Paul McCartney recorded a version of ‘That’s All Right (Mama)’ for his 1988 album Choba B CCCP.
The song was written and recorded by Arthur Crudup in 1946, and released as a single the following year. The song is often considered to be one of the very first rock ‘n’ roll recordings.
It was recorded by Elvis Presley on 5 1954 with a faster tempo, at Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee. Acetates of the recording were given by studio owner Sam Phillips to local disc jockeys, and the audience response was overwhelmingly positive. It kickstarted interest in Presley, whose version was released on 19 July as his debut single and sold 20,000 copies.
I liked him [Elvis] best around 1956, when he was young and gorgeous and had a twinkle in his eye; when he had a sense of humour, plus that great voice. He was an incredible vocalist. Try and do it sometime – we all have – and he is still the guv’nor.
The Beatles recorded ‘That’s All Right (Mama)’ for the fifth edition of the Pop Go The Beatles radio show on 2 July 1963.
McCartney’s solo version was recorded at his Hog Hill Mill studio on 20 July 1987, along with the bulk of the Choba B CCCP songs: ‘Kansas City’, ‘Twenty Flight Rock’, ‘Lawdy Miss Clawdy’, ‘I’m In Love Again’, ‘Bring It On Home To Me’, ‘Lucille’, ‘I’m Gonna Be A Wheel Someday’, ‘Summertime’, ‘Just Because’, and ‘Midnight Special’.