"Mystery Train" is a song written and recorded by American blues musician Junior Parker in 1953. Originally performed in the style of a Memphis blues or rhythm and blues tune, it was inspired by earlier songs and later became a popular rockabilly song, as first covered by Elvis Presley, then numerous others.
Composition and recording
Music historian Colin Escott noted "One of the mysteries about 'Mystery Train' was where the title came from; it was mentioned nowhere in the song". The song uses lyrics similar to those found in the traditional American folk music group Carter Family's "Worried Man Blues", itself based on an old Celtic ballad, and their biggest selling record of 1930: Parker's lyrics include: Junior Parker, billed as "Little Junior's Blue Flames", recorded "Mystery Train" for producer/Sun Records owner Sam Phillips. The sessions took place at Phillips' Memphis Recording Service, in Memphis, Tennessee, during September and October 1953. Accompanying Parker on vocal is his backup band the "Blue Flames", whose members at the time are believed to have included: Floyd Murphy on guitar, William Johnson on piano, Kenneth Banks on bass, John Bowers on drums, and Raymond Hill on tenor sax. "Mystery Train" was the follow-up single to Junior Parker's 1953 number five Billboard R&B chart release "Feelin' Good". The song did not reach the singles chart.
Elvis Presley version
's version of "Mystery Train" was first released on August 20, 1955, as the B-side of "I Forgot to Remember to Forget". In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at number 77 on its list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. Sam Phillips at Sun Studios again produced the recording, and featured Presley on vocals and rhythm guitar, Scotty Moore on lead guitar, and Bill Black on bass. Moore used a country lead break. Scotty also added a touch of the slapback echo, and used travis picking. and toward the end of the record is an echo of the 1946 "Sixteen Tons" by Merle Travis. For Presley's version of "Mystery Train", Scotty Moore also borrowed the guitar riff from Junior Parker's "Love My Baby", played by Pat Hare. Paired with "I Forgot to Remember to Forget", the single reached the Top 10 in Billboards C&W listings. RCA Victor rereleased this recording in November 1955 after acquiring it as part of a contract with Presley. This issue of the song peaked at number 11 on the national Billboard Country Chart. That same month, RCA Victor also released a pop version of the song by the Turtles with backing by Hugo Winterhalter and his Orchestra. "Mystery Train" is now considered to be an "enduring classic". It was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a nationally known country music star. 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." Presley's version was ranked the third most acclaimed song of 1955, by Acclaimed Music. It also appeared in Jim Jarmusch's 1989 independent film Mystery Train.
Personnel
Elvis Presley – lead vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
Scotty Moore – electric lead guitar
Bill Black – double bass
The Band version
In 1973, with the approval of Sam Phillips, Robbie Robertson of the Band wrote additional lyrics for "Mystery Train", and the group recorded this version of the song for their Moondog Matinee album. They later performed the song with Paul Butterfield for their 1976 "farewell" concert The Last Waltz.
