The Originals © by Arnold Rypens

Artist: Carl Perkins
Author: Carl Perkins
Label: Sun
Year: 1956

N°2 US & R&B, n°1 C&W; Sun's first millionseller, topped only by Elvis' first RCA hit Heartbreak Hotel. Hal Singer's Rock Around The Clock from 1950 (not the Bill Haley hit song) introduced "one for the money, two for the show, three to get ready" in the lyrics. On the other hand, Bill Haley's Whatcha Gonna Do (B-side of Crazy Man Crazy, his first hit in '53) also holds one for the money etc in the lyrics.

Covers:

1956:: Pee Wee King [prior to Elvis; vocal: Walter Hayes]
1956:: Elvis Presley
1956:: Leon Payne
1956:: Carmen Déziel [as Mes souliers bleus]
1957:: Buddy Holly
1959:: Cliff Richard
1960:: Bill Haley & His Comets
1961:: Conway Twitty
1961:: Pirates avec Dany Logan [as Comme un fou (plagiarism)]
1962:: Eddie Cochran
1963:: Pat Boone
1968:: Jimi Hendrix
1969:: Plastic Ono Band
1973:: Johnny Rivers
1974:: Roland & Blues Workshop
1976:: Billy Swan
1977:: Lucky Blondo [as Les Pompes bleues]
1980:: Johnny G [as Leave Me Alone (Blue Blue)]
1982:: Ry Cooder
1984:: Johnny Hallyday [with Carl Perkins]
1988:: Charlie Feathers
1989:: Residents
1999:: Wayne Hancock
2005:: Brian Setzer
2007:: Shawn Camp & Billy Burnette [The Bluegrass Elvises]

By the time Elvis moved from Sun to RCA, he had only charted C&W. And so he came over as a country artist and was handled by Steve Sholes, RCA's country A&R-head in charge. This uncertain, nervous forty-some had no clue how to handle Elvis at all. His main concern was how to make him sound country. Desperation really struck when Sun records kept scoring with Carl Perkins, not only C&W but also R&B. Suppose RCA bought the wrong guy?

BLUE SUEDE SHOES

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