Elvis Presley (album)

Elvis Presley (released in the UK as Elvis Presley Rock n' Roll[7]) is the debut album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. It was released on RCA Victor, catalog number LPM-1254, in March 23, 1956. The recording sessions took place on January 10 and January 11 at the RCA Victor recording studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and on January 30 and January 31 at the RCA Victor studios in New York. Additional material originated from sessions at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 5, August 19 and September 10 of 1954, and on July 11, 1955.[8]

Elvis Presley
Studio album by Elvis Presley
Released	March 23, 1956
Recorded	July 1954–January 1956
Genre	Rock and roll
Length	28:03
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Sam Phillips (Sun recordings) Stephen H. Sholes (RCA recordings)
Elvis Presley chronology
Elvis Presley (1956) Elvis (1956)
Singles from Elvis Presley
"Blue Suede Shoes" Released: August 31, 1956[1] "I Got a Woman" Released: August 31, 1956[2] "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')" Released: August 31, 1956[3] "I Love You Because" Released: August 31, 1956[4] "Just Because" Released: August 31, 1956[5] "Money Honey" Released: August 31, 1956[6]

The album spent ten weeks at number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart in 1956, the first rock and roll album ever to make it to the top of the charts,[9] and the first million-selling album of that genre.[10] In 2003, it was ranked number 56 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time,[11] maintaining the rating in a 2012 revised list.[12] Elvis Presley was also one of three Presley albums to receive accolades in the reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die, the others being Elvis Is Back! and From Elvis in Memphis.[13] It was certified Gold on November 1, 1966 and Platinum on August 8, 2011 by the Recording Industry Association of America.[14]

The original 1956 UK release called Rock n' Roll on HMV Catalog Number: CLP 1093 has six different tracks.

Background

By the second half of 1955, singles on Sun Records by Presley began making the national country and western singles chart, "Baby Let's Play House" and "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" going to number 5 and number 1 respectively.[15] Colonel Tom Parker, the new manager of Presley, had extensive dealings with RCA through his previous client, singer Eddy Arnold, especially with the head of the Country and Western and Rhythm and blues division, Steve Sholes.[16] At the urging of Parker, on November 21, 1955, Sholes bought Presley's contract from Sam Phillips, the head of Sun Records and Studio, for the unprecedented sum of $35,000 (approximately $318,500 in 2017 dollars).[17] Presley and rock and roll were still untested properties for the major labels in the music business, but this album, along with the number one single "Heartbreak Hotel", proved the selling power of both: it was the first RCA Victor pop album to earn more than $1,000,000,[10] and in 1956 it had sold over one million units.[10][18]

Content

Presley made appearances in four consecutive weeks on the Dorsey Brothers television program Stage Show in early 1956, on January 28, February 4, February 11, and February 18.[19] RCA wanted an album in the stores fast to capitalize both on the nationwide TV exposure and the success of his first hit single on the pop charts with "Heartbreak Hotel", swiftly climbing to the top after its release on January 27. At the same time, there had only been two series of Presley recording sessions for RCA Victor by the end of the Dorsey stint, after which Presley and his band were back on the road. Those two sessions yielded an additional eleven tracks, almost enough to fill an entire LP, although some tracks had singles potential. In the 1950s, general practice dictated tracks having greater commercial potential to be released as singles, with tracks of lesser appeal placed on albums; as such, RCA Victor neither took all eleven tracks and simply made an album, nor placed the already released and briskly-selling "Heartbreak Hotel" on it. The rights to the Sun Studio tapes had transferred to RCA Victor with the sale of his contract, so five previously unreleased Sun songs, "I Love You Because", "Just Because", "Tryin' to Get to You", "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')", and "Blue Moon" were added to seven of the RCA Victor sessions tracks to bring the running time of the album up to an acceptable length.[10] Phillips produced the sessions at Sun, and no producer was officially listed for the RCA Victor sessions, leading to the belief that Presley himself produced them.[20]

As the Sun tracks were mostly country-styled, Elvis and RCA Victor leavened the selections with covers of recent rhythm and blues songs. Two of these, "Money Honey" by Jesse Stone, known to Elvis from a version by Clyde McPhatter, and Ray Charles' 1955 hit "I Got a Woman", had been in Presley's live act for a year.[21] A third was the frenetic announcement to the world of the existence of Little Richard in 1955, "Tutti Frutti". A rockabilly number that was believed to be a potential hit and could hold its own with the R&B material, "Blue Suede Shoes", was not initially released as a single from a promise by Sholes to Sam Phillips to protect the career of another Sun artist, Carl Perkins, the author of the song.[22] Instead, it was diverted into being the opening track on the album.

