Standing On the Shoulder of a Giant

May 1961

Of all the artists whose songs the Beatles are covering, and there are many, there are none so important as the King, Elvis Presley.

As Paul McCartney has said, when they first saw Elvis their first thought was "That's him!  The messiah has arrived!" And John Lennon, "Before Elvis there was nothing.   Heartbreak Hotel was the turning point."

In their playlists from 1961, Elvis still has a commanding presence.  Here are the documented Elvis songs they were playing from this period.

Are You Lonesome Tonight Baby I Don’t Care Blue Moon of Kentucky Blue Suede Shoes Don't Be Cruel Good Rockin' Tonight Heartbreak Hotel His Latest Flame Hound Dog I Feel So Bad I Forgot to Remember to Forget I Got a Woman I'll Never Let You Go I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Cry It's Now or Never Just Because Lawdy Miss Clawdy Love Me Tender Loving You That's All Right (Mama) That's When Your Heartaches Begin Tonight is so Right for Love Wild in the Country Wooden Heart

Some very predictable choices there, but some rather unexpected ones, too.  "It's Now or Never" is a song with new lyrics put to a 19th Italian aria called "O Solo Mio" (the quintessential gondolier's song).  Hard to imagine the hardcore German audience sitting still for that one.  And "Blue Moon of Kentucky" is a wonderful early Bluegrass song that was covered first by the King, and then on the rebound by the Beatles. I can really hear the Beatles practicing their tight harmonies behind Stuart Sutcliffe in their version of Presley's "Loving You".

Elvis is a source of so many of the varied styles that were being adopted and adapted by the Beatles to form something completely new that would stun the world.  But not yet, they are still working it all out in the woodshed called Hamburg.