On August 31, 1956 RCA Victor released eight singles in one swoop. Besides "Shake, Rattle & Roll" / "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" the label also issued all tracks of the album "Elvis Presley". The most successful one was "Blue Suede Shoes" / "Tutti Frutti", which didn't chart but sold more than a million copies in the US and was certified Platinum by the RIAA. The other ones didn't even came close to this number, but nevertheless the label sold several 100,000 units of each single. Nowadays "Blue Suede Shoes" is quite popular and found 148 million listeners on Spotify. "Tutti Frutti" accumulates 17 million streams.

The records were sold in simple brown paper sleeves, nobody bothered to design proper covers. The whole idea was to generate some extra money by releasing the tracks in another format. 

The single is not available on the streaming platforms since the tracks can be found on the album "Elvis Presley". However, "Blue Suede Shoes" clocks in at more than 148 million streams on Spotify.

The song is based on an occurrence Johnny Cash had witnessed while on military service in Landsberg Am Lech/Germany. His supervisor always used to say "don't step on my blue suede shoes" when he wanted to point out one should not challenge him. Cash told the story to Carl Perkins and when he saw a dancing couple with the man keeping the lady at distance to avoid she was stepping on his shoes, he mixed the incidents and turned them into a song. He called the result "Blue Suede Shoes" and released it on January 1, 1956 on a single. Because Elvis liked the song and had performed it on television Steve Sholes pressed him to record it in the studio. The young singer gave in and put the song on tape on January 30, 1956 within ten takes. Sholes planned to release the song on a single and use the market power of RCA Victor to entice the hit away from Carl. It is said that Elvis opposed and the track was used on the album only. However, in August 1956 "Blue Suede Shoes" was issued on a single with "Tutti Frutti", another cover version of a recent hit. Elvis re-recorded "Blue Suede Shoes" in 1960 for the movie "G.I. Blues", but this time in a much tamer arrangement. Live versions can be found on "From Memphis To Vegas / From Vegas To Memphis" (1969) and "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite" (1973). Another recording, this time made in 1968 for the tv special "SINGER presents Elvis", was featured on "A Legendary Performer - Volume 2" (1976). It's safe to say that Elvis never even came close to his great original recording.

In early January of 1956 Little Richard had scored a number 2 hit with "Tutti Frutti" on the "Rhythm & Blues Chart", on the 31st of the same month Elvis recorded his variation of the tune. While the original artist had nailed the song within three takes Elvis needed ten attempts to get it right. Little Richard had written the funny song about the qualities of his female acquaintances himself, but his producer Robert Blackwell regarded the lyrics too raunchy and had Dorothy LaBostirie adjusting them.