Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...

recorded at least 24 songs at

Sun Studio Sun Studio is a recording studio opened by rock-and-roll pioneer Sam Phillips at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee, on January 3, 1950. It was originally called Memphis Recording Service, sharing the same building with the Sun Records label ...

Memphis Memphis most commonly refers to: * Memphis, Egypt, a former capital of ancient Egypt * Memphis, Tennessee, a major American city Memphis may also refer to: Places United States * Memphis, Alabama * Memphis, Florida * Memphis, Indiana * Memp ...

, Tennessee, between 1953 and 1955. The recordings reflect the wide variety of music that could be heard in Memphis at the time:

blues Blues is a music genre and musical form which originated in the Deep South of the United States around the 1860s. Blues incorporated spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts, chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads from the ...

rhythm & blues Rhythm and blues, frequently abbreviated as R&B or R'n'B, is a genre of popular music that originated in African-American communities in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly ...

gospel Gospel originally meant the Christian message (" the gospel"), but in the 2nd century it came to be used also for the books in which the message was set out. In this sense a gospel can be defined as a loose-knit, episodic narrative of the words a ...

country & western Country (also called country and western) is a genre of popular music that originated in the Southern and Southwestern United States in the early 1920s. It primarily derives from blues, church music such as Southern gospel and spirituals, ol ...

hillbilly Hillbilly is a term (often derogatory) for people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas in the United States, primarily in southern Appalachia and the Ozarks. The term was later used to refer to people from other rural and mountainous areas we ...

rockabilly Rockabilly is one of the earliest styles of rock and roll music. It dates back to the early 1950s in the United States, especially the South. As a genre it blends the sound of Western musical styles such as country with that of rhythm and b ...

and bluegrass. Because of the recordings' historical significance in the foundation of

rock and roll Rock and roll (often written as rock & roll, rock 'n' roll, or rock 'n roll) is a genre of popular music that evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s. It originated from African-American music such as jazz, rhythm ...

music, they were inducted into the U.S. Congress's National Recording Registry in 2002. 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 Samuel Cornelius Phillips (January 5, 1923 – July 30, 2003) was an American record producer. He was the founder of Sun Records and Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, where he produced recordings by Elvis Presley, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, ...

and featured

Scotty Moore Winfield Scott Moore III (December 27, 1931 – June 28, 2016) was an American guitarist who formed The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley's backing band. He was studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968. Rock critic ...

on guitar and

Bill Black William Patton Black Jr. (September 17, 1926 – October 21, 1965) was an American musician and bandleader who is noted as one of the pioneers of rock and roll. He played in Elvis Presley's early trio. Black later formed Bill Black's Combo. Ear ...

on bass. A year after Presley joined

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also A ...

, he had a spontaneous informal session with

Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998)#nytimesobit, Pareles. was an American guitarist, singer and songwriter. A rockabilly great and pioneer of rock and roll, he began his recording career at the Sun Studio, in Memphis, Tennes ...

Johnny Cash John R. Cash (born J. R. Cash; February 26, 1932 – September 12, 2003) was an American country singer-songwriter. Much of Cash's music contained themes of sorrow, moral tribulation, and redemption, especially in the later stages of his c ...

, and

Jerry Lee Lewis Jerry Lee Lewis (September 29, 1935October 28, 2022) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Nicknamed "The Killer", he was described as " rock & roll's first great wild man". A pioneer of rock and roll and rockabilly music, Lewis mad ...

when visiting the Sun studio. This meeting was recorded on December 4, 1956, and dubbed the

Million Dollar Quartet "Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session ...

by the local newspaper the next day. These sessions are not generally included when reference is made to "Elvis's Sun Sessions", however.

History

Recordings

On July 18, 1953, Presley first went to the Memphis Recording Service at the Sun Record Company, now commonly known as

. He paid $3.98 to record the first of two double-sided demo

acetate An acetate is a salt formed by the combination of acetic acid with a base (e.g. alkaline, earthy, metallic, nonmetallic or radical base). "Acetate" also describes the conjugate base or ion (specifically, the negatively charged ion called ...

s, "My Happiness" and "That's When Your Heartaches Begin". Presley reportedly gave the acetate to his mother as a much-belated extra birthday present, although many biographers suggest that Presley simply wanted to get noticed by Sun owner

. These suggestions are strengthened by the fact that the Presleys did not own a record player at the time.(August 18, 1997). "Good Rockin'". ''Newsweek'', pp.54-5 That one-off acetate has since been valued at $500,000 by ''

Record Collector ''Record Collector'' is a British monthly music magazine. It was founded in 1980 and distributes worldwide. History The early years The first standalone issue of ''Record Collector'' was published in March 1980, though its history stretches ba ...

