May 2, 1955 : BOYD BENNETT and his Rockets return to the King studio in
Cincinnati to record four tracks. "Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll"/"Oo-Oo-Oo" is
released as a single (King 1475) at the end of May, "Dig Like You Never
Dug" becomes an EP track and "Switchie, Witchie, Tichie" is first issued
on the Charly CD "Tennessee Rock 'n' Roll" (CD 282) in 1991. Personnel :
James "Big Moe" Muzey (vocals) ; Bobby Jones (tenor sax) ; Boyd Bennett
(drums) ; Ron Ayres (guitar) ; Mickey Allen (rhythm guitar) ; Kenny Cobb
(bass).

May 6, 1955 : THE FIVE ROYALES record material for their next two singles
at Beltone Studios in New York City. "I Need Your Lovin' Baby"/"When I
Get Like This" comes out in June (King 4806) and "Women About To Make Me
Go Crazy"/"Do Unto You" in August (on King 4819). The "5" Royales are :
Lowman Pauling, Johnny Tanner, Obadiah Carter, Jimmy Moore and Otto
Jefferies.

Tuesday, May 10, 1955 : BILL HALEY and his Comets arrive at the Pythian
Temple in New York City to record their next single, "Razzle Dazzle"/"Two
Hound Dogs" (Decca 29552, July). Personnel : Bill Haley (vocal/rhythm
guitar) ; Franny Beecher (lead guitar) ; Billy Williamson (steel guitar) ;
Joey d'Ambrosio (tenor sax) ; Johnny Grande (piano) ; Marshall Lytle
(double bass) ; Billy Gussak (drums). Produced by Milt Gabler. 

May 10, 1955 : The harvest of BO DIDDLEY's second recording session is
"Diddley Daddy" and "She's Fine, She's Mine", released back to back on
Checker 819 in June. Bo (vocal / guitar) is backed by : Little Walter
(harmonica on "Diddley Daddy") ; Billy Boy Arnold (harmonica on "She's
Fine, She's Mine") ; Willie Dixon (bass) ; Jerome Green (maracas) ;
Clifton James (drums) ; The Moonglows (vocal group). Location : Chess
Studio, Chicago.

May 11, 1955 : SCREAMIN' JAY HAWKINS records his next single, "Well I
Tried"/"You're All Of My Life To Me" (Wing 90005, June) and "Talk About
Me"/"Even Though" for a future single (Wing 90055, February 1956), in
New York City. Musicians : Sam Taylor and Big Al Sears (tenor saxes) ;
Budd Johnson (baritone sax) ; Mickey Baker (guitar) ; Al Lucas (bass) ;
Ernie Hayes (piano) ; Panama Francis (drums). Arranged and conducted by
Leroy Kirkland.

May 18, 1955 : First Hickory session for RUSTY AND DOUG, at the Hickory
studio in Nashville. Two singles are the result : "So Lovely Baby"/"Why
Cry For You" (Hickory 1027, July) and "Let's Stay Together"/"Honey Honey"
(Hickory 1042, November). Personnel : Rusty Kershaw (vocal) ; Doug Kershaw
(vocal, fiddle) ; Wiley Barkdull (bass vocal, piano on "Honey Honey") ;
Chet Atkins (guitar) ; Eddie Hill (rhytm guitar) ; Louis Fornerat (steel
guitar) ; Ernie Newton (bass).

May 18, 1955 : In New York City, TITUS TURNER records four tracks for two
singles : "All Around the World"/"Do You Know" (Wing 90006, June) and "Big
John"/"Sweet And Low" (Wing 90033, October). Titus is backed by : Mickey
Baker (guitar) ; Milt Hinton (bass) ; Sam Taylor (tenor sax) ; Leslie
Johnakins (baritone sax) ; Ernie Hayes (piano) ;  Bobby Donaldson (drums) ;
Willie Rodriguez (percussion). Wing is a subsidiary of Mercury Records.

May 19, 1955 : At Jim Beck's Studio in Dallas, SONNY JAMES has his 8th
session for Capitol. The four tracks will be used for two subsequent
singles : "Let's Go Bunny-Huggin'"/"Too Much" (Capitol 3198, July) and
"Pigtails And Ribbons" /"Careless With My Heart" (Capitol 3281, November).
Personnel : Sonny James (vocal/ guitar) ; Neal Jones (rhythm guitar) ;
Paul Buskirk (electric mandolin) ; Harland Powell (steel guitar) ; Bill
Noble (bass) ; Eugene Brady (fiddle) ; Bill Simmons (piano). Producer :
Ken Nelson. 

