The single “Heartbreak Hotel” topped Billboard‘s Top 100 chart for
seven weeks, Cashbox‘s pop singles chart for six weeks. It was No.
1 on the Country and Western chart for seventeen weeks and went
to No. 3 on the R&B chart, becoming Presley’s first million-seller,
and one of the best-selling singles of 1956. The song reached the
top 5 of Country and best-selling singles of 1956. It also reached
the top 5 of Country and Western, pop, and Rhythm ‘n’ Blues charts
simultaneously and would eventually be certified double platinum
by the Recording Industry Association of America.

In 1995 "Heartbreak Hotel" was inducted into the Grammy Hall of
Fame, and in 2004 Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the "500
Greatest Songs of All Time". That year it was also included in the
Rock and Roll Hall of Fame‘s "500 Songs that Shaped Rock & Roll".

     
Elvis Presley holding framed gold record of “Heartbreak Hotel”
while in a recording studio.

Two guitar legends from left: James Burton and Glen Campbell are 
seen during a 1963 recording session. They were both members of
a group of L.A. studio musicians in the 1960’s dubbed, The Wrecking
Crew. Burton will turn 78 August 21. We lost Glen Campbell Tuesday
to Alzheimer’s Disease.

SANDY KOZEL

Sam Phillips (left) of Sun  Record Company and Elvis Presley.

Elvis Presley’s first commercial recording session took place in Memphis, TN
on this day in 1954.. He recorded "That’s All Right (Mama)" and "Blue Moon
of Kentucky” at Sun Studios. 

The bikini bathing suit, created by Louis Reard, made its debut
during a fashion show at the Molitor Pool in Paris on this  day
in 1946. Micheline Bernardini (above) wore the two-piece outfit.

Arthur Ashe became the first black man to win a Wimbledon singles
title when he defeated Jimmy Connors on this  day in 1975.  

Arthur Robert Ashe Jr.
(July 10, 1943 – February 6, 1993)

Larry Doby signed a contract with the Cleveland Indians, becoming
the first black player in the American League on this day in 1947.
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
    
   

Lawrence Eugene Doby
(December 13, 1923 – June 18, 2003)

Theodore Samuel Williams
(August 30, 1918 – July 5, 2002)

Williams is regarded as one of the greatest players in
baseball history. Williams retired from playing in 1960
and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in
1966.

John Lennon‘s voice was practically fried the night they recorded "Twist and
Shout." He had a bad cold and producer George Martin knew they didn’t have
much time to nail down the vocal. Lennon gargled milk and took a cough drop
before stepping into the booth and delivered his throat-shredding take on the
Isley Brothers’ classic. "That song nearly killed me," Lennon said. "My voice
wasn’t the same for a long time after; every time I swallowed, it was like
sandpaper. I was always bitterly ashamed of it, because I could sing better
than that, but now it doesn’t bother me." (Rolling Stone)

"Twist and Shout" was the only million-selling Beatles single that was a cover
record, and the only Beatles cover single to reach the Top 10 on a national
record chart. The song failed to hit #1 because the Beatles had another song
occupying the top spot, "Can’t Buy Me Love".

The instrumental track for this song was recorded first at Gold Star Studios
and took 21 takes. The vocals were recorded next over two sessions at
Columbia with the first session taking place on March 10, which also saw
vocal work on "I’m Waiting for the Day", "God Only Knows" and "I Just
Wasn’t Made for These Times". The final session was around a month
later on April 11.

The released single entered the Billboard chart on July 30 and remained
there for 11 weeks, peaking at number 8 in September 1966. It also peaked
at number 7 on the Cashbox chart and #5 in Record World.

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