List of songs recorded by Elvis Presley on the Sun label
Of the 24 known taped songs, 22 survive. Ten were released by Sun as Elvis's first five singles between 1954 and 1955. With the exception of the first four songs, which were demos recorded at Presley's expense, all of the songs were produced by Sam Phillips and featured Scotty Moore on guitar and Bill Black on bass.
A year after Presley joined
History
Recordings
On July 18, 1953, Presley first went to the
Phillips had already cut the first records by blues artists such as Howlin' Wolf and Junior Parker.[7] He thought a combination of black blues and boogie-woogie music would be very popular among white people, if presented in the right way.[8] In the spring, Presley auditioned for an amateur gospel quartet called The Songfellows, as one of the group was leaving and they were seeking a replacement.[9] However, following Presley's audition, the original group member decided to stay.[9] In May, Presley auditioned at the Hi-Hat in Memphis as a vocalist for a band. Eddie Bond, the owner of the Hi-Hat, turned him down.[10]
When Phillips acquired a demo recording of "Without You" and was unable to identify the vocalist, his assistant, Marion Keisker, reminded him about the young truck driver. She called him on May 26, 1954. Presley was not able to do justice to the song (the original acetate of the song that Phillips presented to Elvis resides in the Memphis State University collection),[11] but Phillips asked him to perform some of the many other songs he knew. After running through a few songs, Presley expressed an interest in finding a band to play with, and Phillips invited local Western swing musicians Winfield "Scotty" Moore (electric guitar) and Bill Black (slap bass) to audition Presley. They did so on Sunday, July 4, 1954, at Moore's house. Neither musician was overly impressed, but they agreed a studio session would be useful to explore his potential.[12]
On July 5, 1954, the trio met at Sun studios to rehearse and record a handful of songs. According to Moore, the first song they recorded was "I Love You Because", but, after a few other country-oriented songs that weren't all that impressive, they decided to take a break.
To gauge professional and public reaction, Phillips took several acetates of the session to
After several performances with other bands, Presley arranged for Moore and Black to be his regular back-up group, giving them each 25% of the takings.[20] Moore and Black were originally members of their own band, The Starlight Wranglers, but after the success of "That's All Right", jealousy within the group forced them to split.[21]
Over the next 15 months, the trio would release five singles, tour extensively across the South, and appear regularly on the Louisiana Hayride; it was the biggest rival to the Grand Ole Opry at the time. They had originally auditioned for the Opry in October 1954, but they failed to impress the people in charge, or the audience, and were not invited back. Several biographers cite Jim Denny, talent agent at the Opry, as the man who told Presley that he should "go back to driving a truck".[22]
The trio would record at Sun together until November 1955, when Phillips sold Presley's contract to RCA Victor for $40,000; it was, at the time, the highest sum ever paid for a recording contract. Sun had permission to keep pressing the singles until January 1, 1956, and RCA Victor released Presley's first five Sun singles nationally. In January 1956, Presley recorded "Heartbreak Hotel", his first RCA Victor single. He would return to Sun studios regularly over the next few months, visiting with Phillips and meeting many of the label's new artists.
Although Presley never officially recorded for Sun again, he was caught on tape during an impromptu jamming session on December 4, 1956. Presley had arrived during a Carl Perkins recording session, which also featured a young Jerry Lee Lewis on piano, and a new artist named Johnny Cash watching on. During a break in recording, Presley sat at the piano and began to sing along with Perkins, Lewis and Cash. Phillips kept his tape recorder running, and, seeing an opportunity to promote another of his new acts, he arranged for a reporter to cover the event. The recordings would eventually be known as "The Million Dollar Quartet".
During Presley's tenure at Sun Records, he recorded two demo recordings in Lubbock, Texas: "Fool, Fool, Fool" and "Shake, Rattle and Roll", which were released for the first time by RCA in the 1990s. These are not considered Sun recordings.
Songs recorded
Listed are the 24 titles from 1953 to 1955, ordered by their recording date. A
"My Happiness"
"My Happiness" was recorded as a self-financed demo.
The original is by Borney Bergantine (the melody existed in 1933), and Betty Peterson Blasco; published in 1948.
- Recorded: 18 July 1953
"That's When Your Heartaches Begin"
"That's When Your Heartaches Begin" was recorded as a self-financed demo.
The original is from 1937 by William Raskin, Fred Fisher and George Brown, and recorded by The Ink Spots in 1941.
- Recorded: 18 July 1953
"I'll Never Stand in Your Way"
"
- Recorded: January 4, 1954
"It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You"
"
- Recorded: January 4, 1954
"I Love You Because"
"
- Recorded: July 5, 1954 (session 1)
"That's All Right"
"
- Recorded: July 6, 1954 (session 1)
Elvis's recording of "That's All Right (Mama)" is mentioned as one of the beginnings of
"Harbor Lights"
Hugh Williams – Jimmy Kennedy. Original: possibly Harry Owens and His Royal Hawaiians.
