SUN
RECORDS

Independent legendary American label, operating out of Memphis, Tennessee: Sun was formed by Sam C. Phillips in 1952, as a result of difficulties he'd been experiencing while trying to get the records that he'd made at his Memphis Sound Studios released through other companies.  The first record on Sun was "Blues in My Condition", by "Little Walter" Horton and Jack Kelly. During the first year Phillips recorded several artists who would go on to have successful careers. Among them were B.B. King,, Rufus Thomas, and Howlin' Wolf. Thomas's "Bearcat", a recording that was similar to "Hound Dog", was the first real hit for Sun in 1953. The label was responsible for discovering Elvis Presley and for developing a new sound, 'Rockabilly': a fusion of white Country and black R'n'B.  Presley's success attracted other young country singers to Sun - singers such as Carl Perkins, Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Roy Orbison and Charlie Rich, who went on to become household names.   Initially Phillips had concentrated on issuing Blues records; he soon abandoned the Blues and devoted his efforts to Rockabilly, to great effect.  Eventually, however, the company's stars began leaving.  They were not adequately replaced; by 1963 Sun's best days were over.  It was moribund by 1968; in 1969 it was sold to Shelby S. Singleton Jr, who reissued and licenced its back-catalogue zestfully.  The British versions of the Sun label date from this latter, reissue, period.  Singleton's 'Sun' and 'SSS' labels issued limited amounts of product through Philips / Phonogram in the early '70s, using a 6094-000 numerical series for the Sun singles.  Most have paper labels, but at least two Jerry Lee Lewis and Johnny Cash's 'I Walk The Line' (6094-008; 9/71) - can also be found in injection moulded form; presumably those were re-pressings.  Later that decade reissue specialists Charly Records 156-166 Ilderton Road, London, SE15, picked up the rights to Sun and put out a few singles on their version of that label.   Charly issues shared the Charly label's CYS-1000 numbering, and were distributed by Lugton and by Pye for the most part, with Spartan taking over at the end of the decade.  Neither of the British versions is commonly encountered, though the Charlys are the commoner of the two.  . Thanks to Robert Lyons For The Info.

  

70	Roy Orbison	Ooby-Dooby	SUN	6094	001
70	Carl Perkins	Blue Suede Shoes	SUN	6094	002
70	Bill Justis	Raunchy	SUN	6094	003
70	Jerry Lee Lewis	Breathless	SUN	6094	004
70	Johnny Cash	Cry Cry Cry	SUN	6094	005
70	Gentrys	Goddess Of Love	SUN	6094	006
71	Jerry Lee Lewis	Great Balls Of Fire	SUN	6094	007
71	Johnny Cash	I Walk The Line	SUN	6094	008
71	Cash Johnny & Tennessee Two	Sugartime	SUN	6094	009

77	?	Don'T Cry For Christmas	SUN	CYS	1030
78	Rockabilly Raiders	Hurricane Rock	SUN	CYS	1034
78	Lewisjerry Lee & Friends	Save The Last Dance For Me	SUN	CYS	1046
79	Orion	Ebony Eyes	SUN	CYS	1060
80	Orion	Washing Machine ?	SUN	CYS	1069

 

84	Jerry Lee Lewis	The Fabulous Jerry Lee lewis	SUN	EP	001
85	Jerry Lee Lewis	The Fabulous Jerry Lee Lewis Volume Two	SUN	JLL	002