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Jailhouse Rock

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(Leiber / Stoller)

Information:
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote Jailhouse Rock for the big production number in Elvis’s 1957 movie of the same title. Dudley Brooks played piano on the recording, which was made on April 30, 1957, at Radio Recorders. Mike Stoller, however, claims that he played piano on the song. He did make a cameo appearance in the film as Vince Everett’s (Elvis) piano player. Jailhouse Rock entered Billboard’s Top 100 chart at #15. Three weeks later it was number one, replacing the Everly Brothers’ Wake Up Little Susie. After seven weeks in the top spot, Jailhouse Rock was replaced by Sam Cooke’s You Send Me. Elvis’s recording spent a total of 27 weeks on the chart. The record was also number one on the Country Best-Seller (for one week) and rhythm & blues (for five weeks) charts. In England, Jailhouse Rock entered the chart at number one – the first single in the history of the British charts to do so. Worldwide, the record sold several million copies. Take #6 is the one on record.

Elvis sang Jailhouse Rock in two of his TV specials, Elvis and Elvis in Concert. 

Lyrics:
 

The warden threw a party in the county jail
The prison band was there and they began to wail
The band was jumpin' and the joint began to swing
You should've heard those knocked out jailbirds sing
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

Spider Murphy played the tenor saxophone
Little Joe was blowin' on the slide trombone
The drummer boy from Illinois went crash, boom, bang
the whole rhythm section was the Purple Gang
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

Number forty-seven said to number three:
"You're the cutest jailbird I ever did see
I sure would be delighted with your company,
come on and do the Jailhouse Rock with me."
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

The Sad Sack was a sittin' on a block of stone
Way over in the corner weepin' all alone
The warden said, "Hey, buddy, don't you be no square,
If you can't find a partner use a wooden chair."
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

Shifty Henry said to Bugs, "For Heaven's sake,
No one's lookin', now's our chance to make a break."
Bugsy turned to Shifty and he said, "Nix, nix,
I wanna stick around a while and get my kicks."
Let's rock, everybody, let's rock
Everybody in the whole cell block was dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

Dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

Dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

Dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock

Dancin' to the Jailhouse Rock...

Where it was released:

Released for the fist time on single »

Singles:

- Jailhouse Rock / Treat Me Nice (RCA 20-7035) September 1957. Standard 78 RPM release »

- Jailhouse Rock / Treat Me Nice (RCA 47-7035) September 1957. Standard 45 RPM release. For an October 10, 1957, press review, MGM reissued promo copies with special sleeves that wrapped around the standard sleeves »

- Jailhouse Rock / Treat Me Nice (RCA 447-0619) 1961. Gold standard series reissue.
- Jailhouse Rock / Treat Me Nice (RCA PB-11101) October 1977. One of 15 singles released in the boxed set 15 Golden Records – 30 Golden Hits (RCA PP-11301).

- The Elvis Medley / Always On My Mind (RCA PB-13351). October 1982. Jailhouse Rock is a part of a medley with Teddy Bear, Hound Dog, Don’t Be Cruel, Burning Love and Suspicious Minds.

- The Elvis Medley / The Elvis Medley (Short Version) (RCA JB-13351) October 1982. Disc jockey promotional release.

- Heartbreak Hotel / Jailhouse Rock (RCA PB-13892) October 1984. One of six singles released in the boxed set Elvis’ Greatest Hits – Golden Singles, Volume 2. All singles were pressed on gold vinyl.

- Jailhouse Rock / She’s Not You (Collectables DPE1-10114511) December 1986.

EPs:

- Jailhouse Rock (1957) »

- Dealer’s Prevue (RCA SDS-57-39) (1957)

- Extended Play Sampler (RCA SPA-7-61) (1957)

LPs/CDs:

- Elvis' Golden Records (1958) »

- Elvis NBC TV Special (1968) »

- Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Volume 1 (1970) »

- Elvis (1973) »

- Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis (1974) »

- Pure Gold (1975) »

- Elvis – A Legendary Performer, Volume 2 (1976) »

– Elvis in Hollywood (1976) »

- Elvis - A Collectors Edition (1976) »

- Elvis in Concert (1977) »
– Elvis' Golden Records (1977) »

- Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis (1977) »

- The Elvis Presley Story (1977) »

– Elvis - A Canadian Tribute (1978) »

