This is all the nearly lost information I have discovered in my research. Check back for regular updates.

Elvis Presley – I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone

Recorded at Sun Studios on 15^th November 1954 and released on 10^th April 1955. Elvis Presley, Bill Black, Scotty Moore with Jimmie Lott on drums.  There is very little information available about Jimmie Lott, but from what I can gather he was a little known drummer in Memphis who Sam Phillips got to back a little known singer in Memphis at the time! The only recordings that have found with Jimmie Lott are two songs with Elvis – I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone and How Do You Think I Feel?

Elvis Presley – I Forgot To Remember To Forget

The was Elvis’s last recording at Sun Studios and was cut on 11^th July 1954 and released on 1^st August 1955 by Elvis Presley, Bill Black, Scotty Moore with the addition of Johnny Bernero on drums. Johnny was actually a full time plumber who worked opposite Sun Studios, but was hired by Sam Phillips to play drums from time to time. Johnny was a bit older than the rest of the group and was more of a western swing style drummer, evidenced from the groove he plays on this track. He was offered the job as Elvis’ drummer but turned it down due to having a family. Johnny did go on to record under his own name at Sun, however the singles weren’t released at the time and he never became successful in the music industry. You can find some of his recordings on line now though.

Elvis at RCA – recording his singles and first album

Elvis’ singles ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ / ‘I Was The One’ and subsequent first album, simply titled ‘Elvis Presley’ were recorded at RCA studios in Nashville and New York over a four day period in January 1956, and were the first recordings of Elvis after he was sold by Sam Phillips. The band was Elvis, Scotty Moore and Bill Black, with the edition of DJ Fontana on drums (whom they had met and played with at The Louisiana Hayride). Chet Atkins was a member of the studio team and an additional guitar player on the album, and Floyd Cramer and Shorty Long shared piano duties. It is often assumed that The Jordinaires were on backing vocals for these sessions but it was actually only one member of The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker) plus two member of RCA’s recent gospel group signing ‘The Speer Family’ (Ben Speer and Brook Speer).

Elvis Presley – Heartbreak Hotel

This single was recorded by RCA in Nashville after Elvis was bought from Sam Phillips of Sun Studios. Inspired by a suicide note and co-written by a school teacher / publicist of Cornel Tom Parker, Elvis was implored not to record and release this but he persisted. For three months after it’s release on 27^th Jan 1956, it barely made the top 100, but then exploded into the public radar becoming the first record to be at number one in five difference musical charts simultaneously! Within four months it became Elvis’ first million-seller record and went on to be the biggest selling record of 1956.

Elvis Presley – I Was The One

The B-side to Heartbreak Hotel, I Was The One is a ballad in the Ink Spots tradition which Elvis would frequently cite over the next six months as his favourite among his own recordings. Recorded with the now standard Elvis quartet in RCA Studios, Nashville on 11^th January 1956. There is a point of interest in the drum part as DJ plays with a brush in his left hand and a stick in his right, a sound that he very likely picked up from backing country artists at The Louisiana Hayride.

Elvis Presley – Blue Suede Shoes

This tune was written by guitarist and singer Carl Perkins, another Sun Studio artist. Perkins recorded Blue Suede Shoes at Sun on 19^th Jan 1955 and it was released on 1^st Jan 1956. By March it was number 2 in the Billboard Top 100, kept off the number 1 spot by Heartbreak Hotel. Elvis was performing Blue Suede Shoes live by now and Carl gave Elvis permission to record it, but he asked not to release it until Carl’s original had reached it’s peak in the charts. Elvis recorded Blue Suede Shoes on 30^th Jan 1956 in RCA New York and it was released as part of his first album on 23^rd March 1956 as Heartbreak Hotel was climbing the charts. He did keep his promise to Perkins though as his version wasn’t released as a single until 31^st August 1956.

Elvis Presley – I Got A Woman

This song was written by Ray Charles in 1954 and although it never charted well for Elvis, it was a staple part of the show throughout his career. It has been reported that the half time ending to Elvis’ version, which differs from original, was a spontaneous decision made by Elvis on a gig that then become standard and was therefore included in the studio recording.

Elvis Presley – Tutti Frutti

Recorded on 31^st January 1956 in RCA Studios, New York; this cover of Little Richards’ hit was released on Elvis’ first album as well as being the B-Side to his Blue Suede Shoes single that same year. Note the personnel change on this record as Shorty Long replaces Floyd Cramer on piano. I also believe this is the first instance on record of DJ’s use of the high tom as part of the groove during Scotty Moore’s guitar solo.

