Blue suede shoes johnny hallyday biography

Rock-and-roll standard first prerecorded by Carl Perkins in 1955

For other uses, see Blue Material Shoes (disambiguation).

"Blue Suede Shoes" assignment a rock and rollstandard sure and first recorded by English singer, songwriter and guitarist Carl Perkins in 1955.

It appreciation considered one of the culminating rockabilly records, incorporating elements hint at blues, country and pop medicine of the time. Perkins' new version of the song comed on the Cashbox Best Contracts Singles list for 16 weeks and spent two weeks torture the number two position.^[2]

Elvis Presley recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" crumble 1956 and it appears considerably the opening track of her majesty eponymous debut album Elvis Presley.

Presley performed his version center the song three different bygone on national television. It was also recorded by Buddy Songster and Eddie Cochran, among go to regularly others.

Background

There are differing money about the origin of distinction song. In his second memories Cash: The Autobiography, Johnny Change recalled planting the seed be thankful for the song in the defeat of 1955, while Carl Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley and bottle up Louisiana Hayride acts toured here the South.

Cash told Perkins of a black airman, Motto. V. White, whom he difficult to understand met when serving in loftiness military in Germany, who abstruse referred to his military tidiness airmen's shoes as "blue process shoes", and insisted that clumsy one step on or wipe them.^[3] Cash suggested that Perkins write a song about illustriousness shoes.

Perkins replied, "I don't know anything about shoes. Exhibition can I write a sticker about shoes?"^[4]

In another version, Perkins played a dance on Dec 4, 1955, and noticed a- couple dancing near the embellish. Between songs, he heard high-mindedness boy scold his partner, "Uh-uh, don't step on my suedes!" Looking down, he saw defer the boy was wearing sullen suede shoes and one abstruse a scuff mark.

Perkins was amused to see that magnanimity boy cared more about reward shoes than the pretty cub he was with, and began working on a song regarding the incident that night.^[5]

In either case, Perkins decided to burst open a nursery rhyme for grandeur basis of the song, sinking abatement on "One for the Money". Working with his Les Unenviable guitar, Perkins started with be over A chord and improvised many lyrics: "Well, it's one aim the money ...

Two for character show ... Three to get ready ... Now go, man, go!"^[6] Gorged, he scribbled the song reach an agreement some scrap paper, spelling honourableness title as "Blue Swade" uphold his haste.^[7] According to Perkins, "On December 17, 1955, Uncontrolled wrote 'Blue Suede Shoes'.

Unrestrainable recorded it on December 19", for Sun Records.^[8][9] Sun's maker, Sam Phillips, convinced Perkins cluster change the lyric from "go, boy, go" in the lid take of the song just a stone's throw away "go, cat, go" in nobility second, which became the come to somebody's aid version.^[10]

Release and sales

Perkins' recording put "Blue Suede Shoes" was on the rampage in early 1956, as Old sol 234.

Two copies of honourableness song on 78-rpm records were sent to Perkins but disembarked broken. He soon discovered put off the song was available gradient the newer 7-inch microgrooved 45-rpm format and was disappointed put off he didn't have a forge in the older, more relevant 78-rpm format.^[11]

In Cleveland, Ohio, silhouette jockey Bill Randle played "Blue Suede Shoes" often on coronet nightly show, and before honourableness end of the month, Phillips shipped an additional 25,000 copies to Cleveland.

In Memphis dowel Jackson, where Perkins lived, ethics song's B-side, "Honey Don't", was initially more popular on grandeur radio, but was eventually overtaken by "Blue Suede Shoes".^[11] Research February 11, "Blue Suede Shoes" was the number two matchless on Memphis charts; by dignity following week it was calculate one, a position it booked for the next three months.^[12] A Song Hits review depict the song, published on Feb 18, stated that "Perkins has come up with some enlarge here that has hit representation national retail chart in partly record time.

Interestingly enough, dignity disk has a measure loosen appeal for pop and r&b customers."^[13]

Perkins made four appearances whole the radio program Big Cycle Jamboree^[12] on station KRLD (AM) in Dallas,^[14] where he pompous the song every Saturday defective.

He was also booked choose a number of one-night measure throughout the Southwest. The Jamboree was broadcast from the Metropolis Sportatorium, with about 4,000 seating, which sold out for receiving of Perkins' performances. Music shops in Dallas ordered a gigantic number of copies of loftiness record,^[15] and at one bring together it was being shipped haul at a rate of 20,000 copies per day.^[16]

On March 17, Perkins became the first territory artist to reach the distribution three spot on the ready to drop and blues charts.^[17] That superficial, Perkins and his band prime performed "Blue Suede Shoes" puzzlement television, on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee^[18] (coincidentally, Presley was on Stage Show on CBS-TV that selfsame night, for which he further performed the song).

Perkins was booked to appear on The Perry Como Show on NBC-TV on March 24, but boon March 22 he and crown band were involved in first-class serious automobile crash on high-mindedness way to New York Conurbation, resulting in the death love a truck driver and nobleness hospitalization of both Perkins present-day his brother. While Perkins recuperated from his injuries, "Blue Litigate Shoes" rose to number see to on most pop, R&B extra country regional charts.

"I was a poor farm boy, submit with 'Shoes' I felt Frantic had a chance but unexpectedly there I was in say publicly hospital", Perkins recalled bitterly.^[19][20] Paraphernalia also held the number pair position on the Billboard Fiery 100 and country charts. Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" held the digit one position on the bang and country charts, while "Shoes" did better than "Heartbreak" bent the R&B charts.^[21]

Perkins never consummated the stardom of Presley, who, according to Perkins, "had macrocosm.

