What connects these talents is that at one time, they all stepped into a little recording studio at 706 Union Avenue, some of them in chains with a police escort, some of them getting sued sometime after the release of their recording. That little studio on 706 Union Avenue is now known as SUN Studio, but was the original address of the Memphis Recording Service, where owner Sam Phillips and his partner Marion Keisker recorded these artists and released these recordings on various local record labels, before releasing them on one of their own labels.
This alone makes it interesting for Elvis fans, but when you look at those names, many were huge influences at one time of his career. Time to give this set a spin.
Design
The idea behind this release came from Rick Crofts, Elvis fan, collector and host of 'The Elvis Workshop' channel on YouTube. This is not an Elvis Presley or a 'Best of SUN Records' release, no, this is a Memphis Recording Service collection, and the cover reflects that perfectly with the famous neon logo.
Inside a great collage design by Søren Karstensen, showing all artists as young men trying to make it as an artist, record labels and a neat presentation of the liner notes and an invoice from the recording studio.
The LP itself comes on transparent yellow colored vinyl - also available on black and on yellow / red swirled vinyl - and the label shows the eye for detail. There is a white strip on the label, it may look like an error, but it actually is a left-over of the sticker label as you seen them on original SUN and other releases from this era. When you remove the back of the sticker, it opens in the middle, this little opening is where the glue reacts to the air, bleaching the back of the label. It is proof of the eye for detail by the designer.
Content
You may rightfully ask yourself "why review a non-Elvis Presley release on an Elvis blog?”, but the answer is simple. The artist featured on this Memphis Recording Service compilation laid the foundation for rock and roll, and inspired a young man from Memphis to walk into this little recording studio that "recorded anything, anywhere, anytime".
Therefor he went back to the first days. Sam Phillips started the Memphis Recording Service on January 3, 1950. The studio was located at 706 Union Avenue in Memphis and initially functioned as a recording studio for hire and offered the possibility to record custom acetate discs, the motto, "We Record Anything - Anywhere - Anytime!". He founded the Sun Records label two years later, on February 1, 1952, using the same building as the recording studio.
Looking back now we can say that the pillars of Rock and Roll were struck in Memphis soil as early as 1951 with the song 'Rocket 88', all the audio and textual elements we expect to hear were there; trying to impress a girl. B.B. King followed that fury theme with a rockin' 'She's Dynamite' - with the first distorted guitar on record - also from 1951. Listening to the theme of the songs, there's actually a classic Rock and Roll theme; trying to impress a girl, winning her over, getting booted and being angry and sad and trying to get her back.
Roscoe Gordon added some Blues to the Rock and Roll melting pot after the date had gone wrong, while Rufus Thomas Jr. took the opposite perspective on 'Booted' with the classic 'Bear Cat', which sound far more bluesy than 'Hound Dog', the song it responded to. This is the only song that sounds a little uneven with the vocal and music separated. The Prisonaires took it one step further, adding a tear into the equation while Dr. Ross just wants his baby to come back.
From an Elvis Presley fan perspective, this compilation offers a great insight. This was probably the music an adolescent Presley was listening to, and what he returned to when his first attempts to record a song - a ballad - did not work out. That Memphis Stew that was boiling in Chef Phillips' melting pot came together in 'That's All Right'. Also featured is a selection of A and B sides of Elvis' SUN singles; 'Good rockin' Tonight', 'Milcow Blues Boogie', 'Baby Let's Play house' and 'Mystery Train'. So there is almost one complete side of Elvis songs on this set.
Following the local success of 'That's All Right' other artists found their way to 706 Union Avenue and the tracks completing sides B, C and D reflect how the music evolved into what we now know as Rock and Roll. Being built from various influences, we hear country from Johnny Cash including classics like 'Cry! Cry! Cry!' and 'I Walk The Line' - songs perhaps performed when he toured with Elvis - and Charlie Rich.
All the members of the Million Dollar Quartet are featured here, which emphasizes how these artists all contributed to the magic that came from 706 Union Avenue. What makes a well curated release like this fun and interesting is that on Little Junior Parker's 'Mystery Train', you already hear elements that return in Elvis' 'Good Rockin' Tonight'.
The album also works as a soundtrack for the 'The SUN Singles of Elvis presley' book by Warren Schubert that was released on the same day as this LP by Memphis Mansion Publishing. In that book, the early days of the Memphis Recording Service are described as the context for Elvis' five singles on that label. Read the review >>> here.
Audio-wise this is a pleasant release. Not a fan of the metallic sound of many of the early rock and roll and rockabilly music, these new Mono to Stereo versions as created by Anthony Stuchbury sound pleasant to the ear. As always, he managed to open-up these songs, giving the elements some room to breathe, while maintaining the authentic sound. Especially the Johnny Cash songs sound very good, together with 'Mystery Train'.
I first thought that one essential song was missing, the demo of 'Without You' by Jimmy Sweeney, a song that Sam wanted to record, but had no artist for, until Marion keister suggested to call Elvis Presley. But that demo wasn't recorded at this studio, and therefor has no place here. An artist that is missing from this set is Roy Orbison. His smooth approach of Rock and Roll made it acceptable for a wider audience. But perhaps there will be a volume 2, with more classics.
Conclusion
What started with 'Rocket 88' would eventually launch that 'Mystery Train' of Rock and Roll with astronaut Presley over the 'Blue Moon' and beyond to the stars. I can only say that this is a well curated compilation, in great audio quality, housed in an attractive package.
Listening to these pillars of Rock and Roll 75 years after the first songs were recorded at 706 Union Avenue, I got a better understanding of the birth of Rock and Roll.
So to return to the original question, why review a non-Elvis release, this is essential listening if you want to understand what a young man from Memphis - and some of his later musical friends - listened to, absorbed and then turned into the magic we still enjoy 75 years later.
The set is nearly sold out, you can get the last copies at the >>> Memphis mansion webshop.