, with unlisted others, records the titles "Running Out Of Reasons To Run" and "Another Place, Another Time" at Sound Emporium Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Williams album "Traces" (CLT-48034 on vinyl and 7-48034-2 on CD).

1990 - Garth Brooks' Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) single "The Dance", with "Friends In Low Places" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

35 Years Ago Today In 1991 - Capitol Records releases Tennessee Ernie Ford's compilation CD "Capitol Collectors Series: Tennessee Ernie Ford".

2002 - The Vines' first Capitol Records album "Highly Evolved" is released. The video for the album's first single, "Get Free", is directed by Roman Coppola.

2003 - Capitol Records releases the original motion picture soundtrack for "How To Deal" which includes tracks from Capitol Records artists Syke Sweetnam, Liz Phair, The Music, Chingy, Beth Orton, Aslyn, and Marjorie Fair (aka The Best Rainy Days).

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1935 - E.M.I. (Ireland) is formed.

1935 - Steve Lawrence, a singer, television and motion picture actor, and a United Artists Records artist is born Sidney Leibowitz.

1957 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Teenager's Romance" is tied for #12 down from #9 with The Diamonds' single "Little Darlin'" on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Valley Of Tears" is #17 down from #13, and Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'" is tied at #36 down from #24 with Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady". Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by Capitol Music Group's parent company, Universal Music Group.

60 Years Ago Today In 1966 - Arranger Gerald Wilson (on maracas) and His Orchestra (Al Porcino, Jules Chaikin, Freddie Hill, Mel Moore, and Nat Meeks on trumpet; Mike Barone, John Ewing, and Lester Robertson on trombone; Ernie Tack on bass trombone; Anthony Ortega on alto saxophone and flute; Jimmy Woods on soprano and alto saxophone; Harold Land and Teddy Edwards on tenor saxophone; Jack Nimitz on baritone saxophone; William Green on flute and piccolo; Roy Ayers on vibraphone; Jack Wilson on piano; Buddy Woodson on bass; Mel Lee on drums; and Max Garduno on conga) record the tracks "Chanson Du Feu Follet (Song Of The Mad Fire)", "Blues Latinese" and "The Golden Sword" for their Pacific Jazz album "The Golden Sword" with producer Richard Bock and recording engineer Lanky Linstrot at TTG Studios, in Los Angeles, California. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Pacific Jazz's catalog.

1978 - Gerry Rafferty's United Artists Records album "City to City" is #1 on Billboard's Top 200 albums chart.

1992 - Taylor Mayne Pearl Brooks, daughter of Liberty Records (later renamed Capitol Records Nashville) artist Garth Brooks and his wife Sandy Mahl Brooks, is born.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY.

1907 - Florenz Ziegfeld stages his first Follies at the Jardin de Paris, a rooftop theater atop the New York and Criterion theaters on Broadway between 44th and 45th Street in New York City, New York..

80 Years Ago Today In 1946 - Irene Dunne and Rex Harrison leave their hand and footprints in cement at ceremony #75 at Grauman's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California.

1997 - Robert Zemeckis leaves his footprints in cement at ceremony #166 at Mann's Chinese Theater in Hollywood, California.

JULY 7, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAYS!

1917 - John Y. Sullivan, comedian, singer, radio performer, and the second "Lonzo" (after Lloyd George left the team in 1950) in the Capitol Records duo Lonzo & Oscar, is born in Edmonton, Kentucky.

1924 - Mary Ford, singer, guitarist, and a Capitol Records artist as part of a duo with her husband Les Paul is born Iris Colleen Summers in Pasadena, California.

1927 - Charlie Louvin, a guitarist, singer and a Capitol Records artist both solo and as part of the duo The Louvin Brothers with his brother Ira, is born Charlie Elzer Loudermilk in either Section or Henegar, Alabama. If anyone has a definitive birthplace, please leave a comment.