'' magazine. Returning to Sun Studios on January 4, 1954, he recorded a second acetate, "I'll Never Stand in Your Way" / "It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You". Phillips had already cut the first records by blues artists such as

Howlin' Wolf Chester Arthur Burnett (June 10, 1910January 10, 1976), better known by his stage name Howlin' Wolf, was an American blues singer and guitarist. He is regarded as one of the most influential blues musicians of all time. Over a four-decade care ...

and

Junior Parker Herman "Junior" Parker (March 27, 1932November 18, 1971) Li ...

. He thought a combination of black blues and

boogie-woogie Boogie-woogie is a genre of blues music that became popular during the late 1920s, developed in African-American communities since 1870s.Paul, Elliot, ''That Crazy American Music'' (1957), Chapter 10, p. 229. It was eventually extended from pi ...

music would be very popular among white people, if presented in the right way. In the spring, Presley auditioned for an amateur gospel quartet called

The Songfellows ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

, as one of the group was leaving and they were seeking a replacement. However, following Presley's audition, the original group member decided to stay. 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.Guralnick 1994, p.83 When Phillips acquired a demo recording of "Without You" and was unable to identify the vocalist, his assistant,

Marion Keisker Marion Keisker MacInnes (September 23, 1917 – December 29, 1989) was an American record producer. She was the first person ever to record the singing voice of cultural icon Elvis Presley. Life Keisker was born in Memphis, Tennessee, and gradu ...

, 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), 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 Western swing music is a subgenre of American country music that originated in the late 1920s in the West and South among the region's Western string bands. It is dance music, often with an up-tempo beat, which attracted huge crowds to dance ...

musicians Winfield "Scotty" Moore (electric guitar) and

(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. 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. During the break, Presley began "acting the fool" with Arthur Crudup's " That's All Right (Mama)", a blues song. When the other two musicians joined in, Phillips got them to restart and began taping. This was the bright, upbeat sound he had been looking for. Black remarked, "Damn. Get that on the radio and they'll run us out of town." The group recorded four songs during that session, including bluegrass musician

Bill Monroe William Smith "Bill" Monroe (; September 13, 1911 – September 9, 1996) was an American mandolinist, singer, and songwriter, who created the bluegrass music genre. Because of this, he is often called the " Father of Bluegrass". The genre take ...

's "

Blue Moon of Kentucky "Blue Moon of Kentucky" is a waltz written in 1945 by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe and recorded by his band, the Blue Grass Boys. The song has since been recorded by many artists, including Elvis Presley and Paul McCartney. "Blue Moon of Ken ...

", which he had written and recorded as a slow

waltz The waltz ( ), meaning "to roll or revolve") is a ballroom and folk dance, normally in triple ( time), performed primarily in closed position. History There are many references to a sliding or gliding dance that would evolve into the wa ...

. Sources credit Bill Black with initiating the song, with Presley and Moore joining in. They ended up with a fast version of the song in 4/4 time. After an early take, Phillips can be heard on tape saying: "Fine, man. Hell, that's different—that's a pop song now, nearly 'bout." To gauge professional and public reaction, Phillips took several acetates of the session to DJ

Dewey Phillips Dewey Phillips (May 13, 1926 – September 28, 1968) was one of rock and roll's pioneering American disc jockeys, along the lines of Cleveland's Alan Freed, before Freed came along. Early life Phillips was born in Crump, Tennessee, but spent ...

(no relation) of Memphis radio station WHBQ's ''Red, Hot and Blue'' show. "That's All Right" subsequently received its first play on July 8, 1954.Carr and Farren, p.6 A week later, Sun had received some 6,000 advanced orders for "That's All Right" / "Blue Moon of Kentucky," which was released on July 19, 1954. From August 18 through December 8, "Blue Moon of Kentucky" was consistently higher on the charts, and then both sides began to chart across the South. 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. 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. Over the next 15 months, the trio would release five singles, tour extensively across the South, and appear regularly on the

Louisiana Hayride ''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the ...

; it was the biggest rival to the

Grand Ole Opry The ''Grand Ole Opry'' is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment (a div ...

