Sleeve Notes

Sleeves Notes 

Phil Alexander

"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.