Capitol Records: Record Label in New York » Label Info, Artist Roster, Gigs & Tours & Label News - Record Labels

Capitol Records is a major United States-based record label owned by EMI and located in Hollywood, California and New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Capitol's parent, EMI, is one of the "big four" music companies, the others being Universal Music, Sony BMG and Warner Music. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine. Among the more famous artists who have recorded for or been marketed by Capitol Records are the Beatles, Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole,Selena, The Beach Boys, Tina Turner, Richard Marx, Keith Urban, Poison, Kenny Rogers, Megadeth,Foo Fighters, Peggy Lee, Dean Martin, Judy Garland, The Band, Pink Floyd, Duran Duran, Relient K, Kylie Minogue, the Beastie Boys, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Gorillaz, Radiohead,Yellowcard,The Decemberists and Liz Phair.

The Capitol Records Company was founded by songwriter Johnny Mercer in 1942, with the financial help of movie producer Buddy DeSylva and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs (1910-1971), owner of Music City, at the time the biggest record store in Los Angeles, California. Wallichs Music City record store opened in 1940 and was located in Hollywood on the corner of Sunset and Vine. It was the premier music store in Southern California for decades but closed in 1978.
Johnny Mercer first suggested the idea of starting a record company while he was golfing with Harold Arlen and Bobby Sherwood. He told them, "I’ve got this idea of starting a record company. I get so tired of listening to the way everyone treats music. I keep feeling they’re selling out. And I don’t like the way artists are treated either. Bing Crosby isn’t the only one who can make records. I don’t know, I think it would be fun." By 1941, Mercer was not only an experienced songwriter, but a singer with a number of records to his name. Mercer next suggested starting a record company to his friend Glenn Wallichs while Mercer was visiting Wallichs' record store. Wallichs responded, "Fine, you run the record company and find the artists,' and Mercer added, "and you run the business."
On February 2, 1942, they met with Buddy DeSylva at a Hollywood restaurant to ask if Paramount Pictures would invest in the new record company. DeSylva said no, but that he would, and he gave them a check for $15,000. On March 27 the three men got a statement notarized that they have applied to incorporate Liberty Records. In May they amend the application to change the name to Capitol Records. (citations for Feb. 2 to July 25, 1942, see individual day dates at #[2]
On April 6, 1942, Johnny Mercer supervised Capitol's first recording session, recording Martha Tilton singing 'Moon Dreams". On May 5, Bobby Sherwood and his orchestra recorded two tracks. On May 21, Freddie Slack and his orchestra recorded three tracks, one with just the orchestra, one with Ella Mae Morse—"Cow Cow Boogie', and one with Mercer—"Air–Minded Executive".
On June 4, Capitol Records opened its first office in a second-floor room south of Sunset Boulevard. On the same day, Wallichs presented the first free record to a Los Angeles disc jockey named Peter Potter. Potter was so pleased Wallichs decided to give free records to other DJs, becoming the first in the business to do so.
On June 5, Paul Whiteman and his Orchestra recorded four sides for Capitol. On June 12, the orchestra recorded five more songs, including one side with Billie Holiday. On June 11, Tex Ritter recorded “(I Got Spurs That) Jingle Jangle Jingle” and “Goodbye My Little Cherokee” at his first Capitol recording session. They would become record #110. read less

date	lineup	venue and town/city	cost
Sep 19 Sun	Jimi Hendrix, The Hamsters psychedelic soul, blues, psychedelia, hard rock, rock music, psychedelic rock, acid rock, blues rock	Cox's Yard Stratford Upon Avon	£12.00 Buy
Sep 25 Sat	Pink Floyd, Breathe rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, space rock, art rock, experimental rock, hard rock	Cox's Yard Stratford Upon Avon	£10.00 Buy
Oct 07 Thu	Lennon, John Lennon rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, rock and roll, pop music, rock music, soft rock, blues-rock, art rock	Tunnels Bristol, The Bristol	£8.00 Buy
	Lennon, John Lennon rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, rock and roll, pop music, rock music, soft rock, blues-rock, art rock	Tunnels Bristol, The Bristol	£8.00 Buy
Oct 10 Sun	Lennon, The Beatles, John Lennon, The Beat, The Beat rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, rock and roll, pop, rock & roll, pop music, rock music, soft rock, blues-rock, art rock, alternative, 2 tone, ska, reggae, new wave, indie, power pop, punk, garage, metal	O2 Shepherds Bush Empire London (Shepherds Bush)	Buy
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date	lineup	venue and town/city
Feb 10 Tue	Judas Priest, Megadeth rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal	The O2 (Dublin) Dublin	Reviews Pictures Videos
Feb 11 Wed	Judas Priest, Megadeth rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal	Odyssey Arena Belfast	Reviews Pictures Videos
Feb 13 Fri	Judas Priest, Megadeth rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal	Hallam Fm Arena Sheffield	Reviews Pictures Videos
	Judas Priest, Megadeth rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal	Hallam Fm Arena Sheffield	Reviews Pictures Videos
Feb 14 Sat	Judas Priest, Megadeth rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal	LG Arena Birmingham	Reviews Pictures Videos
(1 - 5) of 192 results 1 2 3 4 ... Next

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Capitol Records

Capitol Records

Is a Major label based in New York.

The label was founded in 1942.

#6 record label in the world with 1 votes.

19

Sun

Jimi Hendrix, The Hamsters

psychedelic soul, blues, psychedelia, hard rock, rock music, psychedelic rock, acid rock, blues rock

Stratford Upon Avon

25

Sat

Pink Floyd, Breathe

rock, psychedelic rock, progressive rock, space rock, art rock, experimental rock, hard rock

Stratford Upon Avon

07

Thu

Lennon, John Lennon

rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, rock and roll, pop music, rock music, soft rock, blues-rock, art rock

Bristol

Lennon, John Lennon

rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, rock and roll, pop music, rock music, soft rock, blues-rock, art rock

Bristol

10

Sun

Lennon, The Beatles, John Lennon, The Beat, The Beat

rock, pop rock, psychedelic rock, experimental rock, rock and roll, pop, rock & roll, pop music, rock music, soft rock, blues-rock, art rock, alternative, 2 tone, ska, reggae, new wave, indie, power pop, punk, garage, metal

London (Shepherds Bush)

10

Tue

Judas Priest, Megadeth

rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal

Dublin

11

Wed

Judas Priest, Megadeth

rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal

Belfast

13

Fri

Judas Priest, Megadeth

rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal

Sheffield

Judas Priest, Megadeth

rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal

Sheffield

14

Sat

Judas Priest, Megadeth

rock, classic metal, heavy metal, metal, thrash metal, speed metal

Birmingham

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