This book is the best book I've read about Elvis. June tells the story with such love with each word she says. You could actually feel the love between them you would think she would've married him. You get to here about a side of Elvis that everyone wishes they could have known. You wish you were the one that fell in love with Elvis. Who doesn't! If any of Elvis's girlfriends could write a book about him no one could beat widdle bitty June's. You have to read the book to figure out where the widdle bitty comes from. She was one lucky lady to have known the one and only Elvis Presley. He is missed by so many people.

I totally loved this book. It gives you a glimpse of the true Elvis before all the pressures changed him. And you get a glimpse of what his life was like with his mom and dad.It was a wonderful true love story. I could actually picture myself in the story, June gives such good details!! I think any Elvis fan will come a way with a truely good feeling after having read this book.It's GREAT!!!!

I truly loved this book. It showed a side of Elvis Presley that is unknown to alot of people. It brought out the young innocent Elvis who seemed every bit as normal as you & me. June obviously was very much in love with him. You could feel the love between them. This seemed to be the side of Elvis who was faithful & wanted to be married & have a family. This was before he became completely overwhelmed by the stardom & drug problems. The two seemed perfect together. The book is also very comical. Elvis & June have a great sense of humor & seem to have so much fun together. It is a wonderful book any Elvis fan would enjoy especially the female fans!

'Sweet Soul Music' is a fantastic book, the best book I've read on the subject. Having said that, it isn't by any means a complete history of Soul Music (it completely omits the great music that came from New York, Motown, Chicago and Philly), nor is it a complete history of Southern Soul Music (the book ends with the acrimonious break up of Stax/Volt records, even though great Soul was still being made elsewhere in Memphis). Guralnick's book starts off looking like a history of Soul Music (there are early chapters on Ray Charles, Sam Cooke, and an amazing and hilarious chapter on Solomon Burke), but then the book changes emphasis and becomes the story of the involvement of white musicians in Southern R&B.

Guralnick's thesis seems to be that Southern Soul achieved its great creative flowering in the 60s as a result of the partnership between black and white musicians, and even though he interviews a great number of musicians and businessmen - black and white - he can't help himself from empathising with the young white hipsters that made up the house bands at Stax and Muscle Shoals, with the result that the book becomes very much a story told from their point of view (Guralnick calls Dan Penn the "secret hero of this book" - fair enough, but surely James Brown should have been its overt hero). After these white musicians were intimidated out of the business during the racial tension that followed Martin Luther King's assassination in 1968, Guralnick concentrates more on the politics and seems to lose interest in the music itself.

Which is a great pity, since Southern Soul in the 70s went on to even greater heights (James Brown's rhythmic revolution, then Al Green's great synthesis of the sexual and the spiritual). Though I learnt a great deal from the book (my CD collection has mushroomed after reading it) it felt to this reader as though the book had ended just before its real climax.

THis is The Kind Of Book For Lovers OF Real SOul&it's Early History&Impact.So Many Great Artists.this Book Is Music To The Eyes&Heart.Very Well Detailed.SO Many Styles Covered&Told.It Covers a Wide Base Of Issues.A Must.

If you want a starting place in your search to find REAL Soul music, look no further than this book. Guralnick points you in the right direction. It is very clear that he loves the subject matter. He investigated the legends, and reports as much truth as will come to light, about performers like Otis Redding, Solomon Burke, James Brown, Sam Cooke, Arthur Alexander, Aretha Franklin, James Carr, O.V. Wright, Al Green, Wilson Pickett, and many others. There is also a history of Stax Records that Rob Bowman used as a reference for his epic history of the label. And there's a comprehensive discography, which has been updated for the CD era. Guralnick let the story take him wherever it led, even if he didn't always like the conclusions. It is an honest book and a good read. I write a lot of reviews on Soul music. Much of what I know about the roots of Soul, I learned from this book!

This is the kind of book I dream about. When I look for my next read, I look for a book that is 1) passionate 2) not pretentious and not totally mainstream, and 3) about quirky (in a trashy and at least slightly out of control way) people and things. Sounds simple enough, but lord knows it ain't as easy to find a book with those characteristics as you might think. But Robert Gordon has torn it up and come through for us. Really, it's amazing that this book is still in print because it's "target audience" must consist of about thirty people. And therein lies its beauty. Imagine something as idiosyncratic as a zine, but, unlike a zine, not poorly written! Also, it doesn't hurt that a nice sized portion of the book is devoted to the godhead, Alex Chilton, which means a lot to us Chilton-ites since no real definitive bio exists. Of course, there's tons else besides Alex--take for example pro wrestlers, hippie bluesmen, and a cool-as-hell photographer--but if you don't dig Alex, maybe you should pass on this anyway and go and see if Will and Grace is available on DVD yet. Your type sickens me.

