VA - Capitol From The Vaults

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Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 1: The Birth of a Label 1942-1943 

From the Vaults is a multi-disc series commemorating the 60th anniversary of Capitol Records. Volume one, Birth of a Label, compiles 25 of the earliest sides issued by the label's collective brain trust: songwriters Buddy DeSylva, Johnny Mercer, and record shop proprietor Glenn Wallichs. Although many of these tunes quickly became pop standards, several have never been issued on CD before -- and of those that have previously entered the digital domain, most were transferred from sonically challenged vinyl. Tremendous care has been taken on the From the Vaults series to track down the best possible source materials. The extra effort pays off immeasurably. Capitol's incipient recordings were, as one might imagine, an ideal vehicle for Mercer's dynamic compositions. "Strip Polka," "Trav'lin' Light," and "G.I. Jive" are among his earliest pieces for the label and are included on this volume. However, the label quickly became recognized for the variety of sounds released under their moniker. Some of Capitol's earliest hits were taken from motion picture soundtracks. "My Ideal," "You'd Be So Nice to Come Home To," "Moonlight Becomes You," and the seasonal favorite "White Christmas" are among the baker's dozen of movie songs featured on this release. Other genres to be represented by Capitol ranged from jazz ("Trav'lin' Light") to boogie-woogie ("Cow Cow Boogie"), and even early R&B ("Riffette"). A 10-page liner notes booklet contains memorabilia, vintage photos, and other previously unpublished eye candy, as well as an essay by musician and music historian Billy Vera. Initial pressings -- limited to 10,000 -- are cleverly packaged in a digi-pack designed to replicate the 78 rpm records and sleeves of the era. With such attention to sonic as well as visual detail, Vol. One: Birth of a Label is a promising start to the 

01. Freddie Slack And His Orchestra - Cow Cow Boogie        

02. The Pied Pipers - Pistol Packin' Mama                   

03. Billy Butterfield - My Ideal                            

04. Johnny Mercer - Strip Polka                             

05. Nat King Cole And His Trio - All For You                

06. Martha Tilton - I'll Remember April                     

07. Bobby Sherwood And His Orchestra - I Don't Know Why     

08. Ella Mae Morse - Mr. Five By Five                       

09. Paul Whiteman And His Orchestra - Serenade In Blue      

10. Tex Ritter - Jingle Jangle Jingle                       

11. Connie Haines - At Last                                 

12. Billie Holiday - Trav'lin' Light                        

13. Gordon Jenkins & His Orchestra - There Will Never Be Ano

14. Johnny Mercer - I Lost My Sugar In Salt Lake City       

15. Bobby Sherwood And His Orchestra - Moonlight Becomes You

16. Paul Whiteman And His Orchestra - The Old Music Master  

17. Gordon Jenkins - White Christmas                        

18. Margaret Whiting - That Old Black Magic                 

19. Six Hits And A Miss - You'd Be So Nice To Come Home To  

20. Freddie Slack - Riffette                                

21. Ray Mckinley - Big Boy                                  

22. Ray Mckinley - Hard Hearted Hannah                      

23. Ella Mae Morse - Get On Board, Little Chillun           

24. Ceelle Burke And His Orchestra - From Twilight 'til Dawn

25. Johnny Mercer - G.I. Jive             

Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 2: Vine Street Divas 

This volume of From the Vaults highlights early Capitol Records hits by the ladies of the tower, so to speak. Individual talents such as Jo Stafford, Anita O'Day, and Peggy Lee began to emerge from many top orchestras and soon became Vine Street divas in their own right. The timing for this incipient wave of girl power couldn't have been better, since WW II was preoccupying many of the country's top male vocalists. The extensive selection of musical genres on the label didn't hurt either. Among the most popular of these were show tunes. Jo Stafford led her fellow female artists scoring Top Ten hits with songs from both stage and screen. Vine Street Divas includes two Stafford classics: "Long Ago (And Far Away)" from the film Cover Girl, as well as "Some Enchanted Evening" from the stage adaptation of South Pacific. Among the other soundtrack or cast recordings featured on this compilation are Ella Mae Morse's "Shoo-Shoo Baby" from the motion picture Three Cheers for the Boys," and Betty Hutton's classic "Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief" as featured in The Stork Club. This volume has cleverly gathered rare and hard to find early recordings by ladies who quickly gained international acclaim, such as Anita O'Day ("And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine"), June Christy ("It's Been a Long, Long Time"), and Margaret Whiting (who is featured with no less than three different orchestras on this collection). Vine Street Divas is accompanied by a ten-page liner notes booklet containing vintage memorabilia, photos, and other previously unpublished eye candy. Plus, to fill in the details is an essay by musician and music historian Billy Vera. Initial pressings -- limited to 10,000 -- are cleverly packaged in a digipack designed to replicate the 78-rpm records and sleeves of the era.

