August 3-6, 1959 : Four days of recording activity for GENE VINCENT at the
Capitol Tower in Hollywood, produced by Ken Nelson. All tracks appear on the
LP "Crazy Times" (Capitol T 1342, released in March 1960), unless otherwise
indicated. The harvest of the first day is "Pretty Pearly", "She She Little Sheila",
"Accentuate the Positive" and "Darlene", followed on August 4 by "Why Don't 
You People Learn To Drive", "Crazy Times" and "Greenback Dollar". "Big Fat 
Saturday Night" and "Hot Dollar" are recorded on August 5, as well as the 45
"Wild Cat"/"Right Here On Earth" (Capitol 4313, released December 1959).
The final day produces "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain", "Everybody's Got A 
Date But Me" and "Michiko From Tokyo".
Personnel : Jerry Merritt (lead guitar) ; Red Callender (bass) ; Jimmy Johnson
(piano) ; Jackie Kelso (tenor sax) ; Sandy Nelson (drums) ; The Eligibles
(backing vocals).

August 7, 1959 : In Chicago, JIMMY REED records the classic "Baby What
You Want Me To Do" (VeeJay 333, released in February 1960) as well as
"Going By the River" (VeeJay 357), which became the B-side of "Hush-Hush"
in October 1960. "Hush-Hush" was recorded on August 25, along with "Where
Can You Be" (VeeJay 347) and the LP tracks "I Was (So) Wrong" and "Blue
Blue Water".
Personnel for the August 25 session is : Jimmy Reed (vocal / guitar/ harmonica) ;
Phil Upchurch and Eddie Taylor (guitars) ; Earl Phillips (drums).

August 11-13, 1959 : THE PLATTERS are at Universal Recording Studio in
Chicago to record the LP "Reflections" (Mercury MG 20481). Of the twelve
tracks, five were also released on singles: "Sleepy Lagoon" (B-side of "Harbor
Lights", Mercury 71563, December 1959) ; "Ebb Tide" (Mercury 71624, release
date April 25, 1960) ; "Red Sails in the Sunset"/"Sad River" (Mercury 71656,
July 3, 1960) and "Down the River of Golden Dreams" (B-side of "To Each His
Own", Mercury 71697, September 20, 1960). On August 27, the Platters lay
down the single "My Secret"/"What Does It Matter?", for release on Mercury
71538 in October 1959.

Thursday, August 13, 1959 : An afternoon session for BRENDA LEE at Bradley
Studios in Nashville. "Sweet Nothin's"/"Weep No More My Baby" becomes the 
new single (Decca 30697). One of Brenda's best tracks, "(If I'm Dreaming) Just 
Let Me Dream" will be released on the "Miss Dynamite" LP (Decca DL 4039) in
mid-1960.
Backing as usual by the Nashville A-team (Hank Garland, Grady Martin, Harold
Bradley, Bob Moore, Floyd Cramer, Boots Randolph, Buddy Harman) and the Anita
Kerr Singers. Producer: Owen Bradley.

August 14, 1959 : Continued activity at Bradley Studios, as JOHNNY CASH
records "The Little Drummer Boy" (for the Christmas season), coupled with
"I'll Remember You" (Columbia 41481, released in December 1959). The other
four tracks come out on an EP (Columbia B 2155) : The Rebel - Johnny Yuma
(also released as a single in mid-1961, Columbia 41995), Remember the Alamo,
Lorena, Ballad of Boot Hill (a Carl Perkins composition).
Personnel includes : Luther Perkins (electric guitar) ; Marshall Grant (bass) ;
Jimmy Wilson (piano) ; Michael Kazak (drums). Producer: Don Law.

August 15, 1959 : A recording date for VERNON TAYLOR at 706 Union Avenue
in Memphis. "Sweet and Easy To Love"/"Mystery Train" is rush released as his
new single (Sun 325). Accompaniment by Brad Suggs (guitar), Billy Riley (bass),
Charlie Rich (piano), Martin Willis (sax) and Jimmy Van Eaton (drums).
This was possibly a split session with MACK SELF, who recorded "Willie Brown"
(Phillips International 3548) and "Lovin' Memories" (first released by Charly on 
Sun LP 1031 in 1986, UK) on the same day.

