complete million dollar Quartet.

Mr. Johnson ... was a reporter I am assuming does not make a habbit of getting facts in a article wrong, especially if indeed he wrote it the next day! So how can we explain this?

This is the article, IIRC:

I never had a better time than yesterday when I dropped in at Sam Phillips' Sun record bedlam on Union and Marshall. It was what you might call a barrel-house of fun. Carl Perkins was in a recording session, and he has one that's going to hit as hard as "Blue Suede Shoes." We're trying to arrange an advance audition for you Memphis fans before the song is released in January. Johnny Cash dropped in. Jerry Lee Lewis was there too, and then Elvis dropped by.

Elvis headed for the piano and started in on "Blueberry Hill." The joint was really rocking before they got through. Elvis is high on Jerry Lee Lewis. "That boy can go," he said. "I think he has a great future ahead of him. He has a different style, and the way he plays piano just gets inside me."

I never saw Elvis more likeable than he was just fooling around with these other fellows who have the same interest as he does. If Sam Phillips had been on his toes, he'd have turned the recorder on when that very unrehearsed but talented bunch go to cutting up on "Blueberry Hill" and a lot of other songs. That quartet could sell a million.

- Memphis Press Scimitar - December 5, 1956

The explanation here is simple -- Johnson was describing the beginning of the session, not the entire event.

The songs cited were likely played when they took the now-famous photos of the guys around the piano, with Elvis seated at the keys. A listen to the fantastic 2006 BMG MDQ CD indicates that Elvis played nothing but guitar -- no piano, giving even more credence to the notion that Johnson's article is speaking of the very begining of the afternoon fun. And it's not unlikely that a few songs went down before Sam began the tapes.

Note also that all Johnson says about Cash is "he dropped in."

Are we done now?

Can anyone say for certain if Mr. Johnson was questioned about this session years later?

The title, "my isle of golden dreams", amoung several others have always been mentioned. Did these titles come from Mr. Johnson, Johnny Cash, or Jerry Lee perhaps???

Someone mentioned that the original circa 1990 BMG CD was sourced from Carl Perkins tape and that the new 2006 CD was sourced from Elvis' tape.

Unfortunately, Sam Phillips has passed. But did he ever weigh in on this? Surely he was asked about whether he taped more from MDQ session or not? Maybe this is all he taped, maybe not...but was he ever interviewed about it?

If Phillips made copies for the participants, did he keep the master session tapes for himself? And if so, where are they? Did Jerry Lee Lewis get a copy tape too? What about Cash?

deleted by stan

Last edited by stan from tintane on Mon May 21, 2007 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Monkboughtlunch, the funny thing about this MDQ tape is that RCA had it all along, not knowing about it. So they went and bought a tape in lesser quality than the one they already had. Makes you wonder what else might be tucked away somewhere.

Per

... correction, thekingisdead... RCA copied the bootleg for their

own, first release of The MDQ. They didnt own a copy of the actual

tape at the time... RCA booting a bootleg!

deleted by stan

Last edited by stan from tintane on Mon May 21, 2007 8:40 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Ger and Stan, you’re right. I can’t believe I mixed up those stories. Must get my head screwed on tight now.

Per

I am somewhat confused (this is not unusual). I have found TWO Million Dollar Quartet cd's to buy. One is a 2 disc set on Charley records and has 41 recordings from the MDQ session plus a disc of 1956 tracks from all four artists. The other is just the MDQ session with (I think) 47 tracks and is on BMG. I'm only shelling out for one so which one is best?

In terms of sound quality get the single 47 track CD just released.

Thanks.

Did this bad boy get released in GB/EU???

Just got my copy today from HMV for £6!

Just got my copy today from HMV for £6!

Wow, bargain!!!!!!!!!!!!

EU or US press?????

EU press. Not played it yet tho

Johnny wasn't there???

Some times I would rather believe the Myth. How will I be able to go on? The Quartet is a freaking trio!!!!! Damn it.

- Johnny Cash isn't part of the Million Dollar ‘Quartet’.

- The extended 'Don't Think Twice' is a fake on the 'Don't Think Twice' import.

- Aloha wasn't LIVE in the United States.

- Elvis had an extra stripe put on his dress army uniform for his train ride home.

- The 'complete' 68 Special 3 DVD Set was missing a segment.

- The 'Wonder of You' and 'It’s Now or Never' on E1vis are not the original versions.

- RCA lost the stereo master for 'Follow That Dream'.

- The microphone bump at the end of ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight’ has been removed...for no apparent reason.

- The 'official' version of ‘A Big Hunk 'O Love’ is no longer a Take 3/4 splice.

- The Colonel wasn't an US citizen. And his first name wasn't Colonel!

- Midnight shows (MS) are dated using the formula 'Actual Date - 1 Day = Midnight Show Date.

Please stop all of this...I WANT TO BELIEVE THE MYTH...YOU ARE ALL WRECKING EVERYTHING!!!!

What NEXT!!!

Pretty soon I'll be hearing that Priscilla’s 'White Panty Video Sessions' never existed or worse, never happened!!!