01. Jo Stafford - Long Ago (And Far Away)                   

02. Ella Mae Morse - Shoo-Shoo Baby                         

03. Benny Carter & His Orchestra - Hurry, Hurry             

04. Peggy Lee - It's A Good Day                             

05. Betty Hutton - It Had To Be You                         

06. Martha Tilton - I'll Walk Alone                         

07. Stan Kenton - And Her Tears Flowed Like Wine            

08. Kay Starr - You Were Only Fooling (While I Was Falling I

09. Martha Tilton - I Should Care                           

10. Nellie Lutcher - Hurry On Down                          

11. Paul Weston & His Orchestra - It Might As Well Be Spring

12. Martha Tilton - A Stranger In Town                      

13. June Christy - It's Been A Long, Long Time              

14. Betty Hutton - Doctor, Lawyer, Indian Chief             

15. Peggy Lee - I Don't Know Enough About You               

16. Jo Stafford - Day By Day                                

17. Benny Goodman & His Orchestra - I Want To Be Loved (But 

18. Peggy Lee - Golden Earrings                             

19. Jo Stafford - Serenade Of The Bells                     

20. Margaret Whiting - But Beautiful                        

21. Peggy Lee - Everybody Loves Somebody                    

22. Blue Lu Barker - A Little Bird Told Me                  

23. Helen O'connell - Teardrops From My Eyes                

24. Jo Stafford - Some Enchanted Evening                    

25. Margaret Whiting - Moonlight In Vermont    

    

Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 3: Capitol Jumps 

The swing era and pre-bop jazz age of the '40s was a zenith for Capitol Records, which was jumpin' not only on radios and jukeboxes nationwide, but at cash registers as well. This third volume in the venerable label's From the Vaults series is an indispensable guide to Capitol's ever-increasing talent roster, highlighting this unique period in American popular music. Aptly subtitled Capitol Jumps, the album does considerably more, ranging from the erudite cool of the Nat "King" Cole Trio on "Sweet Loraine" to decidedly more "alternative" bop classics such as Dizzy Gillespie's "You Stole My Wife You Horse Thief." On the lighter side are remnants of big-band orchestras led by Benny Goodman ("On a Slow Boat to China") and Johnny Mercer ("One More for My Baby (And One More for the Road)"). The passing of the pop music baton from big band to jazz is reflected in this volume most notably by the Four Freshmen's brilliant interpretation of "Tuxedo Junction" and the intoxicating one-two punch of Ella Mae Morse's "Buzz Me" and "Juice Head Baby by Cootie Williams & His Orchestra, featuring vocalist Eddie "Cleanhead" Vinson. One trend continuing for Capitol was that of hitmaker. Among the seven Top 40 hits on Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 3 are Alvino Rey's ultra-danceable "Cement Mixer (Put-Ti, Put-Ti)," Benny Carter & His Orchestra with "Poinciana," and the Johnny Mercer conducted orchestra on "My Sugar Is So Refined." This all-star recording also features labelmates the Pied Pipers, accompanied by Paul Weston & His Orchestra. As with other volumes in this collection, the sonic transfer is superior, making it an essential component to any comprehensive overview of American popular music. The 12-page liner notes booklet contains lots of memorabilia wrapped around another installment of Billy Vera's informative essays.

