January 2, 1961 : RAL DONNER,  unaware of the success that
lies ahead of him in 1961, starts off the year by recording "I Didn't 
Figure On Him (To Come Back)", which is released on Gone 5114 
in September. The other track, "Standing Here" gets its first release 
in 1979 on the LP "You Don't Know What You've Got" (Pye NSPL 
28269, UK). Produced by Prewitt Rose and Jan Hutchins in Orlando,
Florida.

January 4, 1961 : JOHN LEE HOOKER has a session in Chicago for
Vee-Jay Records. Of the six tracks recorded, "I'm Going Upstairs"/
"I'm Mad Again" is chosen for the new single (Vee-Jay 379, February).
"Want Ad Blues" is also released as a 45 (Vee-Jay 397), in July. "Hard 
Headed Woman" will be issued on the LP "The Folk Lore of John Lee
Hooker" (Vee-Jay SR 1033), mid-1961. "Will the Circle Be Unbroken"
stays in the can until 1974 (Dynasty LP 7301, "John Lee Hooker In
Person") and "I Left My Baby" is first issued on a Charly LP ("Solid 
Sender", Charly CRB 1081) in 1984.
Personnel : John Lee Hooker, vocals / guitar ; Lefty Bates, guitar ;
Jimmy Reed, harmonica ; Quinn Wilson, bass ; Earl Phillips, drums.

January 8, 1961 : In Cincinnati, OTIS WILLIAMS and his Charms 
record the A-sides of their next two singles : "Little Turtle Dove" 
(King 5455, February) and "You Know How Much I Care" (King 5497, 
May). Personnel: Otis Williams (lead tenor), Rollie Willis, Matt 
Williams and Winfred Gerald (vocals), Henry Moore and J.C. Davis 
(tenor saxes), Jimmy Johnson (piano), Joe Swift (electric bass) 
and Joe Hardwick (drums). Production by Henry Glover.

January 8-9, 1961 : BRENDA LEE records ten songs in two days
at Bradley Studio in Nashville. Only "You Can Depend On Me" will
be released as a single (Decca 31231, March). Six tracks will appear
on the LP "Emotions" (Decca DL 4104) : "Around the World", "Just
Another Lie", "Georgia On My Mind", "When I Fall In Love", "Cry" 
and "Will You Love Me Tomorrow". "Fools Rush In" and "Someone
To Love (The Prisoner's Song)" will be used for later LP's and "Zing!
Went the Strings Of My Heart" is first issued on the Bear Family box-
set "Little Miss Dynamite" (BCD 15772) in 1995.
Personnel: Grady Martin, guitar ; Hank Garland, electric guitar ; Bob
Moore, bass ; Harold Bradley, electric bass ; Floyd Cramer, piano ;
Boots Randolph, sax ; Buddy Harman, drums ; The Anita Kerr Singers,
vocal chorus ; 4 violin players. Produced by Owen Bradley.

January 8-12, 1961 : In Phoenix, Arizona (Audio Recorders), DUANE
EDDY records songs for the LP "Girls Girls Girls" (Jamie LP 3019) :
"Tuesday", "Sweet Cindy", Sioux City Sue" and "Connie", followed
by "Big Liza", "Mona Lisa", "Mary Ann", "Annette" and "Brenda" 
on January 13-17. Personnel : Duane Eddy, guitar, producer ; Donnie 
Owens, guitar ; David Campbell, bass ; Larry Knechtel, piano ; Jim 
Horn, sax ; Jimmy Troxel, drums. All songs will be overdubbed with
vocal choruses (Anita Kerr Singers, Jordanaires) and some with
strings, in February in Nashville.

January 10, 1961 : In between trials, CHUCK BERRY manages to
record three songs in Chicago. "I'm Talking About You" becomes
the new single in February (Chess 1779), coupled with "Little
Star" from the marathon April 1960 session. "Route 66" and "Rip
It Up" will appear as tracks on the LP "New Jukebox Hits" (Chess
LP 1456) in the summer of 1961. Personnel : Chuck Berry, vocals /
guitar ; Johnny Johnson, piano ; Unknown, bass ; Eddie Hardy, drums.

January 10-11, 1961 : First US session for GENE VINCENT since
August 1959. On the 10th, Gene records "Crazy Beat", "I'm Gonna
Catch Me A Rat", "It's Been Nice" and "That's the Trouble With Love",
all of which will be shelved until 1963, for the LP "The Crazy Beat
Of Gene Vincent" (Capitol T 20453, UK). The next day, he lays down
another four tracks. "If You Want My Lovin'" /"Mister Loneliness"
is chosen as the new single (Capitol 4525,  April). "Good Lovin'"
and "Teardrops" also end up on the "Crazy Beat" LP. Orchestra
and chorus conducted by Jimmie Haskell (including Scotty Turner
on lead guitar). Produced by Klaus Engermann at the Capitol Tower
in Hollywood, Los Angeles.