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". 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 "Shake, Rattle and Roll" is a song, written in 1954 by Jesse Stone (usually credited as Charles Calhoun, his songwriting name). The original recording by Big Joe Turner is ranked number 127 on the ''Rolling Stone'' magazine's list of The 500 Grea ...

", 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

take A take is a single continuous recorded performance. The term is used in film and music to denote and track the stages of production. Film In cinematography, a take refers to each filmed "version" of a particular shot or "setup". Takes of each s ...

is any later version; the best take would be used to create a

master Master or masters may refer to: Ranks or titles * Ascended master, a term used in the Theosophical religious tradition to refer to spiritually enlightened beings who in past incarnations were ordinary humans *Grandmaster (chess), National Master ...

to be issued.

"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 "That's When Your Heartaches Begin" is a 1937 song by Fred Fisher, William Raskin and Billy Hill. It was recorded and released the same year by Shep Fields Rippling Rhythm. The song first became popular following a 1941 recording by The Ink ...

" was recorded as a self-financed demo. The original is from 1937 by William Raskin,

Fred Fisher Fred Fisher (born Alfred Breitenbach, September 30, 1875 – January 14, 1942) was a German-born American songwriter and Tin Pan Alley music publisher. Biography Fisher was born in Cologne, Germany. His parents were Max and Theodora Breitenb ...

and George Brown, and recorded by

The Ink Spots The Ink Spots were an American pop vocal group who gained international fame in the 1930s and 1940s. Their unique musical style presaged the rhythm and blues and rock and roll musical genres, and the subgenre doo-wop. The Ink Spots were widely ac ...

in 1941. :Recorded: 18 July 1953

"I'll Never Stand in Your Way"

" I'll Never Stand in Your Way," by

Hy Heath Walter Henry "Hy" Heath (July 9, 1890 – April 3, 1965) was an American entertainer, songwriter, composer and writer. Born in Oakville, Tennessee, he received his education in public schools and then became a comedian in musical comedy, vaudevill ...

, is another self-financed recording. :Recorded: January 4, 1954

"It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You"

" It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You" is the fourth and final self-financed demo Elvis recorded. The song is by Fred Rose. :Recorded: January 4, 1954

"I Love You Because"

I Love You Because ''I Love You Because'' is a musical set in modern-day New York. It is based on Jane Austen's novel ''Pride and Prejudice''. It features lyrics by Ryan Cunningham, set to music by Joshua Salzman. Production history Cunningham and Salzman first met ...

" is a song by

Leon Payne Leon Roger Payne (June 15, 1917 – September 11, 1969), "the Blind Balladeer", was an American country music singer and songwriter. Life He was born in Alba, Texas, United States. He was blind in one eye at birth, and lost the sight in the other ...

, original probably 1949, Capitol;

Eddie Fisher Edwin Jack Fisher (August 10, 1928 – September 22, 2010) was an American singer and actor. He was one of the most popular artists during the 1950s, selling millions of records and hosting his own TV show, ''The Eddie Fisher Show''. Actress Eli ...

(1950, RCA Victor) :Recorded: July 5, 1954 (session 1)

"That's All Right"

" That's All Right (Mama)" was written and recorded by

Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup Arthur William "Big Boy" Crudup (August 24, 1905 – March 28, 1974) was an American Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known, outside blues circles, for his songs "That's All Right" (1946), " My Baby Left Me" and "So Gl ...

(1947, RCA Victor). Crudup's original title is "That's All Right (Mama)"; on the Sun label, and many later releases, '(Mama)' is omitted: "That's All Right". :Recorded: July 5, 1954 (session 1) Elvis's recording of "That's All Right (Mama)" is mentioned as one of the beginnings of

, though the first rock and roll records predate it.

" Harbor Lights"

Hugh Williams –

Jimmy Kennedy James Kennedy (20 July 1902 – 6 April 1984) was a Northern Irish songwriter. He was predominantly a lyricist, putting words to existing music such as " Teddy Bears' Picnic" and " My Prayer" or co-writing with composers like Michael Carr, ...

. Original: possibly

Harry Owens Harry Robert Owens (18 April 1902 – 12 December 1986) was an American composer, bandleader and songwriter best known for his song " Sweet Leilani." Biography Harry Robert Owens was born April 18, 1902, in O'Neill, Nebraska. He learned to ...

