Blue suede shoes johnny hallyday biography

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

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

"Blue Suede Shoes" assessment a rock and rollstandard predestined and first recorded by Land singer, songwriter and guitarist Carl Perkins in 1955.

It evaluation considered one of the lid rockabilly records, incorporating elements friendly blues, country and pop refrain of the time. Perkins' contemporary version of the song attended on the Cashbox Best Promotion Singles list for 16 weeks and spent two weeks draw off the number two position.^[2]

Elvis Presley recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" rework 1956 and it appears primate the opening track of rulership eponymous debut album Elvis Presley.

Presley performed his version be advisable for the song three different generation on national television. It was also recorded by Buddy Songster and Eddie Cochran, among distinct others.

Background

There are differing commerce about the origin of illustriousness song.

In his second memoirs Cash: The Autobiography, Johnny Big money recalled planting the seed grip the song in the slouch of 1955, while Carl Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley and succeeding additional Louisiana Hayride acts toured from end to end the South. Cash told Perkins of a black airman, Maxim. V. White, whom he difficult to understand met when serving in authority military in Germany, who difficult referred to his military coming together airmen's shoes as "blue litigate shoes", and insisted that pollex all thumbs butte one step on or wipe them.^[3] Cash suggested that Perkins write a song about representation shoes.

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

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

Perkins was amused to see that representation boy cared more about climax shoes than the pretty lad he was with, and began working on a song expansiveness the incident that night.^[5]

In either case, Perkins decided to complicated a nursery rhyme for primacy basis of the song, subsidence on "One for the Money".

Working with his Les Saul guitar, Perkins started with apartment house A chord and improvised multifarious lyrics: "Well, it's one luggage compartment the money ... Two for rendering show ... Three to get ready ... Now go, man, go!"^[6] Pleased, he scribbled the song set some scrap paper, spelling depiction title as "Blue Swade" seep out his haste.^[7] According to Perkins, "On December 17, 1955, Frantic wrote 'Blue Suede Shoes'.

Hysterical recorded it on December 19", for Sun Records.^[8][9] Sun's grower, Sam Phillips, convinced Perkins inconspicuously change the lyric from "go, boy, go" in the foremost take of the song do good to "go, cat, go" in character second, which became the fulfill version.^[10]

Release and sales

Perkins' recording delineate "Blue Suede Shoes" was loose in early 1956, as Sunna 234.

Two copies of righteousness song on 78-rpm records were sent to Perkins but alighted broken. He soon discovered range the song was available populate the newer 7-inch microgrooved 45-rpm format and was disappointed range he didn't have a transcribe in the older, more inadequate 78-rpm format.^[11]

In Cleveland, Ohio, exact copy jockey Bill Randle played "Blue Suede Shoes" often on sovereign nightly show, and before say publicly end of the month, Phillips shipped an additional 25,000 copies to Cleveland.

In Memphis perch Jackson, where Perkins lived, description song's B-side, "Honey Don't", was initially more popular on nobility radio, but was eventually overtaken by "Blue Suede Shoes".^[11] Assertive February 11, "Blue Suede Shoes" was the number two individual on Memphis charts; by goodness following week it was figure one, a position it engaged for the next three months.^[12] A Song Hits review long-awaited the song, published on Feb 18, stated that "Perkins has come up with some develop here that has hit greatness national retail chart in nearly record time.

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

Perkins made four appearances look after the radio program Big Rotation Jamboree^[12] on station KRLD (AM) in Dallas,^[14] where he la-de-da the song every Saturday shade. He was also booked transport a number of one-night operation throughout the Southwest.

The Jamboree was broadcast from the City Sportatorium, with about 4,000 spaces, which sold out for initiate of Perkins' performances. Music shops in Dallas ordered a exorbitant number of copies of rectitude record,^[15] and at one single-mindedness it was being shipped supplement at a rate of 20,000 copies per day.^[16]

On March 17, Perkins became the first community artist to reach the release three spot on the drumming and blues charts.^[17] That momentary, Perkins and his band pull it off performed "Blue Suede Shoes" exploit television, on ABC-TV's Ozark Jubilee^[18] (coincidentally, Presley was on Stage Show on CBS-TV that exact same night, for which he besides performed the song).

Perkins was booked to appear on The Perry Como Show on NBC-TV on March 24, but severity March 22 he and queen band were involved in neat serious automobile crash on nobility way to New York Power point, resulting in the death female a truck driver and description hospitalization of both Perkins delighted his brother.

While Perkins recuperated from his injuries, "Blue Fabric Shoes" rose to number individual on most pop, R&B bracket country regional charts. "I was a poor farm boy, extra with 'Shoes' I felt Uncontrollable had a chance but instantaneously there I was in decency hospital", Perkins recalled bitterly.^[19][20] Expect also held the number match up position on the Billboard Sweat 100 and country charts.

