Record #0620: Telegram Sam / Cadillac – T. REX

Reprise 1078 (original) USA, Jan. 22, 1972
Words & Music by:  Side A – Marc Bolan; Side B – Bolan
Musicians: Marc Bolan (lead vocals, guitars), Steve Currie (bass), Bill Legend (drums), Mickey Finn (backing vocals, percussion), Tony Visconti, Mark Volman and Howard Kaylan (backing vocals) and an orchestra conducted by David Katz
Recording sessions: Produced by Tony Visconti at Rosenberg Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark, and at Chateau d'Hierouville Studios, Paris, France in 1971
Highest chart positions:  US #67, UK #1, Ireland #1, Germany #4, Norway #6, Finland #20

This was the first single release from T. Rex' 1972 album "The Slider". The single came out six months before the album.

In the UK this was the first single released on Marc Bolan's own label ("T-REX"). That release had two songs on the flip-side, the other one being "Baby Strange".

I remember recording "Telegram Sam" from a radio broadcast to a C-cassette when I was a kid. I often tried to sing along the song, though I didn't know any English. :) Still dig it!

List price:  Very Good+ is $3, Near Mint is $6

Record #0619: Even Tho / Sparkling Brown Eyes – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-29107 (original) USA, May 1954
Words & Music by:  Side A –  Willie Jones, Curt Peoples, Webb Pierce; Side B –  Billy Cox
Musicians: Webb Pierce (lead vocals), Side A - The Wilburn Brothers (backing vocals), Hank Garland (guitar), Chet Atkins (guitar), Doyle Wilburn (rhythm guitar), Bud Isaacs (steel guitar), Ernie Newton (bass), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Jack Kay (fiddle), Farris Coursey (drums); Side B -  Grady Martin (guitar), Bud Isaacs (steel guitar), Jack Kay (fiddle), others unknown
Recording sessions: Castle Studio at the Tulane Hotel, Nashville, TN, Side A - Nov. 29, 1953; Side B - Feb. 23, 1954
Highest chart positions:  US Country #1

This was the 6th time Pierce topped the US Country charts.

Paul Cohen was running the Castle Studio and he probably also produced these sessions.

Now, after eight back-to-back posts of Webb Pierce and old school country music, the next post will be something different. It's amazing how majority of country lyrics and Finnish schlager music lyrics are similar (ie. mostly sad & depressing). :)

List price:  Very Good+ is $12.50, Near Mint is $25

Record #0618: It's Been So Long / Don't Throw Your Life Away – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-28725 (original) USA, Jun. 1953
Words & Music by:  Side A – Autry Grisham; Side B – Billy Wallace, Webb Pierce
Musicians: Webb Pierce (vocals), Grady Martin (guitar), Chet Atkins (guitar), Ray Edenton (rhythm guitar), Owen Bradley (piano), Ernie Newton (bass), Farris Coursey (drums), Dale Potter (fiddle), Tommy Jackson Jr (fiddle), an unknown steel player
Recording sessions: Castle Studio at the Tulane Hotel, Nashville, TN, Mar. 25, 1953
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US Country #1; Side B - US Country #9

This was Pierces fourth #1 hit. He had great guitar players in this session.

List price:  Very Good+ is $12.50, Near Mint is $25

Record #0617: Wondering / New Silver Bells – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-46364 (original) USA, Sep. 1951

I have two copies of the same pressing. The first post is here.

Record #0616: Any Old Time / We'll Find a Way – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-29974 (original) USA, Jun. 1956
Words & Music by:  Side A – Jimmie Rodgers; Side B – Webb Pierce
Musicians: Webb Pierce (vocals), Hank Garland (guitar), Harold Bradley (guitar), Sonny Burnette (steel guitar), Lightnin Chance (bass), Dale Potter (fiddle), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Jack Kay (fiddle), Buddy Harman (drums)
Recording sessions: Music City Recordings, Nashville, TN, Side A - Mar. 8; Side B - May 16, 1956
Highest chart positions:  US Country #7

Webb Pierce is at the border of rockabilly on the A-side, but I guess the correct genre label for this is still western swing. His follow-up single "Teenage Boogie" was in the same area - maybe a bit closer to rockabilly.

