Capitol of Canada Corporate History
Taken from the "Encyclopedia of Music in Canada - Second Edition". Published by the University of Toronto Press 1992 (ISBN 0-8020-2881-0).
I am quoting under the entry: Capitol Records - EMI of Canada Limited/ Disques Capitol - EMI du Canada Limitée (Capitol Records of Canada Ltd 1947-54, Capitol Record Distributors of Canada Ltd 1954-8, Capitol Records of Canada Ltd again 1958-74).
"Company established in Canada in 1954 by the US parent firm, Capitol Records, which had been founded in 1942 by the songwriters Buddy DeSylva, Johnny Mercer, and Glenn Wallachs. Prior to 1954 Capitol Records were pressed and distributed in Canada 1946-7 by Musicana Records.
"In 1947 an associate firm, Capitol Records of Canada, Ltd, was set up in London. It remained inactive, however, until it was purchased by W. Lockwood Miller in 1949. Capitol dates it's history from this time. In 1954 the Miller company was replaced by the parent firm with Capitol Record Distributors of Canada, Ltd. The US company itself was taken over by Electrical and Musical Industries (EMI) of Great Britain in 1956, and the Canadian operation was renamed, in turn, Capitol Records of Canada Ltd in 1958 and Capitol Records - EMI of Canada Ltd in 1974. Head offices were established in Toronto in 1954, and branch offices opened in Montreal and , eventually, Calgary and Vancouver..."
Capitol of Canada Timeline 1942-1988 (provided by Steve Clifford)
EMI Music Canada celebrated its fiftieth anniversary in 1999.
1947(June) - Capitol Records of Canada Ltd. was incorporated
1949 -Lockwood Miller (a businessman from London, Ont - originally from LA) buys all shares.
July 1,1954 - Capitol USA terminates it's relationship with Lockwood Miller and forms "Capitol Record Distributors of Canada Limited" with head office in Toronto, branch office in Montreal and three independent distributors in the west. Capitol began contracting to RCA plant in Smith Falls, Ontario.
1956 - Capitol moves into 2nd floor office at 635 Queen St. East, Toronto
(Capitol was sandwiched between Coca-Cola on the 1st and 3rd floors)
CapitolRecord Club of Canada formed shortly thereafter on Broadview Avenue, Toronto
(ceased operations in 1970).
1956 - EMI (UK) purchases Capitol Record USA and thereby acquires the Canadian operation. Initially this had little
effect on Capitol of Canada since the "Yanks" ran the show anyway.
1958 - name change from "Capitol Record Distributors of Canada" to "Capitol Records of Canada Ltd."
(they had to wait until Miller's rights to the name had expired).
1957 - Paul White joins as a shipper
1959 - Capitol celebrates 10 years (Angel and Pathe Marconi formed). Coke leaves and Capitol take over the building.
Record club moves in.
1960 - Paul White moves to Order Desk and then on to Promotion.
Then established 6000 series, the basis of what became the A&R Department.
The first Capitol of Canada LP was T 6000 "Freddy Gardner: The Unforgettable"
Canadian-only collections inspired by requests from Sales force
1962 (end of) - Geoffrey F. Racine becomes new President (replacing Harold Smith) and Capitol begins issuing Pop
records from Britain (passed on by A&R in LA). Frank Ifield and Helen Shapiro in fall of '62, Cliff Richard in
Spring of '63. Initial sales of "Love Me Do" (Feb. 4, 1963) were only 200 copies. Capitol continued issuing
Beatles singles and began charting in London, Vancouver, Winnipeg, Kingston, Hamilton, and by Nov. 1963,
Toronto
Other British Invasion groups issued by Capitol of Canada: Dave Clark Five, the Yardbirds, Gerry and the
Pacemakers, Freddie and the Dreamers, the Swinging Blue Jeans, Billy J. Kramer and the Dakotas, the Hollies and
Manfred Mann. All were charting in Canada (and all were passed on by Capitol A&R in LA).
The Animals and Herman's Hermits were also initially issued by Capitol of Canada.
1966 - Capitol bought 4 acres in Mississauga (financed by Beatles bucks!)
1967 - 150 Employees move to 3109 American Drive, Mississauga, Ontario
1970 - Started tape plant (mainly 8-tracks). Moved this operation to Mississauga in 1971.
1974 - Name change to "Capitol Records-EMI of Canada"
1975 (May) Announce plans to build record pressing plant
1976 (June) first record pressed (closed in 1984).
1976(July) - Canadian A&R department merges with US
1978 - Paul White leaves A&R and is replaced by Deane Cameron
1982 - Develop SDR (Super Dynamic Range) tape technology which US adopts and renames to XDR (Expanded
Dynamic Range).
1984 - Thorn merges with EMI (leading to HMV stores coming to Canada)
1984 (January) - began pressing and issuing CDs
1985 - Canadian A&R department becomes more independent (although not entirely).
1988 (March) - Capitol of Canada closes down retail outlets (Mister Sound).
END - October 2000