Sunrise | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Compilation album by | ||||
Released | February 9, 1999 | |||
Recorded | July 1953 – November 1955 | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 92:54 | |||
Label | RCA | |||
Producer | Sam Phillips | |||
Elvis Presley chronology | ||||
|
Review scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Allmusic | [2] |
Sunrise is a two-disc compilation of Elvis Presley's studio recordings at Sun Studio from 1953 to 1955, released in 1999, RCA 67675-2. This set features all of the surviving master recordings made by Presley and his accompanists, Scotty Moore and Bill Black, occasionally augmented by other musicians, prior to his arrival on RCA Records in 1956.
Tapes for at least three songs have been lost: Sun versions of "I Got A Woman", "Uncle Pen", and "Satisfied". The first would be recorded by Presley during his first RCA session. All of the studio commercial recordings were produced by Sam Phillips, the owner of Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee. Phillips released Presley's recording contract to RCA for the substantial sum, in 1955 dollars, of $35,000 (equivalent to $398,087in 2023). This gave RCA the rights to all of Presley's masters recorded at Sun.
The first disc presents all eighteen Sun titles from professional recording sessions during the singer's stay at the label. The opening ten tracks comprise the A and b sides of the five officially released Presley singles on the Sun label. Outtakes from sessions at Sun were used to fill in catalogue items for RCA, with five used for Presley's debut LP.
The second disc compiles seven alternate takes from the professional studio sessions, with a different alternate of "Blue Moon" from the Take 1 that appears on 1950s box set. The remaining selections derive from acetates or basic recording equipment, and are not of professional sound quality; these are marked with an asterisk in the track listings below. The first four tracks comprise the pre-professional test recordings made by Elvis alone in July 1953 and January 1954. "Fool Fool Fool" and "Shake, Rattle, and Roll" were recorded by the standard Presley trio at an unknown location in Lubbock, Texas, during January 1955; presumably the visit where Buddy Holly witnessed the trio and decided to begin performing rock and roll [ citation needed ]. "It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You," and the final six tracks from a live performance on the Louisiana Hayride, in Shreveport, Louisiana, featuring an augmented band in 1955, are released here for the first time.
The set does not include the three additional alternate takes of "I Love You Because" and the five additional alternates of "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" that appeared on the 1987 two-disc set The Complete Sun Sessions.
The set includes "That's All Right (Mama)", one of candidates for being "the first rock and roll record". Elvis' entire period at Sun is one of the seminal events in the birth of rock and roll, specifically also the beginning of the subgenre known as rockabilly. As stated by author Peter Guralnick, opening the liner notes to this set:
"If Elvis Presley had never made another record after his last Sun session in the fall of 1955, there seems little question that his music would have achieved much the same mythic status as Robert Johnson's blues. The body of his work at Sun is so transcendent, so fresh, and so original that even today you can scarcely listen to it in relation to anything but itself. Like all great art its sources may be obvious, but its overall impact defies explanation."
In 2002, given their importance in the development of American popular music, The Sun Sessions were chosen, by the National Recording Registry of the Library of Congress, to be kept as a bequeathal to posterity. In 2012 Rolling Stone magazine placed Sunrise at number 11 on its list of The 500 Greatest Albums of All Time.
In the Rolling Stone listing, the album pictured is not Sunrise but the 1976 compilation The Sun Sessions . The album title is also incorrectly given as The Sun Sessions. The text, however, cites a 2-disc, 1999 RCA release that can only be Sunrise. [3] When Rolling Stone updated its list in 2020, Sunrise was replaced by The Sun Sessions, which was ranked 78th. [4]
For more detailed information on the recording sessions, see Elvis Presley's Sun recordings.
Chart positions for LPs and EPs from Billboard Top Pop Albums chart; positions for singles from Billboard Pop Singles chart except where noted.
