Introduction
Elvis Presley was one of the most influential recording artists in the history of music. He was able to fuse country music, rhythm and blues, and gospel in such a way that a new sound was created called rockabilly. Radio stations found it difficult to fit Presley’s sound into mainstream or pop play list and country stations were lukewarm to his sound. The Rhythm and blues stations flirted with Elvis in the early fifties and stopped playing him for the most part in the sixties. The fact is when we understand the mood of the music industry in the fifties, it would seem unlikely Elvis could be successful. Frank Sinatra, Frankie Laine, Eddie Fisher, Johnnie Ray, Dean Martin, Pat Boone, The Four Aces, Tennessee Ernie Ford, Les Baxter, and the McGuire sisters just to name a few, all were topping the charts in 1955.
Pop music in the fifties was not at all what most music historians have suggested. The fact is only two songs pushed their way to the top of the pop charts in 1955 that could be considered a rockabilly sound, Rock Around The Clock and Ain’t that a shame. Rock around the clock more accurately owes its roots to rhythm and blues and Pat Boone’s version of Ain’t That A Shame can hardly be judged side by side with Fats Domino’s gritty version.
When we look at 1956 only Elvis Presley has enough clout to control the top positions of the charts as a rock and roll artist, Dean Martin, Kay Star, Perry Como, Gogi Grant, Pat Boone, Guy Mitchell, and the Platters are some of the other people who share the honors that year. By 1957 you would argue that rock and roll now controls the airways, think again. Pat Boone,Sonny James, Tab Hunter, Andy Williams, Charlie Gracie, Debbie Reynolds, Jimmie Rodgers, and Perry Como all have number one records. Only a few of Elvis’s contemporary’s join him at the top. The Everly Brothers, The Crickets, Paul Anka, Buddy Knox , and Sam Cooke all score number one hits. It is not until 1958 that rock and roll begins to take control of the pop charts. Still The McQuire sisters, Perry Como, The Kingston Trio, and Domenico Modugno sneak in with number one records.
The picture begins to take shape now. Presley was virtually alone in 1954 with a new sound and look and it was not until 1959 that rock and roll became mainstream music for the record buying America. It’s true Little Richard was singing in 1952 but that was Rhythm and blues.
Fats Domino Sings New Orleans blues from 1949 on and comes closer to a rock and roll sound by 1955 with his version of Ain’t That A Shame. When we are able to see the mood of the music industry around the time Presley begins to record, we can understand more clearly why Elvis had the impact he did and how this would affect the way RCA would release his records. This book is about collecting. It will cover the Presley career like no other record and tape book has done before. There are reasons why certain records are promoted at a certain time in a performers career and why there are as many as seven Label variations on the early single releases and only one or two on his later singles.
The 45 RPM single was relatively new on the record buying scene when Elvis began his career, as was the extended play and 33 1/3 long playing Album. The old 78 RPM still outsold the 45 RPM in 1954. The extended play 45 RPM sold very poorly, and it was not until Elvis came along that it sold in sufficient numbers to keep around. The Album was in trouble by 1956.
Most record players would play 78 or 45 RPM but not 33 1/3 RPM. Only a few recording artists could attract the buyer to the Album, until Elvis. Elvis’s popularity would eventually cement the 45 RPM single as the survivor between the 78 RPM and 45 RPM, he would solely be responsible for the extended play surviving until 1969, and in a strange way have a great deal to do with the eventual survival of the 33 1/3 Album. Elvis would never be known for massive Album sales as his career progressed, but in 1956 through 1961 he would sell record breaking amounts of LPs.
Many southern white teenagers listened to the black rhythm and blues stations in 1954. They became familiar with people like Fats Domino, Little Richard, and Ray Charles.
On the east coast the teenagers embraced Doo Wop groups. Neither group of teenagers had the purchasing power to make an impact on the charts. So the chart success of these artist would remain underground until the late fifties.
What does all this have to do with record collecting? Everything! There are many reasons why record companies react to a marketplace the way they do. If we can understand what is happening at the time we can avoid many of the scams some people try to sell the record buyer.
Elvis Presley was an enigma, RCA did not know how to market him in 1956 and the radio stations had reservations on how to fit him into their play lists. Country music really did not want to warm up to the new sound because it wasn’t country enough and Popular stations couldn’t equate the sound with anything. Going into January of 1956 Presley had some success with the country charts nationally with his last two Sun records.
Sun 217 charted Baby lets play house and I’m left your right she’s gone both at #5 nationally and Sun 223 I Forgot To Remember To Forget charted #1. The flip side Mystery Train came in at #11, very strong for the limited distribution of Sun records. The country charts did not represent the purchasing power in the marketplace then that it did later in the 70’s 80’s and 90’s so it sounds more impressive than it actually is. RCA first tried to market Elvis to that market this is apparent by the first extended play released SPD-15 in February 1956 titled Country Music sampler. In November of 1955 RCA released two promotional 10” LP’s, EZ Pop Programming #5 and EZ Country programming #2. Both had two Elvis songs on them, the last Sun single Sun 223. In January of 1956 RCA released Heartbreak Hotel and the direction shifted to pop, by late February of 1956 two more 10” radio promo LP’s were released EZ pop programming #6 and EZ Country Programming #3. Both of these records had the latest RCA release Heartbreak Hotel to promote.
When Elvis first appeared on national TV in January of 56 he performed Shake Rattle And Roll/Flip Flop And Fly and I Got A Woman. His second appearance in February Baby Lets Play House and Tutti Frutti were performed, RCA was searching for a market, Heartbreak Hotel gave them that market. February 11th 1956 the first time Elvis performs Heartbreak Hotel on national TV. He sings it on the last two Dorsey shows with other newly recorded RCA songs all leaning toward the more pure Rock and Roll sound. We see RCA in the beginning of the year using the Sun tapes to fill in album and extended play sides and by mid 1956 these songs are all but forgotten, not only had Elvis dropped the Sun songs from most of his concert appearances he distanced himself from the material on any radio and TV appearances. RCA had to reissue the Sun cuts in late 1959 on For LP fans only just to make them available to the public again.
If the Rock and Roll sound had been established before this time why would a major Label like RCA be having such a hard time placing Elvis into any existing category? The Pop stations soon warmed up to Elvis, by May of 56 Elvis hit the pop charts with 2 singles sporting #1 sides a #1 LP and 3 extended play records charting 2 songs on the pop single charts. RCA found the place for Elvis and the Rock and Roll era began. Throughout the rest of 1956 Elvis hammers the TV with appearances on Steve Allen show, The Milton Berle show, and the Ed Sullivan show, by December he was a household name and hardly anyone in the country didn’t know who Elvis Presley was.
I think what happened took everyone by surprise, including RCA and Elvis, by the end of 1956 Elvis had 5 #1 songs, on pop charts 5 #1 songs on the country charts, 2 #1 songs on theR&B charts. Two # 1 albums, 17 songs hit the pop charts, 8 songs hit the country charts, 5 hit the R&B charts. He spent 25 weeks at # 1 on the pop charts, 21 weeks at #1 on country charts and a grand total of 344 weeks on the charts for the year.
The RIAA did not begin to award Gold records until 1958 an many of Elvis’s records released until then were not certified Gold until much later and some have yet to be certified. In General, the extended plays and promotional 45’s are the most expensive records in Elvis collecting. The sleeves and some rare commercial 45’s will fetch a healthy price too.