March 9, 2015
Jack White Buys First Elvis Recording
Jack White was interviewed by Billboard Magazine’s Joe Levy in the March 10th edition of the music industry publication. Pick up a copy or click here to read the discussion in detail, where White describes the comeback of vinyl records, preserving music, and Jack’s recent acquisition of what many consider the holy grail of rock & roll: Elvis Presley’s first ever recording.
“Utilizing the actual unrestored audio as it currently exists on the sole original copy of “My Happiness” b/w “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” Third Man will make a limited facsimile, 10-inch 78rpm disc available on April 18, 2015. From reproducing the typewritten labels (printed on the reverse of extra Prisonaires labels that happened to be laying around Sun Records in July 1953) to being packaged in a plain, nondescript, of-the-era sleeve, the utmost attention to detail has been paid in order to create an object so close to the historic original as to almost be indistinguishable from one other.
Later this year, Third Man will release a widely available 7-inch 45rpm featuring newly restored versions of the two songs. Working from a transfer done by industry expert Alan Stoker at the Country Music Hall of Fame, the audio will be as clean as modern technology can make it without losing the feeling and soul that makes these two songs both haunting and breath-taking.” -Third Man Records
Listen to a clip of “My Happiness” and get a glimpse of this spinning piece of American musical history in this video and view images of the artwork below: