March 1, 1961 : DUANE EDDY records his next single, "Theme
From Dixie"/ "Gidget Goes Hawaiian" (Jamie 1183). Both sides are 
overdubbed in the second week of March and then rush-released.
Personnel : Duane Eddy (guitar / producer) ; Al Casey (guitar / steel
guitar / banjo) ; David Campbell (bass) ; Jim Horn (sax) ; Jimmy Troxel
(drums) ; Larry Knechtel (piano).
Location : Audio Recorders, Phoenix, Arizona.

March 2, 1961 : In Cincinnati, BOBBY FREEMAN records "What
Can I Do" (King 5953, 1964), "Somebody Somewhere (Hear My 
Plea)" (King 5962, 1964), "Love Struck" (King LP 930, 1965) and 
"Please Stay By Me" (unissued). On March 4 he records three 
further songs that will end up on King LP 930 ("The Lovable Style 
of Bobby Freeman") in 1965 : "Please Give My Heart A Break", 
"Good Good Lovin'" and "Please Please Please". "Turn About" 
from the March 4 session remains unissued. 

March 4, 1961 : CLIFF RICHARD records three songs for the LP
"Listen To Cliff" (Columbia SX 1320, May) : "What 'd I Say", "I Want
You To Know" and "Unchained Melody". Backing by the Shadows
and the Norrie Paramor Orchestra. Produced by Norrie Paramor
at EMI's Abbey Road studio in London.

March 6, 1961 : First of several March sessions for RICKY NELSON.
All tracks will come out on the LP "Rick Is 21" in May (Imperial LP
9152). On this day he records "Everybody But Me", which will also be
released as a single in June 1964 (Imperial 66039). On March 13 he
records his # 1 hit "Travelin' Man" (Imperial 5741, April), "Break My 
Chain" and a first attempt at "Hello Mary Lou", the master of which 
is laid down on March 20 (Imperial 5741). "My One Desire" and "Sure
Fire Bet" follow on March 27.
Personnel: Ricky Nelson (vocal / guitar) ; James Burton (lead guitar) ;
Joe Osborn (bass) ; Ray Johnson (piano) ; Richie Frost (drums) ;
The Jordanaires (vocal chorus).
Produced and arranged by Jimmie Haskell, who plays cowbell on "Hello
Mary Lou".
Location : United Recording Corporation, Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.

March 7, 1961 : The final recording session of VARETTA DILLARD
results in one single : "You Better Come Home"/"I Don't Know What It
Is, But I Like It" (Cub 9091, July) and two songs first released on the
Bear Family CD "The Lovin' Bird : Complete Recordings, 1958-1961,
Vol. 2" (BCD 15432), "Hey Sweet Love" and "What Can I Say".
Location New York City, personnel unknown.

March 7-9, 1961 : Three days of sessions for CONWAY TWITTY at
Bradley Studio in Nashville result in two singles "The Next Kiss (Is
the Last Goodbye)"/"Man Alone" (MGM 12998, rush-released), 
"A Million Teardrops"/"I'm In A Blue Blue Mood" (MGM 13011, May)
and four tracks for the LP "The Conway Twitty Touch" (MGM SE 
3943, August) : "A Tree In the Meadow", "Live Fast, Love Hard, Die 
Young", "Above and Beyond" and "I Can Hear My Heart Break".
"Tower Of Tears" (March 9) is saved for the B-side of "Portrait Of
A Fool" (MGM 13050, December) and "Donna's Dream" is first
issued on the Bear Family box-set "The Rock 'n' Roll Years".
Backing by : Al Bruno (guitar) and the usual suspects from the
Nashville A-team. Produced by Jim Vienneau.

March 8, 1961 : HANK BALLARD and the Midnighters are at the 
King Studio in Cincinnati where they record four tracks, all released 
as singles: "What Is This I See" (King 5491, April - the A-side of this 
45, "The Continental Walk" is laid down on March 16), "I'm Gonna 
Miss You" (King 5578, December), "I'm Young" (King 5635, May 
1962) and "Daddy Rolling Stone" (King 5931, mid-1964). Produced 
by Henry Glover.
Personnel: Henry Moore (tenor sax) ; Mark Patterson (trumpet) ;
Sonny Thompson (piano) ; Freddie Jordan (guitar) ; Joe Swift (bass) ;
Joe Hardwick (drums) ; Gene Redd (vibraphone).