Track | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time | Recorded | Original LP Issue | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | That's All Right | Arthur Crudup | 1:55 | July 5, 1954 [5] | Sun 209 | July 1954 | ||
2. | Blue Moon of Kentucky | Bill Monroe | 2:02 | July 1954 | Sun 209b | July 1954 | ||
3. | Good Rockin' Tonight | Roy Brown | 2:12 | September 10, 1954 [6] | Sun 210 | September 1954 | ||
4. | I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine | Mack David | 2:27 | September 10, 1954 [7] | Sun 210b | September 1954 | ||
5. | Milkcow Blues Boogie | Kokomo Arnold | 2:38 | November-December 1954 | Sun 215 | December 29, 1954 [8] | ||
6. | You're a Heartbreaker | Jack Sallee | 2:12 | November 1954 | Sun 215b | December 1953 | #74 | |
7. | Baby Let's Play House | Arthur Gunter | 2:15 | February 1955 | Sun 217 | April 1955 | C&W #5 | |
8. | I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone | Stan Kesler, William Taylor | 2:36 | March 1955 | Sun 217b | April 1955 | ||
9. | I Forgot to Remember to Forget | Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers | 2:28 | July 1955 | Sun 223 | August 1955 | C&W #1 | |
10. | Mystery Train | Junior Parker, Sam Phillips | 2:24 | July 1955 | Sun 223b | August 1955 | ||
11. | I Love You Because | Leon Payne | 2:42 | July 1955 | Elvis Presley | LPM 1254 | March 1956 | #1 |
12. | Harbor Lights | Jimmy Kennedy and Hugh Williams | 2:35 | July 1954 | Elvis: A Legendary Performer Vol. 2 | CPL1 1349 | 1/8/76 | #46 |
13. | Blue Moon | Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart | 2:31 | August 1954 | Elvis Presley | LPM 1254 | March 1956 | #1 |
14. | Tomorrow Night | Sam Coslow and Will Grocz | 2:58 | September 1954 | Elvis for Everyone | LSP 3450 | #10 | |
15. | I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') | Jimmy Wakely | 2:24 | September 1954 | Elvis Presley | LPM 1254 | March 1956 | #1 |
16. | Just Because | Sydney Robin, Bob Shelton, Joe Shelton | 2:32 | September 1954 | Elvis Presley | LPM 1254 | March 1956 | #1 |
17. | I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone (slow version) | Stan Kesler, William Taylor | 2:36 | March 1955 | The Complete Sun Sessions | RCA 6414-2 | 1987 | |
18. | Trying to Get to You | Rose Marie McCoy and Charles Singleton | 2:31 | July 1955 | Elvis Presley | LPM 1254 | March 1956 | #1 |
19. | When It Rains It Really Pours | Bill Emerson | 4:03 | November 1955 | Elvis: A Legendary Performer Vol. 4 | RCA 6414-2 | 1984 |
Track | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time | Recorded | Original LP Issue | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | My Happiness* | Betty Peterson Blasco and Borney Bergantine | 2:32 | July 1953 | Elvis: The Great Performances | 2227-2 | 1990 | |
2. | That's When Your Heartaches Begin* | Fred Fisher, Billy Hill and William Raskin | 2:46 | July 1953 | The Complete 50s Masters | 66050-2 | 6/23/92 | #159 |
3. | I'll Never Stand In Your Way* | Hy Heath | 2:01 | January 1954 | Platinum: A Life in Music | 67469-2 | #80 | |
4. | It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You* | Fred Rose | 2:01 | 1/4/54 | previously unreleased | |||
5. | I Love You Because (alternate) | Leon Payne | 3:51 | 7/5/54 | Elvis: A Legendary Performer Vol. 1 | CPL1 0341 | 2/2/74 | #43 |
6. | That's All Right (alternate) | Arthur Crudup | 2:12 | January 1954 | The Complete Sun Sessions | 6414-2 | 1987 | |
7. | Blue Moon of Kentucky (alternate) | Bill Monroe | 1:05 | July 1954 | The Complete Sun Sessions | 6414-2 | 1987 | |
8. | Blue Moon (alternate) | Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart | 3:05 | August 1954 | previously unreleased | |||
9. | I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') (alternate) | Jimmy Wakely | 1:04 | September 1954 | The Complete Sun Sessions | 6414-2 | 1987 | |
10. | I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine (alternate) | Mack David | 3:30 | September 1954 | The Complete Sun Sessions | 6414-2 | 1987 | |
11. | I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone (slow version alternate) | Stan Kesler, William Taylor | 2:48 | March 1955 | The Complete Sun Sessions | 6414-2 | 1987 | |
12. | Fool, Fool, Fool* | Nugetre | 1:51 | January 1955 | The Complete 50s Masters | 66050-2 | #159 | |
13. | Shake, Rattle & Roll* | Charles E. Calhoun | 2:17 | January 1955 | The Complete 50s Masters | 66050-2 | #159 | |
14. | I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone* (live) | Stan Kesler, William Taylor | 1:50 | July 1955 | previously unreleased | |||
15. | That's All Right* (live) | Arthur Crudup | 1:41 | January 1955 | previously unreleased | |||
16. | Money Honey* (live) | Jesse Stone | 2:40 | January 1955 | previously unreleased | |||
