The Million Dollar Quartet
Label:
Sun Records [Sun 1006]
Format:
LP
Number of tracks:
17
Running time:
25:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
Official discography
Year:
1981
Recorded:
December 4, 1956
Released:
July 25, 1981
Singles:
----
After selling Elvis' contract to RCA on November 21, 1955, Sam Phillips thought he would never see Elvis in his establishment again. But what the manager didn't know is that this kid was no ordinary artist who would easily forget his roots. The singer would return to Memphis whenever he could and, if possible, visit places he held dear, like Sun.
On that visit on December 4, 1956, everything would become a media exhibition that would aim to show Elvis in his creative environment and at the same time showcase Phillips' new musical acquisitions - which were far from modest.
In the morning, Carl Perkins, his brothers and drummer W. S. Holland had gone to the studio to record some promising songs. Perkins was already famous in the south for his single "Blue Suede Shoes", released on February 2, 1956, but he was still unknown on the national circuit, which he would only enter in 1957 with his first LP.
To help with the process of trying to achieve a new post-Elvis sound, Phillips had requested the presence of one of his new acquisitions, an accomplished pianist named Jerry Lee Lewis, at that session. Jerry Lee would release his first single, "Crazy Arms", a few days later and his first LP would come in 1958.
Chance was so meticulous in this meeting that Johnny Cash was there watching Perkins record in a rare moment between shows after the success of his single "Hey, Porter / Cry! Cry! Cry!" released five months earlier.
The house star in 1956, Roy Orbison, who had achieved national fame with his single "Tryin' to Get to You / Ooby Dooby" was not there at the time, which is a shame in view of the even greater potential of the session with his presence.
The legendary jam session would begin earlier that afternoon, when Elvis paid a surprise visit to Sun. Sam Phillips, of course, would not miss the media opportunity and would call in some reporters from local newspapers to record the event. Gathered in a small room, the "Million Dollar Quartet" chatted and made music for over an hour before Elvis had to say goodbye.
The legendary jam session of December 4, 1956 has been re-released through time in different media, but it was up to Sun Records to bring part of it officially for the first time on a modest LP released only in the UK on July 25, 1981.
The album contains the following tracks:
SIDE A
1. Just a Little Talk with Jesus
2. Walk That Lonesome Valley
3. I Shall Not Be Moved
4. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
SIDE B
5. Down By the Riverside
6. I'm With the Crowd But oh So Alone
7. Farther Along
8. Blessed Jesus Hold My Hand
9. As We Travel Along On the Jericho Road
10. Just Can't Make it By Myself
11. Little Cabin On the Hill
12. Summertime Has Passed and Gone
13. I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling
14. And Now Sweetheart You've Done Me Wrong
15. Keeper of the Key
16. Crazy Arms
17. Don't Forbid Me
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
THE JAM SESSION
December 4, 1956
Studio:
Sun Studio
Location:
Memphis, Tennessee
Musicians:
Musicians:
Voice: Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash
Guitar: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins
Electric guitar: J. B. Perkins, Charles Underwood
Bass: Clayton Perkins
Piano: Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Smokey Joe Baugh
Drums: W. S. Holland
Backing Vocals: Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Smokey Joe Baugh
Sound engineer / Recording engineer:
Guitar: Elvis Presley, Carl Perkins
Electric guitar: J. B. Perkins, Charles Underwood
Bass: Clayton Perkins
Piano: Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Smokey Joe Baugh
Drums: W. S. Holland
Backing Vocals: Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Smokey Joe Baugh
Sound engineer / Recording engineer:
Sam Phillips / Jack Clement
DECEMBER 4, 1956
Instrumentals
Love Me Tender (Instrumental)
Jingle Bells
White Christmas (Instrumental)
Reconsider Baby WPA5 2537
Don't Be Cruel VPA4 5321
Don't Be Cruel (Reprise) VPA4 5322
Paralyzed VPA4 5323
Don't Be Cruel VPA4 5324
