Wednesday, July 1, 1959 : JOHNNY HORTON is in Bradley Studios in 
Nashville for a session with Grady Martin, Tommy Tomlinson, Harold 
Bradley, Joseph Zinkan and Buddy Harman. "Johnny Reb"/"Sal's Got 
A Sugar Lip" is chosen for Johnny's next single (Columbia 41437).
"Words"  will get a posthumous release on the B-side of the 1962 
reissue of "Honky Tonk Man" (Columbia 42302). To be exact, two 
versions of  "Sal's Got A Sugar Lip" are recorded, a rock 'n' roll version
on July 1, first released by Bear Family in the 1980s, and the version 
on the single mentioned above on July 6. Producer: Don Law.
 
July 6, 1959 : CONNIE FRANCIS records more tracks for her "Rock 'n'
Roll Million Sellers" LP (MGM SE 3794) : Tweedle Dee, Don't Be Cruel,
Sincerely, It's Only Make Believe, Ain't That A Shame, followed by 
Silhouettes, Hearts of Stone, Earth Angel and Bye Bye Love on July 9. 
(The last two do not appear on the LP.) Also recorded on that day : the
single "Plenty Good Lovin'" (MGM 12824), released in mid-August. 
Orchestra conducted by Ray Ellis, who also handles the production duties.
 
July 7, 1959 : THE EVERLY BROTHERS record their next single in
Nashville : "('Til) I Kissed You"/"Oh What A Feeling", released on 
Cadence 1369 in August. Backing by: Chet Atkins and Sonny Curtis,
guitars ; Lightnin' Chance, bass; Floyd Cramer, piano ; Jerry Allison,
drums. Production by Archie Bleyer.  
 
July 9, 1959 : In New York City, THE DRIFTERS record their next
single, "Dance With Me"/"True Love, True Love", for release on Atlantic
2040 in late September. The Drifters at this point are Ben E. King,
Charlie Thomas, Doc Green, Ellsbury Hobbs and Johnny Lee Williams,
who sings lead on "True Love". Produced by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
 
July 9, 1959 : JOHNNY BURNETTE records his first single for Liberty
in Hollywood : "Settin' the Woods On Fire"/"Kentucky Waltz" (Liberty
55222, released in November). Producer : Snuff Garrett.
 
July 10-13, 1959 : Four days of recording activity by CONWAY TWITTY
at Bradley Studio in Nashville, produced by Jim Vienneau. Seven of the
tracks end up on the LP "Saturday Night With Conway Twitty" (MGM
SE 3786, released in November) ; of these "Danny Boy" (MGM 12826),
"She's Mine" (MGM 12911) and "Hey Miss Ruby" (MGM 14408) will
also be issued as singles. "Beach Comber" and "Restless" were also 
issued on an EP (MGM X 1680). "Lonely Kind Of Love", "Because You
Love Me" and "Leonora My Love" were first issued on the Bear Family
box-set in 1997. Personnel includes Al Bruno on guitar, Lightnin' Chance
on bass, Floyd Cramer on piano and Jack Nance on drums.
 
July 15, 1959 : In Hollywood, drummer SANDY NELSON records his first
single, produced by himself and Art Laboe, owner of the Original Sound 
label. The result is "Teen Beat"/"Big Jump" (Original Sound 5), released 
in late August. The other musicians are Richie Podolor, guitar ; Connie
"Guybo" Smith, bass, and Bruce Johnston, piano. Barney Kessel's
guitar part on "Teen Beat" was overdubbed later.
 
July 16, 1959 : At Atlantic Studios in NYC, THE COASTERS record
"Poison Ivy", their next single (Atco 6141) and "What About Us" (the
single after that, Atco 6146, released in December). "I'm A Hog For
You", recorded on December 11, 1958, is overdubbed on July 17 with
an extraordinary one-note guitar solo by Mickey Baker and an extra 
sax by King Curtis ; this edited version becomes the B-side of "Poison
Ivy". On July 23, the group records "Run Red Run" (the other side of 
"What About Us") and the unissued "Guitaritious", which probably is
an instrumental. Production by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.
 
July 17, 1959 : At Bradley Studio in Nashville, RONNIE SELF records
his next single, "Big Town"/"This Must Be The Place" (Decca 30958),
with Hank Garland and Jack Pruett (guitars), Bob Moore (bass),
Floyd Cramer (piano) and Buddy Harman (drums).
 
