Elvis' January 1954 Sun acetate -- secrets revealed

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rockinrebel
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#21093

Post by rockinrebel »

elvis-fan wrote:Hey Doc!

Any thoughts on posting a review of this book?
Here's a short review of the book I posted a few weeks ago:

The name Ger Rijff and the phrase “quality Elvis Presley book” are synonymous, and Mr Rijff’s latest title “The Rock ‘n’ Roll Years – My Wish Came True” is up to his usual standard. The book is fine collection of ‘50’s photographs and memorabilia including some shots that I hadn’t seen before, and also includes personal documents, press cuttings, and record releases from the time, including foreign releases, promotion records and the rare US armed forces releases. It goes without saying that all the photographs are beautifully reproduced, and the design and lay out are first rate.

There’s also a great accompanying text from the editor of “The Man And His Music” magazine, Trevor Cajiao that collects together anecdotes from performers who worked with, or were influenced by Elvis at the time. Some of these are quite humorous, and in all cases they give a wonderful insight into the time when Elvis changed popular music and popular culture forever. One of my favourites is from rockabilly star Bob Luman, “This cat came out in red pants and a green coat and he stood behind the mike for five minutes before he made a move. Then he hits his guitar lick and he broke two strings. Hell, I’d been playing ten years and hadn’t broken a total of two strings”.

An excellent book, and recommended reading for anyone with a serious interest in rock ‘n’ roll music.




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#21097

Post by jbgude »

All pretty well reasoned arguments.From the intial "My Happiness" and the other SUN acetates Elvis was trying to pitch himself as a soft Ballad singer.If 4th Jan 1954 is the origin of this song well my guess would a Slow number.Does anyone know what tempo "Casual love affair" is ?

BTW :has anyone noticed that the colour of the reciepts seem quite different.The June one seems quite a bit dirtier and older than the Jan one.

I got my Mojo working here and it dont seem to work on this...... :?: :roll:



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#21106

Post by drjohncarpenter »

jbgude wrote:If 4th Jan 1954 is the origin of this song well my guess would a Slow number.Does anyone know what tempo "Casual love affair" is ? BTW :has anyone noticed that the colour of the reciepts seem quite different.The June one seems quite a bit dirtier and older than the Jan one.
The January 4, 1954 Sun acetate sides can be found on 1999's Sunrise (BMG). The <u>unknown</u> tracks are on the June 5, 1954 Sun acetate.

The "Memphis Recording Service" receipts are scanned from two different books, hence the colour variance.


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#21111

Post by garry100 »

It's amazing that for forty-five years or more Elvis Biographers/ historians have said and written that there were only two acetates cut by the young Elvis, this was history set in stone. And now in the last year the strongest of evidence has emerged in the shape of a reciept for a third acetate that was recorded just a month before the first official "historic" Sun session took place, lets hope this acetate has surfaced as the reciept has as it is a major find in the Elvis world, it also makes you wonder what other finds are out there laying undiscovered.



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#21116

Post by ColinB »

Doc -

As you have ressurected this thread, perhaps you will now answer my question above.

You know, the one about which half ?


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#21122

Post by jbgude »

Well Colin the good Doc could cut you into 2 different halves: waist up or down and Left or right.
So maybe it one of two and half of the the other :D



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#21179

Post by ColinB »

jbgude -

My serious point is that the Doc gave a nudge-nudge wink-wink 'I know more than you lot but I'm not telling' type of answer.

I was giving him a chance to come clean.


Colin B
Judge a man not by his answers, but by his questions - Voltaire


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#21183

Post by garry100 »

Yes Doc

Do the honerable thing and answer Colin, I thought that your post inplied that you know alot more than your letting on or maybe...you don't know.



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#21187

Post by KiwiAlan »

These receipts for acetates could be for duplicates of the known two - that is Elvis might have wanted second copies to give away.

It could even be that Elvis oredered acetates of some other artist's unreleased material. For example Sam Phillips might have suggested Elvis do this to learn the material before attempting recording.

In my opinion either of the two above is more likely than the suggestion of an completely unknown session emerging.

What does puzzle me is the fact that these two receipts actually exist? Seems strange to have kept them through house moves etc.

Could they in fact be forgeries?


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#21193

Post by drjohncarpenter »

Colin -

I'll let you know when I can.

