Today you have the "birth" of one of the most influential record labels ever, along with the release of a 1980's humongous/monstrous/big-big-BIG seller and a singer that we remember fondly and we want you too as well...

Bruce Springsteen
Onstage, early 1980's. (Hulton Archive/Getty Images)
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6/04/1942 (73 years ago today) - Savvy businessman and music fan Glenn Wallichs launches Capitol Records here in the U.S. The label becomes home for Frank Sinatra, The Beatles, The Beach Boys, Dean Martin, Glen Campbell, Steve Miller, Bob Seger, Tina Turner, Heart -- just the start of a pretty long and impressive list. It is Wallichs who essentially creates the art of record promotion: his then-never-been-tried-before idea was to send copies of new releases to radio station disc-jockeys before the records would go on sale to the general public. Mischevious hand-rubbin' glee ensues...

6/04/1984 (31 years ago today) - Bruce Springsteen releases the "Born In The U.S.A." album which ends up producing an historic record-tying string of seven Top 10 singles! (Better read that sentence again to fully get it.) So not only does that make it a statistical tie with Michael Jackson's "Thriller", the LP also goes on to become the biggest selling album of 1985, and of Bruce's career! 'Tis a rather solid piece of work....

6/04/2012 (3 years ago today) - Great voice: Herb Reed, bass singer and founding member of legendary doo-wop outfit The Platters, passes away at 83. How about these four totally classic Number One singles of the late '50's: "The Great Pretender", "My Prayer", "Twilight Time" and "Smoke Gets In Your Eyes", each one an American masterpiece, really. Herb came up with the group's name as well, inspired by DJ's who referred to records as "platters". Cool era for radio back then...

Thoughts and suggestions for the Calendar? Have at it right here on our web site and on the WBLM Facebook and Twitter pages with the hashtag #TommysCoffeeBreak.

"They asked me how I knew/My true love was true...", xoxo!

 

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