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For other uses of Blue Suede Shoes, see Blue Suede Shoes (disambiguation).

"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly (rock and roll) records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time.

Origin

Johnny Cash had planted the seed for the song in the fall of 1955, while Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride acts toured throughout Texas and the South. Cash told Perkins of a black airman whom he had met when serving in the military in Germany. He had referred to his military regulation air shoes as "blue suede shoes". Cash suggested that Carl write a song about the shoes. Carl replied, "I don't know anything about shoes. How can I write a song about shoes?"

When Perkins played a dance on December 4, 1955, he noticed a couple dancing near the stage. The girl was gorgeous, he thought, and the boy wore blue suede shoes. As they danced the boy cautioned his date "don't step on my suedes." Perkins was bewildered that a guy would value shoes over a beautiful girl.

Later that night, Perkins was struck with an idea for a song based on that incident. He quickly grabbed a brown paper potato sack and wrote the song down, writing the title out as "Blue Swade, S-W-A-D-E". "I couldn't even spell it right", he has said.

The first few lines of the song are based on a classic children's rhyme: "One for the money, two for the show, three to get ready". Producer Sam Phillips suggested that Perkins's line "go boy go" be changed to "go cat go".

Pre Origin

The phrase "One for the money..." had been used in previous rhythm and blues recordings as well, including 1950's "Rock Around the Clock" by Hal Singer (which is not to be confused with Haley's song of the same name). In 1953, Bill Haley wrote and recorded a song called "Watcha Gonna Do" that is a probable influence on "Blue Suede Shoes". The Haley song begins with the catch phrase "One for the money/Two for the show/Three to get ready/Here I go" and also is very similar in melody and arrangement to the later "Blue Suede Shoes".

Success of Perkins' Sun Records Release

At first "Blue Suede Shoes" sold slowly. Early in 1956 Perkins began making regular appearances on "Big D Jamboree" on radio station KRLD in Dallas where he played the song every Saturday night. Slowly it began to catch on - first in the country market, then with teenagers an the pop charts, and with rhythm and blues fans. At one point the record was selling at a rate of 20,000 copies per day, and Perkins and his band were booked to appear on the nationally broadcast Perry Como Show. Unfortunately for Perkins and his band members, they would have a serious autombile accident on the way to New York City, resulting in the death of a truck driver and the hosptilization of both Perkins and his brother. Perkins would be laid up for months. Nevertheless, his version of his own song, "Blue Suede Shoes", was the first million selling country song to cross over to both rhythm and blues and pop charts.

Presley and Blue Suede Shoes

Both Perkins and Presley started at Sun Records under Phillips, but Presley recorded the song in early 1956 after his Sun contract was purchased by RCA Victor. Presley's version was recorded at the RCA Studios in New York, with Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, backed up by his regular touring trio of Scotty Moore on lead guitar, Bill Black on bass, and D.J. Fontana on drums. Elvis performed the song to nation wide television audiences three times in 1956. The first time was on February 11, 1956 on the Dorsey Brother's Stage Show. Elvis performed it again on his third Stage Show appearance on March 17, then again on the Milton Berle Show on April 3. When Steve Allen introduced Elvis on July 1 Steve Allen show, and he appeared in formal evening wear, he stated that "I think that I have on something tonight that's not quite right for evening wear." Allen asked, "What's that, Elvis?" "Blue Suede shoes" was the answer, as Elvis lifted his left foot to show the audience.. These performances and mention of Blue Suede Shoes on nationally broadcast shows were seen by millions of Americans.

Meanwhile, although Presley is supposed to have promised Perkins that he wouldn't cover the song,"Blue Suede Shoes" was the first song on the first ground breaking album Elvis Presley, which was released in March. RCA released two other records with "Blue Suede Shoes" the same month: one an Extended Play with 4 songs, and a 2x extended play version with 8 songs.

Perkins, who was badly injured in an automobile accident on his way to New York City to appear on the Perry Como Show, and who had also been scheduled to appear on the Ed Sullivan Show, did not make either of his scheduled appearances on national television in 1956. RCA released the Presley version as a single on September 8, This single reached #20, where the Perkins version had topped the chart.

In 1960, Presley re-recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" for the soundtrack of the film G.I. Blues. While Elvis' character's group "The Three Blazes" plays a ballad at a Frankfurt night club ("Doin' The Best I Can" by Doc Pomus & Mort Shuman ), a bored GI plays "Blue Suede Shoes" by Elvis Presley on the juke box, remarking that he wants "to hear an original". When another soldier tries to unplug the juke box, the entire place erupts into a fight. This studio re-recording marked one of only a few occasions in Presley's career in which he agreed to re-record a previously issued song.

