Editing Capitol Records (section)

== History ==
===Founding===
Songwriter [[Johnny Mercer]] founded Capitol Records in 1942<ref name=pc1b>{{Pop Chronicles 40s|1|B |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc1633237/m1/#track/3 }}</ref> with financial help from songwriter and film producer [[Buddy DeSylva]] and the business acumen of Glenn Wallichs, owner of [[Wallichs Music City]]. Mercer raised the idea of starting a record company while golfing with [[Harold Arlen]] and [[Bobby Sherwood]] and with Wallichs at Wallichs's record store. On February 2, 1942, Mercer and Wallichs met DeSylva at a restaurant in Hollywood to talk about investment by [[Paramount Pictures]].

On March 27, 1942, the three men incorporated as Liberty Records (not affiliated with Capitol's future sister label [[Liberty Records]]). In May, the application was amended to change the label's name to Capitol Records.<ref name="Fan">{{cite web|title=Happy Birthdays!|url=http://www.popculturefanboy.blogspot.com/|work=popculturefanboy|access-date=April 18, 2013|date=April 18, 2013}}</ref>

On April 6, 1942, Mercer supervised Capitol's first recording session where [[Martha Tilton]] recorded the song "Moon Dreams". On May 5, Bobby Sherwood and his orchestra recorded two tracks in the studio. On May 21, [[Freddie Slack]] and his orchestra recorded three tracks in the studio: one with the orchestra, one with [[Ella Mae Morse]] called "[[Cow-Cow Boogie]]" and "Air-Minded Executive" supervised by Mercer. On June 4, Capitol opened its first office in a second-floor room south of [[Sunset Boulevard]]. On that same day, Wallichs presented the company's first free record to Los Angeles disc jockey Peter Potter. On June 5, [[Paul Whiteman]] and his Orchestra recorded four songs at the studio. On June 12, the orchestra recorded five more songs in the studio, including "Trav'lin' Light" with [[Billie Holiday]]. On June 11, [[Tex Ritter]] recorded "[[Jingle Jangle Jingle|(I Got Spurs That) Jingle Jangle Jingle]]" and "Goodbye My Little Cherokee" for his first Capitol recording session, and the songs comprised Capitol's 110th produced record.

The earliest recording artists included co-owner Mercer, [[Johnnie Johnston]], Morse, [[Jo Stafford]], the [[Pied Pipers]], [[Tex Ritter]], Tilton, [[Paul Weston]], Whiteman, and [[Margaret Whiting]].<ref name=pc1b /> Capitol's first gold single was Morse's "Cow Cow Boogie" in 1942.{{sfn|Gilliland|1994|loc=tape 1, side A}}

Capitol's first album was ''Capitol Presents Songs by Johnny Mercer'', a three disc set with recordings by Mercer, Stafford and the Pied Pipers, all with Weston's orchestra.

Capitol was the first major west coast label to compete with major labels on the east coast such as [[RCA Victor]], [[Columbia Records|Columbia]], and [[Decca Records|Decca]]. In addition to its Los Angeles recording studios, Capitol owned a second studio in New York City and occasionally sent mobile recording equipment to other cities.{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

===Other genres===
In 1946, writer-producer [[Alan W. Livingston]] created [[Bozo the Clown]] for the company's children's record library, with [[Pinto Colvig]] (the voice of [[Goofy]] in [[Walt Disney]] cartoons) as Bozo. [[Mel Blanc]] reprised his own cartoon roles including [[Bugs Bunny]] and other [[Looney Tunes]] characters, as well as [[Woody Woodpecker]], while several Disney records were narrated by radio announcer [[Don Wilson (announcer)|Don Wilson]]. Examples of notable Capitol albums for children during that era are ''[[Sparky's Magic Piano]]'' and ''Rusty in Orchestraville''. Capitol also developed a noted jazz catalog that included the Capitol Jazz Men and issued the [[Miles Davis]]'s album ''[[Birth of the Cool]]''.<ref>{{cite web |title=Birth of the Cool |url=https://www.milesdavis.com/albums/birth-of-the-cool/ |publisher=Miles Davis |access-date=2 May 2024}}</ref>

