I dedicate my song today to our friend from our parish church, Finn Hughes. Finn is the teenage son of Gerry & Michael Hughes. Finn was admitted to the hospital last week with pneumonia. He got discharged on the 2nd Feb and was readmitted back in hospital yesterday after pneumonia returned. He's back on IV antibiotics and is remaining positive. Get well soon, Finn. We all love you and miss your presence in our lives.
My song today is ‘Blue Suede Shoes’. This is a rock and roll standard that was written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues, country and pop music of the time. Perkins' original version of the song was on the ‘Cashbox Best Selling Singles List’ for 16 weeks and spent two weeks in the Number 2 position. Elvis Presley performed his version of the song three different times on national television. It was also recorded by Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, among many others.
Johnny Cash planted the seed for the song in the fall of 1955, while Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride acts toured throughout the South. Cash told Perkins of a black airman, C. V. White, whom he had met when serving in the military in Germany, who had referred to his military regulation airmen's shoes as ‘blue suede shoes’. Cash suggested that Perkins write a song about the shoes. Perkins 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. Between songs, he heard a stern, forceful voice say "Uh-uh, don't step on my suedes!" He looked down and noted that the boy was wearing blue suede shoes and one had a scuff mark. "Good gracious, a pretty little thing like that and all he can think about are his blue suede shoes", thought Perkins.
That night Perkins began working on a song based on the incident. Carl Perkins' recording of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ was released in early 1956. Two copies of the song on 78-rpm records were sent to Perkins but arrived broken.
‘Blue Suede Shoes’ was the Number 2 single on Memphis charts; it was Number 1 the next week and remained there for the next three months. It became a fantastic success.
A review of song hits, published on February 18, stated that "Perkins has come up with some wax here that has hit the national retail chart in almost record time. Interestingly enough, the disk has a measure of appeal for pop and Rhythm & Blue customers."
On March 17, Perkins became the first country artist to reach the Number 3 spot on the ‘Rhythm and Blues Charts’. That night, Perkins and his band first performed "Blue Suede Shoes" on television, on ABC TV. Coincidentally, Presley was on ‘Stage Show’ on CBS-TV that same night, for which he also performed the song.
Perkins was booked to appear on the ‘Perry Como Show’ on NBC-TV on March 24, but on March 22 he and his band were in a serious automobile crash on the way to New York City, resulting in the death of a truck driver and the hospitalization of both Perkins and his brother. While Perkins recuperated from his injuries, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ rose to Number 1 on most pop, R&B and country regional charts. "I was a poor farm boy, and with 'Shoes' I felt I had a chance but suddenly there I was in the hospital," Perkins recalled bitterly. It also held the Number 2 position on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ and country charts. Presley's ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ held the Number 1 position on the pop and country charts, while "Shoes" did better than "Heartbreak" on the R&B charts.
Perkins never attained the stardom of Presley, who, according to Perkins, "had everything. He had the looks, the moves, the manager, and the talent. And he didn't look like Mr. Ed, like a lot of us did, Elvis was hitting them with sideburns, flashy clothes, and no ring on the finger. I had three kids." After Presley hit the chart with his version of ‘Blue Suede Shoes,’ Perkins became known more for his songwriting than for his performing. After a lifetime of being the best, Elvis knocked Perkins off his perch.
‘Blue Suede Shoes’ was chosen by the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ as one of the ‘500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll’. In 1986, Perkins' version was inducted in the ‘Grammy Hall of Fame’ and in 1999, ‘National Public Radio’ included ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ in the NPR 100, in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
In 2004, Perkins's version was ranked Number 95 on ‘Rolling Stone’s list of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’. Presley's recording of the song was also on the list, ranked number 423. The ‘National Recording Preservation Board’ included the song in the ‘National Recording Registry’ of the ‘Library of Congress’ in 2006. The board annually selects songs that are ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.’ As a rock-and-roll standard, "Blue Suede Shoes" has been performed and recorded by many artists
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I was a teenager aged 15 years when this song was recorded and released, but it was the Elvis Presley version and not Carl Perkin’s version that I grew up with. Bopping was the thing to do then on the dance floors of the nation as the rock and roll craze mushroomed across the land. With the onset of the Teddy Boy era, suede shoes of blue and many different colours rapidly came into fashion.
I cannot recall why precisely, but although I dressed like a Teddy Boy for several years, my long Edwardian styled coat, black shirt, string tie, and drainpipe trousers were finished off with black leather shoes and not suedes. I think it was to do with my walking balance at the time, having spent almost three years unable to walk following a bad traffic accident at the age of 11 years that almost killed me and then crippled me. When one walked in suede shoes (often known as Beetle Crushers or Brothel Creepers), it was like a hovercraft foot experience. The sensation was one of walking on a cushion of air between the shoe and the ground.
Although very comfortable for the feet, in order to improve my mobility and walking gait after my accident, I always needed to feel even the slightest object beneath my feet; every bump and surface undulation needed to be felt by me in order to correct my walk. This could only be achieved in two ways only; by either walking barefoot (like a barefooted Buddhist monk needing to feel in touch with the ground beneath one's feet) or through the wearing of the finest shoes one could purchase (expensive Italian handmade shoes).
Now, I have told you my ‘guilty secret’ and greatest indulgence which doesn’t come cheap.