Other 1956 recordings

"Blue Suede Shoes" was recorded and released many times in 1956. February releases were by Delbert Barker and the Gateway All Stars on the Gateway and Big Hits labels, Thumper Jones (aka George Jones), Hank Smith ), and Buzz Williams. RCA Victor released a Pee Wee King version on March 3 of that same year, the same date as a Capital release by Bob Rubian. These releases were followed closely by the March 10 Columbia release of a Sid King version. Decca, too, released a version by Roy Hall. , and the Dot label then released a recording by Jim Lowe.

Legacy

"Blue Suede Shoes" is often referenced in other songs including Chuck Berry's "Roll Over Beethoven" saying, "I'm giving you the warning, don't you step on my blue suede shoes."

"Blue Suede Shoes" was chosen as one of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll. The song has often been called "Rock 'n Roll's National Anthem."

In 2004, Perkins' version was ranked number 95 on Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". It is his only song on that list. Presley's recording of the song was also on the list at number 423.

In 1999, National Public Radio included "Blue Suede Shoes" in the "NPR 100," in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the one hundred most important American musical works of the 20th century.

Selected list of recorded versions

The song is a rock and roll standard and has been performed and recorded by many artists, including:

• 1955 Carl Perkins, US #1
• Buddy Holly as recorded on the Buddy Holly Story compilation.
• 1956 Elvis Presley
• 1958 Cliff Richard
• The Beatles
• 1969 Cat Mother & the All Night Newsboys in the rock and roll medley Good Old Rock & Roll
• Count von Count on Sesame Street
• Eddie Cochran
• Jimi Hendrix
• Johnny Rivers
• Bill Haley & His Comets Haley recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" on two occasions: in 1960 for U.S. Warner Bros. Records and again in 1972 for Swedish Sonet Records.
• Lemmy and The Upsetters with Mick Green
• Black Sabbath
• Billy "Crash" Craddock on the album Live!
• Brian Setzer
• Jerry Lee Lewis
• The Toy Dolls
• Helloween
• Stray Cats

Cultural references

• Marc Cohn makes a reference to "Blue Suede Shoes" in his song "Walking in Memphis".
• Chuck Berry mentions "Blue Suede Shoes" in his song "Roll Over Beethoven" in the lines: "Early in the mornin'/I'm a'givin you the warnin'/Don't you step on my blue suede shoes." "Roll Over Beethoven" has been covered by many other artists including the Beatles and Electric Light Orchestra.
• Buddy Holly's recording "Rock Around With Ollie Vee" contains the lyric "Ollie Vee says she's gonna do me right tonight / I'm gonna wear my blue suede shoes tonight."

Larry Williams, in the song "Short Fat Fannie", mentions "Blue Suede Shoes"

The David Essex song "Rock On" mentions about jumping up and down in her "Blue Suede Shoes".

• Blue Suede Shoes is also the title of a 1980 documentary film about the British rockabilly scene.
• The Nintendo DS game Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney makes a reference to the song, in a sequence where the character mistakenly refers to Detective Gumshoe as "Detective Suedeshoes".
• Brian Setzer also refers to it in The Stray Cats' song Built for Speed.
• The Motörhead song "Just 'Cos 'You've Got the Power" makes a reference to Blue Suede Shoes
• In The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion, blue suede shoes can be both stolen from some houses and taken off the bodies of some non-player characters that the player kills.
• The game World of Warcraft has a pair of Blue Suede Shoes dropping from Kaz'rogal, a raid boss in the game's expansion The Burning Crusade.
• In Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas, a cheat code BLUESUEDESHOES can make all pedestrians look live Elvis.

Notes

1. Rockabilly Legends by Jerry Naylor and Steve Halliday p131
2. Robert Rodriguez, The 1950s' Most Wanted: The Top 10 Book of Rock & Roll Rebels, Brassey's, p90
3. Rockabilly Legends by Jerry Naylor and Steve Halliday p131; also on DVD
4. NPR story on Blue Suede Shoes
5. Elvis volume 1 Home Video Syndications, Ltd 1990
6. Naylor, Jerry and Steve Halliday (2007). The Rockabilly Legends; They Called It Rockabilly Long Before they Called It Rock and Roll (Book and DVD). Hal Leonard Publishing Corporation. Page 140. ISBN 142342042X
7. G.I. Blues DVD
8. "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". RollingStone.com. Retrieved 2007-06-02.

External links

• NPR story on Blue Suede Shoes
• Excerpt form Ballet San Jose's Blue Suede Shoes Ballet

• 1956 songs
• 1956 singles
• Billy "Crash" Craddock songs
• Bill Haley songs
• Carl Perkins songs
• Elvis Presley songs
• Grammy Hall of Fame Awards