May 20, 1955 : CHARLES BROWN records eight tracks in Los Angeles. Two of
these ("I See By the Papers" and "Tomorrow") are held in the can until the
release of "The Complete Aladdin Recordings of Charles Brown" in 1994 (5 CD
set on Mosaic). The other six will be issued on three singles : "Fool's
Paradise"/"Hot Lips And Seven Kisses" (Aladdin 3290, June), "Trees, Trees"/
"My Heart Is Mended" (Aladdin 3296, October) and "One Minute To One"/
"Please Don't Drive Me 'Way" (Aladdin 3316, March 1956). Backing by Ernie
Freeman's combo.

Saturday, May 21, 1955 is the date of CHUCK BERRY's first recording session,
at the Chess studio in Chicago, supervised by Leonard Chess. "Maybellene"/
"Wee Wee Hours" is released on Chess 1604 in July. Personnel : Chuck Berry
(vocals, guitar) ; Johnny Johnson (piano) ; Willie Dixon (bass) ; Jasper
Thomas (drums) ; Jerome Green (maracas).

May 23, 1955 : An important session for SMILEY LEWIS. "I Hear You Knocking"/
"Bumpity Bump" is issued in July (Imperial 5356) and will reach # 2 on the
R&B charts. "I Can't Believe It" has to wait until October 1957 for a single 
release (Imperial 5470) and "Hey Girl" is shelved even longer, until its
appearance on Smiley's album "I Hear You Knocking" (Imperial LP 9141) in
1961. Personnel : Smiley Lewis (vocal) ; Ernest McLean (guitar) ; Frank
Fields (bass) ; Earl Palmer (drums) ; Huey 'Piano' Smith (piano) ; Clarence
Hall, Herb Hardesty (tenor saxes) ; Joe Harris (alto sax) ; Dave Bartholomew
(trumpet, producer). Location : J&M Studio, New Orleans.

May 25, 1955 : In Nashville FARON YOUNG records "Go Back, You Fool" and "All
Right". Both tracks will be used for his next single (Capitol 3169).
Personnel : Faron Young (vocal) ; Hank Garland (electric guitar) ; Teddy
and Doyle Wilburn (guitars) ; Joe Vincent (steel guitar) ; Lightning Chance
(bass) ; Gordon Terry (fiddle) ; Marvin Hughes (piano).
Produced by Ken Nelson.

May 27, 1955 : Recording date of WEE WILLIE WAYNE's "Travelin' Mood"/"I
Remember" (Imperial 5355, July), also at J&M Studio in New Orleans. Wayne
(vocal, whistling) is backed by piano, guitar, bass and drums (probably
members of Dave Bartholomew's band) and a vocal group, the Kidds. Imperial
will reissue the single in 1961 (5725).

May 29, 1955 : In Cincinnati, JACK DUPREE records his only major R&B hit,
"Walking the Blues"/"Daybreak Rock" (King 4812) released in July. The record
is credited to "Jack Dupree & Mr. Bear", but it is not a duet : Dupree is the
vocalist / pianist on "Walking the Blues" and Mr. Bear (Teddy McRae) supplies
the vocals and foot tapping on "Daybreak Rock", with Dupree on piano.
Additional accompaniment by : Joe Williams (bass) ; George DeHeart (drums).

May 31, 1955 : BILLY "THE KID" EMERSON records the original version of "Red
Hot", as well as its flip, "No Greater Love", at the Sun studio in Memphis.
The record is released on Sun 219 in the third week of June. Persionnel :
Billy Emerson (vocal, piano) ; Jewell Briscoe, Moses Reed (tenor saxes) ;
Calvin Newborn (guitar) ; Kenneth Banks (bass) ; Phineas Newborn (drums).
Produced by Sam Phillips.

May 1955, unknown date : THE COCHRAN BROTHERS (Hank and Eddie, unrelated)
record four tracks at Sunset Recorders in Hollywood. The release of "Mr.
Fiddle"/"Two Blue Singin' Stars" (Ekko 1003) in June is followed by "Guilty
Conscience"/"Your Tomorrows Never Come" (Ekko 1005) in July. Musicians :
Eddie Cochran (vocal/lead guitar) ; Hank Cochran (vocal/guitar) ; Harold
Hensley (violin) ; Unidentified : steel guitar, stand-up bass. All four
tracks have been reissued on the CD "Mighty Mean" (UK Rockstar 008, 1995)
by Eddie Cochran.

May 1955, unknown date : JOHNNY CASH (vocal / guitar) and the Tennessee Two
(Luther Perkins, guitar, and Marshall Grant, bass) have their first formal
recording session for Sun Records in Memphis, after two earlier auditions.
"Cry! Cry! Cry! " and "Hey, Porter !" are deemed worthy of release by Sam
Phillips and come out as Johnny's first 45 (Sun 221) on June 21. Also laid
down is "Wide Open Road". The recording from this particular session is first
issued on the LP "Story Songs Of Trains And Rivers" (Sun 104) in December
1969. The version of "Wide Open Road" that came out on Sun 392 in 1964 was
recorded on March 22, 1955 and overdubbed on April 21, 1964. 

With thanks to Henk Gorter and Steve Walker.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index