- Recorded: Possibly July 5, 1954 (session 1)
The 4-CD boxed set Today, Tomorrow and Forever contains an alternate version (take three).
"Blue Moon of Kentucky"
"Blue Moon of Kentucky" is a bluegrass song by Bill Monroe, originally recorded by "Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys" (1947, Columbia).
- Recorded: July 7, 1954 (session 1)
The 1992 album
"Blue Moon"
R. Rodgers – L. Hart.
Original: Ted Fio Rito & His Orchestra (Brunswick LA231=C 11/19/1934) [1]
Also:
- Recorded: August 19, 1954 (session 2)
"Tomorrow Night"
- Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3)
"I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')"
Jimmy Wakely. Original: Jimmy Wakely (1943, Decca)
- Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3)
"Satisfied"
- Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3) (tape lost)
"I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine"
M. David. Original probably Patti Page (1950, Mercury)
- Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3)
The Dean Martin version was probably Elvis' inspiration.
"Just Because"
Recorded 1933[24][25]Also; Lonestar Cowboys, 1933 on RCA (Victor),
- Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3)
"Good Rockin' Tonight"
Roy Brown. Original Roy Brown (1947, DeLuxe); also Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris (1948, King)
- Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3)
"Milkcow Blues Boogie"
Kokomo Arnold. Original probably Kokomo Arnold (1935, Decca)
Other releases: Johnny Lee Wills (1941, Decca); Moon Mullican (1946, King); Bob Wills & His Texas Playboys as "Brain Cloudy Blues", (1946, Columbia)
- Recorded: December 8, 1954 (session 4)
"You're a Heartbreaker"
- Recorded: December 8, 1954 (session 4)
"Baby Let's Play House"
Arthur Gunter. Original: Arthur Gunter (1954, Excello)
In 1951 Eddy Arnold recorded a song titled "I Want to Play House with You"[33][34] [35] by Cy Coben. [3] This song has been misidentified as the same song. It is not.[36]
"I Got a Woman"
- Recorded: February 5, 1955 (session 5) (tape lost)
"Tryin' to Get to You"
Rose Marie McCoy – Charles Singleton. Original: The Eagles (1954, Mercury)
- Recorded: February 11, 1955 (session 5, not published) and July 11, 1955 (session 7, published)
In 2002, RCA included information in the liner notes of Sunrise as to Presley recording this song while simultaneously playing the piano, and not aided by his rhythm guitar, as previously believed. Because the piano was not directly miked, it can only be heard faintly in the background.
"I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone"
Stan Kesler – William Taylor
- Recorded: March 5, 1955 (session 6)
"I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
Stan Kesler – Charlie Feathers
- Recorded: July 11, 1955 (session 7)
"Mystery Train"
Junior Parker – Sam Phillips. Original: Little Junior's Blue Flames (1953, Sun)
- Recorded: July 11, 1955 (session 7)
"When It Rains, It Really Pours"
William R. Emerson. Original: Billy Emerson (1955, Sun)
- Recorded: November 20, 1955 (session 8)
Late, rumored and legendary recordings
The Million Dollar Quartet (session recordings)
On December 4, 1956, a year after Elvis had left Sun for RCA, he revisited Sun Studio. The afternoon became a jam session with Carl Perkins (then already famous for his "Blue Suede Shoes"), Jerry Lee Lewis (relatively unknown at the time), and Johnny Cash (not heard on the tapes, although he does appear on the cover photo). The taping was largely unintended by the quartet; they were just singing the songs they had in mind. About 40 titles are recorded, most of them incomplete. Elvis is caught telling about a singer he saw in Las Vegas, doing his version of "Don't Be Cruel", and they're enjoying "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" from Chuck Berry.
- Recorded: December 4, 1956.
Rumored
Over the decades, several additional recordings have been claimed as having been recorded by Elvis at Sun Records. The reference work Elvis: The Illustrated Record by Roy Carr and Mick Farren lists the following songs that were, as of 1982, believed to have been recorded by Elvis at Sun Records but as of 2009 remain unreleased and unaccounted for in the official record:[37]
- "Tennessee Saturday Night" (2 takes recorded July 5–7, 1954). According to Carr and Farren, RCA planned to include this recording on the 1965 compilation album Elvis for Everyone!, but substituted the Sun side "Tomorrow Night" instead.[38]
- "Uncle Penn" (1 take recorded September 9, 1954). Carr and Farren claim the existence of "Uncle Penn" is proven by it being listed on the session sheet for the recording session of December 8, 1954, that produced "Tomorrow Night"[39] however this contradicts the authors' chart that gives the September 9 recording date.[40]
- "Oakie Boogie" (1 take recorded December 8, 1954).
