'Sun's Newest Star: Elvis Presley' - Cowboy Songs - June 1955
Lucky Elvis Presley – "Sun’s Newest Star" - at 19 is already enjoying the first reality of life’s dream: to sing for people and hear the spontaneous applause that means he’s made a hit! When Elvis was a youngster in Tupelo, Mississippi, folks used to stop him on the street and say, “Sing for us, Elvis”. And he would. . . standing on the street corners, in the hot Mississippi sun . . . or in church . . . or at school . . . anywhere someone wanted to hear him, he’d sing.
Now the same thing is happening all over again. When he's recognized on the street or at any public place, people call out: "Sing for us, Elvis!" And it's all because of a tremendous new record he waxed on the Sun label - a record that was a "first" in several ways.
"That's All Right" and "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" were Elvis' first professional work of any kind. He's a self-taught musician and worked out his unique style while listening to records and picking out the tunes on a cheap ($2.98) guitar. One day he drifted into a Memphis recording studio to make a personal record - just to get an idea how he sounded - and was heard by Sam Phillips, prexy of Sun Record company who thought that with a little work and polish the boy might make the grade as a commercial artist. Several months of hard work did the trick, and "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" had an astounding reception all over the nation.
The disc also represented something new in records: the unusual pairing of an R&B number with a country standard. The original and distinctive styling of the young artist has made both sides of the record acceptable to a much wider audience than the usual song which must be put into just one category. "That's All Right" for example, was a tremendous hit with teenagers and in Memphis, where the record broke first, the current greeting among the teenagers is still a rhythmical line from the song: "Ta dee da dee dee da!"
Elvis, of course, is a teenager, too. Just 19, he's been out of high school but one year - and the big (6-footer) blonde guy likes nothing better than to spend an afternoon practicing football with some of the youngsters in the neighborhood. Other hobbies of Elvis' include movies, listening to records - and eating!
Stories of the singer's appetite are many. His girlfriend, Dixie, declares that recently at one sitting he ate 8 Deluxe Cheeseburgers, 2 bacon-lettuce-tomato sandwiches - and topped it off with three chocolate milk shakes.
Since the release of the two-sided hit, Elvis has been making personal appearances and bringing the house down every time. As the featured entertainer at the grand opening of a new business arcade, he played to a wildly enthusiastic audience of more than 3,000 - who couldn't restrain themselves and started dancing and jitterbugging when Elvis sang "That's All Right."
Incidentally, the latest pairing by the boy features "You're A Heartbreaker" backed with "Milk Cow Blues Boogie" - both fine offerings.
Undoubtedly, the fact that Elvis grew up in Mississippi hearing "sure 'nuf" Rhythm and Blues songs done in their true, spontaneous manner, accounts for his being able to give such an authentic treatment to such songs.
He feels each deeply and intimately and makes the listener feel it, too.
According to his thousands of new fans — "THAT'S ALL RIGHT!"
Elvis early publicity shot, circa 1953/1954
Spotlight by Piers Beagley / Original magazine supplied by Paul Gansky
-Copyright EIN January 2025. Do Not reprint or republish without permission.
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Ferlin Husky, Elvis Presley, Faron Young, Hawkshaw Hawkins and WSM DJ Tom Perryman
'The Elvis Files Vol. 1 1953-56' In Depth Book Review: The first volume of the Elvis Files story, chronicling Elvis' rise from his pre SUN discovery to becoming the world's biggest new sensation - nearly 600 pages & over 1,400 photos...
All ELVIS EVENTS in this Time Frame Period 1953-1956 are shown..
- Every Working Moment...
- The Early Tours
- Plenty of CANDID Moments.
- Elvis Interviews
- The TV Shows
There is an incredible impact to this book that can shock even the most blasé of Elvis fans who think they have seen it all before. The amazing amount of sensational images, interviews and informative articles gathered together within its 600 pages is stupefying.