On August 31, 1956, RCA Victor took the unusual step of releasing the entire album as singles, which undoubtedly kept the new single released simultaneously, "Shake, Rattle and Roll" backed with "Lawdy Miss Clawdy," from reaching the charts. However, "Blue Suede Shoes", released in single form as a part of this experiment by RCA Victor, kept the promise to Phillips and Perkins by waiting over eight months since the song's release on Sun and made it to number 20 on the singles chart.

Artwork

The cover is ranked number 40 on Rolling Stone's list of the 100 greatest album covers, published in 1991.[23] The iconic photograph of Elvis was taken at the Fort Homer Hesterly Armory in Tampa, Florida, on July 31, 1955.[24] Initially, it was thought that Popsie Randolph took the image featured on the front cover, since the album only credited one photographer. However, in August 2002, Joseph A. Tunzi documented that the actual photographer was William V. "Red" Robertson of Robertson & Fresch. The Popsie credit attributed to the album only applied to a series of photos featured on the back cover, taken in New York City in early December 1955, shortly after Presley had signed with RCA Victor. Tunzi was quoted in the Tampa Tribune as saying, "Forget about Popsie. Popsie did not take that photo." [25]

The graphic and photo were also used on an EP and a double-EP comprising songs from this album, also released in March 1956.[26]

The design was echoed by The Clash for the front of their 1979 album London Calling; that cover is number 39 on the Rolling Stone list of 100 greatest album covers noted previously. Other acts of cover homage include F-Punk by Big Audio Dynamite in 1995 and Reintarnation in 2006 by k.d. lang, and Chumbawamba's controversial single "Tony Blair".

Reception

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[27]
Encyclopedia of Popular Music	[28]
MusicHound	[29]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide	[30]
Rough Guides	[31]
Sputnikmusic	5/5[32]

Elvis Presley has been met with critical acclaim since its release.

Reissues

RCA first reissued the original 12 track album on compact disc in 1984. This issue, in reprocessed (fake) stereo sound, was quickly withdrawn and the disc was reissued in original monophonic. In 1999, RCA reissued the album with an altered running order, adding on six bonus tracks from three non-album singles, including the chart-toppers "Heartbreak Hotel" and "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You." In 2005, the album was reissued again, remastered using DSD technology with the six bonus tracks appended in standard fashion. A two-disc set was released on the Follow That Dream collectors label on August 15, 2006, with bonus tracks and numerous alternate takes.

Track listing

Side one

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Blue Suede Shoes"	Carl Perkins	January 30, 1956	2:00
2.	"I'm Counting on You"	Don Robertson	January 11, 1956	2:25
3.	"I Got a Woman"	Ray Charles Renald Richard	January 10, 1956	2:25
4.	"One Sided Love Affair"	Bill Campbell	January 30, 1956	2:11
5.	"I Love You Because"	Leon Payne	July 5, 1954	2:43
6.	"Just Because"	Bob Shelton Joe Shelton Sydney Robin	September 10, 1954	2:34

Side two

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Tutti Frutti"	Dorothy LaBostrie Richard Wayne Penniman	January 31, 1956	1:59
2.	"Tryin' to Get to You"	Rose Marie McCoy Charles Singleton	July 11, 1955	2:31
3.	"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)"	Howard Biggs Joe Thomas	January 31, 1956	2:01
4.	"I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')"	Jimmy Wakely	September 10, 1954	2:24
5.	"Blue Moon"	Richard Rodgers Lorenz Hart	August 19, 1954	2:40
6.	"Money Honey"	Jesse Stone	January 10, 1956	2:35