Gordon's It Came from Memphis helps to unravel the rich heritage of a city whose musical heritage is largely overlooked save for BB King and Elvis Presley. He succesfullly attempts to expose the politics, racism, and situations of circumstance that fueled Memphis to become what it is today both musically and socially. A young gifted author whose style is both easily readable and profound, Gordon offers a book that is a must read for any fan of modern music. I recommend this one highly.

If you've never been to Memphis, this book will either make you drive straight to the airport or convince you to stay far, far away. Gordon's round-up of Memphis eccentrics, flops, and genuises is short on Elvis and B.B. King, and long on Alex Chilton, Dewey Phillips, Jim Dickinson, and Furry Lewis. An indispensible and hilarious guide to America's deep-fried music capital.

Coming from an age group that barely remembers the days of Sun Studio's most talented performers and songwriters, this book drives home the importance and impact of the many talents that emerged from this Memphis-based shrine.

This is a must read for anone who loves rock-n-roll, blues, jazz, or just wants to learn more about the hardships, the triumphs and the many lessons learned in the music industry.

Many top idols are present, but what makes the book such a worthwhile reading are the writings on those less known. My hats off to a true tribute for the sounds and artists of the south!

Have you heard the news? Good Rockin' Tonight is the encyclopedia for all fans of Sam C. Phillips' groundbreaking Memphis Recording Service and Sun/Phillips International labels. Colin Escott and Martin Hawkins, whose expert commentaries appear in the liner notes of many Sun CD reissue packages, deliver thorough accounts of the players and events in the Sun story. Full chapters are devoted to Sun's best-known players (Sam Phillips, Carl Perkins, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and Elvis Presley) and the landmark events (the recording of Rocket 88, the arrival of Howlin' Wolf, and the birth of Rockabilly), but the real highlight is the attention to the lesser-known players like Joe Hill Louis, Scotty Moore, Sonny Burgess, Billy Riley, and Roland Janes. They didn't top the charts, but were as important to the creation of the "Sun Sound" as Perkins, Lewis, Cash and Presley were to its export outside the Memphis city limits, and in Good Rockin' Tonight they receive the recognition they deserve. Escott and Hawkins round out the Sun story with a complete discography of all the Sun and Phillips International singles, EPs and LPs released while both labels were active.

Sun was the first powerhouse independent record label of Rock & Roll music. It's catalogue, performed by rough-edged musicians who turned out consistently innovative material and a Top Ten hit here and there, has been exhaustively reissued over the past ten years, much to the delight of Sun connoisseurs. Sadly, the same can't be said of material written about Sun: most of the books (several also written by Escott and Hawkins) are now out of print. Good Rockin' Tonight stands alone as the most comprehensive work dedicated to Sam Phillips and the record label whose influence on popular culture deserves much more.

Voice Of The Blues gathers many lengthy interviews with pioneering bluesmen under one cover, revealing their life and times and an unusual participation in a dialogue over the history and directions of the blues music genre. These interviews first appeared in the pages of Living Blues magazine and here have been reprinted for the first time in book form.

I loved this book. In England we have a term for the obsessive fan with an unhealthy fascination for trivia. Taking note of the favored coat of the trainspotter (chap at rail station writing down train serial numbers), we call 'em "anorak"s. This is book for "anorak"s. Guess that makes me one.

The text is really well written. Jorgensen is the world's premier expert on Presley's music, and an excellent archivist for his record label too. However, all the factual information contained here (dates, take numbers etc...) is easily found here on the internet. Thus very nearly making this book superfluous.

Not JUST a complete sessionography, but as detailed and thorough account of Elvis' life as exists in print form. There are longer tomes, but none as accurate and as wonderfully presented. The interposition of the biographical text with the session listings works well in letting the reader see the progression of Elvis through the years.
Mr. Jorgensen's inter-relationship with BMG (nee RCA Victor) makes certain that the accuracy is as good as it's going to get. And, the story itself unfolds in an "eager-to-read" fashion.
Whether you are an Elvis fan or just a rock-n-roll fan in general, this IS the Elvis book to own. All others pale by comparison.