Very often Pierce got both sides of the record in the charts, but not this time.

List price:  Very Good+ is $10, Near Mint is $20

Record #0615: I'm Tired / It's My Way – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-30155 (original) USA, Dec. 1956
Words & Music by:  Side A – Ray Price, Buck Peddy, Mel Tillis; Side B – Webb Pierce, Wayne Walker
Musicians: Webb Pierce (vocals), Hank Garland (guitar), Harold Bradley (guitar), Sonny Burnette (steel guitar), Lightnin Chance (bass), Dale Potter (fiddle), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Jack Kay (fiddle), Buddy Harman (drums)
Recording sessions: Music City Recordings, Nashville, TN, Nov. 6, 1956
Highest chart positions:  Both sides US Country #3

Buck Peddy also co-wrote Pierce's previous single "Honky Tonk Song", which was his last #1 hit. Young rockabilly and rock'n'roll stars were invading the charts and 35-year-old Pierce was not very hip anymore. Also, he resigned from the Grand Ole Opry in February 1957. That may also have taken the sharpest edge off of his success in the country music scene.
Anyway, Pierce didn't "disappear" overnight - his fade-out was pretty slow and he still scored Top 20 hits till the end of the 60's.

List price:  Very Good+ is $10, Near Mint is $20

Record #0614: Love, Love, Love / If You Were Me – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-29662 (original) USA, Sep. 1955
Words & Music by:  Side A – Ted Jarrett; Side B – Webb Pierce, Frank Miller
Musicians: Webb Pierce (vocals), Hank Garland (guitar), Harold Bradley (guitar), Sonny Burnette (steel guitar), Lightnin Chance (bass), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Jack Kay (fiddle), Buddy Harman (drums)
Recording sessions: Bradley Studio, Nashville, TN, Jul. 6, 1955
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US Country #1; Side B - US Country #7

"Love, Love, Love" spent eight weeks on the top of the US Country charts. It was the third #1 single for Pierce that year.

Frank Miller's biggest success as a songwriter came when he co-wrote "Memories Are Made of This", which Dean Martin got to #1 in both the US and the UK.

List price:  Very Good+ is $10, Near Mint is $20

Record #0613: I Ain't Never / Shanghied – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-30923 (original) USA, Jun. 1959
Words & Music by:  Side A – Mel Tillis, Webb Pierce; Side B – Tillis, Marijohn Wilkin
Musicians: Webb Pierce (vocals), others unknown
Recording sessions: Produced by Owen Bradley at Bradley Film and Recording Studio, Nashville, TN, Side A - May 15, 1959; Side B - May 19, 1959
Highest chart positions:  US #24, US Country #2

This single spent nine weeks at US Country #2, but just couldn't top the chart. Mel Tillis' 1972 cover version was able to do that, giving Tillis his first #1 hit as an artist.

List price:  Very Good+ is $7.50, Near Mint is $15

Record #0612: Yes I Know Why / Cause I Love You – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-29805 (original) USA, Feb. 1956
Words & Music by:  Side A – Webb Pierce; Side B – Pierce, Denny Hill
Musicians: Webb Pierce (vocals), Hank Garland (guitar), Harold Bradley (guitar), Sonny Burnette (steel guitar), Lightnin Chance (bass on side A), Bob Moore (bass on side B), Dale Potter (fiddle on side B), Tommy Jackson (fiddle), Jack Kay (fiddle on side B), Buddy Harman (drums)
Recording sessions: Bradley Studio, Nashville, TN, Side A - Nov. 18, 1955; Side B - Dec. 16, 1955
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US Country #2; Side B - US Country #3

When an artist has 52 Top 10 songs during his career, it may happen that there isn't much info available even for a record that has two of those songs. Session information is in the web, though (thanks to Prague Frank).

As usual, Pierce was backed by the Nashville A-Team and the session was recorded in Owen Bradley's studio.

