The Peggy Lee Bio-Discography's Picture Gallery
Various-Artists Compilations From Capitol
Part 1: Samplers And Retrospectives
by Iván Santiago-Mercado

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Scope And Contents

This is the first of five pages dedicated to compilations from the EMI family of labels. At one point or another, the family has included not only Capitol but also Blue Note, Liberty, Roulette, Virgin, and others. The page covers two types of compilations from the Capitol catalogue: the label's sampler albums (discussed in sections I to IV) and the label's own anniversary retrospectives (section V).

I. CAPITOL'S SELF-PROMOTIONAL ALBUMS, PART 1





Artwork Shown:

1. Title: Artistry In Music ("Minute Masters" Series) / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 1366-1367 / Rel. Year: 1960 / Note: This promotional item features cuts from the dozen of albums that Capitol released during the first third of 1960. The cuts are by Mavis Rivers ("The Glory Of Love"), Glen Gray, Red Nichols, Les Baxter, Jackie Gleason, Dinah Shore ("When I Grow Too Old To Dream"), Kenyon Hopkins, Mark Murphy ("Personality"), Django Reinhardt ("Swing Guitars") and others. The Peggy Lee track is "Heart," the leading track of her upcoming Latin Ala Lee! album and also the album number that was picked for release on a commercial single.

The "Minute Masters" series consisted of promotional albums whose tracks had been edited to about one minute, in order to make them more manageable for promotional radio and television spots. The series included not only various-artists compilations but also albums entirely dedicated to individual artists, such as Frank Sinatra and Nancy Wilson. A few additional "Minute Masters" items are featured in this page; see, for instance, item #6 below.

2. Title: What's New? In Stereo (Volume 3) / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Sn3 / Rel. Year: 1959 / Note: This so-called "preview of new Capitol albums in full dimensional stereo" included 12 tracks, performed by Tennessee Ernie Ford, The Four Preps, Paul Weston & His Orchestra (2 tracks), Ed Townsend, Dorothy Donegan, Red Nichols, Jack Fascinato, Dan Kaleikini & Iwalani Kamahele, Cliffie Stone, Larry Hovis, and Peggy Lee with George Shearing. The latter is a rendition of "Blue Prelude" from the then-upcoming album Beauty And The Beat!, a collaboration between Lee and Shearing. As for the What's New? series, it consisted of at least 5 volumes. There are no Peggy Lee tracks in the other 4 volumes.





Artwork Shown:

3. Title: Top Hits!! Top Stars!! / Format: EP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Np 1 / Rel. Year: 1962 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recording of "Goin' To Chicago Blues," from her album Blues Cross County. Includes one cut from each of Capitol's then-brand new 11 pop releases, from Vic Damone's Strange Enchantment to Nancy Wilson's Something Wonderful.

4. Title: Who's News / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Np 1 / Rel. Year: 1962 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recording of "Goin' To Chicago Blues." This album appears to be a commercial, budget version of the promotional item shown in image #3. The two LPs contain the exact same tracks, differently sequenced.





Artwork Shown:

5. Title: The Newest! From The Sound Capitol Of The World! / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 1896-1897 / Rel. Year: 1961 / Note: On one side, this promotional EP features two vocals from Peggy Lee's album If You Go, on the other side two instrumentals from a George Shearing album. The Lee vocals are "As Time Goes By" and "I'm Gonna Laugh You Right Out Of My My Life."

6. Title: Goin' Places With Capitol! ("Minute Masters"/"Compact 33" Series) / Format: Jukebox EP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 1834-1835 / Rel. Year: 1961 / Note: This June 1961 promotional issue includes Peggy Lee's recording of "Day In- Day Out," which was the opening track from her album Basin Street East Proudly Presents Peggy Lee. Also includes, among others, The Kingston Trio's "You Don't Knock," The Louvin' Brothers' "What A Change One Day Can Make," Les Baxter's "Ses Nymph," and Tex Ritter's "A Paradise Below."

