MEMPHIS, Tennessee – Singer/Songwriter Elainee Presley has had a love for rock and roll since her childhood. She would spend hours listening to classic rock and roll records alone in her room as she attempted to emulate her favorites.
Today, Presley is an award-winning artist with a passion for a sound from an era known as music’s golden age. Her YouTube videos show Presley performing old tunes with her own unique vocal take. She’s now taking inspiration from the singer who shares her name by recording Elvis Presley’s hit “Don’t Be Cruel”.
The song was originally recorded back in 1956 and was one of Presley’s biggest hits. The song was recorded alongside two others in the same session, a day that would also produce “Hound Dog”, another of the late singer’s most popular hits. The session was said to have been mostly controlled by Presley. He stepped in to change the arrangement of “Don’t Be Cruel” while also dictating multiple takes of each song until he was satisfied with the vocal. “Don’t Be Cruel” would be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2002, reflecting the impact the song has had.
The song was also one of the first times where a writing credit was given in exchange for the artist recording a version of the track. Writer Otis Blackwell was initially resistant to the idea, but gave in when he was convinced Presley would become a hit and could bring him more than enough royalties to make the deal worthwhile. Blackwell would go on to write hits for other artists, including Peggy Lee, Jerry Lee Lewis, and Del Shannon. In addition, “Don’t Be Cruel” has been covered by numerous artists and charted many times since its original release.
In Elainee Presley’s version, she keeps true to the original instrumentation and vocals while adding her own style to the new version. Presley infuses attitude into her vocals, making her version more of a demand for respect then a plea for kindness. The single was officially released to iTunes May 10, 2014.
Currently, the track is streaming on Presley’s website, http://www.elaineepresley.com/. In addition, she also provides previews of other tracks and keeps fans updated on new projects. One can also connect with the singer on twitter at http://twitter.com/elaineepresley.
OFFICIAL ELAINE PRESLEY LINKS:
http://www.elaineepresley.com
http://itunes.apple.com/album/id874383390
http://www.facebook.com/elaineepresleypage
http://www.twitter.com/elaineepresley
http://www.youtube.com/elaineepresley
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