Every song featured on Elvis Presley’s personal jukebox
Back in 2009, rock and roll fans all over the world were afforded the chance to peek at Elvis Presley’s private singles collection.
The power of the record was essential to becoming ‘the King’. As well as soaking up the gospel sermons of Rev Herbert Brewster in South Memphis as a boy, the bluegrass and country-obsessed Tupelo kid would move to Memphis and soon lose himself in the local radio stations spinning the latest blues records from all the genre’s Black pioneers he was mentally taking notes from.
Reportedly, the young Elvis was a keen customer of Downtown’s Pop Tunes record store before fame rendered such casual visits impossible, calling the shop’s management to personally deliver his requests.
He’d never stop. While his connection to popular music’s rapidly evolving trends was tenuous, Presley remained just as much a singles collector right up until his death in 1977, amassing a hefty array of 45s for his personal jukebox, a wealth of records that would form one of the central items of his famed Graceland Mansion TV room.
Alongside his three TV monitors to watch sports and news simultaneously, garish yellow decor and a mini bar lounge for his Memphis Mafia entourage, Presley’s custom-built jukebox was switched up to the day’s modern stereo spatial speaker system. No expense was spared for his musical sanctuary.
Yet, over the years, Presley would end up gifting much of his collection to one of his biggest superfans. In the late 1950s, a habit of sending newspaper clippings about ‘the King’ to Presley’s mother, Gladys, resulted in the star’s family taking a shine to the young Gary Pepper, particularly touched by his struggles with cerebral palsy. Before long, Presley and Pepper became close friends, the latter on the former’s payroll and tasked with official promotion coordination and fan club correspondence.
Presley was especially generous to Pepper, ensuring new wheelchairs, fitted cars to accommodate his needs, and even a residence behind his Graceland Mansion. Among such favours was the incremental gifting of his jukebox contents. Spanning the 1950s and 1970s and including entries from his old Sun peers, the jukebox collection attests to his lifetime connection to the foundational artists of his rock and roll craft and later drift into balladry and song standards.
Rock and rollers like Chuck Berry and Little Richard, Roy Orbison’s rockabilly croon, James Brown’s supercharged soul, Dean Martin’s swing, and even Booker T & The MGs pepper his single jukebox trove. As late as 1976, Johnnie Taylor’s ‘Disco Lady’ would enjoy the odd spin from the Graceland entertainment cave.
For decades, the singles would remain largely hidden from the public before Pepper’s gifted records finally went on auction in 2009. Purchased by Denmark’s Elvis Unlimited owner Henrik Knudsen, Presley’s records now sit on permanent display at the Randers museum as one of the most prized pieces of his lore outside of Memphis. As compiled by Record Collector not long after the auction, here’s the full list of the Presley-Pepper chest of 45s and the curious insight into ‘the King’s’ pop radar.
Every track forming Elvis Presley’s personal collection:
- Sammy Atchison – ‘Treat Me Nice’
- Sammy Atchison – ‘Think About It’
- Pearl Bailey – ‘Let There Be Love’
- Lavern Baker – ‘Tomorrow Night’
- Lavern Baker – ‘Trouble In Mind’
- Lavern Baker – ‘Whipper Snapper’
