Capitol Records, the venerable label founded by Johnny Mercer with B.G. DeSylva and Glenn Wallichs and now a unit of Universal Music Group, turns 75 next year. In celebration of this landmark anniversary, the label has announced three new initiatives.
The first of these endeavors is The Capitol Records 75th Anniversary Collection, a series of 75 vinyl reissues from various genres curated by “noted music journalists, authors and other renowned creative figures.” The Beatles are represented (naturally!) with five titles, Frank Sinatra with four, and The Band, Bonnie Raitt, and The Beach Boys with two each. Other artists in the series include founder Johnny Mercer, The Beastie Boys, Bobby Darin, Buck Owens, Dean Martin, Glen Campbell, Judy Garland, Linda Ronstadt, Louis Prima, Nat “King” Cole, Natalie Cole, Nancy Wilson, Peggy Lee, Pink Floyd, and Radiohead, plus the soundtrack recording of Oklahoma! and original cast recording of Funny Girl. (You’ll find the full list at the conclusion of this article.)
The second initiative is the publication by Taschen of the coffee table book 75 Years of Capitol Records, containing essays and photographs tracing the company’s evolution from 1942 to the present day. Grammy-winning artist Beck provides the foreword. The book is currently available from Amazon.com. The last project is a documentary series. The as-yet-untitled “docuseries” will be produced by Nigel Sinclair’s Whitehorse Pictures, and is slated for a premiere in fall 2017. The programs promise to draw on the Capitol archives to bring the company’s storied history to life.
The 75th Anniversary Collection is slated to kick off this month in partnership with the retailer Crate and Barrel; the store’s locations will feature these Capitol titles in their Listening Room areas. Note that a small number of these titles in this series appear to be already-available current pressings, not new reissues, while the remainder will presumably be reissued specifically for this campaign. You can peruse Crate and Barrel’s selection of currently-available vinyl and more here. Billboard indicates that the vinyl reissues will be available from music retailers throughout 2017. You can find the full list of titles below!
- Ashford & Simpson Solid 1984
- Beastie Boys Paul’s Boutique 1989
- Beck Morning Phase 2014
- Blind Melon Blind Melon 1992
- Bob Seger Night Moves 1976
- Bobbie Gentry Ode To Billie Joe 1967
- Bobby Darin You’re The Reason I’m Living 1963
- Bonnie Raitt Nick of Time 1989
- Bonnie Raitt Luck Of The Draw 1991
- Buck Owens Buck Owens 1961
- Cannonball Adderley Mercy Mercy Mercy 1966
- Coldplay Parachutes 2000
- Crowded House Crowded House 1986
- Dean Martin Dino: Italian Love Songs 1962
- Duke Ellington The Duke Plays Ellington 1953
- Foo Fighters Foo Fighters 1994
- Frank Sinatra In The Wee Small Hours 1955
- Frank Sinatra Songs for Swingin’ Lovers! 1956
- Frank Sinatra Come Fly With Me 1958
- Frank Sinatra Frank Sinatra Sings For Only The Lonely 1958
- Freddie Jackson Rock Me Tonight 1985
- Gene Vincent & His Blue Caps Bluejean Bop 1956
- George Clinton Computer Games 1982
- George Harrison All Things Must Pass 1970
- Glen Campbell By the Time I Get to Phoenix 1968
- Grand Funk Railroad We’re an American Band 1973
- Heart Heart 1985
- James Taylor James Taylor 1968
- Joe South Introspect 1968
- John Lennon Imagine 1971
- Johnny Mercer Accentuate the Positive 1957
- Judy Garland Judy at Carnegie Hall 1961
- Katy Perry Teenage Dream 2010
- Kingston Trio Kingston Trio 1958
- Knack Get The Knack 1979
- Les Paul and Mary Ford Les and Mary 1955
- Linda Ronstadt Heart Like a Wheel 1974
- Louis Prima The Wildest 1956
- Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly Maze Featuring Frankie Beverly 1977
- Mazzy Star So Tonight That I Might See 1993
- MC Hammer Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em 1990
- Megadeth Peace Sells 1986
- Merle Haggard Mama Tried 1968
- Miles Davis Birth Of The Cool 1957
- Nancy Wilson How Glad I Am 1964
- Nat King Cole Unforgettable 1953
- Natalie Cole Unpredictable 1977
- Neil Diamond The Jazz Singer 1980
- Norah Jones Come Away With Me 2002
- Peggy Lee Is That All There Is 1969
- Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon 1973
- Radiohead OK Computer 1997
- Raspberries Raspberries 1972
- Richard Thompson Rumor & Sigh 1991
- Ringo Starr Ringo 1973
- Robert Glasper Black Radio 2012
- Rosanne Cash Black Cadillac 2006
- Sam Smith In The Lonely Hour 2014
- Steve Miller Band Fly Like an Eagle 1976
- Tavares In The City 1975
- Tennessee Ernie Ford Sixteen Tons 1960
- The Band Music From Big Pink 1968
- The Band The Band 1969
- The Beach Boys Surfer Girl 1963
- The Beach Boys Pet Sounds 1966
- The Beatles Meet The Beatles 1964
- The Beatles Revolver 1966
- The Beatles Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band 1967
- The Beatles The Beatles 1968
- The Beatles Abbey Road 1970
- Tina Turner Private Dancer 1984
- Various – Original Soundtrack Oklahoma! 1955
- Various – Original Broadway Cast Recording – Funny Girl 1964
- Wanda Jackson There’s a Party Goin’ On 1961
- Wings Band on the Run 1973
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Wondering if these will be properly mastered and who is mastering the various titles
Pleased to see Raspberries’ first album, as well as Buck Owens and Tennessee Ernie…….wonder if there will be any kind of special packaging or anything…..other than, of course, a sticker on the cover!!! 🙂
Really? More variants from the Beatles? And 5? Damn…
There is an ok variety, but 75 albums by 75 acts would be more for completionists.
I was thinking they’d do something more along the lines of the EMI 100 series.
Given the vast catalogue of music owned by Capitol, I can’t help but feel disappointed that
A. So many of these titles have been issued over and over for years
B. They are vinyl only.
It all feels quite lazy. Imagine what could have been if the vaults had been mined, and we got CD’s of rare long out of print albums, ep’s or singles compilations.
A multi-CD boxed set anthology covering the label’s history(similar to the 10-CD set “Revolutions in Sound;Warner Bros. The First 50 Years”) would have been appropriate, but Universal just doesn’t care.
When will Capitol get there act together and put out a box set of Sinatra’s The Capitol Years?
The last vinyl issue of this box was 1985. And many, if not most Capitol Sinatra albums arent even in print.
Better yet is a release on cd of all Sinatra’s LP’s recorded in Mono before the Stereo mike placement was corrected for Stereo Recordings. For instance; Close to You, Only The Lonely and Come Fly With Me.