April 3-4, 1960 : Two full days and nights of sessions for ELVIS PRESLEY at
RCA Studio B in Nashville. On April 3 he records "Fever" and "Like A Baby" for
the Elvis Is Back LP and "It's Now Or Never" (RCA 47-7777, overdubbed on
April 5, released in July). 
The next day these are followed by "The Girl of My Best Friend", "Dirty Dirty
Feeling", "Thrill Of Your Love", "Such A Night", "The Girl Next Door Went-a 
Walkin'", "I Will Be Home Again" and "Reconsider Baby" (all for "Elvis Is Back",
RCA LPM 2231) plus the later single "Are You Lonesome Tonight"/"I Gotta 
Know" (RCA 47-7810, November). 
Personnel : Elvis Presley, vocals, guitar ; Hank Garland, guitar ; Scotty Moore, 
guitar ; Bob Moore, bass ; D.J. Fontana, drums ; Buddy Harman, drums ; Floyd
Cramer, piano ; Boots Randolph, sax ; The Jordanaires, backup vocals.
Production by Steve Sholes and Chet Atkins. More Elvis later in the month.
 
April 4-5, 1960 : At Master Recorders in Hollywood, RICKY NELSON records
three tracks for his LP "More Songs By Ricky" (Imperial LP 9122) : "When
Your Lover Has Gone", "Baby Won't You Please Come Home" and "Time
After Time". On April 12-13, he records the single "I'm Not Afraid"/ "Yes Sir 
That's My Baby" (Imperial 5685, August), as well as "You Are My Sunshine"
(unreleased until the 1990s). More tracks for LP 9122 are laid down on April 
14-15 : "Ain't Nothin' But Love", "Proving My Love" and "I'm All Through With 
You". Production by Jimmie Haskell. Billy Strange plays guitar instead of
James Burton ; Ray Johnson is now Ricky's regular studio pianist and his
brother Plas Johnson (sax) plays on the sessions of 12-15 April. Vocal
backups by the Jordanaires and Darlene Love and the Blossoms.
 
Wednesday, April 6, 1960 : Final Roulette session for BUDDY KNOX, at 
Norman Petty Studio, Clovis, New Mexico. The result is the single "Storm 
Clouds"/"Long Lonely Nights" (Roulette 4262, released in June). Personnel :
Buddy Knox, vocals, guitar ; Norman Petty, organ ; probably The Fireballs : 
George Tomsco, lead guitar ; Stan Lark, bass ; Edic Budd, drums.
 
April 7, 1960 : At Olmstead Studio in New York City, CONNIE FRANCIS
records at least two songs: "Robot Man" (her new UK single, MGM 1076)
and "Everbody's Somebody's Fool" (her new US single, MGM 12899).
Producer : Arnold Maxin ; orchestra conducted by Stan Applebaum.
 
April 12, 1960 : Faced with the serious possibility of a jail sentence for
CHUCK BERRY, Leonard Chess holds a marathon session for his major
star, at the Chess Studio in Chicago. The instrumental "Mad Lad" will 
appear as the B-side of "I Got To Find My Baby" (Chess 1763) in June. 
"Diploma For Two" will get a single release (Chess 1853) in 1963.
All other tracks from this session end up on various LP's (some with
overdubbed audience noise on "Chuck Berry On Stage", Chess LP 1480):
"Little Star", "The Way It Was Before", "Away From You", "Down the Road
Apiece", "Confessin' the Blues", "Sweet Sixteen", "Thirteen Question Method"
(new version), "Stop and Listen", "Still Got the Blues", "Lucky So and So",
"Crying Steel" and "Surfing Steel" (same track as "Crying Steel", with overdubs).
Personnel: Chuck Berry, vocals, guitar ; Johnny Johnson, piano ; Matt Murphy,
guitar ; Willie Dixon, bass ; unknown, sax ; Ebby Hardy, drums.
 
April 14, 1960 : BILLY FURY records his first LP, "The Sound of Fury" (Decca
LF 1329), produced by Jack Good in London. All ten songs are Billy's own
compositions. "That's Love"/"You Don't Know" is lifted from the LP for single
release in May (Decca F 11237). Backing musicians : Joe Brown, electric
guitar ; Alan Weighall, electric bass ; Reg Guest, piano ; Andy White, drums.
 
April 14, 1960 : SONNY BOY WILLIAMSON (Rice Miller) records four tracks 
at the Chess Studio in Chicago, produced by Leonard and Phil Chess. They
will not see a release until after Sonny Boy's death : "Checkin' Up On My
Baby" is first issued in January 1966 on the LP "The Real Folk Blues" 
(Chess LP 1503) and the other three tracks "Open Road" (aka "Bummer 
Road"), "I Can't Do Without You" and "Santa Claus" will finally appear in 
1969 on the LP "Bummer Road" (Chess LP 1536). Personnel: Sonny Boy 
Williamson, vocals, harmonica ; Otis Spann, piano ; Robert Lockwood, Jr. 
and Luther Tucker, guitars ; Fred Below, drums.
 