- Lavern Baker – ‘I Waited Too Long’
- Hank Ballard – ‘Those Lonely Lonely Feelings’
- Hank Ballard – ‘Finger Poppin Time’
- Barbara & The Browns – ‘Big Party’
- Brigitte Bardot – ‘Harley Davidson’
- Barkays – ‘Soul Finger’
- Boyd Bennett – ‘You Upset Me Baby’
- Brook Benton – ‘Hurtin Inside’
- Chuck Berry – ‘Deep Feeling’
- Chuck Berry – ‘Too Much Monkey Business’
- Chuck Berry – ‘You Too’
- Chuck Berry – ‘No Money Down’
- Chuck Berry – ‘Little Queenie’
- Chuck Berry – ‘Together’
- Chuck Berry – ‘Havana Moon’
- Chuck Berry – ‘Maybellene’
- Chuck Berry – ‘I Do Really Love You’
- Bill Black Combo – ‘Don’t Be Cruel’
- Bobby Bland – ‘Turn On Your Love Light’
- Eddie Bo – ‘I’m Wise’
- The Bobbettes – ‘Look At The Stars’
- Booker T & The MG’s – ‘Plum-Nellie’
- Booker T & The MG’s – ‘Green Onions’
- Pat Boone – ‘Two Hearts’
- Teresa Brewer – ‘Ricochet’
- Buster Brown – ‘Sugar Babe’
- James Brown – ‘If I Ruled The World’
- James Brown & The Famous Flames – ‘Try Me’
- James Brown & The Famous Flames – ‘Money Won’t Change You Part 1’
- James Brown – ‘Papa’s Got A Brand New Bag Part 1’
- James Brown – ‘I Can’t Stand Myself’
- Jericho Brown – ‘Darling I Love Thee’
- Roy Brown – ‘Don’t Break My Heart’
- Ruth Brown – ‘Old Man River’
- Ruth Brown – ‘Somebody Touched Me’
- Buchanan & Goodman – ‘The Flying Saucer Part 1’
- Solomon Burke – ‘Got To Get You Off My Mind’
- Solomon Burke – ‘Can’t Nobody Love You’
- Solomon Burke – ‘You Can Make It If You Try’
- Ace Cannon – ‘Cottonfields’
- Ace Cannon – ‘The Great Pretender’
- Chick Carbo – ‘In The Night’
- The Cadillacs – ‘Speedo’
- The Champs – ‘El Rancho Rock’
- Gene Chandler – ‘The Big Lie’
- Bruce Chanel – ‘Dream Girl’
- Nick Charles – ‘I Wonder’
- Ray Charles – ‘What’d I Say’
- Ray Charles – ‘But On The Other Hand Baby’
- Ray Charles – ‘I’ve Got A Woman’
- Ray Charles – ‘I Want To Know’
- The Charms – ‘Ling, Ting, Tong’
- The Chordettes – ‘Lollipop’
- Eugene Church – ‘For The Rest Of My Life’
- Dee Clark – ‘Nobody But You’
- Dee Clark – ‘Raindrops’
- The Cleftones – ‘I Was Dreaming’
- The Coasters – ‘Yakety Yak’
- Cobra Kings – ‘Tragedy’
- Sam Cooke – ‘A Change Is Gonna Come’
- Les Cooper – ‘Soul Rockers’
- Cozy Cole – ‘Topsy Part 1’
- Cleveland Crocket – ‘Sugar Bee’
- The Clovers – ‘Nip Sip’
- The Clovers – ‘Your Tender Lips’
- The Clovers – ‘A Lovely Fool’
- The Clovers – ‘Drive It Home’
- Floyd Cramer – ‘Sophisticated Swing’
- Arthur Crudup – ‘Rock Me Mama’
- King Curtis – ‘Twisting Time’
- Jimmy Dallas – ‘Brand New Pair…’
- Jimmy Dallas – ‘My Woman Loves…’
- Dante & The Evergreens – ‘Alley-Oop’
- Bobby Darin – ‘Irresistible You’
- Michael David – ‘Rehearsal’
- Bobby Day – ‘Over And Over’
- Dean & Jean – ‘Tra La La La Suzy’
- The Diamonds – ‘The Stroll’
- Bo Diddley – ‘I’m Bad’
- Bo Diddley – ‘You Can’t Judge A Book By The Cover’
- Bo Diddley – ‘Mona’
- Bo Diddley – ‘I Am Looking For A Woman’
- Bill Doggett – ‘Hand In Hand’
- Bill Doggett – ‘Honky Tonk Part 1’
- Bill Doggett – ‘Pimento’
- Bill Doggett – ‘Shindig’
- Fats Domino – ‘It’s You I Love’
- Fats Domino – ‘I’m In Love Again’
- Fats Domino – ‘I Still Love You’
- Fats Domino – ‘I’m In The Mood For Love’
- Fats Domino – ‘Poor Me’
- Fats Domino – ‘What’s The Reason I’m Not Pleasing You’
- Fats Domino – ‘Jambalaya’
- Lee Dorsey – ‘Ya Ya’
- Lee Dorsey – ‘Do-Re-Mi’
- The Drifters – ‘Fools Fall In Love’
- The Drifters – ‘Vaya Con Dios’
- The Drifters – ‘Hypnotised’
- The El Dorados – ‘At My Front Door’
