Million Dollar Quartet

Million Dollar Quartet is the name of a set of albums and a CD, which contain some of the recordings made on Tuesday December 4 1956 in the Sun Record Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. These recordings were of an impromptu jam session between Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

Related Topics:
Tuesday - December 4 - 1956 - Sun - Memphis, Tennessee - Impromptu - Jam session - Elvis Presley - Jerry Lee Lewis - Carl Perkins - Johnny Cash

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The jam session seems to have happened by pure chance. Perkins had come into the studios that day, accompanied by his brothers Clayton and Jay and by drummer W. S. Holland to cut some new material, including a revamped version of an old blues song, Matchbox. Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Records, who wished to try to fatten this sparse rockabilly instrumentation, had brought in his latest acquisition, Jerry Lee Lewis to play piano.

Related Topics:
Sam Phillips - Sun Records

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Some time in the early afternoon, Presley dropped in on the Perkins session to pay a casual visit accompanied by a girlfriend, Marilyn Evans. After chatting with Philips in the control room, Presley listened to the playback of the Perkins? session, which he pronounced to be good. Then he went into the studio and some time later the jam session began. Phillips left the tapes running in order to "capture the moment" as a souvenir and for posterity.

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As the session continued, Phillips spotted an opportunity for some publicity and called a local newspaper, the Memphis Press-Scimitar. Bob Johnson, the newspaper?s entertainment editor came over to the studios accompanied by a UPI representative named Leo Soroca, and a photographer.

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The following day, an article, written by Johnson about the session, was published in the Memphis Press-Scimitar under the title, Million Dollar Quartet. The article contained the now well known photograph of Elvis Presley seated at the piano surrounded by Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

Related Topics:
Elvis Presley - Jerry Lee Lewis - Carl Perkins - Johnny Cash

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Tapes of the session remained "in the can" for over twenty years, probably due to contractual reasons, until in 1969, Shelby Singleton bought Sun Records. He began a long search of the Sun catalogue, browsing through more than 10,000 hours of tape.

Related Topics:
1969 - Shelby Singleton

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At the same time, Singleton licensed much, if not all, of the Sun catalogue to the English Charly label for reissue in Europe. As a result of Singleton?s and Charly's search of the Sun catalogue, a portion of the session came to light. This was issued in Europe 1981 as "Charly/Sun" LP #1006 The Million Dollar Quartet, and it contained seventeen tracks, almost all of which were gospel/spiritual music.

Related Topics:
Charly - Europe - 1981 - Million Dollar Quartet - Gospel - Spiritual

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Several years later, additional material was discovered. This resulted in the release of the 1987"Charly/Sun" 2 LP set #CDX 20 The Complete Million Dollar Session, together with their simultaneous issue in CD format in Europe. In 1990, they were replicated by RCA for US distribution as a CD, titled, Elvis Presley - The Million Dollar Quartet (RCA CD # 2023-2-R), the sleeve notes of which were written by Colin Escott of Showtime Music, Toronto.

Related Topics:
CD - 1990 - RCA - Elvis Presley - Million Dollar Quartet - Toronto

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These published albums and CDs contain less than half of the two and a half hours' worth of Million-Dollar tape, which Sam Phillips allegedly recorded on that day. This has led to speculation that more tracks may be available for release. In his review for Rolling Stone (RS 520), David Fricke reported that ?there was talk for a while in the late Seventies, until RCA squashed it, of a five-album set of Million Dollar Quartet recordings?.

Related Topics:
Rolling Stone - RCA - Million Dollar Quartet

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This view may have been partially confirmed in 1992, when RCA released a hitherto unheard rendition of Reconsider Baby on the boxed set of CDs and cassettes, Elvis Presley King of Rock ?n? Roll The Complete 50?s Masters. PL 90689 (6) (lp318). The sleeve notes stated that this track was the only previously unreleased segment of Million Dollar Quartet known at the time, but they gave no indication of the place that this song had in the Million Dollar Quartet session.

