The King And I: December 2012

Tuesday, 18 December 2012

Bono's Tribute To The King

Q Magazine's Records That Changed My Life
(June 1995)

Bono: "The All Time Greatest Hits" by Elvis Presley

"When I first heard Elvis's voice, I just knew that I wasn't going to work for anybody, and nobody was going to be my boss," stated Bob Dylan, describing Presley's impact. "He is the deity supreme of rock 'n' roll religion. Hearing him for the first time was like bursting out of jail. I thank God for Elvis Presley."

...Today, Elvis remains the artist by which all others are judged. Listen to the recordings he made in 1956 and they still sound electrifying. Consider his appropriation of black style, both musical and sartorial, and you have a maverick who shredded prejudice and defied social boundaries. Examine his rise from abject poverty to super-stardom and you have a man who is the embodiment of the American Dream."

(This extract was taken from "Hail To The King" Compilation that came free with MOJO Magazine)

Michael Heartley

"The birth of Elvis Aaron Presley in his family's shotgun shack in Tupelo, Mississippi, on 8 January 1935 lit the touch paper on a musical and cultural revolution. That revolution to this day, three decades after his death and half a century since he hit the charts.

The son of Gladys and Vernon Presley moved his parents to Memphis at the age of 13, first to a run-down area, then to public housing at Lauderdale Courts. His taste in music ranged widely, from Dean Martin to Mario Lanza. Crucially, he was also a fan of the city's black-dominated live music scene and according to some sources, secretly frequented clubs on Beale Street. Ike Turner apparently sneaked him into one West Memphis establishment and hid him behind his piano."

(This extract was taken from "Elvis Presley: The King" 2010 Compilation on Not Now Music Limited)

Author Michael Heatley is a journalist and musician of 30 years’ standing who has penned over 100 music books since editing the History of Rock partwork in the 1980s, including best sellers on Michael Jackson and John Peel. He writes sleeve notes for reissue CDs and has contributed to Record Collector (UK) and Goldmine.

Friday, 14 December 2012

Elvis Art

1) "American Trilogy (cream and gold diamond dust)" by Sir Peter Blake

2) "Double Elvis" by Andy Warhol

3) Elvis Mouse by anon

Thursday, 13 December 2012

The life of Elvis (Part One)

Elvis Aaron Presley was born on the 8th of January, 1935. In September 1949 Elvis and his parents moved to Memphis TN. Using money he earned working as a truck driver, in 1953 Elvis pays four dollars to record himself singing My Happiness and That's When Your Heartaches Begin. A year later Elvis returns to Memphis Recording Services company. This time he sings Casual Love Affair and I'll Never Stand In Your Way. Sam Phillips, who runs the company and Sun Records, likes the way Elvis sings and puts him in the studio with guitarist Scotty Moore and bass player Bill Black. In July '54 Elvis, Scotty and Bill take a break from recording the country ballad I Love You Because and decide to mess around with a song called That's All Right. The next day they record Blue Moon of Kentucky. Sam Phillips gets these two recordings played on the radio and then gets Elvis back in the studio to record more classics such as Blue Moon, Good Rockin' Tonight, I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine, You're A Heartbreaker, Mystery Train and Trying To Get To You. Colonel Tom Parker who got Elvis signed to RCA records. His first single for the label Heartbreak Hotel topped the US charts and sold over a million copies.

In August 1956 Elvis recorded Love Me Tender which is based on a folk ballad which dates back to 1861 entitled Aura Lee. A month later Hound Dog and it's B-side Don't Be Cruel are released and sell more than five million copies. At Christmas time Elvis went back to Memphis. When he wanders into Sun Studios he sees Carl Perkins who is in there recording some tracks with his band and Jerry Lee Lewis on piano. Johnny Cash, was also in the building at the time and was up for joining them and having a sing-song but sadly his wife insisted he took her shopping instead.

The huge hits continue including Love Me, Too Much, All Shook Up. Jailhouse Rock (with Treat Me Nice as the b-side) tops the US chart for 6 weeks. The composers of Jailhouse Rock are Leiber and Stoller.

In the U.K the single is so popular that the release is delayed as Decca's pressing plant is unable to cope with advance orders of 250,000. In March 1958 Elvis releases Don't which again tops the US charts. In the same month he is sworn in as US private 53310761 and given an Army haircut.