by Robert Wilkinson
Carl Perkins was one of the true originals! He was there at the beginning in “the club” with Elvis, Jerry Lee, Johnny Cash, Roy Orbison, and the rest of the Sun Records gang of wild men that made rock and roll history. We have rockabilly on the jukebox to celebrate his birthday!
Carl Perkins (April 9, 1932 – January 19, 1998) started off in rockabilly, and gave us “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Matchbox,” “Honey Don’t,” “Boppin’ The Blues,” and “Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby,” along with a bundle of other immortal tunes. From Wikipedia,
According to Charlie Daniels, "Carl Perkins' songs personified the rockabilly era, and Carl Perkins' sound personifies the rockabilly sound more so than anybody involved in it, because he never changed." Perkins' songs were recorded by artists (and friends) as influential as Elvis Presley, the Beatles, Jimi Hendrix, and Johnny Cash, which further cemented his place in the history of popular music. Paul McCartney even claimed that "if there were no Carl Perkins, there would be no Beatles."
To which I’ll add, John noted that “before Elvis, there was nothing.” Seems Sun Records set some things into motion! And yes, the Beatles really did like Carl’s music, which is why they included three of his songs on the US albums Something New and Beatles ’65. Carl was so influential that he was called "the King of Rockabilly." He was inducted into all the Halls of Fame dedicated to his style of music, and even made the Grammy HOF.
He was a kid that was extraordinarily “dirt poor,” the poorest of the poor, and yet lifted himself into the musical pantheon to a rarified atmosphere that extremely few share. He took it from zero to sixty in a heartbeat, and set us all dancing happy to a sound he helped create.
And he hung with Johnny, Elvis, Roy and Jerry Lee. These were the originals, in every sense of the word. They kicked open the door to the musical world that we all know. Without them, we don’t really know if any of what has been could have been made real. Thank heaven we don’t have to wonder!
Today I’ll just give you a few, but what great ones they are!
Shot a few weeks after the tune peaked on the charts, here's Carl live on The Perry Como Show in May 1956 cranking out THE song that kicked a few doors down! “Blue Suede Shoes.” Here’s the original on Sun #234 which became Sun’s first #1 on the country charts, #2 on the pop charts, and #3 on the R&B charts, the immortal tune which defined “rockabilly,” the awesome “Blue Suede Shoes.”
The “B” side of “Blue Suede Shoes” was another huge iconic tune for the ages! Here’s the original Sun studio version of Carl’s hit “Honey Don’t.”
And of course, this was a mainstay of the early Beatles’ set list! Here the Fab Four give us their version of “Honey Don’t”
Here's a great live performance score! From 1957 on the Tex Ritter Ranch Party television show, here’s Carl as guest performing that breakthrough hit at the beginning of the show, followed by the second tune at the end of the show. “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Your True Love” (Check out his lead playing on both tunes! What he was doing was revolutionary in 1957!)
Last year I had a clip from another 1957 Tex Ritter show, and after Carl, it featured a VERY young Johnny Cash (not dressed in black!) doing "I Walk the Line" and Patsy Cline at the beginning of her career performing "I've Loved and Lost Again." This year it’s disappeared. Better luck next year!
Of course, a hit as big as “Blue Suede Shoes” had to be done by others, since that was the fashion of the times. For your enjoyment, live on an aircraft carrier in April 1956 on The Milton Berle Show, here's Elvis live cranking out "Blue Suede Shoes" and yes, that's Scotty Moore cranking out those great prototypical leads!
Here’s Elvis screen test for Paramount performing “Blue Suede Shoes” and from the legendary Live Peace in Toronto in 1969, here’s John Lennon and the Plastic Ono Band giving us his version of “Blue Suede Shoes” with Eric ripping the lead lines!
Now we’ll go back to the beginning! He auditioned for Sam Phillips in October 1954, and in March 1955 this was issued on Sun subidiary Flip records. Written by Carl, this is one of his earliest. “Movie Magg” and the flip side “Turn Around” (These two are totally generic country. The first could have been a Johnny Horton song, and the Hank Williams influence is unmistakable in the 2nd tune.)
In October 1955, this time on Sun #224, he released “Gone Gone Gone” with the B side “Let the Juke Box Keep on Playin’”
I found these two early (#235) unissued tunes recorded by Carl and Jay Perkins for Sun just after “Blue Suede Shoes” back in 1955. This sure isn’t rockabilly or rock and roll, but it does sound like the style Buddy Holly and more than a few others had back in the mid-50s. For a quick journey back to a world that doesn’t exist anymore, here’s the prototypical country of “Sure to Fall” and “Tennessee” (His brother died in 1958 as a result of a car wreck in March 1956 that almost killed Carl.)
Back to videos! Here’s another early performance by Carl and the Perkins Brothers Band. From 1957 on Tex Ritter's Ranch Party, the band gives us the birth of rock and roll! “Dixie Fried.” Here’s the original on Sun #249 of “Dixie Fried”
Live in 1958 on LA tv, an early video of the Master defining rock and roll! “Boppin’ the Blues.” Here’s the original on Sun #243 of “Boppin’ the Blues.”