1940 - Ringo Starr, singer, drummer, motion picture actor, animated feature voice actor, member of the groups Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, the Parlophone, Capitol, and Apple Records group The Beatles, and a solo artist on Apple Records is born Richard Henry Parkin Starkey, Jr. at 9 Madryn Street in Dingle, an inner-city area of Liverpool, England. 

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1945 - Johnny Mercer's Capitol Records single "On The Atchison, Topeka and The Santa Fe" enters Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records charts at #4. The track will eventually peak at #1 and be on the charts for sixteen weeks.

75 Years Ago Today In 1951 - Nat "King" Cole (with orchestra conducted by Les Baxter using an arrangement by Nelson Riddle)'s Capitol Records single "Too Young" is #1 on The Billboard magazine's Records Most Played By Disk Jockeys, Best Selling Pop Singles, and Most Played Juke Box Records charts, Les Paul and Mary Ford's Capitol Records single "How High The Moon" is still #3, and Les Paul's Capitol Records single  "Josephine" is #16 up from #20 on the Best Selling Pop Singles chart.

70 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Gene Vincent and The Blue Cap's Capitol Records single "Be Bop A Lula" is still #23 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart, The Four Freshman's Capitol Records single "Graduation Day" is #27 up from #48, Dean Martin (with Dick Stabile and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Standing On The Corner" is #29 up from #40, Frank Sinatra (with Nelson Riddle and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "How Little We Know" is #35 down from #33, Tex Ritter's Capitol Records single "The Wayward Wind" is #37 up from #47, and Joe "Fingers" Carr's Capitol Records single "Portuguese Washerwoman" is tied for #40 up from #55 with Tommy Leonetti's single "Free".

1958 - Capitol Records releases Jean Shepard's single "He's My Baby" with "Secret Of Life" on the flipside.

1958 - Dean Martin (with Dick Stabile and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Return To Me" is tied for #8 down from #6 with Jimmie Rodgers' single "Secretly" on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Nat "King'  Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #13 up from #18, The Four Prep's Capitol Records single "Big Man" is #15 down from #10, The Johnny Otis Show's Capitol Records single "Willie And The Hand Jive" is #27 up from #33, and Ed Townsend's Capitol Records single "For Your Love" is tied for #31 down from #29 with Link Wray and His Ray Men's single "Rumble". Also, Nat "King' Cole's Capitol Records single "Looking Back" is #31 on WMGM's Top 40 Survey in New York City, New York.

1960 - Nat "King" Cole records the tracks "I Saw Three Ships" and "A Cradle In Bethlehem", with Ralph Carmichael and His Orchestra.

1963 - Buck Owens' Capitol Records single "Act Naturally" returns to #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts and Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #14 on WDRC 1360 AM's "The Big D" Swinging 60 Survey in Hartford, Connecticut and #41 on KRLA's Tune-Dex in Los Angeles, California.

1964 - Arranger and pianist Onzy Matthews (with Harry "Sweets" Edison, Ollie Mitchell,Melvin Moore, John Anderson, and Bob Rolfe on trumpets; Dave Wells on bass trumpet and trombone; Lou Blackburn, Pete Myers, and Dick Leith on trombone; Gabe Baltazar on alto saxophone; Clifford Scott on alto saxophone and tenor saxophone; Curtis Amy and Alex Nelson on tenor saxophone; Jay Migliori on baritone saxophone; Ray Crawford on guitar; Jim Crutcher on bass; and Chiz Harris on drums) records the tracks "Moon River", "Down In My Soul" (which will be rejected), and "You'll Know The First Time" for his Capitol Records album "Sounds For The '60s!" with producer Lee Gillette and recording engineer Hugh Davies at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California.

1965 - Peggy Lee, with Sid Feller and His Orchestra, records the tracks "Free Spirits", "Seventh Son", and "I Go To Sleep" with producer Dave Cavanaugh at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Capitol Records album "Then Was Then And Now Is Now!".