Capitol released a few classical albums in the 1940s, some of which contained handsome heavily embossed, leather-like covers. These recordings appeared on the 78 rpm format and were subsequently reissued on the new [[LP record|LP]] format in 1949. Among the recordings: Brazilian composer [[Heitor Villa-Lobos]]' ''Choros No. 10'', with contributions from a Los Angeles choral group and the Janssen Symphony Orchestra (1940–1952), conducted by [[Werner Janssen]]; ''Symphony No. 3'' by Russian composer [[Reinhold Moritzovich Glière]]; and [[César Franck]]'s ''Symphony in D minor'', with [[Willem Mengelberg]] and the [[Concertgebouw Orchestra]].{{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

In 1949, Capitol opened a branch office in Canada and purchased KHJ Studios on Melrose Avenue adjacent to Paramount in Hollywood.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Peggy Lee Discography - The Capitol Years, Part 3 |url=https://www.peggyleediscography.com/p/capitolee1b.php |access-date=2024-06-29 |website=www.peggyleediscography.com}}</ref>

By the 1950s, Capitol had become a huge label that concentrated primarily on popular music. {{citation needed|date=November 2021}}

Capitol began recording rock and roll acts such as [[The Jodimars]] and [[Gene Vincent]]. There were comedy records by [[Stan Freberg]], [[Johnny Standley]], and [[Mickey Katz]]. On August 2, 1952, ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' magazine contained a chronicle of the label's first ten years in business.<ref>"The Record Decade, 1942-42." ''Billboard,'' August 2, 1952, 49-82.</ref>

===Ownership under EMI===
[[File:Capitol Records logo 1969 vector.svg|thumb|right|150px|Capitol logo from 1969 to 1978, designed by Roland Young.<ref>{{cite journal | last=Staff writer | date=July 5, 1969 | url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Record-World/60s/69/Record-World-1969-07-05.pdf#page=22 | title=New Capitol Logo | journal=Record World | volume=24 | issue=1151 | page=22 | publisher=Record World Publishing | via=World Radio History}}</ref> Revived in 2017.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.friktech.com/btls/capitol/capitollabels.pdf|title=Capitol labels|website=Friktech|access-date=October 15, 2019}}</ref>]]
In 1955, the British record company [[EMI]] (which evolved into [[Universal Music Group]]) purchased Capitol Records, ending the 55-year mutual distribution agreement between EMI and [[RCA Victor]] in the Western Hemisphere in 1957. EMI acquired 96% of Capitol's stock for $8.5&nbsp;million. EMI built a [[Capitol Records Building|studio]] at Hollywood and Vine to match its state-of-the-art [[Abbey Road Studios]] in London.

In the 1950s, [[Decca Records]] broke its distribution contract with [[Panart]], the first independent [[Cuba]]n record company. This provided an opening for Capitol, which then contracted with Panart to have Capitol and Odeon records distributed in Cuba. In turn, Capitol distributed Panart records in the United States, growing the export percentage of Panart records from 20 percent to 50 percent. This was a coup for Capitol, as [[RCA Victor]] up to this point had huge predominance in the United States distribution of Cuban music recordings.<ref>Schlicke, Cornelius (2003). Tonträgerindustrie und Vermittlung von Livemusik in Kuba (in German). Berlin: LIT Verlag. pp. 225–238. {{ISBN|9783825802400}}.</ref><ref name="Moore">{{cite book|last1=Moore|first1=Robin|title=Music and Revolution: Cultural Change in Socialist Cuba|date=2006|publisher=University of California Press|location=Los Angeles, CA|pages=40–41|isbn=9780520247109|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Q55Z8YPH_XoC}}</ref>