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"

" is a bluegrass song by

, originally recorded by "Bill Monroe and His Bluegrass Boys" (1947, Columbia). :Recorded: July 7, 1954 (session 1) The 1992 album '' The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters'' contains a fragment (1:03) of an alternate take in a slower, more country style. This take was originally released on bootleg in 1974, having been located at Sun Records many years after Presley left for RCA.

"
Blue Moon A blue moon is an additional full moon that appears in a subdivision of a year: the third of four full moons in a season. The phrase in modern usage has nothing to do with the actual color of the Moon, although a visually blue Moon (the Moon ...
"

R. Rodgers – L. Hart.
Original:

Ted Fio Rito Theodore Salvatore Fiorito (December 20, 1900 – July 22, 1971),DeLong, Thomas A. (1996). ''Radio Stars: An Illustrated Biographical Dictionary of 953 Performers, 1920 through 1960''. McFarland & Company, Inc. . P. 95. known professionally a ...

& His Orchestra (Brunswick LA231=C 11/19/1934

Also:

Connie Boswell Constance Foore "Connie" Boswell (December 3, 1907 – October 11, 1976) was an American vocalist born in Kansas City but raised in New Orleans, Louisiana. With sisters Martha and Helvetia "Vet", she performed in the 1920s and 1930s as the trio ...

(Brunswick 16642, 1/15/1935

(many other recordings of this standard also preceded Elvis's) :Recorded: August 19, 1954 (session 2)

"Tomorrow Night"

Sam Coslow Sam Coslow (December 27, 1902 – April 2, 1982) was an American songwriter, singer, film producer, publisher and market analyst. Coslow was born in New York City. He began writing songs as a teenager. He contributed songs to Broadway revues, ...

– Will Grosz. Original: Lonnie Johnson (1948, King) :Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3)

" I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')"

Jimmy Wakely Jimmy Wakely (February 16, 1914 – September 23, 1982) was an American actor, songwriter, country music vocalist, and one of the last singing cowboys. During the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, he released records, appeared in several B-Western movies ...

. 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 "I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine" is a popular song written by Mack David. It was originally written for the Disney animated feature ''Cinderella'', but was not used in the final print. The most popular version was recorded by Patti Page in 1 ...
"

M. David. Original probably

Patti Page Clara Ann Fowler (November 8, 1927 – January 1, 2013), known professionally as Patti Page, was an American singer and actress. Primarily known for pop and country music, she was the top-charting female vocalist and best-selling female ar ...

(1950, Mercury) :Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3) The

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

version was probably Elvis' inspiration.

"Just Because"

Sydney Robin Sydney ( ) is the capital city of the state of New South Wales, and the most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Sydney Harbour and extends about towards the Blue Mount ...

–

Bob Shelton Bob, BOB, or B.O.B. may refer to: Places * Mount Bob, New York, United States *Bob Island, Palmer Archipelago, Antarctica People, fictional characters, and named animals *Bob (given name), a list of people and fictional characters *Bob (surname ...

– Joe Shelton. Original: The Shelton Brothers (1942,

Decca Decca may refer to: Music * Decca Records or Decca Music Group, a record label * Decca Gold, a classical music record label owned by Universal Music Group * Decca Broadway, a musical theater record label * Decca Studios, a recording facility in We ...

) Recorded 1933 Also; Lonestar Cowboys, 1933 on RCA (Victor), Nelstone's Hawaiians: Victor V40273 (1929). The song was also recorded by

Frank Yankovic Frank John Yankovic (July 28, 1915 – October 14, 1998) was an American accordion player and polka musician. Known as "America's Polka King", Yankovic was considered the premier artist to play in the Slovenian style during his long career. He ...

and was responsible for his band being rated the #13 band "on the Nation's Juke Boxes" in 1948. :Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3)

"
Good Rockin' Tonight "Good Rocking Tonight" is a jump blues song originally released in 1947 by its writer, Roy Brown and was covered by many recording artists (sometimes as Good Rockin' Tonight). The song includes the memorable refrain, "Well I heard the news, th ...
"

Roy Brown. Original Roy Brown (1947, DeLuxe); also Wynonie "Mr. Blues" Harris (1948, King) :Recorded: September 12–16, 1954 (session 3)

"
Milkcow Blues Boogie Dairy cattle (also called dairy cows) are cattle bred for the ability to produce large quantities of milk, from which dairy products are made. Dairy cattle generally are of the species ''Bos taurus''. Historically, little distinction was mad ...
"

Kokomo Arnold James "Kokomo" Arnold (February 15, 1896 or 1901 – November 8, 1968) was an American blues musician. A left-handed slide guitarist, his intense style of playing and rapid-fire vocal delivery set him apart from his contemporaries. He got his ni ...

