Blue Suede Shoes

When you dive into *Blue Suede Shoes*, you encounter a piece with a particular story behind it. Although the version many know is by Elvis Presley, the song actually originated from Carl Perkins, who recorded it for the first time in 1955. It is considered one of the pioneers of the *rockabilly* sound, blending influences from the *blues*, *country*, and *pop* of the era. Perkins' original recording was very well received, staying on the sales charts for several weeks and reaching second place. Even *Rolling Stone* magazine included it in its list of the 500 greatest songs of all time.

The version by Elvis Presley appeared the following year, in 1956, opening his first self-titled album, Elvis Presley. At that time, recording covers of popular songs was very common. The record label RCA Victor, interested in promoting their new artist, Elvis Presley, suggested he include *Blue Suede Shoes* in his repertoire. Despite the pressure, Elvis, who already knew Sam Phillips and Carl Perkins from his beginnings at Sun Records, agreed, but asked that his version not be released as a single while Perkins' was still performing strongly. Presley's recording features two guitar solos by Scotty Moore, accompanied by Bill Black on bass and D. J. Fontana on drums. The band played the song spontaneously, following Elvis's intuition in the studio. Elvis Presley performed his version on television on several occasions during 1956, including appearances on the *Stage Show* and the *Milton Berle Show*. On one occasion, he even introduced the song by lifting his left foot to show his "blue suede shoes." Elvis's recording was included on his debut album, Elvis Presley, released in March 1956, recorded at RCA studios in Nashville and New York. This album was a milestone, being the first *rock and roll* record to reach number one on the Billboard Top Pop Albums, where it remained for ten weeks. RCA Victor released Presley's version as a single in September 1956, reaching number 20, while Perkins' version was still topping the charts.