Elvis Presley: A Life in Music : The Complete Recording Sessions [Hardcover]

Ernst Jorgensen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1998

The definitive story of Elvis's recording career -- filled with unseen photos and unexpected revelation

In the last decade, the image of Elvis Presley has been changed forever -- spurred in part by a major CD reissue campaign covering Presley's entire recording career. Once merely a subject of scandal, Elvis Presley is coming back into focus for what he was: the greatest performer of our time.

Elvis Presley: A Life in Music completes the picture. Ernst Jorgensen -- the man behind RCA's reissue program -- has been given unlimited access to the Presley recording vaults, and with this book he puts us in the studio for every late-night session of his 24-year career. Far more than a recording-sessions guide, A Life in Music reveals -- in an in-depth narrative and hundreds of photographs -- a figure far savvier and more complex than we've known: instinctive musician, driven perfectionist, a one-man industry brought down by the very system built to support him. The most complete picture we've ever had of Elvis Presley the artist, this book is a musical landmark.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

As director of RCA's Elvis catalogue, Jorgensen is one of the key figures behind the Elvis Presley CD box sets RCA has issued in recent years. This book makes a worthy companion to those historic releases. All of the King's known recordings?including rehearsals, live recordings and recordings made in the privacy of his hotel rooms?are approached with the same reverence that his studio sessions inspire, providing a framework for a narrative of Elvis's life. Indeed, eminent Presley biographer Guralnik (Last Train to Memphis) writes that, given Jorgensen's attention to detail, the author is "either a madman or a great detective." While so many Presley books are written by authors who never seem to overcome their poetic sense of awe regarding the King, Jorgensen, being an RCA executive, couches the story of Presley's life in the gritty details of the artist's work and gets past the myths, giving readers a glimpse of what it might have been like to be Elvis. Hence, his is a truly insightful book. 150 photos in color and b&w. Editor, Calvert D. Morgan.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Ernst Jorgensen produced many RCA Elvis box sets, for which he was nominated for a Grammy Award. He lives in Denmark.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 454 pages
• Publisher: St Martins Pr; 1st edition (July 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312185723
• ISBN-13: 978-0312185725
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 7.9 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.9 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (19 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #992,352 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr. Songman, May 7, 2000

By 

Mark van Hout - See all my reviews

This review is from: Elvis Presley: A Life in Music : The Complete Recording Sessions (Hardcover)

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!

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars 5 for Content; 1 for Poor book production, September 19, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Elvis Presley: A Life in Music--The Complete Recording Sessions (Paperback)

This is a must have book for any Elvis fan. Unfortunately, the paperback version is a poor cousin of the original hardback. First, the paperback was produced from the same proofs as the hardback, but on smaller stock. As a result many pictures - and a few captions - have been cropped; this is quite irritating. In addition, the binding is awful. After only a few weeks perusing it, the pages in my copy began to fall out. The publishers should not have allowed this to happen to such a superb reference work.

I hate to harp on the production values, because I do love what Jorgensen has done here, but advise you to order the hardback instead.

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Music not gossip, December 2, 1999

By 

Richard J. Silverberg (Kew Gardens, New York USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Elvis Presley: A Life in Music : The Complete Recording Sessions (Hardcover)

This book is for people who really care about the making of Elvis's music. The authors go into detail about the origin of songs and how they were recorded. I particulary enjoyed the musician credits - finding out who played what on the records. Even Elvis played guitar and/or piano on selected numbers. Also, because of this book and and Mr. Jorgensen's previous edition I learned that singers and musicians go through multiple takes to complete a recording. Marvelous writing!