Tuesday, July 21, 1959 : At 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, BRAD 
SUGGS records the single "706 Union"/"Low Outside" (Phillips
International 3545), plus the unissued "King of Fools". Personnel: 
Brad Suggs, guitar ; Billy Riley, bass; Charlie Rich, piano ; Martin 
Willis, sax ; Jimmy Van Eaton, drums.
 
July 22, 1959 : In Los Angeles BOBBY DARIN records four tracks.
"Somebody To Love" and "I'll Be There" will be two sides of the same
single in Europe (London HLK 9215 in the UK), but in the US they become
the B-sides of "Artificial Flowers" (Atco 6179) and "Bill Bailey" (Atco
6167) respectively, both in 1960. "You Know How" is first released on
the "For Teenagers Only" LP in September 1960. "Moment Of Love" is
issued (together with "She's Tanfastic" from a February 1960 session)
as a "special premium disc", presumably a premium for a suntan lotion.
It gets its first commercial release on the CD "Splish Splash : The
Best of Bobby Darin, Vol. 1" (Atco 7 91794-2) in 1991.
Personnel: Bob Bain (guitar) ; Red Callendar (bass) ; Plas Johnson
(tenor sax) ; Earl Palmer (drums) ; Bobby Short (piano) ; The Blossoms
(vocal group on "Somebody To Love") ;  Unknown (strings).
Arranged and co-produced  by Jimmy Haskell. Produced by Ahmet Ertegun
and Jerry Wexler.

 
July 29, 1959 : CHUCK BERRY records eight tracks at the Chess
Studio in Chicago. Four of them will be released on two singles:
"Childhood Sweetheart"/ "Broken Arrow" (Chess 1737, September
1959) and "Too Pooped To Pop"/"Let It Rock" (Chess 1747, January
1960). The others are mostly LP tracks : Betty Jean, County Line,
One O'Clock Jump (instr.) and I Just Want To Make Love To You.
Backing by Johnny Johnson (piano), Willie Dixon (bass), L.C. Davis
(tenor sax on "County Line") and Fred Below (drums), plus the vocal
group The Ecuadors on "Betty Jean".
 
July 29, 1959 : THE ISLEY BROTHERS record their second RCA
single, the classic "Shout, Parts 1 and 2" (RCA 47-7588), in New
York's RCA Studio. Production by Hugo and Luigi.
 
July 30, 1959 : Ex-Blue Cap TOMMY FACENDA records "High 
School USA" in New York City. This is in fact a re-recording of an 
earlier version produced by Frank Guida in Norfolk, Virginia. On 
this new version gaps were left in the tape where the names of 
local high schools could be dropped in. 28 versions were mastered
(Atlantic 51-78), one for each state in which the record was likely 
to be played.
 
July 31, 1959 : NEIL SEDAKA records his next single, "Oh Carol"/
"One Way Ticket" (RCA 47-7595), for release in late September.
Also recorded "The Girl For Me", an EP track (RCA EPA 4353).
Production by Al Nevins. Backing conducted by Chuck Sagle. 
Location : RCA Victor Studio A, 155 E 24th Street, New York City.
 
July 31, 1959 : In Hollywood, WYNONA CARR has her last recording session
for Specialty, produced by Sonny Bono. Two singles are the result: How Many
Times? / Give Me Your Hand To Hold (Specialty 678) and Old Fashioned Love/
Someday, Somewhere, Somehow (Specialty 683). All four songs are Wynona's
own compositions.

July 1959, unknown date: At WCAU radio station in Philadelphia,
DALE HAWKINS records "Lifeguard Man"/"Our Turn" for almost
immediate release on Checker 929, and "Don't Break Your Promise 
To Me", the later B-side of "Hot Dog" (Checker 940, December 1959).
Personnel includes Kenny Paulsen and Roy Buchanan on guitars.
 
July 1959, unknown date : LARRY WILLIAMS is now contracted to
Chess Records. During this month he records "My Baby's Got Soul"/
"Every Day I Wonder" (Chess 1736), "Get Ready" (Chess 1745,
December 1959) and "I Wanna Know" (Chess 1761, June 1960).
All four tracks will also be released on the LP "Larry Williams!"
(Chess LP 1457), released in 1961.
 
Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index