"A Day in the life"
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 1, 1955 (Tuesday)
POSSIBLE RECORDING SESSION:
Sun Studio, 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee.
Engineer: Sam C. Phillips.
Assistant: Marion Keisker.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: Johnny Bernero
Songs recorded: "When It Rains, It Really Pours".
Sometime between the 1st and 4th of November, Elvis, Scotty, Bill and drummer Johnny Bernero went into the studio to record a B-side for "Trying To Get To You". The session ended early and they managed to cut one track: "When It Rains, It Really Pours".
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 2, 1955 (Wednesday)
POSSIBLE RECORDING SESSION:
Sun Studio, 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee.
Engineer: Sam C. Phillips.
Assistant: Marion Keisker.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: Johnny Bernero
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 3, 1955 (Thursday)
POSSIBLE RECORDING SESSION:
Sun Studio, 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee.
Engineer: Sam C. Phillips.
Assistant: Marion Keisker.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: Johnny Bernero
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 4, 1955 (Friday)
POSSIBLE RECORDING SESSION:
Sun Studio, 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee.
Engineer: Sam C. Phillips.
Assistant: Marion Keisker.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: Johnny Bernero
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 5, 1955 (Saturday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S) - Louisiana Hayride - Elvis Presley, Johnny Horton, Jimmy Newman, Curley Herndon,
Jack Ford, David Houston, Buddy Attaway, Jeanette Hicks, Betty Amos, Buzz Busby and the Bayou Boys, Bill
Lancaster, Floyd and Lloyd Armstrong, Bill Dudley.
The Municipal Auditorium, 705 Grand Avenue, Shreveport, Louisiana. (8:00 pm - 11:30 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums:
D.J. Fontana.
Songs performed: "I Forgot To Remember To Forget".
BILLBOARD POP CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams.
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"The Yellow Rose of Texas" by Mitch Miller.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
BILLBOARD C&W CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #7
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #9
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #7
BILLBOARD R&B CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Only You" by The Platters.
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Maybellene" by Chuck Berry.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"All By Myself" by Fats Domino.
BILLBOARD POP CHART
Honor Roll of Hits:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (LP)
"Love Me or Leave Me" by Doris Day.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (EP)
"Love Me or Leave Me" by Doris Day.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" now appeared on all three of Billboard's C&W charts. It remained at #7 on both the C&W Best Sellers and Jockeys chart. It entered the Jukebox chart at #9.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 6, 1955 (Sunday)
Start of week long tour of east Texas and the south. (November 6 - November 12)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S) - Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, Ernie Chafin, Jim Owen, Betty Ashley, Dan Seals, Eddie Camp
The Biloxi Community House, Biloxi, Mississippi. (2 shows) (2:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 7, 1955 (Monday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The Airman's Club, Keesler Air Force Base, Keesler, Mississippi.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 8, 1955 (Tuesday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The Airman's Club, Keesler Air Force Base, Keesler, Mississippi.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 9, 1955 (Wednesday)
No information
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 10, 1955 (Thursday)
The Andrew Jackson Hotel, 231 6th Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee.
Elvis and Bob Neal attended the fourth annual Country Music Disc Jockey Convention in Nashville, Tennessee. He supposedly told everyone about his imminent switch to RCA, even thought the Colonel hadn't closed the deal at that time.
Back in his room at the Andrew Jackson hotel, Mae Boren Axton played him a demo of a new song that she had co-wrote with Tommy Durden called "Heartbreak Hotel". Elvis loved the song and played it over and over.
Elvis with his Billboard award for "Most Promising Country & Western Artist" (photo)
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 11, 1955 (Friday)
The Andrew Jackson Hotel, 231 6th Avenue North, Nashville, Tennessee.
Still at the convention in Nashville, Elvis spent the day meeting various disc jockeys. Later on he flew back home to Memphis.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 12, 1955 (Saturday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The Carthage Mining Company, Carthage, Texas. (2:00 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: DJ Fontana.
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S) - Louisiana Hayride - Elvis Presley, Jimmy Newman, Jack Ford, David Houston, Hoot and
Curley, Buddy Attaway, Jeanette Hicks, Buzz Busby and the Bayou Boys, Floyd Cramer, Werley Fairburn, Jimmy Day.
The Municipal Auditorium, 705 Grand Avenue, Shreveport, Louisiana. (8:00 pm - 11:30 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums:
D.J. Fontana.
The Memphis Press-Scimitar (photo) reported that Billboards Annual Disc Jockey poll had named Elvis as "The most outstanding new artist of 1955". He was placed at # 16 on the "Favorite Artists" poll (Eddy Arnold topped the list) and #13 on the "Most-Played" (Webb Pierce topped that one). "Baby Let's Play House" came in at #16 on C&W's Favourite Records list.
On the Popular Charts Frank Sinatra won the "Favourite Male Vocalist", while Nat King Cole was "Most-Played". Doris Day won the "Favourite Female Vocalist" with Georgia Gibbs winning the "Most-Played".
The late Johnny Ace won "Most-Played" and Fats Domino won the "Favourite Artist" on the R&B charts. Chuck Berry won "Most Promising New R&B Artist".
1955 was the year when R&B artists singing original songs crossed over to the popular chart despite cover versions by top 'Pop' artists.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams.
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
BILLBOARD C&W CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #3
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #6
BILLBOARD R&B CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Only You" by The Platters.
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Maybellene" by Chuck Berry.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"All By Myself" by Fats Domino.
