Carl Perkins: Spreading That Blue Suede All Around the World
What's the first thing that comes to mind when you think of Rockabilly King Carl Perkins? Yes, "Blue Suede Shoes." Congratulations. I hope no one out there thinks that Elvis wrote this rockin' ditty. His version seems to be the one everybody remembers. Chalk it up to hair and hips. But it was the El's buddy Carl, the poor 'ol sharecropper's son from Tennessee, who wrote and first recorded it. Since its release in January 1956, there's never been a shortage of blue suede in the world of rock. The song has been covered by everyone from The Beatles and Buddy Holly to Bill Haley and Pat Boone. But I'll bet you didn't know that some rather unlikely artists have also recorded and performed this most sacred of rock tunes. Here's a smathering of some rather outré Blue Suede renditions, plus covers of other Perkins classics.