UK edition - side one

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Blue Suede Shoes"
2.	"I Got a Woman"
3.	"I'm Counting on You"
4.	"I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone"
5.	"That's All Right"
6.	"Money Honey"

UK edition - side two

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Mystery Train"
2.	"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)"
3.	"Trying to Get to You"
4.	"One Sided Love Affair"
5.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy"
6.	"Shake, Rattle and Roll"

1999 edition

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Heartbreak Hotel"	Mae Axton Tommy Durden Elvis Presley	2:08
2.	"I Was the One"	Aaron Schroeder Claude Demetrius Hal Blair Bill Peppers	2:34
3.	"Blue Suede Shoes"	Perkins	1:58
4.	"I'm Counting on You"	Robertson	2:24
5.	"I Got a Woman"	Charles Richard	2:23
6.	"One-sided Love Affair"	Campbell	2:09
7.	"I Love You Because"	Payne	2:42
8.	"Just Because"	B. Shelton J. Shelton Robin	2:32
9.	"Tutti Frutti"	LaBostrie Penniman	1:58
10.	"Tryin' to Get to You"	McCoy Singleton	2:31
11.	"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)"	Biggs Thomas	2:01
12.	"I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')"	Wakely	2:24
13.	"Blue Moon"	Rodgers Lorenz Hart	2:31
14.	"Money Honey"	Stone	2:34
15.	"Lawdy Miss Clawdy"	Lloyd Price	2:08
16.	"Shake, Rattle and Roll"	Charles Calhoun	2:37
17.	"My Baby Left Me"	Arthur Crudup	2:12
18.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"	Lou Kosloff George Mysels	2:40

2006 FTD edition (Disc one)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Blue Suede Shoes"	2:01
2.	"I'm Counting on You"	2:24
3.	"I Got a Woman"	2:25
4.	"One Sided Love Affair"	2:11
5.	"I Love You Because"	2:40
6.	"Just Because"	2:33
7.	"Tutti Frutti"	1:59
8.	"Trying to Get to You"	2:33
9.	"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)"	2:04
10.	"I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')"	2:25
11.	"Blue Moon"	2:43
12.	"Money Honey"	2:36
13.	"Heartbreak Hotel"	2:09
14.	"I Was the One"	2:33
15.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy"	2:10
16.	"Shake, Rattle and Roll"	2:27
17.	"My Baby Left Me"	2:13
18.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"	2:44
19.	"I Got a Woman" (Incomplete unknown take number)	1:32
20.	"I Got a Woman" (Unknown take number)	2:26
21.	"Heartbreak Hotel" (Incomplete take 4)	1:07
22.	"Heartbreak Hotel" (Take 5)	2:17
23.	"Heartbreak Hotel" (Take 6)	2:16
24.	"Money Honey" (Fragments)	0:08
25.	"Money Honey" (Take 6)	0:24
26.	"Money Honey" (Incomplete take 10)	1:27
27.	"I'm Counting on You" (Take 1)	2:20
28.	"I'm Counting on You" (Take 13)	2:33
29.	"I'm Counting on You" (Incomplete take 14)	2:19
30.	"I Was the One" (Take 1)	0:13
31.	"I Was the One" (Take 2 – false start)	0:11
32.	"I Was the One" (Take 2)	2:32
33.	"I Was the One" (Take 3 – false start)	0:12
34.	"I Was the One" (Take 3- incomplete)	0:56
35.	"I Was the One" (Take 7a – not master)	2:41
36.	"I Was the One" (Incomplete unknown take)	1:31

2006 FTD edition (Disc two)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"I'm Counting on You" (Take 1)	0:37
2.	"I'm Counting on You" (Incomplete take 2)	1:35
3.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 1)	2:40
4.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 3)	2:21
5.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 4)	2:17
6.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 5)	2:20
7.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 6)	2:19
8.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 7)	1:52
9.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 8)	0:59
10.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 9)	2:16
11.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 10)	2:27
12.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 11)	0:13
13.	"Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" (Take 12)	2:20
14.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 1)	0:38
15.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 2)	2:34
16.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 3)	0:19
17.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 5)	0:47
18.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 6)	0:34
19.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 7)	2:41
20.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 8)	2:34
21.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 9)	0:20
22.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 10)	0:12
23.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 11)	0:14
24.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 12)	1:41
25.	"Shake Rattle and Roll" (Take 12 – undubbed, unedited master)	2:36
26.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"	0:07
27.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (Take 3)	3:05
28.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (Take 4)	2:56
29.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (Take 5 – fragment)	0:14
30.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (Take 13)	2:57
31.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (Take 14 – incomplete)	1:50
32.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (Take 15)	2:55
33.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (Take 16)	2:54
34.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" (Take 17)	2:49
35.	"Don Davis Interviews Elvis Presley"	3:53

