March 2, 1962 : DUANE EDDY continues work on his first RCA
LP "Twistin' And Twangin'" (see also February 1962). The 12th
and final track for the album is "Twistin' Off A Cliff". His first RCA
single becomes "Deep In the Heart Of Texas"/"Saints And Sinners"
(RCA 7999, late March). Personnel : Duane Eddy, guitar ; Barney
Kessel, guitar ; Bill Pitman, guitar ; Red Callender, bass ; Earl
Palmer, drums ; Larry Knechtel, piano ; Plas Johnson, sax ; Jim
Horn, sax ; Jack Sheldon, trumpet ; The Sharps, vocal chorus.
Produced by Duane Eddy and Lee Hazlewood, arranged by Bob
Thompson. Location : RCA Victor Studio 2, Hollywood.
 
March 3, 1962 : BEN E. KING records four tracks in NYC which end
up on four different singles : "Don't Play That Song" (Atco 6222, April),
"I'm Standing By" (Atco 6237, September), "Auf Wiedersehen My Dear" 
(Atco 6246, December) and "Gloria Gloria" (Atco 6256, March 1963). 
Backing by Al Caiola, Charles Macey, Art Ryerson (guitars) ; Eddie 
Bert (trombone) ; Robert Mosely (piano) ; Jack Lesberg (bass) ; Margaret
Ross (harp) ; Gary Chester (drums) and 8 strings. Vocal backing by the
Cookies. Arranged by Jimmie Haskell, produced by Leiber & Stoller.
 
March 5, 1962 : BROOK BENTON records his new single in New
York City : "Hit Record"/"Thanks To the Fool" (Mercury 71962,
late April). Produced by Clyde Otis, personnel unknown.
 
March 6-8, 1962 : Three days of sessions for LITTLE WILLIE JOHN
(in Cincinnati) result in eight tracks, most of them first released on 
the King LP "Come On And Join Little Willie John At A Recording 
Session" (802). All titles are also released as singles : "Until Again 
My Love"/"Mister Glenn" in April (King 5628), "I Wish I Could Cry" 
in June (King 5641), "Half A Love"/"Without A Friend" in November 
(King 5694), "Come On Sugar" in May 1963 (King 5744), "Bill Bailey"
in January 1964 (King 5850) and "Don't You Know I'm In Love" in
October 1964 (King 5949). Backing by Bill Parker's band.
 
March 7-8, 1962 : BRENDA LEE records six tracks during a two-day 
session at Columbia Studio in Nashville. "Everybody Loves Me But You"
becomes the B-side of the new single in April (Decca 31379). "Heart
In Hand" is the single thereafter (Decca 31407, July). "She'll Never
Know" is released as the B-side of "Your Used To Be" in January 1963 
(Decca 31454). The Ronnie Self composition "It Takes One To Know 
One" is held in the can until June 1966 (Decca 31970). "Why Me?" is 
first released on an EP and then on the LP "Brenda, That's All" (Decca 
DL 4326, October). Finally, "Sweet Lovin'" stays on the shelf until the 
appearance of the Bear Family box-set "Little Miss Dynamite" (BCD
15772) in 1995.
Personnel : Grady Martin, Ray Edenton (guitars) ; Bob Moore (bass) ;
Harold Bradley (electric bass) ; Floyd Cramer (piano) ; Boots Randolph
(sax) ; Buddy Harman (drums) ; The Anita Kerr Singers (vocal chorus).
Plus a 9-piece string section. Produced by Owen Bradley.
 
March 9. 1962 : At Columbia Studio in Nashville, CARL PERKINS 
has his penultimate session for the label. "Hollywood City"/"The Fool
I Used To Be" is chosen for the new single (Columbia 42405, April).
"Forget Me (The Next Time Around)" was originally selected as the
B-side of "Hollywood City" and this coupling exists as a promo single
on Columbia 42403. In March 1963, "Forget Me" did get a release, on
Columbia 42753. The fourth track, the Buddy Killen composition "When
the Right Time Comes Along", was first issued on the Bear Family box
set "The Classic Carl Perkins" (BCD 15494) in 1990.
Session personnel : Grady Martin, Billy Byrd, Wayne Moss (guitars) ;
Joe Zinkan (bass) ; Floyd Cramer (piano) ; Doug Kirkham (drums) ;
Charlie McCoy (harmonica). Produced by Don Law.
 