1967 - Vocalist Bonnie Owens, with unlisted others, records the titles "If You Really Want Me To I'll Go", "Everything That's Fastened Down Is Comin' Loose", and "I'd Be More Of A Woman" in The Capitol Tower Studios at 1750 North Vine Street in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue "Everything That's Fastened Is Comin' Loose" and "I'd Be More Of A Woman" together as a single (Capitol 5977) and all three titles on her album "Somewhere Between" (ST 2861).1969 - Apple Records releases Plastic Ono Band's single "Give Peace A Chance", with "Remember Love" on the flipside, with Capitol Records handling manufacturing and distribution in the United States.

1973 - Apple Records releases Wings' single "Live And Let Die" (the title song for the motion picture) with "I Lie Around" on the flipside. Capitol Records will handle distribution in the United States.

1975 - Capitol Records releases Natalie Cole's album "Inseparable".

1977 - Chuck Crane, with unlisted others, records the titles "Can't Run Away" and "Lady In Love" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Crane's album "Crane" (ST-11742).

1977 - Lee Clayton, with unlisted others, records the titles "Like A Diamond" and "Silver Stallion" in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Clayton's album "Border Affair" (ST-11751).

1977 - Bill Amesbury, with unlisted others, records the titles "You Belong To Me", "Smile", "I Could Make You Happy", and "Music, Music" in (listed as possibly) Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records. No issuing information is listed.

1982 - Capitol Records creates the final masters for Bow Wow Wow's titles "C30, C60, C90 Go", "Louis Quatorze", "Gold He Said", "The Mile High Club", "Fools Rush In", "Radio G String", "Uomo Sex Al Apache", "W-O-R-K", "Sexy Eiffel Towers", "I Want My Baby On Mars", "Sun, Sea And Piracy", and "Giant Sized Baby Thing" for their album "Twelve Original Recordings"  (SK-12234) which will be released in the United States on Capitol's subsidiary Harvest Records.

1985 - Duran Duran's Capitol Records single "A View To A Kill" (title song for the motion picture), with "A View To A Kill (That Fatal Kiss)" on the flipside, is #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

1987 - Vocalist Don Williams, with unlisted others, records the titles "Come From The Heart" and "Easy Touch" at Sound Emporium Studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Capitol Records will issue both titles on Williams' album "Traces" (CLT-48034 on vinyl, 7-48034-2 on CD).

25 Years Ago Today In 2001 - Fred Neil, songwriter ("Candy Man", "Everybody's Talkin'"), singer and Capitol Records recording artist (1966-1971), dies of skin cancer at age 65 at his home in Summerland Key, in Monroe County, Key West, Florida.

20 Years Ago Today In 2006 - Syd Barrett, (born Roger Keith Barrett), singer, songwriter, guitarist, founder of the Tower, Harvest, Columbia and Capitol Records group The Pink Floyd, and a solo artist, dies in his home in Cambridge, England at age 60 due to complications from diabetes.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1930 - Hank Mobley, composer, tenor saxophonist, member of the Blue Note Records group The Jazz Messengers and a solo Blue Note Records artist, is born Henry Mobley in Eastman, Georgia.

1944 - A flying bomb hit's EMI's Hayes factory in England near a surface shelter, killing 37 employees and injuring an additional 56 employees who were either in the shelter or caught in the open.

1954 - The Bob Brookmeyer Quartet (Brookmeyer on valve trombone, John Williams on piano, Red Mitchell on bass, and Frank Isola on drums) record the tracks "Isn’t It Romantic", "Doe Eyes", "Red Devil", "Body And Soul", and "Last Chance" with Brookmeyer producing with recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at the Van Gelder Studio in Hackensack, New Jersey for their self-titled Pacific Jazz album whose catalog is currently owned by Capitol Records.

70 Years Ago Today In 1956 - Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm In Love Again" is still #6 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Domino's Imperial Records single "My Blue Heaven" is in a 3 way tie for #31 down from #33 with Otis Williams' single "Ivory Tower" and Eddie Fisher (with Hugo Winterhalter and His Orchestra)'s single "On The Street Where You Live".

