Tuesday December 2, 1958 : WANDA JACKSON records the
following four songs : "Savin' My Love" (released in March 1959 
as Capitol 4142), "You're The One For Me" (Capitol 4207, c/w
"A Date With Jerry" from the Mean Mean Man session in April
1958) and "Reaching"/"I'd Rather Have You" (Capitol 4286, Nov.
1959). Production by Ken Nelson in Nashville.

December 3, 1958: THE SKYLINERS record their first single,
"Since I Don't Have You"/"One Night, One Night" at Capitol
Studios in New York City, backed by no less than eighteen
musicians, including a string section, quite an innovation for
those times. The 45 is released on Calico 103, the day after
Christmas.

December 5, 1958: BOBBY DARIN records "Plain Jane"/
"While I'm Gone" (Atco 6133) and three other songs, in NYC.
Full details at http://www.bobbydarin.net/sn_120558.html

December 7, 1958: DON GIBSON is in the RCA Victor Studios
in Nashville for his new single "Who Cares"/"A Stranger To Me"
(RCA 47-7437, released in January 1959). A third track from 
this session, "As Much", remains unissued, as far as I know.
Session personnel: Hank Garland, guitar; Rusty Kershaw, guitar;
Jimmie Selph, guitar; Bob Moore, bass; Buddy Harman, drums;
Floyd Cramer, piano; The Jordanaires, vocal chorus. Producer:
Chet Atkins.

December 8, 1958: DUANE EDDY records the basic track for
"Yep!" at Regent Recording Studio in New York City. The sax of
Plas Johnson and the rebel yells of the Sharps are overdubbed
at Master Recorders in Los Angeles on December 20. "Yep!" 
would be issued on Jamie 1122 (with an edited version of "Three-
Thirty Blues" on the flip), in March 1959. In Europe, "Yep!" would
be coupled with "Peter Gunn". Also recorded in NYC were various
first attempts at "Dixie" (unissued until the release of the Bear
Family box-set in 1994).

December 11, 1958 : THE COASTERS lay down their new single,
"Charlie Brown" (Atco 6132, release date January 19, 1959), NYC.
There are further attempts at "I'm A Hog For You", but producers
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller are not yet satisfied and would return
to the song in July 1959. "Hey Sexy" remained unissued until the
Rhino 2 CD-set of 1992 ("50 Coastin' Classics") and can also be
found on the mysterious "Charlie Brown" CD from 2001, together
with an alternate take of the song.
Personnel: Carl Gardner, Billy Guy, Cornel Gunter, Will "Dub"
Jones, vocals ; Mike Stoller, piano ; Don Arnone and Adolph Jacobs,
guitar; King Curtis, tenor sax; Wendell Marshall, bass; Belton Evans,
drums.

December 11, 1958: JOHNNY BURNETTE has an evening session
at Gold Star Studios in Hollywood, with an all-star cast: Eddie Cochran
(guitar), Joe Maphis (guitar, banjo), "Guybo" Smith (bass), Earl Palmer
(drums), Ray Johnson (piano), Plas Johnson (sax). Only Johnny's own
"Me and the Bear" has survived (Freedom 44011); three Jerry Capehart 
compositions (Remember, Dutchman's Gold, The Table) are unissued/
lost.

Thursday, December 18, 1958: Another session at Atlantic Studios
in New York City, this time with LaVERN BAKER (and partly with
the same musicians as on the Coasters session: Curtis, Marshall, 
Evans). "You're Teasing Me" became the B-side of "I Waited Too Long"
in April 1959 (Atlantic 2021) and "He's a Real Gone Guy" ended up as 
an LP track, while "Danny Boy" and "I Can't Go Through Life  Alone" 
were never issued.

December 19, 22, and 24: BOBBY DARIN records his second LP,
"That's All" (Atco 33-104, release date March 23, 1959), produced by 
Ahmet Ertegun, Jerry Wexler and Nesuhi Ertegun. Aimed at an adult 
market, the set includes ten standards and two new songs: Woody 
Harris's "Was There A Call For Me" and Bobby's own "That's the Way
Love Is". These two ended up on the B-sides of the two singles taken
from the album : "Mack the Knife" (Atco 6147, August 1959) and, in
January 1960, "Beyond the Sea" (Atco 6158). 

December 29, 1958: A Los Angeles session for THE PLATTERS (Tony
Williams, David Lynch, Paul Robi, Zola Taylor and Herb Reed). All four
songs came out on singles: "Enchanted" (Mercury 71427, March 1959), 
"Love Of A Lifetime" (Mercury 71467, the B-side of "Remember When")
and "Where?"/"Wish It Were Me" (Mercury 71502, August 1959). 

December 31, 1958 : BILLY FURY records "Gonna Type A Letter"
and together with "Maybe Tomorrow" (recorded on November 26), this
will become his first single (Decca F 11102, January 1959). Musical
director: Harry Robinson.

December 1958, unknown date: JERRY LEE LEWIS records his next
single, "Lovin' Up A Storm"/"Big Blon' Baby" (Sun 317, release date
February 15, 1959), at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis. Accompaniment
probably by Roland Janes, Jimmy Van Eaton and Billy Riley. "Sick and 
Tired", "Just a Shanty in Old Shanty Town" and "Release Me" were either 
laid down in December 1958 (but not at the same session) or in January 
1959. These three songs stayed unissued until the eighties.

December 1958, unknown date: CONWAY TWITTY records four songs
in Nashville: "Make Me Know You're Mine" (the B-side of his next single,
"The Story of My Love", MGM 12748), "I Need You So" (issued as the
B-side of "Teasin'" in the summer of 1960, MGM 12943), "First Romance"
and "Judge of Hearts" (EP/LP tracks). Personnel includes Grady Martin.
Harold Bradley, Lightnin' Chance and Floyd Cramer. Producer: Jim Vienneau.

According to the Bear Family discography, the following songs by JACK 
SCOTT were possibly recorded in December 1958: Bella, I Never Felt Like
This, Go Wild Little Sadie, What Am I Living For. Location: Universal Soun
Studio, Detroit. Producer: Joe Carlton.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index