45 RPMs 100: Elvis Presley ~ Blue Suede Shoes

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Elvis Presley ~ Blue Suede Shoes 

45 RPM, side 1 

    

I missed buying the Elvis Presley 45 RPM version of Hound Dog (link below) because of prejudice favoring the Big Mama Thornton version (I still like it better). On January 30,1956, Elvis Presley recorded Blue Suede Shoes. I had been familiar with the version recorded and written a year earlier by Carl Perkins (link below), so, I was curious and intrigued to hear what Presley would do with it. I threw prejudices aside. I'm glad I did.     

 

Blue Suede Shoes is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues, country and pop music of the time. Perkins' original version of the song appeared on the Cashbox Best Selling Singles list for 16 weeks and spent two weeks at the number two position. it appears as the opening track of Presley's debut album. It was also recorded by Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran. Of the four versions I like the Perkins one the best (links below).          

 

According to Perkins, he wrote Blue Suede Shoes on December 17, 1955 and recorded it two days later for Sun Records. In Cleveland, Ohio, disc jockey Bill Randle played Blue Suede Shoes often on his nightly show, and before the end of the month, Phillips shipped an additional 25,000 copies to Cleveland.   

 

Perkins never attained the stardom of Presley, who, according to Perkins, "had everything. He had the looks, the moves, the manager (Colonel Tom Parker), and the talent.         

 

In September 1941, Presley entered first grade at East Tupelo Consolidated, where he was regarded as "average". His first public performance was a singing contest at the Mississippi–Alabama Fair and Dairy Show on October 3, 1945, when he was 10; he sang Old Shep, composed by Red Foley, and placed fifth.         

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Blue Suede Shoes, written by Carl Perkins - 1:58

Side 2:

B - Tutti Frutti, written by Dorothy LaBostrie*, Richard Penniman - 1:57

Companies, etc.

    Record Company – Radio Corporation Of America
    Published By – Hi-Lo Music
    Published By – Venice Music, Inc.

 

Notes:

1st pressing, black RCA Victor label with dog on top and horizontal silver line.
Very early 1st pressing (August 31 ,1956) with dog on top and no silver line (-1S on matrices) - see release Elvis Presley - Blue Suede Shoes / Tutti Frutti

Barcode and Other Identifiers         

    Rights Society: BMI
    Matrix / Runout (Label A): G2WW-1230
    Matrix / Runout (Label B): G2WW-1255
    Matrix / Runout (Runout A, variant 1): G2 WW1230-3S
    Matrix / Runout (Runout B, variant 1): G2 WW1255-3S
    Matrix / Runout (Runout A, variant 2): G2 WW1230-5S RCA F
    Matrix / Runout (Runout B, variant 2): G2 WW1255-5S RCA I A

        

Elvis Presley – Blue Suede Shoes / Tutti Frutti
Label: RCA Victor – 47-6636
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Rock
Style: Rock & Roll

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

         
Eddie Cochran      

Red Foley          

Buddy Holly

Carl Perkins  

Elvis Presley 

         
     
Net links:       

         

         

         

        
     
YouTube links:      
         

Eddie Cochran ~ Blue Suede Shoes    

Buddy Holly ~ Blue Suede Shoes
Carl Perkins ~ Blue Suede Shoes         

Elvis Presley ~  

                        Blue Suede Shoes                 

                        Old Shep    

                        Tutti Frutti       
                        Tutti Frutti (live)   

Big Mama Thornton ~ Hound Dog                             
         

 

 

        

        

Styrous® ~ Friday, January 30, 2026 

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Ed Foley articles/mentions

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mentions:     

Elvis Presley ~ Blue Suede Shoes       

     

     

     

     

     

     

Red Foley - 1944     

photo: page 357 of Billboard 1944 Music Yearbook      

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

 

 

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Music People

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Dave Edmonds articles/mentions

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mentions:     

Carl Perkins ~ Blue Suede Shoes     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

      

     

     

     

     

Dave Edmonds     

date & photographer unknown     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

 

 

 

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45 RPMs 72: Carl Perkins ~ Blue Suede Shoes

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Carl Perkins ~ Blue Suede Shoes
     45 RPM record label, side 1

    

Seventy-two years ago today, on December 19, 1955, Carl Perkins recorded Blue Suede Shoes for Sam Phillips at Sun Records in Memphis, Tennesee.                

