Capitol Info And Listing By Pete Smith

Capitol by Pete Smith First on Soul Source in 1997

CAPITOL

The first Capitol 45's issued in the UK appeared in 1954 and were on a green label with triangle centre. This quickly changed to a purple label with silver lettering which continued up until 1965 when it changed to a black label with silver lettering. All of these labels utilised the Capitol ' dome' logo. This in turn was replaced by an unusual design consisting of red, orange and yellow rings with black lettering - fortunately this didn't last long, and a sedate (in comparison) pink label was introduced in late 73, following a brief revival of the 60's black label. In 1977, Capitol produced a new design based on the black label, specifically for oldies but later used for everything. This had the logo in a white box at the top of the label. Finally, they returned to the 'dome' label in 1978, but this time using a red label with black lettering.

In addition to the confusing data above, there was a series promoted as 'Discotheque 66' (later becoming 'Discotheque 67'). This is of great interest to soul collectors and any item with this additional logo (usually found above the records' title) should be snapped up.

Demos: plain white EMI style, then EMI red and whites up to 1966. All change to green and whites in late 66/early 77. All demos on the subsequent labels had Demo Copy Not For Sale in the centre with an 'A' in the right hand side of the label. Demos were issued up to the end of the 70's.

Capitol is a fine label for collectors; not only does it possess a good selection of Northern Soul from the 60's, they were one of the few companies with their fingers on the pulse in the 70's, and consequently lots of top quality material was reissued due to Northern demand. How many other companies would have taken a chance on Bobby Paris' I Walked Away in 1979? They also issued a very good compilation in 1978 entitled Capitol Soul Casino, which despite it's convoluted title is a first class collection which includes the likes of Sam Williams, Sam Ambrose and Alexander Patton.

Highlights from Capitol

There are many quality releases on Capitol so I'll keep this brief and to the point.

15344 Darlene Paul - Act Like Nothing Happened. Nice beat ballad if a little schmaltzy on the choruses, but very obscure and a hard one to track down.

15389 Frank Polk - Trying To Keep Up With The Joneses. Nice midtempo item which is far better known on US Capitol. This is another very scarce release which could only have sold a handful of copies on release. Frank had an EP released in France but just the one single in the UK.

15391 H.B. Barnum - The Record. Super version of a number better known by Ben E.King. Messy stomper on the flip side.

15407 Ernie Andrews - Where Were You (When I Needed You). Very classy beat ballad which has picked up a lot of interest over the last five years.

15412 Nancy Wilson - Where Does That Leave Me. Nice version of the Romance Watson number.

15427 Ketty Lester - West Coast. Smashing uptempo dancer which has been relegated to an also ran by the popularity of it's B side, I'll Be Looking Back, which although a nice beat ballad doesn't really get going until it begins to fade out!

15429 Gloria Jones - Heartbeat. Frantic uptempo dance workout spread over two sides of a single.

15455 Bobby Sheen - Dr. Love/Sweet Sweet Love. Much sought after disc popular on the scene almost since it's day of release. The B side is now the most popular of the two sides.

15456 Verdelle Smith - A Piece Of The Sky. A Mick Boland discovery and plugged

like mad by yours truly in the late 80's/early 90's. Now apparently taking off. It's a very good beat ballad, building from nothing to a crescendo within 30 seconds. A good case of a £5 record suddenly becoming an in-demander.

15460 Ruben Wright - Hey Girl/I'm Walking Out On You. Two good, if almost identical, dancers with little commercial viability.

15461 Alexander Patton - A Lil' Lovin' Sometimes/No More Dreams. For most, this is the big Capitol sound to have. Another sound popular from day one, a perfect Northern dancer and top notch vocal too. This one has the lot. The flip side is now in-demand also. Strangely, Capitol never gave this track an official reissue on a single despite the constant demand, and it was left to a US Capitol lookalike to clear up. However, these are easily distinguished from originals due to the bootleggers mis-spelling the artists name as Patten.

15462 Magnificent Men - All Your Lovin's Gone To My Head. Another of my tips for the top from a few years ago, this is another sough after item and is a catchy, singalong type dancer with distinctive brass work.

15469 Thrills - What Can Go Wrong. Thumping girl group sound which is very, very rare on this UK release. Reissued in 1978 on Grapevine as the flip to Show The World Where It's At.

15484 Patrice Holloway - Love And Desire/Ecstacy. Another nigh-on impossible to find record. Love And Desire is most people's choice, but personally I'd go for the breathy, soulful Ecstacy on the flip. Only seen one copy of this in the last 10 years!

15529 Human Beinz - Nobody But Me. Quite how a US top 10 garage punk record became established in the UK as a Northern classic is anyone's guess, but this record is still popular after 25 years worth of spins.

15547 Nancy Wilson - The End Of Our Love. Fantastic dancer from a lady better known for her supper-club jazz stylings. This was a giant Wigan sound in 1976 and was promptly reissued by Capitol to quell the demand.

Capitol released several top quality sides in the 70's including The World Column - So Is The Sun, Jodi Mathis - Don't You Care Anymore, Reggie Garner - Hot Line, Ernie Andrews - Fine Young Girl and many more. All of these were good sellers and can easily be picked up for around the £5 mark.

