On YouTube a previously unreleased Elvis Presley live-recording from the Louisiana Hayride was posted by user 'amberola1b'. On the FECC forum the conclusion was that it was probably from October 01, 1955. Recorded on an early silvertone "wire" recording machine we initially hear Buzz Busby and the Bayou Boys before Horace Logan introduces Elvis, Scotty and Bill and their "modern-day type" new single, 'I Forgot To Remember To Forget'. According to postings on the Too Much Monkey Business and For Elvis CD Collector's forums the recording will NOT be part of the 'Young Man From Tupelo' box set on Elvis SUN years.
The reaction from Ernst Jorgensen:
"Wow – it’s unbelievably beautiful. I’m still trying to recover from the shock
Ernst"
Ernst Jorgensen's reaction on the question if it will be on the 'Boy From Tupelo' set:
"Well, it's not-it just turned up on UTUBE today.Ernst"
I can fully understand Ernsts reaction. Last Saturday I woke up early morning and found ONLY on another famous Dutch Fan Site the link (before it got removed from YouTube) and downloaded it. A true Gem. We should be very grateful to amberola1b, whose request for information led to the above mentioned details. Great that after more than half a century this recording was discovered. It was an interesting story how he got this tape too. After being posted twice by Amberola1B he obviously gave up (or had enogh info) and this downloader put it on again obviously.
Lovely sound for the time. Things like this always give me hope that there really are more hidden gems out there. Strange about the timing given that there's a Sun set out shortly.
Fantastic sound quality, absolutely shocking indeed! Who is amberola1b and how did he get his hands on this record? Sure hope he has more stuff like this in his private collection.
As he related it himself he bought the wire amongst a whole bunch of them. It was taped from a radio broadcast. As he stated: most of the time they taped religious programmes, but obviously a parent taped this for his son or daughter. He did not mention having more of these gems! Unfortunate indeed! This is really thrilling. Download it soon as they might (again) remove this clip.
It is really stunning. In the first place i couldn't believe it was Elvis. After many times played with repeat i can only say
stunning. What a luck . But i'm affariad that the rip-off labels will released it to make a quick buck
Brian, then he must have been naive. Even I know now how to download from YouTube. It was his own initiative to make it know to the world what gem he had in his possession!
Fantastic indeed ! Without any doubt too late for release on "Young Man From Tupelo"., but Ernst should try to get hold of this gold nugget. Anyway, the MRS-release "The Complete Hayride Recordings " isn't complete anymore. Always El.
This is indeed an awesome find. If you go on Facebook and search for "EPN: Elvis Presley News" you might be able to watch a video of the actual tape machine running while the song is being played. Sounds F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C!
Yes Natha, who knows ? Maybe there is more to surface . Like you wrote before, the guy bought a whole buch of those "wire" recordings, so everything is possible ! Always El.
This is something unique, fantastic, a dream came true. The spontaneous way the Young king sings it is just as breathtaking and unbelievable. Please notice how already young Elvis knew how to use his voice to the maximum. Although clowning a bit in the beginning (0:58/0:59), the way he sings it the verse “the day she went a waaayyyy” (1:30 /1:33) is more masterful and powerful than “My Way” or “Unchained melody” in the 70’s. And again in the second verse, after the guitar break, (2:40) “The day she went a… way” with the wiping guitar from Scotty (2:55 / 2:58) is… My God just Heaven!!!! WOW This is just too good to be true. Thank you Amberola1B and thank You Young Pelvis for everything you gave me thought all my life!
Professionally copied from this wire the result will be even more stunning, as the owner states that the sound on the clip is not as good as the original! Better buy this one for the Boy Of Tupelo, Ernst. We have waited mor that half a century for your release , so a week or two would not matter! Go for it, lest bootleggers beat you to it.
Natha, agreed ! Of course it would be great if it would be on Ernst's release and I wouldn't mind either if I had to wait a couple of weeks, even a whole month. Problem is : suppose the box is released and contains this new discovery, great, and a couple of weeks later a new gem (from the same period) comes out of the blue and sees the light of day..... See what I mean ? What's your opinion ? Always El.
That's true, Benny, in that perspective the box will never be released. So I think you are right. Also FTD might have already finalized the production of the CD anyway. In line of this case we have to keep ourselves updated constantly and as soon as something new surfaces we have to act swiftly as bootleggers will come along and try to make a quick buck. Maybe we should all join hands and share those rare recordings as soon as one of us fans lay hand on a decent copy (mostly equal to the booleg products) as to prevent LegPerf Vol XX.
This is great and definitely one of the best Louisiana Hayride recording i've heard soundwise. But a comparison with "unchained melody"? Ok he was good in '55, but not that good as he was later on, how much you may like the '50's.
