On this day, in 1954, Elvis Presley recorded the song “That’s All Right”, composed by Arthur Crudup.

This was Elvis’ first single, at 19 years old, and completely changed the Rock & Roll.

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That recording session on July 5, 1954, at Sun Studio in Memphis is indeed considered one of the most pivotal moments in music history, though the song was titled “That’s All Right”. Here’s why it changed everything:

1. The Accidental Spark: Elvis, then 19, was recording ballads unsuccessfully. During a break, he started goofing around with Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup’s blues song, “That’s All Right.” Guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black joined in, speeding it up with an infectious, driving rhythm. Producer Sam Phillips famously yelled, “What are you doing?” They replied, “We don’t know.” Phillips said, “Well, back it up, try to find a place to start, and do it again.” He recognized the magic instantly.
2. The Fusion Sound: What they created wasn’t pure blues, country, or gospel. It was a revolutionary blend:
   • Rhythm & Feel: The driving, rhythmic pulse came straight from the blues.
   • Vocal Delivery: Elvis’s raw, energetic, slightly nasal, and emotionally charged vocal style was unique, drawing from blues, gospel, and country influences.
   • Instrumentation: Scotty Moore’s clean, biting guitar licks (influenced by Chet Atkins but with more edge) and Bill Black’s percussive, slapped upright bass created a fresh, exciting backdrop.
   • Energy & Attitude: It had an unprecedented youthful energy, rebellion, and sexual undertone for mainstream white music at the time.
3. Sam Phillips’ Vision Realized: Phillips had long wanted to find a white artist who could sing with the authentic feel and rhythm of Black blues and R&B artists, making that sound accessible to a wider (and segregated) white audience. Elvis, embodying that fusion, was Phillips’ answer.
4. The Reaction: When Phillips played the acetate for local DJ Dewey Phillips (no relation) on Memphis radio station WHBQ, Dewey played it repeatedly that night due to overwhelming listener response – both positive and negative. The raw energy cut through the air waves.
5. Why It Changed Rock & Roll:
   • Birth of Rockabilly: This session is widely cited as the birth of “rockabilly,” the crucial fusion of country & western and rhythm & blues that became the foundation of early rock & roll.
   • The Catalyst: While rock & roll elements existed (Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Fats Domino, Bill Haley), Elvis’s “That’s All Right” became the catalyst that exploded the genre into mainstream white American consciousness. His looks, charisma, and the sheer novelty of the sound made it undeniable.
   • Cultural Earthquake: It signaled a massive cultural shift. This music, rooted in African American traditions but performed by a charismatic white Southerner, began breaking down racial barriers in popular music and spoke directly to the emerging youth culture in a way older styles didn’t.
   • The Blueprint: It established the template for the rock & roll singer: charismatic, dynamic, slightly dangerous, rhythmically driven, and blending musical traditions. Countless artists who followed cited this moment as their inspiration.

While Elvis Presley didn’t invent rock & roll single-handedly, his recording of “That’s All Right” on July 5, 1954, was the detonator. It synthesized existing elements into a new, explosive form with unprecedented mainstream appeal. It proved the commercial viability of this raw, rhythmic fusion and launched Elvis on a path that would make him the undisputed “King of Rock ‘n’ Roll,” fundamentally altering the course of popular music and youth culture forever. That summer night in Memphis truly marked the dawn of a new musical era.

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Elvis Presley – That’s All Right (’68 Comeback Special)

For his 1968 television special, Elvis Presley reunited with Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana, his first backing musicians, for a raw “sit-down” performance of his earliest and most favorite songs, including his very first single, “That’s All Right.” Though it did not feature in the original broadcast, you can experience every moment from the taping on ’68 Comeback Special: 50th Anniversary Edition, the new 5CD/2BD box set available November 30.