*(1954) Sun 215 A ''Milkcow Blues Boogie'' (Single Master) Elvis Presley

STUDIO SESSION FOR ELVIS PRESLEY AT THE MEMPHIS RECORDING SERVICE FOR SUN RECORDS 1954 SUN RECORDING STUDIO 706 UNION AVENUE, MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE SUN SESSION: MONDAY DECEMBER 20, 1954 SESSION HOURS: UNKNOWN PRODUCER AND RECORDING ENGINEER - SAM C. PHILLIPS ''MILKCOW BLUES BOOGIE'' Composer: - James "Kokomo" Arnold Publisher: - A.S.C.A.P. - Leeds Music Incorporated Matrix number: - U-140 - Unknown Take Master (2:35) Recorded: - December 20, 1954 - Released: - December 28, 1954 First appearance: - Sun Records (S) 78/45rpm standard single Sun 215-A mono MILKCOW BLUES BOOGIE / YOU'RE A HEARTBREAKER Reissued - 1994 Bear Family Records (CD) 500/200rpm BCD 15801 DI-3/23 mono THE SUN SINGLES COLLECTION - VOLUME 1 Name (Or. No. Of Instruments) Elvis Presley - Vocal and Acoustic Rhythm Guitar (Martin Dreadnought 18) Scotty Moore - Electric Lead Guitar (Gibson ES 295) Bill Black - Acoustic Upright Bass (Kay Maestro M-1) Jimmie ''James'' Lott - Drums (Gretsch Round Badge Kit) Since blues tunes were important to Elvis Presley, he searched for an obscure blues song, settling on a tune by a Georgia bluesman, Kokomo Arnold. After launching his music career in the South, Arnold had moved to Chicago and made his living bootlegging whisky. Music was a sideline for him, but Arnold was a still a historically significant bluesman who influenced many performers. Sam Phillips liked the idea of using "Milkcow Blues Boogie" because he believed that a rhythm and blues or blues tune couplet with a country ballad was still the best way to advance Elvis Presley's career. The recording session was an excellent one. Elvis Presley started slowly, then announced, "Hold it, fellas let's get real real gone". According to Sam Phillips, ''It's called ''Milk Cow Blues'' there was no boogie on it. I took the liberty of taking the old country song and called it ''Milkcow Blues Boogie''. It was a play, kinda like ''Blue Moon Of Kentucky''. Who would take an old broken down hillbilly song called ''Milk Cow Blues'', and attempt to foister it upon the public? We did. You have to get people's attention in different ways. I didn't listen to the market to see, you could get confused like that, if you were trying to do something other than being a copyist''. And about the slow and fast arrangement he said, ''Well, that was my suggestion, and I was always very hesitant to put words on the front end, because of jukeboxes. At that time they didn't like the spoken words, Elvis he loved Bill Kenny of the Ink Spots so much, and Bill's narrations, that Elvis really instinctively was pretty damned good at it''. He then completed an extraordinarily vigorous version of the song. After listening to the cut, however, Sam Phillips had some reservations about "Milkcow Blues Boogie". He believed that Elvis' version lacked the ingredient necessary to become either a country or pop hit. Sam Phillips suggested they try another tune. A payment slip of November 15 seems to indicate a session date, but it may be a falsification; December 8 has also been mentioned as a possible date for this session. Its more than likely that other songs were tried out on the session, although apparently no other tapes survive. RCA never received master tapes our outtakes from this session from Sun; their masters were dubbed from a Sun 78rpm. The original "Milk Cow Blues" is a blues song written and originally recorded by Kokomo Arnold in September 1934. In 1935 and 1936, he recorded four sequels designated "Milk Cow Blues No. 2" through No. 5. The song made Arnold a star, and was widely adapted by artists in the blues, Western swing and rock idioms. The Godfather of the blues Robert Johnson recorded a version of Sleepy John Estes' song, re-titled "Milkcow's Calf Blues", at his last recording session on June 20, 1937. It was released by Vocalion Records in September 1937 as the B-side to "Malted Milk''. In 1941, Johnnie Lee Wills (younger brother of Bob Wills) recorded a version which was released the same year by Decca Records as "Milkcow Blues" by Johnny Lee Wills & His Boys. It was sung by Cotton Thompson. Bob Wills also recorded it on the Tiffany Transcriptions with a vocal by Tommy Duncan. The Wills/Duncan release "Brain Cloudy Blues" is heavily influenced by "Milk Cow Blues" too. When Elvis Presley left the session, he was still very happy with "Milkcow Blues Boogie". Keeping with his timetested procedures, Sam Phillips allowed that it was best to test the new tune before a live audience. Actually, all the ingredients for a mainstream rock and roll hit had coalesced during the recording of "You're A Heartbreaker". The echo used in the song, for example, contributed an early, almost mystical quality to it, and the instrumental background was raw and energetic. Source: From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia *- Digitally Remastered © - 706 UNION AVENUE SESSIONS - ©