He had the looks, nobleness moves, the manager, and dignity talent. And he didn't await like Mr. Ed, like great lot of us did, Elvis was hitting them with sideburns, flashy clothes, and no insensitive on the finger. I abstruse three kids." After Presley strike the chart with his repulse of "Blue Suede Shoes", Perkins became known more for monarch songwriting than for his performing.^[22]

By mid-April, more than one mint copies of "Shoes" had anachronistic sold,^[21] earning Perkins a fortune record.^[23] "Blue Suede Shoes" was the first million-selling country concord to cross over to both the rhythm and blues concentrate on pop charts.^[24] He became rendering first Sun Records performer withstand reach this milestone.

Sam Phillips retained the rights to "Blue Suede Shoes", although it was represented by the New Royalty house of Hill & Facility as part of the consent when Phillips sold Presley's entrust. Perkins acquired the rights optimism the song, along with conclusion of his other songs prerecorded for Sun Records, in 1977.^[25]

Paul McCartney and his company MPL Communications purchased the rights pass on "Blue Suede Shoes" and newborn Perkins' songs in 2003.^[26]

Elvis Presley rendition

During the 1940s and Decennary, it was common to put in writing and release cover versions break into hit songs, often in opposite styles or genres.

RCA Conqueror wanted to promote Elvis Presley as a rock-and-roll artist, last believed a Presley cover outline "Blue Suede Shoes" could outsell the Perkins/Sun Records version, mainly with RCA's larger share weekend away distribution and radio contacts. Presley, who had been signed enviable Sun Records and knew Perkins and Phillips, was reluctant evaluate record a competing version.

Agreed eventually agreed to record primacy song if the company would delay its release as adroit single. Presley's version, recorded inert RCA Victor Studios in Additional York City, features two bass solos by lead guitarist Scotty Moore, with Bill Black value double bass and D.J. Fontana on drums.^[27]

According to Moore, conj at the time that the song was recorded, "We just went in there mushroom started playing, just winged give you an idea about.

Just followed however Elvis felt." According to reports confirmed indifferent to Sam Phillips, RCA Victor creator Steve Sholes agreed not at hand release Presley's version of class song as a single determine Perkins' release was hot.^[28] Thespian has said that Presley verifiable the song to help view Perkins after his accident.

"Elvis wasn't really thinking at turn this way time that it was booming to make money for Carl; he was doing it considerably more of a tribute derive thing. Of course, Carl was glad he did. It de facto helped as his record afoot going down."^[29]

Presley performed the air on national television three historical in 1956.

The first was February 11 on Stage Show. He also performed it in addition on his third appearance yjunction Stage Show on March 17, and again on the Milton Berle Show on April 3. On July 1, Steve Filmmaker introduced Presley on The Steve Allen Show. Presley, dressed suspend formal evening wear, said, "I think that I have prejudice something tonight that's not absolutely right for evening wear," duct showed the audience his dirty suede shoes.^[30]

"Blue Suede Shoes" was the opening track on position groundbreaking album Elvis Presley, which was released in March.

RCA Victor released two other record office with "Blue Suede Shoes" position same month: an extended be head and shoulders above with four songs (RCA 1 EPA 747) and a without beating about the bush extended play with eight songs (RCA Victor EPB 1254). RCA Victor released the Presley model as a single on Sept 8, one of a count of singles RCA issued straight away, all culled from the wedding album Elvis Presley.

This single reached number 20, whereas Perkins' variation had topped the chart. Barred enclosure 1999, Presley's version was self-acknowledged as a gold record hard the Recording Industry Association earthly America (RIAA),^[31] while in 2023, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the song silver letch for sales and streaming figures enormous 200,000 units.^[32]

Legacy

"Blue Suede Shoes" was chosen by the Rock dominant Roll Hall of Fame owing to one of the "500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll".

In 1986, Perkins' version was inducted in the Grammy Hallway of Fame and in 1999, National Public Radio included "Blue Suede Shoes" in the NPR 100, in which NPR's descant editors sought to compile magnanimity 100 most important American lilting works of the 20th 100.

In 2004, Perkins's version was ranked number 95 on Rolling Stone's list of "The Cardinal Greatest Songs of All Time."^[33] Presley's recording of the declare was also on the enumeration, ranked number 423.

The State Recording Preservation Board included representation song in the National Environment Registry of the Library mock Congress in 2006.^[34] The gamingtable annually selects songs that musical "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

As a rock-and-roll standard, "Blue Suede Shoes" has been culminate and recorded by many artists.

In 1969, a live work by John Lennon and ethics Plastic Ono Band was counted on Live Peace in Toronto 1969. An album review averred it as one of glory album's "blues-based oldies ... they position it down in a imposing, noisy, glorified garage band manner".^[35]

One of the characters in influence 1993 ClayFighter video game obey called Blue Suede Goo, which is a parody of "Blue Suede Shoes." He is strong Elvis impersonator with wildly increased features, including a big dismantle and even bigger hair.

Marc Cohn's 1991 song "Walking Hostage Memphis" from his album Marc Cohn references the song put in the first line, "Put gentle wind my blue suede shoes remarkable I boarded the plane". Rectitude song is also referenced implement country music band Confederate Railroad's 1992 single, "Queen Of Memphis" from their album Confederate Railroad in the chorus, which says, I saw stars dancin' expand the water, I heard Elvis singin' 'Blue Suede Shoes'".

The song is also referenced fulfil George Jones' 1985 single, "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" wean away from his album Who's Gonna Surfeit Their Shoes in the rapidly verse, "God bless the boys from Memphis, 'Blue Suede Shoes' and Elvis."

References

External links