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Elvis: A Musical Inventory 1939-55

May 23, 2004 | Book
The book "Elvis: A Musical Inventory 1939-55" which was postponed till the end of May will be published on Monday, 5 July 2004 - the 50th anniversary of the recording of the song that started it all, "That's All Right".

The details:
Format: Paperback
Size: 234 x 156 mm
Number of pages: 264
Recommended retail price: GBP 17.99

This 'musical inventory' is the product of over 30 years' original research including interviews with Elvis' teacher, church ministers, work colleagues and fellow musicians. Presented like a discography, it is an extraordinarily detailed listing of the King's earliest musical influences — hymns and spirituals he sang at church, songs he learned at school or heard on the radio, the live blues he listened to outside Eulysses Mayhorn's grocery store in Shakerag — with full historical details shown for each song. But it doesn't stop there. The enormous variety of numbers Elvis sang on the radio, in clubs and at backstage jams during his early career reveals an already extensive repertoire encompassing blues, R&B, gospel, country and pop. As an added bonus, the book also includes — for the first time anywhere — complete details of all the legendary Sun sessions, taken directly from the personal files of Marion Keisker. Possibly the best-kept secret of the last century, these files have revealed a mass of new information including details of wiped songs and several previously unknown sessions. Quite simply a 'must have' for Presley specialists and anyone with an interest in early Elvis.

Contents

Section 1 Tupelo 1939-48

Hymns and spirituals Elvis sang at the First Assembly Of God Church, East Tupelo. Songs Elvis learned at school. Songs Elvis sang at home. Blues that Elvis heard in Shakerag.

Section 2 WELO Appearances 1944-48

Details of no fewer than fourteen appearances by Elvis on WELO's Black & White Saturday Jamboree talent show + the Mississippi-Alabama Fair & Dairy Show broadcast of 3 October 1945.

Section 3 Memphis 1948-54

Hymns and spirituals Elvis sang at the First Assembly Of God Church, East McLemore Avenue and at East Trigg Baptist Church. Songs Elvis sang at Lauderdale Courts, at school, etc. Songs Elvis sang at Crown Electric.

Section 4 The Sun Sessions 1953-55

Details of every Elvis Presley Sun recording session annotated in meticulous detail by Marion Keisker. Includes hitherto unknown songs and entire sessions that were wiped.

Section 5 Personal Appearances 1954-55

Details of 92 shows compiled from public performance copyright records. Includes locations, personnel, instrumentation and notable songs. Complete playlists are listed in a separate Appendix at the back of the book.

Section 6 Informal Jams 1954-55

Songs that Elvis sang informally at Scotty Moore's house, at Sun studio, backstage at various clubs, etc.

Section 7 Radio, TV & Film 1954-55

Details of 80 radio, TV and film appearances and radio station recording sessions including Grand Ole Opry, Louisiana Hayride, Big D Jamboree, Arthur Godfrey's Talent Scouts, The Pied Piper Of Cleveland, two appearances on Charline Arthur's TV show in the spring of 1955, and two appearances on Roy Orbison's TV show in October 1955.

Appendix A: Flatbed Truck & Honky Tonk Performances 1955
Appendix B: The Sun Sessions – At A Glance
Appendix C: The Sun Tapes
Appendix D: Complete Show Playlists
Appendix E: Amateur Films & Recordings
Appendix F: Elvis' Record Collection / Index of People's Names / Index of Song & Album Titles / Index of Films & Shows

About the author

Richard Boussiron was born in Angoulême, France in 1964 and is an archivist by profession. He first heard Elvis Presley on the radio in 1971 and became part of the European rockabilly revival generation in the mid-Seventies. A serious music researcher since the Eighties, he has contributed to many specialist periodicals — most notably the Eddie Cochran Connection, who made him an honorary life member in 2002. He is also well known for his collaborations with Derek Glenister for Rockstar Records in the UK. This is his first book.
Source:Music Mentor Books
Colin B wrote on May 24, 2004
Boy ! If this book is half as good as it sounds, it will be a 'must-read' issue ! Marion Keisker's secret log revealed ! Unknown 'Sun' sessions ! Can't wait !
TonyP wrote on May 25, 2004
Looks like an amazing book. But those words - 'entire sessions that were wiped'! How depressing.
dismas wrote on May 24, 2004
Lord, almighty! I gotta get this book. The 50th anniversary is shaping up to be a sizably expensive celebration for diehard Elvis fans. And ain't we lovin' it!