SONG OF THE DAY
“Mystery Train” by Elvis Presley (single, Sun Records, 1955). Written by Junior Parker & Sam Phillips.
INTERESTING FACTS (a la wikipedia)
– “Mystery Train” was first recorded in Phillip’s Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Raymond Hill and Matt Murphy were in the backing band with Bill Johnson on piano, Pat Hare on guitar, and John Bowers on drums. The band was listed on the label as Little Junior’s Blue Flames.
– “Mystery Train” and “Love My Baby” were released late in 1953 on Sun #192, and from the beginning the sound and feel of “Train” gave Parker his first taste of fame and name recognition.
– Elvis Presley’s version of “Mystery Train” was first released on August 20, 1955 as the B-side of “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” (Sun 223).
– Presley’s version would be ranked #77 on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2003.
– It was again produced by Sam Phillips at Sun Studios, and featured Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Scotty Moore on lead guitar, and Bill Black on bass.
– Moore used a country lead break, and toward the end of the record is an echo of the 1946 “Sixteen Tons” by Merle Travis.
– RCA Victor rereleased this recording in December 1955 (#47-6357) after acquiring it as part of a contract with Presley. This version of the song peaked at # 11 on the national Billboard Country Chart.
– Presley’s version of the song was also ranked the third most acclaimed song of 1955, by Acclaimed Music.
– Although “Mystery Train” is now considered to be an “enduring classic”, the flip side of this record “I Forgot to Remember to Forget” reached the Billboard National Country music chart #1 position by February 1956, remained there for 5 weeks, and stayed on the charts for 39 weeks. It was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a national known country music star.
– Both Bill Black and Scotty Moore left Elvis in 1957 because they were being paid only $200 per week while Elvis was earning millions.
– “Mystery Train” also was the name of a TV series that documented Presley’s early career while he was at Sun.
– Artists who have recorded covers of the song include The Band, Jeff Beck and Chrissie Hynde, Junior Wells, The Doors, Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash during the Nashville Skyline sessions in 1969, Jose Feliciano, Tom Fogerty, Jerry Garcia Band, Emmylou Harris, Led Zeppelin, Ricky Nelson, The Neville Brothers, Grace Potter and the Nocturnals, Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs, Paul Simon, Bruce Springsteen, Richard Thompson, Dwight Yoakam, Neil Young, Elvis Costello, and Rick Danko with Paul Butterfield.