Posts Tagged With: sun records

Elvis Live Wire: Ernst Jorgensen acquires “I Forgot To Remember To Forget”

Silvertone wire recording of Elvis Presley

Silvertone wire recording of Elvis singing “I Forgot To Remember To Forget”

One of the feel-good Elvis stories of 2012 will have an encore after all. Audio collector amberola1b, who discovered a 1955 live recording of Elvis singing “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” on the Louisiana Hayride radio program, recently remarked that he has sold the recording to Ernst Jorgensen. Jorgensen heads up Sony Music’s Elvis team and helms their Follow That Dream collectors label. This means, at some point, there will undoubtedly be an official release of this incredible find.

Last July, amberola1b caused a sensation among Elvis fans when he briefly posted the recording on YouTube, without being aware that it was so unique. Sourced from a Silvertone wire recording, the performance had never been heard by the public since the original broadcast.

Elvis appeared on the Hayride about fifty times from 1954 to 1956. Though similar to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the show was more receptive to new talent – including Elvis’ groundbreaking style. Compared to most of the other Hayride recordings released in the past, the audio quality on “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” was stunning.

The discovery made headlines on the eve of the release of the Elvis masterpiece A Boy From Tupelo: The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings, Ernst Jorgensen’s book and music project covering the SUN years. A Boy From Tupelo included several other recordings from the Louisiana Hayride, but “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” was found too late for consideration. “Wow – it’s unbelievably beautiful. I’m still trying to recover from the shock,” Jorgensen said at the time.

Audio grabs of amberola1b’s YouTube video have appeared on a couple of “gray market” releases, but a professional transfer from the wire, properly mastered, should yield much more impressive sound quality.

On January 12, amberola1b posted the following comments on YouTube about his interaction with Jorgensen:

“I did sell the rights to him but the way it went was that I didn’t even know Ernst and was directed to him thru other utubers that were Elvis fans. I didn’t even know there was a big anniversary album or book being put together about The King, I just merely decided at that moment in time to do the utube video, and just happen to post it during the summer. If luck had been on my side and I had known about what was being planned [...] I would have made the video months before, and it would have been included in the album that was included in the book ‘A Boy From Tupelo’. But as it turned out he sent me a copy of the book and it just blew my mind to see all the wonderful pictures that had been compiled of Elvis and the stories written about him.”

[Thank you to Greg1995 on the For Elvis CD Collectors Forum, who first posted about amberola1b's recent confirmation of the sale.]


I only listened to the live “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” once. It was so incredible, I knew I wanted to wait for an official release. Out of respect for amberola1b, I also never posted links to the multiple copies of this video that showed up after his original post (I made an exception for the copied version in the story linked above, since that is where he chose to post his comments).

I’m thrilled that Jorgensen has acquired this fantastic discovery. So, to amberola1b: Thank you for making a deal that will allow Elvis fans to hear this recording in the best sound quality possible for generations to come.

So, the question is, what should Jorgensen do with this recording now that he has it?

Ideally, this would be a terrific opportunity for Sony to release a mainstream version of A Boy From Tupelo, which was a limited run on the FTD collectors label. Every Elvis and rock ‘n’ roll fan should have the opportunity to own A Boy From Tupelo – one of the most important Elvis releases since his death in 1977. Scooting the two interviews over to the end of Disc 2 would free up enough space for “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” to join the other Hayride performances on Disc 3.

If a full-blown re-release of A Boy From Tupelo is not possible for some reason, I think 2013 or 2014 would be the perfect time for a 2-CD set on the main Sony label covering 1953-1955. After all, 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of Elvis paying to record his first demo (“My Happiness” b/w “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin”), while 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of his first professional release (“That’s All Right” b/w “Blue Moon Of Kentucky”).

For fun, here’s how I would approach such a 2-CD set.

