Tuesday, September 6, 1955 : In Hollywood STAN FREBERG lays down his
next single, "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" c/w "Rock Around Stephen Foster"
for release on Capitol 3249 on October 3.
Backing by Billy May's orchestra. Alvin Stoller is the overactive snare
drummer. 
Produced by Ken Nelson.

September 12, 1955 : After recording for three other major record
companies (Mercury, RCA and Columbia), DON GIBSON now has his first
recording session for MGM at RCA Victor studio in Nashville. The four
tracks will be used for two singles, "Run Boy"/"I Must Forget You"
(MGM 12109, November 4) and "Sweet Dreams"/"The Road Of Life Alone"
(MGM 12194, February 29, 1956).
Don is supported by unknown musicians (steel guitar, fiddle and bass).
 
September 13-14, 1955 : Two days are set aside for LITTLE RICHARD's
first Specialty session, at J&M Studio in New Orleans, supervised by
Bumps Blackwell. On the first day he records "Lonesome And Blue",
"Wonderin'", "All Night Long", "The Most I Can Offer" and "Kansas 
City" and on September 14 "Maybe I'm Right", "Directly From My Heart",
"Baby" (first released on Richard's debut LP, Here's Little Richard"
in March 1957), "I'm Just A Lonely Guy" and "Tutti Frutti".  
Selected for single release is "Tutti Frutti"/"I'm Just A Lonely Guy"
(Specialty 561, late October). Almost all the other tracks are held 
in the can until 1959, when they are released on various Specialty
singles and / or on Richard's third LP, some of them overdubbed with
a female chorus.
Personnel : Richard Penniman (vocals, piano on "Tutti Frutti") ; Lee
Allen (tenor sax) ; Red Tyler (baritone sax) ; Huey Smith (piano) ;
Justin Adams (guitar) ; Frank Fields (bass) ; Earl Palmer (drums).
 
September 14, 1955 : J.B. LENOIR records five tracks in Chicago. "If
I Give My Love To You"/"Let Me Die With the One I Love" is released
on Checker 844 in July 1956. "Natural Man" and "Don't Dog Your Woman"
are first issued on the LP "Natural Man" in 1970 (Chess CHV 140) and
"Low Down Dirty Shame" on the double LP "Chess Blues Masters" in 1976. 
Musicians : J.B. Lenoir (vocals, guitar) ; Alex Atkins (alto sax) ; 
Ernest Cotton (tenor sax) ; Joe Montgomery (piano) ; Willie Dixon 
(bass) ; Al Calvin (drums). 
 
September 15, 1955 : The first Decca session by ROY HALL yields four
tracks : "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On"/"All By Myself" (Decca 29697,
October 10), plus "Off-Beat Boogie" (first released on the LP "Rare
Rockabilly", MCA MCFM 2697, England, 1975) and "Move On" (first
released on the LP "Rare Rockabilly, Vol. 3", MCA MCFM 2833, 1978). 
Personnel : Roy Hall (vocals, piano ) ; with possibly Hank Garland
and Grady Martin (guitars) ; Lightnin' Chance (bass) ; Buddy Harman
(drums). Produced by Paul Cohen at Bradley Studio in Nashville.
 
September 15, 1955 : JACK DUPREE records three tracks in New York
City, all released as singles : "Silent Partner" (King 4859,
December), "House Rent Party" (King 4885, March 1956) and "Big Leg
Emma's" (King 4938, June 1956). 
Personnel : Jack Dupree (vocals, piano ) ; Mickey Baker (guitar) ;
Lloyd Trotman (bass) ; Cliff Leeman (drums).
 
Monday, September 19, 1955 : THE DRIFTERS do not record in New York
City as usual, but in Los Angeles, under the supervision of Nesuhi
Ertegun. "Adorable"/"Steamboat" comes out on Atlantic 1078 in
October, "Ruby Baby"/"Your Promise To Be Mine" on Atlantic 1089 in
March 1956.The fifth track from this session, "Drifting Away From
You" stays on the shelf until May 1957, when it is released as the
B-side of "Hypnotized" (Atlantic 1141).
Session personnel includes Buddy Lucas on tenor sax and Jimmy Oliver
on guitar. At this time the Drifters are : Johnny Moore, Gerhart
Thrasher, Andrew Thrasher, Bobby Hendricks and Bill Pinkney.
 
September 20, 1955 : LITTLE WILLIE JOHN is recording in New York 
City. "Need Your Love So Bad"/"Home At Last"  is issued on King 4841
in November and "I'm Sticking With You Baby" on King 4893 in March
1956.
Backing by : Willis Jackson, David Van Dyke (tenor saxes) ; Reuben
Phillips (baritone sax) ; Bubber Johnson (piano) ; Mickey Baker
(guitar) ; Milt Hinton (bass) ; Calvin Shields (drums).
 
September 22, 1955 : MICKEY AND SYLVIA record four tracks in New York
City. "Forever And A Day" and "Rise, Sally, Rise" are selected for
release on Rainbow 318 in December. "Where Is My Honey" and "Seems
Like Just Yesterday" are purchased from Rainbow by Vik and released
on Vik 0297 (November 1957) and Vik LP 1102 respectively.
Personnel includes : Heywood Henry (baritone sax) ; Ernie Hayes
(piano) ; Lloyd Trotman (bass).
 