1958 - David Saville's Liberty Records single "Witch Doctor" is #10 down from #4 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Poor Little Fool" enters the chart at #18 in a tie with The Kalin Twins' single "When?", and Dion and The Belmonts' Laurie Records single "I Wonder Why" is tied for #25 down from #22 with Johnny Cash's single "Guess Things Happen That Way". Universal Music Group, the parent company of Capitol Music Group, currently owns the Liberty, Imperial and Laurie Records catalogs.

1962 - Dinah Washington, with arranger Don Costa leading the studio orchestra, records the tracks "Fly Me To The Moon" (which will appear on her Roulette Records album "In Love"), "Wouldn't Know What To Do" (which Roulette will release as a single), "No Hard Feelings" (which will appear on her Roulette Records album "Back To The Blues"), and "1 Me And The One I Love" ( (which will also appear on her Roulette Records album "In Love") with producer Henry Glover and recording engineer Eddie Smith at Bell Sound in New York City. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns Roulette Records catalog.

1962 - Bobby Vee's Liberty Records single "Sharing You" is #15 up from #16 on Billboard's Hot 100 single chart and Dinah Washington's Roulette Records single "Where Are You" is still #40. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Liberty and Roulette Records catalogs.

2002 - Dorle Jarmel Soria, record producer, opera supporter, author, journalist, reviewer, as well as co-founder of Cetra-Soria Records and founding co-director (1953-1957) of Angel Records in the U.S. with her husband Dario Soria, dies at age 101 at her home in Manhattan, New York.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

55 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Ub Iwerks (born Ubbe Ert Iwwerks), artist, cartoon animator who hand drew the first Mickey Mouse cartoon "Plane Crazy" for Walt Disney by himself in two weeks, director and studio owner, dies of a heart attack at age 70 in Burbank, California.

JULY 6, 2026

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

1915 - LaVerne Andrews, singer, Capitol Records solo artist (1956-1959) and with the Capitol Records group The Andrews Sisters, is born Laverne Sophie Andrews in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1942 - Modern Music Sales Company, a newly formed division of Modern Vending Company created to distribute Capitol Records to department stores, record stores, and jukeboxes in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut, receives its first shipment of Capitol's first six singles. The local operators who were visiting Modern's showroom at the time of the delivery listened to them and ordered large quantities, with the initial shipment selling out that first day. The company repainted the two sided sign hanging on its office to read "Modern Music Sales Company - The Home Of Capitol Records" with the Capitol Dome logo on both sides. Nat Cohn and Harry Rosen run the company. George Fass was appointed sales manager and would cover metropolitan New York. Meyer "Parky" Parkoff was appointed office manager and covered Connecticut. Ben Becker handled upper New York state. Sam Green took care of New Jersey.

1947 - The Giants Of Jazz (Louis Armstrong on trumpet and vocals, Tommy Dorsey on trombone, Benny Goodman on clarinet, Charlie Barnet on soprano, alto, and tenor saxophones, Lionel Hampton on vibraphone, Mel Powell on piano, Al Hendrickson on guitar, Harry Babasin on bass, and Louis Bellson on drums) record the title "Goldwyn Stomp" on the Goldwyn Soundstage in Hollywood, California. This recording was intended to be on the soundtrack of "A Song Is Born" released by Capitol (CC 106) but didn't make the final cut.

