Million Dollar Quartet
Occupation
- Vocals, guitar, piano: Elvis Presley
- Guitar, Vocals: Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash
- Piano, Vocal: Jerry Lee Lewis
- Drums: W.S Holland
- Bass: Clayton Perkins
The Million Dollar Quartet is an album of recordings at Sun Studios were made on 4 December 1956, when the former Sun artist Elvis Presley with the Sun musicians, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash hosted a jam session.
Recording
The shots were not planned and developed as a spontaneous jam session. Carl Perkins, who was a successful Sun artist already and Blue Suede Shoes had a hit, came with his brothers Clayton and Jay and drummer WS Holland into the studio to record new songs, including the later very successful Matchbox. Sam Phillips, owner of Sun Records and Perkins ' producer, brought the young and unknown pianist Jerry Lee Lewis, because he wanted to break with the thrifty instrumentation of rockabilly artists.
In the early afternoon the former Sun artist Elvis Presley, who was with RCA Records, appeared with his girlfriend Marilyn Evans to pay his old colleagues a visit. Presley had worked his way up with five number -one singles and two number - one albums within the last twelve months to the most sought-after rock-' n'- roll star and was four months before occurred " Show Ed Sullivan " in which a market share of 83 percent with about 55 million viewers reached.
During a conversation with Sam Phillips Presley heard in the background Perkins ' shots he liked, and decided spontaneously to play along a little. Philips allowed to proceed to take up and so captured the jam session. Shortly thereafter, joined Johnny Cash, who already had some hits in the country charts, the remaining musicians. According to Cash's autobiography, he should have been in the studio even as the first musicians to this day.
Phillips took the opportunity and notified the regional newspaper " Memphis Press- Scimitar " that sent, among others, the renowned journalist Bob Johnson. The following day, Johnson's article appeared with the title "Million Dollar Quartet " and the photograph, which later graced the publications of the recordings.
On most recordings you can hear Presley as the lead singer and pianist, while the others accompany him only. Carl Perkins was content with the lead vocal in Keeper of the Key, played most of the guitar and often sang as a background voice. Clayton Perkins, Jay Perkins and W.S. Holland are mainly heard in the first song, as well as Charles Underwood as a rhythm guitarist. In some vocals also be heard Cliff Gleaves, who had come into the studio with Presley. Jerry Lee Lewis often sings with Presley in duet and takes over towards the end of the piano.
Johnny Cash is not to hear clearly. According to Bob Johnson Cash to be heard at Blueberry Hill and Isle Of Golden Dreams, which was confirmed in 1972 by Carl Perkins, who said that they had with cash Blueberry Hill, Iceland Of Golden Dreams, I Will not Have To Cross The Jordan Alone, The Old Rugged Cross, Peace in the Valley, Tutti Frutti and Big Boss Man sung. Of these songs, but only Peace in the Valley has been published. In Cash's autobiography, it is also stated that he had been far away from the microphone and also sung higher than usual in order to accompany Presley better.
Song selection
Besides a large number of country classics by the likes of Bill Monroe, Ernest Tubb, Hank Snow and Gene Autry the Sun artists played gospel songs, Broadway ballads of Rodgers and Hammerstein as There's No Place Like Home and hits of the time such as Out Of Sight, Out of Mind songs by Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Pat Boone.
Presley also play some of the songs that he should take up a short time later for RCA, such as Is It So Strange When Your Heartaches and That's Begin. Presley's hit Do not Be Cruel can be heard several times, including as Jackie Wilson is said to have imitated him.
Publication
Shelby Singleton, now owner of the record label Sun Records, who re-released many Sun recordings in the 1980s, was the first who brought out the shots of the jam session. The 17 -song The Million Dollar Quartet was published in 1981 in Europe and involved only Gospel recordings.
With the discovery of new recordings to the public interest rose for a complete catalog publication. Thus appeared in 1987, The Complete Session one million U.S. dollars in 1990 by RCA Records in the United States as Elvis Presley - was published The Million Dollar Quartet.
2006, the hitherto most complete version was published on the 50th anniversary of shots that also the images arranged in chronological order. It contains 6 tracks and 12 minutes respectively more previously unreleased material.