Jack White digs deep for Record Store Day.

Elvis Presley’s 1st recording

Jack White has dug deep into the rock ‘n’ roll record crate for Record Store Day. Earlier in the year, Jack quietly bought the first ever recording by Elvis Presley for $300,000. Recorded in Memphis back in 1953, it cost Elvis $4 to record, which would amount to $35 today. The 10-inch 78 rpm acetate disc is the one original copy of Elvis doing My Happiness and That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.

Jack is one of rock’s biggest champions of old school recording methods. His Third Man Records host and records performances directly to vinyl. There is also something call a Voice-O-Graph recording booth from 1947 which Neil Young recently used to record an album. The immediacy in which things can be done at Third Man must reflect the experience Elvis had at Sam Phillips Memphis Recording Service.

On Record Store Day, Third Man will be releasing a limited edition replica, sleeve and all, of the original Elvis recording. This will be followed by a 7-inch with restored sound of the two songs later in 2015.

Record Store Day is on Monday, April 18. For the full list of releases, including others by Jack White, visit recordstoreday.com