September 22-23, 1955 : At the Pythian Temple in New York City,
BILL HALEY and the Comets record material for two singles: "Burn That
Candle"/"Rock-A Beatin' Boogie" (Decca 29713, October 31) and "R-O-C-K"
/"The Saints Rock 'n' Roll" (Decca 29870, March 26, 1956).
Personnel : Bill Haley (vocals, rhythm guitar) ; Franny Beecher (lead
guitar) ; Billy Williamson (steel guitar) ; Rudy Pompilli (tenor sax) ;
Johnny Grande (piano) ; Al Rex (double bass) ; Cliff Leeman (drums).
Produced by Milt Gabler.  
 
Friday, September 23, 1955 : A two-song session for FATS DOMINO in
New Orleans. "Poor Me" is chosen as the A-side of his next single
(Imperial 5369, November). "What's Wrong" stays on the shelf until 
the release of the LP "Walking To New Orleans" (Imperial LP 9227) 
in January 1963.
Personnel : Fats Domino (vocals, piano) ; Ernest McLean (guitar) ;
Frank Fields (bass) ; Herb Hardesty (tenor sax) ; Clarence Ford
(alto sax) ; Cornelius Coleman (drums). Produced by Dave Bartholomew.
 
September 25, 1955 : BIG BOY MILES and the Sha-Weez record
"Who's Been Foolin' You"/"That's the Girl I Married" for release on
Specialty 564 in late November.
Personnel : Edgar "Big Boy" Miles (vocals, trombone) ; Lee Allen
(tenor sax) ; James Victor Lewis (tenor sax) ; Warren Myles (piano) ;
Ernest Mare (guitar) ; McKinley "Li'l" Millet (bass) ; Bartholomew
Smith (drums). The same group records "Rich Woman"/"Hopeless Love"
(Specialty 565, December) with a vocal by Millet and this single is
credited to LI'L MILLET and the Creoles.
Location : J&M Studio, New Orleans.
 
September 28, 1955 : In Los Angeles, THE ROBINS record "Smokey Joe's
Cafe"/"Just Like A Fool" for release on Spark 122 in October. Jerry
Leiber and Mike Stoller, who produce this session, will soon sell the
Spark label to Atlantic, after which the single is reissued on Atco
6059 (November). 
Personnel : Carl Gardner (lead tenor vocal) ; Grady Chapman, Ty Terrell
(tenor vocals) ; Billy Richards, Roy Richards (baritone vocals) ; Bobby
Nunn (bass vocals) ; Barney Kessel or Chuck Norris (guitar) ; Gil
Bernal (tenor sax) ; Mike Stoller (piano) ; Ralph Hamilton (bass) ;
Jesse Sailes (drums). Later reissues of these songs on LP / CD are
usually credited to the Coasters.
 
September 28, 1955 : Recording date of THE CADILLACS' single "Speedo"
/"Let Me Explain", released on Josie 785 in the last week of October.
The Cadillacs are : Earl Carroll, Earl Wade, LaVerne Drake, Buddy
Brooks and Bobby Phillips.
 
September 29, 1955 : Another NYC session for NAPPY BROWN. "Sittin' In
the Dark"/"Deedle I love You" is selected for the next single (Savoy
1176, November). "Am I?" sees a release in June 1956, on Savoy 1196.
The fourth track, "Love Locks" ends up on the LP "Nappy Brown Sings"
(Savoy MG 14002), which also includes the other three tracks.
Personnel : Warren Luckey, Al Sears (tenor saxes) ; Dave McRae
(baritone sax) ; Ernie Hayes (piano) ; Mickey Baker (guitar) ;  Lloyd
Trotman (bass) ; Panama Francis (drums).
Arranged and conducted by Howard Biggs.
 
September 1955, unknown date : CHUCK BERRY's second session results
in the single "Thirty Days"/"Together (We Always Will Be)", released
in mid-October (Chess 1610).
Chuck (vocals, guitar) is supported by : Johnny Johnson (piano) ;
Willie Dixon (bass) ; Jerome Green (maracas) ; Jasper Thomas (drums).
Plus an unknown chorus on "Thirty Days".
Location : Chess Studio, Chicago. Supervised by Leonard Chess.
 
September 1955, unknown date : JOE TEX has his first session for King
Records, in New York City. Selected for single release are "Davy You
Upset My Home"/"Come In This House" (King 4840, last week of October).
"Another Woman's Man" and "Gee, I Really Want You" will be released
much later, on the LP "The Best Of Joe Tex" (King LP 935), which was
reissued on CD by Gusto in April 2008. An overdubbed version (with
organ and female chorus) of "Come In This House" will be issued on
King 5981 in 1965.
Backing by : Dave Van Dyke (tenor sax) ; Mickey Baker (guitar) ; Andy
Gibson (piano) ; Specs Powell (drums) ; Unknown (bass).
 
With thanks to Steve Walker and Henk Gorter.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index