List price:  Very Good+ is $10, Near Mint is $20

Record #0611: Wheel of Fortune / Heart of a Clown – BOBBY WAYNE

Mercury 5779 (original) USA, 1952
Words & Music by:  Side A –  Bennie Benjamin, George David Weiss; Side B –  Frances Kane, Jack Rollins, Steve Nelson
Musicians: Bobby Wayne (lead vocals), orchestra and chorus conducted by Joe Reisman
Recording sessions: New York, NY, 1952
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #6; Side B - US #29

It's hard to find much info about this artist in the web, but apparently this was his only US Top 10 single.

List price:  not listed

Record #0610: Sugar Shack / My Heart Is Free – JIMMY GILMER AND THE FIREBALLS

Dot 16487 (original) USA, May 1963
Words & Music by:  Side A – Keith McCormack, Jimmy Torres; Side B – Mike Hawker, Marty Wilde
Musicians: Jimmy Gilmer (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), George Tomsco (lead guitar), Stan Lark (bass), Doug Roberts (drums), Norman Petty (Solovox keyboards)
Recording sessions: Produced by Norman Petty at Norman Petty Studios, Clovis, NM, Apr. 1963
Highest chart positions:  US #1, US R&B #1, UK #45

This was a huge hit for the group. In addition to the chart success (5 weeks at US #1), the record also sold 1.5 million copies.
Billboard also ranked "Sugar Shack" as the #1 song of 1963.

Reportedly Petty added the keyboards to the track without asking the group first. Initially they were upset about it. But it seems he knew what he was doing this time, as the neat keyboard riffs and sound seemed to be the gimmick that got the hit going.
I think that Petty didn't know what he was doing when he had his wife to play celeste on Buddy Holly's "Everyday". Honestly ... celeste!  :)

The flip was co-written by a British rock'n'roll star, Marty Wilde.  This was still before the British Invasion - it was fairly unusual for an American rock/pop artist to cover a British rock/pop song at the time.

List price:  Very Good+ is $7.50, Near Mint is $15

Record #0609: When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes / Standing at the Crossroads of Love – THE SUPREMES

Motown 1051 (original) USA, Oct. 31, 1963
Words & Music by:  Side A – Brian Holland, Lamont Dozier, Eddie Holland; Side B – Holland, Dozier, Holland
Musicians: Diana Ross (lead vocals), Florence Ballard (vocals), Mary Wilson (vocals), The Four Tops (additional vocals), Holland-Dozier-Holland (additional vocals), The Funk Brothers (instrumentation)
Recording sessions: Produced by Brian Holland and Lamont Dozier at Hitsville U.S.A. Studio A, Detroit, MI, Oct. 1, 1963
Highest chart positions:  US #23, US R&B #2

This was the Supremes' first US Top 40 and US R&B Top 10 entry. (29 and 20 more were to come later on correspondingly.) It was also their first record produced by Holland-Dozier-Holland.

Both tracks were included on their 1964 album "Where Did Our Love Go" (US Album #2, US R&B Album #1). The album also included three US #1 hits, "Baby Love", "Come See About Me" and the album's title song.

List price:  Very Good+ is $10, Near Mint is $20

Record #0608: (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Loving You – ELVIS PRESLEY

RCA Victor 47-7000 (original) USA, Jun. 11, 1957
Words & Music by:  Side A – Kal Mann, Bernie Lowe; Side B – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller
Musicians: Elvis Presley (vocals, rhythm guitar on side B, percussion on side A), Scotty Moore (lead guitar), Bill Black (upright bass), D.J. Fontana (drums), Dudley Brooks (piano), The Jordanaires (backing vocals), Hilmer J. Timbrell (rhythm guitar on side A)
Recording sessions: Side A - Produced by Walter Scharf at Paramount Scoring Stage, Los Angeles, CA, Jan. 16, 1957; Side B - Produced by Steve Sholes at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, CA, Feb. 24, 1957
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #1, US Country #1, US R&B #1, UK #3; Side B - US #20, US Country #15, UK #24

Both tracks are from Elvis' 1957 movie and album "Loving You". This single came out about 3 weeks before the album did. The movie was released on July 9, 1957.

Elvis played the belly of his guitar as a percussion on "Teddy Bear". He did the same also in the movie scene, which is about in the middle of the movie. The scene where he performs "Loving You" is about five minutes before the end.

"Teddy Bear" required 13 takes and "Loving You" was nailed on the 4th take in the studio.