April 18, 1960 : CONWAY TWITTY is back at Bradley Studio in Nashville.
On this day he records "Betty Lou" and the Benny Joy composition "Knock
Three Times", which will both remain unissued until the release of the Bear 
Family box-set, "The Rock 'n' Roll Years" (first on vinyl, BFX 15174, then on 
CD, BCD 16112). On April 28, Twitty returns for "What A Dream" (MGM 12918,
August) and "Is A Bluebird Blue" (MGM 12911, released in June). Personnel
includes Al Bruno and Grady Martin on guitars, Floyd Cramer on piano and
Jack Nance on drums. Producer : Jim Vienneau.
 
April 22, 1960 : At the same studio, BILLY "CRASH" CRADDOCK records
his new single, "One Last Kiss"/"Is It True Or False?" (Columbia 41677),
produced by Don Law. Personnel: Grady Martin and Hank Garland, guitars ;
Joe Zinkan, bass ; Buddy Harman, drums ; Floyd Cramer, piano ; 4 violins.
 
April 23 or 30, 1960 : FATS DOMINO records a new single, "Walkin' To New
Orleans"/"Don't Come Knockin'", for release on Imperial 5675 in June. Strings
by members of the New Orleans Symphony Orchestra are overdubbed at an
unknown date. Also recorded is "La La" (not the same song that Fats recorded
in 1955 for the B-side of "Ain't That A Shame"), which is saved for the LP
"Just Domino" (Imperial LP 9208, 1962). Producer : Dave Bartholomew. 
 
April 26, 1960 : THE ISLEY BROTHERS are at RCA Studio A in New York
City. The single "Open Up Your Heart"/"Gypsy Love Song" (RCA 47-7746)
is released at the end of May. Personnel: Al Chernet, guitar ; Charles Macey,
guitar ; Lloyd Trotman, bass ; Jimmie Crawford, drums ; Moe Wechsler,
piano ; Bob Burns, sax. Production by Hugo and Luigi.
 
April 28, 1960 : At United Recording Corporation in Hollywood, JOHNNY
BURNETTE records three tracks, under the supervision of Snuff Garrett.
"Cincinnati Fireball" will become the B-side of the previously recorded
"Dreamin'" (Liberty 55258) in June. The other two tracks, "Finders Keepers"
and "Lovesick Blues" will find a place on Johnny's first Liberty LP, "Dreamin'"
(LRP 3179). Personnel: Rene Hall, Bill Pitman and Bobby Gibbons, guitars ;
Red Callender, bass ; Earl Palmer, drums ; Ernie Freeman, piano ; plus
2 violas and 6 violins.
 
April 28, 1960 : LITTLE JIMMY DICKENS records an entire LP (12 songs)
in Nashville. This will be released as "Big Country Songs" on Columbia CS
8345 in the summer of 1960. The set includes "John Henry", "Fireball Mail",
"Have I Told You Lately That I Love You" and "Tomorrow Never Comes",
among others.
 
April 27-28, 1960 : ELVIS PRESLEY records the soundtrack for the Paramount
film "G.I. Blues" at RCA Studios in Hollywood. "Shoppin' Around", "Didja' Ever", 
"Doin' the Best I Can", "G.I. Blues", "Tonight Is So Right For Love", "What's She
Really Like" and "Frankfort Special" are laid down on the 27th, and "Wooden
Heart", "Big Boots", "Whistling Blues" (instr.), "Pocketful of Rainbows" and
"Blue Suede Shoes" on the 28th.
 
April 28, 1960 : In Nashville, RONNIE HAWKINS records eight tracks for the
LP "The Folk Ballads of Ronnie Hawkins" (Roulette 25120)  : "Summertime", 
"I Gave My Love A Cherry", "John Henry", "Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless
Child", "Mister and Mississippi", "A Wayfaring Stranger", "Brave Man" and
"Fare Thee Well". Personnel includes Robbie Robertson (guitar), Grady Martin
(guitar), Levon Helm (drums), Bob Moore (bass) and the Anita Kerr Singers.
"Summertime"/"Mister and Mississippi" is released as a single (Roulette 4267)
in July.
 
April 29, 1960 : JOHN LEE HOOKER records thirteen tracks in New York 
City, five of which have never been issued. Most of the other tracks appear
on the LP "The Folk Lore of John Lee Hooker" (VeeJay SR 1033, issued 1961): 
"I Like To See You Walk", "Take Me As I Am" (also released as a 45, Vee-
Jay 397), "You're Looking Good Tonight", "Wednesday Evening Blues",
Five Long Years" and "My First Wife Left Me". Also from this session, "Sally 
Mae", "Moanin' Blues" and "You're Gonna Miss Me When I'm Gone" came 
out on Charly LP's in the UK.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index