Paul McCartney revealed what happened when The Beatles listened to one Elvis Presley album. John Lennon revealed his feelings on the record.
Paul McCartney said he finds “solace” in listening to an Elvis Presley album. He wants his music to have the same effect on listeners. John Lennon had something to say about the same Elvis album.
Paul McCartney revealed what happened when The Beatles listened to 1 Elvis Presley album
During a 2020 interview with Uncut, Paul was asked what music had a positive effect on him. “Something like ‘God Only Knows,’” he said. “It’s just … Wow! The thrill it gives me, the inspiration and the solace — whatever you want to call it — it makes me feel great. I want my songs to have that effect, too.
“Early Elvis stuff, too,” he added. “When we were just starting out, we’d be sitting round, maybe playing snooker or something, and someone would put the first Elvis album on. It’d make you feel so good. That was always my ambition. ‘Wow, I get this. This is great. You can feel good without being goody-goody.’” Elvis’ debut, Elvis Presley, featured his covers of songs such as Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes” and Little Richard’s “Tutti Frutti.”
Paul McCartney discussed the impact The Beatles’ music has on listeners
Paul said he wants his music to have a positive effect on people. “I know the effect music has on me and the effect it can have on other people,” he said. “People come up to me in the street saying, ‘I had cancer. I’m cured now, but your music really helped me get through it.’”
Paul discussed The Beatles’ legacy. “I’m so proud that the music that we made has had this effect on people — and appears to be still having!” he said.
John Lennon liked the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll’s album more than almost any other album
According to a 1980 interview from the book All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono, John had a similar reaction to Elvis Presley. He was asked if he had any favorite albums. He said he only liked two albums all the way through, both of which he listened to when he was around 16. One was Elvis Presley and the other was a Perkins album.
John wasn’t sure if the latter was Perkins’ first or second release. Perkins’ first was called Dance Album and his second was called Whole Lotta Shakin’. Dance Album includes all of Perkins’ most famous tunes, including “Blue Suede Shoes,” “Matchbox,” and “Honey Don’t.” Whole Lotta Shakin’, on the other hand, largely features covers of tunes by other rock artists such as Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Arthur “Big Boy” Crudup.
John said he wasn’t particularly satisfied with any album, including The Beatles’ albums. Despite this, he had some fondness for Beatles releases such as Revolver, Rubber Soul, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, and The White Album. He also liked Please Please Me because it was recorded so quickly.
Elvis’ debut album meant a lot to Paul and it meant a lot to John too.