List price:  Very Good+ is $20, Near Mint is $40. Two other variants known; both of them have parenthesis around "Let Me Be Your" and one of them has a horizontal line on the label. Those variants are listed $30 in a Near Mint condition.

Record #0607: Drip Drop / Moonlight Bay – THE DRIFTERS

Atlantic 1187 (original) USA, May 1958
Words & Music by:  Side A – Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller; Side B – Percy Wenrich, Edward Madden
Musicians: Bobby Hendricks (lead vocals), Gerhart Thrasher (tenor), Jimmy Millender (baritone), Tommy Evans (bass vocals), Jimmy Oliver (guitar), others unknown, including an unknown group of white singers (vocals on side B)
Recording sessions: Produced by Leiber & Stoller in New York, NY, Apr. 28, 1958
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #58; Side B - US #72

The Drifters had gone through many line-up changes by this time, and this was the first session for this particular line-up. It also ended-up being the last one.

Side A is a good rocking Leiber-Stoller tune, but you may say what the <bleep> when you hear the flip-side. It sounds like a totally different group ... and that's because it mostly is. The recording of it was supposed to be an experimental session. Supposedly it was that in some sense. Evans and Trasher showed up drunk. The group did some 30 takes and at the end Hendricks started to lose his voice. None of those takes were good, and it didn't really help that the engineer had tried out some multi-track recording, which didn't quite go as planned. Afterwards Leiber and Stoller brought in a group of white singers to "patch" the vocals.  At least to me it sounds like they patched the whole thing - all I can hear on the track are honky vocals.

Soon after this session Hendricks and Oliver left the group and their manager George Treadwell fired everybody else. Treadwell hired a group called "The Five Crowns" and renamed them "The Drifters". That line-up had Ben E. King singing the lead.

List price:  Very Good+ is $15, Near Mint is $30

Record #0606: I Want To Be Wanted / Just a Little – BRENDA LEE

Decca 9-31149 (original) USA, Sep. 19, 1960
Words & Music by:  Side A – Kim Gannon, Pino Spotti, Alberto Testa; Side B – Betty Logan Chotas
Musicians: Brenda Lee (lead vocals), Hank Garland (guitar), Grady Martin (guitar), Harold Bradley (bass guitar), Bob Moore (upright bass), Buddy Harman (drums), Floyd Cramer (piano), Boots Randolph (sax), Anita Kerr Singers (chorus), plus a strings section
Recording sessions: Produced by Owen Bradley at Bradley Film & Recording Studio, Nashville, TN, Side A – Aug. 16, 1960; Side B – Mar. 28, 1960
Highest chart positions:  US #1, US R&B #7, UK #31, Australia #10

I already got this far when I noticed that I already posted one copy of this record here. :)

Record #0605: Tupelo County Jail / Falling Back To You – WEBB PIERCE

Decca 9-30711 (original) USA, Aug. 1958
Words & Music by:  Side A – Webb Pierce, Mel Tillis; Side B – Pierce, Bill Phillips
Musicians: Webb Pierce (vocals), Hank Garland (guitar), Mel Tillis (guitar), Sonny Burnette (steel), Lightnin Chance (bass), Morris Palmer (drums), Tommy Vaden (fiddle on side A), Tommy Jackson (fiddle on side A), Dale Potter (fiddle on side B), Owen Bradley (piano)
Recording sessions: Bradley Film and Recording Studio, Nashville, TN, Side A - Jul. 8; Side B - Jul. 5, 1958
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US Country #7; Side B - US Country #10

Webb Pierce had 52 songs in US Country top 10 in his career; here are two of them.

As usual, he is backed by some Nashville A-Team musicians on this record.

Mel Tillis, who co-wrote the title song, is a country music star, but also a notable songwriter. He has written and co-written many hits of country music, rockabilly, rock'n'roll and pop. Songs like "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love To Town" by Kenny Rogers, "Detroit City" by both Bobby Bare and Tom Jones, "Emotions" by Brenda Lee and "Bop-a-Lena" by Ronnie Self.

