Showing posts with label Elvis Presley. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Elvis Presley. Show all posts
June 13, 2026
January 30, 2026
45 RPMs 100: 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.
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.
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
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
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
Net links:
YouTube links:
Label: RCA Victor – 47-6636
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: US
Released: 1956
Genre: Rock
Style: Rock & Roll
Viewfinder links:
Net links:
YouTube links:
Eddie Cochran ~ Blue Suede Shoes
Elvis Presley ~
Big Mama Thornton ~ Hound Dog
Styrous® ~ Friday, January 30, 2026
November 28, 2025
Grand Ole Opry @ 100
Today marks the One Hundredth birthday of country music's most revered symbol, called The Carnegie Hall of the South.
The original building called the Ryman Auditorium was built in 1885 and housed the Union Gospel Tabernacle from 1892 to 1904.
The show was free to attend in the early days. In 1939, they started charging a 25¢ per ticket price and tickets now start at $46 each.
The Ryman Auditorium is the most iconic of the six venues; Elvis Presley sang Blue Moon of Kentucky by bluegrass musician Bill Monroe there in 1954. Seven US presidents have visited the Grand Ole Opry; In 1974, Richard Nixon played piano at the opening of the current location and sang Happy Birthday to his wife Pat Nixon.
It takes 15.8 million feet of audio, video and lighting cable to produce the show today on WSM and SiriusXM radio and internet video streaming.
Aside from all the cut-'n-dry technical stuff BUT because of the historical facts involved, to attend the evetnt has to be an outrageous adventure to remember for a lifetime!
Burning Man? Woodstock? Monterey Jazz Festival? I bet one can go WAY back to other eras to find other, to use an old sixties word, Happenings, in our "post-war" (did it ever stop?) history.
Viewfinder links:
YouTube link:
Styrous® ~ Friday, November 28, 2025
October 29, 2025
Mina articles/mentions
April 26, 2025
Pope Francis, "The Musical Pope", has died
~
Pope Francis - 2025
photographer unknown
On April 21, 2025, Jorge Mario Bergoglio, affectionately known as Pope Francis, "The People's Pope", died.
Only one other Pope has had a personal effect on my life, that was Pope Pius XII, whom I mentioned in a blog I wrote in 2013 about Van Cliburn (link below).
On a post by NPR (link below) I discovered that in his student days in his hometown of Buenos Aires, he was a nightclub bouncer and that Pope Francis also had a record collection, and spoke about his favorites.
Classical religious selections were at the top of the list, of course, but it also included tangos by Argentine composer Astor Piazzolla, Elvis Presley gospel recordings and albums by the French chanson singer Edith Piaf.
Viewfinder links:
Styrous® ~ Saturday, April 26, 2025
July 9, 2024
20,000 vinyl LPs 369: Vincent Edwards Sings
~
Vincent Edwards ~ Vince Edwards Sings
vinyl LP front cover
cover photographer unknown
photo of album cover by Styrous®
Today is the birthday of Vincent Edward Zoino, better known as Vincent Edwards, who was born on July 9, 1928, in the Brownsville section of Brooklyn, New York City, New York. His best claim to fame was as TV's Dr. Ben Casey; he also appeared in many films.
He
was originally an athlete, a swimmer and a bodybuilder in the late
1940s and early 1950s and won a scholarship to Ohio State University.
photographer unknown
He was discovered by Bing Crosby and his first acting role was the low-budget United Artists comedy Mr. Universe (1951; with Jack Carson and Bert Lahr), with Edwards portraying Tommy Tomkins, an honest wrestler who runs afoul of gangsters.
_Mr.%20Universe_.jpg)
Harry Landers also was in Mr. Universe and would later appear in the Dr. Ben Casey series with Edwards.
Harry Landers - 1965
During his acting career Edwards ventured occasionally into the
recording studios and there were a number of singles released in his
name. The most important one was never issued, and in 1959 Ray Peterson was credited with the first version of The Wonder of You which became an international hit for him and for Elvis Presley - however, the very first recording was made by Edwards.
Edwards recorded five albums in total but Vince Edwards Sings was the only one which charted and it spent several weeks on the top-20 Billboard LP charts in early 1962.
He was an excellent singer. with a great range and a powerful tenor voice that rang out clear and beautiful.
Vincent Edwards
married actress Kathy Kersh in June 1965, but they split soon after the
wedding. Their daughter was born following the divorce, and Kersh later
married actor Burt Ward, 'Robin' on the ABC TV series Batman.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
Side 1:
A1 - I'll Walk Alone, written by Jule Styne, Sammy Cahn
A2 - Don't Worry 'Bout Me, written by Rube Bloom, Ted Koehler
A3 - When I Fall In Love, written by Edward Heyman, Victor Young
A4 - I Got It Bad (And That Ain't Good), written by Duke Ellington, Paul Francis Webster
A5 - Try A Little Tenderness, written by Harry Woods (2), Jimmy Campbell*, Reg Connelly*
A6 - How Deep Is The Ocean (How High Is The Sky), written by Irving Berlin
Side 2:
B1 - Lonesome Road, written by Gene Austin, Nathaniel Shilkret
B2 - Stormy Weather (Keeps Rainin' All The Time), written by Harold Arlen, Ted Koehler
B3 - As Time Goes By, written by Herman Hupfeld
B4 - And Now, written by George Weiss*, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore
B5 - Unchained Melody, written by Alex North, Hy Zaret
B6 - Everybody's Got A Home But Me, written by Oscar Hammerstein II, Richard Rodgers
Companies, etc.