Of all the books I have previously purchased about early Elvis none of them demonstrate the excitement and dynamic life of Elvis as well as this superb volume. No other series of Elvis photo-books comes close.
Click here to find out what it includes with lots of example pages, book extracts - plus great ELVIS photos
(Book Reviews, Source;EIN) |
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'Elvis Presley: The Searcher' EIN Spotlight: The 2018 HBO Documentary & SONY release
The three-hour, two-film presentation focuses on Elvis Presley the musical artist, taking the audience on a comprehensive creative journey from his childhood through the final 1976 Jungle Room recording sessions. The films include stunning atmospheric shots taken inside Graceland, Elvis’ iconic home, and feature more than 20 new, primary source interviews with session players, producers, engineers, directors and other artists who knew him or who were profoundly influenced by him.
In our extensive spotlight EIN tracks the publicity, interviews and the reviews...
Compiled by Piers Beagley
Go here for Everything You Need To Know
(Spotlight, Source;ElvisInformationNetwork) |
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"Baby, Let's Play House": Recorded at Sun Studios in February 1955, Presley’s historic rendition of "Baby, Let's Play House" reveals the comprehensive love for – and knowledge of – the blues. Compared to the Arthur Gunter original Elvis’s version is much more emphatic, playful, exuberant, tougher and scornful. The interplay between Bill Black’s thunderous bass-slapping, Elvis’s audacious, experimental vocal – he makes use of every trick in his rapidly expanding vocal repertoire – and Scotty Moore’s snarling rhythm guitar creates something that transcends such labels as country and blues.
“You may have a pink Cadillac but don’t you be nobody’s fool.” But who is Elvis singing to here?
In this EIN Spotlight respected author Paul Simpson takes a fascinating look at this Sun Studios Elvis classic..
(Spotlight, Source;PaulSimpson/ElvisInformationNetwork) |
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Did Elvis Record 'Tiger Man' At Sun?: A question that has puzzled Elvis fans through the years is whether he actually recorded the song ‘Tiger Man’ during his years at SUN studios.
The basic question is why did Elvis refer to 'Tiger man' several times in concert as “The second song that I ever recorded, not too many people heard it”?
And if Elvis DID record it, then why hasn’t any reference to it at SUN or proof of its existence been found?
Elvis would first perform ‘Tiger Man’ in concert at his first 1969 Las Vegas International season and would continue playing it through the years – usually in a medley with Mystery Train - until his last performance at Saginaw on May 3 1977. He would sing it over 150 times on stage!
The thought that there might be an acetate or undiscovered tape of Elvis at SUN singing ‘Tiger Man’ is a mouth-watering concept - but is it an unlikely fantasy or strong possibility?
Go here to our detailed 'TIGER MAN' spotlight as EIN's Piers Beagley puts in the hard yards to check the facts from the fantasy .
(Spotlight; Source;ElvisInfoNetwork) |
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'1956, Elvis Presley’s Pivotal Year': TIME magazine featured this recent article by SONY/FTD's music producer and consultant Roger Semon. The article helps explain to readers what the new deluxe box-set 'Young Man With The Big Beat' is all about.
... "In the mid-1950s, the post-war Eisenhower era of social conformity in America was at its peak, and musically, the most threatening image appeared to be Bill Haley’s kiss-curl as he sang “Rock Around The Clock.” That all changed on Jan. 28, 1956, when a raw and electric Elvis Presley made his breakthrough on the CBS program Stage Show. Presley’s good looks, sensuous moves and mesmerizing voice made him a sensation overnight. But it wasn’t until a third appearance on the show that Presley truly challenged the status quo. On Feb. 11, the singer performed “Heartbreak Hotel” and by April, the single would be #1 on the Billboard chart. At last, teenagers had music of their own to swoon over while their parents continued listening to Frank Sinatra and Mario Lanza....
Click HERE for the full article and fabulous Elvis Photos.
(Spotlight; Source;Time/ElvisInfoNet)
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