. Original probably Kokomo Arnold (1935, Decca) Other releases: Johnny Lee Wills (1941, Decca);

Moon Mullican Aubrey Wilson Mullican (March 29, 1909 – January 1, 1967), known professionally as Moon Mullican and nicknamed "King of the Hillbilly Piano Players", was an American country and western singer, songwriter, and pianist. He was associated with t ...

(1946, King);

Bob Wills James Robert Wills (March 6, 1905 – May 13, 1975) was an American Western swing musician, songwriter, and bandleader. Considered by music authorities as the founder of Western swing, he was known widely as the King of Western Swing (although ...

& His Texas Playboys as "Brain Cloudy Blues", (1946, Columbia) :Recorded: December 8, 1954 (session 4)

"
You're a Heartbreaker "You're a Heartbreaker" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley in December 1954 during the fourth of Presley's eight sessions at Memphis' Sun Studio. The recording was released as the B-side of Presley's third single on the Sun label (Sun 215), wh ...
"

Jack Sallee :Recorded: December 8, 1954 (session 4)

"
Baby Let's Play House "Baby Let's Play House" is a song written by Arthur Gunter and recorded by him in 1954 on the Excello Records label and covered by Elvis Presley the following year on Sun Records. A line from the song ("I'd rather see you dead, little girl, tha ...
"

Arthur Gunter Arthur Neal Gunter (May 23, 1926 – March 16, 1976) was an American blues guitarist and musician. He was best known for his song "Baby Let's Play House", which was later a hit single for Elvis Presley. Biography Gunter was born in Ogletho ...

. Original: Arthur Gunter (1954, Excello) :Recorded: February 11, 1955 (session 5) In 1951

Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold (May 15, 1918 – May 8, 2008) was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a Nashville sound (country/popular music) innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the ''Billboard'' cou ...

recorded a song titled "I Want to Play House with You" by Cy Coben

This song has been misidentified as the same song. It is not.

" I Got a Woman"

Ray Charles Ray Charles Robinson Sr. (September 23, 1930 – June 10, 2004) was an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. He is regarded as one of the most iconic and influential singers in history, and was often referred to by contemporaries as "The Ge ...

:Recorded: February 5, 1955 (session 5) (tape lost)

"
Tryin' to Get to You "Tryin' to Get to You" is a song written by R&B singer songwriters Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton. It was originally recorded by the Washington DC vocal group The Eagles in 1954 and released in mid-1954 on Mercury Records 70391. The f ...
"

Rose Marie McCoy – Charles Singleton. Original:

The Eagles The Eagles are an American rock band formed in Los Angeles in 1971. With five number-one singles and six number-one albums, six Grammy Awards and five American Music Awards, the Eagles were one of the most successful musical acts of the 1970s ...

(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 Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology A ...

'' 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 "Mystery Train" is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Junior Parker in 1953. Originally performed in the style of a Memphis blues or rhythm and blues tune, it was inspired by earlier songs and later became a popular rockabi ...
"

Junior Parker Herman "Junior" Parker (March 27, 1932November 18, 1971) Li ...

–

. 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 "Million Dollar Quartet" is a recording of an impromptu jam session involving Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Johnny Cash made on December 4, 1956, at the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. An article about the session ...
(session recordings)

On December 4, 1956, a year after Elvis had left Sun for

RCA The RCA Corporation was a major American electronics company, which was founded as the Radio Corporation of America in 1919. It was initially a patent trust owned by General Electric (GE), Westinghouse, AT&T Corporation and United Fruit Comp ...

, he revisited

. The afternoon became a jam session with

(then already famous for his "

Blue Suede Shoes "Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard (music), standard written and first recorded by American singer, songwriter and guitarist Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues ...

"),

(relatively unknown at the time), and

(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 "Don't Be Cruel" is a song that was recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Otis Blackwell in 1956.Victor (2008), ''The Elvis Encyclopedia'', p.115-116 It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, it was listed #197 in '' Rol ...

", and they're enjoying "

Brown Eyed Handsome Man "Brown Eyed Handsome Man" is a rock and roll song written and recorded by Chuck Berry, originally released by Chess Records in September 1956 as the B-side of "Too Much Monkey Business." It was also included on Berry's 1957 debut album, '' Afte ...

