As 1956 began, Elvis Presley had recently signed with RCA Records, but he was still just a regional sensation, best known in his native South. The next 12 months would change that for good. By the end of the year, Elvis would make 11 television appearances, filmed his first movie and become RCA’s best-selling artist. He was a household name, the most controversial performer in showbiz and the first true rock ’n’ roll star.

This exciting year in Presley’s career is being celebrated by two new releases. A repackaging of the “Elvis: The Great Performances” DVD scales down the set from three to two discs but still showcases many of Presley’s most notable appearances (although the new release has a washed-out look in comparison to the 2002, three-disc edition). And “Young Man With The Big Beat,” a five-CD set, has every master recording Presley made in that historic year, plus live material and other extras (see review on page 23). 1956 was a transformational year for Presley, and in many ways set the stage for much of what was to come.

Elvis Presley delivers an electrifying performance Oct. 11, 1956, at The Cotton Bowl in Dallas. Photo courtesy Magic Collection/RCA/Legacy.

On Jan. 1, 1956, Presley was on stage in St. Louis, part of a Grand Ole Opry package headlined by Hank Snow. The show was followed by other dates — Presley would perform more than 200 shows during the year — but the gigs were merely a warm-up for the first big business of the month: Presley’s first recording session for RCA in Nashville. Anticipation was running high when Presley and his band — guitarist Scotty Moore, bassist Bill Black and drummer DJ Fontana — arrived at the studio Jan. 10. But if Presley was nervous, he didn’t show it.

“Elvis was easy to work with in the studio,” remembers Fontana. “He didn’t want anybody nervous at all; if people got nervous, he’d say, ‘Let’s go home, guys; we’ll come back another day.’ He knew what he wanted to do, and he knew what he wanted to hear. He had a good ear; he had a real good ear. He’d say, ‘Well, let’s do this, we’ll do that.’ Or he’d say, ‘Anybody got any suggestions? What can we do?’ And if he didn’t like it, he’d say, ‘Nah, we’ll do something else.’ Whatever Elvis said, well, that was the end of it. He was the main guy. We had producers sitting there reading a comic book or something; that’s about what they did. He didn’t really pay a lot of attention to them, ’cause he knew what he wanted to do. And they couldn’t argue with him, ’cause he was generally right.”

On Jan. 10-11, Presley recorded four songs, including the song planned as his first single, “Heartbreak Hotel.” It had a dark, brooding sound quite different from the rollicking songs Presley had recorded at Sun, and no one at the session viewed it as very special — at least not yet.

“It stands out, yeah,” says Fontana. “But it was just another song to everybody. We still hoped it would be a big record for him, and he did, too.”

When Steve Sholes, who’d signed Presley to RCA and had produced the Nashville sessions, brought “Heartbreak Hotel” back to New York, his bosses were unsure of its appeal; this wasn’t the sound they expected, and they’d also hoped more songs would’ve been recorded during the sessions. Even those who liked Presley’s music weren’t sure what to make of the song.

“I couldn’t imagine Elvis recording something like ‘Heartbreak Hotel,’” says Wanda Jackson, who’d played several shows with Elvis. “I thought that was just totally different than what the fans were going to want from him. I was just baffled; I said, ‘What have they done? Taking him to Nashville and making him record songs like this?’ But I was proven wrong, and I was glad. Now, I think it’s one of the best songs he ever recorded.”

The single was released Jan. 27, and Presley made his national TV debut the following day on “Stage Show,” hosted by Tommy and Jimmy Dorsey. Heavy storms meant there weren’t many in the studio audience, but Elvis nonetheless seems brimming with confidence as he strides to the mike, wearing a speckled jacket, black shirt and white tie, letting out a short “W-e-l-l-l…” before launching into “Shake Rattle and Roll” (throwing in a bit of “Flip, Flop and Fly” at the end). But what really caught the audience’s attention were the moments during the instrumental breaks, when Elvis would step back to join his musicians and start jiving around with his legs.

“The country artists basically always just stood around and played,” says Jackson. “And they didn’t move. They didn’t do any gyrations, let’s call it that. And he did.”

Rehearsals of “Heartbreak Hotel” hadn’t gone well, so instead of performing his new single, Elvis also performed “I Got A Woman” next, then jauntily strode off into the wings.

Elvis Presley rests backstage after a May 15, 1956, performance in Memphis. Photo courtesy RCA/Legacy/Barney Sellers/Commercial Appeal.