II. GREAT NEW RELEASES FROM THE SOUND CAPITOL OF THE WORLD
(CAPITOL'S SELF-PROMOTIONAL ALBUMS, PART 2)





Artwork Shown:

1. Title: Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World, March 1962 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 1974-1975 / Rel. Year: 1962 / Note: Side two (i.e., Pro 1975) contains Peggy Lee's recordings of "Kansas City" and "Goin' To Chicago Blues," both taken from her album Blues Cross Country. Sequenced after Lee's are two tracks by Frank Sinatra (from Point Of No Return, his last original album for Capitol) and then tracks by Edith Piaf, Freddy Martin, and Woody Herman. Side one starts out with numbers culled from Nat King Cole's album with George Shearing and continues with renditions by Kay Starr ("I Am Alone Because" and "Baby, Won't You Please Come Home," from her I Cry By Night LP), Stan Kenton, and Ruth Welcome.

2. Title: Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World, July 1962 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 2068-2069 / Rel. Year: 1962 / Note: Side 1 includes Peggy Lee's Capitol recording of "Why Don't You Do Right," taken from the 1962 compilation Bewitching-Lee!.





Artwork Shown:

3. Title: Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World, February 1963 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro __ / Rel. Year: 1963 / Note: The information that I have about this LP is tentative and incomplete. It is likely to include Peggy Lee's recording of "The Alley Cat Song," taken from her album I'm A Woman. It may also include Lee's rendition of "I'm Walkin'," from the same album.

4. Title: Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 2537-2538 / Rel. Date: February 1964 / Note: This promotional item opens with Peggy Lee's rendition of "The Moment Of Truth," taken from her album I'm In Love Again. Following her rendition are recordings by Nat King Cole ("Something Makes Me Want To Dance With You"), Freddy Martin, Frank Sinatra ("Nice And Easy"), Billy Taylor, and Sue Raney ("Just A-Sittin' And A-Rockin'"). Among the numbers on the other side of the record are two tunes by The Beatles, which fans esteem to be the earliest ones ever featured in a Capitol promotional album.


General Note About Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World And Other Promotional Series
Albums with the title Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World date back to at least 1959 and continue well into 1965. It is possible that the series went by a different name before 1959. In fact, I have found partial details about a 1957 promotional LP entitled Capitol Album Spectacular which seems to have served the same function as the albums from the series under discussion. (Although Peggy Lee tracks are included in that album, I have not listed it here because I am missing a picture of its front cover. On the related matter of this series' destiny after 1965, see
next section's general note.) Unfortunately, I do not have a complete list of albums in the Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World series. Besides the four issues listed, quite a few others probably feature Peggy Lee tracks. In fact, I know of three more, dated as follows: August 1964 (Pro 2685-2686), April 1965 (Pro 2821-2822), and November 1965 (Pro 2966, bearing the longer title Excerpts From New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World). I do not have images for those three LPs, nor do I know which Peggy Lee selections they include.

III. CAPITOL POPS AND THE CAPITOL DISC JOCKEY ALBUM, BALANCED FOR BROADCAST
(CAPITOL'S SELF-PROMOTIONAL ALBUMS, PART 3)





Artwork Shown:

1. Title: The Capitol Disc Jockey Album, April 1967 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Spro 4315-4316 / Rel. Year: 1967 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recordings of "A Bucket Of Tears" and "Amazing," culled from the anthology Extra Special!

2. Title: The Capitol Disc Jockey Album, September 1967 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Spro __ / Rel. Year: 1967 / Note: The title(s) of the Peggy Lee recording(s) in this album remain(s) unknown to me.

3. Title: The Capitol Disc Jockey Album, December 1967 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Spro 4456-4457 / Rel. Year: 1967 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recording of "Christmas Carousel."





Artwork Shown:

4. Title: The Capitol Disc Jockey Album, April 1968 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Spro 4521 / Rel. Year: 1968 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recordings of "Call Me" and "I'll Only Miss Him When I Think Of Him."

5. Title: The Capitol Disc Jockey Album, November 1968 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Spro 4650-4651 / Rel. Year: 1968 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recordings of "Do I Hear A Waltz" and "By The Time I Get To Phoenix."





Artwork Shown:

6. Title: The Capitol Disc Jockey Album / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Spro 4710-4711 / Rel. Date: May 1969 / Note: The title(s) of the Peggy Lee recording(s) in this album remain(s) unknown to me.

7. Title: The Capitol Disc Jockey Album, / Format: LP / Label: Capitol LP: Spro / Cat. Num.: Spro 4920-4921 / Rel. Date: January 1970 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recordings of "Is That All There Is?" and "Love Story."





Artwork Shown:

8. Title: Capitol Pops, November '66 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 4196-4197 / Rel. Year: 1966 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recordings of "Think Beautiful" and "An Empty Glass."





