1954

 On July 5 and 6, Elvis’s first recording session takes place at the Sun. It’s like the “Big Bang” of the music world, the beginning of a new era. From that moment there is a before and after.

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In that session they will record what will be their first single: “That’s all right mama” on the one hand and “Blue Moon of Kentucky” on the other, which will be released on July 19. The second session will take place in September, from which the single “Good Rockin Tonight” / “I don’t care If the sun don’t shine” will be released on the 22nd.

After performing at various venues in Memphis and at the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, where, as you all know, he is showered with negative reviews, the legendary performances at the Louisiana Hayride begin on October 16. After two performances, on November 6 Elvis signs a contract for 52 appearances, one every Saturday. Elvis will charge $18 per night and Scotty and Bill will charge twelve. Billboard echoes that contract in its publication on November 20.

This will force Elvis to leave his job at Crown Electrics, due to his growing popularity, which will be reaffirmed when on November 13 he is voted the eighth most promising vocalist in “Country and Western” in Billboard’s annual survey.

Already on December 11 an article appears in which it is said that Elvis is the strongest of the moment in the “Louisiana Hayride“. As you can see, a moving year this of 1954, in which Elvis will end up spending Christmas with his family at his house at 2414 Lamar Avenue in Memphis, an Elvis who is beginning to make himself known and with whom he begins to intuit something great that is about to happen in the world of music.

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THAT’S ALL RIGHT – BLUE MOON OF KENTUCKY

EDITED 18-JUL-1954

SINGLE, SUN STUDIO

PUBLICATION DATE: 19 JUL 1954

REFERENCE NUMBER: SUN 209

This single is commented on in the “Spootgh Light” section of Billboard, and it is described: “Here comes Elvis Presley, a new sensation, coming with great force.”

That’s All Right (Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup) 1:54

Recording date: July 5, 1954

Location: Sun Records. Memphis (Tennessee).

“That’s All Right” entered the Billboard “Country and Western” Singles Chart in Memphis on September 1, at number 7, to reach number 4 as the best position.

Blue Moon of Kentucky (Bill Monroe) 2:02

Recording date: July 5, 1954

Location: Sun Records, Memphis, Tennessee.

It makes its entry on the Billboard Memphis charts in the “Country and Western” genre for the week of August 18, making it at number 3, behind Hank Snow‘s “I Don’t Hurt You Anymore“, and a duet by Kitty Wells and Red Foley. The following week it will drop to number 4 to finally, on September 1, reach number 1. This song will be the first to enter the regional Billboard charts, on August 28, reaching number 6 in Nashville, and to number 3 in New Orleans.

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GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT – I DON’T CARE IF THE SUN DON’T SHINE

EDITED 03-OCT-1954

SINGLE, SUN STUDIOS

PUBLICATION DATE: 22 SEPT 1954

REFERENCE NUMBER: SUN 210

In the week of November 3, a review about this album appears in the local section of Billboard, and from it you can read: “Elvis Presley demonstrates once again with the interpretation of these two old songs that he is the new sensation in the world of the music, and that his style is as “Country” as “Rhythm and Blues”, and in addition, it is attractive in the field of “Pop”.

“Good Rockin’ Tonight” (R. Brown) 2:12

Recording date: September 1954

Location: Sun Records. Memphis, Tennessee

It makes its entry into the Memphis “Country and Western” charts on November 3, making it at number 3, and in the week of November 17 it drops to number 8.

“I Don’t Care If the Sun Don’t Shine” (Mack David) 2:26

Recording date: September 1954

Location: Sun Records. Memphis, Tennessee

This song had been written by Mack David, brother of the famous Hal David, the one who always composed in the company of Burt Bacharach, (I must admit that they are one of my weaknesses), for the Walt Disney movie “Cinderella“, finally being discarded in 1950. It was popularized by Patti Page and Dean Martin, and it was this last version that influenced Elvis the most, giving him that somewhat hooligan style, unmistakable from Mister Dino at the time of recording. Unfortunately, the aforementioned song did not make it to the charts.

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Article written and provided by Cesár Valle (Spain)

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