Introduciton:
There exists a particular fascination, a certain reverence, reserved for the earliest recordings of artists who would later achieve monumental fame. These initial forays into the studio often capture a raw, unpolished essence, a glimpse into the developing talent before the machinery of stardom took hold. Such is undeniably the case with Elvis Presley’s rendition of “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.” While not his first commercially released single, this recording holds a unique and pivotal place in the annals of music history, representing one of the very first times the voice that would shake the world was committed to acetate.
Recorded in the summer of 1953 at the legendary Sun Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, this wasn’t part of a grand audition or a planned release strategy. Rather, it was a personal endeavour. A young Elvis Presley, then working as a truck driver, reportedly paid the sum of roughly four dollars to record two songs – “My Happiness” on the A-side, and the poignant ballad “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” on the B-side. Legend has it the recording was intended as a gift for his beloved mother, Gladys. Whether studio owner Sam Phillips was immediately struck by genius or merely saw a paying customer is debated, but the act itself set wheels in motion.
The choice of song is revealing. “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin,” originally popularized by The Ink Spots, is a slow, melancholic ballad steeped in the heartache of lost love. It stands in stark contrast to the high-energy rockabilly sound that would soon define Presley’s initial breakthrough. Hearing the young Elvis tackle this standard is illuminating. The swagger and rebellious energy are yet to fully ignite; instead, we hear a youthful earnestness, a clear, tender vocal delivery attempting to emulate the smooth crooners of the era, yet already possessing that unique, resonant timbre that was unmistakably his own. There’s a vulnerability present, a careful navigation of the melody and the sorrowful lyrics: “If you find your sweetheart in the arms of a friend / That’s when your heartaches begin.”
This recording serves as more than just a historical curiosity; it is a foundational artifact. It allows us to appreciate the influences Presley absorbed – the pop, the blues, the gospel – before synthesizing them into something entirely new. It showcases his innate musicality and his ambition, even at that fledgling stage. Listening to “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin” from 1953 is like peering through a keyhole into the past, witnessing the quiet, unassuming genesis of a career that would soon erupt and reshape popular culture forever. It’s a poignant reminder that even kings have humble beginnings, often marked by the universal language of a simple, sorrowful song.