Originally scheduled to appear on “Stage Show” four times, Presley’s run was extended to six shows, subsequent dates being Feb. 4, Feb. 11, Feb. 18, March 17 and  March 24. “Heartbreak Hotel” was finally deemed good enough for the Feb. 11 performance, in a decidedly rigid arrangement with the Dorsey orchestra horns; it fared better on March 17 and 24, and the single was soon moving up the charts. RCA was anxious to capitalize on all the exposure, and recording sessions were held Jan. 30, Jan. 31 and Feb. 3 in New York. Among the tracks recorded: a great rendition of Arthur Crudup’s “My Baby Left Me” (Crudup’s “That’s All Right (Mama)” had been Presley’s first single on Sun), and Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes.” Presley hadn’t wanted to kill Perkins’ own chances of success with the song, so the track was kept as an album and EP release.

The “Elvis Presley” album was released March 23, as were single- and double-EP sets also named “Elvis Presley.” (In June, a third EP titled “Elvis Presley” was released.) In between “Stage Show” appearances, Elvis kept busy on the road, as the crowds continued to get bigger.

“He was just exploding,” Jackson recalls. “And he was having a ball with everything. He was fresh and new and young, energetic; it was a whole new era being born, and it was exciting. There was nothing to compare it to. No one had ever seen anything like him. He just single-handedly turned our business upside down.”

Plans were now made for Presley to move to an even bigger stage. From March 26-28, he was in Los Angeles, making his first screen test. In addition to performing a scene from “The Rainmaker,” he also was filmed lip-syncing to “Blue Suede Shoes,” a terrifically lively performance that fully reveals his obvious charisma. Producer Hal Wallis didn’t hesitate; he offered Elvis a seven-picture contract, with a provision allowing Presley to be loaned out to other studios. Presley was thrilled. As a keen movie fan, he looked forward to finally being able to make a film of his own.

March 31 was Presley’s last appearance on the “Louisiana Hayride” radio show, where he’d been a regular attraction. His contract was bought out so that he’d able to tour without being tied down to weekly “Hayride” appearances. There was more TV work on April 3, when Elvis made his first appearance on “The Milton Berle Show,” broadcast onboard the aircraft carrier “USS Hancock,” moored in San Diego, in front of an appreciative audience of sailors and their dates. Presley performed “Shake, Rattle and Roll,” “Blue Suede Shoes” and “Heartbreak Hotel,” looking relaxed and clearly having a ball. April also saw the release of the EP “Heartbreak Hotel.”

Elvis Presley performs on the Steve Allen Show July 1, 1956.

On April 14, after a near mishap on a small-plane flight the previous day, Presley recorded the ballad “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You” in Nashville. Ten days later, he opened in Las Vegas, playing the Venus Room at The New Frontier Hotel, along with Freddy Martin and His Orchestra and Shecky Greene. It was the first misstep in Presley’s career since his lukewarm reception on “The Grand Ole Opry” in 1954. The adult audiences in Vegas simply weren’t interested in the latest teen idol. Presley himself was so despondent about his reception he later recalled, “After that first night, I went outside and just walked around in the dark. It was awful.” Though on the first night he’d closed the show, the running order was switched for the rest of the two-week run.

But in the charmed year of 1956, there was always a silver lining. During the Vegas run, The “Heartbreak Hotel” single and “Elvis Presley” album both reached No. 1, and “I Want You, I Need You, I Love You,” released May 4, had a huge advance order of 300,000; it later peaked at No. 3. But the biggest payoff of Presley’s Vegas appearance came when he was offstage.

When he wasn’t working, Presley took in as many shows as he could, and, while seeing Freddie Bell and The Bellboys at The Sands, was impressed by their version of “Hound Dog.” The Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller number had been an R&B hit for Big Mama Thornton in 1953, and in 1955, Teen Records owner Bernie Lowe suggested Bell add the song to his act, having him rewrite the lyrics, as well (to lyricist Leiber’s displeasure). Presley quickly decided to add the song to his own stage act; he performed it during his second appearance on “The Milton Berle Show” on June 5 (broadcast from NBC’s L.A. studio). He pulled all stops out; instead of playing his guitar, he grabbed the mike stand and gyrated around it.

During the song’s extended coda, he jerked his hips and legs in comic exaggeration, a humor readily picked up by the laughing studio audience, and Berle (who shook Presley’s hand afterwards while enthusing “How about my boy? I love him!”), but which clearly went over the heads of American’s moral guardians, who branded Presley as “obscene.”

Such denunciations came as a shock to Presley, Fontana recalls.

“He said, ‘That’s the farthest thing from my mind is being vulgar. My mama would whip me if I were vulgar,’” Fontana remembers. “But the public thought he was vulgar, and they made fun of him.”

The controversy had an immediate impact on Presley’s upcoming appearance on “The Steve Allen Show” on July 1. There was pressure on Allen to cancel, but who could pass up such a high ratings draw? It was decided that Presley would appear, but Allen assured viewers that he “would not allow [Elvis] to do anything that will offend anyone.”