Elvis Begins: The 1953-1955 Recordings

Disc 1

  1. That’s All Right (45 RPM SUN single version)
  2. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (45 RPM SUN single version)
  3. Good Rockin’ Tonight
  4. I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine
  5. Milkcow Blues Boogie (78 RPM SUN single version)
  6. You’re A Heartbreaker (78 RPM SUN single version)
  7. Baby, Let’s Play House
  8. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
  9. I Forgot To Remember To Forget
  10. Mystery Train
  11. Harbor Lights
  12. I Love You Because
  13. Blue Moon
  14. I’ll Never Let You Go
  15. Just Because
  16. Tryin’ To Get To You
  17. My Happiness (Demo)
  18. That’s When Your Heartaches Begin (Demo)
  19. I’ll Never Stand In Your Way (Demo)
  20. It Wouldn’t Be The Same Without You (Demo)
  21. Harbor Lights (Take 7)
  22. I Love You Because (Take 3)
  23. I Love You Because (Take 5)
  24. That’s All Right (Takes 1, 2)
  25. That’s All Right (Take 3)
  26. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Take 3)
  27. Blue Moon (Take 4)
  28. Blue Moon (Take 5)
  29. Blue Moon (Take 8)
  30. Tomorrow Night (Undubbed/unedited version)
  31. That’s All Right (Live-Shreveport, LA-October 16, 1954)
  32. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Live-Shreveport, LA-October 16, 1954)

Disc 2

  1. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 1)
  2. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 2)
  3. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 3)
  4. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 5)
  5. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 6)
  6. Shake, Rattle & Roll (Demo-Lubbock, TX-January 6, 1955)
  7. Fool, Fool, Fool (Demo-Lubbock, TX-January 6, 1955)
  8. Hearts Of Stone (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 15, 1955)
  9. That’s All Right (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 15, 1955)
  10. Tweedlee Dee (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 15, 1955)
  11. Money Honey (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 22, 1955)
  12. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 22, 1955)
  13. I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 22, 1955)
  14. That’s All Right (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 22, 1955)
  15. Tweedlee Dee (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  16. Money Honey (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  17. Hearts Of Stone (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  18. Shake, Rattle & Roll (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  19. Little Mama (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  20. You’re A Heartbreaker (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  21. Good Rockin’ Tonight (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  22. Baby, Let’s Play House (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  23. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  24. I Got A Woman (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  25. That’s All Right (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  26. How Do You Think I Feel (1955 version, Take 1)
  27. Tweedlee Dee (Live-Gladewater, TX-April 30, 1955)
  28. That’s All Right (Live-Meridian, MS-May 26, 1955)
  29. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Live-Shreveport, LA-July 2, 1955)
  30. Baby, Let’s Play House (Live-Shreveport, LA-August 20, 1955)
  31. Maybellene (Live-Shreveport, LA-August 20, 1955)
  32. That’s All Right (Live-Shreveport, LA-August 20, 1955)
  33. I Forgot To Remember To Forget (Live-Shreveport, LA-October 1, 1955)
  34. When It Rains, It Really Pours (1955 version, Take 5)
  35. When It Rains, It Really Pours (1955 version, Take 8)
Categories: Music, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , | 6 Comments

It’s Here

A Big Monster (A Boy From Tupelo)

I included the standard CD in the picture to give you an idea of the scale. A Boy From Tupelo is a big monster, weighing every bit of the promised 11 pounds.

Needless to say, this is the last time I’ll be posting for awhile. I’ve got a lot of reading and listening to do!

Categories: Music, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: , , , , , , | 9 Comments

Check out A Boy From Tupelo track listing

A Boy From Tupelo (concept cover art)

This has been another fantastic week of Elvis release news. Today, Follow That Dream Records revealed the track listing for the long-awaited A Boy From Tupelo: The Complete 1953-55 Recordings, FTD’s SUN boxed set that includes a 512-page book and three CDs. FTD, Sony’s collectors label for Elvis fans, will release the set next month.

