LDI Sessionography - Q&A

Reader Eric asked what should be a simple question:

Do you know what song was first recorded at 2120 S. Michigan Ave. in Chicago?
I know that studio opened in the summer of '57. Could the first song have been Rock and Roll Music? It was released in Sept. 1957.

Should be easy to answer, shouldn't it? So I went through all the books I have on Chess Records to find an exact date. But none of the books tells you, when the Chess studios and office moved to this location. Spinning Blues into Gold by Nadine Cohodas is the book telling most of the story. According to Cohodas, Leonard Chess bought the property in late 1956 or early 1957. Jack Wiener, who returned to Chicago in early 1957, was given the task to build up the recording studio facilities. Chess ads used the new address in early 1957 even though the company had not yet moved in. At least during Leonard's hospitalization in Feb./March 1957 the studios were not yet functioning.
Due to this, I doubt Fred Rothwell's listing who puts Berry's January 1957 session (School Day and others) already into Twenty-One Twenty. It is more likely, though, that the following Berry session was the first located there. It took place in early May 1957, probably the 6th. This corresponds to Cohodas's saying that Leonard recorded his old team Berry, Muddy Waters, Little Walter, and Howlin' Wolf first in the new studio. All of these recorded for Chess in May and June 1957.
Supposing that the May 1957 session was the first one to take place on South Michigan Avenue, Rock And Roll Music would be the second song recorded there. That session started with Berry recording How You've Changed, a lesser known song which appeared first on the album One Dozen Berrys (Chess LP-1432) in March 1958.

Reader Rick Bergemann asked to post this question for discussion. And sure it is a good(e) question:

After recently listening to "Johnny B. Goode" takes 2/3 I highly suspect that someone is playing rhythm guitar underneath Chuck's lead guitar. On take 2 Chuck abruptly stops his opening riff and shouts out for them to stop the take. The one instrument that continues on is a guitar, and it has a sound clearly distinct from Chuck's. Chuck actually has to yell several times in order to get the guitar to stop. When the guitar finally stops Chuck tells Leake to stay away from playing "Roll Over Beethoven" on the piano. In response to this the studio engineer asks Chuck if he means the piano or the guitar, at which point Chuck reiterates that he is talking about the piano. Why would the engineer ask Chuck if he was talking about the guitar if Chuck was the only guitar player? All signs point towards a second guitarist. I then listened with a renewed focus to JBG take 3 and the released version, and I thought that at some points I could make out a rhythm guitar that was clearly distinct from Chuck's.

The liner notes on the new 4CD set with all 1950's recordings do not tell about a second guitarist. Fred Rothwell's book has a second guitar as being overdubbed but on the final master only.
Any comments, anyone?

After publication of Fred Rothwell's Long Distance Information book some questions remained unanswered. One of these questions is:
Who were the Ecuadors who backed Chuck Berry in July 1959?
The only thing I noticed is that there were at least two more songs published by this group. Cham Records 181177 (Rockin' Rollin' Vocal Groups) contains "Say You'll Be Mine" by The Ecuadors, Cham Records 80423 (Rockin' Rollin' Vocal Groups Again) contains "Let Me Sleep Woman" by The Ecuadors, and Cham Records 80505 (Rockin' Rollin' Vocal Groups Vol. 4) contains "Sputnik Dance (A. Turner)" and "Stay A Little Closer (McCoy-Kirkland)" by The Equadors. Note the different spelling, though. It may be two different groups. On Cham Records 80505 (Rockin' Rollin' Vocal Groups Vol. 4) the composer for "Sputnik Dance" is listed as (A. Turner) and the composers of "Stay A Little Closer" are listed as (McCoy-Kirkland). Maybe these names point to group members?