January, 3, 1960 : DON GIBSON records his next single, "Just One Time"/
"I May Never Get To Heaven" (RCA 47-7690) at RCA Victor Studios in
Nashville.
Personnel : Chet Atkins, Ray Edenton and Hank Garland (guitars) ; Junior
Huskey (bass) ; Buddy Harman (drums) ; Floyd Cramer (piano) ; Jordanaires
(vocal group).
Production by Chet Atkins.

Monday, January 4, 1960 : At Columbia Recording Studio in New York City, 
CAROLE KING records "Oh, Neil" (Alpine 57), an answer to Neil Sedaka's
"Oh Carol".
Neil himself plays piano, backed by : King Curtis (sax) ; Everett Barksdale 
(guitar) ; Sticks Evans (drums).
Production by Chuck Sagle.
 
January 6, 1960 : WANDA JACKSON records "Please Call Today"/"My Destiny",
which will become her new single (Capitol 4354) in March, along with the first
version of "In the Middle of a Heartache" (first released on the LP "Wonderful 
Wanda", Capitol T 1776) and "The Wrong Kind of Girl" (first released on an 
LP, Hilltop JS 6074 in 1969).
Production by Ken Nelson at Capitol Studio, Hollywood.
Personnel includes : Buddy Emmons (steel guitar) ; Billy Strange (guitar) ;
Jimmy Pruett (piano).
 
January 7, 1960 : JOHNNY HORTON is at Bradley Studio in Nashville to
record his next single, "Sink the Bismarck"/"The Same Old Tale the Crow
Told Me" (Columbia 41568).
Personnel: Johnny Horton (vocal / guitar) ; Grady Martin (guitar / banjo) ;
Hank Garland (guitar) ; Tommy Tomlinson (guitar) ; Joe Zinkan (bass) ; Buddy
Harman (drums).
An earlier version of "Sink the Bismarck" (from December 30, 1959) is available
on the Bear Family box-set "Johnny Horton 1956-1960" (BCD 15470).
 
January 7, 1960 : January 7, 1960 : JOHNNY BURNETTE, still unknown outside a
select group of rockabilly fans, lays down what will become his first hit,
"Dreamin'", for release on Liberty 55258 in June. Johnny also records "Kaw Liga",
which will be included on his first Liberty LP, "Dreamin'" (Liberty LRP 3179).
It is a split session with BOBBY VEE who records his second Liberty single,
"What Do You Want"/"My Love Loves Me" (Liberty 55234, February).
Personnel includes Howard Roberts (guitar) ; Jerry Allison (drums) ; other
details unknown.
Produced by Snuff Garrett. 
 
Still on January 7, BILL HALEY and the Comets have their first session for
Warner Bros Records, at Bell Sound Studio in New York City. On this day 
they record their new single, "Candy Kisses"/"Tamiami" (Warner 5145, the 
B-side is an instrumental), as well as "Happy Homer", first released on Bear
Family BCD 16157 in 1999. Material for their first Warner Bros LP (1378), 
simply titled "Bill Haley and his Comets", is recorded on January 12, 13, 26
and 27.
Personnel: Bill Haley (rhythm guitar) ; Franny Beecher (lead guitar) ; Billy
Williamson (steel guitar) ; Al Rappa (bass guitar) ; Rudy Pompilli (tenor
sax) ; Ralph Jones (drums).
Production by George Avakian.
 
January 8, 1960 : Unaware that this will be the last formal recording session
of his life, EDDIE COCHRAN enters Goldstar Studio in Hollywood to record
"Three Steps To Heaven"/"Cut Across Shorty" (Liberty 55242, released shortly
before his death on April 17, 1960) and "Cherished Memories" (first issued on
London HLG 9362 in the UK in June 1961).
Musicians: Eddie Cochran (vocal / rhythm guitar) ; Sonny Curtis (guitar) ;
Guybo Smith (electric bass) ; Jerry Allison (drums) ; unknown (vocal chorus).
 
January 8, 1960 : More recording activity by CONWAY TWITTY in Nashville.
"Trouble In Mind" and "Pretty Eyed Baby" will be released on the LP "Lonely
Blue Boy" (MGM SE 3818, spring 1960), while a fine cover of Charlie Rich's
"Rebound" remains unissued until the appearance of the Bear Family box-set
in 1997.
Personnel includes : Al Bruno and Grady Martin (guitars) ;  Jack Nance
(drums) ; Floyd Cramer (piano).
Produced by Jim Vienneau, as usual.
 
On January 9, 1960, at Audio Recorders, Phoenix, Arizona, RAY SHARPE records
"Gonna Let It Go This Time" and "Bermuda" for his next single (Jamie 1149).
Also put on tape are "For You My Love" (to be released on Jamie 1155, b/w
"Red Sails In The Sunset", the original b-side of "Linda Lu" on Jamie 1128 in
1959) and "Give'n Up" (for a future single, Jamie 1164, b/w the previously 
recorded "Kewpie Doll").
Personnel : Ray Sharpe (vocal / guitar) ; Al Casey and Donnie Owens (guitars) ;
Jimmy Troxel (drums) ; Larry Knechtel (piano).
Producers are Lester Sill & Lee Hazlewood, the engineer being Jack Miller.
By the way, a fifth track, "Dallas", will be kept in the can by Jamie, but sees
the light of day under the name of pianist "Easy Deal" Wilson, who plays on the 
b-side "There'll Come A Day" (Park Central 2714).   
 