March 10-11, 1961 : JACK SCOTT's first session for his new label 
(Capitol) is shrouded in mystery. At an unknown location with uniden-
tified musicians of the Stan Applebaum orchestra (and without The 
Chantones), "Now That I" and "A little Feeling" are recorded for his 
next single (Capitol F4554), while "True True Love" will be shelved 
until it finally sees the light of day on CD in 1990 ("Capitol Collector's 
Series" CD 93192). A first attempt at "A Little Feeling" has to wait 
two years longer until it is included on Richard Weize's Bear Family 
Boxset ("Classic Jack Scott", BCD 15534). The session is produced 
by Manny Kellem.

March 12-13, 1961 : ELVIS PRESLEY records twelve songs at RCA
Studio B in Nashville, produced by Steve Sholes. Eleven of these
will be released on the LP "Something For Everybody" (RCA LPM
2370, June). The twelfth track is the A-side of the new single, "I Feel
So Bad" (RCA 7880, May).
Session personnel : Hank Garland and Scotty Moore (guitars) ; Bob Moore
(bass) ; Floyd Cramer (piano) ; Boots Randolph (sax) ; D.J. Fontana and
Buddy Harman (drums). Backup vocals by Millie Kirkham and the Jordanaires.

March 15, 1960: RAY SMITH has his third and final session for Judd Records
at the RCA studio in Nashville. "Blonde Hair, Blue Eyes"/"You Don't Want me"
becomes his next single (Judd 1021), "Rebound", "Baby Just Because", "Little
Miss Blue", "Speak Low" and "I'll Be Coming Home" all find a place on the
album "Travelin' With Ray" (Judd LP 701).
Personnel : Ray Smith (vocal) ; Chet Atkins and Grady Martin (guitars) ;
Bob Moore (bass) ; Floyd Cramer (piano) ; The Jordanaires (vocal chorus).
This double session is produced by Jud Phillips.

March 16, 1961 : At RCA Studios in New York City, THE MARCELS record
"Teeter Totter Love" for the B-side of "Summertime" (recorded later,
on April 11) in May (Colpix 196), "Two People In the World", "Sweet Was
the Wine", "Over the Rainbow", "A Fallen Tear" and "Crazy Bells". the
tracks from this session will appear on the LP "Blue Moon" in July 1961
(Colpix LP 416).

March 17, 1961 : At RCA Victor Studio A in NYC, NEIL SEDAKA
records the A-side of his next single, "Little Devil" (RCA 7874, April),
as well as "Another Day, Another Heartache", a track for the LP
"Three Great Guys : Paul Anka, Sam Cooke And Neil Sedaka" (RCA LPM 2720).
Personnel includes : Bucky Pizzarelli and Al Caiola (guitars) ;  Ernie
Hayes (piano) ; Panama Francis (drums).
Produced by Al Nevins and Don Kirshner, arranged by Stan Applebaum.

March 21-23, 1961 : In Los Angeles, BOBBY DARIN records twelve 
songs for the LP "Love Swings" (Atco 33-134, released in June), backed 
by no less than 30 musicians. Produced by Ahmet Ertegun, arranged by
Torrie Zito. Another five songs are recorded on March 25 : "Nature Boy"
(the next single, Atco 6196), "Golden Earrings" (Atco 6297, May 1964),
"Bobby's Blues" (rejected) and the instrumental 45 "Come September"/
"Walk Bach [sic] To Me" (Atco 6200, July, A-side overdubbed on June 8).
This time the arranger is Fred Norman.

Also March 21-23, 1961 : At Radio Recorders in Hollywood, ELVIS
PRESLEY records songs for the movie and LP "Blue Hawaii" (RCA
LPM 2426, October). Two songs are selected for single release, "Can't
Help Falling In Love" and "Rock-A-Hula Baby" (RCA 7968, November).
Produced by Joseph Lilley and Hal Wallis.
Personnel : see March 12-13, but substitute Hal Blaine for Buddy Harman
and the Surfers for Millie Kirkham. Add : Dudley Brooks (piano, celeste);
Tiny Timbrell (rhythm guitar) ; George Fields (harmonica) ; Alvino Rey
(steel guitar) ; Bernie Lewis (ukelele).

