Released by the French RDM-Edition record label is the single ‘Blue Moon’, but with a twist.
You can’t really go wrong with a William Speer photo, and this 1955 photograph perfectly matches the recordings on the vinyl and silver disc. The designer did slip up with the “crescent moon” instead of the “blue moon” on the cover.
Besides the different track list and color vinyl, there are no other differences.
Content
The SUN title track was first released by RCA, two years after Elvis recorded it. Alan Hanson wrote: “As a teenager in Memphis, Elvis probably heard multiple recordings of the song on the radio. He obviously liked the pop ballad, as, according to biographer Peter Guralnick, Elvis was already singing the song when he first hooked up with Sun Records in 1954. In fact, Guralnick believes that Elvis, Scotty Moore, and Bill Black tried to record it in July 1954 as a possible flip slide to ‘That’s All Right’.
On August 19th they did record it. Guralnick wrote: “On August 19, 1954 they spent hours doing take after take of ‘Blue Moon,’ in an eerie, clippity-clop version that resembled a cross between Slim Whitman’s ‘Indian Love Call’ and some of the falsetto flights of the R&B ‘bird’ groups (the Orioles, the Ravens, the Larks).
After it was all over, Sam wasn’t satisfied that they had anything worth releasing, but he never uttered a word of demurral for fear of discouraging the unfettered freshness and enthusiasm of the singer.”
Music historian Colin Escott commented on Elvis’ interpretation of this 1934 song: “Elvis skips the bridge and the final verse that contains the happy ending, neatly transforming the 32-bar pop classic into an eerie 16-bar blues.” The original lyrics describe a man whose longing for love is finally rewarded.
Elvis used only two opening stanzas, repeating and separating them with ‘falsetto moans’ according to Alan Hanson. These additions emphasize the different outcome Elvis gave to the song, singing “Blue moon, without a love of my own.” You could say that the man from Lorenz Hart’s original lyrics is alone in a ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ or a ‘Lonesome Town,’ like the 1958 Ricky Nelson classic.
And that is exactly what audio engineer Anthony Stuchbury delivered on this 2025 remix of ‘Blue Moon’. He took Elvis’ voice and laid that over Ricky’s guitar, and placed the Jordanaires - who backed Nelson on this recording - in the background. Oddly enough, all elements fit in perfectly together, adding even more melancholy.
Some readers will probably say that Elvis’ recording shouldn’t be touched, but you could also say that Elvis, the Blue Moon Boys, and Sam Phillips didn’t really see the value of their recording, and RCA discovered it by accident on the tapes they received from SUN Records as part of the deal they had struck to buy Elvis’ contract. I, for one, really liked it as a different interpretation of this song, enriching the Elvis library.
You can listen to short previews on the >>> RDM-Edition website.
The Dutch Bennies Fifties Retro Store released an Exclusive Bennies Fifties Edition, which contains Elvis singing ‘Blue Moon’ a cappella, showcasing Elvis’ unique voice in its purest form, even as untrained as he was, nervous at his second recording session.
What a pleasure to be able to listen to our man like this. The whining and wailing between the lyrics sound quite surreal, and so much different from other songs he recorded at SUN. This song is only available on the Bennies Fifties Exclusive CD single.
Stuchbury keeps improving his technique and presents an impressive mix that presents the original SUN sound we know and love, but with modern punch and detail, taking it into the 21st century. This song never rocked like this, making this two-track single a really strong and enjoyable set. I, for one, kept flipping it around.
Conclusion
Yes, experiments like this could very well go very wrong, but Stuchbury’s craftsmanship delivered a seamless new mix of ‘Blue Moon’ that really works, and a rockin’ ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ that never rocked like this. Sony, are you paying attention to this man’s work?
All four versions of this single are available from >>> Bennies Fifties.
Conclusion
Yes, experiments like this could very well go very wrong, but Stuchbury’s craftsmanship delivered a seamless new mix of ‘Blue Moon’ that really works, and a rockin’ ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ that never rocked like this. Sony, are you paying attention to this man’s work?
All four versions of this single are available from >>> Bennies Fifties.