March 12, 16 and 23, 1962 : DUANE EDDY records the LP "Twangy
Guitar, Silky Strings" (RCA LPM 2576, July), with a 20-piece string
orchestra and the same session people as on the March 2 session,
minus Plas Johnson and Red Callender (replaced by James E. Bond).
Produced by Lee Hazlewood in Hollywood, arranged and conducted 
by Bob Thompson.
 
March 13 and 17, 1962 : At Nashville's RCA Victor Studio, DON GIBSON
records the LP "Some Favorites Of Mine" (RCA LPM 2448, June). Only
one track also gets a release as a single : "Baby We're Really In Love"
(RCA 8085, September, B-side of "So How Come"). 
Personnel : Don Gibson, vocals / guitar ; Jerry Reed, Sam Pruett and
Kenneth Carlisle, guitars ; Bob Moore, Roy Huskey, bass ; Floyd Cramer,
piano ; Buddy Harman, Norris Palmer, drums. The Jordanaires, vocal
chorus. Produced by Chet Atkins.
 
March 15, 1962 : At Atlantic Studios in New York City, THE DRIFTERS
record their new single, "Stranger On the Shore"/"What To Do" (Atlantic
2143, April). The Drifters are : Rudy Lewis (lead tenor), Charle Thomas
(second tenor), Doc Geen (baritone) and Tommy Evans (bass). 
Arranged by Claus Ogerman, produced by Ahmet Ertegun and Jerry
Wexler.
 
March 15, 1962 : CONWAY TWITTY records at Columbia Studio
in Nashville. "Mister Jones" and "Hang Up the Phone" see their first 
release in February 1964, on the LP "Hit the Road" (MGM SE 4217).
"Don't Cry No More" is first released by Bear Family (BFX 15174, 1986), 
as is "She Reads Me Like A Book" from a session on March 27. On that
day Conway also records his new single "Comfy 'n' Cozy"/"A Little Piece 
Of My Heart" (MGM 13072, April). Personnel includes Al Bruno and Grady 
Martin on guitars and Floyd Cramer on piano. Produced by Jim Vienneau.
 
March 16, 1962 : BOBBY BARE records his first RCA single, "Shame
On Me"/"Above And Beyond" (RCA 8032, May) in Nashville. Produced
by Chet Atkins, arranged by Anita Kerr.
 
March 18-19, 1962 : At RCA Studio B in Nashville, ELVIS PRESLEY
records his next single, "She's Not You"/"Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello"
(RCA 8041, July) and eight songs for the "Pot Luck" LP (RCA LPM
2523, May) : "Something Blue", "Gonna Get Back Home Somehow",
"Easy Question" (also released as a single, RCA 8585, in June 1965),
"Fountain Of Love", ""Suspicion", "Night Rider", "Just For Old Time's
Sake" and "I Feel That I've Known You Forever". 
Musicians : Scotty Moore, Harold Bradley and Grady Martin (guitars),
Bob Moore (bass), Boots Randolph (sax), Floyd Cramer (piano), D.J.
Fontana, Buddy Harman (drums), Millie Kirkham and the Jordanaires
(backup vocals). Produced by Steve Sholes.
 
March 19, 1962 : JOHNNY CASH is at Nashville's Columbia Studio
to record three songs. "A Little At A Time" is released in May as the
B-side of "In the Jailhouse Now"(Columbia 42425). "Were You There
(When They Crucified My Lord)" and "Johnny Reb" were originally
unissued, but now available on several Johnny Cash CD's. 
Personnel : Johnny Cash, vocals, guitar ; Luther Perkins, electric
guitar ; Marshall Grant, bass ; W.S. Holland, drums ; Robert Johnson,
lute ; Unknown, vocal chorus. Produced by Don Lw and Frank Jones. 
 
March 20, 1962 : CHARLIE RICH records the B-side of his new single,
"Easy Money" (Phillips International 3576, April) and possibly a few
other tracks. Location : Sun Studio, 639 Madison Avenue, Memphis.
 
