When I visited Rex Martin of the British “Elvis News Service Weekly” in October 1969 he played me a tape with 20 seconds of the song “My baby’s gone”. For a long time there were rumours about songs Elvis supposedly recorded at Sun and this was the first glimpse of something previously unreleased from that era. A second glimpse was on side 1 of the Bopcat label LP “Good rockin’ tonight” which featured outtakes of Elvis song while side 2 featured outtakes by Jerry Lee Lewis, Warren Smith and Billy Lee Riley as well as a heated studio discussion between Sam Phillips, Jerry Lee Lewis and Billy Lee Riley.
The story of how Elvis started at Sun is known: July 5, 1954 he recorded ballads and during a break in recording started to goof around with Arthur Crudup’s “That’s all right” with Scotty Moore (guitar) and Bill Black (bass) joining him. Sam Phillips asked them to do it again and got the tapes rolling, resulting in Elvis’ first single’s A-side.
For the B-side Bill Monroe’s “Blue moon of Kentucky” was done in a rock-a-billy tempo.
Sun 209 released July 1954 estimated sells around 20,000 copies.
Sun 210 is released September 25, 1954 with the songs “Good rockin’ tonight” and “I don’t care if the sun don’t shine” but reportedly sells far less than “That’s all right”.
Sun 215 is released January 8, 1955 with the songs “Milkcow blues boogie” and “You’re a heartbreaker” but this single hardly sells.
Sun 217 is released April 1955 with the songs “Baby, let’s play house” and “You’re right, I’m left, she’s gone” (erroneously on the label as “I’m left, you’re right, she’s gone”, but never corrected since!). This single reaches the Country & Western top-10 in local lists of Memphis, Houston, New Orleans, Richmond and St. Louis. On July 6, 1955 this single enters Billboard’s C&W list at 15, climbing to 10.
Sun 223 is relased August 1955 with the songs “Mystery train” and “I forgot to remember to forget”. Billboard lists it in their “This week’s best buys”. It reaches number 1 in Memphis. In the national charts it enters at 14, climbing to number 1.
Elvis’ contract is sold to RCA-Victor and they re-release the 5 Sun singles on their own label.
RCA-Victor received 15 tapes from Sam Phillips. Here is what is on those tapes:
#1 I forgot to remember to forget, Mystery train & Tryin’ to get to you
#2 That’s all right plus 2 other selections of which it is not certain if these are by Elvis.
#3 Good rockin’ tonight & Just because
#4 Baby, let’s play house, Tryin’ to get to you & I got a woman
#5 I’m left, you’re right, she’s gone takes 1 through 6
#6 I’m left, you’re right, she’s gone takes 7 through 12
#7 Tomorrow night & I’ll never let you go
#8 Blue moon
#9 Just because, Good rockin’ tonight & I’ll never let you go
#10 Just because
#11 When it rains, it really pours
#12 I’ll never let you go & Satisfied
#13 I love you because & That’s all right
#14 Blue moon of Kentucky (only not so hot)
#15 Harbour lights
not handed over: a tape with “I don’t care if the sun don’t shine” (outtakes) and a tape with “How do you think I feel” (Elvis off-mike)
Tapes with (masters of) Blue moon of Kentucky, Milkcow blues boogie & You’re a heartbreaker were not handed over either.
On Elvis’ first LP, released March 1956 as “Elvis Presley” on RCA-Victor LPM-1254, “I love you because”, “Just because”, Tryin’ to get to you”, “I’ll never let you go (little darlin’)” and “Blue moon” recorded at Sun are featured.
August 1965 sees the release of another song recorded at Sun: “Tomorrow night” on “Elvis for everyone” (LPM/LSP-3450) but additional instruments and The Anita Kerr Singers are added.
In January 1974 on “Elvis, a legendary performer, volume 1” (CPL1-0341) RCA-Victor finally releases an outtake from the Sun era i.e. “I love you because” take 1.
In January 1976 on “Elvis, a legendary performer, volume 2” (CPL1-1349) RCA-Victor releases a song nobody ever knew Elvis recorded at Sun: Harbor lights.
Around 1979/1980 an unofficial release featured 32 minutes of “The Million Dollar Quartet” recordings done at the Sun studio on December 4, 1956. The photo shows Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. But Johnny cash is not heard.
Later a 2-LP-set is released featuring around 74 minutes and again Johnny Cash is not heard.
In Germany RCA-Victor released “The first year” (PL-10504) in July 1983. This LP featured 5 songs recorded live March 19, 1955 (although the sound differs, indicating different recording dates): “Good rockin’ tonight”, “Baby, let’s play house”, “Blue moon of Kentucky”, “I got a woman” & “That’s all right”.
