Wow, did Elvis really play piano onstage in 1957? Was he just clowning around or did they honest-to-goodness rip into Blueberry Hill in my hometown?
I always have a slight chuckle when Elvis says ‘brother’ in the spoken part of TWYHB. Not sure, why, I just do
"Peace in the Valley" Song by Mahalia Jackson Published 1937 Released 1937 Genre Gospel song Songwriter(s) Thomas A. Dorsey "Peace in the Valley" is a 1937 song written by Thomas A. Dorsey, originally for Mahalia Jackson.[1] The song became a hit in 1951 for Red Foley and the Sunshine Boys, reaching number seven on the Country & Western Best Seller chart.[2] It was among the first gospel recordings to sell one million copies. Foley's version was a 2006 entry into the Library of Congress' National Recording Registry.[3] In 1950 it was one of the first songs recorded by a young Sam Cooke, during his tenure as lead singer of the Soul Stirrers. After the success of Red Foley's interpretation, Jo Stafford recorded the song for her 1954 gospel album Garden of Prayer. Because of the rendition by Elvis Presley (with backing by the Jordanaires on his first Christmas album) in 1957, as well as what followed after his singing the song immediately after his requesting those watching his third and final appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show, on January 6 of that year, to send emergency aid for some 250,000 refugees fleeing Hungary after the late October 1956 double invasion of that country by the then Soviet Union, the song, which in addition Elvis dedicated to the refugees as the show's finale and to a television audience estimated at 50 million, yielded over the next 11 months contributions amounting to US$6 million, or the equivalent of US$49.5 million in 2017 dollars. The International Red Cross in Geneva, with the help of the US Army, organized the distribution of both perishables and non perishables purchased with the above-mentioned funds, to the refugees in both Vienna and London, where they settled, along with their families. for life. Eventually, the song became a country-pop favorite and was recorded by: Little Richard on his 1961 Quincy Jones-produced gospel album It's Real, Connie Francis on her 1961 album Sing Along with Connie Francis; George Jones on his 1962 album Homecoming in Heaven; Johnny Cash on his At San Quentin live album; Loretta Lynn; Dolly Parton; Screaming Trees, as a B-side to their "Dollar Bill" single; Ronnie Milsap; Art Greenhaw with the Jordanaires, Tom Brumley and the Light Crust Doughboys for the Grammy-Nominated album starring Ann-Margret titled God Is Love: The Gospel Sessions[4] and Faith Hill, for a concert special. ----------------------------------------------------------------- I have included a history of the Thomas Dorsey song, as it is interesting in some ways to see who recorded it and when. I am not going to say that Elvis does the definitive version of this song, but I have always enjoyed his version. I think it is quite telling that he sang it on his last Ed Sullivan show appearance. With all of the ridiculous talk of Elvis' single handedly destroying the moral fibre of the nation etc ... I think it was a very shrewd move to sing a beautiful gospel hymn and have people rethink exactly who he was and what his intent was.