From what looks like the same 1958 television performance on Town Hall Party, two more! “She Knows How To Rock Me” and Sun #261, “Matchbox”
This song was part of the Beatles' original set list! From their BBC Pop Go the Beatles show in July 1963, Ringo’s got lead vocals on “Matchbox”
From their live Star Club sessions in 1962, here are the Beatles with John singing lead on “Matchbox”
From his 2002 tour and DVD, here’s Macca live cranking out a great version of “Matchbox”
And though Carl didn’t write the tune, he made it big! For your enjoyment, the original Sun studio version of “Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby”
From Paris in 1965, a great live audio performance by the Beatles with George singing lead on “Everybody’s Trying To Be My Baby”
This one was Sun #287, also covered by the Beatles! Here's Carl's original of “Glad All Over” (NOT the Dave Clark Five hit!). From their BBC Pop Go the Beatles show in August 1963 with George on lead vocals, “Glad All Over”
Let’s have some fun with clips of Derek and the Dominos on the Johnny Cash tv show featuring Carl Perkins! Here’s a great video of Carl, Johnny Cash, and Eric Clapton in 1971 cranking out “Matchbox”
Here’s the whole appearance. Enjoy sounds from another age as you hear the Chuck Willis 1956 R&B standard followed by Carl’s rockabilly standard! “It’s Too Late” and “Matchbox”
Also from 1971, live in Denmark, Carl cranking out "Matchbox."
p>From 1971 on The Jerry Lee Lewis Show, , here’s Carl and the Killer offering up ”Mean Woman Blues” and “Blue Suede Shoes”From 1979, here’s Carl and JLL doing a bop swing version of “Blue Suede Shoes”
Here are 5 great videos Carl, George, Ringo, and Eric cranking it up at the Capitol Theater in 1985! "Everybody's Trying to Be My Baby." From the same gig, Ringo takes the stage and lead vocals on “Honey Don’t.” Then Eric joined Ringo and Carl in a rousing version of “Matchbox,” then they all get on stage for one that rocks! “Gone Gone Gone,” and close with all of them on stage giving us a great version of “Blue Suede Shoes”
Here’s the entire 46 minutes of that show with Carl Perkins and Friends in Passaic, NJ, featuring George Harrison, Ringo Starr, Eric Clapton, Dave Edmunds, Roseanne Cash, Lee Rocker, and many more! Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session with Carl Perkins and Friends.
They also did a full set at the Limehouse Studios in London that year. I still can’t find the whole show (also titled Blue Suede Shoes: A Rockabilly Session with Carl Perkins and Friends.), but I did find this amazing 5 minute medley performed by the same lineup as the previous clip. George’s lead is impeccable, and Eric cooks on his! For your enjoyment, “That's Alright Mama,” “Blue Moon Of Kentucky,” “Night Train To Memphis.” Also from those London sessions, with George and Dave, “Your True Love.”
Live on BBC tv in 1987, here’s Carl whipping out “That’s All Right Mama” and from a 1988 special, here’s Carl and George Harrison doing a great performance of “That’s All Right Mama” and “Honey Don’t”
I found it again! Here’s Carl’s entire 30 minute set from 1990 on Austin City Limits! That night they paired George Jones with Carl, with George opening the show. So Carl’s set begins about 29 minutes in, if you want to skip George’s set. If not, you get classic country!
George Jones and Carl Perkins on Austin City Limits - 1990
From that show, because I gave these to you last year and the links are still good, I’ll leave them in.
Audio-only. “Boppin the Blues”
From 1990 on The Late Show with David Letterman, Carl giving us a great performance of “Honey Don’t”
From 1993, a 46 minute documentary! Paul McCartney with Carl Perkins: My Old Friend
From Nashville in 1994, with Duane Eddy and the Mavericks! The video’s disappeared, but here’s the audio. “Matchbox”
From 1995, Carl, Duane, and Jim Horn on an extended live performance of “Blue Suede Shoes Jam”
For our closer, from 1997 on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Carl, the great Dave Edmunds, and bass man Lee Rocker giving us “Blue Suede Shoes”
For our first encore, let’s kick it up with Carl live in Nashville in 1994, backed by Duane Eddy playing lead for the Mavericks in Carl’s iconic rocker “Matchbox”
I found a great second encore! When Elvis died in 1977, a few old friends got together. Here are the Sun originals offering up one to their old friend, the King of Rock and Roll! “This Train Is Bound to Glory” – Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Roy Orbison
A couple of brief rare deserts! Old friends Scotty and Carl hanging out! Scotty Moore and Carl Perkins Talking About Whatever Legends Talk About
And finally, this is one of the rarest of rare treats! Welcome to Oklahoma in 1955, where we have 2 minutes and 13 of what is said to be the first film footage of Elvis AND Buddy with Carl! Of course, Bill Black, Scotty Moore, the Crickets, and other are also here. Wow. Carl Perkins, Elvis Presley, Buddy Holly – First film footage
Thanks for being there, Mister Carl Perkins. You took country and rockabilly and made it into rock and roll!
© Copyright 2024 Robert Wilkinson
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