by aardvarkd » 08 Oct 2009, 09:25
Thanks Clive. That does clarify the issue and it corrects some dates in the Lewry/Goodall 'Complete Recording Sessions' book, which cites the 9 March 1959 and 25 July versions as 'unissued'. The 6 September 1959 recording is listed there as the B-side release for 'Travellin' Light' (also recorded on 25 July). The Antoria/ 9 March version is presumably the one that appears on the MFP album and CD 'Rock on with Cliff' as well as the Dutch album you mention, while the Strat 'edition' (July or September sessions) is the one on the 'Rock and Roll Years' and the original 'Travellin' Light' single. As you mentioned, the notes in the 'Rock and Roll Years' set do give 25 July as the date of the hit B-side recording. This would seem to fit better with the single's chart entry in the first week of October. However, none of these dates seem to account for the third version which appears as an unreleased alternate take on the recent 'The Early Years' CD (in the 'They Said It Would Never Last' box-set). This is a pretty rough-and-ready item which seems to feature an early 'fuzz bass' line, probably due to an overloaded Vox. Maybe that is the elusive 6 September version but it's hard to tell what guitar is in use and it doesn't sound very 'Stratty'.
Peter