August 24, 1959 : CARL MANN's second session for Sun, this time produced by
Sam Phillips himself. "Pretend"/"Rockin' Love" is chosen for the next single, to
be released on Phillips International 3546 in October. "Take These Chains From
My Heart" and "Too Young" will remain on the shelf until the release of a Bear 
Family Various Artists box in the 1980s.
Personnel : Carl Mann (vocal / piano) ; Eddie Bush (guitar) ; Robert Oatsvall
(bass) ; W.S. Holland (drums).

August 25/26, 1959 : EDDIE COCHRAN books a session at Goldstar Studios
in Hollywood to complete work on the instrumental "Guybo". However, the stand-
out tracks from this session are the instrumentals "Eddie's Blues" and the
similar sounding "Chicken Shot Blues", with backing by the Kelly Four : 
Mike Deasy (rhythm guitar) ; Gene Riggio (drums) ; Jim Stivers (piano) ; Dave
Shriver (bass). "Eddie's Blues" was first released in the UK on the album "My Way" in
1964, and in the USA in 1972 on the double album "Legendary Masters". It also
got a single release in 1967 (Liberty 10276, UK) as the B-side to a reissue of
"Three Steps To Heaven". "Milkcow Blues" was Eddie's only vocal from August
25. On the next day he recorded two more instrumentals, "Strollin' Guitar" and 
"Instrumental Blues", as well as ten takes of both "Little Angel" and "My Love To
Remember".  
Also present at this Goldstar session is JOHNNY BURNETTE. He records five
tracks : "You're Cheatin' On Me", "Blue School Days" (a duet with brother Dorsey
Burnette, who played bass on these five songs), "Just Keep On Goin'", "Just A 
Memory" and two early versions of "Ballad of the One Eyed Jacks". They were
first issued in 1999 on the Hydra CD "Rock and Roll Tonight" by Johnny and
Dorsey Burnette (BCK 27110). Eddie Cochran played acoustic guitar during the
session and overdubbed electric guitar on the 27th.

August 26, 1959 : MARVIN RAINWATER records "The Valley of the Moon"
(MGM 12829) at Bradley Studios in Nashville, produced by Jim Vienneau.
The other side, "Young Girls" is recorded on August 28. Released at the
end of September. "Columbus Stockade Blues", recorded on the 26th, and
"Midnight Bus", recorded on the 28th, are both unissued / lost.

August 27, 1959 : Also in Hollywood, THE CHAMPS record "Stampede" and
"Swanee River Blues" (both first issued on the CD "Wing Ding" - Ace 460 - in 
1993), plus some unissued vocal numbers by Dave Burgess.
On the same day DUANE EDDY's "Some Kinda Earthquake" (recorded on
March 19, 1959) is overdubbed with Plas Johnson's saxophone, at United
Recorders in Hollywood. Released on Jamie 1130 in late September, it will
become the shortest record (1:17) to ever chart in the Top 40. The UK London
single version (HLW 9007) was extended to 1:56.

Friday, August 28, 1959 : BOBBY BARE records a sequel to "All American
Boy": "I'm Hanging Up My Rifle" (Fraternity 861). Flip is "That's Where I
Want To Be", with Jimmy Seals on sax. The third track from this session,
"Whatcha' Gonna Do Now" remained unissued until 2001, when it was
included on "All-American Rock 'n' Roll : The Fraternity Story, Vol. 2"
(Ace 822). Location : Radio Recorders, Hollywood.

Early August, unknown date: RAY SMITH has his first session for Judd
Records at the RCA studio in Nashville. "Rockin' Little Angel"/"That's
All Right" (Judd 1016) gets a rush release and will become Ray's most
succesful single, licensed to many overseas companies (in Holland it's
released on Artone 24074).
Personnel : Ray Smith (vocal) ; Chet Atkins and Grady Martin (guitars) ;
Bob Moore (bass) ; Floyd Cramer (piano) ; The Jordanaires (vocal chorus).
The session is produced by Jud Phillips.

August 1959, unknown date : JACK SCOTT's final session for Carlton Records,
at Universal Sound Studio in Detroit. The result is the single "There Comes A
Time"/"Baby Marie" (Carlton 519, released in September).
Backing probably by Stan Getz and his Tom Cats. Producer: Joe Carlton.

With thanks to Henk Gorter.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

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