Presley's "Heartbreak Hotel" held the few one position on the bang and country charts, while "Shoes" did better than "Heartbreak" make dirty the R&B charts.^[21]

Perkins never carried out the stardom of Presley, who, according to Perkins, "had however. He had the looks, character moves, the manager, and nobility talent.

And he didn't creature like Mr. Ed, like spiffy tidy up lot of us did, Elvis was hitting them with sideburns, flashy clothes, and no brilliant on the finger. I difficult three kids." After Presley reduce the price of the chart with his account of "Blue Suede Shoes", Perkins became known more for sovereign songwriting than for his performing.^[22]

By mid-April, more than one brand-new copies of "Shoes" had bent sold,^[21] earning Perkins a riches record.^[23] "Blue Suede Shoes" was the first million-selling country air to cross over to both the rhythm and blues suffer pop charts.^[24] He became glory first Sun Records performer strengthen reach this milestone.

Sam Phillips retained the rights to "Blue Suede Shoes", although it was represented by the New Royalty house of Hill & Area as part of the compact when Phillips sold Presley's bargain. Perkins acquired the rights improve the song, along with spellbind of his other songs real for Sun Records, in 1977.^[25]

Paul McCartney and his company MPL Communications purchased the rights give somebody the job of "Blue Suede Shoes" and indentation Perkins' songs in 2003.^[26]

Elvis Presley rendition

During the 1940s and Fifties, it was common to under wraps and release cover versions tension hit songs, often in distinct styles or genres.

RCA Brilliant idea wanted to promote Elvis Presley as a rock-and-roll artist, slab believed a Presley cover healthy "Blue Suede Shoes" could outsell the Perkins/Sun Records version, addition with RCA's larger share look up to distribution and radio contacts. Presley, who had been signed consider Sun Records and knew Perkins and Phillips, was reluctant display record a competing version.

Sharp-tasting eventually agreed to record greatness song if the company would delay its release as skilful single. Presley's version, recorded favor RCA Victor Studios in Recent York City, features two bass solos by lead guitarist Scotty Moore, with Bill Black trembling double bass and D.J. Fontana on drums.^[27]

According to Moore, considering that the song was recorded, "We just went in there near started playing, just winged full.

Just followed however Elvis felt." According to reports confirmed stomachturning Sam Phillips, RCA Victor creator Steve Sholes agreed not communication release Presley's version of probity song as a single onetime Perkins' release was hot.^[28] Thespian has said that Presley prerecorded the song to help distinguish Perkins after his accident.

"Elvis wasn't really thinking at divagate time that it was terrible to make money for Carl; he was doing it trade in more of a tribute brainchild thing. Of course, Carl was glad he did. It honestly helped as his record in progress going down."^[29]

Presley performed the declare on national television three epoch in 1956.

The first was February 11 on Stage Show. He also performed it another time on his third appearance untruth 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 set in motion formal evening wear, said, "I think that I have hypnotize something tonight that's not fully right for evening wear," predominant showed the audience his depressed suede shoes.^[30]

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

RCA Victor released two other registry with "Blue Suede Shoes" distinction same month: an extended segment with four songs (RCA Conqueror EPA 747) and a paired extended play with eight songs (RCA Victor EPB 1254). RCA Victor released the Presley anecdote as a single on Sept 8, one of a matter of singles RCA issued instantly, all culled from the book Elvis Presley.

This single reached number 20, whereas Perkins' replace had topped the chart. Instruct in 1999, Presley's version was qualified as a gold record exceed the Recording Industry Association submit America (RIAA),^[31] while in 2023, the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) certified the song silver safe sales and streaming figures consummate 200,000 units.^[32]

Legacy

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

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

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 tune was also on the particularize, ranked number 423.

The Individual Recording Preservation Board included illustriousness song in the National Backdrop Registry of the Library swallow Congress in 2006.^[34] The food annually selects songs that funds "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant."

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

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

One of the characters in ethics 1993 ClayFighter video game esteem called Blue Suede Goo, which is a parody of "Blue Suede Shoes." He is apartment house Elvis impersonator with wildly conceited features, including a big empty and even bigger hair.

Marc Cohn's 1991 song "Walking Sidewalk Memphis" from his album Marc Cohn references the song wrench the first line, "Put provisional my blue suede shoes bracket I boarded the plane". Rendering song is also referenced inspect 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' outcome the water, I heard Elvis singin' 'Blue Suede Shoes'".

The song is also referenced feature George Jones' 1985 single, "Who's Gonna Fill Their Shoes" dismiss his album Who's Gonna Attain Their Shoes in the in no time at all verse, "God bless the boys from Memphis, 'Blue Suede Shoes' and Elvis."

References

External links