Related Topics:
1992 - RCA - Million Dollar Quartet

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The published albums/CDs contain 40 musical tracks, most of which are incomplete and are interspersed with chatter between the participants. They are not pristine, well rehearsed studio recordings, which were meant for commercial release, but rather the sound of a group of friends, who are gathered together to play old favorites and share the pleasure of making music together. Bob Johnson described it as "an old fashioned barrel-house session with barber shop harmonies resulting."

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Country music and Country gospel loom large in the choice of songs. The songs of such Country and Western legends as Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow and Gene Autry are among those featured. Presley played most of the piano and also took nearly all of the lead vocals. The other participants easily follow Presley?s lead with what seems a close familiarity with his choice of songs. Critics have remarked on the irony of his choices as rock & roll was branded as satanic music at the time.

Related Topics:
Country music - Gospel - Country and Western - Bill Monroe - Ernest Tubb - Hank Snow - Gene Autry - Rock & roll

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Carl Perkins only took the lead on Keeper Of The Key and seemed content to play guitar and supply harmony vocals. He had, however, been singing all afternoon. Clayton Perkins and Jay Perkins and drummer W. S. Holland can be heard on the earliest titles. The rhythm guitar on the earlier songs was played by Charles Underwood, who was a writer for Phillips? publishing companies. Presley also brought with him another aspiring singer, Cliff Gleaves, who might be participating on some of the ensemble parts.

Related Topics:
Carl Perkins - Clayton Perkins - Jay Perkins - W. S. Holland - Charles Underwood

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Jerry Lee Lewis can be heard more frequently, often singing in duet with Presley and at the end of the session, when Presley had got up to leave, he swiftly took over the piano and whipped off five piano ravers in rapid succession, including a rousing Crazy Arms (his debut Sun single) and a soulful make-over of Gene Autry's You're the Only Star in My Blue Heaven.

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Colin Escott has reported that according to Charles Underwood, Presley and Phillips went into the control room while Lewis was playing and Presley commented to Bob Johnson that Lewis ?could go. I think he has a great future ahead of him. He had a different style and the way he plays piano and gets inside me.?

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More importantly, however, Johnny Cash?s voice does not seem to appear on any of the published tracks. Colin Escott reports that according to Bob Johnson, Cash joined Presley, Perkins and Lewis on Blueberry Hill and Isle Of Golden Dreams. This was confirmed by Carl Perkins in a 1972 interview, when he stated that ?we did things like Blueberry Hill, Island Of Golden Dreams, I Won't Have To Cross The Jordan Alone, The Old Rugged Cross, Peace in the Valley, Tutti Frutti and Big Boss Man?. Peace in the Valley is the only published track and none of the others ever seem to have been found.

Related Topics:
Johnny Cash - Carl Perkins - 1972

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The point at which Johnny Cash arrived at the studio is a matter of discussion. Some sources, (Elvis Presley - The Million Dollar Quartet by June Moore, published 4th June 1999), (Rolling Stone review (RS520)), (Carl Perkins interview with Rockville International on February 27 1972) report that Cash was already at the studios, when Presley arrived. Perkins said that Cash had stopped into the studios to ?get some money?.

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Cash, in the book, CASH: The Autobiography (1997, by John R. Cash) commented, ?I was there- I was the first to arrive and the last to leave, contrary to what has been written- but I was just there to watch Carl record, which he did until mid-afternoon, when Elvis came in with his girlfriend. At that point the session stopped and we all started laughing and cutting up together. Then Elvis sat down at the piano, and we started singing gospel songs we all knew, then some Bill Monroe songs.

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Elvis wanted to hear songs Bill had written besides Blue Moon of Kentucky, and I knew the whole repertoire. So, again contrary to what some people have written, my voice is on the tape. It's not obvious, because I was farthest away from the mike and I was singing a lot higher than I usually did in order to stay in key with Elvis, but I guarantee you, I'm there?.

