me too, it is bizarre reading the comments .... when you think about it in terms of today's media and artists it seems ridiculous.
I have pretty eclectic tastes in music to some extent. I guess it runs from Percy Faith to Sinatra and I really did the Golden Age Of Christmas music from the late 1950's to the early 1960's. I have written the liner notes for an upcoming Real Gone Music twofer CD from a maestro named John Klein called A Christmas Sound Spectacular that was originally released on the RCA Living Stereo series label in 1959. It featured the largest carillon in the world with a great Billy May like orchestra. A real kick in the pants and a very festive holiday album. My father was an important PD for the Mighty 690, a "border blaster" based out of San Diego that helped to break a lot of Elvis records on the top 40, and it was his favorite holiday album ever. The CD twofer is teamed up with Klein's second holiday album as well. Getting back to artists that some people may or may not know about, especially ones that remind me a little of Elvis or have some of his best attributes, I highly recommend the very underrated Charlie Rich. The Silver Fox of course was known for his late country-politian era in the 1970's with Behind Closed Doors and The Most Beautiful Girl (In The World), but check out his RCA, Smash and Sun label era's where he and Elvis were making a lot of similar sounding records. Elvis himself was a big admirer of Rich and was famously playing along to his 45 cut of Mohair Sam when he entertained The Beatles out in his home in Hollywood.
I like the Charley Rich stuff I know, my dad was a big country music fan. I'll check his early stuff out. Cheers
And of course the b-side of Mohair Sam was I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water, which Elvis did a few years later in an arrangement very similar to Charlie's.
I have this old book (published in 1957) and it is pretty dismissing and hostile towards Elvis. If anyone wants scans of the pages concerned, MP me.
I'm guessing you can't post them for copyright reasons? I find the whole Rita Hayworth response to Elvis so bizarre
When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again Written by Wiley Walker and Gene Sullivan in 1940 and first recorded in 1941. I can't find any information about Elvis came across the song, but I assume it was just a song the he knew and thought would be cool to do. This is a great country/rock number it bounces along a good pace with the Jordanaires helping the song bounce with a well arranged backing vocal. Elvis keeps his vocal fairly straight, except for his typical idiosyncracies. Some nice little guitar licks in the background during the song and then a really nice little lead break by Scotty. A very good choice of song for the album.
As mentioned upthread, I really enjoy this track. I was pleasantly surprised the first time I heard the 68 Special that he decided to revisit it. Musically it’s pretty basic, but in the hands of Elvis and co. it just flows so smoothly.
Here's the best book I've ever read on early Elvis... Lots of rare photos too. I remember some great stuff in Greil Marcus' Mystery Train, but that book wasn't all about Elvis. Wow, is that Irish McCalla, from '50s tv's Sheena, Queen Of The Jungle? Careful with that knife! But we all know 'Sheena Is A Punk Rocker'.
Hank Snow ('Colonel' Tom's earlier big client) had a huge hit with this. That would be how Elvis would've been connected with it I'd have to figure.
He did record it solo, it was one of his most famous recordings with at least a coupld of later albums titled after it. Earliest Hank Snow version...
Long Tall Sally Elvis does an excellent job of this song, but it's another Little Richard song. I personally would never cover a Little Richard song. The guy was the first Rock screamer and did that so well. As much as folks, back at this time used to say Elvis didn't/couldn't sing, Elvis was a great singer and very rarely was a shouter or screamer. Elvis does a very gutsy performance of the song but competing with Richard on Richard's turf is always going to be difficult. Musically this is great, the band is bouncing along like a freight train. Scotty Moore has a lot of excellent fills through the song, and the lead break is fantastic. There is a lot to recommend about this track. Whether it was nerves about following up the success they had had up to this point, or whether they were just too busy with everything else, all reports suggest that Presley and the Colonel were stalling somewhat with this album and Steve Sholes was somewhat frustrated at the delays. Also, as would seem to be normal, the songs Sholes had brought forward as good songs to record were rejected by Presley. When people suggest that Presley was just a passenger in his musical career, they really show no idea about who this guy was. Although Presley followed the direction the the Colonel lay out for him, once they were in studio it was Elvis' baby, and he was calling the shots. song background Writer and A & R man (for Specialty Records) Robert Blackwell, and Little Richard's dismay, the song 'Tutti Frutti' was covered by pop crooner Pat Boone who took the song higher on the pop charts (#12) than their original version had. They then decided that their next single would have faster-paced lyrics that Pat Boone couldn't replicate. Around this time, popular disc jockey Honey Chile introduced Robert to a young girl named Enortis Johnson who had the notion of writing a song for Little Richard to record to raise money for an operation needed by her Aunt Mary. The 'song' was actually a piece of paper which read: 'Saw Uncle John with Long Tall Sally, they saw Aunt Mary coming so they ducked back in the alley'.
