Two CD set featuring over 50 original blues recordings that inspired Elvis in his pre-fame days.

Elvis was initially tagged a County & Western singer by local media in the South; indeed he was a huge fan of Roy Acuff, Jimmie Rodgers, Hank Snow et al - credible country names popular throughout the US in the early 1950s. His main point of reference musically however, was The Blues, in which he'd been steeped even before his family moved to Memphis when the future King was just 12 years old. 'Race' radio stations across the Southern States were accessible at the far end of the dial and from these he learned many of the tunes that would later form part of his repertoire.

Once the Presleys were ensconced in Tennessee's largest city, Elvis was further informed and inspired by the sounds and sights he witnessed on Memphis' notorious blues hangout, Beale Street - home to any number of 'juke-joints', record stores replete with listening booths and nightclubs in which white faces were rarely seen.

When Presley wandered into Sun Studios in 1954 and finally persuaded owner Sam Phillips let him audition for the label, the session was initially deemed uninspiring and unfruitful until - late into the night - Elvis began 'goofing around' on his acoustic 6 string to Arthur Crudup's 1946 blues 'That's All Right'. When local musicians Scotty Moore and Bill Black began playing along, Phillips declared he had finally found the sound he had been looking for, for so long - a white man who could really sing the blues. The rest - as they say - is history.

This 2 CD set brings together over 50 of the original blues recordings that Elvis had been influenced by in his pre-fame days and which helped form the blueprint for the most dazzling and popular musical career of all time. Complete with extensive liner notes detailing the reference points of each cut, this collection is the ultimate compilation of The Songs That Drove Him Wild - just as it says on the tin.

Track Listing

• Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup - That's All Right
• Johnny Ace - Pledging My Love
• Charley Patton - Down The Dirt Road Blues
• Beale Street Sheiks - Mr. Crump Don't Like It
• South Memphis Blues - Frank Stokes
• Jack Kelley And His South Memphis Jug Band - Highway No. 61 Blues
• Cannon's Jug Stompers - Walk Right In
• The Memphis Jug Band - Sun Brimmer's Blues
• Jimmy De Berry - Take A Little Chance
• Dixieland Jug Blowers - Memphis Shake
• Joe Hill Louis - We All Gotta Go Sometime
• Doctor Ross - Little Soldier Boy
• Hattie Hart - Coldest Stuff In Town
• Allen Shaw - Moanin' The Blues
• Tom Dickson - Death Bell Blues
• Hambone Willie Newbern - Shelby County Workhouse Blues
• Sleepy John Estes - The Girl I Love, She Got Long Curly Hair
• Pearl Dickson - Little Rock Blues
• The Memphis Jug Band - K.C. Moan
• Jimmy De Berry - Before Long
• Memphis Minnie - Bumble Bee
• Blind Willie Reynolds - Third Street Woman
• Charlie McCoy - Last Time Blues
• Walter 'Shakey' Horton - West Winds Are Blowing
• Little Buddy Doyle - Hard Scuffin' Blues
• Bukka White - Fixin' To Die Blues
• Charlie Burse - Weed Smoking Mama
• Robert Wilkins - That's No Way To Get Along

• Jimmy And Walter - Easy
• Rufus Thomas - Bear Cat
• Rosco Gordon - Booted
• Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup - So Glad You're Mine
• Jackie Brenston - Rocket 88
• Memphis Slim - Rockin' The House
• Little Milton - If You Love Me
• Howlin' Wolfe - Moanin' At Midnight
• D.A. Hunt - Greyhound Blues
• Willie Nix - Seems Like A Million Years
• Billy Love - You're Gonna Cry
• Lost Hunter & The Blind Bats - Schoolboy
• James Cotton - Cotton Crop Blues
• Little Junior's Blue Flames - Mystery Train
• Sammie Lewis & Willy Johnson - Feel So Worried
• B.B. King - B.B. Boogie
• Eddie Snow - Ain't That Right
• Bobby 'Blue' Band - Army Blues
• Johnny Ace - Ace's Wild
• Sleepy John Estes - Registration Day Blues
• Jim Jackson - Wild About My Lovin'
• Little Junior's Blue Flames - Feelin' Good
• Joe Callicott - Frankie And Albert
• Little Junior Parker - Love My Baby
• Howlin' Wolf - How Many More Years'
• Arthur 'Big Boy' Crudup - My Baby Left Me
• B.B. King - Three O'Clock Blues
• Joe Callicott - Fare Thee Well Blues

Additional Details

Label: Chrome Dreams

Genre: Pop/Rock

Run Time: 158 mins

Region: 0

Release Date: 09/03/13

UPC: 823564631127