March 11 - That's All Right Auction

The all-important acetate played and broadcast by Dewey Phillips in 1954 - one of the moments of the Birth Of Rock & Roll - is up for auction for a possible US$65,000 and upwards. The important single sided demo acetate record with Memphis Recording Service label stamped with W.H.B.Q. radio station marking, the name of the artist "Elvis Pressley with Scotty and Bill" spelled incorrectly and the name of the song "Thats All Right". 

The only known surviving promotional copy of his first commercial recording and the unique example played publicly by disc jockey Dewey Phillips for the first time. "That's All Right" is the first commercial single released by Elvis Presley. it was recorded on 5 July 1954 and released on 19 July 1954 with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as the B-side, sun records 209. it is regarded as one of the greatest rock and roll songs ever.'

Upon finishing the recording session, according to Scotty Moore, Bill Black remarked, "Damn, get that on the radio and they'll run us out of town." Sam Phillips recorded the song onto acetate and gave it to local radio station disc jockeys Dewey Phillips of WHBQ. Philips promised to play it and on 7 July 1954, he kept his promise playing this acetate of "That's All Right" publicly for the first time on his popular radio show "Red, Hot & Blue". On hearing the news that Dewey was going to play his record, Presley went to the local movie theater to calm his nerves. Interest in the record was so intense that Dewey reportedly played the record 14 times and received over 40 telephone calls. The resounding success of "That's All Right" ensured that it was officially released just 12 days later on 19 July 1954, it sold around 20,000 copies and entered the local Memphis charts. 

Provenance: Last sold in from Dewey Phillips private collection in 1998. Estimated Price US$65,000 upwards... To be auctioned at the RDS Dublin, by Whytes auctioneers on the 24th March.


Elvis Files 1956

Erik Lorentzen announced that he has just bought about 100 original publicity shots from the September 1956 photo session taken by Hollywood photographer Frank Powolny. These will be printed exclusively in the Elvis Files Magazines, starting with the next issue. Elvis Files Magazine Issue 3 features articles including ‘Aloha From Hawaii – Greatest Show On Earth, ‘Mary Ann Mobley’, ‘The September 1956 Publicity Shoot’, ‘Follow That Dream’ and more.

(Source: Elvis Information Network)