The Sonic Swagger of Elvis Presley: A Critical History of the Early Recordings

by Gary Parker

Overview

Elvis Presley's clever manipulation of his numerous interests remains one of the music world's great marvels. His synthesis of country, rhythm & blues and gospel resulted in an inventive mixture of hair-raising rock & roll and balladry. This book focuses on the music of Presley's groundbreaking early years and includes a comprehensive analysis of every Presley recording session from the 1950s. Chapters show how Presley, with one foot in delta mud and the other in a country hoedown, teamed with Scotty Moore and Bill Black to fuse two distinctly American musical forms--country and blues--to form what would come to be known as "rockabilly." Also detailed is Presley's influence on music and how his contributions are still celebrated today.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781476645148
Publisher:	McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers
Publication date:	05/02/2022
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	322
File size:	8 MB
Age Range:	18 Years

About the Author

Gary Parker is the author of numerous works well reviewed in such publications as the Los Angeles Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He resides in Palm Springs, California (website www.garyparkerwriter.com).
Gary Parker is the author of numerous works well reviewed in such publications as the Los Angeles Times and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. He resides in Palm Springs California (website www.garyparkerwriter.com).

Table of Contents

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments
Preface
 1. A Mess of Blues
Shake Rag
 2. Memphis
Beale Street
 3. The Memphis Recording Service
 4. “Just play what you feel”
Scotty Moore
Bill Black
 5. Good Rockin’ Tonight
The Music—July 5–6, 1954—Sun Studios, Memphis
 6. “That’s a pop song, nearly about”
The Music—July 9, 1954—Sun Studios, Memphis
 7. We’re Gonna Move
The Music—August, September 1954—Sun Studios
 8. Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk
 9. Got a Lot o’ Livin’ to Do
The Music—November, December 1954—Sun Studios, Memphis
10. Playing for Keeps
The Music—February 1955—Sun Studios, Memphis
The Music—March 1955—Sun Studios, Memphis
11. Sneaking Around Through Music
The Music—July 11, 1955—Sun Studios, Memphis
The Music—November 1955—Sun Studios, Memphis
12. RCA
The Music—January 10–11, 1956—RCA Studios, Nashville
13. Promised Land
The Music—January 30–31, February 3, 1956—RCA Studios, New York
14. Steppin’ Out of Line
The Music—April 14, 1956—RCA Studios, Nashville
Too Hot to Handle
15. First in Line
The Music—July 2, 1956—RCA Studios, New York
The Music—August 24, September 4–5, October 1, 1956—Fox Studios, Hollywood
The Music—September 1–3, 1956—Radio Recorders, Hollywood
16. Rip It Up
17. Always the Last to Leave
18. Slowly but Surely
The Music—January 12–13, 1957—Radio Recorders, Hollywood
The Music—January 15–18, 21–22—Paramount Sound Stage, Hollywood; February 14, 1957—Radio Recorders, Hollywood
The Music—February 23–24, 1957—Radio Recorders, Hollywood
19. Blues Poetry
The Music—April 30, May 3, 1957—Radio Recorders, Hollywood; May 9, 1957—MGM Soundstage, Hollywood
20. Trouble
The Music—September 5–7, 1957—Radio Recorders, Hollywood
21. Blue Moon
22. Way Down
The Music—King Creole Soundtrack Sessions—January 15–16, 23, 1958—Radio Recorders, Hollywood; February 11, 1958—Paramount Studios, Hollywood
The Music—RCA Studio Session—February 1, 1958—Radio Recorders, Hollywood
Last Stop on the Mystery Train
23. The Men as Musicians
Scotty Moore
D.J. Fontana
Bill Black
Elvis Presley
24. The Secret Recording Session
The Music—June 10, 1958—RCA Studio B, Nashville
25. “Everything I have is gone”
26. Any Way You Want Me
The Music—March 20, 1960—RCA Studio B, Nashville
The Music—April 3, 1960—RCA Studio B, Nashville
27. Too Much Monkey Business
28. Don’t Leave Me Now
The Music—September 10–11, 1967—RCA Studio B, Nashville
Singer Presents Elvis
The Music—January 13–16, 20–23, 1969—American Studios, Memphis
29. Flaming Star
30. Pinning Presley Down
31. The Sublimes
32. Diamonds Amidst the Dross
Appendix A: The Strange Case of Andreas Cornelis van Kuijk
Appendix B: Hank Garland
Appendix C: The Movies
Bibliography
Index