The Jordanaires and Elvis
The Jordanaires and Elvis. They sang backing vocals on most of Elvis 1950s RCA recordings and many of his 1960s movies.
Hear: Elvis Presley Unravelled #78 – LIVE
…..The Jordanaires and Elvis
On Steve Chelmsford’s Mop Tops & The King radio show
syndicated on over 100 radio stations around the world.
Broadcast: 21 to 27 June 2024
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The Jordanaires and Elvis
The Jordanaires are one of the most successful vocal groups in rock’n’roll history, with more than 8 billion records featuring their backing vocals.
In 1948 the Jordanaires formed as a gospel group, in Springfield, Missouri.
They arrived in Nashville in 1949 and immediately secured a slot on the Grand Ole Opry. By the end of 1954, the lineup that backed Elvis on most of his mid-1950s records was in place, Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews and Hugh Jarrett.
Elvis met the Jordanaires for the first time in 1955, backstage at a show in Memphis. He said to them, “If I ever get a recording contract with a major company, I want you guys to back me up”.
As soon as he joined RCA that is exactly what happened, the Jordanaires backed him on most of his 1950 recordings and TV shows. They also stayed with him on many of his 1960s movies.
The parting of the ways came when Elvis did his Las Vegas shows.
The Jordanaires also provided vocal backing for many other artists, including Jimmy Dean’s Big Bad John and Patsy Cline’s Crazy.
There’s even a link with the Beatles. In 1970, they worked with Ringo on his Beaucoups of Blues album.
Hear the segment again
Elvis Presley Unravelled #78
The Jordanaires and Elvis
Mop Tops & The King radio show
Twice a month, Derek Shelmerdine contributes the Elvis Presley Unravelled and The Beatles Unravelled segments for Steve Chelmsford’s Mop Tops & The King radio show.
The show is dedicated to the lives and times of The Beatles and Elvis Presley.
See the complete list of Derek’s Beatles and Elvis Unravelled segments.
Rock’n’Roll Unravelled – the book
Derek Shelmerdine also wrote Rock’n’Roll Unravelled, the story of rock’n’roll from its roots to late 1970s punk. Not just the story of the music but also the social factors influencing it, such as the Vietnam War and Civil Rights struggle.
All about – Rock’n’Roll Unravelled
