Raucous Rabbit Hole - 24th September

Today’s Rabbit Hole takes us from 1920s Texas blues to Elvis, Alan Freed, Ricky Nelson and, eventually, a rather neat 45-year musical time warp...

🔥 24 SEPTEMBER 1893

BLIND LEMON JEFFERSON was born on this day in 1893 in Texas. One of the great blues recording artists of the 1920s, Jefferson’s music would have a surprisingly long afterlife. His “Matchbox Blues” was transformed by Carl Perkins into a rockabilly classic in 1955, helping carry the blues of the 1920s into the new world of rock ’n’ roll.

🔥 24 SEPTEMBER 1923

MISSISSIPPI SLIM was born in 1923. The hillbilly singer and guitarist broadcast from Tupelo and was an early influence on a young Elvis Presley. Slim even gave Elvis the opportunity to sing on his radio programme.

🔥 24 SEPTEMBER 1957

ELVIS PRESLEY releases “JAILHOUSE ROCK”, backed with “Treat Me Nice”.

Written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, “Jailhouse Rock” became one of Elvis’s defining recordings and one of the great rock ’n’ roll singles of the 1950s.

But Elvis wasn't the only thing happening on this date in '57:

🎬 ALAN FREED’S MISTER ROCK AND ROLL premiered in New York, featuring a spectacular cast including Chuck Berry, Little Richard, LaVern Baker, Clyde McPhatter, Frankie Lymon & The Teenagers and The Moonglows.

🎸 RICKY NELSON was also in the studio, recording material including “Boppin’ the Blues” and other fine rockabilly and rock ’n’ roll songs.

🔥 24 SEPTEMBER 1958

🎙️ And in 1958, The Platters began recording their beautiful version of “Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” in Paris.

⏳ FAST-FORWARD 45 YEARS...

🔥 24 SEPTEMBER 2002

ELV1S: 30 #1 HITS was released.

And among those 30 Number One singles?

“Jailhouse Rock”… The same song Elvis released on exactly the same date in 1957.

The compilation went on to reach No. 1 in the UK, where it stayed for two weeks, and also debuted at No. 1 in the US.