From the Turntable: Elvis Presley- Elvis Presley, 1956

Elvis Presley, Elvis Presley, 1956

Label: RCA

Producers: Sam Phillips and Steve Scholes

The first piece of gold to be mined from Elvis Presley’s lucrative and unprecedented signing with RCA Records in late 1955, his electrifying debut LP and its record breaking sales success not only set the powerful singer on track to become arguably the most popular music entertainer of all time, but it also firmly established the selling power of rock & roll itself. By becoming the first rock record to both top the music charts and pass the one million sales mark, the album paved the way for the spirited and youthful performers of this new genre to eventually supplant the mainstays of traditional formats like adult pop and country at the top of American popular music. While Presley’s palpable talent and sensual performance style were certainly key contributors, the biggest reason for his success was the fact that his music owed so much to those proven musical cornerstones of the past. Serving up a melting pot of influences, Presley’s early records seamlessly blended the best elements of pop, country, and R&B and provided new interpretations that were both edgy and intoxicating. The magic combination of these varied ingredients, basically the definitive template for rockabilly and later, rock & roll, radiates from the speakers, and this initial serving remains as irresistible today as it did six decades ago.

Signed to Memphis-based Sun Records, Presley had experienced regional successes throughout 1955 with multiple country & western hits, a membership on the Louisiana Hayride, and a rapidly growing buzz regarding his heretofore unheard-of sexually charged live performances. By the end of the year, Presley’s notorious manager Colonel Parker had negotiated a buy-out of Presley’s contract with Sun Records on the part of RCA. Recording of new material began immediately at the dawn of 1956, but the ability of Elvis’ camp to also purchase the rights to his unreleased Sun recordings allowed RCA to include those cuts as well. The resulting variety makes for a truly diverse album, one that basically navigated through the evolution of Presley’s hillbilly tinged rockabilly sound into a fully fleshed rock & roll style, a template that would guide countless other rock acts in the coming years.

The set opens with the sizzling, rapid-fire rockabilly action of “Blue Suede Shoes”, a recent composition and single release by Elvis’ now former label-mate, Carl Perkins. Although never released as a single by Presley, it’s undoubtedly the song’s definitive version. His smooth but frenetic delivery proved perfectly suited for the red-hot boogie beat of the song, while Scotty Moore’s legendary guitar solos take the record to new heights. It perfectly captured the reckless spirit of his increasingly renowned and soon-to-be legendary stage show. The same can be said for other album highlights like his read of the Ray Charles standard, “I Got A Woman”, with Presley’s seductive, low growl doing the Genius’ original great justice. Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti” likewise is a natural selection for Elvis, his voice perfectly married to the signature hook and Moore’s again superlative guitar work doing a tremendous job mirroring the pounding piano of Richard’s original.

As the album progresses, Sun sessions showcasing him in his early element reside perfectly side-by-side with the additional vigor and spitfire of his initial RCA output. “Trying to Get to You”, one of his very best Sun recordings and one of his biggest early singles, is a shining example of how rockabilly perfectly combined the very best elements of both country & western and rhythm & blues. The staggered build of the performance captures such denial and desperation, and his voice absolutely lets loose at the song’s climactic revelation that he has lost his lover for good. Following suit is “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry Over You”, which effectively works as the aftermath to the preceding tune. The story remains rather somber, but the rapid pace, tempo, and loads of charisma on display make it another infectious delight on an album full of them.

Meanwhile, the King’s standout ability to deliver a passionate and emotive ballad is a quality that cannot be understated when analyzing his success in garnering such a wide audience. Presley could get romantic or somber just as effectively as he could deliver a roof-raising rave-up, and there are some splendid examples throughout this catalog opener. On the classic country ballad, “I’m Counting On You”, you can hear Presley’s rugged roots starting to take on a more polished and sophisticated pop sensibility. A great deal of this can be attributed to the fact that he’s supported here by Floyd Cramer’s piano and Jordanaires-styled background vocals, two future fixtures of the Nashville Sound movement that Presley also basically ushered in, given that it was essentially a country music missile aimed to fire back at the success of rock & roll. Meanwhile, the surroundings and vocal delivery are decidedly more country on the Leon Payne gem, “I Love You Because”, a heartfelt paean of steadfast loyalty and romance.

The ultimate highlight in this realm however is unquestionably his inventive version of the pop classic, “Blue Moon”. He completely transforms the well-known standard into a moody and mysterious cover with an ultra-slow tempo that absolutely wrings out every single ache and pain of a lyric that now almost sounds charming in its original incarnation. Boasted by its walking bass line, the track creeps along in slinky fashion and Presley’s vocal reaches heights that are at times ghostly, and others nearly orgasmic. The chilling affects remain long after it segues into a smooth, closing read of Jesse Stone’s “Money Honey”.

As sonically addictive as it was artistically substantive, and still as timeless as it was revolutionary, the launch to Elvis Presley’s long-playing discography remains not only one of the most commercially significant landmarks in American music history, but also simply one of the most entertaining records of all time. It also remains one of his very best and most cohesive records, which despite the fact that he was never nearly as artistically consistent as other giants like The Beatles, is still quite the statement. He without question rewrote the book on how an American musician could perform, both on stage and on the charts, but also broke down the barriers for the many artistic visionaries that continued to reinvent the music world in his wake. Elvis Presley may not have been the first rock music architect, but he remains the most significant. The majority of that gets its start on this record, and it’s a thrilling listen from beginning to end, time and time again.

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Track Listing

1. “Blue Suede Shoes” (Carl Perkins) *Single Release 1956
2. “I’m Counting On You” (Don Robertson)
3. “I Got A Woman” (Ray Charles, Renald Richard) *Single Release 1956
4. “One-Sided Love Affair” (Bill Campbell)
5. “I Love You Because” (Leon Payne) *Single Release 1956 
6. “Just Because” (Bob Shelton, Joe Shelton, Sydney Robin) *Single Release 1956 
7. “Tutti Frutti” (Little Richard, Dorothy LaBostrie)
8. “Tryin’ to Get to You” (Rose Marie McCoy, Charles Singleton)
9. “I’m Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)” (Howard Biggs, Joe Thomas)
10. “I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’)” (Jimmy Wakely) *Single Release 1956
11. “Blue Moon” (Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart)
12. “Money Honey” (Jesse Stone) *Single Release 1956