It appears that Elvis Matters was the first site to break the track listing news, though I first read about it over on a For Elvis CD Collectors Forum thread started by Greg1995. On that thread, FECC member Good Time Charlie took the time to reformat the track listing to make it more palatable. I’ve used his version for the below, with a few very minor tweaks of my own. A big thank you to Charlie for allowing me to use his work.

Elvis Presley: A Boy From Tupelo – The Complete 1953-55 Recordings

Disc 1: MRS Acetates, The SUN Masters & The RCA Masters

01) My Happiness 2:33
02) That’s When Your Heartaches Begin 2:52
03) I’ll Never Stand In Your Way 2:04
04) It Wouldn’t Be The Same (Without You) 2:09
05) Harbor Lights 2:38
06) I Love You Because 2:43
07) That’s All Right [45 RPM SUN Master] 2:00
08) Blue Moon Of Kentucky [45 RPM SUN Master] 2:07
09) Blue Moon 2:44
10) Tomorrow Night 3:01
11) I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) 2:27
12) I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine 2:32
13) Just Because 2:34
14) Good Rockin’ Tonight 2:15
15) Milkcow Blues Boogie [78 RPM SUN Master] 2:39
16) You’re A Heartbreaker [78 RPM SUN Master] 2:13
17) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone [Slow version] 2:43
18) Baby Let’s Play House 2:19
19) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone 2:38
20) I Forgot To Remember To Forget 2:31
21) Mystery Train 2:30
22) Tryin’ To Get To You 2:36
23) When It Rains It Pours 2:06
24) That’s All Right 1:59 [RCA single version]
25) Blue Moon Of Kentucky 2:05 [78 RPM SUN Master]
26) I Love You Because 2:45 [RCA LP version – spliced from takes 3 & 5]
27) Tomorrow Night 2:56 [RCA LP version – overdubbed and slowed down]

Tracks 1-2: Self-financed demo recorded July, 1953 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 1-2: Digital transfer of acetate.

Tracks 3-4: Self-financed demo recorded January 4, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 3-4: Digital transfer of acetate in very poor condition.

Track 5 possibly recorded July 5, 1954.
Tracks 6-7 recorded July 5, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Sources for tracks 5-6: Original SUN tapes.
Source for track 7: 45 rpm SUN single (plastic).

Track 8: Recorded July 7, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 8: 45 rpm SUN single (plastic).

Track 9: Likely recorded between August 15 and 19, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 9: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 10-14 likely recorded between September 12-16, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Sources for tracks 10, 11, 13 and 14: RCA reference tapes (30 ips).
Source for track 12: Digital transfer of SUN tape, with repairs from a digital transfer of a tape copy.

Tracks 15-16 recorded either mid-November or mid-December 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Sources for tracks 15-16: 78 rpm SUN single (shellac).

Track 17 Recorded between mid-November 1954 and mid-April 1955 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
The reel has March 5 written on it, but Elvis was at the Louisiana Hayride that day.
Source for track 17: Original SUN tape.

Track 18 likely recorded between January 30 and February 4, 1955 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
“I Got a Woman” and “Tryin’ to Get to You” were also recorded, but have been lost.
Source for track 18: RCA reference tape (30 ips).

Track 19 likely recorded mid-April 1955 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 19: RCA reference tape (30 ips), with first part of ending from RCA tape copy (15 ips) and last part of ending from digital transfer of the RCA EPA-965 production master tape.

Tracks 20-22 recorded mid-July, 1955 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 20: SUN tape copy.
Source for track 21: SUN tape copy, with ending from digital transfer of 78 rpm RCA single.
Source for track 22: RCA reference tape (30 ips).

Track 23 recorded November 1-4, 1955 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 23: Original SUN (vocal channel) slapback tape.
Elvis’ 1957 re-recording of the song was released under the title “When It Rains, It Really Pours.”

Source for track 24: RCA reference tape (30 ips).

Source for track 25: Elvis at SUN master, derived from digital transfer of 78 RPM SUN single (shellac).

