Who was/is The Capitols ? - CDs, Vinyl LPs, DVD and more

The Capitols

Cool Jerk

The Capitols

Cool Jerk

 

Ann Arbor, Michigan deejay Ollie McLaughlin boasted an impressive track record when it came to unearthing young talent. He discovered Del Shannon in Battle Creek and put him on a path to Runaway success as well as finding captivating soul chanteuse Barbara Lewis, producing her '63 R&B chart-topper Hello Stranger for Atlantic.

No doubt taking note of the success Berry Gordy was enjoying over at Motown, McLaughlin formed several Detroit labels of his own, most notably Carla (which scored big in early 1966 with Deon Jackson's delightful Love Makes The World Go 'Round) and Karen, the home of The Capitols' supremely infectious dance hit Cool Jerk. There were three Capitols: lead singer Sam George, Donald Storball (who used the stage surname of Norman), and Richard McDougall (who professionally adopted the last name of Mitchell), and they hailed from the Motor City.

They'd started out as The Caps in 1962, each one playing an instrument: George was the drummer, Storball was on guitar, and McDougall on keys. They'd switched their billing to The Capitols by the time they made Dog And Cat, their effervescent '63 debut single for McLaughlin, who discovered them performing at a local dance starring his protégé Lewis. When the single stiffed, the group temporarily disbanded.

Storball wrote Cool Jerk and the reformed trio auditioned it for Ollie, who produced the sleek and slinky dance workout at Golden World Studios with guitarist Eddie Willis and pianist Johnny Griffith of Motown's house band, The Funk Brothers, moonlighting on the session. Baritone saxist Mike Terry, a Motown fixture, was also there, while future Funk Brother Bob Babbitt provided the integral bass line. Atco distributed Karen, so national promotion wasn't a problem. Soon a sizable portion of the nation was doing the Cool Jerk, the single sailing all the way up to #7 pop and #2 R&B. While the record was a smash, the group itself remained fairly obscure, even with a cover-loaded Atco LP 'Dance The Cool Jerk With The Capitols,' on the shelves.

The Capitols' '66 follow-ups I Got To Handle It  and We Got A Thing That's In The Groove were mild hits. McLaughlin stuck with the trio, issuing their minor chart entry Soul Brother, Soul Sister in 1969, but they never scaled the rarified heights of their first blockbuster again and broke up later that year. George was stabbed to death in 1982 during a domestic quarrel, while McDougall died in 1984.

 

- Bill Dahl -

Various - Sweet Soul Music

Various - Sweet Soul Music 29 Scorching Classics From 1966

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More information about The Capitols on Wikipedia.org

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Styled & Wild (CD)
The Capitols: Styled & Wild (CD) Art-Nr.: CDVOC4726

Item has to be restocked

(Vocation Records) 14 tracks, Gene Vincent Tribute Band, who don't just play cover versions, but have written nine of the 14 tracks themselves and play them in the style of Gene Vincent & The Blue Caps! The booklet is full of praise and...
$22.58
Cool Jerk
The Capitols: Cool Jerk Art-Nr.: CDCOL9984

Item has to be restocked

(2006/COLLECTABLES) 10 tracks - original recordings
$11.26 $16.92
The Very Best Of The Capitols We Got A Thing (CD)
The Capitols: The Very Best Of The Capitols We Got A Thing (CD) Art-Nr.: CDMAR055

the very last 1 available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(Marginal Records) 27 tracks
$20.31
Dance The Cool Jerk With The Capitols (LP, 180g colored Vinyl, Ltd.)
The Capitols: Dance The Cool Jerk With The Capitols (LP, 180g... Art-Nr.: LPMOV3374

only 1x still available
Ready to ship today, delivery time** appr. 1-3 workdays

(Music On Vinyl) 12 tracks, 180g colored vinyl in red, limited and individually numbered edition of 750 copies. The Capitols were an American soul trio from Detroit, Michigan, made famous in 1966 by their Billboard hit single "Cool...
$37.29