Otherwise ...
KiwiAlan wrote:These receipts for acetates could be for duplicates of the known two - that is Elvis might have wanted second copies to give away.
This is incorrect. The discs were cut direct, one time only. Sam Phillips did not save tapes of people off the street cutting demos. Tape cost money! And since when did pre-fame Elvis have almost $20 USD -- in <b>1954</b> dollars -- laying around?
KiwiAlan wrote:It could even be that Elvis oredered acetates of some other artist's unreleased material. For example Sam Phillips might have suggested Elvis do this to learn the material before attempting recording.
Not likely. If under Sam's wing as a protegé, he wouldn't have made Elvis PAY for these. And why would Elvis shell out $8.25 USD TWICE for "unreleased" material, when he was more than willing to cover current or older pop hits available at a <u>tenth</u> of the price?
KiwiAlan wrote:In my opinion either of the two above is more likely than the suggestion of an completely unknown session emerging.
I couldn't disagree more -- see my above comments.
KiwiAlan wrote:What does puzzle me is the fact that these two receipts actually exist? Seems strange to have kept them through house moves etc.

Could they in fact be forgeries?
In fact, they are as authentic as the rediscovered July 1953 and January 1954 Sun acetates -- remember how mysterious those used to be? I have to agree that it did seem "strange to have kept them through house moves etc."

As stated, the "January 4, 1954" receipt was a nice little surprise in the excellent new Ger Rijff journal "The Rock 'N' Roll Years - Volume One" and the "June 5, 1954" receipt was "hidden" in Seal O'Neal's "Memorabilia" book.

Both of these gentlemen are major Presley collectors who do not fool around. And, as O'Neal was the source for the resurfacing of the January 1954 Sun acetate, questioning Sean's credibility is ludicrous.

God bless!


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#21210

Post by KiwiAlan »

drjohncarpenter wrote:

KiwiAlan wrote:These receipts for acetates could be for duplicates of the known two - that is Elvis might have wanted second copies to give away.
This is incorrect. The discs were cut direct, one time only. Sam Phillips did not save tapes of people off the street cutting demos. Tape cost money! And since when did pre-fame Elvis have almost $20 USD -- in <b>1954</b> dollars -- laying around?

It is entirely feasible that Elvis took one or both of the previously made one-off discs back to Sun to have them cut another set of one-offs. And lets not forget that by this time Sun had two Ampex recorders.
Last edited by KiwiAlan on Fri Jul 18, 2003 5:49 am, edited 1 time in total.


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#21213

Post by sam »

HUH!!!




:lol:


R.I.P 01-24-08

In memory of everyones favorite Elvis friend: Sam

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#21215

Post by KiwiAlan »

A qiuck power failure and my own confusion do not help :!:

What I am suggesting is that the June 5 1954 receipt could possibly relate to Elvis wanting a duplicate of his previous acetate(s). This does not require any tape recording that Sam did not keep. Elvis could very simply take the original acetate(s) back to Sun for them to copy.

I see nothing wrong technically with that scenario. In fact it is quite probable.

No doubt O'Neal and Rijff are eminent Presley collectors - but like every other human being on this planet could be fooled in accepting a forgery as valid. That does not question their integrity.

What does raise a question of integrity is the continuing attitude of Dr John in hinting that various takes and acetates exist from various times. When challenged the Dr either does not reply or fobs the enquiry off with "can't tell you now" CIA replies.

I repeat my question of last week to Dr John - to paraphrase - "You say that several outtakes exist of the post Aloha concert recording session - how many and what tracks?"

I hope that the June 1954 receipt does produce new material - what I don't understand is all the secrecy.


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#21220

Post by KiwiAlan »

A qiuck power failure and my own confusion do not help :!:

What I am suggesting is that the June 5 1954 receipt could possibly relate to Elvis wanting a duplicate of his previous acetate(s). This does not require any tape recording that Sam did not keep. Elvis could very simply take the original acetate(s) back to Sun for them to copy.

I see nothing wrong technically with that scenario. In fact it is quite probable.

No doubt O'Neal and Rijff are eminent Presley collectors - but like every other human being on this planet could be fooled in accepting a forgery as valid. That does not question their integrity.

What does raise a question of integrity is the continuing attitude of Dr John in hinting that various takes and acetates exist from various times. When challenged the Dr either does not reply or fobs the enquiry off with "can't tell you now" CIA replies.