Track 26: Steve Sholes’ original notes have these takes as 2 & 4.
Source for track 26: RCA master tape.

Source for track 27: 1965 RCA work part tape for the Elvis for Everyone LPM-3450 production master tape.

Disc 2: The SUN Studio Sessions

01) Harbor Lights (takes 1-2, level adjustments) 0:33
02) Harbor Lights (take 3/M) 2:53
03) Harbor Lights (take 4) 2:38
04) Harbor Lights (takes 5-6) 1:23
05) Harbor Lights (take 7) 2:25
06) Harbor Lights (take 8) 0:26
07) I Love You Because (take 1) 0:23
08) I Love You Because (take 2) 3:28
09) I Love You Because (take 3) 3:36
10) I Love You Because (take 4) 0:40
11) I Love You Because (take 5) 3:28
12) That’s All Right (takes 1-2) 0:20
13) That’s All Right (take 3) 1:58
14) Dialogue 0:20
15) Blue Moon Of Kentucky [slow tempo outtake] 1:08
16) Blue Moon (takes 1-3) 0:38
17) Blue Moon (take 4) 2:59
18) Blue Moon (take 5) 3:25
19) Blue Moon (takes 6-7) 0:53
20) Blue Moon (take 8) 3:01
21) Blue Moon (take 9/M) 2:44
22) Dialogue fragment [before “Tomorrow Night”] 0:11
23) I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) [incomplete take] 0:49
24) Good Rockin’ Tonight [fragment from vocal slapback tape] 0:10
25) I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine (takes 1-2) 1:13
26) I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine (take 3/M) 2:35
27) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 1) 3:00
28) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 2) 2:51
29) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 3) 2:51
30) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 4) 0:10
31) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 5/M) 2:40
32) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 6) 2:40
33) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 7) 1:35
34) How Do You Think I Feel (guitar slapback tape, rehearsal + take 1) 3:17
35) How Do You Think I Feel (guitar slapback tape, rehearsals) 1:14
36) When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 1) 1:37
37) When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 2 – rehearsal) 2:12
38) When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, takes 3-4) 2:14
39) When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 5/M) 2:02
40) When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 6-7) 1:40
41) When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 8) 1:40

Tracks 1-6 possibly recorded July 5, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 1-6: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 7-13 recorded July 5, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 7-13: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 14-15 likely recorded July 7, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 14-15: Digital transfer of SUN tape.

Tracks 16-21 likely recorded between August 15 and 19, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 16-21: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 22-26 likely recorded between September 12 and 16, 1954 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 22: RCA reference tape (30 ips) for “Tomorrow Night”.
Sources for tracks 23-26: Digital transfers of SUN tapes (also see source note for Disc 1, track 12).

Tracks 27-33 recorded between mid-November 1954 and mid-April 1955 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
The reel has March 5 written on it, but Elvis was at the Louisiana Hayride that day.
Source for tracks 27-33: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 34-35 recorded between mid-November 1954 and mid-April 1955 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 34-35: Digital transfer of SUN (guitar channel) slapback tape.

Tracks 36-41 recorded between November 1-4, 1955 at SUN Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 36-41: Original SUN (vocal channel) slapback tape.

Disc 3: Live & Radio Performances

01) That’s All Right 2:52
02) Blue Moon Of Kentucky 2:23
03) Shake, Rattle And Roll 2:24
04) Fool, Fool, Fool 1:59
05) Hearts Of Stone 2:02
06) That’s All Right 1:52
07) Tweedlee Dee 2:51
08) Shake, Rattle And Roll 2:23
09) KSIJ Radio commercial with DJ Tom Perryman 0:16
10) Money Honey 2:43
11) Blue Moon Of Kentucky 2:04
12) I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine 2:33
13) That’s All Right 1:54
14) Tweedlee Dee 2:15
15) Money Honey 2:17
16) Hearts Of Stone 1:37
17) Shake, Rattle And Roll 1:39
18) Little Mama 2:03
19) You’re A Heartbreaker 2:06
20) Good Rockin’ Tonight 2:36
21) Baby Let’s Play House 2:22
22) Blue Moon Of Kentucky 1:47
23) I Got A Woman 3:03
24) That’s All Right 2:17
25) Tweedlee Dee 2:47
26) Interview with Mae Boren Axton 3:19
27) That’s All Right 2:37
28) I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone 3:16
29) Baby Let’s Play House 3:19
30) Maybellene 3:09
31) That’s All Right 2:49
32) Interview with Bob Neal 5:31