2011 Legacy edition (Disc one)

No.	Title	Length
1.	"Blue Suede Shoes"	1:58
2.	"I'm Counting on You"	2:24
3.	"I Got A Woman"	2:23
4.	"One Sided Love Affair"	2:09
5.	"I Love You Because"	2:42
6.	"Just Because"	2:32
7.	"Tutti Frutti"	1:59
8.	"Tryin' to Get to You"	2:33
9.	"I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry (Over You)"	2:05
10.	"I'll Never Let You Go (Lil' Darlin')"	2:25
11.	"Blue Moon"	2:43
12.	"Money Honey"	2:36
13.	"Heartbreak Hotel"	2:08
14.	"I Was The One"	2:34
15.	"My Baby Left Me"	2:12
16.	"Lawdy Miss Clawdy"	2:08
17.	"Shake, Rattle and Roll"	2:37

2011 Legacy edition (Disc two)

No.	Title	Writer(s)	Length
1.	"Rip It Up"	Robert Blackwell John Marascalco	1:50
2.	"Love Me"	Jerry Leiber Mike Stoller	2:41
3.	"When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again"	Gene Sullivan Wiley Walker	2:18
4.	"Long Tall Sally"	Blackwell Enotris Johnson Richard Penniman	1:51
5.	"First in Line"	Aaron Schroeder Ben Weisman	3:21
6.	"Paralyzed"	Otis Blackwell Presley	2:18
7.	"So Glad You're Mine"	Arthur Crudup	2:18
8.	"Old Shep"	Red Foley	4:10
9.	"Ready Teddy"	Blackwell Marascalco	1:55
10.	"Anyplace is Paradise"	Joe Thomas	2:26
11.	"How's the World Treating You?"	Chet Atkins Boudleaux Bryant	2:23
12.	"How Do You Think I Feel"	Webb Pierce Walker	2:10
13.	"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"	Lou Kosloff George Mysels	2:40
14.	"Hound Dog"	Leiber Stoller	2:16
15.	"Don't Be Cruel"	Blackwell Presley	2:30
16.	"Anyway You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)"	Cliff Owens Schroeder	2:13
17.	"Too Much"	Lee Rosenberg Bernard Weinman	2:31
18.	"Playing for Keeps"	Stan Kesler	2:50
19.	"Love Me Tender"	Vera Matson Presley	2:41

Personnel

• Elvis Presley – vocals, acoustic guitar, piano (on "Tryin' To Get to You")
• Scotty Moore – electric guitar
• Chet Atkins – acoustic guitar on "I'm Counting on You" and "Money Honey"
• Floyd Cramer – piano on January 10–11
• Shorty Long – piano on January 30–31
• Bill Black – bass
• D. J. Fontana – drums except "I Love You Because," "Just Because," "Tryin' to Get to You," "I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')," and "Blue Moon"
• Johnny Bernero – drums (on "Tryin' to Get to You")
• Gordon Stoker – backing vocals
• Ben Speer – backing vocals
• Brock Speer – backing vocals
• Doug Poindexter - percussion/guitar on "Just Because"

Charts

Chart (1956) Peak position UK Albums (OCC)[7] 1 US Billboard 200[33] 1 US Albums (Cashbox)[34] 1

Chart (1977) Peak position Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[35] 20

Certifications

Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[36]	Platinum	1,000,000^^
^^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

