Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller were East Coast guys out in California, who began writing and producing for groups like the Coasters and the Drifters in the late 1940s. After the success of “Hound Dog,” they joined up with Elvis to write and produce around a dozen hits in the late 50s and early 60s. Leiber and Stoller told us how they first learned of the man named Elvis Presley.
Mike Stoller: This is Mike Stoller. I’d been in Europe for like three months in 1956. I came back on a boat called the Andrea Doria, which sank. I was picked up by a freighter, and the freighter came into New York. Jerry was at the dock, he said, “Mike you’re okay?” I said, “Yeah I’m fine.” The next thing he said was “Man we have the big smash hit!” I said, “What’s that?” He said, “Hound Dog.” I said, “No kidding, Big Mama Thornton?” He said, “No some white kid named Elvis Presley.” I said, “Elvis who?”
MS: When we were first confronted with a white singer singing the blues, and not just singing it but emulating a black singer, we felt that that was inauthentic. But that’s a purist’s take; I mean he’s authentically Elvis Presley.
Jerry Leiber: This is Jerry Leiber. I think he is an authentic performer. I think that he really means what he says; even though it comes off sometimes as superficial or silly, I think that’s who the cat is. He ain’t Memphis Slim, but he’s a great singer. It took me a while to shine up to him, but when I did, it was really a great experience because we got along very well.
MS: The first time we worked with Elvis was “Jailhouse Rock.” I ended up being the piano player in the movie Jailhouse Rock. They made me take my beard off; they said it was a scene-stealer.
MS: He knew a lot about black music, he knew a lot about gospel, more than we did, and more about country music than we did by far. And he was easy to work with too, especially in the recording studio—that was where he was really comfortable.
JL: I mean there was a time when he would not walk into a studio if we weren’t there. He was very self-conscious about working. He was very afraid to look like he didn’t know his business or didn’t have the chops, you know because he was not a finished musician, but he was a finished performer.
JL: “Love Me” that he did, it’s the greatest rendition of a ballad we’ve ever written; there’s no question about it.
MS: “Love Me” was a great performance, but I think my favorites were “Jail House Rock,” “Don’t,” which he’d asked me to write him a pretty ballad and I called Jerry—that was a Friday. Sunday we went into the studio and made a demo, Monday I gave him the record.
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