When I think of Elvis …I admire him on one hand and on the other I pity him for how he ended up. When the big E was coming out of the Memphis radios on Sun Records…there was not anyone around that could touch him as a live rock and roll performer. Then came Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis became a huge star but with a steep cost.
Roy Brown first wrote and released this song in 1947. Elvis covered it and released it in 1954. His release was his second Sun Record release and the B side was a song called “I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine.” I wish Elvis could have stayed on Sun a little longer. Soon he would be gone to RCA. Great records but he had a sound on Sun that he never got back. His band was Scotty Moore on lead guitar and Bill Black on the double bass. The song didn’t chart many places but it did peak at #10 in Sweden.
His first single for Sun was “That’s Alright Mama.” On June 7, 1954, WHBQ Radio in Memphis became the first station to play this song when their disc jockey Dewey Phillips aired it on his Red, Hot and Blue show the day after Elvis recorded it. It soon built up regionally after that.
On November 20, 1955, Elvis signed with RCA and after that, his records were everywhere. RCA could give him distribution all over the world but I wish they would have kept recording the Sun Studios with Sam Phillips. Mr. Phillips owned Sun Studios since 1952 and he would have a star-studded roster of Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and more.
He was also an early investor in the Holiday Inn chain of hotels and an advocate for racial equality, helping to break down racial barriers in the music industry.
The B Side I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine
Good Rockin Tonight
Well, I heard the news, there’s good rockin’ tonight
Well, I heard the news, there’s good rockin’ tonight
I’m gonna hold my baby as tight as I can
Tonight she’ll know I’m a mighty, mighty man
I heard the news, there’s good rockin’ tonight
I said, meet me and a-hurry behind the barn
Don’t you be afraid ’cause I’ll do you no harm
I want you to bring along my rockin’ shoes
‘Cause tonight I’m gonna rock away all our blues
I heard the news, there’s good rockin’ tonight
Well, we’re gonna rock
We’re gonna rock
Let’s rock
Come on and rock
We’re gonna rock all our blues away
Have you heard the news, everybody’s rockin’ tonight
Have you heard the news, everybody’s rockin’ tonight
I’m gonna hold my baby as tight as I can
Well, tonight she’ll know I’m a mighty, mighty man
I heard the news, there’s good rockin’ tonight
Well, we’re gonna rock, rock, rock, rock
Come on and rock, rock, rock, rock
Let’s rock, rock, rock, rock
Well, let’s rock, rock, rock, rock
We’re gonna rock all our blues away
…
PowerPop... An Eclectic Collection of Pop Culture 
Elvis’ voice can’t be beat. I’m with you, half admiration and half sorrow. Did you see there is a movie out now about Elvis. Can’t remember the name of the guy who plays him but Tom Hanks plays The Colonel. It looks pretty good.
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Bailey told me about a movie last weekend. He told me the guy who plays him but I can’t remember. I do want to see it. Young Elvis is hard to beat!
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Is that Elvis movie out? I heard about it some months ago as a coming attraction. Could be interesting and Tom Hanks rarely picks dogs to be in. Funny you should mention Dewey Phillips, a radio DJ this morning mentioned him in context of being the first DJ to play Elvis … I didn’t really know the name. “Good Rockin’ Tonite” was the name of a Canadian TV show , aired late nights on weekends in early 80s, that played videos before we got a full-time video cable channel. The name was doubtless a nod to this one.
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No I don’t think it’s out yet….just looked it up…June 24.
At first I thought it was the song the Honeydrippers coverd but that is Rockin’ At Midnight.
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Love all the early Elvis stuff – the Rockabilly and Rock n Roll. Not so keen on his later stuff, though.
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It’s hit and miss on his later stuff…but yea his early stuff was untouchable. He was the man back then.
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The only Elvis I have in my library is the Sun stuff.
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You have the best…
His 70s…I’ll skip the 60s… is hit or miss.
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Vintage Elvis! I think his absolute peak concert was “Aloha from Hawaii”.
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Yea 4 years after that…he really did leave the building.
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Lol.
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There is a lot of crossover sounds her- rock, swing, rockabilly, all showing the way to the future of pop music.
I hope the new movie is going to find some middle ground between those who revere Elvis as an all-but God and the trapped Elvis whose life turned into the worlds first 24/7 trainwreck/reality show.
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Yes I hope they don’t do the cartoon version of Elvis that we read about.
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Sounds so raw and primitive: I love it!
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It does have power….I wish he would have continued recording in the Sun Studio
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When I was a child, I pretty much idolized each and everything Elvis. Now that I hopefully have become a bit more mature, I no longer idolize any music artists, not even my all-time favorite band The Beatles. Instead, I simply enjoy their music.
When it comes to Elvis, I still dig his music, in particular his ’50s songs. He was such an incredible performer, and love Scotty Moore and Bill Black as his backup musicians.
While I watched “Aloha from Hawaii”, got the album and still enjoy it, the ginormous backing band Elvis had for that show couldn’t replace Scotty and Bill. Frankly, this great guitarist and double bass player and, of course, Elvis were all that was needed!
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No I don’t idolize anyone….I just like reading and learning about them. They are just human beings with an extreme talent. I guess I’m a pop culture history person…I love history.
I think Elvis over did it later on…he had way too big of a band…I liked the small band behind Elvis.
Also I wish he would have continued to record in Sun Studios.
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Just in case, I didn’t imply at all you’re idolizing Elvis. I was only referring to myself. And I was like 8 years old or so, so it was a pretty innocent and naive idolizing!
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No no…I wasn’t thinking that! No Elvis wouldn’t have been the one anyway lol. Probably the rock star that I looked up to the most was Lennon. I felt sorry for Elvis…I just wish his career would have been without Parker….
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Nineteen year old Elvis…what a voice…
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Oh yea…he was great at that time.
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