JUNE 17, 2012

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1944 - Andy Russell (with orchestra conducted by Al Saks)'s Capitol Records single "Amor" (with "The Day After Forever" on the flip side) peaks at #5, and Jo Stafford (with Paul Weston and His Orchestra)'s Capitol Records single "Long Ago (And Far Away)" (with "I Love You" on the flip side) stays at #7 for the 2nd week on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart
1950 - Nat "King" Cole (with Les Baxter and His Orchestra using a Nelson Riddle arrangement)'s Capitol Records single "Mona Lisa" (the flip side of "The Greatest Inventor Of Them All") is #9 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Les Paul's Capitol Records single "Nola" (with Les Paul and Mary Ford's "Jealous" on the flip side) enters the top 20 at #20 and will go on to be his first solo top 10 single
60 Years Ago Today In 1952 - The Voices Of Walter Schumann (unlisted chorus with unlisted instrumental accompaniment) record the title "My Heart Stood Still" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the title on the group's album "Romance In The Air" (CDN-347).
60 Years Ago Today In 1952 - Hank Thompson's Capitol Records single "The Wild Side of Life", with "Crying In The Deep Blue Sea" on the flip side, is #1 on the U.S. Country singles chart
55 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Clarinetist and alto saxophonist Les Brown and His Band of Renown (Bob Styles, Wes Hensel, Dick Collins, and Mickey McMahan on trumpet, Dick Kenney and Roy Main on trombone, Jim Hill and Stumpy Brown on bass trombone, Matt Utal and Ralph Lapolla on clarinet, flute, and alto saxophone, Billy Usselton on tenor saxophone, Abe Aaron on soprano, tenor, and baritone saxophone, Butch Stone on baritone saxophone, Norman Pockrandt on piano, Vernon Polk on guitar, Don Bagley on bass, Lloyd Morales on drums) record the titles "Aurora", "Tropics At Five", "Especially For You", and "Brown In Fourths" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue all the titles on Brown's album "Composer's Holiday" (T 886).
55 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Ella Mae Morse (on vocals), with Paul Weirick conducting his orchestra (Ray Linn on trumpet, Milt Bernhart, Dick Noel, and Tom Pederson on trombone, Henry "Heinie" Beau on alto saxophone, Ted Nash and Ed Rosa on tenor saxophone, Chuck Gentry on baritone saxophone, Edwin LeMar "Buddy" Cole on piano, Alvino Rey on guitar, Joe Comfort on bass, Frankie Carlson on drums), records the titles "I Caught Him Rock And Rollin' With Somebody Else", "Sway Me", "I'm Hog Tied Over You", and "I'm Gone" at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California between 9:00 PM and 1:30 AM on June 18, 1957. Capitol Records will issue the second and last title together as a single (Capitol F3759). Bear Family Records will issue all the titles on Morse's CD box set "Barrelhouse, Boogie, And The Blues" (BCD 16117).
55 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Ferlin Husky's Capitol Records single "Gone" is #15 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart and Tommy Sands' Capitol Records single "Goin' Steady" is tied for #30 with Billy Williams' single "Im Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter"
1959 - The Four Freshmen (Bob Flanigan on vocals, trombone and bass; 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 (Tommy Tedesco, Al Hendrickson, Howard Roberts, Bobby Gibbons, Bill Pitman, George Van Eps on guitar; Red Mitchell on bass; Jack Sperling on drums) record the tracks "Come Rain Or Come Shine" (with Shelly Manne on percussion), "Nancy" (with Jerome Friedman on vibraphones and bells), "It's A Pity To Say Goodnight", "Oh, Lonely Winter", and "The More I See You" (the last two tracks also with Jerome Friedman on vibraphones and bells) with producer Lee Gillette at the Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California, with Jack Marshall and Dick Reynolds handling arrangements and conducting, for their Capitol Records album "The Four Freshmen And Five Guitars"
1960 - Judy Garland records the tracks "I've Confessed to the Breeze (I Love You)", "Old Devil Moon", and "That's Entertainment" with producer Jack Marshall at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California for her Capitol Records album "Judy/That's Entertainment!"
1960 - The Kingston Trio record the tracks "We Wish You A Merry Christmas", "All Through The Night", "Follow Now, Oh Shepards", and "Somerset Glouchestershire Wassail" with producer Voyle Gilmore and engineer Pete Abbot at The Capitol Tower Studios for their Capitol Records album "The Last Month Of The Year". I wonder if Judy Garland and The Kingston Trio met each other and/or listened in to each other's sessions.
1963 - The Beatles record the track "Boys" for BBC Radio which will later be released on The Beatles' 1994 Apple Records compilation CD "Live At The BBC" released in 1994 and distributed by Capitol Records in the United States
1963 - The Kingston Trio record the track "Ballad Of The Thresher" with lead vocal by John Stewart, for their Capitol Records album "Sunny Side"
1966 - The Beatles hold the final sessions to record the tracks "Here There And Everywhere" and "Got To Get You Into My Life" for their album "Revolver" at Abbey Road Studios in London
45 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Capitol Records artists The Kingston Trio ends their final three-week engagement at the hungry i in San Francisco and enters retirement. The last songs of their final set were "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" and "Scotch And Soda."
1968 - Wanda Jackson records the tracks "Little Boy Soldier" for her 1968 Capitol Records album "Cream Of The Crop" and "As The Day Wears On" for her 1969 album "The Happy Side Of Wanda" at the Columbia Studios in Nashville, Tennessee with producers Ken Nelson and Kelson Herston
40 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Apple Records releases Paul McCartney's single "Mary Had a Little Lamb", with Capitol Records handling distribution in the United States. The single will peak at #28 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart.
40 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Capitol Records artist (1972) Paul Pena performs with The T-Bone Walker Blues Band at the Montreux Jazz Festival in Montreux, Switzerland
35 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Sammy Hagar (on vocals and guitar with unlisted other musicians) records the titles "Someone Out There" and "Crack In The World" in London, England. After overdubs are recorded on August 4, 1977, Capitol Records will issue both titles on Hagar's album "Musical Chairs" (ST-11706).
35 Years Ago Today In 1977 - Final overdubs are recorded for James Talley's titles "Ain't It Something", "Woman Troubles", and "Nine Pounds Of Hashbrowns". Capitol Records will issue the final versions of all three titles on Talley's album "Ain't It Somethin'" (ST-11695).
1979 - The Motels record the track "People, Places and Things" for their first Capitol Records album at The Capitol Tower Studios in Hollywood, California
1984 - Duran Duran's Capitol Records single "The Reflex" becomes the groups first #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart
1986 - Kate Smith (born Kathryn Elizabeth Smith), singer, radio and television variety show host, and Capitol Records artist, dies of diabetes at the age of 79 in Raleigh, North Carolina
25 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Billy Squier records the titles "Uptown Blues" and "Walk On Water" for Capitol Records. No location or release information is listed.
25 Years Ago Today In 1987 - The Los Angeles Lakers record the title "Just Say No", and an instrumental version is also recorded, for Capitol Records. No location or issuing information is listed.
25 Years Ago Today In 1987 - House Of Shock (lineup unlisted) records the title "Love In Return". Capitol Records will issue the title as a single (Capitol 44135) with "Middle Of Nowhere" (recorded June 16, 1987) on the flipside.
1988 - Garth Brooks signs with Capitol Records
15 Years Ago Today In 1997 - Capitol Records releases Megadeth's album "Cryptic Writings"
2004 - The first of two sessions (the next will be on June 28, 2004) is held at The Capitol Records Studios for a benefit single for children and families affected by the Iraq War. The track is a cover of the 1971 hit (#3 on R&B chart and 12 on pop chart) single "Bring The Boys Home" with Bad Boy Records artist Carl Thomas providing lead vocals with Morris Day, Juvenile, Wyclef Jean, Freda Payne (who sang the original version) and a children's chorus. Proceeds will be donated to the charity Children Uniting Nations.
2005 - "Dateline NBC" airs an "in-depth...profile" of Capitol Records Nashville artist Keith Urban

