AUGUST 22, 2017

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
1948 - Sam Neely, singer, guitarist, songwriter, and Capitol Records artist (1968-1974), is born in Cuero, Texas
1961 - Ricky Lynn Gregg, singer, guitarist and Liberty Records recording artist (1992-1994) is born in Longview, Texas. Liberty Records became Capitol Records Nashville.

ON THIS DAY IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
1946 - The King Cole Trio (Nat "King" Cole on piano and vocals, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Johnny Miller on bass) record the title "(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons" at WMCA Studios in New York City, New York. Capitol Records will initially release the song as a single (Capitol 304) with "The Best Man" (recorded on August 19, 1946) on the flipside.
70 Years Ago Today In 1947 - At the first session credited solely to Nat "King" Cole and not The King Cole Trio, vocalist and pianist Nat "King" Cole, with Oscar Moore on guitar and Johnny Miller on bass), records the titles "There's A Train Out For Dreamland", "(Go To Sleep) My Sleepy Head", and "Brahms Lullaby (Wiegenlied)", "Nature Boy", and "Wildroot Charlie" at Radio Recorders' studios at 932 North Western Avenue in Hollywood, California. After overdubs are added of Frank De Vol conducting his own arrangements to the orchestra (Arthur L. Frantz on French horn, Jules Kinsler and Floyd Dornbach on woodwinds, Buddy Cole on piano and celeste, George Smith on guitar, Tom Romersa on drums and a string section with David Frisina, Harry Bluestone, Erno Neufeld, Mischa Russell, Joseph Quadri, and Samuel Albert on violin, and Cyril Towbin and Paul Lowenkron on viola) in Los Angeles, California on December 20 1947, Capitol Records will issue "There's A Train Out For Dreamland" (featuring Buddy Cole on celeste) and "(Go To Sleep) My Sleepy Head" on Cole's album "Nat King Cole For Kids" (DC-89), "Brahms Lullaby (Wiegenlied)" on the CD "Cole, Christmas & Kids" (7-94685-2), and "Nature Boy" (featuring Buddy Cole on piano) as a single (Capitol 15054) with "Lost April" (also recorded on December 20, 1947) on the flipside. Mosaic Records will release "Wildroot Charlie" (featuring Buddy Cole on celeste), the theme song to the trio's radio show, in the box set "The Complete Capitol Recordings Of The Nat King Cole Trio" (MR27-138 on vinyl and MD18-138 on CD).
70 Years Ago Today In 1947 - Using a script by Alan Livingston, voice actors Henry Blair (as "Sparky"), Marvin Miller (as the narrator), June Foray (as a friend of Sparky), Billy Bletcher (as Sparky's daddy), and unlisted voice actors as Sparky's mother, another child friend, the train conductor, and the train, with Billy May conducting his own arrangements to his own music to the orchestra (Frank Zinzer, John Best, and Leonard Mach on trumpet, Elmer Smithers and Carl Loeffler on trombone, J.A. Krechter, Jules Kinsler, Gordon Green, Arthur Fleming, and Fred Falensby on saxophones, Stan Wrightsman on piano, Phil Stephens on bass, John Cyr on drums, June Weiland on harp, and a string section with David Frisina, Nick Pisani, and Olcott Vail on violin, David Sterkin on viola, and Eleanor Slatkin on cello) record the last three parts of "Sparky And The Talking Train" in Radio Recorders' studios at 932 North Western Avenue in Hollywood, California between 9:30 PM and 12:30 AM on August 23, 1947. Capitol Records will issue all the parts on the children's album "Sparky And The Talking Train" (BC-66).
1949 - Lonzo and Oscar's Winston County Pea Pickers (Lloyd "Lonzo" George on vocals and guitar, and Rollin "Oscar" Sullivan on mandolin and vocals) record the tracks "Who Pulled the Plug From the Jug?", "Love is Sweet But Oh, How Bitter", "Sheepskin Corn", "I’ll Go Chasing Women" at their second Capitol Records recording session
65 Years Ago Today In 1952  - William Steinberg conducts The Los Angeles Woodwinds (lineup unlisted) record Mozart's "Serenade N°  In B Flat Major, K 361 2nd Movement", "Serenade N° 10 In B Flat Major, K 361 1st Movement, Part 1", "Serenade N°  In B Flat Major, K 361 1st Movement, Part 2", and "Serenade N°  In B Flat Major, K 361 4th Movement, Part 1" at Capitol Records' Melrose Avenue studios at 5515 Melrose Avenue in Hollywood, California. Capitol Records will issue all the parts on the group's album "MOZART - Serenade 10 In B Flat Major, K.361" (P-8181).