January 12, 1961 : CHRIS KENNER records his biggest hit, "I LIke It 
Like That, Parts 1 & 2", in New Orleans. Personnel includes Allen 
Toussaint on piano and Roy Montrell on guitar ; more details unknown. 
Produced by Allen Toussaint. The record is first released on Valiant 
3229 in March, then on Instant 3229 in May.

January 13, 1961 : CLYDE McPHATTER records his next single,
"Tomorrow Is A-Comin'"/"I'll Love You Till the Cows Come Home" 
at Fine Recording Studio in New York (Mercury 71783, February) 
and also "A Whole Heap Of Love" for release on Mercury 71809
in May. "What Went Wrong" stays in the can. Produced by Clyde
Otis, arranged by Belford Hendricks.

January 14, 1961 : BOBBY DARIN is back in the studio for two songs. 
"Oo-Ee Train" becomes the B-side of the previously recorded "Lazy 
River" (Atco 6188, rush released) and "Look For My True Love" the
B-side of "Nature Boy" (Atco 6196) in May. Produced by Ahmet 
Ertegun in Los Angeles.

January 17-18, 1961 : FREDDY KING is back in the King studio in
Cincinnati. All four tracks recorded will be released as singles: 
"Lonesome Whistle Blues"/"It's Too Bad" (Federal 12415, April), 
"I'm Tore Down" (Federal 15432, September) and "If You Believe
(In What You Do)" on Federal 15443 in January 1962. Personnel : 
Freddy King, vocals / guitar ; Gene Redd and Clifford Scott, saxes ;
Sonny Thompson, piano ; Bill Willis, bass ; Fred Jordan, guitar ; 
Philip Paul, drums.


January 22, 1961 : TOMMY TUCKER (the "Hi Heel Sneakers" guy,
not the Memphis artist) has his only session for Atco Records in 
New York City. "Rock 'n' Roll Machine"/"My Girl (I Really Love Her 
So)" is issued on Atco 6208 in September and credited to Tee Tucker.
Two other songs, "Wha Aha" and "When the Deal Goes Down", have
never been issued.

January 22, 1961 : AMOS MILBURN (vocals, piano) and CHARLES
BROWN (vocals, organ) record another duet single : "I Wanna Go 
Back Home"/"My Little Baby" (King 5464, March), in Cincinnati.

January 24, 1961 : The second recording session for DEL SHANNON, 
at Bell Sound Studio in New York City, results in his first and most
famous release. "Runaway"/"Jody" is issued in February on Big Top
3067. Personnel: Al Caiola, guitar ; Max Crook, musitron, piano ; Milt 
Hinton, bass ; Joe Marshall, drums ; Bill Ramal, sax, arranger.
It is a split session with Max Crook, who records the instrumental 45
"The Snake"/ "The Wanderer" (Big Top 3068) as MAXIMILIAN.
Both singles produced by Harry Balk.

January 24, 1961 : At Reco-Art Sound Recording Co., Philadelphia, 
DANNY & THE JUNIORS record "Pony Express" and "Day Dreamer"
for their next single (Swan 4068). Instrumental accompaniment is
supplied by the Frank Slay Orchestra. Produced by Frank Slay and 
Bob Crewe.

January 28, 1961 : More recording activity by CLIFF RICHARD in
London (Abbey Road studio). "Theme For A Dream"/"Mumblin' Mosie"
is selected for the next single (Columbia DB 4593, February). "A Girl
Like You" will become the single after that (Columbia DB 4667, June),
while "Tough Enough" ends up on the LP "21 Today" (Columbia SX
1368) in October. Produced by Norrie Paramor.
 
January 30, 1961 : FLOYD CRAMER records tracks for his next LP,
which will be titled "On the Rebound" (RCA LPM 2359) and released
in April. Probably four titles were laid down, but I only know of "Corrine
Corinna" and "San Antonio Rose". The latter was also selected for
single release (RCA 47-7893) in May. Produced by Chet Atkins in
Nashville. Backing by members of the Nashville A-team, the Anita
Kerr Singers and the Nashville Strings.

January 31, 1961 : JOHNNY KIDD and the Pirates record two songs
at EMI's Abbey Road studio : "More Of The Same" and "I Just Wanna 
Make Love To You", a full three years before the Rolling Stones popu-
larized this Willie Dixon/Muddy Waters classic. Both masters were 
shelved until the release of the LP "Rarities" (See For Miles CM 120)
in 1983.

January 1961, unknown date : DALE HAWKINS records three tracks
for Checker, all unreleased : "Should I", "Everglades" and "Someday".
As the matrix numbers for these three recodings (10639-10641) follow
immediately after the matrix numbers for the three Chuck Berry songs
mentioned above, it is highly likely that these three (by Dale) were also
recorded in January 1961.

With thanks to Henk Gorter, Jim Bartlett and Steve Walker.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index