BILLBOARD POP CHART
Honor Roll of Hits:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
(Billboard introduced the Top 100)
The Top 100:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (LP)
"Love Me or Leave Me" by Doris Day.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (EP)
"Love Me or Leave Me" by Doris Day.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 13, 1955 (Sunday)
Start of Western Swing Jamboree tour (November 13 - November 19)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S) - Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, Hank Thompson and the Brazos Valley Boys, Carl Smith,
Charlene Arthur, Carl Perkins, Poor Old Richard, Texas Bill Strength, Bob Neal (MC)
The Ellis Auditorium, 225 North Main Street, Memphis, Tennessee. (2 shows) (3:00 pm and 8:00 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
D.J. Fontana playing the drums behind Elvis. (photo)
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 14, 1955 (Monday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The Forrest High School Auditorium, Forrest City, Arkansas. (2 shows) (7:00 pm and 9:15 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Colonel Parker contacted Harry Kalcheim, the William Morris agent letting him know that he would be interested in making a picture with the boy. However, "we must be very careful to expose him in such a manner befitting his personality, very much like the James Dean situation". He also told Kalcheim that he had three "coast to coast" television appearances lined up for Elvis.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 15, 1955 (Tuesday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The Community Centre, Sheffield, Alabama. (2 shows) (7:00 pm and 9:30 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Today was the final deadline for Col. Parker to get the RCA deal over the line. RCA singles division manager Bill Bullock agreed to pay the $5,000 non-refundable deposit to keep the offer open on the sale as agreed. December 1st was the agreed date to pay the final $35,000. Parker sent Sam Phillips the $5,000 from his bank in Madison. The RCA contract was typed up today for everyone to sign on the 21st.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 16, 1955 (Wednesday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The City Auditorium, Camden, Arkansas. (2 shows) (7:00 pm and 9:15 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
A four page publishing agreement (photo) for "Heartbreak Hotel" was signed with Tree Publishing Co., Inc. by the songs composers, Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden and Elvis Presley.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 17, 1955 (Thursday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The Texarkana Municipal Auditorium, Texarkana, Arkansas. (2 shows) (7:00 pm and 9:15 pm)
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Johnny Cash joined the lineup and watched Elvis wash his car after driving it through the mud and rain on the way to Texarkana.
RCA document for payment to Sun Records for the purchase of Elvis' recording contract and Sun masters. (photo)
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 18, 1955 (Friday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The Reo Palm Isle Club, Longview, Texas.
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 19, 1955 (Saturday)
LIVE PERFORMANCE(S)
The High School Gymnasium, Gladewater, Texas - Louisiana Hayride (remote broadcast).
Musicians: Rhythm Guitar & Vocals: Elvis Presley - Lead Guitar: Scotty Moore - Bass: Bill Black - Drums: D.J. Fontana.
Songs performed: "I Forgot To Remember To Forget", "Baby, Let's Play House", "That's All Right" and "Rock Around The Clock".
Billboard reported that publishing firm "Hill & Range" are now printing folios by Elvis Presley. (photo)
BILLBOARD POP CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams.
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
BILLBOARD C&W CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #6
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Love, Love, Love" by Webb Pierce.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" by Elvis Presley. #12
BILLBOARD R&B CHART (singles)
Best Sellers in Stores:
"Only You" by The Platters.
Most Played In Jukeboxes:
"Only You" by The Platters.
Most Played By Jockeys:
"Only You" by The Platters.
BILLBOARD POP CHART
Honor Roll of Hits:
"Autumn Leaves" by Roger Williams.
The Top 100:
"Love Is A Many Splendoured Thing" by The Four Aces.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (LP)
"Love Me or Leave Me" by Doris Day.
BILLBOARD POP CHART (EP)
"Love Me or Leave Me" by Doris Day.
"I Forgot To Remember To Forget" dropped to #6 on the C&W Best Sellers and #12 on the Jockeys chart.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 20, 1955 (Sunday)
Elvis flew back to Memphis.
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 21, 1955 (Monday)
Sun Studio, 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee.
The sale of Elvis' contract from Sun to RCA took place at Sun Studios in Memphis.
Sam Phillips was present along with Elvis who was joined by his parents. Bob Neal, Colonel Tom Parker made
the trip while his assistant Tom Diskin arrived later. Hank Snow was there on behalf of Jamboree Attractions.
RCA had a large team including executives Steve Sholes, and H. Coleman Tily. Also present were local RCA
distributor Jim Crudgington and regional representative Sam Esgro. Publishers Hill & Range had their lawyer
Ben Starr. The contract was finalised and signed on behalf of RCA by Tily, this would include the transfer of all of Sam's Sun Masters to RCA. The contract called for a minimum of eight sides a year, two one-year options, and a five percent royalty, with the purchase price of the contract recoupable from one half of that royalty and a $5,000 non-recoupable bonus going to the artist.
November 15, RCA recording contract which was signed six days later. (photos)
At Sun: Steve Sholes, Sam Phillips, H. Coleman Tily, Elvis Presley, Colonel Parker. (photo) Colonel Parker, Gladys Presley, Elvis, Vernon Presley, H. Coleman Tily, Bob Neal.
Back at the Colonel's room at the Hotel Peabody, a further sum of $1,000 was agreed with Hill & Range to handle song publishing via a 50-50 partnership with Elvis. (25% for each of the Aberbach brothers) Elvis and his father Vernon, signed a receipt for $4,500, while the Colonel took his 25% commission on the full $6,000.
At the Peabody: Tom Diskin, Jim Crudgington, Colonel Parker, Elvis, Hank Snow, Hank Snow and Elvis. (photo)
Bob Neal, H. Coleman Tily, Sam Esgro. (photo)
On what was a very good day for Elvis, Colonel Parker did quite well for himself as he bagged a portion of Elvis' publishing rights. (photo)
Elvis: "A Day in the Life" November 22, 1955 (Tuesday)
Elvis sent Colonel Parker a telegram expressing his gratitude for guiding him and looking out fo