List price:  Very Good+ is $7.50, Near Mint is $15

Record #0604: Don't Stand So Close To Me / A Sermon – THE POLICE

A&M 2301-S (original) USA, Jan. 1981
Words & Music by:  Side A – Sting; Side B – Stewart Copeland
Musicians: Sting (lead & backing vocals, bass), Andy Summers (guitars, guitar synthesizer), Stewart Copeland (drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by The Police and Nigel Gray at Wisseloord Studios, Hilversum, Netherlands, summer 1980. Not sure if side B production & recording session details are same as the A-side's.
Highest chart positions:  US #10, US Rock #11, UK #1

This was the group's first US Top 10 single. In the UK "Don't Stand So Close To Me" was already their third #1 song.

I've never been a big fan of The Police, but I have to say that I have to admire their talent. Many of their songs are very challenging to play and they nailed them like there's nothing to it. Hats off.

List price:  Not listed.

Record #0603: Mother's Little Helper / Lady Jane – THE ROLLING STONES

London 902 (original) USA, Jul. 2, 1966
Words & Music by:  Side A – Mick Jagger, Keith Richards; Side B – Jagger, Richards
Musicians: Mick Jagger (lead vocals, percussion on side A), Keith Richards (guitars, backing vocals on side A), Brian Jones (12-string guitar on side A, dulcimer on side B), Bill Wyman (bass on side A), Charlie Watts (drums on side A), Jack Nitzche (harpsichord on side B)
Recording sessions: Produced by Andrew Loog Oldham at RCA Studios, Hollywood, CA , Side A - Dec. 3-8, 1965; Side B - Mar. 3-6, 1966
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #8; Side B - US #24

Both tracks are from the Rolling Stones' 1966 album "Aftermath". This was the second single release from the album ("Paint It Black" was the first one). The entire album was recorded in the States - that was the first time the group did that.

The title song deals with the popularity of Valium at the time.

List price:  Very Good+ is $7.50, Near Mint is $15

Record #0602: The Good, the Bad and the Ugly / March With Hope – HUGO MONTENEGRO, HIS ORCHESTRA AND CHORUS

RCA Victor 47-9423 (original, promo) USA, Jan. 1968
Words & Music by:  Side A – Ennio Morricone; Side B – Morricone
Musicians: Tommy Morgan (harmonica), Art Smith (ocarina), Elliot Fisher (electric violin), Manny Klein (piccolo trumpet), Muzzy Marcellino (whistling) and others in an orchestra & chorus conducted by Hugo Montenegro
Recording sessions: Produced by Neely Plumb at RCA Victor's Music Center Of The World, Hollywood, CA, 1967 (?)
Highest chart positions:  US #2, US AC #1, UK #1

The title song is a cover of Ennio Morricone's theme from a 1966 Spaghetti Western "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly" starring Clint Eastwood. Personally I think this is a very good cover, but still I prefer the original one with Pino Rucher's crisp & raw guitar sounds.

Both tracks appear on Montenegro's 1968 album "Music from The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, A Fistful of Dollars and For a Few Dollars More", where he had music from the entire "Dollars Trilogy". He also released singles with the other two theme songs, but those didn't do as well in the charts as this one.

List price:  Promos not listed. For original release, Very Good+ is $4, Near Mint is $8

Record #0601: Mr. Blue / You Mean Everything To Me – THE FLEETWOODS

Dolton 5 (original) USA, Aug. 1959
Words & Music by:  Side A – Dewayne Blackwell; Side B – Tommy Kaspar
Musicians: Gary Troxler (lead vocals), Gretchen Christopher (vocals), Barbara Ellis (vocals), Si Zentner (trombone), possibly Bonnie Guitar (guitar), others unknown
Recording sessions: Produced by Kearney Barton at Northwest Recorders, Seattle, WA and in Los Angeles, CA in 1959
Highest chart positions:  US #1, US R&B #3

The Fleetwoods had two US #1 hits, "Mr. Blue" being the second one. The first one was "Come Softly To Me", which I already posted here.