January 13, 1960 : THE ROCK-A-TEENS complete their first LP ("Woo Hoo",
Roulette SR-25109), which will be released in the spring of 1960. Exactly which
tracks were recorded during the first session (November 18, 1959) and which
during the January session is not quite clear, but "Janis Will Rock", "Offbeat"
and "Story of a Woman" come from this 1960 session.
Location : Bell Sound Studio, New York City.
 
January 14, 1960 : THE CADILLACS (Earl Carroll, Ronnie Bright, Kirk Davis and
Roland Martinez) record a new single, "Tell Me Today"/"It's Love" (Josie 876),
the LP track "Let Me Down Easy" and the unissued (until the release of the Bear
Family box-set, BCD 15648) "I'm In Love".

January 15, 1960 : DUANE EDDY completes the recording of his fourth LP,
"Songs of Our Heritage" (Jamie LP 3011). The final four tracks of this 11-track
album are "Scarlet Ribbons", "Streets of Laredo", "Top of Old Smokey" and "The
Wayfaring Stranger".
Personnel : Duane Eddy (Spanish guitar) ; Al Casey (bass) ; Jim Horn (flute) ;
unknown (harmonica).
Production by Lee Hazlewood and Lester Sill at Audio Recorders in Phoenix, AZ.
The LP was mixed and mastered by Eddie Brackett at United Recorders in Hollywood
on June 2, 1960.

January 15-16, 1960 : Another session this month for DON GIBSON. On the first
day he lays down "Lonely Street", "On the Banks of the Old Ponchartrain", "Why
Don't You Love Me", "If I Can Stay Away" and "Never Love Again".
On January 16 he records "The Streets of Laredo", "My Love For You", "My Hands
Are Tied" and "It Only Hurts For a Little While".
All tracks will be selected for his album "Look Who's Blue" (RCA LP 2184).
Personnel : Chet Atkins, Ray Edenton and Leon Button (guitars) ; Junior
Huskey (bass) ; Douglas Kirkham (drums) ; Floyd Cramer (piano) ; Jordanaires
(vocal group). On January 16 Buddy Harman replaces Douglas Kirkham.
Production by Chet Atkins.
 
January 18, 1960 : In New York City, THE CRESTS record their next single,
"Step By Step"/"Gee" (Coed 525) and "Journey of Love" (Coed 535, released
in August 1960). Also "Say It Isn't So"/"The Great Physician" (Coed 527), which
is credited to Johnny Maestro, the lead singer of the group.
 
January 21, 1960 : Disguised as "The Hawk", JERRY LEE LEWIS records an
instrumental single, "In the Mood"/ "I Get the Blues When It Rains" (Phillips
International 3559, to be released in October). Two versions of "Mexicali Rose" 
are done on the same day, one of which is first released on the LP "Rockin'
and Free" (Sun 6467 029) in 1974.
Jerry records quite a few songs on January 25 : "As Long As I Live" (Sun 367,
September 1961), "Bonnie B." (Sun 371, December 1961), "Old Black Joe"/
"Baby Baby Bye Bye" (Sun 337, the next single, March 1960, with an overdubbed
vocal chorus by the Gene Lowery Singers), a first attempt at "What 'd I Say", 
"You Can't Help It", "The Great Speckled Bird", "Don't Drop It" and "Keep Your 
Hands Off Of It" (all originally unissued).
Backing by : Roland Janes (guitar) ; R.W. Stevenson (bass) ; Jimmy Van Eaton
(drums).
Location is the old Sun Studio at 706 Union Avenue.
 
January 27, 1960 : At Bradley Studio in Nashville, JOHNNY PRESTON records
six tracks for his debut LP "Running Bear" (Mercury MG 20592), plus "Feel So
Fine" and "I'm Startin' To Go Steady", which will be issued as the A- and B-side
of Mercury 71651 in June. Three further tracks for the LP are completed on the 
next day, January 28.
Preston is backed by : Hank Garland, Grady Martin and Kelso Herston (guitars) ;
Buddy Killen (bass) ; Hargus 'Pig' Robbins (piano) ; Boots Randolph (sax) ; Doug
Kirkham (drums) ; possibly the Anita Kerr Singers (vocals).
Producer : Bill Hall.
 
Same day, same studio : PATSY CLINE records material for her next two singles
"Lovesick Blues"/"How Can I Face Tomorrow" (Decca 31061, release date March 7,
1960) and "Crazy Dreams"/"There He Goes" (Decca 31128, release date August 1,
1960).
Session personnel: Harold Bradley (6-string electric bass) ; Hank Garland
(electric guitar) ; Jimmy Day (steel guitar) ; Grady Martin (electric guitar /
fiddle) ; Bob Moore (acoustic bass) ; Floyd Cramer (piano) ; Buddy Harman (drums).
Producer: Owen Bradley. 
 
Also on January 27, at Bell Sound Studio, New York City, producer Sonny Lester
and arranger Bill Sanford complete the tracks for JACK SCOTT's LP "I Remember Hank
Williams"  (Top Rank International RM-319, to be released in May 1960).
 
Still on January 27, 1960 : THE MONOTONES record an answer record to
their own "Book Of Love" : "Reading the Book Of Love" (Hull 735), which
will be issued in February, c/w "Dream" from the same session. A third
track, "Forever Yours" was first released on the Collectables CD "Who Wrote
the Book Of Love : The Hull Recordings, 1957-1962" (VCL 5427) in July 1992.
 
With thanks to Steve Walker and Henk Gorter. 
 
Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index