March 22, 1961 : Recording date of DEE CLARK's # 2 hit "Raindrops"
(Vee-Jay 383, April). The B-side, "I Want To Love You" is recorded 
during the same session, at Universal Recording in Chicago.
Produced by Calvin Carter.

March 23, 1961 : FATS DOMINO records four tracks for the LP "What
A Party" (Imperial LP 9164, October) : "Trouble In Mind", "Hold Hands",
"Bad Luck and Trouble" and "I've Been Calling". Further material for the
album is recorded on March 28 : "Ain't Gonna Do It" and "I Just Cry".
The latter is also used as the B-side of "It Keeps Rainin'" (Imperial 5753,
May). Two other songs from the March 28 session are unissued / lost 
("If I Could" and "One Night").
Personnel includes Lee Allen and Buddy Hagans (tenor saxes) ; Roy Montrell
(guitar) ; Cornelius Coleman (drums).
Produced by Dave Bartholomew at Cosimo Recording Studio in New Orleans.

March 23, 1961 : LINK WRAY is at the CBS studios in New York City 
with : Vernon Wray (rhythm guitar) ; Doug Wray (drums) ; Shorty Horton
(bass) ; other musicians unknown. The session is produced by Sal
Rubinowitz, and four tracks are recorded: "Rumble Mambo" for his next
Okeh single (7166, shared with RED SAUNDERS' "Hambone"), "El Toro"
and "Tijuana" for his next Epic single (9454) while "Kiki" will be kept in
the can until 2002 (CD "Slinky - The Epic Sessions", Sundazed 11098).

March 27, 1961 : BEN E. KING records "On the Horizon" (Atco 6194,
the B-side of "Stand By Me", April) and "Here Comes the Night" (Atco
6207, September) in New York City, supervised by Jerry Leiber and
Mike Stoller. On March 28 and 29 he lays down eleven songs for his 
first Atco LP, "Spanish Harlem" (Atco 33-133, June). The title song 
had already been recorded in October 1960. Two songs are selected
for single release in July : "Amor" and "Souvenir of Mexico" (Atco 6203). 
Personnel includes : Moe Wechsler (piano) ; George Barnes (guitar) ; 
Doc Severinsen (trumpet) ; Gary Chester (drums). The orchestra 
is directed by Stan Applebaum.

March 27, 1961 : In New Orleans, ERNIE K-DOE records his next
single, "Te-Ta-Te-Ta-Ta"/"Real Man" (Minit 627, May), plus the LP
tracks "Waitin' At the Station", "She's Waitin'" and "Lonelyology".
Three further tracks for the LP "Mother-In-Law" (Minit LP 0002) are
recorded on the next day : "Rub Dub Dub", "Heebie Jeebies" and
"Hurry Up And Know It".
Produced by Allen Toussaint.

March 29, 1961 : JESSE HILL records two singles in New Orleans :
"Oogsey-Moo"/"My Love" (Minit 628, June) and "Sweet Jelly Roll"/
"It's My Fault" (Minit 638, January 1962).
Produced by Allen Toussaint who also plays piano.
Other session personnel unknown.

March 1961, unknown date : CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY is
back in the (New Orleans) studio for five tracks. "You Always Hurt
the One You Love" becomes the new single in May (Argo 5388)
and "Lonely Street"/"Why Can't You" the single after that (Argo
5395, July). "I Love You, Yes I Do" and "Your Picture" end up on
the LP "You Always Hurt the One You Love" (Argo LP 4009).
Allen Toussaint is the pianist, Paul Gayten the producer.

March 1961, unknown date : In Chicago, ETTA JAMES records five
tracks : "Fool That I Am"/'Dream" (Argo 5390, May), "Don't Cry Baby"
(Argo 5393, July) and the LP tracks "My Dear" and "Lover's Mourn",
released on the album "Etta James" (Argo LP 4013) in 1962.

March 1961, unknown date : THE DIAMONDS record their next two
singles, "Woomai-Ling"/"The Munch" (Mercury 71818, April) and "One
Summer Night" (which will become their final chart entry) c/w "It's A
Doggone Shame" (Mercury 71831, June). A fifth track from this session, 
"Chimes In My Heart", is first released on the Polygram CD (32734)
"Best of the Diamonds : The Mercury Years" in 1996.
The Diamonds are : John Felton, Evan Fisher, David Somerville and Mike
Douglas. 
Location : Fine Studios, New York City.

With thanks to Steve Walker and Henk Gorter.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index