70 Years Ago Today In 1956 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone and base; Don Barbour on vocals and guitar; Ross Barbour on vocals and drums; and Ken Albers on vocals, trumpet, mellophone and bass), with arranger Dick Reynolds conducting the studio orchestra (Uan Rasey, Ray Triscari, Joe Triscari, Buddy Childers, and Mannie Klein on trumpet; Jack Marshall on guitar; Milt Raskin on piano; Don Simpson on bass: and Frank Carlson on drums), during two sessions held the same day for their Capitol Records album "The Four Freshman And Five Trumpets", record the tracks "The Night We Called It A Day", "Something In The Wind" and the first rejected take of "There Will Never Be Another You" at the first session and, with Pete Condoli on trumpet joining the orchestra for the second session, record "After You've Gone" and the final and accepted take of "There Will Never Be Another You". Both sessions were held in Los Angeles, Calfornia.

1959 - The Kingston Trio's Capitol Records single "M.T.A." is #18 up from #28 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart and Franck Pourcel and His French Fiddler's Capitol Records single "Only You (Loin De Vous)" is #35 down from #23.

1963 - Kyu Sakamoto's Capitol Records single "Sukiyaki" is #2 down from #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #12 down from #6, Bobby Darin's Capitol Records single "Yellow Roses" is #26 down from #16, Al Martino's Capitol Records single "I Love You Because" is #30 down from #19, The Beach Boy's Capitol Records single "Shut Down" is #31 down from #29 and its flip side, "Surfin' U.S.A.", is #36 down from #17. Also, Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" is #3 on Billboard magazine's Middle-Road Singles chart, #7 on the magazine's Hits Of The World - Hong Kong chart, #10 on KFWB's Fabulous Forty Survey in Los Angeles, California, #11 on KDWB's Fabulous Forty Survey in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Missouri, #14 on Cash Box magazine's Top 100 Singles chart, #27 on the magazine's Hot R&B Singles chart, and #48 on C-FUN's C-Funtastic Fifty chart in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records album "Ramblin' Rose" is #52, his album "Dear Lonely Hearts" is #106, and his album "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days Of Summer" debuts at #113 on Billboard magazine's Top LPs - 150 Best Sellers - Monaural chart and is #2 on KDWB's Favorite Albums chart in St. Paul/Minneapolis, Minnesota.

1964 - Peggy Lee, with arranger Lalo Schifrin conducting the studio orchestra (Justin Gordon and Paul Horn on reeds; Robert Bain, John Pisano, and Howard Roberts on guitar; Chuck Berghofer on bass; Lou Levy on piano; Stan Levey on drums; and Francisco Aguabella on bongos and congas) and producer Dave Cavanaugh, records the tracks, "There'll Be Some Changes Made", "Just Call Me Love Bird (Theme From 'Joy House')", and "Senza Fine" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California. All the tracks will be released on Lee's Capitol Records album "In The Name Of Love".

1970 - Capitol Records releases Buck Owens' album "The Kansas City Song".

1970 - Grand Funk Railroad's Capitol Records album "Grand Funk" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.

55 Years Ago Today In 1971 - Louis Armstrong, trumpet player, singer, band leader, motion picture actor, and Capitol Records artist (on the original soundtrack albums for "A Song Is Born" and "High Society"), dies of a heart attack in Corona, Queens, New York at age 69.

1974 - Anne Murray's Capitol Records single "He Thinks I Still Care", with a cover version of The Beatles' "You Won't See Me" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

1975 - Merle Haggard's Capitol Records single "Movin' On", with "Here In 'Frisco" on the flipside, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles charts.

1997 - Greg Scott Eklund, a songwriter and the drummer for the Capitol Records group Everclear, marries his girlfriend Ellina, whom he met in 1990 at the University of Oregon and who convinced him to take up the drums again after a two-year hiatus.

1998 - Roy Rogers, singer, actor and Capitol Records recording artist, dies in his Apple Valley home in Victorville, California of congestive heart failure at age 86.

2005 - Carrie V. Arnold (born Carrie Virginia Morgan), who worked for AES of Winchester and Capitol Records for 15 years, dies at her home in Winchester, Virginia at age 72.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1957 - In between sets at a show that 16-year-old John Lennon was doing with his band, The Quarry Men, at the St. Peter's Church Fete in Woolton Parish, Liverpool, England, a mutual friend, Ivan Vaughan, introduces him to 15 year old Paul McCartney who Lennon invites to join his band after he shows John how he tunes his guitar along with a few new guitar chords and singing all the lyrics of Eddie Cochran's "Twenty Flight Rock".

