There's no doubt that Sam Phillips and Sun Records had launched the career of Elvis Presley in 1955. But there was some doubt as to how far Phillips could take the young talent. The Memphis studio simply didn't have the resources to promote Elvis on a national scale. But Colonel Tom Parker had the connections to get the job done. He brokered a deal with RCA records, signed him to a national television spot, and secured a movie contract within six months of taking over as his manager. In 1956, the regional phenomenon that was Elvis Presley would explode onto the national market and carry with him the new music known as rock and roll.
Colonel Tom Parker is an enigma. His origins have been traced to Holland and it's been well documented that he was an illegal immigrant to the U.S. His early background was in carnival work, but by the early 1950's he had become a successful manager of country recording artists, most notably Eddie Arnold, and Hank Snow. Initially he had wooed Elvis's parents through his ties to Hank Snow (Gladys Presley was a big fan) and had ostensibly signed Elvis to a contract with Hank Snow Entertainments / Jamboree Attractions. But in March the Colonel revealed to Snow that he had pulled a switch with the contract and Presley was the "sole and exclusive" property of Colonel Tom Parker. By then Parker had cemented himself as the architect of Presley's career.
On January 10th 1956 when Elvis Presley reported to the RCA recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee, it was far from certain that a star was about to be born. RCA executives were a bit nervous because the young singer they had just acquired really didn't fit into any of their established categories. They were also uncertain as to the Nashville studio's ability to capture the same sound that Presley had produced at Sun Records in Memphis. The session could have easily been a failure. But RCA A&R man, Steve Sholes, had wisely brought Elvis's band with him to Nashville. Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and D.J. Fontana would accompany Elvis along with premier musicians from Nashville: Chet Atkins on rhythm guitar and Floyd Cramer on piano. While Elvis's band mates found the detached atmosphere of the RCA studio uncomfortable, the RCA executives found Presley's approach to recording to be somewhat unorthodox (Presley didn't read music). But Elvis Presley himself was ready to perform, and that he did. He first recorded a Ray Charles number, "I Got a Woman" and then "Heartbreak Hotel." Chet Atkins was taken aback by Elvis's performance and called his wife to come down to the studio, commenting, "It's just so damn exciting." "Heartbreak Hotel" was the first Elvis Presley single released by RCA. Colonel Tom Parker had delivered on his first goal for Elvis – he had a record being released and distributed for the whole nation.
Colonel Parker's second goal was to get "his boy" on national television. The vehicle for Elvis's national exposure seems somewhat inappropriate. Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey, the hosts of "Stage Show," were staples of the big band sound. It would seem that the new sound of rock and roll would be out of place in that venue, but the Dorsey brothers were desperate to improve their show's ratings and so they offered a four show appearance with an option for two more. Colonel Parker jumped at the chance. During rehearsal, Jackie Gleason, the producer of "Stage Show" commented, "I don't like this guy." It was reported that some members of the band were outwardly laughing. On January 28th Elvis made his first television appearance on The Dorsey Brothers "Stage Show" – he sang "Shake Rattle & Roll" and "I Got A Woman." The ratings for the program went up and the Dorsey brothers picked up the option for the additional shows. Elvis appeared on the show five more times, the last being March 24th. In his third appearance on February 11th he sang "Heartbreak Hotel" for the first time. Author Peter J. Levinson summed up what he believed was a revolution in the music industry: "It was like nothing that anyone had ever seen before on national television. It was the raw against the cooked, postwar prosperity versus prewar propriety, an atomic burst of sexual vitality obliterating the palled remnants of Depression-era glamour."
When Elvis first signed with Colonel Parker he had expressed his desire to become an actor. On March 26th Hal Wallis conducted a screen test for Elvis at Paramount Studios. Wallis offered Presley a contract for one picture with an option for six more – it was also stipulated that Presley could make at least one picture a year for other studios. Originally considered for the Paramount film, "The Rainmaker," Elvis's first movie ended up being 20th Century Fox's "The Reno Brothers," promptly renamed "Love Me Tender" to take advantage of Elvis's recording. The film was released in November. While some critics panned Elvis's performance, fans flocked to the theater. It took only three days for the movie to recoup its production costs.
"Heartbreak Hotel," "Stage Show," and "Love Me Tender" were all firsts for Elvis Presley. And it was truly just the beginning. "Heartbreak Hotel" climbed to #1 on the Billboard pop chart on May 1, 1956. It was followed by "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" which gained the top spot on July 28th. Elvis was back on national television doing the "Milton Berle Show" on April 3rd and June 5th. His performance of "Hound Dog" on June 5th was particularly animated and drew harsh comments from some critics. As a result, when appearing on "The Steve Allen" show on July 1, he was embarrassed by having to sing to a basset hound. On July 2nd, Elvis went back into the Nashville RCA studio to record his next hit single, the two-sided "Don't Be Cruel" and "Houndog." Released in August, "Don't Be Cruel" was number one on September 15th and would stay there for seven weeks. With "Love Me Tender" rising to number one on November 11th, Elvis had five number ones* by the end of his first year with RCA.
Ed Sullivan had once declared that he would never have Elvis Presley on his show. But after seeing Presley perform, and after being trounced by Steve Allen in the tv ratings, Sullivan reconsidered and signed Presley to three shows. The first was aired on September 9th, the second on October 28th, and the final appearance was on January 6th, 1957. After Presley's final appearance, Sullivan proclaimed that Elvis was "a real decent, fine boy." Elvis Presley was well on his way to being an American icon.
1957 would be an extension of Elvis's initial year's success. His touring was cut back some as the demands of his movie career escalated. In 1956 Elvis had performed 143 concerts in 79 cities. In 1957 he had three personal tours, taking his show to eighteen cities. The year began with filming of Elvis's second movie, Paramount's "Loving You." That movie would premier in July when "Teddy Bear," one of the songs from the soundtrack would already be #1 on the Billboard chart. At that point, Elvis was already filming his third movie, "Jailhouse Rock." It would premier in October. The title cut from the soundtrack would also be a #1 hit. "All Shook Up" and "Too Much" would give Presley four chart toppers in 1957. The only thing missing from Presley's 1957 resume was television appearances – after his final Ed Sullivan appearance, Colonel Parker discouraged television contracts. The Colonel didn't like people seeing "his boy" for free.
Perhaps one of the reasons for the frenetic pace of movie production and recording sessions in 1957 was the persistent possibility that Elvis was in line to be drafted. He received his notice in December and there were two questions to be answered. First, could he or would he get out of it. And secondly, if not, could his career in the fickle world of popular music survive a prolonged absence. As 1958 debuted, Elvis Presley had already had a phenomenal career, but his continued success, the success that would earn him the title of "the King" was in doubt.
*Prior to July, 1958, Billboard had multiple charts that are referenced – in 1958 the "Hot 100" chart became recognized as the most authoritative. |