17. | Tweedle Dee* (live) | Winfield Scott | 2:11 | 1/22/55 | previously unreleased | |||
18. | I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine* (live) | Mack David | 2:23 | January 1955 | previously unreleased | |||
19. | Hearts of Stone* (live) | Rudy Jackson, Eddie Ray | 1:57 | January 1955 | previously unreleased |
Winfield Scott Moore III was an American guitarist who formed The Blue Moon Boys in 1954, Elvis Presley's backing band. He was studio and touring guitarist for Presley between 1954 and 1968.
The Sun Sessions is a compilation album by American singer Elvis Presley, issued by RCA Records in 1976. The album contains Presley's earliest commercial recordings, made in Memphis, Tennessee, for Sun Records in 1954 and 1955. RCA issued the album in the UK in 1975 under the title The Sun Collection. The album features liner notes by Roy Carr of the New Musical Express. The Sun Sessions features most of the tracks Elvis recorded for Sun Records and produced by Sam Phillips, the head of Sun Studios. The Sun Sessions reached number two on the Billboard Country Albums and number 1 on the Cashbox Country Albums charts.
"That's All Right" is a song written and originally performed by the American blues singer Arthur Crudup, and recorded in 1946. It was rereleased in early March 1949 by RCA Victor under the title "That's All Right, Mama", which was issued as RCA's first rhythm and blues record on its new 45 rpm single format.
Elvis Presley is the debut studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. It was released by RCA Victor, on March 23, 1956. The recording sessions took place on January 10 and January 11 at the RCA Victor Studios in Nashville, Tennessee, and on January 30 and January 31 at the RCA Victor studios in New York. Additional material originated from sessions at Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, on July 5, August 19 and September 10, 1954, and on July 11, 1955.
Elvis Country is the thirteenth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Records in January 1971. Recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, it reached number 12 on the Billboard 200. It peaked at number six in the United Kingdom, selling over one million copies worldwide. It was certified Gold on December 1, 1977, by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Elvis is the second studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor on October 19, 1956 in mono. Recording sessions took place on September 1, September 2, and September 3 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, with one track left over from the sessions for Presley's debut album at the RCA Victor recording studios on January 30 in New York. It spent four weeks at #1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart that year, making Presley the first recording artist to have both albums go straight to number one in the same year. It would go on to spend 5 weeks at #1 in total. It was certified Gold on February 17, 1960, and Platinum on August 10, 2011, by the Recording Industry Association of America.
His Hand in Mine is the fifth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on November 23, 1960 by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, catalog number LPM/LSP 2328. It was the first of three gospel albums that Presley would issue during his lifetime. Recording sessions took place on October 30 and 31, 1960, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. It peaked at #13 on the Top Pop Albums chart. It was certified Gold on April 9, 1969 and Platinum on March 27, 1992 by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Elvis' Golden Records is a compilation album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, issued by RCA Victor in March 1958. It compiled his hit singles released in 1956 and 1957, and is widely believed to be the first greatest hits album in rock and roll history. It is the first of five RCA Victor Elvis' Golden/Gold Records compilations, the first four of which were issued during Presley's lifetime. The album peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart and was certified 6× platinum on August 17, 1999, by the Recording Industry Association of America.
For LP Fans Only is a compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on February 6, 1959 by RCA Victor. It compiled previously released material from an August 1956 recording session at 20th Century Fox Stage One, a September 1956 session at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, sessions on January 10 and 11 at the RCA Victor Studios in Nashville, two more at the RCA Victor Studios in New York, and multiple sessions at Sun Studio. The album reached number 19 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.
Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3 is a greatest hits album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor as LPM/LSP-2765 on August 12, 1963. The album was the third volume of an eventual five volume collection, and his eighteenth altogether. It is a compilation of hit singles released in 1960, 1961, and 1962.
Elvis for Everyone! is a compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, issued by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3450, on August 10, 1965. Recording sessions took place over a ten-year span at Sun Studio in Memphis, RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. It peaked at number 10 on the Top Pop Albums chart.
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 is a compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley issued in 1974 by RCA Records. It features 14 tracks, which includes twelve songs and two interviews with Presley. It was certified Gold on January 8, 1975, Platinum and 2× Platinum on July 15, 1999, and 3× Platinum, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 8, 2018.
The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters is a five-disc box set compilation of the complete known studio master recordings by American singer and musician Elvis Presley during the decade of the 1950s. Issued in 1992 by RCA Records, catalog number 66050-2, it was soon followed by similar box sets covering Presley's musical output in the 1960s and 1970s. This set's initial long-box release included a set of collectible stamps duplicating the record jackets from every Presley LP on RCA Victor, every single that had a picture sleeve, and most of his EP releases. The set includes a booklet with an extensive session list and discography, and a lengthy essay by Peter Guralnick. It peaked at #159 on the album chart and was certified a gold record on August 7, 1992, by the RIAA. Further certifications were for platinum on November 20, 1992, and for double platinum on July 30, 2002.
Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters is a five-disc box set compilation of the recorded work of Elvis Presley during the decade of the 1970s. It was released in 1995 by RCA Records, catalog number 66670-2, following similar box sets that covered his musical output in the 1950s and both his non-soundtrack and soundtrack work of the 1960s. This set's initial long-box release included a set of collectable stamps duplicating the record jackets of the LP albums on which the tracks in the box set were originally released by RCA. It also includes a booklet with an extensive session list and discography, as well as a lengthy essay by Dave Marsh, some of it excerpted from his 1982 book on Presley. The box set was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on July 15, 1999.
Elvis at Sun is a compact disc compilation of Elvis Presley's studio recordings at Sun Studio from 1954 to 1955, released in June 2004, BMG Heritage 61205. This set features master recordings made by Presley and his accompanists, Scotty Moore and Bill Black, occasionally augmented by other musicians, prior to his arrival on RCA Records in early 1956.
Elvis 56 is a compilation album of studio master recordings by American singer and musician Elvis Presley made during 1956, released by RCA Records in 1996. The original sessions took place at RCA Studios in Nashville and New York, and at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.
From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential '60s Masters is a five-disc box set compilation of studio master recordings by American singer and musician Elvis Presley during the decade of the 1960s; it was released in 1993 on RCA Records, catalogue number 66160-2. In its initial long-box release, it included a set of collectable stamps duplicating the record jackets of every Presley LP on RCA Victor, and those of the singles pertinent to this box set. The set also includes a booklet with an extensive session list and discography, as well as a lengthy essay by Peter Guralnick. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 30, 1993, and Platinum on January 6, 2004. This set followed an exhaustive box set of Presley's 1950s output and was followed by a collection of his soundtrack work a more selective box set of his work in the 1970s.
Loving You is the first soundtrack album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. It was released by RCA Victor in mono, LPM 1515, in June 1957 to accompany his film, Loving You (1957). Recording sessions took place on January 15, 16, 17, and 18, 1957, at the Paramount Pictures Scoring Stage, and on January 12, 13, 19, and February 23 and 24, 1957, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood. These are the first sessions where Steve Sholes is officially listed as producer. It spent ten weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. It was certified Gold on April 9, 1968 by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Elvis is the soundtrack album for American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley's 1968 television special of the same title, released by RCA Records. It was recorded live at NBC Studios in Burbank, California, with additional studio work taking place at Western Recorders, in June 1968. The album peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200; along with the TV special, it revitalized Presley's career after years of diminishing commercial and critical success. It was certified Gold on July 22, 1969, and Platinum on July 15, 1999, by the RIAA.