- Elvis: Memories (1978) »

- Elvis Commemorative Album (1978) »

- Elvis! His Greatest Hits (1979) »

– Elvis Aron Presley (1980) »
– Pure Gold (1980) »

– The Legendary Magic of Elvis Presley (1980) »

– This Is Elvis (1981) »

– Elvis NBC TV Special (1981) »

– Rock'n'Roll Forever (1981) - Candlelite »

- The Elvis Medley (1982)

- Essential Elvis (1986)

- The Collection, Volume 2 (1986)

- The Number One Hits (1987)

- The Top Ten Hits (1987)

- Essential Elvis – The First Movies (1988)

- The Great Performances (1990)

- Collectors Gold (1991)

- The King of Rock’n’Roll – The Complete 50’s Masters (1992)

- The Essential Collection (1994)

- Gold – The Very Best of the King (1995)

- Always Elvis – The Dutch Album (1997)

- Platinum – A Life in Music (1997)

- Jailhouse Rock (1997)

- Elvis’ Greatest Jukebox Hits (1997)

- All Time Greatest Hits (1997)

- A Touch of Platinum, Volume 1 (1998)

- Memories of the ’68 Comeback Special (1998)

- Elvis Aron Presley (1998)

- Artist of the Century (1999)

- Rock’n’Roll (1999)

- A Canadian Tribute (1999)

- Burbank '68 (1999) – FTD »

- Can’t Help Falling In Love (1999)

- All The Best (1999)

- Best of Artist of the Century (2000)

- Tucson '76 (2000) - FTD »

- The Swedish Hit Collection (2000)

- Elvis 2000: Best of the King (2000)

- The 50 Greatest Hits (2000)

- Elvis 50’s (2001)

- Elvis; Jailhouse Rock (2001)

- The Live Greatest Hits (2001)

- Live in Las Vegas (2001)

- Silver Screen Stereo (2001) - FTD »

- Greatest Hits (2001)

- Spring Tours ’77 (2002) - FTD »

- Elvis 30 #1 Hits (2002)

- Elvis at the International (2002) - FTD »

- Can’t Help Fallin In Love – The Hollywood Hits (2003)

- New Year’s Eve (2003) - FTD »

- Close Up (2003)

- Elvis 30 #1 Hits (2003) – Deluxe edition

- Elvis As Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis (2004) – FTD »

- Elvis Forever (2004)

- Rockin' Across Texas (2005) - FTD »

- All Shook Up (2005) FTD »

- Elvis by the Presley (2005)

- Hitstory (2005)

- Elvis NBC TV Special – The Vinyl Classics Edition (2005)

- I Found My Thrill (2006) - FTD »

- Writing For the King (2006) - FTD »

- Unchained Melody (2007) - FTD »

- Elvis in Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas (2008) - FTD »

- Jailhouse Rock (2009) - FTD »

- New Haven '76 (2009) - FTD »

- A Minnesota Moment (2010) - FTD »

- Showtime! Birmingham/Dallas '76 (2010) - FTD »

- Chicago Stadium (2010) - FTD »

- Jailhouse Rock Volume 2 (2010) - FTD »

– Live in Las Vegas (2011) - FTD »

– Amarillo '77 (2011) - FTD »

– 48 Hours to Memphis (2011) - FTD »

– Hot August Night (2013) - FTD »

- The Return to Vegas (2014) - FTD »

– The Best of British - The RCA Years 1957-1958 (2014) - FTD »

- This is Elvis (2015) - FTD »

- Elvis' Golden Records (2015) - FTD »

- Elvis in West Texas (2015) - FTD »

– Elvis in Alabama (2015) - FTD »

– NBC-TV Special (2016) - FTD »
– Spirit of Jackson, MS (2016) - FTD »

– The Bicentennial Show (2017) - FTD »

– Murfreesboro '74 (2018) - FTD »

Bootleg Releases:

- Please Release Me (1970) – First Records

- The Monologue L.P. (1973) – Bullett Records

- Sold Out (1974) – E.P. Records

- Got a Lot O’ Livin’ To Do! (1976) – Private Records

- The Last Farewell (1977) – E.P. Records

- The Burbank Sessions, Volume 2 (1979) – Audifon Records

- Loving You Recording Sessions (1982) – Vik EPP

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