Elvis Presley Recorded: Trafco Studio, Nashville Produced By: Steve Sholes Elvis Presley: Vocals Bill Black: Bass D.J
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ISSUE #33 MMUSICMAG.COM BEHIND THE CLASSICS WRITTEN BY: TOMMY DURDEN, MAE AXTON, ELVIS PRESLEY RECORDED: TRAFCO STUDIO, NASHVILLE PRODUCED BY: STEVE SHOLES ELVIS PRESLEY: VOCALS BILL BLACK: BASS D.J. FONTANA: DRUMS SCOTTY MOORE, CHET ATKINS: GUITARS FLOYD CRAMER: PIANO GORDON STOKER, BEN & BROCK SPEER: BACKING VOCALS Elvis Presley “Heartbreak Hotel” ELVIS PRESLEY A suicide note was the unlikely inspiration Though the duo is responsible for session, he pronounced it a “morbid mess.” behind the song that became Elvis’ first No. 1 penning the song, Presley’s name appeared Back in RCA’s New York headquarters, the hit and million-selling single. on the record as a third writer. It’s common reaction was a similar. Producer Steve Sholes Steel guitarist and session musician knowledge the Colonel often insisted that recalled, “They all told me it didn’t sound like Tommy Durden read a newspaper article Presley get co-writing credit in exchange his other records, and I’d better not release it.” about a man who had killed himself, leaving for cutting a song. But in later years, Axton But Presley was unfazed, certain that behind a note with the haunting words: “I walk insisted that the shared credit was her the song was the right one to catapult a lonely street.” promise made good to help Elvis buy a house him into the big time. It was released on Durden brought the article to his friend in Florida for his parents. January 27, 1956. The next day, Elvis made and co-writer Mae Boren Axton. A 41-year-old Axton took a demo of the song to his network television debut, performing live high school English teacher who moonlighted Presley while he was on the road. His reaction on the Dorsey Brothers Stage Show. It was as a songwriter, Axton had notched a few was immediate. It reminded him of one of his the first of six appearances over the next few hits in the early 1950s with such artists as favorite records, Roy Brown’s “Hard Luck months, and he sang “Heartbreak Hotel” on Perry Como and Ernest Tubb. In 1955, she Blues.” He quickly added the song to his live three. On April 3, he did the song on the took a part-time position as a public relations repertoire, changing one line of the lyric, from Milton Berle Show—and two weeks later, secretary for Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom “they pray to die” to “they could die.” he scored his first No. 1 pop hit. The tune Parker. When Axton first met Presley, she On January 10, 1956, two days after his also topped the country chart and made it knew he had it all to become a star—except 21st birthday, Presley recorded his first five to the Top 5 on the R&B chart. a hit song. sides for RCA in Nashville. Among them was Mae Axton continued to write songs As Axton and Durden discussed how “Heartbreak Hotel.” The echo-like atmosphere into the ’60s and ’70s, but despite overtures they could turn the article into a song, Axton punctuated by drummer D.J. Fontana’s rim from the King, she never supplied him with suggested there be a “heartbreak hotel” at shots and Scotty Moore’s moody guitar lent a follow-up. Her son Hoyt became a famous the end of that lonely street. With that flash a despair to the track that perfectly matched country star. She died in 1982. Co-writer of inspiration, the pair was off and running. the singer’s heart-rending vocal. Tommy Durden also continued to write until Evoking a place where “broken-hearted The song was markedly different from his death in 1999, but never had a bigger hit. lovers cry away their gloom,” they managed anything Presley had done previously at Sun “Heartbreak Hotel” was inducted into to convey in very few words a mood that was Records. When his former label boss Sam the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1995. both romantically charged and funereal. Phillips heard a sampling of the Nashville –Bill DeMain 78 No33-Mag-test19.indd 78 3/6/14 12:28 AM.