Verdict
Maybe the lower sales were caused by the comparably weak b-side. For me "Good Rockin' Tonight" is so strong, I would have given a five star rating even if the other side of the record had been left blank.
(C) SUN Records
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The second single of the young artist contained the songs "Good Rockin' Tonight" and "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" and was released on October 4, 1954. On the local "Country & Western Chart" in Memphis it reached number 3, but in total SUN Records sold less copies than of the previous single. In November 1955 RCA Victor took over and sold the 45 under their own brand. Today the track "Good Rockin' Tonight" is quite popular amongst the fans and was streamed through Spotify around 100 million times. However, "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" accumulates no more than 2.3 million streams.
The record was sold in the usual SUN Records papersleeve. At the time the label didn't produce individual picture sleeves for their releases.
The single is not available on the streaming platforms. "Good Rockin' Tonight" can be found on the album "A Date With Elvis" (1959), "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" is included on the longplayer "For LP Fans Only" (1959).
Good Rockin' Tonight
The singer asks a girl out for dancing, but the subtext clarifies, that dancing isn't the only thing he wants to do with the lady. "Good Rockin' Tonight" was written by Roy Brown, who also recorded it in 1947. Elvis followed him on September 10, 1954 at SUN Records in Memphis/Tennessee. Five years after the release of this single, RCA Victor re-released the track on the extended player "A Touch Of Gold - Volume 1" and the longplayer "A Date With Elvis". In 1976 "Good Rockin' Tonight" was also included on the album "The Sun Sessions". For me, this is one of the king's best SUN recordings.
I Don't Care If The Sun Don't ShineThe song was written by Mack David for the Disney production "Cinderella", but finally wasn't used. It was first recorded in 1949 by Tony Martin, later "I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine" was covered by Tony's namesake Dean and Patti Page. Because Sam Phillips regarded the song to be too short for a single, his assistant Marion Keisker wrote an additional verse ("It don't matter if it's sleed or snow...."), which Elvis included in his performance. He did so on September 10, 1954 and needed three takes. RCA Victor re-released the track on the ep "Any Way You Want Me" (1956) and the albums "For LP Fans Only" (1959) and "The Sun Sessions" (1976).
Maybe the lower sales were caused by the comparably weak b-side. For me "Good Rockin' Tonight" is so strong, I would have given a five star rating even if the other side of the record had been left blank.
(C) SUN Records