The facts concerning Elvis' first visit to the Memphis recording service have not been
consistant. But memories have a way of getting blurred and mixed up.
One of the most difficult thing our brains have trouble is, keeping things in chronological order.
We may remember several things but we don't often retain the proper order in which those events took place.
Keep this in mind when reading about anything in particular.
Elvis made 2, possibly 3 personal records for himself.
I have read everything there is on this subject, and the pieces never quite fit right.
But I found this little magazine that came out in the Summer of 1956 that puts some things
into context better than I have ever read before. I will show some of this article and mark the
points of interest as it pertains to the timing. I have been wanting to write about this for months, and then the Marion Speaks thread came about, along with the release of the Sun stuff, I figured this was the best timing to do this.
The magazine was written by Memphis reporter Robert Johnson by spending time and talking with
Elvis, his family, and his friends. Since it is from 1956, only a few years had gone by when the memories
were a little fresher, (note-not perfect). All of this subject is in chapter one of the magazine.
The story goes Sam was out, and Marion was in, so she discovered Elvis.
She recorded him (on tape) because she wanted Sam to hear this fresh new voice.
If Sam was there, she would have no reason to record him, so Marion's story rings true.
But, Sam had maintained he was there. Now carefully look at this article and the context of the
story we have always read.
Elvis was on his lunch hour that afternoon when he came in....ok, it's lunch time.
According to this article, Sam was at lunch as well....probably at the near by cafe.
But, what this article states is that Sam came back in time to see Elvis before he had left.
This supports Sam's story that he was there.
I had doubted Sam was there on that first visit, but now, I believe in context this all makes sense.
So, they both take notice.
And note that Elvis tells Robert Johnson, he went in to find out what his voice sounded like.
And also note the article states that Elvis made the second record for his mother.
I realize that Marion probably remembers Elvis wearing a crown trucking shirt,or driving the Crown Truck, but that memory was probably from the second acetate visit, not the first. I think Marion got the two visits mixed up
in her memories even as early as two years later. But, that is forgivable. And other than some chronological errors, I believe her memories are true.
It's interesting to know a sailor and his mother were there at the same time, and that Elvis made an impression on her, so much so, that she asks Marion, after bumping into her at a later date, if anything ever became of that boy with the sweet voice. Did this woman plant a seed to look Elvis up?
It is evident that Robert Johnson was able to listen to at least one of the early acetates at Elvis' home while
he was visited the family, and made note that Mrs. Presley was listening to her son on the record player.
It would seem that Mrs. Presley probably wore that record out from repeated listenings.
She must have loved her sons' singing.
This article could be the reason why there was the mix up on the title of the song Sam had found, by the unknown singer, that he wanted Elvis to try out. Within the same paragraph he refers to it as, "without you", and "without love". Oh well.
And lastly, Dewey Phillips playing of "That's all right", created a demand of orders totaling over 6000, before Sam had even pressed a single copy yet.
At that point Sam had to have known, he was on to something.