This is great. The only thing Elvis was better at in the 70's was being able to overpower a note for a few seconds and a change of jumpsuits There is no way one 50's recording (or early 60's)would have been bettered by a 70's Elvis. Just listen to a live 70's version of Its Now Or Never. Elvis was a very unique singer in the 50's and his voice was the most versatile instrument in the music world. In the 70's he was basically a baritone singer, better than most, but not the 50's Elvis. Even the raw 1969 Elvis was gone forever by then. Elvis is a legend because of what he did in the 50's, changing the world with his style. One listen to this and you know why.
Exactly, well said. As his success grew, Elvis felt like he could such things as silly lyric changes such as Heartburn Motel, and You Taught Me How to Milk a Cow and other such nonsense. Classic songs given the humor treatment. When u first hear it, its kind of funny, but over time it wears thin and I'd rather he never did that. This is why this is such a gem. I agree that it is better than the original studio recording.
Of course he did his songs at best in his early performances, he wasn't the settled star what he would become later on.
And i agree that some songs can not be bettered, but that doesn't change the fact thas his voice was better later on.
No way a 50's Elvis could do better versions of "Just Pretend" "I'm Leavin'" and so on. But there we have Elvis ,something for everybody. I also agree this is better than the studio version.
It's my hope that Ernst will take some of the profits that FTD has generated over the last 10 or so years and pay the man the money for this one. Then, hold off on the release of "The Boy From Tupelo" for a couple of weeks until he can have Kevan Budd work his magic on the track and add it to one of the CDs in the package. However, I am quite sure this will never happen because Ernst and co. will miss out on the chance to sell sh**loads of these in the shops across from Graceland during the 35th anniversary pilgrimage. It's all abot timing and opportunity and of course money. The Colonel lives.
He does goof around on this recording, the way he introduces the song and the way he says play it James. The singing is absolutely stunning. These early recordings are so pure and touching.
I don't think Elvis says (shouts) "play it James". The words "play it ..." OK , but what comes after "it...." must be another word. Certainly not "James" 'cause James Burton was on leadguitar only from 1969 on. Always El.
The fact that ELVIS was fooling around a lot has imo to do with the fact that he was interacting with the fans present. Let's not forget that those recordings were taped at such a setting. Also in the seventies. I don't think he really cared for the taping. He wanted to be in contact (more than in touch) with the fans. The mere fact that we can listen to those recordings (and may get bored this the 'same' jokes) is based on the fact that we are flooded with them. Those present who were really 'in' the show(s) might have felt quite differently. And yes, here he is less joking around. This is the pure uncut ELVIS, the King of Music. And me? Longing for more gems. Can't get enough of this. Hope more people will go through their old radio recordings on tape! About the shouting, Steve V, being from the USA , do you have any idea?
Elvis is a legend today because of what he did from 1968 to 1977. I don't think he'd be as "big" today if he hadn't had his 70s legacy. That's what cemented him as the King. Now I am not saying that his 50s impact should be minimized. I actually don't think he gets enough credit for his impact in the 1950s. But Elvis hit the upper echelon of stardom in Las Vegas and on Tour in the 1970s. Elvis sang better in my opinion in the period of 1968 through 1977. Suspicious Minds and Kentucky Rain are better to me than any of his 1950s songs. Again, this isn't 1950s vs 1970s Elvis as I love it all. I just think it's the 70s Elvis that made him the legend he is today.
I don't think his 50ies impact is ever marginalized. Any authority in the business will tell you Elvis opened the door or paved the way. Elvis' 50ies image has been copied way more often by stars, in fact just about any white pop star that came after him somehow tried to look like Elvis the way he did in the 50ies, where his 70ies image is more ridiculed. 50ies or 70ies is a matter of taste. I listen more to the 60ies and 70ies. But I think his singing is more tasteful and original in 54-57 than for instance during the weak Stax recordings, where Elvis sounds more like any other country singer. That's just so great about being an Elvis fan, if you get tired of him there is always a totally different him to listen to.
Wiebe : " there is always a different him to listen to" : well said and so true ! One could refer to the title of one of his albums : "something for everybody". Always El.
And he didn't need a swastika to draw attention. Even Madonna is copying Elvis. Only difference is Elvis never meant to cause any controversy, he just wanted to sing a song and rock to it.
I think he calls out "Play that guitar, play it!" Pretty sure he does not say "James"! There is a well know drummer called James Van Eaton from the Sun era, & certainly in the early days there some occasions of undocumented 'Standing in' of different musicians. However, I think the band at that time was still just the original three without a drummer – you can certainly hear Elvis' very under-rated acoustic strumming, but having turned this up to deafening proportions to try & hear what he calls out I don't think there is a drummer either! Anyway, really nice find, even if it won't make the already pressed box set.
LonElvis - sorry. ELvis is the legend he is because of the 50's. Not sure if you were around then, but it was no comparison with the 70's. Every single was a #1 or top 10, his image was everywhere, his movies were events, and when he went into the Army it was the biggest media happening of the year. Nothing in the 70's compared to any of that. The singles were not automatic hits anymore and some sold very poorly. He was not on the radio much and every singer was not trying to emulate him anymore. How many songs did he have in the top 10 in 1970-77? 1968-69 was nice but was a short lived period of rejuvination. I can sum it up this way. The 50's Elvis appeared on a US postage stamp, the 70's Elvis appeared on National Lampoon! One critc actually said the best thing Elvis ever did for his career was die. Harsh at the time but kind of true in a way, because thats when the 70's really took off didnt it?