Releases
Most of the tapes, including the private single, the Million Dollar Quartet and alternate takes have been released.
Sun Singles
Ten songs, making five singles, were originally released on the Sun label. These records (in both 45 RPM and 78 RPM formats) are among the most valuable of Elvis's output, fetching four figures in excellent condition:
- Sun 209—July 19, 1954: "That's All Right" / "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
- Sun 210—September 25, 1954: "Good Rockin' Tonight" / "I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine"
- Sun 215—December 28, 1954: "Milkcow Blues Boogie" / "You're a Heartbreaker"
- Sun 217—April 10, 1955: "Baby Let's Play House" / "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone"
- Sun 223—August 6, 1955: "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" / "Mystery Train"
RCA Releases
After signing with RCA, the same songs, in the same b/w combination, were re-released by RCA (December 1955). The songs were available on 78 RPM and 45 RPM, which explains the two ordering-numbers 20/47, respectively:
- RCA 20/47-6357: Sun 223
- RCA 20/47-6380: Sun 209
- RCA 20/47-6381: Sun 210
- RCA 20/47-6382: Sun 215
- RCA 20/47-6383: Sun 217
The same pairings were later reissued as part of RCA's Gold Standard series in five different label formats: Black label with dog at top (September 1958), black label with dog on left side (September 1965), orange label (November 1968), red label (September 1970), and black label with dog in upper right hand corner (September 1976)
- 447-0600: Sun 223
- 447-0601: Sun 209
- B-side of red label version misspells Elvis's last name as "PRESELY"
- 447-0602: Sun 210
- The original "dog on top" copies of the above two were released with special picture sleeves
- 447-0603: Sun 215
- 447-0604: Sun 217
Albums featuring the Sun recordings
Elvis Presley (1956)
On January 27, 1956, the first RCA single, "Heartbreak Hotel" b/w "I Was the One" was released, giving Elvis a nationwide breakthrough. His reputation as a performer on stage was already growing in the same dimensions.
On March 23, 1956, the first album, Elvis Presley, was released (RCA 1254). "Heartbreak Hotel" was at that moment climbing the lists, but as rock and roll was largely bought by teenagers at the time and teenagers usually bought singles,[41] albums were seen as less important for the genre. So "Heartbreak Hotel" is not on this album. RCA, however, put five unreleased Sun recordings on this album:
- "I Love You Because"
- "Just Because"
- "Tryin' to Get to You"
- "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')"
- "Blue Moon"
For LP Fans Only (1958) and A Date with Elvis (1959)
These two albums were released during Elvis's hitch in the Army, consisting of tracks previously released only as singles or on EPs, including all but one of the ten commercially released Sun tracks. Four were included on For LP Fans Only...
- "That's All Right"
- "Mystery Train"
- "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone"
- "You're a Heartbreaker"
...with five featured on A Date with Elvis:
- "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
- "Milkcow Blues Boogie"
- "Baby, Let's Play House"
- "Good Rockin' Tonight"
- "I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
The remaining commercial release, "I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine", would not appear on LP until the 1976 compilation "The Sun Sessions".
Elvis for Everyone! (1965)
- "Tomorrow Night" (Previously unreleased; original Sun master overdubbed with new instrumental and vocal backing by producer Chet Atkins for this release only)
- "When It Rains, It Really Pours" (1957 re-recording of an unreleased Sun track from 1955)
The Sun Sessions (1976)
On March 22, 1976, the album The Sun Sessions was released, with 16 out of the 24 known Sun titles:
- "That's All Right"
- "Blue Moon of Kentucky"
- "I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine"
- "Good Rockin' Tonight"
- "Milkcow Blues Boogie"
- "You're a Heartbreaker"
- "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone"
- "Baby Let's Play House"
- "Mystery Train"
- "I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
- "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')"
- "I Love You Because"
- "Tryin' to Get to You"
- "Blue Moon"
- "Just Because"
- "I Love You Because" (second version)
Missing:
- The private recordings
- "Harbor Lights"
- "Tomorrow Night"
- "When It Rains, It Really Pours"
- "Satisfied"
- "I Got a Woman"
The Complete Sun Sessions [33-track 2LP-set] / The Sun Sessions [28-track CD] (1987)
Although the title suggests more, only 18 out of the 24 known Sun songs are here. The album does contain several takes from "I Love You Because", and "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone".