60 Years Ago Today In 1957 - Leopold Stokowski conducts his symphony orchestra (lineup unlisted) as the record parts of Loeffler's "A Pagan Poem" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue the parts on Stokowski's album "SCHOENBERG - Verklaerte Nacht/LOEFFLER - A Pagan Poem" (P/SP-8433)
1960 - Frank Sinatra begins recording sessions for his Capitol Records album "Sinatra's Swingin' Session!!!" at The Capitol Tower Studios with arranger and conductor Nelson Riddle and producer Dave Cavanaugh
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Nat "King" Cole's Capitol Records single "Ramblin' Rose" is #13 on KIMN 950 AM's Hit Parade Official Survey Of The Denver Area in Denver, Colorado.
55 Years Ago Today In 1962 - Goodnews Whitson, with unlisted others, records the titles "Can't Get Started Now", "Goodnews Boogie", "Hindustan", "Dr. Love", "Slender Tenders", "Sweet Back", and "Jazz Hand Ball" in Los Angeles, California for Capitol Records which has yet to issue any of the titles.
1964 - The Beatles' Capitol Records album "Something New" peaks at #2 on Billboard's album chart where it will stay for nine weeks, kept out of the #1 spot by United Artist's soundtrack to The Beatles' movie "A Hard Days Night" which stayed at the #1 spot for 14 weeks
1966 - The Beatles' album "Revolver" is certified Gold by the R.I.A.A.
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Vocalist Grace Markay, with unlisted others, records the titles "It's A Happening World", "For Those In Love", and "Golden Days" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue "It's A Happening World" and "For Those In Love" as a single (Capitol 5999) and have yet to issue "Golden Days".
50 Years Ago Today In 1967 - Vocalist Wayne Newton, with unlisted others, records the titles "Through The Eyes Of Love" and "Just A Memory" in Los Angeles, California. Capitol Records will issue both titles together as a single (Capitol 5593).
45 Years Ago Today In 1972 - At a split session held this day in Los Angeles, California first The Strangers (lineup unlisted) record the titles "Fiddle Blues", "Champagne", and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow" then Merle Haggard records the title "I Wonder If They Ever Think Of Me" for Capitol Records which has yet to issue any of the titles.
45 Years Ago Today In 1972 - Vocalist Joe South, with unlisted others, recorded the titles "Use Me", "River Dog", "Misunderstanding", "Save your Best", and "Real Thing" in Los Angeles, California. After overdubs for all the titles are recorded on August 23, 1972 and for "Use Me" and "Real Thing" on August 31, 1972, Capitol Records will issue "Misunderstanding" as a single (Capitol 3497) with "I'm A Star" (recorded sometime in August 1972) on the flipside, "Save Your Best" and "Real Thing" together as a single (Capitol 3554), those three titles also on South's album "A Look Inside" (ST-11074), and have yet to issue "Use Me" and "River Dog".
1986 - Capitol Records releases Paul McCartney's album "Press To Play" in the United States
2006 - Bruce Gary, percussionist and drummer with the Capitol Records group The Knack, dies at the Tarzana Regional Medical Center in Tarzana, California, of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma at age 55
2011 - Nick Ashford, singer, songwriter, and with his wife Valerie Simpson part of the Capitol Records vocal duo Ashford and Simpson ("Solid as a Rock"), dies in a New York City Hospital of throat cancer at age 70.

ON THIS DAY NOT QUITE IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
30 Years Ago Today In 1987 - Former Capitol Records artist (1963-1968) Roy Clark becomes a member of the Grand Ole Opry
1989 - EMI America Records releases The Red Hot Chilli Peppers' album "Mother's Milk". EMI Music Group, Capitol Records' parent company, currently owns EMI America's catalog.
25 Years Ago Today In 1992 - EMI in the U.K. exclusively releases Capitol Records band Iron Maiden's album "Live At Donington"

ON THIS DAY NOT IN CAPITOL RECORDS HISTORY
100 Years Ago Today In 1917 - Johnny Lee Hooker, guitarist, is born near Clarksdale, Mississippi
1956 - 20th Century Fox's film "The Girl Can't Help It" premieres in Hollywood, California
1968 - Cynthia Lennon files for divorce from John Lennon