Tracks 1-2 recorded at Louisiana Hayride debut, Shreveport, Louisiana, October 16, 1954.
Source for tracks 1-2: RCA reference tape copy.

Tracks 3-4 recorded at KDAV Radio, Lubbock, Texas, January 6, 1955.
Source for tracks 3-4: Digital transfer of acetate.

Tracks 5-7 likely recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, January 15, 1955.
Source for tracks 5-7: Digital transfer of acetate in very poor condition.
Some parts duplicated and edited to create near-complete performances.

Track 8 recorded at WJOI Radio, Florence, Alabama January 19, 1955.
Source for track 8: Digital transfer of acetate in poor condition.

Track 9 recorded at KSIJ Radio, Gladewater, Texas, 1955.
Source for track 9: Digital transfer.

Tracks 10-13 likely recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, January 22, 1955.
Source for tracks 10-13: Digital transfer of acetate in very poor condition. Some parts duplicated and edited to create near-complete performances.

Tracks 14-19 likely recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, March 5, 1955.
Source for tracks 14-19: Digital transfer of fragments of acetate in very poor condition (which was destroyed in the process). Some parts duplicated and edited to create near-complete performances.

Tracks 20-24 likely recorded at the Eagles’ Hall, Houston, Texas, March 19, 1955. Track 21 could be from a different performance the same week.
Source for tracks 20-24: RCA reference tape copy.

Track 25 recorded at Gladewater High School, Gladewater, Texas, April 30, 1955.
Source for tracks 25: RCA reference tape copy.

Track 26 recorded at motel in Jacksonville, Florida on either May 12 or July 28, 1955.
Source for track 26: Digital transfer of 1981 BBC broadcast tape copy.

Track 27 recorded at the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival, Meridian, Mississippi, May 26, 1955.
Source for track 27: Broadcast tape.

Track 28 recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, July 2, 1955.
Source for track 28: Digital transfer of acetate in very poor condition. Some parts duplicated and edited to create near-complete performance.

Tracks 29-31 recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, August 20, 1955.
Source for tracks 29-31: RCA reference tape copies.

Track 32 recorded at WMPS Radio, Memphis Tennessee, between August 29-31, 1955.
Source for track 32: Digital transfer.

* * *

A Boy From Tupelo looks like it will indeed be the definitive SUN set. I’m most looking forward to hearing the original SUN 45 RPM version of “That’s All Right.” I’ve only heard the RCA version, which has added echo.

In Other News…

One of the many reasons I finally pounced on Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection was to obtain the Vic Anesini mastering of Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden, which has been in dire need of an audio upgrade since its original CD release in the early 1990s. As soon as I placed the order, I thought, “Now everyone will have to thank me for finally buying it, as this will guarantee a Sony Legacy Edition release of Madison Square Garden in the near future.” This kind of thing happens to me all the time, you see.

Sure enough, Sony recently announced a Legacy Edition release of As Recorded At Madison Square Garden. So, you’re welcome!

The Legacy Edition, due in October for the US, will contain a remastered version (presumably, Anesini’s) of the original album using the vintage mix of the June 10, 1972, Evening Show. Sony will couple it with the June 10, 1972, Afternoon Show, previously released as An Afternoon In The Garden, to make a nice tw0-disc set. Since I already have the upgraded As Recorded At Madison Square Garden on The Complete Masters Collection, I’ll be skipping this Legacy Edition.