At last a book NOT about Elvis the man, the myth, the legend...but about his MUSIC! Finally a decent describtion of his recording sessions. A must have for every Elvisfan and musiclover!

Ernst Jorgensen, together with Roger Semon, THE expert on Elvis' music, compilating all the Elvis CD's beeing released since the late 1980s/early '90s, has written THE book about Elvis' recordingsessions.

With it's hard cover, black and white picture of the '50s Elvis and over 150 pictures inside, this book really is a beauty to look at. Chronologically, ALL recordingsessions are described, from "My Happiness" in 1953 to "Moody Blue" in 1977. All songs officially recorded by Elvis can be found in this book and from each song is mentioned:

* when it was recorded;

* where it was recorded (which studio, place):

* who wrote the song;

* which musicians are playing;

* all matrixnumbers;

* the kind of soundcarrier, the song was first released at.

Further, the book contains a complete list of all legal Elvis LPs and CDs updated to 1997, including the chartposition the song(s) reached. Quite a lot pictures in this book have never before been published and all together, this is one of THE best books ever written about Elvis' musical legacy!

A collection of great (and maybe not so great) essays on all genres of music, from a day in the life of Puff Daddy to Roseanne Cash remembering the songs her father sang her, to Lester Bangs' criticism, to a superb analysis of Ry Cooder's personality and music. I liked all the pieces, especially the quietly admiring piece on Cooder, the thorough look at the wild life and music of Nigerian musician Fela, and an erudite explanation of the musical legacy of gospel singer Dorothy Love Coates. It's interesting that the pieces that interested me the most were about musicians I knew the least; the best writing made me want to hear their music and appreciate it as much as these writers did. That really does make for the best of music writing.

Music journalism doesn't have to be people who can't write interviewing people who can't speak for people who can't read. This volume proves it.

Editor Peter Guralnick has selected 35 pieces that are highly varied in style, subject matter, and length. One of the great things about this volume is that if you find yourself reading an article that doesn't really grab you, just move on - the next one will. With such a strong set of essays it seems almost churlish to single out individual ones of praise. David Moodie and Maureen Callahan's piece from Spin on Woodstock III "Don't Drink the Brown Water" reads like a postcard from one of the outer rings of hell. Arthur Kempton's piece from NYRB "The Lost Tycoons: The Fall of Black Empires" is a thought-provoking analysis on the rise (and fall) of Motown and the Nation of Islam. The MOTORBOOTY editor's send up of historical reenactors is hysterical and David Hadju's rumination on Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn is beautiful. And, as another reviewer noted, Eddie Dean's essay on a fanatical 78 collector is worth the price of admission alone. (And just think: us locals got to read it for free in the Washington City Paper.) On a lighter note, where else but this volume can one learn that Buck Owens sometimes includes "Play That Funky Music White Boy" and "The Macarena" in his sets (Jonny Whiteside, "Merle Haggard's Twin Oracles"), or that Steve Earle has opened for George Jones, Bob Dylan, and The Replacements (Dave Hoekstra, "Steve Earle"). I even learned a word for a sexual practice with which I was unfamiliar in a piece on a drug-addled Canadian fiddler (Rebecca Mead, "Sex, Drugs, and Fiddling").

This book is a real gem, and would make a great gift for anyone interested in music and/or writing. (I'm really glad a buddy gave it to me.) Can't go wrong on this one: there is something here for everyone.

I hope this treasure chest doesn't get overlooked. Da Capo Press is relatively small, and the topic--essays on popular music--may seem too narrow to generate widespread interest. But believe me, this book is about us, and gives us as a nation--heck, as citizens of the world--the chance to reflect on community, art, and the "shared passions" (in editor Guralnick's words) that can bring us together. These may seem like exalted claims for a book of essays on music. They're not. From Peter Guralnick's wise, sane, inclusive and non-ideological preface to the wealth of talent, insight, and love--yes, love--represented in these essays, this is the most hopeful, humane book I've read in years. Veterans like Greil Marcus are here, and brilliant newcomers like Eddie Dean join him. (Dean's "Desperate Man Blues," the story of a truly obsessive collector of pre-1930's 78 rpm records, alone is worth the price of admission.) There's even a posthumous gem from the late, lamented Lester Bangs. And the lead-off essay, a reflection on music and family by Roseanne Cash, daughter of the legendary Johnny Cash and an accomplished artist in her own right, may make you cry. It sure brought a tear to my eye.