General Note About This Series
Obviously aimed at radio djs, The Capitol Disc Jockey series consisted of albums that carried one of these two legends: "[t]he tracks in this especially prepared album have been arranged in a sequence suitable for broadcast first thru last as a program, or program segment, if so desired" or "the tracks in this specially prepared album have been arranged in a sequence which enable you to program the selections one after the other in the order produced on this LP ..." Furthermore, these albums invariably include the words "balanced for broadcast" in their front and/or back covers. The back covers also point out that the music has been programmed with quik-q, a technology which allowed for what Capitol proudly described as "instant programming." It amounted to a lapse of two seconds between tracks.

Besides those whose front covers are reproduced herein (images 4-8), other albums in this series are likely to have included additional Peggy Lee tracks. Since I do not have a complete listing of issues, I can identify neither those albums nor the Lee tracks in them, aside from a few partial exceptions. Specifically, I am aware of the following four albums, for which I am missing images: Capitol Pops! March 1966 (Pro 4030-4031), Capitol Pops! October 1966 (Pro 4155-4156), The Capitol Disc Jockey Album (Pro 4656-4657, December 1968, includes Peggy Lee's recording of "Jingle Bells (I Like A Sleigh Ride"), and The Capitol Disc Jockey Album, May 1969 (Pro 4710-4711).

Taking into account that this series' albums featured the same type of artwork month after month, the miscellaneous covers displayed immediately above (images 9, 10, 11 and 12) suggest that the series (a) underwent various names and (b) was actually the continuation of a series known as Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World, now with different artwork and fluctuations in its name. The covers in images 9 and 10 date from 1965. The first picture makes it apparent that the title Great New Releases From The Sound Capitol Of The World was still in use during that year. The second picture illustrates the transition to the alternative title Balanced For Broadcast, which in later issues would become a sub-title or a logo of sorts. Seen in the third image (dated January 1966) is another temporarily used title, Capitol Pops!. The last Capitol Disc Jockey which I have been able to track down dates from 1970.

There is a collectible aspect to the albums in this series, too. For any given year, the monthly LPs feature the same photographic motif in their front covers, be it calendar girls (1967), girls next to high-end cars (1968) suggestively clad college-age girls striking suggestive poses (1969) or, perhaps as a 'respite' from the overflow of estrogen, radio/music technology (1970). The December issues were something of an exception, however, featuring not girls but lecherous-looking incarnations of Santa Claus -- as seen in the last image above, which is the front cover of the December 1969 series issue. (Presumably, Santa stood in for the male disc jockeys that the series targeted.)

IV. SILVER PLATTER SERVICE
(CAPITOL'S SELF-PROMOTIONAL ALBUMS, PART 4)





Artwork Shown:

1. Title: Silver Platter Service 7-8 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 2067-2068 / Rel. Date: June 1962 / Note: I do not know which Peggy Lee numbers are heard in this sampler. Based on the release date, the likeliest candidates are the "old hits" of hers which were re-released in the mid-1962 Capitol anthology Bewitching-Lee!. Other possibilities are the songs from her LPs Blues Cross Country and Sugar 'n' Spice. This Silver Platter album includes a phone interview with Peggy Lee.

2. Title: Instant Music ("Silver Platter"/"Minute Masters" Series) / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 2430-2431 / Rel. Date: September 1963 / Note: All numbers are edited down to around one minute. The front cover includes the legend "another exclusive programming aid of the Silver Platter Service from the Sound Capitol Of The World." Side 1 contains only vocals, side B instrumentals only. The vocals are by The Lettermen, Nancy Wilson, Bobby Darin, The Kinston Trio, Peggy Lee, The Lettermen, Frank Sinatra, and one additional group. Peggy Lee's vocal is "It's A Big, Wide, Wonderful World," from her album Mink Jazz.

3. Title: Silver Platter Service, 153-154 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 3153-3154 / Rel. Date: 1965, probably May or June / Note: The first side of this promotional album is entitled "Salute To Nat King Cole" and features Cole numbers only, most of them taken from the commercial LP The Nat King Cole Store. The second side opens with Peggy Lee's recording of "L.o.v.e," from her 1965 album Pass Me By.





Artwork Shown:

4. Title: Silver Platter Service 83-84 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 3083-3084 / Rel. Year: 1963 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recording of "Fever" on side 84. Side 83 is dedicated to the album The Story Of Christmas, and includes interviews with that album's artist (Tennesse Ernie Ford) and with the album's conductor (Roger Wagner). This LP, which also features a brief phone interview with Stan Kenton, identifies itself as a "Christmas special."

