“Million Dollar Quartet” is based on the day in December 1956 when Elvis Presley dropped by Sun Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and jammed with Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash.

Those who are sticklers for historical accuracy might be disappointed by the musical, as it is very much a fictionalised account of what happened that day. A recording of the real event was thankfully made, but it does not feature Johnny Cash at all (although he was certainly at least there for the photo call), and there is more emphasis on gospel music than rock ‘n’ roll. The opposite is true of the musical, which features almost exclusively rock ‘n’ roll performances, including “Blue Suede Shoes”, “That’s All Right”, “Great Balls of Fire”, “Hound Dog” and “Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” None of those were really sung during the jam and the Jerry Lee numbers weren’t even recorded by him until the following year. Elvis’ girlfriend in the musical, Dyanne, who sing’s Peggy Lee’s “Fever” in the show, is also fictional. The real girlfriend was Marilyn Evans and she didn’t sing. So yes, you won’t get a history lesson if you watch this show, but that’s not the intention of course. It is designed to entertain through high energy rock ‘n’ roll performances and the positive reviews of the US version suggest it does achieve that.

“Million Dollar Quartet” stars Michael Malarkey as Elvis Presley, Ben Goddard as Jerry Lee Lewis, Derek Hagen as Johnny Cash, Robert Britton Lyons as Carl Perkins, Bill Ward as Sun Records boss Sam Phillips, and Francesca Jackson as Dyanne. Lyons starred in the original Broadway production.

Million Dollar Quartet opens at London’s Noël Coward Theatre (0844 482 5141) on February 28, 2011, with reduced price previews from February 8, 2011. Click here for Million Dollar Quartet ticket information.

A North American tour of “Million Dollar Quartet” is planned for October 2011.

Rockabilly is best described as a hybrid of R&B, country and gospel. There’s a very tired argument which asserts that artists such as Elvis just copied black artists and had very little creative input themselves, but a close listen to his early records makes a mockery of that notion. There’s a reason that Elvis’ “That’s All Right” caused such a stir when played on the radio for the first time – people had never heard anything quite like it!

“That’s All Right” was released in July 1954, with “Blue Moon of Kentucky” on the B-side.

Authorship

“That’s All Right” was composed and originally released by Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup in 1946 as “That’s All Right, Mama.”

Chart performance

Although causing a huge local stir and kick starting Elvis’ career, Elvis was obviously unknown when “That’s All Right” was released and it was only a regional hit. It has since appeared on various albums that have charted though. The best way to get it now is on the great sounding “Elvis at Sun” release from 2004.

Covers

Although Elvis’ version is actually a cover, it’s his version that subsequent artists are invariably inspired by for their covers and his version that has become the definitive cut.

“That’s All Right” has been covered by numerous artists over the years, including some of the most important and successful in the history of popular music. Here’s some examples.

Marty Robbins – “That’s All Right”

The first cover inspired by Elvis’ version came from Marty Robbins in December 1954. The tempo and basic arrangement is taken from Elvis’ recording, but Robbins’ version has a more country feel.

Robbin’s “You Gave Me a Mountain” became a staple of Elvis’ live act in the 1970s.

The Beatles – “That’s All Right”

The Beatles covered “That’s All Right” at one of many appearances on BBC Radio in the early 60s, with Paul McCartney on lead vocals. The band stays pretty close to the original.

This was one of several Elvis numbers performed by the Beatles at the BBC, including another Sun Records’ classic “Forgot to Remember to Forget.”

Paul McCartney would go on to record a solo version of the song in 2002 for the tribute album “Good Rockin’ Tonight: The Legacy Of Sun Records.”

Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan – “That’s All Right”

Johnny Cash and Bob Dylan didn’t stray far from Elvis’ arrangement in their cover of “That’s All Right,” recorded at the “Nashville Skyline” sessions in 1969.

Eric Clapton and Scotty Moore – “That’s All Right”

In 2005, a group of musicians gathered in London to pay tribute to Elvis and his original guitarist, Scotty Moore. One of the highlights was when Eric Clapton and Scotty Moore played “That’s All Right.”

Carl Perkins – “That’s All Right”

Carl Perkins sang a great version of “That’s All Right” during a UK television special in 1987. He was one of an all-star cast who had assembled to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Elvis’ death.

There will be a new Song of the Week on June 15.

The show is inspired by the 1956 session at Sun studios in Memphis when Elvis Presley visited his former label and jammed with Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash. There’s some debate over whether Cash was involved in the session, as he doesn’t seem to appear anywhere on the tapes, but he was definitely in attendance as he features in the photos taken on the day. That said, the musical aims to entertain and doesn’t claim to be historically accurate.

The Million Dollar Quartet musical will feature Eddie Clendening as Elvis Presley, Lance Guest as Johnny Cash, Levi Kreis as Jerry Lee Lewis and Rob Lyons as Carl Perkins. All are making their Broadway debuts. The show will begin previews on March 13 at the Nederlander Theater and open on April 11.

Click for Million Dollar Quartet ticket details