Don't let the riches in this collection pass you by. Get this book! Read it, share it, give it to everyone on your holiday gift list. Music can still bring us together, and this book is proof. I can't wait to see next year's collection.

Guralnick's classic book has great persuasive power, particularly among young or less knowledgeable readers, for Guralnick writes from the heart and pulls the reader along with sheer enthusiasm for the subject matter. The book is most valuable for its chapters on some characters who aren't often written about in depth - Johnny Shines, Skip James, Robert Pete Williams. Muddy Waters and Howlin' Wolf also get their own chapters, but they're already popular and Guralnick probably isn't going to introduce too many readers to these monoliths. It's fun to read about music and performers we like - that is the key to this book's success, I think.

Where it falls short is in the area of hard fact and objective analysis. There are no footnotes, and Guralnick's prejudices result in some bizarre and some blatantly wrong statements. For example, Guralnick asserts that, as of 1971, the Rolling Stones were the one major rock and roll band who always played rock and roll music, while the Beatles never really did that (p. 35) -- a statement ripe with Stones media hype of the Sticky Fingers era. Granted, the Beatles were more influenced by "rockabilly" and less Chicago-blues-based than the Stones, but they easily fall within the parameters of Guralnick's what-is-rock-and-roll thesis. In fact, Guralnick is eager to show how contemporary rock music -- even the bulk of the Beatles' music -- owes much of its content and structure to The Blues, whether the musicians know it or not. Guralnick also insists that the Beatles never paid tribute to, or publicized, their musical influences, while the Stones recorded songs by their favorite bluesmen and appeared onstage with them. Again, Guralnick overlooks Beatles for Sale (half cover versions) and Please Please Me and With the Beatles... and the fact that the Beatles were prolific songwriters, while the early Stones recorded cover versions for lack of good original material.

The crux of the issue, unstated by Guralnick but implicit in his comparisons, is that the Beatles did not try to sound Black, and thus failed to meet his subjective standard of what "rock and roll" should be. This prejudice hampers Guralnick's central argument -- that nearly all pop music derives from The Blues -- by suggesting that blues-based music is more rare and less popular than we think. The book's thesis would be improved if Guralnick were to broaden his survey to include jazz music & its blues origins, then the influence of jazz on popular music (e.g., Frank Sinatra) and so on. Then we'd see how Mel Torme and the Beatles and Ella Fitzgerald can all fit together in that big bed we call "the blues."

The book doesn't pretend to be a scholarly study of blues & rock and roll, however. It's more like a series of magazine pieces, to be read on planes, trains and busses. It's a fine introduction to the 50s roots of modern "rock" music.

Peter Guralnick begins this book with a tribute to early rock and roll and his adoration of it and then has chapters on mainly blues performers and then Sun Records and finally the final days of Chess Records. Guralnick gives us personal insights on artists, some famous (Jerry Lee Lewis), some more obscure (Robert Pete Williams). Even if you have read every item of information on Howlin Wolf or Charlie Rich this still displays a perspective on them from a different angle. Overall a wonderful glimpse into the world of the performers from a human level.

Peter Guralnick writes so beautifully about blues, treating it with the seriousness it deserves without making it carry more than it can bear. His writing is so understated and his insights so subtle that you find yourself thinking about his profiles of these artists as you listen to them later. He brings enough scholarly bearing to them to make you realize that what makes blues so special are the things it has in common with all great art--beauty and depth of feeling.

This is one of those rare biographies that transcend its subject. The rise of Elvis is fascinating and true Elvis fans will find a wealth of information in the book, but there is also much more to take from this well researched tome. The discussion of the music of Memphis, the sources that influenced Elvis and the rise of rock and roll make this book a terrific addition to anyone's library who is interested in music or the south.

The relationship between Presley and his many women is discussed here and so is the complex interaction between him and his family. Perhaps his most interesting relationship is with his manager, Colonel Parker. How that relationship shaped his career certainly makes for an interesting read. The author does as fine a job as I have ever seen of documenting his sources and treating his subject with respect, but not awe. This is one of the best bio's I have ever read. I highly recommend this book to students of Elvis, pop music, the south or to anyone looking to be exposed to a world that no longer exists.