I repeat my question of last week to Dr John - to paraphrase - "You say that several outtakes exist of the post Aloha concert recording session - how many and what tracks?"

I hope that the June 1954 receipt does produce new material - what I don't understand is all the secrecy.


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#21229

Post by drjohncarpenter »

Al -

You've been down under for too long.

There is nothing -- save your theory -- to suggest Elvis had his 7/53 or 1/54 acetates copied. All other indications are that there were single copies made, period. For example, when Elvis was asked by high school pal Ed Leek in the late fifties if he wanted the 7/53 disc back, Elvis replied no, he didn't care to hear it again -- NOT no, I have another copy.

And let's not forget how you ignore the financial factor involved in such a service -- the Presleys lived on modest means in 1954. And there's nothing in the history of Sun Studios / Memphis Recording Service where private acetates were dubbed over again at the behest of the customer.

I'm sorry that you get offended when I cannot share every last bit of information that I have. Do you demand that of everyone on this MB, or just of me? Either way, that's hardly fair.

God bless you!


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SPED UP!!

#21280

Post by TONY »

The live version of "I'm left, you're right, she's gone" is also way too fast and I have a corrected version of this version.
TONY DOBB



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Re: SPED UP!!

#21325

Post by drjohncarpenter »

TONY wrote:The live version of "I'm left, you're right, she's gone" is also way too fast and I have a corrected version of this version.

Tony, I don't quite see the connection these comments have to the subject being discussed.


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#21344

Post by KiwiAlan »

To Dr John.

Well we can only wait and see.

I do query anyone who infers private knowledge of unreleased tracks on this board.

For months someone on this board (not you) kept smugly claiming that "binaural" takes of the King Creole sessions are in Ernst hands. It took several posts from me asking him to put up or shut up before he finally admitted he had no proof whatsoever

So don't feel I'm picking on just you.

The Satisfied rumour is intriguing - but with Joan so desperate for material one might have expected it to emerge during the Legendary Performer series.

Yes it was a lot of money in those days - however the money was paid - and whether Elvis saved it up from his Crown Electric job, or someone funded him, or it was stolen, or it was a diverted welfare check, is beside the point. If you want something badly enough then you can usually find the money.

Perhaps he bought a duplicate to impress a girl.

But having said all that - your theory of a completely new song(s) made during the first week in June does have some logic - this might have been the catalyst for Sam to engage Scotty to help out.

To stick my neck out further - what proof is there that the new Roustabout is on Second to None that some (not you) are claiming? Strange that the pre-publicity hasn't mentioned it.


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johngael

without you

#21371

Post by johngael »

Could the missing song be "Without You?" We know that Sam tried to get a good cut with Elvis. And if memory serves, this was done fairly close to when he got together with Scotty and Bill. Seems logical to me.




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SATISFIED

#21414

Post by TONY »

I have the original recording of "Satisfied" by Martha Carson which runs for well over 2 minutes. My guess is that if a recording exists of this from SUN, it is just over a minute long, and would be just a "mess around" kind of "jam" between takes of another song, as can be clearly seen in the pages of the 1st "Legendary performer" LP booklet. It is a "loose" gospel song with basic lyrics, something which Elvis would probably fool with.
TONY DOBB




see-see-rider

#21445

Post by see-see-rider »

What about Tiger Man, the song Elvis referred to as being "the second record I ever recorded" several times in 1970? Now that would be cool, wouldn't it?




MauriceColgan

#21447

Post by MauriceColgan »

Till we know for certain, this speculation belongs in the Judge Judy, "Coulda, woulda, and Shoulda," department.

True scholarship is usually self-evident:-)

The early, "That's When Your Heartaches begin", by Elvis, is a gem! The other two self financed songs very close runners up. IMHO.



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Re: Elvis' January 1954 Sun acetate -- secrets revealed

#566643

Post by ColinB »

Bump !


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Re:

#566647

Post by Little Darlin »

sam wrote:HUH!!!




:lol:

LOL!!! sam was so funny. I miss sam.

A thread from 2003 :shock:

Is this the acetate I posted about recently?


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Re: Elvis' January 1954 Sun acetate -- secrets revealed

#566688

Post by RonBaker2003 »

Maybe the answer will lie in the FTD "Sun" book and cd package?


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