There's No Place Like Home VPA4 5325
When The Saints Go Marching In VPA4 5326
Softly And Tenderly VPA4 5327
When God Dips His Love In My Heart VPA4 5299
Just A Little Talk With Jesus VPA4 5300
Jesus Walked That Lonesome Valley VPA4 5301
I Shall Not Be Moved VPA4 5302
(There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me) VPA4 5303
Down By The Riverside VPA4 5304
I'm In The Crowd But So Alone VPA4 5305
Farther Along VPA4 5306
Blessed Jesus (Hold My Hand) VPA4 5307
On The Jericho Road VPA4 5308
I Just Can't Make It By Myself VPA4 5309
Little Cabin On The Hill VPA4 5310
Summertime Is Past And Gone / Christmas Time's A-Coming (One Line) VPA4 5311
I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling VPA4 5312
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong VPA4 5313
Keeper Of The Key VPA4 5314 (Lead vocals - Carl Perkins)
Crazy Arms VPA4 5315
Don't Forbid Me VPA4 5316
Too Much Monkey Business VPA4 5317
Brown Eyed Handsome Man VPA4 5318
Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind VPA4 5319
Brown Eyed Handsome Man / Instrumentals VPA4 5320
Don't Forbid Me / You Belong To My Heart VPA4 5298
Is It So Strange VPA4 5328
That's When Your Heartaches Begin VPA4 5329
Brown Eyed Handsome Man VPA4 5330
Rip It Up VPA4 5331
I'm Gonna Bid My Blues Goodbye VPA4 5332
Crazy Arms VPA4 5333 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
That's My Desire VPA4 5334 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
End Of The Road VPA4 5335 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
Black Bottom Stomp VPA4 5336 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
You're The Only Star In My Blue Heaven VPA4 5337 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
Elvis Says Goodbye VPA4 5338
Instrumentals
Love Me Tender (Instrumental)
Jingle Bells
White Christmas (Instrumental)
Reconsider Baby WPA5 2537
Don't Be Cruel VPA4 5321
Don't Be Cruel (Reprise) VPA4 5322
Paralyzed VPA4 5323
Don't Be Cruel VPA4 5324
There's No Place Like Home VPA4 5325
When The Saints Go Marching In VPA4 5326
Softly And Tenderly VPA4 5327
When God Dips His Love In My Heart VPA4 5299
Just A Little Talk With Jesus VPA4 5300
Jesus Walked That Lonesome Valley VPA4 5301
I Shall Not Be Moved VPA4 5302
(There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me) VPA4 5303
Down By The Riverside VPA4 5304
I'm In The Crowd But So Alone VPA4 5305
Farther Along VPA4 5306
Blessed Jesus (Hold My Hand) VPA4 5307
On The Jericho Road VPA4 5308
I Just Can't Make It By Myself VPA4 5309
Little Cabin On The Hill VPA4 5310
Summertime Is Past And Gone / Christmas Time's A-Coming (One Line) VPA4 5311
I Hear A Sweet Voice Calling VPA4 5312
Sweetheart You Done Me Wrong VPA4 5313
Keeper Of The Key VPA4 5314 (Lead vocals - Carl Perkins)
Crazy Arms VPA4 5315
Don't Forbid Me VPA4 5316
Too Much Monkey Business VPA4 5317
Brown Eyed Handsome Man VPA4 5318
Out Of Sight, Out Of Mind VPA4 5319
Brown Eyed Handsome Man / Instrumentals VPA4 5320
Don't Forbid Me / You Belong To My Heart VPA4 5298
Is It So Strange VPA4 5328
That's When Your Heartaches Begin VPA4 5329
Brown Eyed Handsome Man VPA4 5330
Rip It Up VPA4 5331
I'm Gonna Bid My Blues Goodbye VPA4 5332
Crazy Arms VPA4 5333 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
That's My Desire VPA4 5334 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
End Of The Road VPA4 5335 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
Black Bottom Stomp VPA4 5336 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
You're The Only Star In My Blue Heaven VPA4 5337 (Jerry Lee Lewis)
Elvis Says Goodbye VPA4 5338
 |
| Original tape with the complete recording of The Million Dollar Quartet's jam session |
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER VERSIONS
Million Dollar Quartet
Label:
OMD [OMD-001]
Format:
LP
Number of tracks:
17
Running time:
25:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
Unofficial discography
Year:
1980
Recorded:
December 4, 1956
Released:
1980
Singles:
----
In 1980, the OMD record company released its first and one of its few LPs containing part of the famous encounter with very irregular and poor quality audio but which, despite being a legitimate bootleg, was sold all over the world. The songs featured on it would be repurposed for the official release on Sun in 1981.