The group had an interesting way to put their first recordings together. They recorded the vocals acappella in Seattle, then Bob Reisdorff (co-owner of Dolton) took the tapes to LA, where the instrumentation was added

List price:  Very Good+ is $10, Near Mint is $20

Record #0600: The Way I Walk / Midgie – JACK SCOTT

Carlton 514 (original) USA, May 1959
Words & Music by:  Side A – Jack Scott; Side B – Scott
Musicians: Jack Scott (lead vocals), Stan Getz (upright bass), Dave Rohilier (lead guitar), Dominic Scafone (drums), The Chantones (backing vocals), others unknown
Recording sessions: Produced by Joe Carlton at Universal Sound Studio, Detroit, MI, summer 1958
Highest chart positions:  US #35, UK #30

This is a true rock'n'roll classic and my favorite record by a Canadian artist. :)

The backing group was called "Stan Getz and His Tom Cats". This Getz is not to be mixed with the famous jazz sax player.

The Cramps covered "The Way I Walk" on the flip of their 1978 debut single ("Surfin' Bird"). This song has been covered by many others as well. I also played this on my first gig in 1984. :)

List price:  Very Good+ is $15, Near Mint is $30

Record #0599: Nobody Knows What's Goin' On (In My Mind But Me) / Did You Ever Go Steady – THE CHIFFONS

Laurie 3301 (original, 1st pressing) USA, May 1965
Words & Music by:  Side A – Brute Force (Steve Friedland); Side B – Phil Margo, Mitch Margo, Hank Medress, Jay Siegel
Musicians: Judy Craig (lead vocals), Patricia Bennett (vocals), Barbara Lee (vocals), Sylvia Peterson (vocals), others unknown
Recording sessions: Produced by Bright Tunes Productions Inc. at Capitol Records Studio (?), New York, NY, 1965
Highest chart positions:  US #49

The Chiffons were most famous for their 1963 hits "He's So Fine"  and "One Fine Day". The former became even more famous when George Harrison recorded "My Swee Lord" in 1970 and The Chiffons' producers filed a copyright infringement suit against Harrison.

After this single the group still had one US Top 10 hit with "Sweet Talking Guy" (US #10, UK #31). When that was re-issued in the UK in 1972, it climbed all the way to UK #4.

Laurie's second pressing of this record had "The Real Thing" as the flip-side. The catalog number was still the same.

List price:  Very Good+ is $6, Near Mint is $12. The second pressing has the same list prices.

Record #0598: Too Much / Playing For Keeps – ELVIS PRESLEY

RCA 47-6800 (original) USA, Jan. 4, 1957

Apparently I have three copies of the same release & pressing. I posted the other two here and here.
Looks like this one has been played a bit more than the others. :)

Record #0597: Cathy's Clown / Always It's You – THE EVERLY BROTHERS

Warner Bros. 5151 (original, 2nd pressing) USA, Apr. 1960
Words & Music by:  Side A – Don Everly, Phil Everly; Side B – Boudleaux Bryant, Felice Bryant
Musicians: Don Everly (vocals, guitar), Phil Everly (vocals, guitar), others are probably: Hank Garland (guitar), Chet Atkins (guitar), Harold Bradley (guitar), Ray Edenton (guitar), Lightnin' Chance (bass), Floyd Cramer (piano), Buddy Harman (drums)
Recording sessions: Produced by Wesley Rose (?) at RCA Victor Studio, Nashville, TN, Mar. 17-18, 1960
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #1, US R&B #1, UK #1; Side B - US #56

The Everly Brothers had just left the Cadence label and signed for Warner, where this was their first single release. They could not have had much better start with the new label.

Based on the chart success, "Cathy's Clown" was the duo's biggest hit. It also stands at #149 in Rolling Stone Magazine's "500 Greatest Songs".

Phil Everly died on Jan. 3, 2014.
R.I.P.

List price:  Very Good+ is $7.50, Near Mint is $15. First pressings have pink labels; those are $20 for NM. Stereo release (S-5151) is $50 for NM.

Record #0596: I'll Bring It Home To You / I Can't Take It – CARLA THOMAS

Atlantic 45-2163 (original) USA, Sep. 1962
Words & Music by:  Side A – Sam Cooke; Side B – Carla Thomas
Musicians: Carla Thomas (lead vocals), others unknown, but may include one or more of the following: Steve Cropper (guitar), Booker T. Jones (piano), Lewie Steinberg  (bass), Al Jackson, Jr. (drums)
Recording sessions: Nashville, TN, Sep. 4, 1962
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #41, US R&B #9

This was Thomas' second US R&B Top 10 entry. The first one was "Gee Whiz", which I already posted here.

