Sun 209                 Yellow Sun Label

The label has Elvis Presley on one line, Scotty and Bill on another.

Release number at bottom of the label

 Side A.  That's All Right (mama)

Side B.  Blue Moon Of Kentucky

 Elvis' first 45, “That’s All Right” is now considered a classic and has been acknowledged a million-seller over the years, Elvis' debut single originally sold less than 20,000 copies and  didn’t enter any national charts. On the local Memphis chart, “That’s All Right” reached the number 4 position and in September “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” hit number 1.

During a break at their first recording session for Sun Records, Elvis, Scotty And Bill sat around drinking Cokes and just when they thought the night was a total waste of time, Elvis launched into a blues number from 1946 by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup,  "That's All Right (mama)", Bill, then Scotty started fooling around with the tune too. When Sam heard this he asked them what they were doing, "we don't know" they replied, he then told them to go back and find a place to start and do it again, and this time he taped it. The trio worked tirelessly at the song the rest of the night.

 After Sam Phillips gave the acetate  to legendary DJ at WHBQ, Dewey Phillips to play over the air, he was inundated with call and telegrams from excited listeners.

 The vibrant sound that the trio had created had come about by chance, but  a couple of days later they managed to re-bottle the magic, this time it was Bill Black, who started into a spoof of Bill Monroe's 1946 bluegrass classic "Blue Moon Of Kentucky", the others picked it up, speeding up the tempo, and topping it off with a punchy, confident vocal from Elvis.

 Now Sam had the A and B-sides for Elvis first single, released as Sun 209 on July 19th 1954.

Matrix numbers: U-128-45-72/U-129-45-72

Variations: There are at least four variations of the Blue Moon of Kentucky side of the label. From left to right, the more notable variations. Wabash Peer far left, 209 on bottom. The second is Peer BMI with upside 209 on left side. The third copy is Peer BMI with 209 on left side

Variations: There are at least four variations of the That's All Right side of the label. From left to right, the more notable variations. Wabash BMI far left, 209 on bottom. The second is Wabash Music Co. BMI on far left, 209 on bottom. The third copy is Wabash, BMI, 209 on far left side. The forth copy is Wabash Music, BMI, and 209 on far left side

Released in 1954 by Sun Records on 78 RPM
Released in 1955 by RCA Records on 45 RPM
Released in 1955 by RCA Records on 78 RPM
Released in 1959 by RCA Records on 45 RPM on the Gold Standard Series label.

Recording Dates

That's All Right (mama) - Recorded July 5th 1954, Sun Studio, Memphis, TN

Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Recorded July 5th 1954, Sun Studio, Memphis, TN

Musicians:-

Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore - Guitar, Bill Black - Bass

Release Date:-

US:- July 19th 1954

UK:-

Chart Position:-

US:- 4  - Local Memphis Chart only

UK:-