Interview: The Capitol Days
Interview Part I: Company History
Don and Paula Hassler discuss the Tower opening, 1950s recording technology, Capitol marketing practices, Glenn Wallichs, Buddy deSylva, Johnny Mercer, Frank Sinatra, the Beatles, Kay Starr, Les Paul and Mary Ford, Nelson Riddle, Billy May, and EMI.
Illustrations: The Tower, the interviewees Don and Paula Hassler, the late Bill Muster, and interviewer and Surrealist.org author, Nori Muster.
Interview Part Two: Don Hassler History
Don Hassler describes his years at Capitol and the Hollywood Jaycees (Junior Chamber of Commerce), as well as jobs before and after Capitol. Other topics: the Four Freshman, Stan Kenton Presents, Patti Page, Les Paul, Mary Ford, Frank Sinatra, Kay Starr, Vic Damone, disk jockey payola, the musicians union, and the Mafia.
Illustrations: Concord reel-to-reel tape recorder, Hollywood Jaycees news item (1959), Hollywood Jaycees Race program and detail photo of Johnny Grant (1956), Capitol Records memo (1959), Capitol News (c. 1952), Capitol Records Sales report (1953), Capitol Records letter from Manila and letterhead detail (1957), and Hollywood Jaycees letter and letterhead detail (1959).
Interview Part Three: Bill Muster History
In this section, Don and Paula Hassler recall Bill Muster's role at Capitol producing the Weekly Wrap-up and how he was fired because of a dust-up over whether Capitol artists should participate in the next Playboy Allstars record. Also, memories of Keely Smith and Louis Prima, and Lord Buckley.
Illustrations include: Daily Variety front page, Capitol Sales Wrap-Up front page and masthead detail, plus one page from the Wrap-Up ("Promotion with Impact"), a "Special Hits" reply post card, and Playboy Magazine letterhead detail.
Bill Muster Fired Over Playboy
Readable scans of actual correspondence from Playboy magazine, Bill Muster, and executives at Capitol; also two articles in Variety.
Editor's Note My father, Bill N. Muster, worked for Capitol Records in the 1950s, and so did my stepfather, Donald E. Hassler. On Feb. 2, 2004, I interviewed my mother and stepfather about the old days at Capitol, then soon after that, transcribed the interview and posted it here at my site.
In the three years since then, the Capitol section at Surrealist.org has grown to forty-eight pages, including a large section published in 2006 on the anniversary of the Tower opening (April 6, 1956).
The purpose of the interview is to preserve the history for future generations of our family, but I published it online to offer a candid glimpse into the music scene of the 1950s.
If you were in the industry at the time, or have something to say about the history of Capitol, please write to me. I'll post your comments at the site (contact info.).
