Some people have all the luck. Others can’t seem to catch a break!
Carl Perkins, like most of us, falls somewhere in between. He was the original writer of “Blue Suede Shoes” in 1955, but was severely injured on route to a TV date to publicise the track.
He’d had enough success with the song to spur Elvis’ label at the time, RCA, to put their guy forward for a cover. So it was that in 1956, Elvis recorded his version, which is the version which everybody knows. The track kicks off Elvis’ eponymous debut album, released in the same year.
It’s not a total loss for Perkins – you’d imagine there’s some money for him somewhere along the line, when the young rising star who covered his song became one of the most iconic singers of all time.
The song is classic 50s Rockabilly, marking the decade out as surely as New Order’s ‘Blue Monday‘ splashes its 80s vibes around so lavishly.
A raucous acoustic guitar, spritely electric guitar, running double bass and splashy drums all power forward for the song’s 2 minute run time. And at the centre of this sonic maelstrom? Elvis!