March 20, 1962 : CARL MANN also records at the Sun studio on
this day. "When I Grow Too Old To Dream"/"Mountain Dew" becomes
his new single (Phillips International 3579, June). "Canadian Sunset"
is first released on the Swedish LP "14 Unissued Sides By Carl Mann"
(Jan / Star Club 33-8022) in 1985. Personnel : Carl Mann, vocal / piano ;
Eddie Bush, guitar ; R.W. Stevenson, bass ; Al Jackson, drums. 
Producer is probably Scotty Moore. 
 
March 23-25, 1962 : BILL HALEY and the Comets record the 10-
track LP "Twistin' Knights At the Round Table" (Roulette 25174) at
the Roundtable in New York City. 
Tracks : Lullaby of Birdland (instr.), Twist Marie, One-Two-Three
Twist, Down By the Riverside Twist, Queen of the Twisters, Caravan
Twist (instr.), I Want A Little Girl, Whistlin' and Walkin' Twist (inst.),
Florida Twist (instr.) and Eight More Miles To Louisville.
Personnel : Bill Haley, vocals, rhythm guitar ; Franny Beecher, lead
guitar ; Johnny Kay, rhythm guitar ; Billy Williamson, vocals, steel
guitar ; Al Rappa, bass guitar ; Johnny Grande, piano ; Rudy Pompilli,
tenor sax ; Sticks Evans, drums.
 
March 26, 1962 : The final Liberty session for JOHNNY BURNETTE
yields three tracks. "The Fool Of the Year" becomes the A-side of
the new single in late April (Liberty 55448). "Damn the Defiant" is
released on Liberty 55489 in August. "Choo Choo Train" is a track
for the LP "Roses Are Red" (Liberty LRP 3255).
Personnel : Tommy Allsup, Nick Bonney and Bill Pitman (guitars) ;
Red Callender (bass) ; Gene Garf (piano) ; Earl Palmer (drums) ;
Kathryn Julye (harp). Plus 10 strings and two trumpets. Produced 
by Snuff Garrett, arranged by Ernie Freeman. Location : United
Recording Corporation, 6050 Sunset Boulevard, Hollywood.
 
March 26-30, 1962 : ELVIS PRESLEY has a soundtrack session at
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, for the Paramount film "Girls! Girls!
Girls!". Of the sixteen songs recorded, eleven end up on the LP
"Girls! Girls! Girls!" (RCA LPM 2621), which will be released in 
November. "Return To Sender" from this session is a first try-out,
not the released master. 
Produced by Joseph Lilley. Session personnel includes Barney 
Kessel (guitar), Dudley Brooks (piano), Hal Blaine (drums), Scotty 
Moore (guitar) and Boots Randolph (sax).
Full details at http://www.elvisrecordings.com/
 
March 29, 1962 : In New York City, LaVERN BAKER records three
songs for the LP "Richard Rodgers' No Strings : An After-Theatre
Version" (Atlantic LP 1383) : "Loads Of Love", "You Don't Tell Me"
and "Eager Beaver". Arranged and directed by Bobby Scott, whose
orchestra also supplies the accompaniment. The other nine tracks 
on the LP are by Chris Connor, Herbie Mann and Bobby Short. 
 
March 30, 1962 : Second March session for CARL MANN. This time
he records five tracks, all originally unissued. "Even Though", "Because
Of You"and "Chinatown, My Chinatown" are first released on the 1985 
LP mentioned under March 20 ; "Mexicali Rose" on the 1977 LP "Carl
Mann, Legendary Sun Performer" (Charly CR 30130) and "'Til the End Of
Forever" sees its first release on the Bear Family box-set "Mona Lisa"
(BCD 15713) in 1993. Personnel is the same as on March 20, plus 
Charlie Rich (piano) and Martin Willis (sax). (Probably) produced by
Scotty Moore in Memphis.
 
March 31, 1962 : THE EVERLY BROTHERS record three versions of
"Little Hollywood Girl" at United Recording Corporation in Hollywood,
supervised by Jimmy Hillard. None of these versions was originally
issued ; take 2 is now available on the "From Nashville to Hollywood"
CD (2005). The brothers will return to the song in April, in Nashville
(see next month).
Personnel : Glen Campbell, Dick Glasser, Bill Pitman, Nick Bonney
(guitars) ; Red Callender (bass) ; Leon Russell (piano) ; Frank Capp
(drums).
 
With thanks to Steve Walker, Jarle Jensen and Tony Wilkinson.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index