Rehearsals for the show were held June 29 in New York, and the next few days would be superbly documented by photographer Al Wertheimer, tapped by RCA to be on hand. Wertheimer accompanied Presley to his next gig on June 30 in Richmond, Va., where he snapped an iconic photo of Presley playfully touching tongues with his date backstage. For years the identity of the young woman was unknown, but earlier this year, Elvis author Alanna Nash, in an article for “Vanity Fair” online, revealed that Presley’s “date for the day” was Barbara Owens (now Barbara Gray), then 20 years old.

“I thought, ‘God, he’s beautiful,’” Owens said of the moment she first met Presley.

Then it was back to New York for “The Steve Allen Show.” Allen had Presley dressed in a white tie and tails, a satiric jab at those who touted the merits of “respectability.” The joke was clearly lost on Presley, who looked uncomfortable in his outfit, but he proved to be a good sport, throwing a doleful “Look what they’ve made me do” glance at the audience before performing “Hound Dog” to a Bassett hound wearing a top hat. But afterwards, the strain of the last few days began to show; during his appearance on “Hy Gardner Calling” that night, he looks positively exhausted.

Elvis Presley performs with The Jordanaires during an Oct. 28, 1956 appearance on "The Ed Sullivan Show."

The next day, there was a recording session of the song that was the obvious choice for the next single: “Hound Dog,” with Otis Blackwood’s “Don’t Be Cruel” as the flip side. Presley then returned to Memphis by train; remarkably, he got off one stop prior to the main stop, and walked home alone. Just hours later, he headlined a show at Russwood Park, announcing at one point, “You know, those people in New York are not gonna change me none! I’m gonna show you what the real Elvis is like tonight!” Fans stormed the stage, and in words of a local reporter, “[Elvis] rocked ’em, socked ’em, set them screaming with delight.”

Presley then had a month off, during which time “Hound Dog”/“Don’t Be Cruel,” released July 13, easily topped the charts, becoming another million seller (initially “Don’t Be Cruel” was regarded as the chart topper, with “Hound Dog” peaking at No. 2; but since the single is regarded as a double A-side, both songs are now listed by “Billboard” as being No. 1s, and both were included on the “30 #1 Hits” CD). Live performances continued on Aug. 3 in Florida, and controversy continued to plague Presley. While in Jacksonville, he was told he’d be arrested if he didn’t tone his act down, so he responded by teasingly wiggling his little finger during the show, to the screaming delight of the audience.

Mid-month, Presley was in L.A. to begin work on his first movie for 20th Century Fox. What was then titled “The Reno Brothers” began shooting on Aug. 22. Presley had hoped it would be a purely dramatic feature, but to his disappointment, he was sent into Fox’s studio on Aug. 24 and Sept. 4 to record four songs for the film, including the number that would become the film’s new title: “Love Me Tender.”

Between work on the film, more sessions were held at L.A. studio Radio Recorders from Sept. 1-3. Presley recorded 13 songs, most of which were slated for his second album. Most notable was “Old Shep,” a tearjerker about a man and his beloved dog, which Presley had sung at age 10 at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair and Dairy Show in his hometown of Tupelo, Miss., and won a prize. He also recorded another of Otis Blackwell’s songs, “Paralyzed,” and a smoky version of Leiber-Stoller’s “Love Me.”

RCA kept up a steady stream of record releases. August saw the release of “The Real Elvis” EP, as well seven singles, mostly drawn from Presley’s first album, the idea being to generate sales from people who preferred to buy singles (especially teenagers, whose small, portable record players weren’t always capable of playing albums). His next new single, “Love Me Tender,” was released on Sept. 28, soon reaching No. 1, with the flip side, “Any Way You Want Me” reaching No. 27 (the latter song was also the title of an EP released the same month).

Ed Sullivan had sworn he’d never have Presley on his program, but the ratings he pulled in were too tempting to resist, and Presley finally appeared on “The Ed Sullivan Show” Sept. 9. The show was hosted that week by Charles Laughton, as Sullivan was recuperating from a car accident, and the New York broadcast cut away to Los Angeles for Presley’s segments. His performance of “Hound Dog” was restrained; Presley only really cut loose on “Ready Teddy,” the camera cutting away from his more wild gyrations. He also debuted “Love Me Tender.”

Elvis Presley performs at the 1956 Mississippi-Alabama State Fair. Photo courtesy RCA/Legacy.

On Sept. 26, Presley returned to his hometown in triumph, performing two shows at the Mississippi-Alabama Fair; a recording of the shows, though rough, readily conveys the excitement of the performances. Presley began October with a quick recording session in L.A. for “Love Me Tender.” His next records, the album “Elvis” (another No. 1) and two EPs, “Elvis Vol. 1” and “Elvis Vol. 2,” were released Oct. 19. By the end of the month, Presley was back in New York for his second “Ed Sullivan” appearance on Oct. 28, the same day a 40-foot-tall replica of his image was unveiled on the top of the Paramount Theater’s marquee, promoting “Love Me Tender.” There was a clear element of put-on in Presley’s performance; knowing how easy it is to provoke screams from his audience, he plays with them in a manner that’s quite different from his more straight-ahead TV performances earlier in the year.