The timeline of Early 1957 January 8, Elvis celebrates his twenty-second birthday at home with his parents. The Memphis Draft Board announces at a press conference that Elvis Presley will be classified 1A, meaning he will most likely be drafted in the next six to eight months. While at home Elvis stips by to see Dixie Locke, who has recently married. January 12, 1957 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California I Believe H2WB 0253-09 Tell Me Why H2WB 0254-05 Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do H2WB 0255-09 All Shook Up H2WB 0256-10 January 13, 1957 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California Mean Woman Blues H2WB 0257-14 Peace In The Valley H2WB 0258-09 I Beg Of You (Alternate Master) H2WB 0259-12 That's When Your Heartaches Begin H2WB 0260-SP Take My Hand Precious Lord H2WB 0261-14 January 15, 1957 Paramount Sound Stage - Hollywood, CA (Let's Have A) Party (Alternate Master - Movie Version) SPA5 2868-07 Lonesome Cowboy H2WB 2194-SP January 16, 1957 Paramount Sound Stage - Hollywood, CA Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do (Alternate Master) HRA1 8674-17 Teddy Bear H2WB 2193-13 January 18, 1957 Paramount Sound Stage - Hollywood, CA One Night Of Sin NPA5 5820-NA Blueberry Hill WPA5 2589-02 Hot Dog H2WB 2196-17 Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do (Finale) WPA5 2587-13 January 19, 1957 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California It Is No Secret (What God Can Do) H2WB 0282-13 Blueberry Hill H2WB 0283-09 Have I Told You Lately That I Love You H2WB 0284-15 Is It So Strange? H2WB 0285-12 January 21, 1957 Paramount Sound Stage - Hollywood, California (Let's Have A) Party H2WB 2195-11 Mean Woman Blues (Alternate Intro Version) SPA5 2870-07 Mean Woman Blues (Movie Version Composite) SPA5 2870-SP February 14, 1957 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California Loving You (Farm Version 3) WPA5 2538-12 Loving You (Main Version 2) WPA5 2539-21 February 23, 1957 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California Don't Leave Me Now H2WB 0414-29 I Beg Of You H2WB 0259-34 One Night H2WB 0415-10 True Love H2WB 0416-20 I Need You So H2WB 0417-08 February 24, 1957 Radio Recorders - Hollywood, California Loving You H2WB 0418-04 When It Rains It Really Pours H2WB 0419-08 March is a busy month for Elvis. He finishes the movie 'Loving You'. He decides to buy Graceland after seeing it once. Elvis telegrams June Juanico to meet his train during a brief layover in New Orleans, and it is there that she informs him that she is engaged to be married. In an incident in downtown Memphis, across from the hotel Chisca, Elvis is accused of pulling a gun on Private Hershel Nixon, a nineteen year-old Marine, who claims that Elvis insulted his wife. Elvis sends a rambling six-page telegram of explanation and apology to Private Nixon. On Saturday, March 17, 1957, a day after they returned to Memphis, Elvis' mother and father called real estate agent Virginia Grant to see what she had to offer. Grant wasted no time. That day she showed them two properties, leaving Graceland to last. By 6 p.m. she had accepted a $1,000 deposit from the Presleys and drawn up a provisional sales contract detailing the terms of sale, including an asking price of $90,000. At 10:00 a.m. on Monday, March 19, 22-year-old Elvis, accompanied by his parents, met Grant at Graceland. Elvis surveyed the property for a few minutes, then baptized the house by playing some Rock & Roll at a piano. Elvis, Vernon and Gladys Presley signed the sales contract on the spot as purchasers, and a closing date was set for Tuesday, March 26, at 4:30 p.m. (Vernon and Gladys moved in on this date while Elvis was on tour) March 17, Elvis buys Graceland . Elvis along with his parents, Vernon and Gladys had lived in a well-appointed house at 1034 Audubon Drive, in Memphis, TN, since March 20, 1956. They would have been comfortable there had their son not become the biggest show business sensation in the western world. It soon became apparent that 1034 Audubon Drive failed to provide privacy from an increasing army of fans who even started camping on the home's front lawn. Consequently, Elvis and his parents spent much of early 1957 in Hollywood where Elvis was filming 'Loving You', which featured his parents as extras. Elvis is proudly standing in Graceland, which he recently bought : March '57. Around this time in March, according to Carl Perkins, Elvis droped by Sun Records as Sam Phillips is playing back Carl's recording of 'That's Right'. Carl says, Elvis danced across the floor to the beat and declared that it would be a hit. 'Man I'd kill for that song', Elvis said. Sam then boxed the tape and the three of them headed for WHBQ. When the trio walked in to the studio Dewey Phillips broke into the record he was playing and announced: 'Somebody lock the door! Don't let 'em out! Got 'em both down here, burnin' them jukeboxes up with songs like -' and he had 'Hound Dog' cued up and ready to rip. As it played, Sam handed the tape to Dewey and said, 'I think this is one of the best records that will ever come out of Sun'. Dewey got Elvis to the mike to introduce the song, 'Well, ladies and gentlemen, if this ain't gonna be a hit record I'm gonna be fooled. I-I-I-I-it's really got a different beat and all I know is the name of it's 'That's Right'. And Dewey played the song. After the first airplay Dewey interviewed Carl and Elvis on the air, and devoted a good portion of his show to their music, coming back frequently to ask them questions. When they left the station, Elvis, Carl and Sam found the street mobbed with teenagers who had been listening to Dewey's show. They ran for the car and drove back to Sun, where more cars and teenagers were lined up. 'Boys, I gotta go', Elvis said declining Sam's invitation to come in. Carl and Sam made their way through the crowd as Elvis sped off into the night, a line of hot rods following behind him.
