That's All Right
| "That's All Right" | ||||||||
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| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||||||
| B-side | "Blue Moon of Kentucky" | |||||||
| Released | 19 July 1954 | |||||||
| Format | 7" single | |||||||
| Recorded | 5 July 1954 | |||||||
| Genre | Rockabilly | |||||||
| Length | 1:57 | |||||||
| Label | Sun Records | |||||||
| Writer(s) | Arthur Crudup | |||||||
| Producer | Sam Phillips | |||||||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||||||
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"That's All Right" is the name of the first single released by Elvis Presley, written and originally performed by blues singer Arthur Crudup. Elvis' version was recorded on 5 July 1954,[1] and released on 19 July 1954 with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as the B-side. It is #112 on the 2004 Rolling Stone magazine list of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[2]
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[edit] History
The song was written by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup, and originally recorded by him in Chicago on 6 September 1946, as "That's All Right". It was released as a single on RCA Victor 20-2205, but was less successful than some of Crudup's previous recordings. At the same session, he recorded a virtually identical tune with different lyrics, "I Don't Know It", which was also released as a single (RCA Victor 20-2307). In early March 1949, the song was rereleased under the title, "That's All Right, Mama" (RCA Victor 50-0000), which was issued as RCA's first rhythm and blues record on their new 45 rpm single format[3][4], on bright orange vinyl.[5]
Elvis Presley's version was recorded in July 1954, and released with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as the B-side.[6] Its catalogue number was Sun 209.[7] The label reads "That's All Right" (omitting "Mama" from the original title), and names the performers as Elvis Presley, Scotty and Bill.[8] Arthur Crudup is credited on the label as songwriter, though he may never have received royalties from the recording.[9] Crudup based his song and borrowed themes from Blind Lemon Jefferson's 1926 song That Black Snake Moan".[10]
A country music version by Marty Robbins peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart in 1955.[11]
[edit] Presley's recording
During an uneventful recording session at Sun Studio's on the evening of July 5, 1954, Presley, Moore, and Black were taking a break between recordings when Presley started fooling around with an up-tempo version of Arthur Crudup's song "That's All Right, Mama".[4] Black began joining in on his upright bass, and soon they were joined by Moore on guitar.[4] Producer Sam Phillips, taken aback by this sudden upbeat atmosphere, asked the three of them to start again so he could record it.[4]
Black's bass and guitars from Presley and Moore provided the instrumentation. The recording contains no drums or additional instruments. The song was produced in the style of a "live" recording (all parts performed at once and recorded on a single track).[12] The following evening the trio recorded "Blue Moon of Kentucky" in a similar style, and it was selected as the B-side to "That's All Right".[4]
The recording session was Presley's fifth visit to the Sun Studio.[13] His first two visits, the summer of 1953 and January 1954, had been private recordings, followed by two more visits in the summer of 1954.[13]
Upon finishing the recording session, according to Scotty Moore, Bill Black remarked, "Damn. Get that on the radio and they'll run us out of town."
[edit] Release
Sam Phillips gave copies of the record to local disc jockeys Dewey Phillips (no relation) of WHBQ, Uncle Richard of WMPS, and Sleepy Eyed John Lepley of WHHM.[4] On July 7, 1954, Dewey Phillips played "That's All Right" on his popular radio show "Red, Hot & Blue".[4] On hearing the news that Dewey was going to play his record, Presley went to the local movie theater to calm his nerves.[4]
Interest in the record was so intense that Dewey reportedly played the record 14 times and received over 40 telephone calls.[4] Presley was persuaded to go to the station for an on-air interview that night.[4] Unaware that the microphone was live at the time, Presley answered Dewey's questions, including one about which high school he attended: a roundabout way of informing the audience of Presley's race without actually asking the question.[4]
"That's All Right" was officially released on July 19, 1954,[4] and sold around 20,000 copies.[4] This number was not enough to chart nationally, but the single reached number four on the local Memphis charts.[4]
[edit] Importance in music history
Rolling Stone Magazine argued in a 2004 article that Presley's recording of "That's All Right" was the first rock-and-roll record.[14]
[edit] References
- ^ "Elvis Presley records "That’s All Right (Mama)"". History.com. http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/elvis-presley-records-quotthats-all-right-mamaquot. Retrieved July 6, 2010.
- ^ "The Rolling Stone 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" Rolling Stone magazine, #963, December 9, 2004. on scribd.com. Accessed 2011-03-31.
- ^ What Was The First Rock'n'Roll Record. Faber and Faber. 1992. pp. 201. ISBN 0-571-12939-0.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Elvis: His Life from A to Z. Outlet. 1992. pp. 479. ISBN 978-0517066348.
- ^ Dawson, Jim, and Steve Propes, What Was The First Rock 'n' Roll Record ? (Faber and Faber, 1992), ISBN 0-571-12939-0
- ^ Sun Records Discography.
- ^ The Elvis Presley Sun collection.
- ^ Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup discography webpage shows 1954 Sun labels. Accessed 2011-03-31.
- ^ Mississippi Blues Trail Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup roadside marker at Forest, MS. Accessed 2011-03-31.
- ^ Bob Dylan Encyclopedia.
- ^ "Marty Robbins Billboard Singles". Allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p1794/charts-awards/billboard-singles. Retrieved August 24, 2011.
- ^ "SAM PHILLIPS - SUN STUDIOS MEMPHIS - The Father of Rock n Roll". www.elvispresleynews.com. http://www.elvispresleynews.com/SamPhillips.html. Retrieved 22 July 2010.
- ^ a b "Elvis Presley Recordings". The 1950's. www.elvisrecordings.com. http://www.elvisrecordings.com/. Retrieved 6 December 2010.
- ^ Cave, Damien, Matt Diehl, Gavin Edwards, Jenny Eliscu, David Fricke, Lauren Gitlin, Matt Hendrickson, Kirk Miller, Austin Scaggs, and Rob Sheffield. "Truck Driver Invents Rock". Rolling Stone, no. 951 (June 24, 2004): 84-85.
[edit] External links
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