" from

Chuck Berry Charles Edward Anderson Berry (October 18, 1926 – March 18, 2017) was an American singer, songwriter and guitarist who pioneered rock and roll. Nicknamed the " Father of Rock and Roll", he refined and developed rhythm and blues into th ...

. :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: *" 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! ''Elvis for Everyone!'' is the eighth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, issued by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3450, on August 10, 1965. Recording sessions took place over a ten-year span at Sun Studio in Mem ...

'', but substituted the Sun side "Tomorrow Night" instead. *"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" however this contradicts the authors' chart that gives the September 9 recording date. *"

Oakie Boogie "Oakie Boogie" (sometimes "Okie Boogie") is a Western swing dance song written by Johnny Tyler in 1947. It is recognizable by its refrain: Jack Guthrie's version (Capitol 341) reached number three on the charts in 1947 and is often included in ...

" (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 Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the " King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as one of the most significant cultural figures of the 20th century. His ener ...
'' (1956)

On January 27, 1956, the first RCA single, "

Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American singer Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. It was written by Mae Boren Axton and Tommy Durden, with credit being ...

" 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, ''

'', 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, 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! ''Elvis for Everyone!'' is the eighth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, issued by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3450, on August 10, 1965. Recording sessions took place over a ten-year span at Sun Studio in Mem ...
'' (1965)

* "Tomorrow Night" (Previously unreleased; original Sun master overdubbed with new instrumental and vocal backing by producer

Chet Atkins Chester Burton Atkins (June 20, 1924 – June 30, 2001), known as "Mr. Guitar" and "The Country Gentleman", was an American musician who, along with Owen Bradley and Bob Ferguson, helped create the Nashville sound, the country music ...

for this release only) * "When It Rains, It Really Pours" (1957 re-recording of an unreleased Sun track from 1955)

''
The Sun Sessions ''The Sun Sessions'' is a compilation album by American singer Elvis Presley, containing songs he recorded at Sun Studios in 1954 and 1955. It was issued by RCA Records in 1976, and had been issued and charted as ''The Sun Collection'' in the U ...
'' (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'' 3-track 2LP-set/ ''The Sun Sessions'' 8-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 CD, titled, ''Elvis Presley - The

'' (RCA CD # 2023-2-R)

'' 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 Sunrise (or sunup) is the moment when the upper rim of the Sun appears on the horizon in the morning. The term can also refer to the entire process of the solar disk crossing the horizon and its accompanying atmospheric effects. Terminology A ...
'' (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 ''

'') * The lost "Satisfied" * "I Got a Woman" (Re-recording available on ''Elvis Presley'')

''A Boy from Tupelo: The Complete 1953–55 Recordings'' (2012)

A limited-edition 3-CD box set released in June 2012 by RCA/Sony collectors' label Follow That Dream (FTD) Records, as a companion piece to a book by Ernst Mikael Jørgensen, also entitled ''A Boy from Tupelo''. The book chronicles Presley's day-to-day life from July 4, 1954 (the day when he first rehearsed with guitarist

) to December 31, 1955, including many previously unpublished testimonies, accounts and details on every single show performed by Presley during the period (the book is, indeed, mainly intended as a complete concertography and tourography of Elvis Presley's early career). The first two of the three discs released in conjunction with the book feature, as the title specifies, all the material recorded by Presley from 1953 to 1955, including all of the alternate takes and all of the recordings which were missing from previous releases, with the exception of "Satisfied" and "I Got a Woman"; the latter two recordings are stated by Jørgensen himself, in the book, to be actually lost. However, a live rendition from March 19, 1955 of "I Got a Woman" is featured on the third disc of the package, along with 31 more live recordings from the era, 27 of which are previously unreleased. The ''A Boy from Tupelo'' book + CDs package, which was printed as a strictly limited run of 3,000 copies (each including a gift pack consisting in five 45-RPM reproductions of Presley's original Sun singles) sold out in 2012. In 2017 the set finally received wide release and added one track to Disc 3 which was previously unavailable: "I Forgot To Remember To Forget - Recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, October 29, 1955".

References

External links

US Congress National Recording Registry
listings for 2002. Sun Recordings are item 40. {{DEFAULTSORT:Presley, Elvis

Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...

Sun Records Lists of songs recorded by American artists Discographies of American artists Country music discographies Rock music discographies Pop music discographies United States National Recording Registry recordings