Saturday, May 5, 1962 : Recording date of the CHRIS MONTEZ 
hit "Let's Dance", and its flip, "You're the One" (Monogram 505, 
released in July). Produced by Jim Lee in Los Angeles.

May 8-9, 1962 : DEL SHANNON records in Nashville this time,
at Columbia Recording Studio. The new single, "Cry Myself To
Sleep"/"I'm Gonna Move On" (Bigtop 3112, June) is recorded
on the 8th, the other four tracks on May 9. "The Swiss Maid"
will be released on Bigtop 3117 in late August. "Dream Baby",
"She Thinks I Still Care" and "Runaround Sue" are tracks for the
LP "Little Town Flirt" (Bigtop 12-1308), released in June 1963.
Personnel : Grady Martin and Harold Bradley, guitars ; Buddy
Harman, drums ; Bob Moore, bass ; Hargus 'Pig' Robbins, piano/
organ / harpsichord ; Boots Randolph, sax ; The Jordanaires,
vocal chorus. Unidentified :female vocal chorus. Produced by
Harry Balk, arranged by Bill Ramal.

May 9, 1962 : LEFTY FRIZZELL is also at Nashville's Columbia
Studio (formerly Bradley Studio). He records material for two singles : 
"Stranger"/ "Just Passing Through" (Columbia 42521, August) and
"Forbidden Lovers"/"A Few Steps Away" (Columbia 42676, January 
1963). Musicians : Grady Martin, Ray Edenton and Harold Bradley,
guitars ; Joe Zinkan, bass ; Floyd Cramer, piano ; Buddy Harman,
drums. Unknown : vocal chorus. Produced by Don Law.

May 10, 1962 : DUANE EDDY is back at Hollywood's RCA
Victor Studio. "The Ballad Of Paladin"/"The Wild Westerners"
becomes his second RCA single (RCA 8047, end of June). 
"Stretchin' Out" will be used for the B-side of "Dance With the
Guitar Man" (RCA 8087, September). 
Personnel : Duane Eddy, guitar ; Barney Kessel, guitar ; Bill
Pitman, guitar ; James Bond, bass ; Earl Palmer, drums ; Larry
Knechtel, piano ; Plas Johnson, sax ; George Tracy, harmonica.
Plus seven violins, a horn, a trombone and a French horn. 
Produced by Lee Hazlewood, arranged by Bob Thompson.

May 11, 1962 : In Paris, MEMPHIS SLIM records the LP "The
Memphis Slim Story" (Vogue LD 58330, France). Personnel : 
Memphis Slim, vocal / piano ; Ben Waters, tenor sax, soprano 
sax, clarinet ; Guy Pedersen, bass ; Kansas Fields, drums.
Track listing at http://eil.com/shop/moreinfo.asp?catalogid=271412
Release date unknown.

May 12, 1962 : Gospel singer BROTHER JAMES ANDERSON
records ten tracks at the Sun Studio, 639 Madison Avenue in
Memphis, Tennessee. In February 1967, Knox Phillips decides
to launch a Sun "Gospel series" and issues two tracks from 
this session on Sun 406 : "I'm Gonna Move In the Room With 
the Lord" and "My Soul Needs Resting". It is both the first and
final release in the Sun Gospel series. Session men include 
guitarists Chips Moman and Roland Janes and drummer Al 
Jackson. The other eight tracks have never been issued.

May 16-17, 1962 : CLIFF RICHARD pays another visit to EMI's
Abbey Road Studios in London. "Summer Holiday" and "Dancing
Shoes" are held in the can until February 1963, when they are
released on Columbia DB 4977. Also recorded on the 16th is an 
unissued version of "The Next Time". On the 17th Cliff lays down
"When My Dreamboat Comes Home" and "Blueberry Hill", both
for the LP "32 Minutes And 17 Seconds With Cliff Richard", and
"It'll Be Me", released on Columbia DB 4886 in late August.
Produced as usual by Norrie Parmor.

Thursday, May 17, 1962 : JIMMY DEAN records the A-sides of
his next two singles at Columbia Recording Studio in Nashville.
"Steel Men" is released on Columbia 42483 in June and "Little
Black Book" on Columbia 42529 in September. Backing by Grady 
Martin, Billy Bird and Ray Edenton (guitars), Joe Zinkan (bass),
Floyd Cramer (piano), Buddy Harman (drums) and Jimmy Riddle
(harmonica). Produced by Don Law.

May 17, 1962 : Also in Nashville, JOHN D. LOUDERMILK lays
down the A-side of his next single, "Calling Dr. Casey" (RCA 8054,
first week of July). Personnel : John D. Loudermilk, vocal / guitar ;
Joe Tanner, guitar ; Henry Strzelecki, bass ; Jimmy Isbell, drums ;
Norro Wilson, harpsichord / leader ; The Anita Kerr Singers, vocal
chorus. Produced by Chet Atkins at RCA Studio.

May 19, 1962 : In New York City, THE FIESTAS record three
tracks for the Old Town label. "Broken Heart"/"The Railroad Song" 
is issued on Old Town 1122 in July and becomes their second 
hit (# 18 R&B, # 81 pop) after "So Fine". "I Feel Good All Over" 
comes out on Old Town 1127 in November. The Fiestas are
Tommy Bullock (lead), Eddie Morris (tenor), Sam Ingalis (baritone)
and Preston Lane (bass).

May 21, 1962 : JOHNNY HALLYDAY records his second US
single, "Caravan Of Lonely Men"/"Hey Little Girl" (Phillips 40043,
June). Also recorded at this session is a French version of "Don't
Play That Song" : "Pas Cette Chanson" (Philips 432799, France,
EP). Another track from this EP, a French-language version of "Hey
Baby" is laid down in late May, along with 11 other tracks (most 
of them unissued). The only two non-French tracks from this second
May session,"King For Tonight" and "I Need A Whole Lotta You" 
were first issued on a Bear Family LP (BFX 15316) in 1990. 
Produced by Shelby Singleton at Columbia Studio in Nashville.

May 27, 1962 is the recording date of FRANK IFIELD's big hit
"I Remember You" (Columbia DB 4856). Released on June 22.
Produced by Norrie Paramor at Abbey Road Studios.

May 30, 1962 : ERNIE K-DOE records four tracks in New Orleans:
"I Got To Find Somebody"/"Beating Like A Tom Tom" (Minit 651,
July), "Loving You" (becomes the B-side of "Get Out Of My House",
Minit 656, October) and "Baby Since I Met You" (Instant 3260).
Producer / pianist : Allen Toussaint, more details unknown.

May 31, 1962 : JOE TURNER's final recording session for Atlantic 
Records, after an 11-year affiliation with the label. Four tracks are
recorded in New Orleans, "Howlin' Winds", "Laura Lee" "The Party's
Over" and an untitled song, but none of them has ever been issued.

May 1962, unknown date : CLARENCE "FROGMAN" HENRY
records two tracks in New Orleans : "The Jealous Kind" (Argo
5426, October) and "That's My Desire", which is first issued on
the CD "The Best Of Clarence 'Frogman' Henry" (MCA MCLD 
19226) in 1993. Produced by Allen Toussaint, who also plays
piano.

With thanks to Steve Walker, Henk Gorter, Colin Kilgour and Jarle Jensen.

Additions and corrections welcome.
 
Dik

In the can index