When Sam Phillips famously said, “If I could find a white man with the Negro sound and the Negro feel, I could make a billion dollars,” he didn’t realize he was going to find much more than he bargained for. What he discovered was a singer with a brand new style who was raised on and equally familiar with both black R&B and white C&W. At night ELVIS PRESLEY would listen to the “race music” played on WDIA and by day hang around local record shops absorbing country records. Look no further for his influences than his own very first record: Delta bluesman Arthur Crudup’s “That’s All Right” b/w Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky.” By straddling both musical worlds, ELVIS PRESLEY created the hybrid that changed the course of musical history. The songs presented here are mostly the original versions while a few are the versions that inspired Elvis’ early records. (Mark R.)
trax:1. That's When Your Heartaches Begin '41 - The Ink Spots 2. That's All Right '46 - Arthur 'big Boy' Crudup 3. Blue Moon of Kentucky '47 - Bill Monroe 4. I Love You Because '49 - Leon Payne 5. Tomorrow Night '48 - Lonnie Johnson 6. I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine '53 - Dean Martin with Paul Weston & His Dixielanders 7. I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') '43 - Jimmy Wakely & His Rough Riders 8. Good Rockin' Tonight '48 - Roy Brown 9. Milk Cow Boogie '34 - Kokomo Arnold 10. Just Because '35 - The Shelton Brothers 11. Baby Let's Play House '55 - Arthur Gunter 12. Mystery Train '53 - Little Junior's Blue Flames 13. Trying to Get to You '54 - The Eagles 14. Heartbreak Hotel (Demo) '55 - Glen Reeves 15. Blue Suede Shoes '56 - Carl Perkins 16. My Baby Left Me '50 - Arthur 'big Boy' Crudup 17. Lawdy Miss Clawdy '52 - Lloyd Price 18. Shake, Rattle and Roll '54 - Big Joe Turner 19. Hound Dog '53 - Big Mama Thornton 20. Love Me '54 - Willy & Ruth 21. When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again '41 - Wiley & Gene Walker 22. Too Much '55 - Bernard Hardison 23. I'm All Shook Up '57 - David Hill 24. One Night '56 - Smiley Lewis 25. (Now and Then There's) a Fool Such As I '52 - Hank Snow 26. Are You Lonesome Tonight '27 - Al Jolson 27. His Latest Flame '61 - Del Shannon 28. Devil in Disguise '63 - Bill Grant 29. Viva Las Vegas (Demo) '64 - Mort Shuman 30. Crying in the Chapel '53 - The Orioles
…Compiled By Mark R. / served by Gyro1966…