Sun Records' Sam Phillips and Johnny Cash, circa 1961 (left). Sam Phillips and Elvis Presley, Dec. 4, 1956. Photos released in conjunction with the Biography channel special "Sam Phillips: The Man Who Invented Rock and Roll." Credit: Sam Phillips/Peter Jones Productions/A&E.

The next day, there was a final bit of filming for “Love Me Tender” in New York; though Presley’s character is killed in the movie, his ghostly face was superimposed over the final scene, singing the title song, to soothe distressed fans. The film opened in New York on Nov. 15, with wide release following Nov. 21 (an EP with the film’s songs was released the same day). Reviews were mixed, with critics taking potshots at Presley’s performance. But the real problem lay in the film itself. Aside from the title track, based on the Civil War ballad “Aura Lee,” the songs sat uneasily in the film, and the storyline, which had Presley and his screen brother competing for the same woman, was a melodramatic soap opera. It was an unsatisfying film debut for such a charismatic star, and Presley’s talents would never be fully utilized in the movies.

But that disappointment lay in the future. December was a relatively quiet month for Presley. On Dec. 4, he dropped in at Sun Studios in Memphis and ended up hanging out with Carl Perkins and Jerry Lee Lewis. Producer Sam Phillips quickly put in a call to Johnny Cash, as well as a reporter and photographer, turned on his tape recorder, and the “Million Dollar Quartet” was born, producing a recording of the performers singing snatches of songs and trading stories of their newfound success. (Turn to page 62 to trace the Six Degrees of the Million Dollar Quartet.)

Presley’s final performance of the year was his last “Louisiana Hayride” show (also part of the buyout deal), a benefit for the Shreveport, La., YMCA. In the audience was Hal Kanter, who would write and direct Presley’s next film, “Loving You.” Already plans were being laid for next year’s work. But no year was destined to repeat the accomplishments of 1956.

There were certainly further triumphs to come, but Elvis Presley would never have such a hectic year again.

Looney Tunes Records is located in Boston. Photo courtesy Looney Tunes' Myspace page.

By Bruce Sylvester

BOSTON — As the saying goes, you haven’t got too many records until your floor collapses.  Mine hasn’t yet, so of course I was delighted when Looney Tunes (one of my fave Boston area used diskeries) announced a 33-1/3-off sale through the end of this month in honor of its 33-1/3 anniversary. All formats, even those that don’t spin at 33-1/3 revolutions per minute, are included in the sale.

Forgoing their ample Elvis collection, I stocked up on 1920s-40s vocalists. Ethel Waters’ coy 32-song, two-LP “Her Greatest Years” for $5.33 — good deal!

Maybe if Looney Tunes sells 33-1/3 of its stock during the anniversary sale, it’ll be easier for collectors to browse through the LP mountains (though, to be fair, In Your Ear on Commonwealth Avenue is even more jam packed).

Looney Tunes is at 1106 Boylston St. near the corner of Massachusetts Avenue (Hynes Center subway stop), not far from Fenway Park.

Why fight about what it is?…it’s all music…it’s all magical

By Phill Marder

(As promised last time, this exciting episode explores the definition of Rock & Roll)

Like me, the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame is far from perfect.

I know, I know. Hard to believe.

For starters, it should have been and still should be designated the Rock Era Hall of Fame. That way, when Abba, Madonna, Bob Marley, Miles Davis and countless others were inducted, there could be no screaming, ” They’re not Rock & Roll,” as if anyone can provide the definitive definition of Rock & Roll in the first place.

Ironically, the variety of music provided by the Hall of Fame inductees is one of the nominating committee’s crowning achievements. For while I can’t tell you what Rock & Roll is anymore than anyone else, I can tell you it’s not as limited as some of you like to believe. Rock & roll is not just two guitars, bass and drums, though that may be the trunk of the Rock tree, and the Hall of Fame recognizes that. The trunk yes, but many branches have developed as the Rock Era years have gone by.

Buried deep below the surface are the roots, Country and Blues. The branches? Everything else. So don’t tell me The Moody Blues aren’t Rock & Roll. And the Commodores aren’t Rock & Roll. And Yes isn’t Rock & Roll. And Donna Summer isn’t Rock & Roll.

As John Sebastian sang in the Lovin’ Spoonful’s “Do You Believe In Magic?,” “don’t bother to choose, it’s jugband music or rhythm & blues.” You’re right, Eric, it’s all meat from the same bone.

It’s Buddy Holly doing “Rave On,” then turning around to do “True Love Ways” or “It Doesn’t Matter Anymore.” It’s Elvis snarling “Hound Dog,” then doing “It’s Now Or Never.” It’s Fats Domino pounding out “Blue Monday,” then weaving “Walkin’ To New Orleans” in and out of the string section. It’s Ricky Nelson releasing two-sided hits that paired opposites such as “Just A Little Too Much” and “Sweeter Than You.”

