Sun Records - Sun Studios

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Sun Studios - Sun Records, Memphis, Tennessee

Sun Studio at 78 Union Avenue in Memphis, Tennessee has a prominent place in the history of modern music.

This was the place where artists like Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, Carl Perkins, Howlin' Wolf and many others were first recorded. Sun Records founder Sam Phillips is one of the most influential figures in modern music history.

The Masonic connection here is to Howlin' Wolf, who was a Mason. Howlin' Wolf, made his first recordings here for Sam Phillips in 1951.Sun Studios founder Sam Phillips cosidered Howlin' Wolf to be his greatest discovery among the many great musicians he discovered and recorded.

Howlin' Wolf was a Mason and his Masonic ring can be seen in many photographs, including the album cover photo below.

Sam Phillips started the business under the name Memphis Recording Service. He originally recorded musicians and then sold the recordings to other labels. This is what happened with the 1951 Howlin' Wolf recordings, which Sam Phillips sold to RPM Records in Los Angeles and Chess Records in Chicago.

In 1952, Sam Phillips decided he should set up his own record label and release his recordings through his own label instead of selling them to others.

He set up Sun Records in 1952 and the rest, as they say, is history.

Here are some other sites with more information about Sun Records: Sun Records - Official Website ; Sun Records Discography - Singles #174 - 199 (April 1952 - April 1954); Sun Records Discography - Singles#200 - 224 (April 1954 - August 1955); Sun Records Discography - Singles#225 - 249 (August 1955 - August 1956); Sun Records Discography - Singles#250 - 299 (September 1956 - April 1958); Sun Records Discography - Singles#300 - 349 (June 1958 - November 1960); Sun Records Discography - Singles#350 - 407 (November 1960 - January 1966).

Here are some of the notable recordings Sam Phillips made at 708 Union Avenue before he started Sun Records in 1952:

Moanin' At Midnight by Howlin' Wolf
How Many More Years by Howlin Wolf
Rocket 88 by Jackie Brentson & His Delta Cats (often credited as the first rock and roll recording - produced by Ike Turner)

Here are some notable recordings from Sun Records, in chronological order of release:

Drivin' Slow by Johnny London - Sun Records single #175. Released April 1952
We All Gotta Go Sometime by Joe Louis Hill - Sun Records single #178. Released January 1953
She May Be Yours (But She Comes To See Me Sometimes) by Joe Louis Hill - Sun Records single #178. Released January 1953
Easy by Jimmy & Walter (Jimmy DeBerry and Big Walter Horton) - Sun Records single #180. Released March 1953
Bear Cat by Rufus Thomas - Sun Records single #181. Released March 1953 (Answer song to Hound Dog by Big Mama Thornton. Sun Records was successfully sued by Peacock Records for copyright infringement on this release.)
Baby Please by The Prisonaires- Sun Records single #186. Released July 1953
Just Walkin' In The Rain by The Prisonaires- Sun Records single #186. Released July 1953 (Covered by Johnny Ray in 1956)
Feelin' Good by Little Junior's Blue Flames (Little Junior Parker) - Sun Records single #187. Released July 1953
Tiger Man by Rufus Thomas - Sun Records single #188. Released July 1953
Mystery Train by Little Junior's Blue Flames (Little Junior Parker) - Sun Records single #192. Released November 1953 (later covered by Elvis Presley)
Love My Baby by Little Junior's Blue Flames (Little Junior Parker) - Sun Records single #192. Released November 1953
Lookin' For My Baby by Little Milton - unreleased version.
Rockin' Chair Daddy by Harmonica Frank (Harmonica Frank Floyd) - Sun Records single #205. Released July 1954
Cotton Crop Blues by James Cotton - Sun Records single #206. Released July 1954
I'm Gonna Murder My Baby by Pat Hare - unreleased version. ( Note: Pat Hare lived out this song title in real life when he did, in fact, murder his girlfriend in Minneapolis in 1962. Hare then shot and killed a police officer who arrived to investigate the shooting. He was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1964 and died in prison in 1980.)
That's All Right by Elvis Presley with Scotty and Bill - Sun Records single #209. Released July 1954 (Note: the song was originally written by Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup)
Blue Moon Of Kentucky by Elvis Presley with Scotty and Bill - Sun Records single #209. Released July 1954 (Note: the song was originally recorded by Bill Monroe)
I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine by Elvis Presley with Scotty and Bill - Sun Records single #210. Released September 1954
Good Rockin' Tonight by Elvis Presley with Scotty and Bill - Sun Records single #210. Released September 1954 (Note: the song was originally written by Roy Brown)
Drinkin' Wine Spodee-O-Dee by Malcolm Yelvington and the Star Rhythm Boys - Sun Records single #211. Released November 1954
I Feel So Worried by Sammy Lewis and Willie Johnson - Sun Records single #218. Released April 1955 (Note: Willie Johnson also played with Howlin' Wolf)
Red Hot by Billy "The Kid" Emerson - Sun Records single #219. Released June 1955 (Covered by Robert Gordon in 1977)
Mystery Train by Elvis Presley - Sun Records single #223. Released July 1954 (Note: the song was originally recorded for Sun Records by Little Junior Parker and released on Sun Records in November 1953)
Folsom Prison Blues by Johnny Cash & the Tennessee Two - Sun Records single #223. ReleasedAugust 1955
Blues Suede Shoes by Carl Perkins - Sun Records single #234. Released December 1955
Rock n' Roll Ruby by Warren Smith - Sun Records single #239. Released April 1956
Slow Down by Jack Earls - Sun Records single #240. Released April 1956
I Walk The Line by Johnny Cash & the Tennessee Two - Sun Records single #241. Released April 1956
Ooby Dooby by Roy Orbison & the Teen Kings - Sun Records single #242. Released May 1956
Red Headed Woman by Sonny Burgess - Sun Records single #247. Released August 1956
Come Little Mama by Ray Harris - Sun Records single #254. Released September 1956
Shooby Ooby by Rosco Gordon - Sun Records single #257. Released November 1956
Flying Saucers Rock & Roll by Billy Lee Riley & His Little Green Men - Sun Records single #260. Released January 1957
Matchbox by Carl Perkins - Sun Records single #261. Released January 1957 (Cover of a Blind Lemon Jefferson song from 1928)
Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On by Jerry Lee Lewis - Sun Records single #267. Released March 1957 (First recorded by Big Maybelle on Okeh Recordsin 1955)
Love My Baby by Hayden Thompson- recorded at Sun Records. Released in 1957 on Sun Records' Phillips International label.
Rock Boppin' Baby by Ed Bruce - Sun Records single #276. Released JAugust 1957
Raunchy by Bill Justis & His Orchestra - recorded at Sun Records. Released in September 1957 on Sun Records' Phillips International label.
Cat Called Domino by Roy Orbison - recorded by Sun Records in 1957 but unreleased until years later.
Hign School Confidential by Jerry Lee Lewis - Sun Records single #296. Released April 1958
Drinkin' Wine by Gene Simmons- Sun Records single #299. Released April 1958
One More Time by Billy Lee Riley - Sun Records single #322. Released June 1959
Lonely Weekends by Charley Rich - recorded at Sun Records. Released in January 1960 on Sun Records' Phillips International label as #3552.
Cadillac Man by The Jesters - Sun Records single #400. Released February 1966

WE RECOMMEND:

Sun Records: The 50th Anniversary Collection

Good 2 CD collection of Sun Records recordings.

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Howlin' Wolf - The Complete RPM & Chess Singles As & Bs 1951-62 by Howlin' Wolf

Great 3 CD box set with 80 classic Howlin' Wolf recordings at a reasonable price. Includes the 1951 recordings Howlin' Wolf made for Sam Phillips at Sun Studio. Highly recommended.

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