The First In Line This is a plaintive ballad that is sung with a lot of emotion. It has that fifties reverb on the vocal and may well sound even better with that reverb dialled back a little. Elvis always seems to excel at the love ballad so well, it is hardly surprising that for a lot of his career he was recording a lot of them. They did 27 takes as seems to be Elvis' way, that used to drive Steve Sholes nuts. The master is take 27. Studio notes/rememberances At the piano Elvis sits, feeling his way through the new number, a slow and melancholy tune, none of the music is written out, Elvis and his group play everything from memory and by ear, sometimes the other musicians will read a portion of the score, but Elvis, never.Elvis plays through the number for almost an hour but is never satisfied, time after time something goes wrong.When halfway through, Elvis throws up his arms, his sign for everything to stop, then turns to discuss with the band the effect for which they have been trying. 'Okay' says Elvis finally, 'this sounds better' just then one of the instruments goes flat, Elvis has perfect pitch. He throws up his hands again exclaiming, 'Oh, no!' I think this song works really well in the context of the album and is a great addition to the Elvis catalog.
Easy song and album guide Good resources for information elvisrecords.com | The Elvis Presley Record Research Database Thanks @Shawn Elvis Presley U.K. Discography Thanks @Purple Jim Elvis Presley 1956 | The King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis Presley in Canada | Official Graceland Blog Elvis Presley Recording Sessions Thanks @MEMPHISSUN The roots, for those unaware - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread The Crudup Connection - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Elvis and Sun Studios - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread The Sun Recordings (some, not all) - My Happiness Elvis Presley - The Album Thread The My happiness transfer to digital - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread That's All Right Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Good Rockin' Tonight Elvis Presley - The Album Thread I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine Elvis Presley - The Album Thread You're A Heartbreaker Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Milk Cow Blues Boogie Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Baby Let's Play House Elvis Presley - The Album Thread I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Mystery Train Elvis Presley - The Album Thread I Forgot To Remember To Forget Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Elvis Presley - March 1956 - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 1 Blue Suede Shoes Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 2 I'm Counting On You Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 3 I Got A Woman Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 4 One Sided Love Affair Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 5 I Love You Because Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) track 6 Just Because Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) track 7 Tutti Frutti Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 8 Tryin' To Get To You Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) Tryin' to get to you Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 9 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down (and cry)Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 10 I'll Never Let You Go (li'l darlin') Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) tarck 11 Blue Moon Elvis Presley - The Album Thread (Sun recording) track 12 Money Honey Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Singles 1956 - part 1 Heartbreak Hotel Elvis Presley - The Album Thread b-side I Was The One Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Heartbreak Hotel EP Elvis Presley - The Album Thread I Want You I Need You I Love You Elvis Presley - The Album Thread b-side My Baby Left me Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Don't Be Cruel Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * (bside - but essentially double a side) Hound Dog Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Shale Rattle and Roll Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * b-side Lawdy Miss Clawdy Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * (Love Me Tender, single b-side) Any Way You Want Me Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Ed Sullivan Show 9 Sept, 28 Oct, 6 Jan 57(Including Footage) - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * The Complete Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on 29. Sept 1956 - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread another edit - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Some Elvis EP's That's Alright Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Good Rockin' Tonight Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Any Way You Want Me Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * The Real Elvis Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Shake Rattle and Roll Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis - October 1956 - Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 1 Rip It Up Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 2 Love Me Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 3 When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 4 Long Tall Sally Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * track 5 First In Line Elvis Presley the Albums and Singles Thread * Love Me Tender EP - November 1956 - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 1 Love Me Tender Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 2 Let Me Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 3 Poor Boy Elvis Presley - The Album Thread track 4 We're Gonna Move Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Newspaper Articles Clean it up - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread That's All Right and the Hayride - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread Concert Review 1957? - Elvis Presley - The Album Thread
First In Line - Recollections of the songwriter Ben Weisman: 'As I look back, it seems like yesterday...in the summer of 1956 I received a call from my music publisher, Jean Aberbach to come to his office to discuss Elvis Presley, a new singer he was about to represent. He asked me to watch the 'Tommy Dorsey Television Show' on which Elvis would be performing. He said, 'Study his style'. Elvis, who had just signed with RCA, was going to be recording an album, and Aberbach wanted me to write for him'.The first song I submitted for the project was entitled 'First In Line' and Elvis recorded it!'