April 30, 1955, Gladewater High School Gym, Gladewater, Texas

LIVE BROADCAST RECORDINGS FOR ELVIS PRESLEY FOR KWKH'S LOUISIANA HAYRIDE, SHREVEPORT, LOUISIANA, 1955 GLADEWATER HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASIUM, 700 MELBA AVENUE, GLADEWATER, TEXAS SATERDAY - APRIL 30, 1955 SESSION HOURS: 8:00-11:30PM PRODUCER - HORACE LOGAN The Jaycees promoted the event and raised $1,500 for several civic projects including the local Little League program. Six teams of tickets sellers were dispatched by the club on April 12 to canvass the area. During the weeks before this show, the Hayride heavily promoted it and there were requests from all over the south and Southwest for tickets. The weekend of the show, there was not a vacant hotel or motel room in Gladewater. By show time, approximately 3,000 country music fans were jammed into the 2,500 seats as the Gladewater High Gymnasium, and everything that would be used to fan the air was brought into service. To protect the basketball floor, a combination covering of paper and canvas was laid down. Admission was $1.00 for adults and 50-cents for children. A half-hour portion of the show was broadcast nationwide on the CBS radio network, and the entire evening was aired on KWKH in Shreveport and KTHS in Little Rock. During Elvis' performance, little three and a half years old Royce Hanson, who was standing in the aisle mimicking Elvis' wiggle, was invited to come on stage. The youngster got almost as many squeals from the teenage female fans as Elvis. "INTRO/TWEEDLEE DEE" - B.M.I. - 2:46 Composer: - Winfield Scott Publisher: - Unichappell Music Incorporated - Intersong Matrix number: - WPA5 2535 Recorded: - April 30, 1955 - Frank Page ask Elvis a question. Released: - 1979 First appearance: - Sun Records (S) 45rpm single 526 mono (bootleg) TWEEDLEE DEE / LAWDY MISS CLAWDY This single is one of the best early Elvis items for the collector. La Vern Baker even bought one. Other Elvis releases: - 1983 Louisiana Hayride (LP) 33rpm NR-8973 mono LOUISIANA HAYRIDE Reissued: - November 2011 MRS (CD) 500/200rpm MRS 30001256-11 mono THE COMPLETE LOUISIANA HAYRIDE ARCHIVES 1954-1956 "I'M LEFT, YOU'RE RIGHT, SHE'S GONE" - B.M.I. Composer: - Stanley Kesler-Bill Taylor Publisher: - Hi-Lo Music Incorporated Matrix number: - None Recorded: - July 16, 1955 - Probably According to the recollections of several Louisiana Hayride personnel including Horage Logan and Frank Page, Elvis Presley, who had originally planned to debut "Milkcow Blues Boogie" had an car trouble and was late arriving for this show, and he had time to sing only one song. He chose "Tweedlee Dee", a recent hit for LaVern Baker, Georgia Gibbs and Bonnie Lou. It has also been mentioned that Scotty Moore and Bill Black missed the shoe altogether, so Elvis Presley was backed by members of Ray Price Band, the Cherokee Cowboys. When Ray Price suggested that his band didn't feel comfortable with Elvis' music, Presley exploded, asking them if they had listened to any of his songs. The argument had more to do with Price's ego than with his band's musical interests. In the end, to Elvis' surprise, the Cherokee Cowboys provided excellent backing after he practised "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" with the band. When Presley announced that he would perform LaVern Baker's recent rhythm and blues hit, "Tweedlee Dee", the band immediately broke into it. This is only partly true, and the differences may be the result of combining memories of this show with Elvis second Hayride remote in Gladewater in November 1955. Scotty Moore and Bill Black were definitely present, and by all indications, Elvis Presley gave a rousing, full-length performance. Ray Price, on the other hand, was not booked. Everyone agrees hat "Tweedlee Dee" was tape-recorded on a Hayride remote in Gladewater, and this was the first such show. The steel guitar heard behind Elvis on "Tweedlee Dee" was by Jimmy Day who did record with Ray Price, but at this time Day was a regular performer with Elvis Presley. Name (Or. No. Of Instruments) Elvis Presley - Vocal and Acoustic Rhythm Guitar (Martin Dreadnought 18) Scotty Moore - Electric Lead Guitar (Gibson ES 295) Bill Black - Acoustic Upright Bass (Kay Maestro M-1) Dominic Joseph Fontana - Drums (Gretsch Round Badge Kit) Jimmy Day - Steel Guitar © - 706 UNION AVENUE SESSIONS - ©