01. Nat King Cole And His Trio - Sweet Lorraine             

02. Martha Tilton - Does Everyone Know About This           

03. Coleman Hawkins - Stuffy                                

04. Benny Carter & His Orchestra - Poinciana                

05. Ella Mae Morse - Buzz Me                                

06. Billy May - Lean, Baby                                  

07. Stan Kenton And His Orchestra - Artistry Jumps          

08. Cootie Williams And His Orchestra - Juice Head Baby     

09. Alvino Rey - Cement Mixer (Put-Ti, Put-Ti)              

10. Johnny Mercer - My Sugar Is So Refined                  

11. Geechie Smith & His Orchestra - T-Town Jump             

12. Nellie Lutcher - Fine Brown Frame                       

13. Sam Donahue And His Orchestra - Robbin's Nest           

14. Crown Prince Waterford - Move Your Hand, Baby           

15. T-Bone Walker - I Got A Break Baby                      

16. Julia Lee & Her Boyfriends - King Size Papa             

17. Benny Goodman & His Orchestra - On A Slow Boat To China 

18. Stan Kenton And His Orchestra - How High The Moon       

19. Peggy Lee - Don't Smoke In Bed                          

20. Charlie Barnet - Be-Bop Spoken Here                     

21. Johnny Mercer - One For My Baby (And One More For The Ro

22. Dizzy Gillespie & His Orchestra - You Stole My Wife - Yo

23. Kay Starr - Evenin'                                     

24. Duke Ellington And His Orchestra - Satin Doll           

25. The Four Freshmen - Tuxedo Junction     

Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 4: Love Letters 

This fourth installment of Capitol Records' label retrospective, Capitol From the Vaults, is hopelessly and head-over-heels devoted to love. The label presents a cornucopia of primarily post-WW II pop tunes that have become standards over time. This collection, subtitled "Love Letters," offers up 25 tracks about love: lost, found, forgotten -- and every other applicable emotion. With amour as a backdrop, this compilation contains hits from practically every pop music genre from the mid-'40 and early '50s. Among those strongly represented on this volume are soundtrack tunes from the stage and screen. These include Mel Torme's "Your Getting to Be a Habit With Me" which was featured in two Warner Bros. films inspired by the Big Apple -- Lullaby of Broadway and 42nd Street. Another cinematic tribute to the five boroughs is also included with "What'll I Do" by Nat "King" Cole's Trio. This Irving Berlin composition was a Top 40 hit featured in the film The Big City. As with every Capitol From the Vaults installment, the focus of the package is on the songs which made the Hit Parade. 23 of the 25 tracks on Love Letters are in fact chart hits. "Candy" featuring Johnny Mercer and Jo Stafford, Margaret Whiting's "A Tree in a Meadow," and the leadoff track, "I Love You (For Sentimental Reasons)" featuring the Nat "King" Cole Trio are all certified Number One hits by Billboard magazine. The sound quality continues to deliver infinitely better quality recordings than what has previously been available -- that is if consumers could find them at all. Producer Billy Vera has once again inked some wonderfully insightful liner notes. This is a cleverly compiled addition to the Capitol From the Vaults series.

01. Nat King Cole - (I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons    

02. Margaret Whiting - Come Rain Or Come Shine              

03. Johnny Mercer - Candy                                   

04. Andy Russell - Besame Mucho                             

05. The Dinning Sisters - Love Letters                      

06. Nat King Cole And His Trio - You Call It Madness (But I 

07. Johnnie Johnston - Laura                                

08. Margaret Whiting - Guilty                               

09. Andy Russell - Amor                                     

10. Jo Stafford - The Things We Did Last Summer             

11. Nat King Cole And His Trio - I Miss You So              

12. Martha Tilton - That's My Desire                        

13. Judy Garland - Old Devil Moon                           

14. The Pied Pipers - Mam'selle                             

15. June Christy - Soothe Me                                

16. Andy Russell - Laughing On The Outside (Crying On The In

17. Margaret Whiting - A Tree In The Meadow                 

18. Mel Torme - You're Getting To Be A Habit With Me        

19. Al Martino - Here In My Heart                           

20. Nat King Cole And His Trio - What'll I Do               

21. Dean Martin - You Belong To Me                          

22. Bob Manning - The Nearness Of You                       

23. Helen O'connell - Be Anything (But Be Mine)             

24. Bob Eberly - You Are Too Beautiful                      

25. Nat King Cole - Somewhere Along The Way  

Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 5: The Roots of Rock 'N' Roll 