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Some reports, however, including one in a very detailed account in Peter Guralnick's book, Last Train To Memphis - The Rise of Elvis Presley, suggest that Johnny only stayed for a short time and then left, possibly to do some Christmas shopping. Colin Escott of Showtime Music, Toronto also reports that Cash was only brought in late in the session, after Sam Phillips had decided to call the Memphis Press Scimitar.

Related Topics:
Peter Guralnick - Showtime Music - Sam Phillips

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The fact that Cash may not have been present throughout the whole session seems to be confirmed by two pieces of ?chatter? caught on the tapes. In the first, another Sun artist, Smokey Joe Baugh, came by and his gravelly voice can be heard after I Shall No Be Moved, saying ?You oughta get up a quartet.? In the second, a female voice, probably Marilyn Evans, can be heard asking if ?This Rover Boys Trio can sing Farther Along.?

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Country music was not the only choice of the participants; they performed There?s No Place Like Home, a sentimental Rodgers and Hammerstein showbiz ballad as an energetic rockabilly clip. They can also be heard turning their attention to the hit parade of the day. Presley led the session with Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind, an R & B song popularized by the Five Keys, Chuck Berry?s Too Much Monkey Business and Brown Eyed Handsome Man, a snippet of Little Richard?s Rip It Up and even Pat Boone?s hit of the day, Don?t Forbid Me.

Related Topics:
Country music - Rodgers and Hammerstein - R & B - Five Keys - Chuck Berry - Little Richard - Pat Boone

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In addition, Presley previewed material that he was considering for up-coming RCA sessions in January and February 1957. He sang Is It So Strange, Peace In The Valleyand That?s When Your Heartaches Begin, which he recorded during the following January. In the case of Is It So Strange, he comments, ?Ol' Faron Young wrote this song sent to me to record."

Related Topics:
RCA - January - February - 1957 - Faron Young

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The title, which most critics seem to highlight, is Presley?s rendition of Don?t Be Cruel, one of his major hits of 1956. But this is not Presley singing Presley, but his imitation of Jackie Wilson, then the lead singer with Billy Ward?s Dominoes, imitating him. It appears as though the Presley entourage spent a few days in Las Vegas (possibly after the filming of ?Love Me Tender?) and went to watch Jackie Wilson, who had obviously built an impersonation of Presley into his act.

Related Topics:
1956 - Jackie Wilson - Billy Ward?s Dominoes - Las Vegas

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Presley describes "a colored guy" tearing up Las Vegas audiences with a house-on-fire rendition of Don't Be Cruel. He goes on to say that, "He tried so hard until he got much better, boy, much better than that record of mine.... I went back four nights straight and heard that guy do that," he says, imitating Wilson's bluesy smolder and big orgasmic finish.

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"He sung the hell out of the song," Elvis can be heard saying with admiration, adding with a laugh, "I was on the table lookin' at him, 'Get 'im off, get 'im off!'" Obviously on a roll, Presley, then ripped into a slower, sassier version of his latest RCA single, "Paralyzed," backed up by Perkins and his trio.

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Most critics agree that The Complete Million Dollar Session provides a rare post-Sun glimpse of Elvis Presley momentarily free of the golden shackles of stardom and the manipulative grasp of his manager, Colonel Tom Parker. His singing, especially on the gospel numbers, is natural and relaxed, minus some of the trademark mannerisms of his official RCA releases.

Related Topics:
Elvis Presley - Colonel Tom Parker - RCA

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The general view of those, who have listened to the Million Dollar Quartet tapes, is that Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Elvis Presley dug into their musical roots and blended everything that they had heard in a loose and vital way, which said more about the origins of rock & roll than a thousand treatises. As Colin Escott has said, "They mixed and matched their disparate styles ? and their innate musicality ensured that what emerged had the rarest of all musical qualities: originality".

Related Topics:
Million Dollar Quartet - Carl Perkins - Jerry Lee Lewis - Elvis Presley - Rock & roll

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Some thirty years later, Perkins, Lewis, Cash and Roy Orbison, a Sun recording artist in 1956, went back into the Sun Studios to record a session of their own Class of '55.

Related Topics:
Roy Orbison - 1956 - Class of '55

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