Mystery Train

"Mystery Train"
Single by Elvis Presley
A-side	"I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
B-side	"Mystery Train"
Released	1955
Format	7", 78rpm
Recorded	1955, Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee
Label	Sun 192
Writer(s)	Junior Parker, Sam Phillips

"Mystery Train" is a song written by Junior Parker and Sam Phillips.^[1] It was first recorded in Phillip's Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Raymond Hill and Matt Murphy were in the backing band with Bill Johnson on piano, Pat Hare on guitar, and John Bowers on drums. The band was listed on the label as Little Junior's Blue Flames. "Mystery Train" and "Love My Baby" was released late in 1953 on Sun #192, and from the beginning the sound and feel of "Train" gave Parker his first taste of fame and name recognition.

The following lines can be found in the Carter Family's "Worried Man Blues", their biggest selling record of 1930.^[2]

"The train arrived sixteen coaches long, The train arrived sixteen coaches long. The girl I love is on that train and gone."

Parker sings, "Train I ride sixteen coaches long. Train I ride sixteen coaches long. Well, that long black train carries my baby home."[2]

Elvis Presley's version of "Mystery Train" was first released on August 20, 1955 as the B-side of "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" (Sun 223). Presley's version would be ranked #77 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time list in 2003.^[3] It was again produced by Sam Phillips at Sun Studios, and featured Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Scotty Moore on lead guitar and Bill Black on bass. Moore's guitar break toward the end of the record is an echo of the 1946 "Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis.^[4]

RCA Victor rereleased this recording in December of 1955 (#47-6357) after acquiring it as part of a contract with Presley.^[5] This version of the song peaked at # 11 on the national Billboard Country Chart.^[6]

Presley's version of the song was also ranked the third most acclaimed song of 1955, by Acclaimed Music.^[7]

Although "Mystery Train" is now considered to be an "enduring classic", the flip side of this record "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" reached the Billboard National Country music chart #1 position by February 1956, remained there for 5 weeks, and stayed on the charts for 39 weeks.^[8] It was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a national known country music star. ^{[9] [10]}

Both Bill Black and Scotty Moore left Elvis in 1957 because they were being paid only $200 per week while Elvis was earning millions. Still, Black, who had success with the Bill Black Combo, once said to a visitor to his house in Memphis, as he pointed to a framed 78rpm Sun Record of "Mystery Train" on the wall, "Now there was a record."^[11]

Influence

The song has lent its name to several other works:

• Mystery Train was the name of a TV series that documented Presley's early career while he was at Sun.
• Mystery Train is a 1989 dark comedy movie written and directed by indie film director Jim Jarmusch.^[12]
• Mystery Train is the title of a book (ISBN 0-452-27836-8) by Greil Marcus on the early history of rock and roll.
• Mystery Train has been covered by Bruce Springsteen on many occasions, most recently, during his 2006 Seeger Sessions Tour by combining Mystery Train's chorus with Cadillac Ranch from the 1980 River album.
• Mystery Train is the name of an eclectic radio program hosted by David Wiley on KFAI, Fresh Air Community Radio, in Minneapolis, Minnesota.^[13]
• Mystery Train is also the name of another very popular radio program on WJZF radio in Standish Maine USA, hosted by Bob Reichers. World wide broadcasts at www.wjzf.org
• Mystery Train is also the name of diverse themed radio programs hosted by engineer Stephen D. Gross on KGGVFM 95.1 in Guerneville California and KOWSFM 107.3 in Occidental California.

Artists who have covered the song

• Chet Atkins & Jerry Reed
• The Band, on Moondog Matinee, 1973, and The Last Waltz film and album (with Paul Butterfield), 1978
• Jeff Beck and Chrissie Hynde
• Boxcar Willie
• Bulldog
• The Paul Butterfield Blues Band (1965)
• James Burton
• Terry Dene
• The Dirtbombs
• The Doors (live in Pittsburgh 1970; also part of "Black Train Song", a standard on their live repertoire during the band's last tours. A live recording is available on their 1997 boxed set)
• Bob Dylan (Studio Outtake)
• Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash during the Nashville Skyline sessions, 1969^[14]
• Fairground Attraction (March 1988)
• Jose Feliciano
• Tom Fogerty
• Jerry Garcia Band (1976)
• Robert Gordon with Danny Gatton
• Robert Gordon and Link Wray
• John Hammond (1969)
• Emmylou Harris (1986)
• Kevin Hewick (10-15 minute long versions during live sets 1988 - present)
• Led Zeppelin (San Diego, California 1977-06-19 and Oakland, California 1977-07-24)
• Alvin Lee
• Los Tres
• Bob Luman
• Vince Maloney
• Hank Marvin
• Ronnie McDowell
• Scotty Moore (1964)
• Ricky Nelson
• The Neville Brothers
• Nightlosers (1997)
• Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (2005)
• Sam the Sham & the Pharaohs
• Merl Saunders, Jerry Garcia, John Kahn & Bill Vitt (1988)
• Paul Simon (during his 2008 summer tour)
• The Soft Boys (1981)
• The Stray Cats
• Gene Summers (from Gene Summers in Nashville CD) 1981
• Pat Travers (April 11, 1992)
• Richard Thompson
• UFO (band)
• Uncle Dog (1972)
• Jimmy Velvit (from Sounds Like Elvis CD) 1996
• Williams and Ree
• Willie and the Poor Boys, short-lived band featureing Bill Wyman, Ron Wood and Charlie Watts (1994)
• Dwight Yoakam (1994)
• Neil Young (1983, on Everybody's Rockin')

References