The fifth volume in the Capitol From the Vaults series focuses on artists from the label's pre-rock & roll halcyon days -- just as R&B, country & western, jazz, big band, and traditional pop were beginning to cross-pollinate. The results -- as exemplified on this 25-track compilation -- are as disparate as the pre-doo wop sacred harmonies of the Selah Singers' "I'll Be Satisfied" to the double-entendre jive-talkin' on Ella Mae Morse's 12-bar blues "The House of Blue Lights." A decidedly more social effect of these precursors to rock & roll is that the music began to blur racial lines as well. Capitol's roster was indeed more interested in talent than color and, as such, blind to anything but the green from the cash registers. They had plenty of hits during their seminal days as well -- among the chart-topping inclusions are "How High the Moon" (Les Paul and Mary Ford), "Shot Gun Boogie" (Tennessee Ernie Ford), and the opening track "Straighten Up and Fly Right" -- an early bopper from the Nat King Cole Trio -- featuring some nimble electric guitar licks from Oscar Moore. Arguably the most successful crossover artist from the big-band genre was Benny Goodman. His rendition of the "Huckle-Buck" is equally as inspired as the more traditional R&B rendering from vocalist Sis Andrews. Sadly, this is one of the very few of Andrews contributions to have made it on CD. There are many other primordial rockers of note included here, such as the jumpin' jive of "Let the Good Times Roll" -- which was revamped to great effect by Ray Charles and B.B. King, among others. The boogie-woogie "Down the Road Apiece" became performance staples for both Chuck Berry and the Rolling Stones. As always, Billy Vera's liner notes essay is full of behind-the-scenes information. It's a good accompanying read to this CD compilation which is a considerable primer to the birth of rock & roll.

01. Nellie Lutcher - He's A Real Gone Guy                   

02. Martha Tilton - (Ah Yes) There's Good Blues Tonight     

03. Nat King Cole And His Trio - Straighten Up And Fly Right

04. Alvino Rey - Guitar Boogie                              

05. Geechie Smith & His Orchestra - Let The Good Times Roll 

06. T-Bone Walker - Bobby Sox Blues                         

07. The Pied Pipers - Open The Door, Richard                

08. Jo Stafford - A Sunday Kind Of Love                     

09. Jesse Price - Blue Book Boogie                          

10. Tex Williams - Smoke! Smoke! Smoke! (That Cigarette)    

11. Ella Mae Morse - Down The Road A Piece                  

12. Crown Prince Waterford - Coal Black Baby                

13. Cliffie Stone - He's A Real Gone Oakie                  

14. Marvin Johnson - Hey Lawdy Mama                         

15. Benny Goodman - The Huckle-Buck                         

16. Big Sis Andrews And Her Huckle-Busters - The Huckle-Buck

17. The Selah Singers - I'll Be Satisfied                   

18. The Selah Singers - He's My Rock, Sword And Shield      

19. Lee Young - Seeing Double                               

20. Dean Martin - I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine       

21. Tennessee Ernie Ford - Shot-Gun Boogie                  

22. Jimmie Dolan - Hot Rod Race                             

23. Les Paul - How High The Moon                            

24. Merrill Moore - The House Of Blue Lights                

25. Freddie Slack - The House Of Blue Lights                 

   

Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 6: The Best of '56 

This sixth installment of Capitol records' label retrospective -- Capitol From the Vaults -- concentrates on the transitional and influential music released in 1956, as rock & roll began to show continual staying power on the pop music charts. However, as the 25 tracks on this volume illustrate, adults and even young people were still buying and listening to traditional popular music, and that is exactly what "the tower" was releasing. The set kicks off with a chart-topping entry from Tennessee Ernie Ford singing "Sixteen Tons" -- which had also been recorded by Merle Travis, who not only wrote the song, but was also a fellow Capitol recording artist. Although it had been a regional hit for Travis, it is Ford's version that became most memorable. There were several other notable male vocalists who also climbed the charts for Capitol in 1956. As Dean Martin's popularity continued to soar, "Memories Are Made of This" -- featuring the Terry Gilkyson-led Easy Riders -- was not only his first Top 40, but also first number-one hit. The disc ushered in 1956 firmly atop most pop-music and jukebox charts. Although not a number one, the show tune "Standing on the Corner" was another hit for Martin during March of that year, and is likewise featured on this collection. Another male vocalist who dominated the upper echelons of the pop singles chart during 1956 was newcomer Sonny James. The catchy "Young Love" -- James' entree into pop music -- became one of his signature tunes and racked up hit singles on Capitol's country charts well into the 1970s. Jazz vocal fans continued as huge proponents of the label. Nat "King" Cole -- whose "Too Young to Go Steady," "Never Let Me Go," and "That's All There Is to That" are featured here -- was one reason. Another are Stan Kenton alumni the Four Freshmen -- heard here on their Top 20 hit "Graduation Day." Other notable inclusions on Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 6: The Best of '56 are the novelty "The Happy Whistler" -- a Top Ten hit for one-hit wonder Don Robertson. Also worth noting is the biting, satirical view of Stan Freberg as he disassembles Elvis on his decidedly derogatory rendition of "Heartbreak Hotel." Recording engineer Bob Norberg lovingly remastered this entire series from the best possible source materials, and the results are uniformly spectacular. Music historian and musician Billy Vera produced Capitol From the Vaults and likewise penned some highly informative and entertaining liner notes for each volume.

