I remember being totally knocked out when I (at the age of 12) first heard "Heartbreak Hotel". It just blew a gust of fresh air through what was, in the UK at any rate, a cloud of dull, drippy, boring musical crap. That's how it seemed to me as a young lad at the time.

And time, of course, has coloured and changed that initial impression. I found out later about the earlier Sun recordings, which I think are outstanding - gutsy, rocking, and a great mix of musical styles from the black and white racial sides of America. He was a great singer and a great performer in those days - and incredibly influential. I didn't care much for him post-1969, and I never saw him live. Presley was an original. I actually preferred rockers like Little Richard and Chuck Berry, but early Presley is not to be dismissed.