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1919 - Gene De Paul, composer (co-wrote the "Cow Cow Boogie" with Benny Carter, and the score for the motion picture musical "Seven Brides For Seven Brothers", and the Broadway and motion picture "Li'l Abner" with Capitol Records co-founder Johnny Mercer), is born Eugene Vincent De Paul in New York City, New York
1951 - After 40 performances, the curtain comes down on the Broadway musical "Flahooley", with songs written by Sammy Fain and E.Y. Harburg and with Yma Sumac in the cast as well as first-timer Barbara Cook. Capitol Records will release the soundtrack album which will also be Cook's recording debut.
55 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "Teenager's Romance is tied for #10 on Billboard's Best Selling Retail Records chart with The Coasters single "Young Blood", Fats Domino's Imperial Records single "Valley Of Tears" is #22, and Rick Nelson's Imperial Records single "I'm Walkin'" is #27. Imperial Records' catalog is currently owned by EMI Music Group, Capitol Music Group's parent company.
45 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Quicksilver Messenger Service and The Steve Miller Band perform at The Monterey Pop Jazz Festival. Their performances at the festival will lead to both bands being signed to Capitol Records.

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL HISTORY
1946 - Barry Manilow is born Barry Alan Pincus in Brooklyn, New York
1960 - The Shadows record the track "Apache" in Studio 2 at Abbey Road Studios, London, England
1974 - At ceremony #140, Jack Nicholson leaves his footprints in cement at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in Hollywood, California