In November 1983 on “Elvis, a legendary performer, volume 4” (CPL1-4848) another unknown Sun recording sees the light of day: “When it rains, it really pours” (takes 7, 9 and 10). This song was re-recorded at RCA-Victor in 1957 but not released until August 1965’s “Elvis for everyone”!
In February and July 1984 a company called “The Music Works” releases with permission of RCA-Victor 2 maxi-singles with previously unreleased 1954 and 1955 recordings:
“Elvis: the first live recordings” (PB-3601) features “Baby, let’s play house”, “Maybelline” and “That’s all right” (with 2 false starts!) (August 20, 1955), “Tweedle dee” (April 30, 1955) and “Hound dog” (December 15, 1956).
“Elvis: the Hillbilly Cat” (PB-3602) features “That’s all right” and “Blue moon of Kentucky” (October 16, 1954 and reportedly his first appearance on “The Louisiana Hayride”) plus 2 songs previously released in Germany: “Good rockin’ tonight” and “I got a woman” (March 19, 1955).
October 1984 a 6-LP box set is released called “Elvis: a golden celebration” (CPM6-5172). Side 1 of the first LP premieres takes 1, 2 and 3 of “That’s all right” plus outtakes of “Blue moon of Kentucky”, “I don’t care if the sun don’t shine”, “I’m left, you’re right, she’s gone” and I”ll never let you go (little darlin’)” which had been available for a long time on the Bopcat LP “Good rockin’ tonight”.
“Reconsider baby” (AFL1/PCD1-5418) released in March 1985 finally gave us the original of “Tomorrow night”. Or not? The song was extended but the guitar break was removed!
In 1986 Bear Family Records released “The Sun country years” box set which featured “How do you think I feel” but Elvis is off-mike. This was found at the end of a tape featuring other Sun artists.
“The complete Sun sessions” 2-LP-set (6414-1-R) released July 1987 gave us more outtakes of “I love you because” and “I’m left, you’re right, she’s gone”. The CD-version (6414-2-R), however, omitted several outtakes!
February 1990 finally an official release of the so-called “The Million Dollar Quartet” is released on LP and CD (2023-1-R/2023-2-R). 74+ minutes of a great jam session.
“The great performances” (2227-1-R/2227-2-R) is released in August 1990. It features the A-side of Elvis’ first private recording: “My happiness”.
“The king of rock ‘n’ roll, the complete 50’s masters” 5-CD-set (66050-2) is released in June 1992 and we finally get the B-side of the first private recording: “That’s when your heartaches begin” plus “Fool, fool, fool” and “Shake, rattle and roll” recorded at a radio station on January 6, 1955, “Reconsider baby” recorded at Sun December 4, 1956 plus take 2 of “Blue moon” and “Tomorrow night” as originally recorded.
On the 4-CD-set “Platinum” (67469-2) released July 1997, we get the A-side of the second private recording: “I’ll never stand in your way”.
The 2-CD-set “Sunrise” (67675-2) released February 1999 gives us the B-side of the second private recording: “It wouldn’t be the same without you” plus 2 false starts and take 1 of “Blue moon” and early live recordings: “I’m left, you’re right, she’s gone” (July 16, 1955), “That’s all right”, “Money honey” and “I don’t care if the sun don’t shine” (January 22, 1955) plus “Tweedle dee” and “Hearts of stone” (January 15, 1955).
Sound quality of the live recordings, preserved on acetates, is not too good.
July 2002 sees the release of the 4-CD-set “Today, tomorrow and forever” (65115-2) with take 3 of “Harbor lights”.
The songs “Satisfied” and “I got a woman” have not been released. It seems that the tapes are lost.
What is strange is that of the many rumoured titles recorded at “The Million Dollar Quartet”, none have seen the light of day, while the titles that were released no-one knew about.
Also there is the mystery regarding Elvis’ private recordings at the Memphis Recording Service. For years it was rumoured there were 2 acetates. First one to be “My happiness” c/w “That’s when your heartaches begin”, second one to be “I’ll never stand in your way” c/w “Casual love affair”. Where did this information come from?
Instead of “Casual love affair” the b-side for the second acetate appeared to be “It wouldn’t be the same (without you)”.
During concerts Elvis mentioned his second single at Sun was “Tiger man”. It is common knowledge that statement is wrong. But did Elvis record this song at Sun? There are many titles rumoured to be recorded by Elvis in 1954-1955. However, some were only composed after Elvis left Sun. Time will tell if any previously unreleased songs will see the light of day.