Love and peace Bill xxx
My song today is ‘Blue Suede Shoes’. This is a rock and roll standard that was written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955. It is considered one of the first rockabilly records, incorporating elements of blues, country and pop music of the time. Perkins' original version of the song was on the ‘Cashbox Best Selling Singles List’ for 16 weeks and spent two weeks in the Number 2 position. Elvis Presley performed his version of the song three different times on national television. It was also recorded by Buddy Holly and Eddie Cochran, among many others.
Johnny Cash planted the seed for the song in the fall of 1955, while Perkins, Cash, Elvis Presley, and other Louisiana Hayride acts toured throughout the South. Cash told Perkins of a black airman, C. V. White, whom he had met when serving in the military in Germany, who had referred to his military regulation airmen's shoes as ‘blue suede shoes’. Cash suggested that Perkins write a song about the shoes. Perkins 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. Between songs, he heard a stern, forceful voice say "Uh-uh, don't step on my suedes!" He looked down and noted that the boy was wearing blue suede shoes and one had a scuff mark. "Good gracious, a pretty little thing like that and all he can think about are his blue suede shoes", thought Perkins.
That night Perkins began working on a song based on the incident. Carl Perkins' recording of ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ was released in early 1956. Two copies of the song on 78-rpm records were sent to Perkins but arrived broken.
‘Blue Suede Shoes’ was the Number 2 single on Memphis charts; it was Number 1 the next week and remained there for the next three months. It became a fantastic success.
A review of song hits, published on February 18, stated that "Perkins has come up with some wax here that has hit the national retail chart in almost record time. Interestingly enough, the disk has a measure of appeal for pop and Rhythm & Blue customers."
On March 17, Perkins became the first country artist to reach the Number 3 spot on the ‘Rhythm and Blues Charts’. That night, Perkins and his band first performed "Blue Suede Shoes" on television, on ABC TV. Coincidentally, Presley was on ‘Stage Show’ on CBS-TV that same night, for which he also performed the song.
Perkins was booked to appear on the ‘Perry Como Show’ on NBC-TV on March 24, but on March 22 he and his band were in a serious automobile crash on the way to New York City, resulting in the death of a truck driver and the hospitalization of both Perkins and his brother. While Perkins recuperated from his injuries, ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ rose to Number 1 on most pop, R&B and country regional charts. "I was a poor farm boy, and with 'Shoes' I felt I had a chance but suddenly there I was in the hospital," Perkins recalled bitterly. It also held the Number 2 position on the ‘Billboard Hot 100’ and country charts. Presley's ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ held the Number 1 position on the pop and country charts, while "Shoes" did better than "Heartbreak" on the R&B charts.
Perkins never attained the stardom of Presley, who, according to Perkins, "had everything. He had the looks, the moves, the manager, and the talent. And he didn't look like Mr. Ed, like a lot of us did, Elvis was hitting them with sideburns, flashy clothes, and no ring on the finger. I had three kids." After Presley hit the chart with his version of ‘Blue Suede Shoes,’ Perkins became known more for his songwriting than for his performing. After a lifetime of being the best, Elvis knocked Perkins off his perch.
‘Blue Suede Shoes’ was chosen by the ‘Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’ as one of the ‘500 Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll’. In 1986, Perkins' version was inducted in the ‘Grammy Hall of Fame’ and in 1999, ‘National Public Radio’ included ‘Blue Suede Shoes’ in the NPR 100, in which NPR's music editors sought to compile the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century.
In 2004, Perkins's version was ranked Number 95 on ‘Rolling Stone’s list of the ‘500 Greatest Songs of All Time’. Presley's recording of the song was also on the list, ranked number 423. The ‘National Recording Preservation Board’ included the song in the ‘National Recording Registry’ of the ‘Library of Congress’ in 2006. The board annually selects songs that are ‘culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant.’ As a rock-and-roll standard, "Blue Suede Shoes" has been performed and recorded by many artists
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
I was a teenager aged 15 years when this song was recorded and released, but it was the Elvis Presley version and not Carl Perkin’s version that I grew up with. Bopping was the thing to do then on the dance floors of the nation as the rock and roll craze mushroomed across the land. With the onset of the Teddy Boy era, suede shoes of blue and many different colours rapidly came into fashion.
I cannot recall why precisely, but although I dressed like a Teddy Boy for several years, my long Edwardian styled coat, black shirt, string tie, and drainpipe trousers were finished off with black leather shoes and not suedes. I think it was to do with my walking balance at the time, having spent almost three years unable to walk following a bad traffic accident at the age of 11 years that almost killed me and then crippled me. When one walked in suede shoes (often known as Beetle Crushers or Brothel Creepers), it was like a hovercraft foot experience. The sensation was one of walking on a cushion of air between the shoe and the ground.
Although very comfortable for the feet, in order to improve my mobility and walking gait after my accident, I always needed to feel even the slightest object beneath my feet; every bump and surface undulation needed to be felt by me in order to correct my walk. This could only be achieved in two ways only; by either walking barefoot (like a barefooted Buddhist monk needing to feel in touch with the ground beneath one's feet) or through the wearing of the finest shoes one could purchase (expensive Italian handmade shoes).
Now, I have told you my ‘guilty secret’ and greatest indulgence which doesn’t come cheap.
Love and peace Bill xxx