Did Roy Orbison become a rock & roll star singing “Ooby Dooby” or such symphonic mini-operas such as “Running Scared,” “Crying” and “In Dreams”? Who was the real Eddie Cochran, the one who gave us “Somethin’ Else” or “Sittin’ In The Balcony”? Who was the real Gene Vincent, he of “Dance To The Bop” or “Wear My Ring”?

Were the Everly Brothers those of “Bye Bye Love” or “Devoted To You”? Was James Brown not symphonic in “Try Me” or “It’s A Man’s World.”? How about Ray Charles? Have you ever listened to the album “Ingredients In A Recipe For Soul”? Was Sam Cooke’s “You Send Me” closer to Donovan’s “Lalena” or AC/DC’s “Back In Black”? Or Bobby Darin – “Queen of the Hop” or “Mack The Knife?”

How about Jackie Wilson belting out “All My Love” or “Night”? Was Jackie Wilson not rock & roll? The Skyliners “Since I Don’t Have You” and “This I Swear,” two of the greatest ballads in the history of rock & roll…not rock & roll? For that matter, I could name almost any ballad that has become a rock & roll standard, “At Last” by Etta James, “It’s Just A Matter Of Time” by Brook Benton, for instance. Not Rock & Roll?

How about anything by rock’s greatest ’50s vocal group, The Platters. Not rock & roll?

Two different looks of Rock & Roll from two of the greatest groups, The Platters, the masters of the ballad, & The Beatles, the masters…period

Consider this album: Side 1 – 1. Till There Was You; 2. And I Love Her; 3. She’s Leaving Home; 4. Continuing Story Of Bungalow Bill; 5. Eleanor Rigby; 6. Julia; 7. Martha My Dear.

Side 2 – 1. Fool On The Hill; 2. Honey Pie; 3. When I’m 64; 4. If I Fell; 5. Yesterday; 6. You Know My Name, Look Up The Number; 7. Good Night

If that had been the only album you ever heard by the greatest band of the Rock Era, would you have called them a Rock & Roll band? And I could have turned it into a full four-disc box set.

The Beatles are a four-piece band that played rock & roll. Because they were so versatile, they could change instrumentation, style, mood, whatever you want to call it, to give us an unbelievable variety of fantastic music. Was it all rock & roll? I think yes. Was “As Tears Go By” or “Backstreet Girl” not rock & roll? They were great cuts written and recorded by what many consider the “greatest rock & roll band of all.”

Brian Wilson gave us some of the most beautiful music ever written. Was he and his group not rock & roll?

Where some bands would emphasize their “Jumpin’ Jack Flash” side and sprinkle in the occasional “As Tears Go By,” some bands go the opposite route, emphasizing the “Nights In White Satin” style while sprinkling in “I’m Just A Singer In A Rock & Roll Band” or “Question.”

And I could go on and on, which most of you would say I usually do.

I can’t pretend to know the definition of Rock & Roll. But I was there from the beginning. Actually, I must admit, before the beginning. I had a collection of 78s which I played on an old wind-the-crank phonograph, so I was into Perry Como, Jo Stafford, Hank Williams etc. before the “big bang.” Then I got a paper route – actually two – for the prime purpose of having money to purchase the latest 45s, the first three of which were “All Shook Up,” “Blue Monday” and “Mama Look At Bubu.” And I ended up delivering the bad news on the doorstep.

Still, I was the Northern kid who said, “But I will” every time the record store stocked a new yellow Sun 45.

Take my first three 45s as an example of what I’m blabbing about. “Blue Monday,” a driving rocker by Fats Domino, was backed by “What’s The Reason I’m Not Pleasing You,” which also became a hit. “What’s The Reason” was originally a hit for Guy Lombardo in 1935 and Fats’ entire catalog is sprinkled with remakes of old standards. If Fats wasn’t Rock & Roll, who was? Elvis’ “All Shook Up” also was a two-sided hit, the flip being the quiet “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin,” written in 1937 and recorded by the Ink Spots in 1941. Elvis…”The King of Rock & Roll.”

Harry Belafonte was one of the biggest superstars of the early Rock era

The third became a No. 11 record by the superstar Harry Belafonte whose genes were provided by his Jamaican mother and West Indian father. In the style of what was then known as calypso, many today would not classify it as rock & roll but the chalypso was one of early rock’s most popular dances and it fit “Mama Look At Bubu” perfectly. Belafonte also had other major hits, “Jamaica Farewell” and today’s ballpark favorite “Banana Boat,” more commonly known as “Day-O.”