Pressed By – Decca Records Pressing Plant, Gloversville
Credits:
Conductor – Charles "Bud" Dant, Dick Jacobs
Producer – Abby Greshler
Notes:
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A (stamped), Variant 1): MG 8514 T1
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B (stamped), Variant 1): MG 8515 T2
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A (stamped), Variant 2): MG 8514 T5 V 2
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B (stamped), Variant 2): MG 8515 T5 V 3
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B (stamped), Variant 1): MG 8515 T2
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side A (stamped), Variant 2): MG 8514 T5 V 2
Matrix / Runout (Runout Side B (stamped), Variant 2): MG 8515 T5 V 3
Vincent Edwards* – Vincent Edwards Sings
Label: Decca – DL 4311
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Pop
Style: Vocal
Label: Decca – DL 4311
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album, Mono
Country: US
Released: 1962
Genre: Pop
Style: Vocal
April 4, 2024
March 14, 2024
45 RPMs 79: Perry Como ~ Catch A Falling Star
~
However, in the mid-sixties, French singer Françoise Hardy managed to rock it up and Mrs. Miller had to destroy it as only she could. In 1986, André van Duin sang it in Dutch. Then Adam & the Ants took it to punk/new wave levels in the 90's (links below).
Credits:
45 RPM, side 1
photo by Styrous®
On March 14, 1958, Perry Como had the honor of receiving the every first certified gold single by the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA) with his recording of Catch A Falling Star. It was featured in the 1993 film A Perfect World, a 1993 American crime drama film directed by Clint Eastwood.
I loved, and still do, this song. It has a languid syncopated tango beat intro that goes into a jazzy, bouncy but gentle beat with a terrific vocal backup featuring mostly men. It alernates back and forth and is really delightful, fun and works into a beautifully constructed round. Catch A Falling Star was originally a mono recording but there is an electronically reprocessed version in stereo on YouTube (link below).
Como was a 50-something holdover in a cozy cardigan sweater and stood for everything that youthful rock and roll did not. A "swooners" club voted Como "Crooner of the Year" in 1943. Where rock and roll promised sex, excitement and social change, Como’s act evoked much more staid pursuits. Yet Catch A Falling Star was not the only hit record for Como in the early years of the rock-and-roll “revolution.” Songs like Hot Diggity and Round And Round more than held their own against more rebellious fare, and while they might not have been “cool,” they didn’t need to be in order to find an audience in late 1950s America.
Elvis Presley was the third artist to receive such an honor for Hard Headed Woman in August of 1958, his single Gold Record had him tied on the RIAA’s list with Lawrence Welk (whose Calcutta was certified Gold in February 1961).
The "B" side has the song, Magic Moments written by Hal David and Bert Bacharach with back up by the Ray Charles Singers. It's bouncy with an interesting bassoon and very happy but I actually hated it as it was dreadfully sappy.
In his 2003 book Burt Bacharach, Song by Song, Serene Dominic comments:
"Combined with the quizzical bassoon, the whistling and the ghastly white shadings of the Ray Charles Singers, these distant recollections must seem like occurrences on another planet to later generations."
Both songs were big hits but I thought Falling Star was so much better by miles.
Tracklist:
Side 1:
A - Magic Moments, written by Hal David-Bert Bacharach* - 2:41
Side 2:
B - Catch A Falling Star, written by Lee Pockris*, Paul Vance - 2:25
Companies, etc.
Side 1:
A - Magic Moments, written by Hal David-Bert Bacharach* - 2:41
Side 2:
B - Catch A Falling Star, written by Lee Pockris*, Paul Vance - 2:25
Companies, etc.
Recorded At – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis
Published By – Famous Music Corporation
Published By – Marvin Music Co.
Published By – Famous Music Corporation
Published By – Marvin Music Co.
Credits:
Arranged By – Joe Reisman
Producer – Joe Reisman
Producer – Joe Reisman
Barcode and Other Identifiers
Matrix / Runout (Side A Label): H2PW-8173
Matrix / Runout (Side B Label): H2PW-7411
Matrix / Runout (Side A): H2 PW8173--1S I A1
Matrix / Runout (Side B): H2 PW7411-22S I A1
Rights Society: ASCAP
Pressing Plant ID: I
Matrix / Runout (Side B Label): H2PW-7411
Matrix / Runout (Side A): H2 PW8173--1S I A1
Matrix / Runout (Side B): H2 PW7411-22S I A1
Rights Society: ASCAP
Pressing Plant ID: I
Perry Como With Mitchell Ayres Orch.* And The Ray Charles Singers – Magic Moments / Catch A Falling Star
Label: RCA Victor – 47-7128
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Indianapolis Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1957
Genre: Pop
Style: Vocal Songfacts ~ Catch A Falling Star
YouTube links:
Label: RCA Victor – 47-7128
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Indianapolis Pressing
Country: US
Released: 1957
Genre: Pop
Style: Vocal
Viewfinder links:
History ~ Catch A Falling Star
YouTube links:
Adam & the Ants - Catch a Falling Star
Perry Como ~
Catch a Falling Star (stereo remix)
Mrs. Miller ~ Catch a Falling Star
André van Duin ~ Tranen in je ogen
Lawrence Welk ~ Calcutta dance contest
Styrous® ~ Thursday, March 14, 2024
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)