I was heavy into rhythm 'n blues and was intrigued by this "new" sound and went crazy over the song. When Elvis Presley later released a cover of it on August 31, 1956, I hated his version and wouldn't buy it. It is the only Presley song from his early period I don't have on 45.         

This was the only Top 40 hit for Perkins on the pop charts but his influence reaches much further. He was extremely influential to other artists, including Presley, The Beatles and Johnny Cash. Perkins was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1987. This was the first song to hit the US Pop, Country, and R&B charts at the same time. Released on January 1, 1956, the song made a slow climb up the charts, appearing on all three in May, which is when it reached its peak of #2 on the Pop charts.       

Blue suede shoes were a luxury item in the South, a stylish footwear for a night out. Perkins never owned a pair, but Johnny Cash told him a story about someone who did.                   

The lyrics describe things Perkins would prefer over getting his shoes scuffed, and the list includes derelict behavior: stepping on his face, stealing his car, burning down his house and drinking his liquor. Some in the Sinatra-loving older generation were horrified, and used the song to back their case that rock 'n' roll was the Devil's music.         

 

Blue Suede Shoes

 

Well, it's one for the money two for the show
Three to get ready now go, cat, go

But don't you step on my blue suede shoes
Well you can do anything but
Lay off of my blue suede shoes

Well, you can knock me down, step in my face
Slander my name all over the place
Do anything that you want to do
But uh-uh honey, lay off of my shoes

Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes
Now let's go cats (oh walk the dogs)

You can burn my house, steal my car
Drink my liquor from an old fruit-jar
Do anything that you want to do
But uh-uh baby, lay off of my shoes

Don't you step on my blue suede shoes
You can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes
Rock it

Well, it's one for the money, two for the show
Three to get ready now go, cat, go

But don't you step on my blue suede shoes
Well you can do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes
Go cat uh

Blue, blue suede shoes oh baby
Blue, blue suede shoes uh ha
Blue, blue suede shoes oh baby
Blue, blue suede shoes
You do anything but lay off of my blue suede shoes

Songwriter: Carl Perkins

Perkins wrote Blue Suede Shoes on a 1953 Gibson Les Paul, a solid body electric guitar; he also used it on all of this Sun recordings. The guitar was originally a Gold Top when Perkins bought it new in 1953 and after his hit Blue Suede Shoes he had it painted Blue.       

1953 Gibson Les Paul

 

One of Perkins last appearances was with Dave Edmunds performing Blue Suede Shoes on The Jay Leno Show in 1997 (Perkins died the next year).         

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A Blue Suede Shoes - 2:14

Side 2:

B Honey, Don't! - 2:48

Companies, etc.

     Published By Hi-Lo Music

    Written by Perkins*

 

Credits:

 
A & B: Hi Lo Music (BMI)

 

Notes:

Runouts are etched.

Barcode and Other Identifiers        

        

    Rights Society: BMI
    Matrix / Runout (A side label): U 176
    Matrix / Runout (B side label): U 177
    Matrix / Runout (Side A runout): U-176-45
    Matrix / Runout (Side B runout): U-177-45

 

Label: Sun – 234
Format:    Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: Jan 1, 1956
Genre: Rock
Style: Rockabilly

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

         

Johnny Cash       

Dave Edmonds         
Carl Perkins         

Elvis Presley          
     
Net links:       

         

         

         

Songfacts ~ Blue Suede Shoes        
     
YouTube links:      
        
Carl Perkins ~ Blue Suede Shoes         

Elvis Presley ~ Blue Suede Shoes                   

        

        
         

Blue Suede Shoes sheet music

         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Monday, December 19, 2022  

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Blue Suede Shoes      

mentions:     

Cash & Carter ~ A Man & His Woman     

Michael Damian ~ Rock On with 12"  

Elvis Presley ~ Don't Be Cruel     

     

      

     

     

     

     

     

      

Carl Perkins     

date & photographer unknown     

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

      

     

 

 

 

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45 RPMs 24: Elvis Presley ~ Don't Be Cruel

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Two versions of the picture sleeve were manufactured, one listing Hound Dog first. This sleeve, listing Don't Be Cruel first is rarer.                