Elvis Presley – Tryin’ to get to you

This track was recorded by Sam Phillips in Sun Studios on 11^th July 1955, but was bought as part of Elvis’ contract so was included on his first album, though it wasn’t recorded by RCA.  It is the 2^nd and final Elvis recording to feature Johnny Bernero on drums, as it was recorded in the same session as I Forgot To Remember To Forget. Notice again Johnny’s more western swing style approach to the drumming on this record and the little stick click mistake heard right at then end of the take.

Elvis Presley – I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)

This track was recorded on 31^st Jan 1956 at RCA, New York with the now familiar Presley band. Note the interesting bell pattern played by DJ during the solo section and his cool snare drum pattern during the bridges!

Carl Perkins – Dixie Fried

This was Carl Perkins’ follow up single to Blue Suede Shoes which had reached number 1 in the Pop, R’n’B and Country charts while he was recuperating in hospital after his potentially career altering car crash in March. Dixie Fried was recorded in Sun Studios in April 1956 and released in August of the same year. The band consisted of Carl Perkins, his brothers Clayton and J.B. Perkins as well as W.S. ‘Fluke’ Holland on drums. His nickname ‘Fluke’ came from being the luckiest drummer alive. He didn’t even play drums when he recorded Blue Suede Shoes, Carl hired him to play because he owned a Cadillac and he wanted to arrive at Sun Studios in style. Holland then went on to play for Johnny Cash for over 30 years! Dixie Fried got to number 10 on the Country and Western chart. Points of note on this record, the verse phrase lengths are odd, there is a 6/4 bar in the solos likely because Carl liked the guitar riff that creates the bar length, and Holland introduced a double back beat half way through the chorus which was a bit out of the ordinary then.

Little Richard – Tutti Frutti

This track was the last of five songs recorded on 14^th Sep 1955 in Richard’s first session for Speciality Records. The Studio was J&M Studios in New Orleans, owned and operated by Cosimo Matassa with it’s legendary house band which included Earl Palmer on drums. The session wasn’t going so well so they took a break and went to a bar called The Dew Drop Inn, where Little Richard proceeded to play Tutti Frutti on the piano. Bumps Blackwell, the A&R man who had booked the session for Richard says ‘this is a hit’ but the lyrics are too rude:

“Tutti Frutti, good booty, if it’s tight it’s alright, if it’s greasy it makes it so easy.”

Local songwriter Dorothy La Bostrie was brought into the studio to help clean up the lyrics and Tutti Frutti was recorded with 15 minutes of the session left. Richard hadn’t been playing piano on the previous records that day but with limited time left and the fact that Richard had been playing his original version live for years, he made it on to the record. The song was Richard’s first big hit, reaching number 2 on the R’n’B chart very soon after it’s release. It spawned cover versions by Pat Boone and Elvis Presley and ultimately spent 12 weeks in the national pop charts, 20 week in the R’n’B charts and sold 1 million copies by March. Points of note: there was no drum mic for this recording so Earl’s playing is captured by room mics only. Also notice Earls incredibly idiosyncratic fills which I’ve loved transcribing. The drumming on this record can only be him.

Little Richard – Long Tall Sally

This was the follow up single to Tutti Frutti. White singer Pat Boone had covered Tutti Frutti and had had a big hit, so Richard and Bumps wanted something Pat Boone would struggle to sing. Long Tall Sally with its wordy verses was rehearsed to be as fast as possible to make it harder to cover. The idea and one verse of this song was written by Enortis Johnson who supposedly was just 17 years old at the time. She had written some lyrics on a scrap of paper to sell to Little Richard in order to help pay for health care for her aunt. Local radio DJ ‘Honey Chile’, had set up the meeting between Enortis, Richard and Bumps, who felt obligated to recorded the song as local radio DJs were a very important part of a records success at the time. Richard and Bumps adapted Long Tall Sally from Enortis’ lyrics and Richard added the ‘have some fun tonight’ hook. Released in March ‘56, it went very quickly to number 1 in the R’n’B charts and had sold half a million copies within a month. Pat Boone did mange to do a terrible, much slower rendition!

Little Richard – Keep A Knockin’

The track was recorded between two live shows in Washington D.C. at an unknown radio station on the 16^th January 1957. Radio stations were commonly used for recording bands at the time as the equipment they had was of a similar standard to most recording studios. As Keep A Knockin’ was recorded between shows, the record features Richard’s live band, as oppose to the studio musicians that had been used on his previous records. Richard’s live drummer Charles Connor was on drums and composed the legendary intro to this track that John Bonham copied years later as Richard wanted a 4 bar intro that was more powerful than the piano. Charles even got a $500 bonus for suggesting and playing that incredible intro! The single was so good that Speciality chose not to re-record it and issued this version in August 1957. It was one of Little Richard’s last big selling records and that drum intro has cemented Charles Connors’ place in rock ‘n’ roll history.

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