This is one fine piece of early 60's female R&B/Soul.

List price:  Very Good+ is $6, Near Mint is $12

Record #0595: The River and the Mountain / This Hotel – DORSEY BURNETTE

Era 3033 (original) USA, Nov. 7, 1960
Words & Music by:  Side A – Dorsey Burnette, Barry De Vorzon; Side B – Burnette, Bob West
Musicians: Dorsey Burnette (lead vocals), others unknown
Recording sessions: United Recording Company, Hollywood, CA, Sep./Oct. 1960
Highest chart positions:  Didn't hit top 100 in any national charts

Burnette had four fairly successful songs in 1960, but neither of these two were in that league. I think this record isn't among his finest moments either.

Dorsey was the elder brother and former bandmate of Johnny Burnette, who recorded his biggest hit "You're Sixteen" in the very same studio on Sep. 19, 1960. He's also the father of Billy Burnette.

List price:  Very Good+ is $8, Near Mint is $16

Record #0594: I'll Cry Instead / I'm Happy Just To Dance With You – THE BEATLES

Capitol 5234 (original) USA, Jul. 20, 1964
Words & Music by:  Side A – John Lennon, Paul McCartney; Side B – Lennon, McCartney
Musicians: John Lennon (lead vocals on side A, backing vocal on side B, rhythm guitar, tambourine on side A), George Harrison (lead guitar, lead vocal on side B), Paul McCartney (bass, backing vocal on side B), Ringo Starr (drums, African drum on side B)
Recording sessions: Produced by George Martin at EMI Studios (Abbey Road), London, UK; Side 1 - Jun. 1, 1964; Side B - Mar. 1, 1964
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #25; Side B - US #95

These songs were not released on a single in the UK.

Both tracks were included in The Beatles' 1964 album "A Hard Day's Night" and their debut movie of the same name.

I'd regard "I'll Cry Instead" one of the best rockabilly tracks The Beatles ever recorded.

Lennon & McCartney wrote the flip specifically for George Harrison to sing.

List price:  Very Good+ is $20, Near Mint is $40

Record #0593: A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You / The Girl I Knew Somewhere – THE MONKEES

Colgems 66-1004 (original) USA, Mar. 18, 1967
Words & Music by:  Side A – Neil Diamond; Side B – Mike Nesmith
Musicians: Side A - Davy Jones (lead vocals), Al Gorgoni (guitar), Don Thomas (guitar), Hugh McCracken (guitar), Louis Mauro (bass), James Tyrell (bass), Herb Lovelle (drums), Stan Free (piano), Arthur Butler (organ), Thomas Cerone (tambourine); Side B - Michael Nesmith (lead vocals, lead guitar), Micky Dolenz (drums), Peter Tork (rhythm guitar, harpsicord), Davy Jones (tambourine), John London (bass)
Recording sessions: Side A - produced by Jeff Barry at RCA Studio B, New York, NY, Jan. 21 & Feb. 4, 1967; Side B - produced by Chip Douglas at RCA Victor Studios, Hollywood, CA, Jan. 1967 (multiple sessions)
Highest chart positions:  Side A - US #2, UK #3; Side B - US #39

"A Little Bit Me, a Little Bit You" was initially pressed as Colgems 66-1003 in Feb. 1967 with "She Hangs Out" (another Neil Diamond song; also recorded in NYC) as the flip, but the single was withdrawn and never released. The reason was that The Monkees project had a "50% Monkee-control rule" and the release was breaking it. Don Kirshner (musical director), who was pushing for the release, got fired from the project.

The web sessionographies are a bit vague on the flip-side; which version was released on the single, who played on it, which date was the session on and was it at Goldstar or RCA studios. What I put in the details above is just "one possible scenario".

List price:  Very Good+ is $7.50, Near Mint is $15. Even though release 66-1003 doesn't exist, the picture sleeve for it does. It is very rare and listed at $1000 for a Near Mint.