01. Tennessee Ernie Ford - Sixteen Tons                     

02. Nelson Riddle - Lisbon Antigua                          

03. Les Paul - Moritat                                      

04. Les Baxter - The Poor People Of Paris (Jean's Song)     

05. Billy May - Man With The Golden Arm                     

06. Dean Martin - Memories Are Made Of This                 

07. Gordon Macrae - I've Grown Accustomed To Her Face       

08. Nat King Cole - Too Young To Go Steady                  

09. Nat King Cole - Never Let Me Go                         

10. The Four Freshmen - Graduation Day                      

11. Dean Martin - Standing On The Corner                    

12. Tex Ritter - The Wayward Wind                           

13. Nat King Cole - That's All There Is To That             

14. Margaret Whiting - True Love                            

15. The Cheers - Black Denim Trousers & Motorcycle Boots    

16. Kit Carson - Band Of Gold                               

17. Woody Herman - I Don't Want Nobody (To Have My Love But 

18. Don Robertson - The Happy Whistler                      

19. The Five Keys - Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind               

20. Dick Haymes - Two Different Worlds                      

21. Stan Freberg - Heartbreak Hotel                         

22. Louis Prima - Five Months, Two Weeks, Two Days          

23. The Four Preps - Dreamy Eyes                            

24. The Five Keys - Wisdom Of A Fool                        

25. Sonny James - Young Love  

Capitol From the Vaults, Vol. 7: Capitol Goes to 

e Movies

It's a no-brainer that the Capitol From the Vaults series would dedicate a volume to their affluent association with the cinematic side of Hollywood. This is especially true since label co-founder Buddy de Sylva was previously the head of production for Paramount Pictures. As pop music artist and scholar Billy Vera points out in his liner notes essay, the label's first hit -- "Cow Cow Boogie" by Ella Mae Morse -- was featured in the all-star propaganda film Reveille With Beverly (1943). The tradition served Capitol well throughout their first decade and there are over two dozen examples -- which Vera also notes as being nowhere near complete -- on this single CD compilation. Many of these sides not only scored big at the box office, but held their own on the national pop and country & western charts as well. Included are a bevy of Top Ten hits such as "The High and the Mighty" (Les Baxter), "It Could Happen to You" (Jo Stafford), "Buttons and Bows" (Dinning Sisters), and even the animated antics of "I Taut I Taw a Puddy Tat" (Mel Blanc). This collection also features a couple of chart-toppers -- "On the Atchison, Topeka & the Santa Fe" (Johnny Mercer) as well as "Mona Lisa," the latter of which was also given an Oscar as "Best Song" in 1950 for its use in Captain Carey U.S.A. As an obvious labor of love, the audio in the Capitol From the Vaults series is unsurpassed -- rising to the occasion of such memorable pop music.

01. Johnny Mercer - On The Atchison, Topeka & The Sante Fe  

02. Jo Stafford - It Could Happen To You                    

03. Johnny Mercer - San Fernando Valley                     

04. Margaret Whiting - In Love In Vain                      

05. Paul Weston & His Orchestra - Ole Buttermilk Sky        

06. Johnny Mercer - Baby, It's Cold Outside                 

07. The Dinning Sisters - Buttons And Bows                  

08. Jo Stafford - Blues In The Night                        

09. The Pied Pipers - The Trolley Song                      

11. Gordon Macrae - It's Magic                              

12. Mel Blanc - I Taut I Taw A Puddy Tat                    

13. Mel Torme - Again                                       

14. Bob Hope - Home Cookin'                                 

15. Sammy Davis, Jr. - Laura                                

15. Tex Ritter - High Noon (Do Not Forsake Me)              

16. Peggy Lee - Where Are You                               

17. Nat King Cole - Mona Lisa                               

18. Les Baxter - Ruby                                       

20. Jane Froman - I'll Walk Alone                           

20. Johnny Mercer - If I Had A Talking Picture Of You       

21. Bob Hope - Wing-Ding Tonight                            

22. Hoagy Carmichael - When Love Goes Wrong                 

23. Tennessee Ernie Ford - River Of No Return               

24. June Hutton - Never In A Million Years                  

25. Les Baxter & His Orchestra - The High And The Mighty       

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