"(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" Single by Elvis Presley from the album Loving You B-side "Loving You" Released June 11, 1957 Format 78- & 45-rpm records Recorded January 22, 1957 Studio Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California Genre Rock and roll, rhythm and blues Length 1:46 Label RCA Victor Songwriter(s) Kal Mann, Bernie Lowe Producer(s) Walter Scharf "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" is a popular song first recorded by Elvis Presley in 1957 for the soundtrack of his second motion picture, Loving You, during which Presley performs the song on screen. It was written by Kal Mann and Bernie Lowe and published in 1957 by Gladys Music. Clear melodic roots of this tune can be heard in the many early recordings of Boll Weevil, a traditional blues song. The song was a U.S. No. 1 hit for during the summer of 1957, staying at No. 1 for seven weeks, the third of the four Presley had that year. "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" would also hit No. 1 on the R&B Best Sellers List, becoming his fourth No. 1 on that chart.[1] The song also reached No. 1 on the country charts for a single week.[2] ---------------------------------------------------------- Well this is probably one of the most clever Pop/Rock songs ever written. Firstly it is very well written and arranged. It contains ingredients from some of the previous hits, but not too much so, it isn't a direct copy of anything. It just has a stylistic stamp, that states, this is an Elvis song. The real stroke of genius though is in the lyrics. At this point in time well over a million teenage girls wanted to be Elvis' Teddy Bear ... Here we have the object of the day singing about being the passive love interest. I just wanna be a cute and cuddly thing that you never let go. Of course it sold in the bucket loads.
"Loving You" Single by Elvis Presley from the album Loving You A-side "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" Released June 11, 1957 Genre Pop Length 2:15 Label RCA Songwriter(s) Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller "Loving You" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and performed by Elvis Presley featuring The Jordanaires. It reached #15 on the U.S. country chart, #20 on the U.S. pop chart, and #24 on the UK Singles Chart in 1957.[1] It was featured on his 1957 album Loving You.[2] It was featured in Presley's 1957 movie Loving You. The single's A-side, "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" reached #1 on the U.S. pop, country, and R&B charts and #3 on the UK Singles Chart in 1957.[3] -------------------------------------------------- Leiber and Stoller came through for Elvis, as they said they would, and supplied this beautiful love song, which was the title of the movie. This song is almost a blueprint of sorts for the sixties love song that would be recorded by Presley.
I'm a minimal Elvis fan, but I'm following along the thread. This song was first released on the Peace in the Valley EP, correct? What about the other three songs from that EP?
Due to the disorganised nature of release, I'll be doing the singles, then the EP's and then the albums of each year to try and keep a certain amount of structure. It seems that just about everything that was released as a single was also on an EP. Whether rightly or wrongly that is how I decided to run through the tracks. To be honest initially I was just going to run through the albums, because pretty much all the tracks ended up on albums. I had some requests to reconsider doing the singles and decided if that is how folks wanted me to do it, then I would follow that line. The Elvis Catalog is quite bizarre in its set up (to me) as we have "the studio Albums", "the soundtrack Albums", the compilation albums", "budget Albums", Ep's, Soundtrack Ep's and singles with typical a-side, b-side, double a-sides etc etc .... So that's why I decided to attack it the way I have. If I am failing to be coherent, my apologies.