5. Title: Silver Platter Service 89-90 / Format: LP / Label: / Cat. Num.: 3089-3090 / Rel. Year: 1964 / Note: It seems that this album (to which I have not listened) features interviews, requests or song recommendations from various disc jockeys. It includies Peggy Lee's recordings of "I've Got Your Number" (side 89) and "The Moment Of Truth" (side 90). Side 90 is dated February 1964. Side 89 is not dated, but is labeled the "Radio Jamaica and Redifussion Disc-Jockey Special."

6. Title: Silver Platter Service 91-92 / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Pro 3091-3092 / Rel. Year: 1964 / Note: Contains Peggy Lee's recordings of "That's My Style" and "How Insensitive," from her 1963 album In Love Again. Also includes interviews with Sue Raney and Freddy Martin. Dated February 1964.


General Note About The Silver Platter Service
This series' albums identify themselves as coming "from Hollywood with Jack Wagner" and as "especially prepared for radio programming use." Wagner was a radio announcer and television actor, obviously hired by Capitol to serve as the master of ceremonies throughout these albums' schedule of music recordings and pre-recorded interviews with artists. The first issue of Silver Platter Service was probably released in 1962. The last issue of which I am aware (257-258) has a July-August 1967 date. (I have also seen a non-numbered listing for a July 1969 Silver Platter Service LP, with catalogue number Pro 4774, but I have not been able to determine the veracity of that listing.) Typically, two Silver Platter albums would be released per month, and sometimes three. Numbers sung by Peggy Lee appear in many of those 258 issues. A few albums have the added appeal of including brief interviews with Lee herself. In addition to the LPs discussed herein, Lee can also be heard in the following Silver Platter discs, for which I have neither image nor further specifics: 9-10 (July 1962, catalogue number Pro 2085-2086), 11-12 (July 1962, catalogue number Pro 2097-2098), unknown (either 13-14 or 15-16, August 1962, catalogue number Pro 2123-2124), 17-18 (September 1962, catalogue number Pro 2155-2156), 19-20 (September-October 1962, catalogue number Pro 2159-2160), 21-22 (October 1962, catalogue number Pro 3021-3022), 29-30 (December 1962, catalogue number Pro 3029-3030), 37-38 (February 1963, catalogue number Pro 3037-3038), 53-54 (June 1963, catalogue number Pro 3053-3054), 55-56 (June 1963, catalogue number Pro 3055-3056), 57-58 (June-July 1963; catalogue number Pro 3057-3058; contains Peggy Lee's Capitol recording of "Where Can I Go Without You?"), 79-80 (November 1963, catalogue number Pro 3079-3080), 119-120 (September 1964, catalogue number Pro 3119-3120), 181-182 (January 1966, catalogue number Pro 3181-3182), 185-186 (January 1966, catalogue number Pro 3185-3186), 187-188 (February 1966, catalogue number Pro 3187-3188), 221-222 (November 1966, catalogue number Pro 3221-3222), 251-252 (June 1967, catalogue number unknown). Also: Instant Music ("Silver Platter"/"Minute Masters" Series, March-April 1963, catalogue number Pro 2292-2293) and Silver Platter FM Stereo (2 LPs, catalogue numbers Pro 4111-4112-4113-4114). Doubtlessly there are more; I would appreciate receiving details about them. I would also appreciate being told which numbers Peggy Lee sings in the albums that I have just listed.

V. CAPITOL RETROSPECTIVES




Artwork Shown:

1. Title: Capitol Hits Through The Years (1942-1969) / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Release Year: 1969 / Cat. Num.: / Note: "... We've gathered here Capitol's top hits from the company's inception in 1942 to halfway through 1969, as we go to press," proclaims the producer of this album in its back cover. The album contains samples or snipppets of 133 Capitol hit numbers. I do not know which Peggy Lee hits are included, but "Fever" and "Mañana" are the safest bets.

2. Title: Musical Milestones / Format: LP / Label: Capitol Special Markets - Plantation House / Release Year: 1972 / Cat. Num.: Sl 6806 / Note: Proceeds chronologically from Ella Mae Morse's landmark recording of "Cow Cow Boogie" in 1942 to Al Martino's "Love Theme From The Godfather in 1972. The penultimate cut is Peggy Lee's rendition of "Is That All There Is?," recorded and released in 1969. Among the other featured artists are Johnny Mercer, Nat King Cole, Jo Stafford, Kay Starr, Dean Martin, and Glen Campbell. All tracks from the pre-stereo era have been electronically "enhanced."






