- Mystery Train
-
"Mystery Train" Single by Little Junior's Blue Flames B-side "Love My Baby" Released 1953 Format 7", 45rpm Recorded 1953, Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee Label Sun 192 Writer(s) Junior Parker, Sam Phillips "Mystery Train" Single by Elvis Presley A-side "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" B-side "Mystery Train" Released 1955 Format 7", 78rpm Recorded 1955, Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee Genre Rockabilly Label Sun 223 Writer(s) Junior Parker, Sam Phillips "Mystery Train" is a song written by Junior Parker and Sam Phillips.[1] It was first recorded in Phillip's Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Raymond Hill plays tenor sax and Matt Murphy plays lead guitar with Bill Johnson on piano, Pat Hare on rhythm guitar, and John Bowers on drums. The band was listed on the label as Little Junior's Blue Flames. "Mystery Train" and "Love My Baby" were released late in 1953 on Sun #192, and from the beginning the sound and feel of "Train" gave Parker his first taste of fame and name recognition.
The following lines can be found in the Carter Family's "Worried Man Blues", their biggest selling record of 1930.[2]
- The train arrived sixteen coaches long,
- The train arrived sixteen coaches long.
- The girl I love is on that train and gone."
Parker's version:
- Train I ride sixteen coaches long.
- Train I ride sixteen coaches long.
- Well, that long black train carries my baby home."
Contents
Elvis Presley cover version
Elvis Presley's version of "Mystery Train" was first released on August 20, 1955 as the B-side of "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" (Sun 223). Presley's version would be ranked #77 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2003.[3] It was again produced by Sam Phillips at Sun Studios, and featured Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Scotty Moore on lead guitar, and Bill Black on bass. Moore used a country lead break,[4] and toward the end of the record is an echo of the 1946 "Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis.[5]
RCA Victor rereleased this recording in December 1955 (#47-6357) after acquiring it as part of a contract with Presley.[6] This version of the song peaked at # 11 on the national Billboard Country Chart.[7]
Although "Mystery Train" is now considered to be an "enduring classic", the flip side of this record "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" reached the Billboard National Country music chart #1 position by February 1956, remained there for 5 weeks, and stayed on the charts for 39 weeks.[8] The May 12, 1956 issue of Billboard listed "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" at the #1 "Country & Western" "Top Juke BOx Hit Records" for the period Januarty-April 1956 with no mention of "Mystery Train".[9] It was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a national known country music star.[7][10]
Black, who had success with the Bill Black Combo, once said to a visitor to his house in Memphis, as he pointed to a framed 78rpm Sun Record of "Mystery Train" on the wall, "Now there was a record."[11]
Presley's version of the song was also ranked the third most acclaimed song of 1955, by Acclaimed Music.[12]
Influence
The song has lent its name to several other works:
- Mystery Train was the name of a TV series that documented Presley's early career while he was at Sun.
- Mystery Train is a 1989 dark comedy movie written and directed by indie film director Jim Jarmusch.[13]
- Mystery Train is the title of a book (ISBN 0-452-27836-8) by Greil Marcus on the early history of rock and roll.
- Mystery Train is the name of an eclectic radio program hosted by David Wiley on KFAI, Fresh Air Community Radio, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[14]
- Mystery Train is also the name of another very popular radio program on WJZF-LP radio in Standish, Maine, USA, hosted by Bob Reichers. Worldwide broadcasts can be heard at www.wjzf.org.
- Mystery Train is also the name of diverse themed radio programs hosted by engineer Stephen D. Gross on KGGV-LP FM 95.1 in Guerneville, California and KOWS FM 107.3 in Occidental, California.
- Mystery Train is also the name of an episode of Adventure Time.
