Blogpost #33

Welcome back, rock 'n' rollers! December 4 marks the anniversary of the first and only recording session of the Million Dollar Quartet at Sun Recording Studios in Memphis in 1956. The photo shows Jerry Lee Lewis on the left, Carl Perkins on the guitar, Johnny Cash on the right, Elvis Presley at the piano, and Elvis' girlfriend Marilyn Evans on the piano.

This week's show features selected highlights from the surviving tapes, including studio chatter. Elvis imitates Jackie Wilson's version of "Don't Be Cruel", then struggles to remember all the verses of Chuck Berry's "Brown-Eyed Handsome Man". Jerry Lee Lewis duets with Elvis on a rousing version of "Down By The Riverside", then sings "End Of The Road" at the request of Marilyn Evans. Carl Perkins performs "Keeper Of The Key" on a borrowed guitar. Johnny Cash is nowhere to be heard on the existing tapes, although he insisted that he sang harmonies with the others from start to finish.

Wikipedia has a fairly accurate article on the session along with links to the stage musical now playing at Chicago's Apollo theatre. I have not seen it, but a friend of mine saw it and gave it a rave review. The play hits Broadway in March. First nighters should buy their tickets now.

There are numerous versions of the session available on LP and CD, but the longest available version is "The Complete Million Dollar Quartet" which adds newly discovered instrumental tracks and a version of "Reconsider Baby". It's available online at Amazon.

Next week is my tribute to "A Charlie Brown Christmas". You'll hear outtakes from Vince Guaraldi's million-selling soundtrack album, plus a remixed version of the TV soundtrack as released on a rare 1977 LP. Thanks for listening, and remember: "Christmas is not only getting too commercial, it's getting too dangerous!"