However, Sony is releasing another Madison Square Garden set at the same time. Prince From Another Planet: As Recorded At Madison Square Garden is a three-disc set consisting of two CDs and one DVD. The CDs will contain new mixes of both of the June 10 shows by Michael Brauer (i.e., this is not the vintage As Recorded At Madison Square Garden mix that will be on the Legacy Edition).

Since the historic mix has been properly preserved, this is a chance to do something different. I’m excited to hear what Brauer has come up with for these shows.

The 40-minute DVD will contain portions of Elvis’ Madison Square Garden press conference (a favorite of mine) and live performance material from the show. To date, no video footage of the Madison Square Garden shows has been officially released, so that alone makes Prince From Another Planet a must-have for fellow fans of this Elvis era.

So, something funny happened when I was Googling for more information on Prince From Another Planet. I found out that I named it!

Well, not really. However, I came across my own comment from July 3, 2011, on this very blog in the search results:

“[C]an you imagine… a 5 CD set, the 1972 equivalent of ‘Young Man With The Big Beat,’ containing the 3 CDs I mentioned above [the remaining April 1972 'Elvis On Tour' shows], plus the two Garden shows to round out the other 2 CDs? Call it ‘A Prince From Another Planet.’ Then, the Garden shows could be a Legacy Edition as a separate release as well (much like the ‘Elvis Presley’ Legacy Edition is to the 1956 boxed set).”

I had forgotten all about this and was literally shocked to read my own words. I’m sure it’s a total coincidence, of course.

(In case it’s not a coincidence, though, and Sony is really reading this little blog – just give me a call, because I have plenty more Elvis ideas. I’ll be waiting by the phone.)

Categories: Music, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Live 1955: Hear a newly discovered Elvis recording on YouTube [UPDATE: Gone!]

I’m still working on a gigantic post for next week, so I wasn’t planning on posting this morning. However, huge news rocked the Elvis world yesterday.

Just last week, I asked riders to describe the moment in Elvis’ life they would capture if they had a time-traveling audio recorder. There were some terrific responses but, in some ways, this fantasy is no longer just on the edge of reality.

Jorgensen: “I’m still trying to recover from the shock”

On Tuesday, audio collector amberola1b quietly posted on YouTube a clip of Elvis Presley singing “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” live on the Louisiana Hayride radio show in 1955. Sourced from a Silvertone wire recording, the performance has never been heard by the public since the original broadcast. Compared to most of the other Hayride recordings released in the past, the audio quality is stunning. The Elvis portion begins at 3:45.

“I Forgot To Remember To Forget” (Live-1955) — Elvis Presley
[Source: amberola1b -- YouTube]

By Friday, Elvis fans began taking notice. On the excellent For Elvis CD Collectors forum, member AVSP posted a link to the clip and the thread ignited in positive reactions. Within only twelve hours, six pages of comments had come in. As of now, it is up to seven and counting.

Research by Mike C and drjohncarpenter has tentatively dated this fantastic recording as occurring on Saturday, October 1, 1955.

Of course, the first question on everyone’s mind is will this appear on A Boy From Tupelo: The Complete 1953-55 Recordings, FTD’s SUN boxed set that includes a 512-page book and 3 CDs.

With the 11-pound set only weeks from release, the answer appears unfortunately to be no. It turns out that Sony’s Elvis chief Ernst Jorgensen was just as surprised as anyone else by the recording. “Wow – it’s unbelievably beautiful. I’m still trying to recover from the shock,” he said in an email to willem k.

Around the Elvis web, the story has inspired headlines:

Here’s hoping that Jorgensen can work out an arrangement with the recording’s owner. Even if it cannot make the SUN set, it deserves an official release on a Sony or FTD product.

