Heather's job is cool....

For the most part. I just think these 3 invoices would be worth much more if I could match them to songs.

For the most part. I just think these 3 invoices would be worth much more if I could match them to songs.

The number doesn't seem to be a catalog number, but probably refers to a recording session. I wonder if you could email somebody like Peter Guralnick? He wrote the book Sweet Soul Music about Memphis soul, so he might have an idea. Or anybody that had the complete Stax singles box set could probably look up that recording date.

Heather, here's a list of Stax singles from that era. I'm pretty sure it must've come out on Volt with the V in the number. I'm thinking that is a catalog number now, since it's so similar to the Stax numbering.

Stax singles

Damn, maybe not. You can see from this label that Volt's catalog numbers start with VLT.

Volt Album discog.

I think you should start with the Booker T. listings in 1963 in that first Stax singles list. It's probably one of those.

Though Steve Cropper wasn't just the guitarist in Booker T. (hence, the house guitarist at Stax), he was also one of the main producer/songwriters so he would've overseen a number of productions that he didn't play on. The fact that it was done at Sam Phillips studio though, is intriguing and weird. He could've been doing something with the Bill Black Combo.

Here's contact info for Sun Studio. If there isn't an inhouse historian, or if there's a separate one for the Memphis Recording Service to whom you'd need to speak, I'm sure they can point you in the right direction. Toll free number & everything. And here's info for the Stax museum, which so impressed our man Mr. Childs.

Boss used to work for Sun. He says they don't have anything.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't both Steve Cropper and Scotty Moore still kicking? Maybe the thing to do is to ask them directly, although I think David's right that checking with Guralnick (or Robert Gordon) should probably be the first thing you do. I agree that it's strange that this is coming out of the Sam Phillips studio. Y'know, Milo Miles hangs out on PF -- you might want to ask him for help, too. I think he knows some of these guys and could hook you up, if he hasn't alienated them.

I agree that it's strange that this is coming out of the Sam Phillips studio.

I think the original Sun Studios was still putting out stuff until the mid sixties. I'm thinking the Bill Black Combo because (a) Bill was the bass player in the original Elvis combo with Scott (b) his combo was the only aspect of that lineup actually having minor hits in the early sixties with instrumental rock (c) Steve Cropper was also putting out instro rock in that period with Booker T.

The Memphis studio culture is such that it's not that weird that Cropper would be doing stuff with Scotty Moore or sitting in at another studio, but...Steve would've been pretty damn busy in 1963.

Fuck! I just remembered that The Bill Black Combo recorded for Hi, too, and probably used the Sam Phillips Studio for that. Lemme check the Gordon book -- I think Cropper engineered for Hi, also.