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 When I was in Memphis, back in February,
I stopped into rock and roll's own Temple of the Sun - Sun Studio.
As a worshipper at the altar of rock and roll, it was absolutely
necessary for me to swing into one of rock's holiest landmarks
and bask in the power and glory of that mysterious force that
shakes our hips, snaps our fingers, bobs our heads and stomps
our feet. Can I get an amen?! There is a vibe in Memphis that can't be clearly understood
unless you are an adamant fan of rock and roll. Just to walk
down Union Avenue where guys like Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Elvis
Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins have shuffled their soles
across the pavement is exhilirating. Turning into Sun Studio
that sunny, winter afternoon, I felt a permanent grin spread
across my face. Instantly, there was merchandise, the plague
of holy places, spilling off the walls and down onto the floor.
Admittedly, I had to buy a Sun Studio logo sticker for my car
and a sweatshirt for my wife. Sun Studio's tour guide extraordinaire, Mike Conway, stepped into the small diner/souvenir shop and led us on the tour. There were only three of us taking the tour - me and a couple from Denver. Mrs. Denver informed us on our way into the studio that she was born in Sweden and immigrated here with the intention of marrying Elvis Presley. Mr. Denver chuckled at first, then was stricken with the realization that he was, in fact, his darling's second choice for a husband. Still, second only to Elvis is a pretty fine distinction. The tour began in the front office of the studio, preserved as it was in the mid-50's, then we proceeded into the studio itself. The room was filled with enlarged photographs of all the musical saints who recorded there like Howlin' Wolf, B.B. King, Jerry Lee Lewis, and, of course, Elvis. Along the walls on the floor stood guitars in their stands, amps, microphone stands, a drum kit, and a piano. Tour Guide Mike sauntered over to a reel-to-reel console and did his thing. He told us about the studio's founder, Sam Phillips, the real story of Elvis' discovery (he was not trying to make a record for his mama's birthday- he went there specifically to get himself a recording contract), and this story of the "Million Dollar Quartet". On December 4, 1956, Elvis Presley walked into Sun Studio to see some of his old pals. Sam Phillips had sold Elvis' recording contract to RCA, just about a year prior to this event, in order to avoid bankruptcy. Carl Perkins was recording that day, including one old blues song, "Matchbox", which was later covered by the Beatles. Elvis was there to see Carl, his old buddy from the early days when the sauced up patrons of juke joints and honky tonks throughout Dixie were the only ones who ever heard of these two musicians. Sitting in on Carl's recording session was a young piano pounder who had recently signed a recording contract with Sun Studio, and had just recorded his first single two weeks before. This kid, Jerry Lee Lewis, "The Killer", was earning a few extra bucks for Christmas by playing on a few sessions. The jam session began with Carl Perkin's band: his brother, Clayton; drummer W.S. Holland; and rhythm guitarist, Charles Underwood. It is Underwood's acoustic guitar that Elvis strummed during the session. The musicians started out on old country gospel tunes that any good Mississippi Delta boy would know like "Just a Little Talk with Jesus" and "Down by the Riverside". Soon enough, their halos turned into horns and they started in with that rock and roll devil music. The first couple of rock and roll songs they played were Chuck Berry's "Too Much Monkey Business", and "Brown Eyed Handsome Man", to which they returned several times as they seemed to recall more lyrics. Then, they moved into Presley's hit "Don't Be Cruel", a recording of which brought a tear to my eye during the Sun Studio tour. I remember wishing I that I could hear the entire session, but after forgetting to ask Tour Guide Mike about where to find a recording of the session, I figured I might never find a copy. However, while doing research for an article about gospel music at the local library, I noticed a heading in the computerized files that read, "Presley, Elvis." Curious about Elvis' gospel music, I pushed a button and the title and availability information revealed the words, "Million Dollar Quartet." I let a loudly whispered "holy fuck" escape my mind. I was floored by the chance to listen to a legendary jam session such as this. Later that night, while working in the brewery where I am employed, I listened to it over and over. People passing through who asked what I was listening to had to hear as much as I could recall about the whole story. As the jam session wore on, Sam Phillips got the notion to call Bob Johnson, the entertainment editor of the local newspaper, The Memphis Press Scimitar, and asked him to come by. UPI representative Leo Soroca and a photgrapher tagged along. As far as Johnny Cash's involvement is concerned, there is a good deal of speculation. Some say that Mr. Phillips called up Johnny Cash and asked him to come in for a publicity shot during the session. Then others, Mr. Cash included, insist that he was there for the whole jam session, and played through the whole session. The reasons for speculation stem from the usually loose atmosphere of jam sessions and the flow of beer and whisky. The famous photograph, in which Elvis sits at a piano looking back over his shoulder at Carl and Jerry Lee while Johnny Cash watches the keys, proves that Johnny was there long enough for the photo shoot. It is also widely agreed upon that he played and sang through two songs, "Blueberry Hill" and "Isle of Golden Dreams". Quite sadly, though, the recordings of these two songs have been lost for decades. The title "Million Dollar Quartet" was written by Johnson for an article that appeared the next day. Though "Blueberry Hill" and "Isle of Golden Dreams" were lost, what remains is just plain holy, and is yet another fine example of "people music". The recording of this jam session reveals the sheer joy and passion of playing music that reverberates through all musicians whether they are playing a sold-out stadium, or strumming in their own living room. There's no inclination to show off or out do each other in this session. Presley, Perkins, Lewis and the others are devoted to the songs themselves, letting each song be the focus of attention. This recording also proves that these luminaries would have continued to play even if they had never been discovered, never had a hit record, and had never made a boat-load of money. This recording is highly recommended for anyone who prostrates oneself in the Temple of Rock. It's a holy text that holds insight into where rock and roll comes from, how it's constructed, and the depth of soul required to play it and listen to it with reverence. And make that pilgrimage, someday, to Memphis, Tennessee, in the delta of the American Ganges, where the tributaries of blues, country, jazz, and gospel merge to form the mighty river of Rock and Roll. NOTES TO THE MASSES: The CD I have been listening to is titled: "Elvis Presley: The Million Dollar Quartet, with Jerry Lee Lewis, and Carl Perkins". It is produced by RCA, and manufactured and distributed by BMG Music, New York, NY. Copyright 1990 BMG Music. There is a more recent edition of this CD, so contact BMG Music or RCA for information on where to find it, or visit your nearest independent record store (corporate chain stores should be avoided as they are evil and herald the coming of Satan). I also suggest checking in on your local library's music recordings. For information about Sun Studio, check out www.sunstudio.com, or call 1-800-441-6249. Sun Studio is located at 706 Union Avenue in beautiful, friendly Memphis, Tennessee (zip code 38103). Sun Studio is a fully functional recording studio where musicians continue to record their music (U2 recorded "Rattle and Hum" there). Thank you Mr. Michael Conway, for your help in getting the story straight. If I still managed to screw it up, let me know. For more information on people, places or events that appear in this article, feel free to contact me, and I'll see if I can help you out. 10/6/2k |
content copyright 2000 the author
art copyright 2000 skewed perspective