1959 - Martin Denny's Liberty Records single "Quiet Village" is #14 down from #8 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, Dion and The Belmonts' Laurie Records single "A Teenager In Love" is #19 down from #10, and Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "I'm Ready" is #39 down from #29. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Liberty, Laurie and Imperial Records catalogs.

65 Years Ago Today In 1961 - The first issue of "Mersey Beat" magazine is released and features The Beatles on its cover.

1963 - The Essex's Roulette Records single "Easier Said Than Done" is #1 up from #5 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart, The Chiffons' Laurie Records single "One Fine Day" is #6 up from #7, and Jan and Dean's  Liberty Records single "Surf City" is #7 up from #10. Universal Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company, currently owns the Roulette, Laurie, and Liberty Records catalogs.

1964 - Trombonist Grachan Moncur III, with Wayne Shorter on tenor saxophone, Herbie Hancock on piano, Cecil McBee on bass and Tony Williams on drums, records the tracks "Gnostic", "Thandiwa", "The Twins", and "Nomadic" for his Blue Note album "Some Other Stuff" with producer Alfred Lion and recording engineer Rudy Van Gelder at the Van Gelder Studio, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey.

1964 - United Artists releases The Beatles' first movie "A Hard Day's Night" worldwide and it premieres at 9.00 p.m. at the London Pavilion Theatre.

1964 - ATCO Records releases The Beatles' single "My Bonnie" with "Nobody's Child" on the flipside.

1965 - Future Virgin Records group The Rolling Stones' London Records single "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction", with "Under Assistant West Coast Promotion Man" on the flipside, becomes their first #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.

1973 - Otto Klemperer, conductor, father of actor Werner Klemperer (Colonel Klink in "Hogan's Heroes"), and EMI Classics artist, dies in Zürich, Switzerland at age 88 and is buried in the Israelitischer Friedhof — Oberer Friesenberg, also in Zürich.

1979 - Capitol Records artist (1976-1979) Minnie Ripperton makes her last televised appearance on an episode of "The Merv Griffin Show" that airs on this date. She performs the song "Memory Lane", featuring her enunciating the phrase "Oh Why", high in the seventh octave. She will die six days later on July 12, 1969 of breast cancer at Cedars-Sinai Hospital in Los Angeles.

40 Years Ago Today In 1986 - Pink Floyd's compilation album "A Collection Of Great Dance Songs", originally released by Columbia in the U.S., but re-released by Capitol Records in 2000 (I replaced the legal lines and stock numbers and reformated the artwork to fit into Capitol's packaging templates), is certified Platinum by the R.I.A.A.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY

1854 - John Phillip Sousa, composer and leader of the Marine Corps. band, is born in Washington, DC, USA.

110 Years Ago Today In 1916 - James Montgomery Flagg's illustration of Uncle Sam appears on the cover of Leslie's Weekly for the first time. It will later be adapted to appear on the "I Want You For U. S. Army" poster promoting enlistment into the armed forces during World War I.

110 Years Ago Today In 1916 - Shortly before 4:00 PM on Thursday, July 6, 1916, nitrate film exploded in the operating booth of the Grand Theater at 72 Main Street, in Batavia, NY. fatally burning assistant projectionist Lamont D. Gillons.

1925 - Bill Haley, singer, guitarist, and bandleader, is born William John Clifton Haley in Highland Park, Michigan.

1925 - Merv Griffin, singer, composer, talk show host, television game show producer, and real estate magnate, is born Mervyn Edward Griffin, Jr. in San Mateo, California.

50 Years Ago Today In 1976 - 50 Cent, rapper, is born Curtis James Jackson III in South Jamaica, Queens, New York.