Artwork Shown:

3-5. Title: The Silver Years; Conmemorating Capitol's Twenty-Five Years In The Record Industry / Format: LP / Label: Capitol / Cat. Num.: Snp 91017 / Rel. Year: 1967 / Note: Includes Peggy Lee's Capitol recording of "Fever." The photo, signature and notes in the album's back cover (image #3) belong to Capitol's then-president, Alan Livingston. Also seen in that cover is a list of Capitol's mainstay roster, divided into 6 rows. The artists in the first row seem to be those who joined and gave hits to the label during its first 3 years. Conversely, those in the second row had their earliest or biggest Capitol hits during the second half of the 1940s, those in the third row during the first half of the 1950s, and so on. Peggy Lee's name shows up in the second row.






Artwork Shown:

6-9. Title: Capitol Records, Fiftieth Anniversary; 1942 -1992 / Format: CD / Volumes: 8 / Label: Capitol EMI / Cat. Num.: 79176 / Rel. Year: 1992 / Note: This set includes two Peggy Lee recordings and also a group number in which she is among the singers. Images #8 and #9 display the front covers of the discs in which Lee's 3 vocals can be found.

10. Title: The Birth of A Dream; Capitol's Early Hits / Format: CS & CD / Label: EMI-Capitol / Cat. Num.: 98664 / Rel. Year: 1992 / Note: Includes Peggy Lee's Capitol recording of "Mañana" and also the ensemble number "The Freedom Train." Though officially part of the aforementioned 8CD box (#4 above), this CD was sold separately, too.

11. Title: Memories Are Made Of This, Part 1; The 50's & 60's / Format: CD / Label: EMI-Capitol / Cat. Num.: 0777 7 98670 2 / Rel. Year: 1992 / Note: Includes Peggy Lee's Capitol recording of "Fever" (1961 Basin Street East LP version). Though officially part of the aforementioned 8CD box (#4 above), this CD was also sold separately.





Artwork Shown:

12. Title: Capitol Jazz 50th Anniversary Jazz Collection CD / Format: CD / Volumes: 3 / Label: / Cat. Num.: 7 98931 2 / Rel. Year: 1992 / Note: Includes The Capitol Jazzmen's recording of "That Old Feeling," with vocals by Peggy Lee. Notice that this item is different from the 8CD set mentioned above (#4), though they are obviously related. Both items are part of Capitol's 50th Anniversary releases and both items bear very similar titles, but this item is a 3CD set exclusively dedicated to jazz-oriented numbers.

13. Title: The Collectors Series And Apple Sampler ("Capitol 50th Anniversary" Series) / Format: CD / Label: EMI-Capitol / Cat. Num.: 79471 / Rel. Year: 1992 / Note: Includes Peggy Lee's Capitol recording of "Caramba! It's The Samba." Features a total of 22 tracks, including six from the Beatles-owned, EMI-distributed Apple Records catalogue .

14. Title: Millions Of Memories ("Capitol 50th Anniversary" Series) / Format: CD / Label: EMI-Capitol / Cat. Num.: 0777 7 99119 2 / Rel. Year: 1992 / Note: Includes Peggy Lee's Capitol recording of "Fever."





Artwork Shown:

15. Title: Capitol Records 1942-2002; 60th Anniversary / Format: CD / Volumes: 6 / Label: EMI-Capitol / Cat. Num.: 7243 5 41220 2 6 / Rel. Year: 2002 / Note: Includes Peggy Lee's Capitol recordings of "Fever" and "It's A Good Day."

16. Title: Classic Capitol Jazz Sessions / Format: LP & CD / Volumes: 19 [LPs] & 12 [CDs] / Label: Mosaic / Cat. Num.: Mq19 (LP) & Md12 170 (CD) / Rel. Year: 1997 / Note: Includes The Capitol Jazzmen's recordings of "Ain't Goin' No Place" and "That Old Feeling," with Peggy Lee on vocals. Also includes the Ten Cats And A Mouse instrumental versions of "Ja-Da" and "Three O'Clock Jump," both of which feature Peggy Lee on drums.

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