Twenty years before Bob Marley and just as much a star, why isn’t Belafonte accorded the same rock & roll respect? Only because those alive at Rock’s outset, when Belafonte was cranking out hits, are few and far between today. If “Mama Look At Bubu” doesn’t fit your definition of Rock, then reggae shouldn’t either. But both, chalypso and reggae, are branches of the Rock Era tree. By the way, the flip, a soft ballad entitled “Don’t Ever Love Me,” also charted, then returned four years later as the Arthur Lyman instrumental, “Yellow Bird,” which rose all the way to No. 4.

Which brings us to the conclusion. Can I tell you what “Rock & Roll” is? No chance. The best I can come up with is “music released since 1955 that appeals to young people.” Some young people find Metallica appealing, some like Dionne Warwick. Some love Eminem, others Linda Ronstadt. Some like The Association, and some, yes, The Velvet Underground. Some love Bob Dylan acoustic, some love Bob Dylan electric.

And some, me for instance, love all of it … practically.

Having been there from the start, when the radio played Little Richard followed by Johnny Horton followed by Paul Anka followed by Jerry Lee, I was exposed to every form of what was simply known then as Rock & Roll and, fortunately for me, I kept my ears open as the years passed or else I would have missed a lot of great music no matter what name you wanted to give it.

Why listen to the Moody Blues or The Commodores and try to fit them into a category? The Moody Blues, Procol Harum and other progressive groups such as Yes, Emerson, Lake & Palmer, Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Gentle Giant, Rush…you get the picture…are simply bands expanding the boundaries of Rock as far as they are capable of doing. Groups such as The Commodores, Earth, Wind & Fire, Sly & The Family Stone and others simply follow the lead of Brown, Wilson, Cooke et al. They’re just different branches of the same tree.

Little Richard rocks…and so does Emerson, Lake & Palmer

It’s not Rock & Roll if you confine the definition to something that approaches “Keep A Knockin’,’ but it is rock & roll if your definition encompasses “Keep A Knockin’” as well as “My Special Angel,” “Dark Side Of The Moon” and “(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party).”

So applaud the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame this time. Their choices leave much room for debate – and, in case you haven’t noticed, no one has ranted more incessantly about them than yours truly – but give credit where credit is due. The Hall of Fame recognizes the great diversity making up what is known as Rock & Roll. It can be The Red Hot Chili Peppers. It can be Chaka Khan. It can be Eric B. & Rakim. It can be Heart.

Those who were there at the beginning will tell you the strict categorization came later. When it started, it all was just Rock & Roll. When the new 45 by Elvis or Connie Francis or The Drifters came out, only one question was asked…

Is it fast or slow?

By Susan Sliwicki

Some folks like to follow specific themes when building their vinyl record collections, such as collecting by a specific genre, format, label or even artist. Well, here’s a new way to define your collection: Rock and Roll Hall of Fame membership.

Since the articles in this Spring 2011 special issue of Goldmine all focused on inductees to The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, we wondered just which of the subjects of our articles would be at the head of the class for collectibility, at least in terms of online auctions.

The answer most folks would guess right off the bat is, of course, is The Beatles, who are featured in a roundabout way in our article about Bruce Spizer’s latest must-have book about collecting Beatles records.

But if you take Butcher Covers and other Fab Four rarities that tend to show up in auction houses (and bring tens of thousands of dollars apiece) out of the picture and look simply at results of collector-to-collector-style online auctions that occur on eBay, the answer is a bit different. Copies of The Fab Four’s “Please Please Me” are the most popular of the group’s recordings listed on Popsike, and they sell for $5,000 and up. But, there are a few other students who — gasp! — easily beat out The Beatles in year’s edition of Collecting The Rock Hall, based on auction results listed at Popsike.com.

(What are your records worth? Check out our guides!)

Valedictorian

The Sex Pistols (Class of 2006): While the Pistols have always happily thumbed their noses at the establishment, we’re betting they’re secretly pleased — well, the ones that are still alive, that is —  that collectors are really into their records. The Pistols hold the honor of topping our countdown of Popsike-recorded auction results with copies of “God Save The Queen,” which brought a high of $22,227.50 at auction in 2006. Copies also sold twice in 2009 for $13,073.40 each time and sold twice more in 2006 for $18,879.80 and $17,536.50.

Salutatorian

Robert Johnson (Class of 1986): When you’re the stuff of legends, it seems only reasonable that your records command legendary prices, and that’s just what Robert Johnson’s do. The most recent example? A NM copy of Vocalion 4108 featuring “Me And The Devil Blues” b/w “Little Queen of Spades” sold for $12,100 in fall 2010. (It also brought $3,304 in February 2011). Four-figure sales tend to be the rule, and it’s for all manner of Johnson’s songs, including “I’m A Steady Rollin’ Man” b/w “Stones in My Passway ($9,782.80 and $4,529); “Dead Shrimp Blues” b/w “I Believe I’ll Dust My Broom” ($5,100); “Kind Hearted Woman Blues” / “Terraplane Blues” ($4,330, $3,506.58 and $2,711);  “Honeymoon Blues,” “Sweet Home Chicago” / “Walkin’ Blues” ($3,575); “Me And The Devil Blues,” “Malted Milk” b/w “Milkcow’s Calf Blues” ($4,350 and $2,717); and “Come On In My Kitchen” / “They’re Red Hot” ($4,000).

