96 What's The First Ever Rock N Roll Album?

We've cooked up something real special for you this week in The GXO Music Podcast celebrating 70 Years of Rock N Roll (1956-2026)

 

In today's episode, painstaking, exhaustive research has enabled us to EXPOSE the underbelly of the very first Rock N Roll album to go #1

 

The time:1956 

The place: The Methodist Television Radio & Film Commission Building

1525 McGavock Street in the heart of Music City.

 

Nashville, Tennessee..

 

Before Nashville even knew it was music city itself

 

The studio where this storied album was recorded in, lost to us forever now, in the rubble of tomorrow's parking lot parties.

 

"They paved Paradise and put up a Parking Lot" - Joni Mitchell

 

For your pleasure, we are eviscerating and dissecting the innards of what came to be the FIRST Rock N Roll album...

 

An album that launched a thousand dreams, and, in doing so, gave birth to The Teenager. Youth Culture. The Counter Culture. The beginning of the end to segregation and possibly, perhaps, giving rise to the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s...

 

The Wild One (1953)

 

Mildred: "Hey Johnny, what are you rebelling against?"

Johnny Strabler: "Whaddaya got?"

 

Who: Elvis Presley & RCA Victor Records

 

What: 1956 Self Titled Debut Album

 

Where: The Methodist Television Radio & Film Commission Building, 1525 McGavock Street, Nashville, Tennessee and RCA Victor Studio, New York, New York

 

Why: The First Rock N Roll Album To Be The Most Successful Album Of The Year In Popular Recorded Music

 

When: Sun Records, Memphis, Tennessee July 5, 1954 and The Methodist Television Radio & Film Commission Building, 1525 McGavock Street, Nashville, Tennessee, January 10-11, 1956 and at RCA Victor Studio, New York, New York January 30-31, 1956

 

Released March 23, 1956

 

The Songs

 

Side One:

1. Blue Suede Shoes

2. I'm Counting On You

3. I Got A Woman

4. One Sided Love Affair

5. I Love You Because

6. Just Because

 

Side Two:

1. Tutti Frutti

2. Tryin' To Get To You

3. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You)

4. I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin')

5. Blue Moon

6. Money Honey

 

*THE MUSIC 

 

1967 Lucille by "The King" Little Richard from his 1967 album Little Richard's Greatest Hits: Recorded Live! on Okeh Records

 

1956 The original version of Blue Suede Shoes by the song's composer Carl Perkins released January 1, 1956 on Sun Records

 

1955 Demo version of I'm Counting On You performed by the composer Don Robertson, vocal by Miss Lou Dinning

 

1954 Single I Got A Woman by the song's composer Ray Charles on Atlantic Records

 

1955 Song One Sided Love Affair written by professional songwriter Bill Campell first recorded by Elvis Presley for his 1956 debut album and covered the following year by Little Tony & His Brothers of the independent republic of San Marino, bordering Italy

 

1949 I Love You Because by Leon Payne on Capitol Records

 

1929 Just Because originally recorded by Nelstone's Hawaiians

 

1955 Italian for "all fruits" Tutti Frutti was written and performed by Little Richard. Released by Specialty Records, it was Richard's first major hit

 

1954 Tryin' To Get To You was first recorded by Washington DC R&B vocal group The Eagles (not to be confused with the Hotel California elk from the 1970s)

 

1954 I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You) was originally recorded by Epic Records recording artist Roy Hamilton in 1954

 

1943 I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin') was originally written and recorded by country western artist Jimmy Wakely in 1943

 

1934 Blue Moon was written by the legendary songwriting team of Richard Rodgers and Lorenz Hart who wrote predominantly for Broadway and musical theatre. Noted British vocalist and crooner Al Bowly recorded one of the earliest versions of the song the year after it was composed in 1935

 

1953 Money Honey was written by one of Rock N Roll's original pioneers, Jesse Stone. Originally released in September 1953, it was the first single ever by legendary vocalist Clyde McPhatter and backed for the first time by the newly formed Drifters.

 

1962 Bob Dylan wrote and demoed the song Tomorrow Is A Long Time in 1962. Most notably, Elvis Presley recorded the song in 1966, intended for the soundtrack of his film Spinout of the same year. Dylan has stated repeatedly that Elvis' cover of this song is the one he treasures the most. 20 years after it was written, Elvis' version would feature prominently in acclaimed American film director Francis Ford Coppola's 1983 film of S.E. Hinton's 1966 novel The Outsiders

 

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