Here we hear the King of RnR. After maturing he became the King of Music. In the sixties he was less on the radio as it was (in my environment at least) regarded as no more part of the rising pop culture. In the seventies that line of thinking continued. However, it is amazing to read how many modern day singers look up to ELVIS as their inspiration and not just the fifties. Also I noticed that most of the fans I meet are seventies fans with a slight tendency to the late sixties. Though I am definitely more the RnR type of fan, I have to admit that it was ELVIS who made me appreciate other types of songs too. But sticking to the article, his unique style has never been copied. Those who try do mostly sound like the looks of a copy on one of the first copiers. Listen to the way he 'fools around' with his voice. That's the King, all the way.
I agree 100% with this statement - That's just so great about being an Elvis fan, if you get tired of him there is always a totally different him to listen to.
dgirl I mostly agree with you, and was not trying to say that he was a bigger star in the 1970s in terms of record sales or any measure like that. Elvis came on the scene in the 50s and reinvented the music scene and pop culture. And that is sadly marginalized today in the media -- just look at Life Magazine listing the 100 most influential people of all times and it contains the Beatles and Louie Armstrong and Muhammad Ali (whom are all great) but left out Elvis from the list. I just think his fandom is bigger today (not in the past) - I'm talking abot today - because of his 1968 - 1977 work. At least that's my opinion. I don't think he'd be as big today if it wasn't for his later work and his larger than life persona and his tours. I could be dead wrong but I think most fans listen to the 70s work more than the 50s or 60s work. Maybe that's because with soundboards and outtakes we have more 70s work to listen to.
Of course, being from the 70s and not having lived in the 50s, perhaps my reference point is just biased towards what I know better.
IMO dgirl is right but Lon Elvis is right too ! dgirl was there from the beginning (and so was I) so we were there when R 'n' R was born . It's quite normal Lon Elvis, being from the 70s, prefers this period. Great to read different opinions full of sense by several real and true fans without bashing and attacking each other. The way things go now on this site for already many weeks makes it great to be an Elvis fan. Always El.
D-girl- If Elvis in the army was the biggest event of the year, what was Aloha from Hawaii in 1973 with over 1 billion viewers and a no.1 selling album? I agree that he set the tone in 50's but the reason he is so "big" even today is because of the 70's. The most non-Elvis fans i hear know him in a positive way from 1968 and up.
News coverage of Elvis going into the army was enormous, news coverage of Aloha From Hawaii much less so. And as for more than one billion people watching it live: in parts of Europe (unfortunatly not the UK) it was broadcast a day later, in the USA three months later (with added material). I find it puzzling where that figure came from. One billion viewers - that's a thousand million.
Great Dane - Elvis going into the army was huge news and in the papers every day. While he was in the army, magazines & newspapers did photo spreads on him, followed him everywhere. Even before he was in the army the news started. Aloha coverage did not come close to this at least in the States anyway.
I agree with LonElvis that at least his popularity today would be cut in half if it was not for the legacy from the period 1968-1973. No doubt though that during his lifetime his peak of popularity was in the 50s and early 60s.
An excellent piece of audio!! Amazingly clear. I copied it for myself right away. The ongoing conversation about Elvis in the 50's compared to the 70's is very interesting. There isn't a wrong opinion, and I love Elvis in the 70's (my favorite era), but I think that Elvis would have never been as big of a star without that ground breaking rock revolution of the 50's. That era was magical, and not just for Elvis, but for so many of the early rockers.
I do question the timing of this release. It has been known for months that Ernst and FTD were planning a huge release of Elvis’ Sun years (53-55). Now that the project is completed and ready for release in August, this little gem pops up on YouTube!
So the new FTD release featuring the ‘Complete 53-55 recordings’ will not be ‘complete’ after all. Given the fact that the FTD release is huge (500 page book, 3 CD set), and the announcement has already been made, Ernst simply cannot postpone the release until later in order to add this recording. Which means this song will probably show up on an ‘import’ release later this year.
However, as an Elvis fan I am happy that we are getting 4 unreleased live songs from the 50’s this year: Paralyzed, When my blue moon turns to gold again, Little mama (and maybe others on the new FTD release), and this song. So there is still hope that there may be more unreleased Elvis songs out there even after all these years. TCB
The time of "releasing of this has not to do with the box. Simply we all know that Ernst was working on this mega project
'But for a new prject or box like close up would be a nice idea. But it will be too late , i think CRAP labels will included on their ripp-off cd's. Nice piece for grabbing our money for nothing new maybe could STAR and other ripp-off labels do the sun lp from the 70's includede this one.