The statement caught my eye reading “This Day In History” for today, December 04: “Music – 1956 – The ‘Million Dollar Quartet” convenes at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee”.
It was amazing to discover this jam session that got recorded in 1956 was not released until 1981.
Who are we talking about? The four were: Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins – and its become “one of the most iconic recording sessions in rock-n-roll history.” What struck me listening to selections from the over hour recording is the amount of gospel songs that are just beautifully done and obviously known by the four.
To quote from the This Day In History article:
“While recording engineer Jack Clement ran a tape that would not be discovered for more than 20 years, Sam Phillips—ever the promoter—had the presence of mind to summon a photographer from the local paper to capture images of Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis and Carl Perkins gathered around a piano singing the kind of music they’d all grown up on: gospel. The caption under the photo that ran in the next day’s Memphis Press-Scimitar was “Million Dollar Quartet.” The label quickly caught on among rock-and-roll fans would not actually get the chance to hear the recording made on this day in 1956 until 1981, when the first portions of the lost tapes were discovered and released.”
From January 15, 2015 we can read about ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ Tony-award winning musical in Richmond:
“The Tony Award-winning musical is set on Dec. 4, 1956, when a twist of fate brought Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Elvis Presley together for one of the greatest rock ‘n’ roll jam sessions of all times. Sam Phillips, who was responsible for launching the careers of each performer, gathered the four musicians at the Sun Records storefront studio in Memphis for the first and only time.…”
This link will take you to YouTube of the 1:18:55 (78 minutes) of “The Complete Million Dollar Quartet”
This YouTube is “The Million Dollar Quartet – Elvis Presley,Carl Perkins,Jerry Lee Lewis,Johnny Cash” – it is 10:54 length and includes hymns “Peace In The Valley” and for “Blessed Jesus (Hold My Hand)” go to around the 8:30 minute mark.
And we do not want to miss the website for the “Million Dollar Quartet – The Musical“. Don’t forget to view their Tour Schedule – showing dates already through mid-year 2016! On their site they include this Behind the Scenes.
So the next time you are sitting around with your family and/or friends and playing around with your piano, keyboard, autoharp, guitar and/or even make it a kazoo – go ahead and record it! How about when having the entire family over singing Christmas carols this year on Christmas Eve! Join me tomorrow for my Saturday blog post here at AnchoredScraps.com. Where did the week go?!
Anchors Aweigh,
Helen
Attribution & Thank you to the following who are referenced today —
Image shown upper left by Elliott Brown from Birmingham, United Kingdom [CC BY 2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons. Taken on November 25, 2011 – Description: “Heading to our theatre on St Martin’s Lane to see Million Dollar Quartet at the Noel Coward Theatre, on our first night in London.”
This Day In History“ for today, December 04: “Music – 1956 – The ‘Million Dollar Quartet” convenes at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee“.
Image above of Audio CD cover “The Million Dollar Quartet: 50th Anniversary Special Edition Special Edition”
YouTube “The Million Dollar Quartet – Elvis Presley,Carl Perkins,Jerry Lee Lewis,Johnny Cash” posted by glorianna43
YouTube “Million Dollar Quartet – The Musical” from their Behind The Scenes @MDQTour2016
YouTube link: “The Complete Million Dollar Quartet” posted by elaxist
January 15, 2015 ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ Tony-award winning musical in Richmond