Artists who have recorded the song
- Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed
- The Band, on Moondog Matinee, 1973, and The Last Waltz film and album (with Paul Butterfield), 1978
- Jeff Beck and Chrissie Hynde
- Boxcar Willie
- Bulldog
- The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965)
- James Burton
- Terry Dene
- Junior Wells
- The Dirtbombs
- Long John Baldry
- The Doors (live in Pittsburgh 1970, live in Philadelphia 1970; also part of "Black Train Song", a standard on their live repertoire during the band's last tours. A live recording is available on their 1997 boxed set)
- Bob Dylan (Studio Outtake)
- Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash during the Nashville Skyline sessions, 1969[15]
- Fairground Attraction (March 1988)
- Jose Feliciano
- Tom Fogerty
- Jerry Garcia Band (1976)
- Robert Gordon with Danny Gatton
- Robert Gordon and Link Wray
- John Hammond (1969)
- Emmylou Harris (1986)
- Kevin Hewick (10-15 minute long versions during live sets 1988–present)
- Led Zeppelin (San Diego, California 1977-06-19 and Oakland, California 1977-07-24)
- Alvin Lee
- Los Tres
- Bob Luman
- Vince Maloney
- Hank Marvin
- Ronnie McDowell
- Scotty Moore (1964)
- Ricky Nelson
- The Neville Brothers
- Nightlosers (1997)
- Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (2005 and in 2008 at Sun Studio)
- Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
- Merl Saunders, Jerry Garcia, John Kahn & Bill Vitt (1988)
- Michael J. Sheehy (on Ill Gotten Gains CD) 2001
- Paul Simon (during his 2008 summer tour)
- The Soft Boys (1981)
- Bruce Springsteen has performed the song live on many occasions, most recently, during his 2006 Seeger Sessions Tour by combining "Mystery Train"'s chorus with "Cadillac Ranch" from the 1980 River album.
- The Stray Cats
- Gene Summers (from Gene Summers in Nashville CD) 1981
- Pat Travers (April 11, 1992)
- Richard Thompson
- UFO (band)
- Uncle Dog (1972)
- Jimmy Velvit (from Sounds Like Elvis CD) 1996
- Williams and Ree
- Willie and the Poor Boys, short-lived band featuring Bill Wyman, Ron Wood and Charlie Watts (1994)
- Dwight Yoakam (1994)
- Neil Young (1983, on Everybody's Rockin')
- Elvis Costello
- Rick Danko, with Paul Butterfield on Cryin' Heart Blues
- Art Greenhaw, with Nokie Edwards of The Ventures on the 2005 album Twanging Guitars and Soulful Voices.[16]
References
- ^ Burke, Ken and Dan Griffin. The Blue Moon Boys - The Story of Elvis Presley's Band. Chicago Review Press, 2006. pg. 48. ISBN 1-55652-614-8
- ^ "American Experience | The Carter Family: Will the Circle Be Unbroken". Pbs.org. http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/carterfamily/sfeature/sf_song_pop_03_qry.html. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ "Search Articles, Artists, Reviews, Videos, Music and Movies". Rolling Stone. http://www.rollingstone.com/news/story/6595922/mystery_train. Retrieved 2010-11-29.
- ^ Blue Moon Boys. page 48
- ^ Tosches, Nick. Country - the Twisted Roots of Rock 'n' Roll. DeCapo Press, 1985. pg 54. ISBN 0-306-80713-0
- ^ Presley, Elvis (RCS Artist Discography) samples and labels
- ^ a b Elvis Presley's Sun Recordings
- ^ The Blue Moon Boys - The Story of Elvis Presley's Band. Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. page 46. ISBN 1-55652-614-8
- ^ Billboard May 12, 1956. page 56
- ^ Collins, Ace (1996). The Stories Behind Country Music's All-time Greatest: 100 Songs. New York: The Berkeley Publishing Group. pp. 94–96. ISBN 1-57297-072-3.
- ^ The Blue Moon Boys - The Story of Elvis Presley's Band. Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. page 152. ISBN 1-55652-614-8
- ^ "Acclaimed Music Top 3000 songs". 27 May 2009. http://www.acclaimedmusic.net.
- ^ Plasketes, George (1997). Images of Elvis Presley in American Culture, 1977-1997: The Mystery Terrain. Haworth Press. pp. 247–254. ISBN 1560249102. http://books.google.com/books?id=ABTk3bzu0pgC. Retrieved 2009-05-20.
- ^ KFAI Radio Without Boundaries | 90.3 Minneapolis | 106.7 St. Paul
- ^ Gray, Michael (2006). The Bob Dylan Encyclopedia. New York-London: Continuum International. p. 127. ISBN 0-8264-6933-7.
- ^ catalog and sound samples, www.theconnextion.com/artgreenhaw
Categories:- American songs
- Junior Parker songs
- Blues songs
- Elvis Presley songs
- 1953 singles
- Rockabilly songs
- Tom Fogerty songs
- Gene Summers songs
- Bob Dylan songs
- Neil Young songs
- Ricky Nelson songs
- The Band songs
- Ronnie McDowell songs
- Emmylou Harris songs
- Paul Simon songs
- Jerry Reed songs
- Bruce Springsteen songs
- Jimmy Velvit songs
- Songs about trains
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