Introduction
“Shake, Rattle and Roll” is a classic rock and roll song originally written by Jesse Stone under the pseudonym Charles E. Calhoun in 1954. The song was first recorded by Big Joe Turner, whose version became a major hit on the R&B charts. Later that year, Bill Haley & His Comets released their own version, which achieved significant commercial success and helped popularize the song among a broader audience.
Elvis Presley recorded “Shake, Rattle and Roll” twice: first as a demo in January 1955 during his time at Sun Records, and later as a studio version in February 1956 at RCA Studios in New York. The 1956 recording featured Elvis on rhythm guitar and vocals, accompanied by Scotty Moore on lead guitar, Bill Black on bass, D.J. Fontana on drums, and Shorty Long on piano. This version was released as a single on August 31, 1956, paired with “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” . Although it did not chart as highly as some of his other singles, the song showcased Elvis’s dynamic performance style and his ability to bring new energy to classic songs.
“Shake, Rattle and Roll” was also featured on Elvis’s 1956 EP “Elvis Presley” and later included in the 1959 album “For LP Fans Only” . The song remains a testament to Elvis’s versatility and his role in bridging the gap between rhythm and blues and mainstream rock and roll.