The LP includes the following tracks:
SIDE A
1. Just a Little Talk with Jesus
2. Walk That Lonesome Valley
3. I Shall Not Be Moved
4. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
SIDE B
5. Down By the Riverside
6. I'm With the Crowd But oh So Alone
7. Farther Along
8. Blessed Jesus Hold My Hand
9. As We Travel Along On the Jericho Road
10. Just Can't Make it By Myself
11. Little Cabin On the Hill
12. Summertime Has Passed and Gone
13. I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling
14. And Now Sweetheart You've Done Me Wrong
15. Keeper of the Key
16. Crazy Arms
17. Don't Forbid Me
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title:
The Complete Million Dollar Session
Label:
Sun Records [08233 30789 18]
Format:
Double LP
Number of tracks:
40
Running time:
69:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
Official discography
Year:
1987
Recorded:
December 4, 1956
Released:
1987
Singles:
----
In 1987, with the improvement of the means of remastering, Sun Records finally decided to release the full jam session, apart from imperceptible cuts, although still only in the UK. Worldwide distribution was handled by Charly Records.
The work includes the following tracks:
LP 1
SIDE A
1. You Belong To My Heart
2. When God Dips His Love In My Heart
3. Just a Little Talk with Jesus
4. Walk That Lonesome Valley
5. I Shall Not Be Moved
6. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
7. Down By the Riverside
SIDE B
8. I'm With the Crowd But oh So Alone
9. Farther Along
10. Blessed Jesus Hold My Hand
11. As We Travel Along On the Jericho Road
12. Just Can't Make it By Myself
13. Little Cabin On the Hill
14. Summertime Has Passed and Gone
15. I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling
16. And Now Sweetheart You've Done Me Wrong
17. Keeper of the Key
18. Crazy Arms
19. Don't Forbid Me
20. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
21. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
22. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
LP 2
SIDE A
23. Don't Be Cruel
24. Don't Be Cruel
25. Paralysed
26. Don't Be Cruel
27. There is No Place Like Home
28. When the Saints Go Marching in
29. Softly and Tenderly
SIDE B
30. Is it So Strange
31. That's When Your Heartaches Begin
32. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
33. Rip it Up
34. I'm Gonna Bid My Blues Goodbye
35. Crazy Arms
36. That's My Desire
37. End of the Road
38. Jerry's Boogie
39. You're the Only Star in My Blue Heaven
40. Elvis Farewell
Title:
The Million Dollar Quartet
Label:
RCA / BMG / Sun Records [74321 13840 2]
Format:
LP
Number of tracks:
41
Running time:
75:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
Official discography
Year:
1990
Recorded:
December 4, 1956
Released:
1990
Singles:
----
In 1990, RCA made a deal with Sun and released a remastered CD with all the tracks from the 1987 double LP and some extras, bringing to the public for the first time all the songs sung in the jam session, but still with minor cuts.
The CD contains the following tracks:
DECEMBER 4, 1956
1. You Belong To My Heart
2. When God Dips His Love In My Heart
3. Just a Little Talk with Jesus
4. Walk That Lonesome Valley
5. I Shall Not Be Moved
6. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
7. Down By the Riverside
8. I'm With the Crowd But oh So Alone
9. Farther Along
10. Blessed Jesus Hold My Hand
11. As We Travel Along On the Jericho Road
12. Just Can't Make it By Myself
13. Little Cabin On the Hill
14. Summertime Has Passed and Gone
15. I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling
16. And Now Sweetheart You've Done Me Wrong
17. Keeper of the Key
18. Crazy Arms
19. Don't Forbid Me
20. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
21. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
22. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
23. Don't Be Cruel
24. Don't Be Cruel
25. Paralysed
26. Don't Be Cruel
27. There is No Place Like Home
28. When the Saints Go Marching in
29. Softly and Tenderly
30. Is it So Strange
31. That's When Your Heartaches Begin
32. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
33. Rip it Up
34. I'm Gonna Bid My Blues Goodbye
35. Crazy Arms
36. That's My Desire
37. End of the Road
38. Jerry's Boogie
39. Black Bottom Stomp
40. You're The Only Star in My Blue Heaven
41. Elvis Farewell
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Titl:
The Complete Million Dollar Quartet
Label:
RCA Victor / Sony BMG / Sun Records [82876 88935 2]
Format:
CD
Number of tracks:
47
Running time:
100:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
Official discography
Year:
2006
Recorded:
December 4, 1956
Released:
2006
Singles:
----
In 2006 RCA finally released the complete session, without cuts or edits, for the first time in the jam session's historu. The audio had been improved and now even conversations between takes could be heard clearly.
The CD contains the following tracks:
DECEMBER 4, 1956
1. Instrumental
2. Love me Tender (Instrumental)
3. Jingle Bells (Instrumental)
4. White Christmas (Instrumental)
5. Reconsider Baby
6. Don't Be Cruel
7. Don't Be Cruel
8 Paralyzes
9. Don't Be Cruel
10. There is No Place Like Home
11. When the Saints Go Marchin' in
12. Softly and Tenderly
13. When God Dips His Love In My Heart
14. Just a Little Talk with Jesus
15. Walk That Lonesome Valley
16. I Shall Not Be Moved
17. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
18. Down By the Riverside
19. I'm With the Crowd But oh So Alone
20. Farther Along
21. Blessed Jesus Hold My Hand
22. As We Travel Along On the Jericho Road
23. Just Can't Make it By Myself
24. Little Cabin On the Hill
25. Summertime Has Passed and Gone
26. I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling
27. And Now Sweetheart You've Done Me Wrong
28. Keeper of the Key
29. Crazy Arms
30. Don't Forbid Me
31. Too Much Monkey Business
32. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
33. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
34. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
35. Don't Forbid Me
36. You Belong to My Heart
37. Is it So Strange
38. That's When the Heartaches Begin
39. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
40. Rip it Up
41. I'm Gonna Bid My Blues Goodbye
42. Crazy Arms
43. That's My Desire
44. End of the Road
45. Black Bottom Stomp
46. You're The Only Star in My Blue Heaven
47. Elvis Farewell
Title:
The Million Dollar Quartet
Label:
Charly Records [CHARLY209]
Format:
DoubleLP
Number of tracks:
41
Running time:
85:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
Unofficial discography
Year:
2016
Recorded:
December 4, 1956
Released:
2016
Singles:
----
Despite having CD and LP releases with editions in 2017, the last major release of the fantastic event took place in 2016 by the English label Charly Records. With permission from Sun and RCA, the company remastered the entire sound from the 1990 CD and distributed it on a double LP with inside notes by Martin Hawkins and Sam Phillips and photos from the session.
The work includes the following tracks:
LP 1
SIDE A
1. You Belong To My Heart
2. When God Dips His Love In My Heart
3. Just a Little Talk with Jesus
4. Walk That Lonesome Valley
5. I Shall Not Be Moved
6. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me)
7. Down By the Riverside
SIDE B
8. I'm With the Crowd But oh So Alone
9. Farther Along
10. Blessed Jesus Hold My Hand
11. As We Travel Along On the Jericho Road
12. Just Can't Make it By Myself
13. Little Cabin On the Hill
14. Summertime Has Passed and Gone
15. I Hear a Sweet Voice Calling
16. And Now Sweetheart You've Done Me Wrong
17. Keeper of the Key
18. Crazy Arms
19. Don't Forbid Me
20. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
21. Out of Sight, Out of Mind
22. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
LP 2
SIDE A
23. Don't Be Cruel
24. Don't Be Cruel
25. Paralysed
26. Don't Be Cruel
27. There is No Place Like Home
28. When the Saints Go Marching in
SIDE B
29. Softly and Tenderly
30. Is it So Strange
31. That's When Your Heartaches Begin
32. Brown Eyed Handsome Man
33. Rip it Up
34. I'm Gonna Bid My Blues Goodbye
35. Crazy Arms
36. That's My Desire
37. End of the Road
38. Jerry's Boogie
39. Black Bottom Stomp
40. You're The Only Star in My Blue Heaven
41. Elvis Farewell
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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