In 1957, EMI's classical label [[Angel Records|Angel]] was merged into Capitol. Some classical recordings were issued in high fidelity and [[stereophonic]] sound. These included [[William Steinberg]] and the [[Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra]], [[Leopold Stokowski]] with various orchestras (including the [[Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra]]) and [[Sir Thomas Beecham]] and the [[Royal Philharmonic Orchestra]], as well as light classical albums by [[Carmen Dragon]] and the [[Hollywood Bowl Orchestra]] and albums of film music conducted by Hollywood composers such as [[Alfred Newman (composer)|Alfred Newman]].

In the realm of "Sweet Jazz" [[big-band]] music, Capitol also joined forces with the bandleader [[Guy Lombardo]] starting in the mid 1950s to issue a series of approximately thirty recordings until the late 1960s.<ref>[https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/guy-lombardo-and-his-royal-canadians-emc The Canadian Encyclopedia: "Guy Lombardo and His Royal Canadians" Mookg, Edward B. (6 April 2008 rev. 4 March 2015)  on thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en]</ref>

The Capitol of the World series introduced in 1956 and active into the 1970s encompassed ''German Beer Drinking Songs'', ''Honeymoon in Rome'', ''Australian Aboriginals'', and ''Kasongo! Modern Music of the Belgian Congo''. Many were produced by Dave Dexter Jr. This series contained over 400 albums. It was also in this period that Capitol issued [[Christmas music]] recordings from various countries outside the United States.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Designed for hi-fi living : the vinyl LP in midcentury America |last=Borgerson|first=Janet|publisher=[[MIT Press]]|others=Schroeder, Jonathan E.|year=2017|isbn=9780262036238|location=Cambridge, Massachusetts |oclc=958205262 }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/23/arts/hands-on-leader-fuels-rare-revival-in-record-industry.html |last=Nelson |first=Chris |date=March 23, 2004 |newspaper=[[The New York Times]] |title=Hands-On Leader Fuels Rare Revival in Record Industry}}</ref> In the 1960s Capitol established subsidiary labels including [[Tower Records (record label)|Tower Records]]. Capitol was the US distributor of [[the Beatles]]' [[Apple Records]].

In October 1979, EMI merged with [[Thorn Electrical Industries]] to form [[Thorn EMI]]<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3670516/EMI-A-giant-at-war-with-itself.html |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220111/https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/music/3670516/EMI-A-giant-at-war-with-itself.html |archive-date=January 11, 2022 |url-access=subscription |url-status=live |title=EMI: a giant at war with itself |website=The Telegraph |location=London |date=January 18, 2008}}{{cbignore}}</ref> and, due to business models increasingly diverging, on August 16, 1996, Thorn EMI's shareholders voted to demerge. The resulting media company was then known as the EMI Group.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/vote-solid-for-thorn-demerger-1310081.html|title=Vote solid for Thorn demerger|date=August 17, 1996|website=Independent}}</ref> In June 1997, Capitol, together with [[Virgin Records]], absorbed [[EMI Records|EMI USA]], which folded.<ref>{{Cite news |agency=Bloomberg News |date=June 21, 1997 |title=EMI shutting 2 New York-based record labels |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/21/business/emi-shutting-2-new-york-based-record-labels.html}}</ref>

===Distribution under Universal Music Group===
In 2012, the recorded music operations of EMI were sold to the [[Universal Music Group]] and the world headquarters were re-established in the Capitol Tower in Hollywood as part of the subsequent reorganization of the [[Capitol Music Group]]. Steve Barnett, previously an employee of Columbia, was hired as chairman and CEO of the division.<ref>{{cite news|last=Brown|first=August|title=Steve Barnett to lead Capitol Music Group|url=https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/la-xpm-2012-nov-26-la-et-ms-steve-barnett-capitol-music-group-20121126-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=November 26, 2012}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/official-steve-barnett-named-chairman-394025|title=It's Official: Steve Barnett Named Chairman and CEO of Capitol Music Group|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=November 26, 2012|language=en|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