CL 15346 KING CURTIS Soul serenade / More Soul 6/10

15352 NANCY WILSON (You don't know) how glad I am / Never less than yesterday4/6

15389 FRANK POLK Trying to keep up with the Joneses / Welcome home baby 15/25

15391 H.B. BARNUM The record (baby I love you) / I'm a man 15/25

15407 ERNIE ANDREWS Where were you (when I needed) / What do I see in the girl 15/35

15412 NANCY WILSON Where does that leave me / Gentle is my love 8/15

15423 TED CASSIDY The lurch / Wesley 8/15

15427 KETTY LESTER West Coast / I'll be looking back 15/30

15429 GLORIA JONES Heartbeat / Part II 15/35

15434 VERDELLE SMITH Like a man / In my room 5/10

15435 OUTSIDERS Time won't let me / Was it really real 10/13

15455 BOBBY SHEEN Doctor Love / Sweet sweet love 55/80

15456 VERDELLE SMITH A piece of the sky / Tar and cement 8/15

15458 BILLY PRESTON In the midnight hour / Advice 8/15

15460 RUBEN WRIGHT Hey girl / I'm walking out on you 12/22

15461 ALEXANDER PATTON A lil' lovin' sometimes / No more dreams 65/100

15462 MAGNIFICENT MEN All your loving's gone to my / Piece of mind 15/25

15463 BARRY MANN Looking at tomorrow / Angelica 4/6

15465 LOU RAWLS Love is a hurting thing / Memory Lane 6/10

15466 NANCY WILSON Uptight / You've got your troubles 6/10

15468 OUTSIDERS Lost in my world / Respectable 8/10

15469 THRILLS What can go wrong / No one 25/40

15471 BILLY PRESTON Let the music play / Sunny 8/15

15478 STACCATOS Face to face (with love) / Let's run away 6/8

15480 OUTSIDERS Help me girl / You got looks 8/10

15481 VERDELLE SMITH If you can't say anything nice / I don't need anything 6/10

15483 LIZA MINNELLI The middle of the street / I (who have nothing) 6/10

15484 PATRICE HOLLOWAY Ecstacy / Love and Desire 60/90

15487 BUNNY SHIVEL You'll never find a love like mine / The slide 8/15

15488 LOU RAWLS You can bring me all your heartaches / A woman who's a woman5/10

15495 OUTSIDERS I'll give you time / I'm not trying to hurt you 8/10

15499 LOU RAWLS Dead end street / Yes it hurts doesn't it 6/10

15508 NANCY WILSON Don't look over your shoulder / Mercy, mercy, mercy 5/10

15514 VERDELLE SMITH Baby baby / There's so much love all around me 6/10

15516 AL MARTINO More than the eye can see / Red is red 4/6

15529 HUMAN BEINZ Nobody but me / Sueno 25/4015530 MAGNIFICENT MEN Sweet soul medley / Part II 4/6

15533 LOU RAWLS My ancestors / Evil woman 4/6

15534 TONY BRUNO What's yesterday / Small town bring down 15/25

15542 HUMAN BEINZ Turn on your lovelight / It's fun to be clean 10/15

15547 NANCY WILSON The end of our love / Face it girl it's over 20/45

15548 LOU RAWLS Soul serenade / Your good for me 4/6

15557 PATTI DREW Working on a groovy thing / Without a doubt 4/6

15560 LOU RAWLS I'm satisfied / Down here on the ground 4/6

15570 MAGNIFICENT MEN Save the country / So much love waiting 4/6

15600 JOE ODOM It's in your power / Big love 4/6

15605 GEORGE JACKSON Find em, fool em and forget em / My desires are getting the best of me7/10

15608 JOE SOUTH Hearts desire / Don't it make you wanna go home 5/10

15634 LEON HAYWOOD I was sent to love you / I wanna thank you 4/6

15713 BOBBY SHEEN Sweet sweet love / Doctor Love 5/8

15762 JIMMY HELMS My little devil / Magnificent sanctuary band 3/4

15797 PAT WILLIAMS ORCHESTRA Theme from Police story / Theme from The Magician 3/4

15808 MARGO THUNDER Expressway to your heart / Hush up your mouth 2/3

15825 EARL WRIGHT Thumb a ride / Like a rolling stone 4/5

15826 REFLECTIONS Three steps from true love / How could we let the love get away 2/3

15827 JODI MATHIS Don't you care anymore / Mama 5/6

15844 PAT WILLIAMS ORCHESTRA Theme from Police story / Theme from The Magician 3/4

15851 H.B. BARNUM Heartbreaker / Searchin' for my soul 4/5

15852 WORLD COLUMN So is the sun / It's not right 4/5

15869 BABE RUTH Elusive / Say no more 2/3

15873 ERNIE ANDREWS Fine young girl / Then I'll know 5/6

15874 REGGIE GARNER Hot line / Blessed 5/6

15876 TAVARES Heaven must be missing an angel / Part 2 1/2

15886 TAVARES Don't take away the music / Part 2 1/2

15911 AL DE LORY Right on / Jesus Christo 4/5

15547 NANCY WILSON The end of our love / Face it girl it's over (re-iss. with orig. cat. no.) 4/5

15915 DAVID & THE GIANTS Ten miles high / Super love 4/5

16012 TEDDY VANN'S ORCHESTRA Theme from coloured man / Adventures of coloured man 4/5

16067 BOBBY PARIS I walked away / Heartbreaker (by H.B. Barnum) 5/6