Missing:
- The private recordings
- "Satisfied"
- "I Got a Woman"
The Million Dollar Quartet (1989)
The recordings have been released in 1989 as a
The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters (1992)
Nearly every song Elvis recorded at Sun is present here (although "That's When Your Heartaches Begin" is hidden on CD number 5; the rest is on CD 1).
Missing:
- "Satisfied" (apparently lost forever), all but one track from the Million Dollar Quartet session, as well as "It Wouldn't be the Same Without You" and "I'll Never Stand in Your Way". The latter two songs appear on yet another (and as complete as possible) Sun sessions CD titled Sunrise.
Sunrise (1999)
Another delving in the Sun Records vaults is the most complete collection of Elvis's recordings from that time. All the masters, some demos and alternate recordings, and a few early live-recorded tracks. Missing:
- "Satisfied"
- "Woman (I Gotta)
Elvis at Sun (2004)
The current (as of mid-2006) version of the Sun recordings. Contains the five singles ("That's All Right" / "Blue Moon of Kentucky"; "Good Rockin' Tonight" / "I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine"; "Milkcow Blues Boogie" / "You're a Heartbreaker"; "Baby Let's Play House" / "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone"; "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" / "Mystery Train") plus "Harbor Lights", "I Love You Because" (alternate take 2), "Tomorrow Night", "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')", "Just Because", "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" (slow version), "Tryin' to Get to You", and "When It Rains, It Really Pours".
Missing:
- Private recordings and demos:
- "My Happiness",
- "That's When Your Heartaches Begin"
- "I'll Never Stand in Your Way"
- "It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You"
- "I Love You Because" (first version) (available on Elvis Presley)
- The lost "Satisfied"
- "I Got a Woman" (Re-recording available on Elvis Presley)
A Boy from Tupelo: The Complete 1953–55 Recordings (2012)
A
See also
References
- ^ The Full National Recording Registry
- ISBN 978-0-345-42089-3.
- ^ "However After research Elvis went to a friends grand parents house to listen to the Acetate. Gladys never heard his first recording ,Elvis left the Acetate at his frI ends grandparents home and left..Elvis biography: 1935 - 1957 Archived 2007-10-18 at the Wayback Machine". elvis.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
- ^ (August 18, 1997). "Good Rockin'". Newsweek, pp.54-5
- ^ Clayton, p.53
- ^ Jorgensen, p.10
- PBS, courtesy of palmpictures.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
- ^ Miller, p.71
- ^ ISBN 978-0-333-13617-1.
- ^ Guralnick 1994, p.83
- ^ Lichter, p.12
- ^ "Sam Phillips Sun Records Two". history-of-rock.com. Retrieved on 2007-10-14.
- ISBN 978-0-333-13617-1.
- ^ Guralnick, Peter (1992). The Complete 50's Masters (CD booklet notes).
- ^ Jorgensen, p.13
- ^ (August 11–August 17, 2007). "Would he still be King?". Radio Times. BBC, p.12
- ^ Naylor and Halliday, p.42
- ^ Carr and Farren, p.6
- ^ EPE (July 21, 2004). "Elvis Presley Sun Recordings Archived 2007-09-02 at the Wayback Machine". elvis.co.au. Retrieved on August 17, 2007.
- ISBN 978-0-333-13617-1.
- ISBN 978-0-333-13617-1.
- ISBN 978-0-333-13617-1.
- ^ "retrieved 1 January 2009". Archived from the original on 2008-06-27. Retrieved 2009-01-01.
- ISBN 978-0-19-517608-7
- ^ retrieved 1 January 2009
- ISBN 978-0-19-517608-7
- ISBN 978-0-19-517608-7. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
- ^ Wadey, Paul (October 20, 1998). "Obituary: Frank Yankovic". The Independent. London.
- ^ "VICTOR numerical listing discography". 78discography.com. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
- ^ Billboard Jan 22, 1949. page 56.
- ^ Baby Let's Play House label[permanent dead link]
- ^ Baby Let's Play House sample
- ^ "Artists : Eddy Arnold : Eddy Arnold Biography : Great American Country". www.gactv.com. Archived from the original on 4 March 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2022.
- ^ http://www.cduniverse.com/search/xx/music/pid/6848928/a/I+Really+Don%27t+Want+To+Know.htm sample @ cduniverse
- ^ currently not available 1 September 2009[permanent dead link]
- ^ The A-Z of Buddy Holly by Alan Mann
- ^ Roy Carr and Mick Farren, Elvis: The Illustrated Record (Harmony Books, 1982), p. 22-23
- ^ Carr and Farren, p. 99
- ^ Carr and Farren, p. 22
- ^ Carr and Farren, p. 23
- Allmusic. Retrieved 2012-03-05.
External links
- US Congress National Recording Registry listings for 2002. Sun Recordings are item 40.