Capitol filed a lawsuit against [[Vimeo]], an online video-sharing website, for audio copyright infringement. Capitol filed the claim after users were visibly lip-synching to some of their tracks.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vimeo Sued Over Lip Dubs|url=http://newteevee.com/2009/12/15/vimeo-sued-over-lip-dubs|publisher=Gigaom|access-date=April 18, 2013|first=Ryan|last=Lawler|date=December 15, 2009|archive-date=August 30, 2010|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100830131732/http://newteevee.com/2009/12/15/vimeo-sued-over-lip-dubs/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

Following legal action by Capitol against the ReDigi.com online company in April 2013, the latter was found to have violated copyright law. Capitol Records claimed that ReDigi was guilty of copyright infringement due to a business model that facilitated the creation of additional copies of Capitol's digital music files, whereby users could upload the files for downloading or streaming to the new purchaser of the file. ReDigi argued that the resale of MP3/digital music files is permitted under certain doctrines ("fair use" and "first sale") but the court maintained that the doctrines' application "was limited to material items that the copyright owner put into the stream of commerce."<ref>{{cite web|title=Selling MP3s? You should have stuck with CDs|url=http://theconversation.com/selling-mp3s-you-should-have-stuck-with-cds-13219|work=The Conversation|publisher=The Conversation Media Group|access-date=April 18, 2013|first1=Anne|last1=Fitzgerald|first2=Tim|last2=Seidenspinner|date=April 17, 2013}}</ref>

In 2014, PGH Live Music joined the team and [[Katy Perry]] founded the record label Metamorphosis Music, starting a label venture with Capitol.<ref>{{cite web|title=Introducing my new label venture with @capitolrecords featuring my first artist FERRAS|url=https://twitter.com/katyperry/status/478992375168368642|date=June 17, 2014}}</ref> The name of the label was later changed to [[Unsub Records]] in 2016.<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Kaufman|first1=Gil|title=Katy Perry Really Wants You to Get 'Together' with Her Latest Signing, CYN|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=July 14, 2017|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7865973/katy-perry-together-cyn|access-date=July 14, 2017}}</ref>

Also that year, Capitol rose to number two market share and won four categories at the [[57th Annual Grammy Awards|Grammy Awards]] for music by [[Beck]] and [[Sam Smith (singer)|Sam Smith]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Grammy Awards bring gold to revitalized Capitol Records|url=http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-grammy-awards-capitol-records-sam-smith-beck-20150209-story.html|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|access-date=September 10, 2015|first=Randy|last=Lewis|date=February 9, 2015}}</ref>

In 2018, Capitol's electronic division [[Astralwerks]] relaunched with a new team and moved its entire operations to Capitol's tower in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/dance/8474574/astralwerks-relaunch-2018|title=Acclaimed Label Astralwerks Relaunches With New Team, Major Signings|magazine=Billboard|date=September 11, 2018|access-date=March 10, 2019}}</ref>

In 2019, [[Jeff Vaughn]] was named President of Capitol Records, assuming his position as of January 1, 2020.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2019/biz/news/jeff-vaughn-president-capitol-records-1203422258/|title=Jeff Vaughn Named President of Capitol Records|date=2019-12-03|website=Variety|language=en|access-date=2020-04-28}}</ref>

In 2021, [[Michelle Jubelirer]] was named the Chair & CEO of Capitol.<ref>{{cite news| url=https://variety.com/2021/music/news/michelle-jubelirer-capitol-music-group-promotion-chair-ceo-1235132161/ | work=Variety | title=Michelle Jubelirer Upped to Capitol Music Group Chair and CEO | date=December 13, 2021}}</ref>

In 2024, Capitol Records became part of UMG's Interscope Capitol Labels Group.