YOU ARE KILLING ME!!!

STOP THE MADNESS!!!

bpd

P.S. I have some original Johnny Cash LPs on the Sun Label...good condition...I wonder if they are worth anything? I listened to them all and Elvis’ voice is not heard on any of them. It's strange to me to see a Sun label on a LP since Elvis only had singles on Sun.

You're too funny.

Some times I would rather believe the Myth. How will I be able to go on? The Quartet is a freaking trio!!!!! Damn it.

No, Smokey Joe Baugh made them a quartet. And they're still the "One Million Dollar Quartet" -- Elvis was worth that by himself!

- Aloha wasn't LIVE in the United States.

Hawaii was our 50th state in 1973, so it was indeed "LIVE in the United States."

- Elvis had an extra stripe put on his dress army uniform for his train ride home.

Hey, that was the Colonel's doing. Elvis either didn't mind, or didn't notice!

- RCA lost the stereo master for 'Follow That Dream'.

Or was it the Mirsch Company?

Ho ho ho!

Quote: Pretty soon I'll be hearing that Priscilla’s 'White Panty Video Sessions' never existed or worse, never happened!!!

******************************

Maybe they will use the live-feed-video-imaging on this and it will be a
DVD bonus feature on the Anthology!!

Maybe it's all recorded but since you cannot hear the singing until the microphone is moved(?) during Don't be Cruel it's not worth releasing.
And Johnny Cash may be there for part of the session but cannot be heard since he is too far away from the microphone. Part of the session may still be missing or the tape just run out and Sam didn't notice for a while. I doubt he was just sitting in the control room during this session.

This new version with enhanced sound made me realize how important the microphone setting is. It seems like only one microphone was used for singing. Or maybe two since Jerry Lee can be heard quite good. Before Don't Be Cruel the band drowns out all the voices.

P.S. I have some original Johnny Cash LPs on the Sun Label...good condition...I wonder if they are worth anything? I listened to them all and Elvis’ voice is not heard on any of them. It's strange to me to see a Sun label on a LP since Elvis only had singles on Sun.

Hate to break it to ya, but Johnny Cash didn't sing on those Johnny Cash Sun albums either!! It was Bill Black, Johnny just mimed!!

You're too funny.

Some times I would rather believe the Myth. How will I be able to go on? The Quartet is a freaking trio!!!!! Damn it.

No, Smokey Joe Baugh made them a quartet. And they're still the "One Million Dollar Quartet" -- Elvis was worth that by himself!

- Aloha wasn't LIVE in the United States.

Hawaii was our 50th state in 1973, so it was indeed "LIVE in the United States."

- Elvis had an extra stripe put on his dress army uniform for his train ride home.

Hey, that was the Colonel's doing. Elvis either didn't mind, or didn't notice!

- RCA lost the stereo master for 'Follow That Dream'.

Or was it the Mirsch Company?

Ho ho ho!

You guys are just too serious.

bpd

P.S. I have some original Johnny Cash LPs on the Sun Label...good condition...I wonder if they are worth anything? I listened to them all and Elvis’ voice is not heard on any of them. It's strange to me to see a Sun label on a LP since Elvis only had singles on Sun.

Hate to break it to ya, but Johnny Cash didn't sing on those Johnny Cash Sun albums either!! It was Bill Black, Johnny just mimed!!

You are so wrong...I just played the album...There is nothing on it but pops and clicks...Johnny Cash is just a Myth...I was there, I know...

While having coffee one day in Memphis, Sam Phillips realized that everyone in the world (OK just Memphis) was listening to Elvis records. So he decided to fabricate a 'star' to make some extra cash.

There was this guy called Sean Rigger who lived in Memphis at the time. He had some professional photos taken of him...the kind of photos that would look good on an album cover.

Upon seeing Sean's photos Sam decided to have a blank albums pressed.

Album sleeves were printed with Sean's photo and the name 'Johnny Cash'. (I've seen the original LP proofs...one reads Seam Rigger and the other reads Johnny Cash. The decision to go with Johnny Cash was apparently made quite late in the process).

Just before releasing this album, Sam had Elvis, Jerry, and Carl pose with Sean for some publicity shots that were published in all of trades and posted around Memphis.

The album was released...at the same time as an Elvis single was released. The Elvis disc was placed right next to Johnny's LP in the stores with the publicity shots conspiciously near by.

A large number of fans worldwide (OK just in Memphis) went out to buy the new Elvis single, saw the publicity photo, and bought the Johnny album too.

Upon arriving home they listened to their new Elvis disc which blew them away so entirely that they forgot about the Johnny Cash album...that by now had fallen on the floor and was kicked under the bed.

Two weeks later worldwide in Memphis mothers were dusting under their children’s beds. Where they found the unopened Johnny Cash LP. Each mother promptly placed the album it in the ‘way back’ portion of her child's closet…where the album remain to this very day. Except...

Except the one I found in the 'way back' of my dad's closet last week. Finding the album triggered me to remember the entire charade...and I now have to come clean with what I know…

bpd