This is especially impressive if you consider that these prices are coming for the equivalent of a week’s studio work. All of Johnson’s issued recordings were cut from three days’ worth of sessions in November 1936 and two days in June 1937. He recorded 29 songs in his all-too-brief career, which came to a painful halt Aug. 13, 1938, when Johnson died of suspected poisoning.

 Honor Students

Elvis Presley (Class of 1986): They don’t call Elvis “The King” for nothing. His records regularly command royal prices at online auctions, including his top-performer to date on popsike.com, a Mint, unplayed copy of Sun 209, “That’s All Right” / “Blue Moon of Kentucky,” which pulled in a hefty price of $11,400. (A similar copy of Sun 209 sold for $10,000 in March 2010).  In fact, every single Sun 45 and 78 Elvis ever made shows up somewhere in the list, and all of them command four figures and more. He’s got plenty of other strong draws, too, including $5,000 paid for an unopened copy of “Speedway” sold in 2007.

Buddy Holly (Class of 1986): Another artist gone far too soon, Buddy Holly left behind a distinct musical legacy that collectors are happy to pay nice prices to own. Among the top examples: A complete set of Holly’s U.S. EPs that sold for $1,782 in 2007; an acetate of Holly’s “I WantTo Play House With You,” which brought $1,725 in 2009; a 3-EP collector’s pack that sold for $1,488.81 in 2005; and some promo pressings, including a pink-label copy of Holly’s “That’ll Be The Day”  ($1,211) and a yellow-label Brunswick pressing of Holly and “The ‘Chirping’ Crickets” ($1,250).

Alice Cooper Band (Class of 2011): Alice Cooper may be the new kid on the Rock Hall block, but records related to its early days  — particularly the 45 “Lay Down and Die, Goodbye” b/w “Wonder Who’s Loving Her Now”  on the Very Record label recorded when the band still called itself Nazz, have brought a pretty penny at auction, selling for up to $3,050. The band’s incarnation as Spiders for “Don’t Blow Your Mind” b/w “No Price Tag” on the Santa Cruz label ($788 to $1,525) has also done nicely.

Tom Waits (Class of 2011): The eclectic singer-songwriter may not be all that much to look at, but his records draw some nice attention, particularly a promo test of 1983’s “Swordfishtrombones,” which sold for $1,090.59 in a 2008 online auction. Also of interest is the diverse pool of records toward the top of Waits’ popsike list, including a red/blue vinyl recording of “I Sing You Under The Table” ($607.09); a 3-LP box set of “Ended up in Edinburgh” ($563.66) and a 3-LP copy of “Make It Rain” ($562.) Also interesting? Many of these sales were originating in Britain and Germany, which makes us ponder Waits’ collectibility overseas vs. in the U.S.

Jerry Lee Lewis (Class of 1986): A 78 RPM Sun Records acetate of Lewis’ “It’ll Be Me” takes top honors for the outspoken artist also known as The Killer. It sold for $1,561 in 2008. Also on the list? A South African 10-inch pressing of London 5520 that sold for $826 in 2006.

Bob Marley (Class of 1994): Bob Marley’s recordings consistently draw $500 and up, topping out at $3,075 on the popsike list for “Diamond Baby” b/w “Where’s The Girl For Me” on the CoxSone label; other copies of that record brought $1,225 in 2010, $1,401 in 2005, $1,650 in 2008 and $2,850 in 2009.

Donovan (Class of … Not Yet): OK, OK, we know The Sunshine Superman isn’t in the Rock Hall … Yet. But he’s already there in Goldmine readers’ hearts (which is why he was featured in our Rock Hall issue as our fan pick). So how does he stack up with collectors? Surprisingly, better than several members of the 2011 class. A two-sided, 12-track acetate Donovan cut at The Beatles’ Apple studios in 1969 or 1970 sold for $1018.41. Also of interest? A cool blue vinyl, 10-inch U.K. acetate, also cut on the Apple label, that sold for $578 in 2009.

The Allman Brothers Band (Class of 1995): When it comes to collecting big-ticket Allman Brothers Band records, there are two titles that dominate popsike: so-called holy grail mono copies of “The Allman Brothers Band At Fillmore East” and the Mobile Fidelity Sound Labs pressing of “Eat A Peach. “Fillmore” has sold for $600 and up in online auctions conducted since 2004, while “Eat A Peach” has brought between $385 and $910, depending upon condition.

