Since his death in 1977, RCA has repackaged and mined the vaults for the music of Elvis Presley in every conceivable combination.
On July 28, they will head back again for A Boy From Tupelo – The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings which is being billed as the “most comprehensive collection of early Elvis recordings ever assembled”.
Included is every known Elvis Presley Sun Records master and outtake, plus the Memphis Recording Service Acetates (My Happiness/That’s When Your Heartaches Begin (recorded July 1953) and I’ll Never Stand in Your Way/It Wouldn’t Be the Same (Without You) (recorded January 4, 1954)), the four songs Elvis paid his own money to record before signing with Sun.
Also part of the 3-CD package is every known live performance and radio program from that period that are known to exist.
Produced by Ernest Mikael Jorgensen, over 1,500 hours of restoration work was spent on the original tapes along with almost 200 hours of additional studio time to bring the recordings to the highest possible quality.
A 120-page book is also in the package, formatted as an illustrated travelogue and datebook chronicling the genesis of Elvis’ early career via facts, anecdotes, memorabilia and many rare photos. Independence Day 1954 is when this unique American saga begins, less than 24 hours before his first professional recording session, and it ends in December 1955, when the singer leaves Sun Records to record for RCA. The material is organized by calendar entries. During the months July through October 1954, the majority of the calendar is empty, as Elvis had his daytime job with Crown Electric, and music making was confined to the weekends and evening hours. This is Elvis Presley before he becomes world-famous, and an account of how this amazing young man readies himself for stardom, a young man on the pinnacle of an unprecedented level of success.
On the same day, a single vinyl edition, A Boy From Tupelo: The Sun Masters, will be released with all of Elvis’ A and B sides for Sun Records and additional songs recorded in Memphis.
The track list:
Disc 1
Memphis Recording Services Acetates
My Happiness
That’s When Your Heartaches Begin
I’ll Never Stand In Your Way
It Would’t Be the Same (Without You)
Sun Masters
Harbor Lights
I Love You Because (unprocessed master edit)
That’s All Right (45 RPM master)
Blue Moon of Kentucky (45 RPM master
Blue Moon
Tomorrow Night
I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’)
I Don’t Care If the Sun Don’t Shine
Just Because
Good Rockin’ Tonight
Milkcow Blues Boogie
You’re a Heartbreaker
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version)
Baby Let’s Play House
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
I Forgot to Remember to Forget
Mystery Train
Tryin’ to Get to You
When It Rains It Pours
RCA Masters
That’s All Right (RCA single version)
Blue Moon of Kentucky (RCA single version)
I Love You Because (RCA LP version)
Tomorrow Night (RCA LP version)
Disc 2
Sun Studio Sessions
Harbor Lights (Takes 1-2, 3/M)
Harbor Lights (Take 4)
Harbor Lights (Takes 5-8)
I Love You Because (Takes 1-2)
I Love You Because (Take 3)
I Love You Because (Takes 4-5)
That’s All Right (Takes 1-3)
Blue Moon of Kentucky (slow tempo outtake)
Blue Moon (Takes 1-4)
Blue Moon (Take 5)
Blue Moon (Takes 6-8)
Blue Moon (Take 9/M)
Dialogue (Fragment from Tomorrow Night)
I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) (Incomplete Take)
Good Rocking Tonight (Fragment from vocal slapback tape)
I Don’t Care If the Sun Don’t Shine (Takes 1-3/M)
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, take 1)
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, take 2)
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, take 3)
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, takes 4-5)
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, takes 6-7)
How Do You Think I Feel (Guitar slapback tape, rehearsals & take 1)
When It Rains It Pours (Vocal slapback tape, take 1)
When It Rains It Pours (Vocal slapback tape, take 2 – rehearsals 1 – takes 3-4)
When It Rains It Pours (Vocal slapback tape, take 5/M)
When It Rains It Pours (Vocal slapback tape, takes 6-8)
Disc 3
Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, October 16, 1954
That’s All Right
Blue Moon of Kentucky
KDAV Radio, Lubbock, Texas, January 6, 1955
Shake, Rattle & Roll
Fool, Fool, Fool
Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, January 15, 1955
Hearts of Stone
That’s All Right
Tweedlee Dee
WJOI Radio, Florence, Alabama January 19, 1955
Shake, Rattle and Roll
KSIJ Radio, Gladewater, Texas, 1955
KSIJ Radio commercial with DJ Tom Perryman
Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, January 22, 1955
Money Honey
Blue Moon of Kentucky
I Don’t Care If the Sun Don’t Shine
That’s All Right
Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, March 5, 1955
Tweedlee Dee
Money Honey
Hearts of Stone
Shake, Rattle and Roll
Little Mama
You’re a Heartbreaker
Eagles’ Hall, Houston, Texas, March 19, 1955
Good Rockin’ Tonight
Baby Let’s Play House
Blue Moon of Kentucky
I Got a Woman
That’s All Right
Gladewater High School, Gladewater, Texas, April 30, 1955
Tweedlee Dee
Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival, Meridian, Mississippi, May 26, 1955
That’s All Right
Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, July 2, 1955
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, August 20, 1955
Baby Let’s Play House
Maybellene
That’s All Right
WMPS Radio, Memphis Tennessee, between August 29-31, 1955
Interview with Bob Neal
Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, October 29, 1955
I Forgot to Remember to Forget
A Boy From Tupelo: The Sun Masters (LP)
That’s All Right
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Good Rockin’ Tonight
I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine
Milkcow Blues Boogie
You’re a Heartbreaker
Baby Let’s Play House
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
I Forgot to Remember to Forget
Mystery Train
I Love You Because (RCA LP version)
Blue Moon
I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’)
Just Because
Tryin’ to Get To You
Tomorrow Night
Harbor Lights
