'I spoke to over 140 songwriters whose work Presley recorded, and most remarked about his uncanny ability to capture the essence and make it his own; like a musical geneticist, he drew from every strand of DNA in a songwriter's work, which ultimately helped shape his own distinctive personal interpretation; just listen to the wide stylistic swath of genre-hopping material he recorded during his career - from Junior Parker's amphetamine-paced rockabilly classic 'Mystery Train' and the poppin-perfect panache of Otis Blackwell's 'All shook up', to the down and dirty blues swagger of 'Reconsider baby' and the operatic grandeur of 'It's now or never'-; and then there were more controversial and socially conscious anthems ('If I can dream' and 'In the guetto'), and introspective 70's fare like 'Separate ways' and 'Always on my my mind'; right away, you can hear the breath of a master stylist who breathed new life into every song he cut'
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- Elvis Presley could absorb and reinterpret a wide range of musical styles, making each song his own through a deep, almost genetic understanding of the material.
- In plain terms
- He turned many different songs into his own unique style.
- What can you take from it?
- Study how to blend diverse influences into a personal voice.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- How can you honor the source while making it yours?
- What limits does a ‘musical geneticist’ face?
Another view
His approach may overlook the original artist’s intent.
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