The Rest of the Graduates

Chuck Berry (Class of 1986): Chuck Berry’s a rock and roll legend. Unfortunately, his records haven’t quite hit legendary status among collectors. A first-pressing Mint mono LP of Chuck Berry “After School Session” has honors for the biggest auction price tag of $980. A mono copy of his “Rocking At the Hops” on Chess sold for $970 in January 2011, and a NM U.K pressing of his “One Dozen Berries” brought a handsome $837.51 at auction in February 2011.

Hank Ballard (Class of 1990): Alas, Hank Ballard, either with or without The Midnighters, is not a super-hot artist to collect compared with other Rock Hall alumni. His top-performing records at auction include a NM Hank Ballard and The Midnighters “Singing and Swinging” on King ($396); a still-sealed copy of Hank Ballard’s Biggest Hits on King ($257); and a VG+ copy of “The Midnighters: Their Greatest Hits” on Federal ($244.)

James Brown (Class of 1986): Record prices don’t exactly reflect Brown’s stature as the hardest-working man in show business. His top auction result was for an unissued LP on the People label that Brown completed with Fred Wesley, which sold for $1,600 in 2004; it included the tracks “Watermelon Man” and “Everybody Plays The Fool.” His other top offerings were an unissued 3-LP set on the King Label ($1,260 in 2004) and a trio of records — “Please Please Please,” “Try Me” and “Think!” — that sold for $1,082 in 2007.

Ray Charles (Class of 1986): It’s a crying shame that, for a man of his musical talent Ray Charles isn’t a hot-ticket artist with collectors. His top draw? A VG++ copy of “What’d I Say” on Atlantic 2031, issued in 1959, that sold for $315 in 2006. For folks who just love good music, seems like collecting Ray Charles is a relative bargain compared to other Hall of Famers.

Sam Cooke (Class of 1986): Sam Cooke was shot to death in December 1964 altercation, but even death couldn’t stop his hits from rising up the charts. But unlike fine art, the value of a musician’s work doesn’t necessarily appreciate with his death. Cooke is just such an example: His top entry on Popsike.com was $986 for a mono Mint-condition copy of his second album, “Encore” followed by $836 paid for a Mint copy of “I Thank God.”

Fats Domino (Class of 1986): Of course, living a long life doesn’t mean your records will cruise to the top of collectors’ lists, either, as Antoine “Fats” Domino can attest. But he does have one very beautiful auction entry for a mono, splash-color vinyl pressing of  “Just Domino” on the Imperial label (LP 9208), which sold for $1,190 in September 2010. The record was a one-of-a-kind pressing made at the Imperial plant.

The Everly Brothers (Class of 1986): Goldmine readers love their music, but The Everly Brothers aren’t necessarily heating up a lot of high-end collectors’ want lists. Their top-selling record to date on popsike is a 78 RPM pressing of “Keep A’Lovin’ Me” / “The Sun Keeps Shining” on Columbia 21496, which sold for $356 in 2007, followed closely by the 1960 Apex 78 “Let It Be Me,” which sold for $354 in 2008.

Little Richard (Class of 1986): Whop bop-a-lu-a, a whop bam boo! You’d think the artist who could string together such a catchy clutch of scat would rank higher on collectors’ lists, but alas, there are really only two Little Richard records that regularly see higher-end action on the auction circuit. Interestingly enough, they’re both on the Specialty label, which was founded by 2011 Rock Hall inductee Art Rupe. In the past four years, “Little Richard” has brought between $262 and $866 at auction, while “Here’s Little Richard” has drawn between $242 and $510.

Darlene Love (Class of 2011): Perhaps this fierce songbird’s induction to the Rock Hall will boost collectibility of her records. Her best performer so far on Popsike.com has been a VG+ copy of “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” b/w “Winter Blues” on Philles X125, which brought $610 at auction. For the most part, though, her records are selling in the $150 and under range.

Neil Diamond (Class of 2011): He is, he said. But what he isn’t is particularly collectible, at least so far. The most desirable item shown in Popsike.com is a deejay copy 45 of Neil & Jack on Duel 517, “Till You’ve Tried Love,” which is Diamond’s first recording, and which sold for $532.

Dr. John (Class of 2011): Alas, Dr. John is in the same general boat as Darlene Love and Neil Diamond when it comes to collectibility. There are a few nice pieces that have sold in the $400 to $500 range, including a  promo copy of “Zu Zu Man” by the Zu Zu Blues Band on the A&M Records.

Leon Russell (Class of 2011): Elton John loves Leon Russell’s work. Now that Russell’s in the rock hall, maybe the rest of the world will discover his treasures. But to date, his big-ticket records are topping out less than $300. At the top of his Popsike list? A Mint, limited-edition, unplayed copy of his duet with Elton John, “If It Wasn’t For Bad” on Mercury, which sold for $242.97 in October 2010.