I don't own a single note Elvis Presley ever sang. I've never been particularly interested in his life or his music. The only other popular music books I've ever read are largely about punk rock, my true musical obsession.

Yet my interest was piqued by the rave reviews this book received. Perhaps because of my interest in punk, and to a lesser extent 60's protest music, I've always been fascinated by the way in which popular culture both reflects and constructs its contemporary historical context. And what Guralnick does so brilliantly in this book is distill precisely that relationship.

This book is simply a beautiful portrait of 1950s America, of a strange decade when outward moral propriety just began to hint at the possibilty of subversive rebellion. Who better to embody that contradiction than a shy, polite religious boy from Tupelo who somehow transformed his love of gospel into seminal - the MOST seminal - rock and roll?

Guralnick eloquently portrays both the humanity and poignancy of his subject, and through it, the humanity and poignancy of a historical era on the verge of massive disruption. It still seems quiet and respectful and homely - like Elvis himself - and yet somehow you just know that lurking beneath the surface is genuine social rebellion.

A great book, a page-turner. So good I might even pick up an Elvis record.

Extremely well-written bio, it took me right back to the 50's. Shows how important Sam Phillips was in the genesis of Elvis' "new" style of music. Gives glimpses into the King's initially very conservative moral stand - no drinking or smoking. Sometimes he even read from the Bible to his dates.

The book takes us to the day he is shipped out to Germany. Towards the later chapters, darkness seems to creep into Elvis' life. He is very fearful, and the death of his mother appears to almost destroy his self-confidence. It gives great insight into just how and why Elvis' music was truly revolutionary. Shows how Elvis rose to the top thanks to three forces. First of course was his own talent, drive, ambition and energy. Then there was Sam Phillips who not only recognized that this phenomenon was totally new and different, but helped steer Elvis in the right direction musically. And finally there was the very clever Colonel Tom Parker, who was like a field general obsessed with effectively promoting Elvis' career.

All in all, this book is hard to put down - in fact one wishes it would never end because it is such an enjoyable read.

Aahhhhh finally my favorite!
A wonderful personal daily diary on Elvis!

I have just a few questions:
Just how would these two "Elvis wonders" know what went on EVERYDAY of Elvis life?
Were they there with Elvis every moment?
Were they a fly on the wall in a past life?
Did a psychic tell them EXACTLY what happened to Elvis and when?
Maybe they were Elvis reincarnated?

If these men knew Elvis' daily happenings, they would have to be at least 10 years old in 1935, to remember anything ... and that would make both men around 76 in age, right?

ONLY ELVIS CAN WRITE HIS DIARY --- NOT THE MASTERS OF THE ELVIS UNIVERSE!

Ernst Jorgensen and Peter Guralnick have really out done themselves. Thanks should go to the Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. for being cooperative and allowing this precious book to be made. You can almost literally follow all the living days of Elvis. This book covers his family history, and from the day of his birth a day by day listing (like a diary) of what Elvis did in his personal life leading to his destined professional life. Whom he made friends with, movies he would stay up to see all night, when a certain song was recorded and released, what TV shows he appeared on and where he performed before making it big, his movie deals, it's all here. Every account of his life. Now you can follow the 16,217 days of his life. 42 years and 220 days of his wonderful life and the entertainment he gave to us. There are 487 photos inside this book with 337 of Elvis Presley. The two most interesting "unknown" facts in this diary that I enjoyed reading and certainly raised an eyebrow were the two dates of April 17, 1963 and November 22, 1963. On April 17, 1963, for a party at Graceland, what did Elvis order for food and beverage? On November 22, 1963, who was Elvis with and what were they doing on that tragic, historic day? Read this book to find out and buy it for your very own home personal library.

Elvis Day By Day is not perfect. The depth of the book doesn't match say, The Beatles Anthology and it could have. It doesn't have the striking pictures that other books in the genre do. But let's not get to critical. Ernst Jorgensen has almost singlehandedly revitalized the music of Elvis into mainstream America and Guralnick, while not always perfect has presented an accurate image of Elvis. Many little things add interest to this book. These include the many photos of documents that Elvis signed. Also, some unreleased and rare photos.I could have suggested more quality photos and experiences from the 68-72 era. The day by day in these years could have been better chronicled, in my opinion. I thought the picture of Elvis on stage live with Tom Jones was quite neat and worth the price of the book. Overall this book is excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it and any fan will be delighted to have it on their coffee table. Kevin Hogan, ...