See also

• Classic Albums

References

1. "Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Presley Official Web Site Elvis The Music". elvisthemusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
2. "I Got A Woman - Elvis Presley Official Web Site Elvis The Music". elvisthemusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
3. "I'll Never Let You Go | Elvis Presley Official Web Site Elvis The Music". elvisthemusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
4. "I Love You Because - Elvis Presley Official Web Site Elvis The Music". elvisthemusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
5. "Just Because - Elvis Presley Official Web Site Elvis The Music". elvisthemusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
6. "Money Honey - Elvis Presley Official Web Site Elvis The Music". elvisthemusic.com. Retrieved 13 August 2018.
7. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
8. "Keith Flynn's Elvis Presley Pages". RIAA. 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013.
9. Billboard, v. 108, Nr. 21, p. 106, May 25, 1996, retrieved on September 13, 2012
10. Victor, Adam (2008). The Elvis Encyclopedia. Gerald Duckworth & Co Ltd. p. 136. ISBN 978-0-7156-3816-3.
11. "Music News – Rolling Stone".
12. "500 Greatest Albums of All Time Rolling Stone's definitive list of the 500 greatest albums of all time". Rolling Stone. 2012. Retrieved September 23, 2019.
13. "1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die". RIAA. Retrieved May 17, 2013. Note: Enter search for "Presley, Elvis"
14. "Searchable datebase". RIAA. 2013. Retrieved May 17, 2013. Note: Enter search for "Presley, Elvis" and go to pages 1 and 36
15. Sources:
    • Burke, Ken; Griffin, Dan (2006). The Blue Moon Boys - The Story of Elvis Presley's Band. Chicago Review Press. p. 47. ISBN 1-55652-614-8.
    • Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 272.
16. Nash, Alanna. The Colonel. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2003; ISBN 0-7432-1301-7; pp. 107–111.
17. "Consumer Price Index Inflation Calculator". United States Bureau of Labor Statistics, (Nov. 1955-July 2017).
18. "Searchable Database". RIAA. Archived from the original on 2015-09-04.
19. Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley, A Life In Music. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; ISBN 0-312-18572-3, p. 41
20. Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley, A Life In Music. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; ISBN 0-312-18572-3, pp. 35 and 38
21. Guralnick, Peter. The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters, 1992, insert booklet, p. 20.
22. Guralnick, Peter. The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters, 1992, insert booklet, p. 24.
23. "Rolling Stone's 100 Greatest Album Covers". RateYourMusic.
24. "Armory shook up history of Tampa" – The Tampa Tribune, Dec. 11, 2011 Archived 2012-10-21 at the Wayback Machine
25. Tampa Tribune, Steven M. Weaver, August 16, 2002, Greg Williams, Forever Elvis In Tampa
26. Elvis 1956 Discography. sergeant.com.au. Retrieved on 2008-01-02.
27. AllMusic review
28. Larkin, Colin (2007). Encyclopedia of Popular Music (4th ed.). Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195313734.
29. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p. 892. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
30. "Elvis Presley: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
31. Simpson, Paul (2004). The Rough Guide to Elvis. London: Rough Guides. pp. 109–10. ISBN 1-84353-417-7.
32. "Elvis Presley - Elvis Presley (album review 2) - Sputnikmusic". www.sputnikmusic.com.
33. "From The Beatles to Kanye West & Beyond: Artists With the Most No. 1 Albums on the Billboard 200 Chart". June 10, 2018. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
34. Hoffmann, Frank; Albert, George (1988). The Cashbox Album Charts, 1955–1974. Scarecrow Press. ISBN 978-0-8108-2005-0.
35. "Norwegiancharts.com – Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 24, 2018.
36. "American album certifications – Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley". Recording Industry Association of America. If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Album, then click SEARCH. 

Sources

• Jorgenson, Ernst (1998). Elvis Presley: A Life In Music – The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press. ISBN 0-312-18572-3
• Elvis Presley Special Edition FTD CD In depth review : http://www.elvisinfonet.com/ftdreview_ElvisPresleyDeluxe.html
• Elvis Presley Special Edition FTD CD Information: http://shop.elvis.com.au/prod1462.htm

External links

• Elvis Presley at Discogs (list of releases)
• LPM-1254 Elvis Presley Guide part of The Elvis Presley Record Research Database