     
     
    
    
   
    
      
     
Elvis Presley, Hound Dog
45 RPM record sleeve
sleeve photographer unknown 
photo of sleeve by Styrous® 

      
  

     

On July 13, 1956, the Elvis Presley single, Hound Dog, written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, was released. Presley recorded the song on July 2, 1956 during a session at RCA studios in New York City; Any Way You Want Me and Don't Be Cruel were cut at the same time. I was familiar with Bill Haley but had not heard of Presley before.  

Hound Dog was the "A" side of the 45 but as I was into Rhythm & Blues before I ever heard of Rock and Roll, I was familiar wth the original recording of the song by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton with Johnny Otis and wasn't crazy about the Presley version which was faster and not as sensual. Although it wasn't R&B but rockabilly, it was the same with Blue Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins. This happened to me several times with R&R covers of songs in the 50's that I later came to like.

Elvis Presley, Hound Dog 
45 RPM record, side 1
photo by Styrous®

Thornton recorded Hound Dog on August 13, 1952, in Los Angeles and it was released by Peacock Records in late February 1953; it was Thornton's only hit record, selling over 500,000 copies, spending 14 weeks in the R&B charts, including seven weeks at number one. Thornton's recording of Hound Dog is listed as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll" and was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in February 2013.       

 

Elvis Presley, Hound Dog 

45 RPM record label, side 1

photo by Styrous®

 

And then I heard the "B" side, Don't Be Cruel, written by Otis Blackwell; the expression had not been coined then but I was totally blown away!           

WOW!

       

            

Elvis Presley, Don't Be Cruel    
45 RPM record, side 2
photo by Styrous®

 

Elvis Presley, Don't Be Cruel   

45 RPM record label, side 2

photo by Styrous® 

Other artists covered Don't Be Cruel including Connie Francis (1959, Rock 'n' Roll Million Sellers), Annette Peacock, Barbara Lynn (1963, Jamie #1244 45 RPM, #93 on the Hot 100), the Bill Black Combo, Billy Swan, Devo, Cheap Trick, Daffy Duck, Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Diamond, and Jackie Wilson have recorded the song. Debbie Harry recorded the song for the Otis Blackwell tribute album Brace Yourself! A Tribute to Otis Blackwell. A cover by American country music duo The Judds peaked at number 10 on the BillboardHot Country Singles chart in 1987. The Cheap Trick version of this song reached No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1988.   

Elvis Presley, Don't Be Cruel

45 RPM record sleeve back
back sleeve photo photographer unknown
photo of cover by Styrous® 

Don't Be Cruel was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, it was listed #197 in Rolling Stone's list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is currently ranked as the 173rd greatest song of all time, as well as the sixth best song of 1956, by Acclaimed Music.  

Until 1992, its 11-week domination of the Number One spot was the longest in history. It is the only single in history to have both sides reach #1 in the US.       

  

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A     Hound Dog, written by Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller* - 2:15

Side 2:

B     Don't Be Cruel, written by  Otis Blackwell - 2:03

Notes:

Version with horizontal line on label.    

      

Elvis Presley ‎– Hound Dog / Don't Be Cruel
Label: RCA Victor ‎– 47-6604
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Rock
Style: Rock & Roll
      
       

Viewfinder links:     
         
Elvis Presley articles/mentions        
Don't Be Cruel lyrics     
Connie Francis        
     
Net links:     
         
Songfacts ~ Don't Be Cruel 
RollingStone ~ 500 Greatest Songs of All Time     
SecondHandSongs ~ Don't Be Cruel covers       
     
YouTube links:     
         
Elvis Presley - Don't Be Cruel         
                      - Hound Dog               
"Big Mama" Thornton ~ Hound Dog  
       
      
    
    
Styrous® ~ Friday, July 13, 2018                    

          

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