* * *

UPDATE: I hope you had a chance to play it, folks, because amberola1b has now removed the song from YouTube. Only about three hours before this, willemk posted on FECC that Ernst Jorgensen was “now in contact with the owner.” With that in mind, the removal from YouTube may in fact be a really good sign. Let’s keep our fingers crossed, everyone, that we will get to hear the live version of “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” on a Sony or FTD release soon.

Categories: In A Flash, Music, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: , , , , , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Memphis! Elvis no stranger to hometown hits

Of those released during his lifetime, Elvis recorded over 100 songs in his adopted hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Though this represented only 15% of his total output, there is no doubt that many of his greatest recordings originated from Memphis. Below is my personal ranking of his best Memphis songs.

#1 Suspicious Minds (1969)
Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Volume 1

#2 Mystery Train (1955)
For LP Fans Only

#3 Baby, Let’s Play House (1955)
A Date With Elvis

#4 Kentucky Rain (1969)
Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Volume 1

#5 Promised Land (1973)
Promised Land

#6 Good Rockin’ Tonight (1954)
A Date With Elvis

#7 That’s All Right (1954)
For LP Fans Only

#8 In The Ghetto (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#9 Any Day Now (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#10 Pledging My Love (1976)
Moody Blue

#11 Don’t Cry Daddy (1969)
Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Volume 1

#12 After Loving You (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#13 Stranger In My Own Home Town (1969)
From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis [Back In Memphis]

#14 Wearin’ That Loved-On Look (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#15 Power Of My Love (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#16 Rubberneckin’ (1969)
Almost In Love

#17 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming (1973)
Promised Land

#18 Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues (1973)
Good Times

#19 Way Down (1976)
Moody Blue

#20 It’s Midnight (1973)
Promised Land

#21 Blue Moon (1954)
Elvis Presley

#22 Long Black Limousine (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#23 Moody Blue (1976)
Moody Blue

#24 You Asked Me To (1973)
Promised Land

#25 Thinking About You (1973)
Promised Land

Besides being recorded in Memphis, another thing that most of these songs have in common is that their associated albums have not yet received the Classic Albums treatment by Sony’s Follow That Dream collectors label.

In fact, it was wishing for albums such as Promised Land, Moody Blue, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, The Sun Sessions, and From Elvis In Memphis that inspired me to create this list in the first place.

So, if not Memphis, where did Elvis record the most?

Some might guess Nashville, but it turns out that Elvis recorded most often in Hollywood, representing about 275 songs released during his lifetime (around 38% of his total output).

A last bit of trivia, Elvis recorded the song “Memphis, Tennessee” in Nashville, rather than Memphis, so it fails to even qualify for consideration on today’s Memphis list.

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Introducing a new page: Elvis Presley Discography

I’ve added a new reference page to The Mystery Train Elvis Blog, Elvis Presley Discography. It lists the Elvis singles and LP albums released in the United States during his lifetime.

View The Mystery Train Elvis Blog’s Elvis Presley Discography page. You can also access it using the tab at the top of the page.

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July 5, 1954: That’s All Right

Fifty-six years ago today, on July 5, 1954, the whole world changed for 19-year-old Elvis Presley as he recorded his first record for Sam Phillips at Sun Records, “That’s All Right.” Soon thereafter, Elvis would change the whole world.

From Elvis Australia:

Sam recognized it right away. He was amazed that the boy even knew Arthur ‘Big Boy’ Crudup – nothing in any of the songs he had tried so far gave any indication that he was drawn to this kind of music at all. But this was the sort of music that Sam had long ago whole-heartedly embraced . . . And the way the boy performed it, it came across with a freshness and an exuberance, it came across with the kind of clear-eyed, unabashed originality that Sam sought in all the music that he recorded – it was ‘different’,  it was itself.”

Read more about Elvis’ early years at Sun Records over on Elvis Australia. The Gibson guitar site also has a great article today about Scotty Moore, Elvis’ first guitarist.

Categories: Music, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: , , , , | 3 Comments

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