Here’s the question for the day. Now, don’t look down because the answer is right in plain sight. What was Elvis Presley’s first big hit?
"That's All Right, Mama"
(Arthur Crudup)
Well, that's all right, mama
That's all right for you
That's all right mama, just anyway you do
Well, that's all right, that's all right.
That's all right now mama, anyway you do
Mama she done told me,
Papa done told me too
'Son, that gal your foolin' with,
She ain't no good for you'
But, that's all right, that's all right.
That's all right now mama, anyway you do
I'm leaving town, baby
I'm leaving town for sure
Well, then you won't be bothered with
Me hanging 'round your door
Well, that's all right, that's all right.
That's all right now mama, anyway you do
Now, who recognized that as Elvis Presley’s first hit? Everyone I’m sure. Everyone but Gary and I. We were more into the Beatles and know their hits more than those of Elvis. He was born in 1935 and we were born in 1946, he was a bit before our time. But, here in Memphis we’ve been exposed more to the Presley legend and to his influence on Rock and Roll music. In fact, many might say that he began it with the song above. Other rock and roll songs might have come before like ‘Rocket 88’ by the Ike Turner band but these songs were all done by African Americans and appealed to that group but they did not have cross-over appeal to whites.
But wait a moment, let me say something about the earlier years. What was the heritage of Rock and Roll? Look at the Southern Delta for the roots: the whites had their music: country music which came out of the celtic folk music of their heritage and hillbilly. African Americans had spirituals and gospel music both church centered. From these came blues and boogie. And they all centered on Beale Street in Memphis. And, it all began to be heard on radios: the Grand Ole Opry was on the radio playing country and hillbilly and station WDIA in Memphis was playing the blues. Some listened to both but in most cases there was little crossover between music styles and who listened to them.
In walked Sam Phillips, who loved the blues and wanted to spread it. He started the Memphis Recording Service and said he’d record anyone and anything. Yeah, lots of bad singers, lots of weddings, lots of singing dogs and who knows what else. Not what he really wanted to record. Then in one day in walked Elvis Presley who paid the going rate $3.98 to record what he said was a belated birthday present for his mother. Hmmm - his parents didn’t even have a record player. Most think that he just wanted Phillips to hear him but Phillips wasn’t even in the studio when Elvis recorded. It was only his assistant Marion Kiesker. ‘Who do you sound like?’ she asked. ‘I don’t sound like nobody’, he answered.
But she remembered him and his voice. Elvis kept hanging around but it took a year for Phillips to finally want to hear him again and it was Marion who recommended him for a record. Phillips called in Bill Black and Scotty Moore, two other musicians. They played with Elvis but found nothing that was very exciting. Phillips walked out of the studio, the other two put down their instruments. Elvis, realizing that this golden opportunity was going away picked up his guitar and nervously began to sing an old Arthur Crudup song ‘That’s all Right Mama’ but on a much faster beat that the original The others joined in and Phillips, excited by the sound, began recording. (Here’s Elvis with Bill Black and Scotty Moore and Sam Phillips.) They then recorded several other songs in a faster rhythm like ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’.
Phillips took the recording to Dewey Phillips (no relation) who broadcast the Red Hot and Blue radio show in Memphis and thousands heard it. People began calling in requesting a replay of that song. And there you have it. Elvis’ first record was a combination of country and blues - all ‘rocked’ up. Phillips had his crossover artist, a white guy who could sing the bluesy gospel of African Americans and the country of the white people in the area. Someone who could appeal to all.
After Elvis came Carl Perkins with ‘Blue Suede Shoes’, Johnny Cash with ‘I Walk the Line’ and Jerry Lee Lewis with ‘Whole Lot of Shakin’ Goin’ On’ and Roy Orbison followed by Charlie Rich Conway Twitty and others.
Our tour leaders led us through all the stories and the memorabilia contained in this small building. They talked about the musical heritage that began here and their enthusiasm was evident. We had seen how many gold records Elvis recorded but it was here that we learned why he was so important to the history of Rock and Roll and what his place in American musical history is. No wonder Bob Dylan knelt down and kissed the crossed masking tape strips that marked where Elvis stood for his recording.
And, the studio is still recording: U-2 came here to record, using this drum set.
Maybe I should join them. What do you think?
Oh, no, you haven’t heard my voice.
By the way, this is the same microphone that Elvis used to record ‘That’s All Right Mama.’ Phillips wanted it to stay here so that everyone could see it and use. it.
Small unimposing building with a huge influence.
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