- The El Dorados – ‘I Began To Realise’
- The Flares – ‘Foot Stomping Part 1’
- Eddie Fontane – ‘Into Each Life Some Rain Must Fall’
- Aretha Franklin – ‘Respect’
- Ernie Freeman – ‘Beautiful Weekend’
- Paul Gayten – ‘Cow Cow Blues’
- Lloyd Glenn – ‘Still Waters’
- Bill Haley – ‘Rock Around The Clock’
- Bill Haley – ‘Two Hound Dogs’
- Bill Haley – ‘Burn That Candle’
- Bill Haley – ‘Rockin Through The Rye’
- Bill Haley – ‘The Paper Boy’
- Bill Haley – ‘R-O-C-K’
- Roy Hamilton – ‘You Can Have Her’
- Lionel Hampton – ‘Railroad No 1’
- Slim Harpo – ‘Baby Scratch My Back’
- Joe Hinton – ‘You Know It Ain’t Right’
- Dale Hawkins – ‘Don’t Treat Me This Way’
- Al Hibbler – ‘After The Lights Go Down Low’
- Al Hibbler – ‘He’
- John Lee Hooker – ‘Tupelo’
- Ivory Joe Hunter – ‘Empty Arms’
- Ivory Joe Hunter – ‘You Can’t Stop This…’
- Buddy Johnson – ‘Doot Doot Dow’
- Isley Brothers – ‘Twist And Shout’
- The Jivers – ‘Cherie’
- The Jodimers – ‘Let’s All Rock Together’
- Bill Justis – ‘Raunchy’
- Bill Justis – ‘College Man’
- Bill Justis – ‘Cathy Wampus’
- Steve Lawrence – ‘Party Doll’
- Larry Lay – ‘I Know What You’re Looking For’
- Brenda Lee – ‘I Wonder’
- Brenda Lee – ‘Anybody But Me’
- Brenda Lee – ‘That’s All You Got To Do’
- Brenda Lee – ‘I’m Learning About Love’
- Brenda Lee – ‘Fairyland’
- Brenda Lee – ‘Dum Dum’
- Bobby Lewis – ‘Oh Yes, I Love You’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘Ramblin Rose’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘Sweet Little Sixteen’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘Money’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘End Of The Road’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘Mean Woman Blues’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘Carry Me Back To Old Virginia’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘Breathless’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘You Win Again’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘I Can’t Trust Me’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘Rocking Pneumonia’
- Jerry Lee Lewis – ‘Georgia On My Mind’
- Jerry Lee Lewis & Linda Gail Lewis – ‘Seasons Of My Heart’
- Lovin’ Spoonful – ‘Day Dream’
- Frankie Lymon – ‘Share’
- Lonnie Mack – ‘Wham’
- Lonnie Mack – ‘Memphis’
- Dean Martin – ‘Bumming Around’
- Clyde McPhatter – ‘No Love Like Her Love’
- Clyde McPhatter – ‘Without Love’
- Clyde McPhatter – ‘Long, Lonely Nights’
- Clyde McPhatter – ‘Seven Days’
- Carl McVoy – ‘You Are My Sunshine’
- Carl McVoy – ‘Little John’s Gone’
- Mickey & Sylvia – ‘There Oughta Be A Law’
- Mickey & Sylvia – ‘Love Is Strange’
- Grover Mitchell – ‘Lonely Without Your Love’
- Willie Mitchell – ‘Sunrise Serenade’
- Willie Mitchell – ‘Wood Chopper’s Ball’
- Moonglows – ‘She’s Gone’
- Ricky Nelson – ‘Poor Little Fool’
- Ricky Nelson – ‘Someday’
- Ricky Nelson – ‘My Bucket’s Got A Hole In It’
- Ricky Nelson – ‘Yes Sir That’s My Baby’
- Ricky Nelson – ‘Waiting In School’
- Ricky Nelson – ‘A Teenager’s Romance’
- Vikki Nelson – ‘Bright And Early’
- Roy Orbison – ‘Mean Woman Blues’
- Little Junior Parker – ‘Mary Jo’
- Bill Parsons – ‘The All American Boy’
- Carl Perkins – ‘Honey, Don’t’
- Carl Perkins – ‘Treasure Of Love’
- Carl Perkins – ‘Dixie Fried’
- Carl Perkins – ‘Pink Pedal Pushers’
- Webb Pierce – ‘Shanghied’
- The Platters – ‘The Great Pretender’
- Lloyd Price – ‘Stagger Lee’
- Red Prysock – ‘Finger Tips’
- Red Prysock – ‘Jumbo’
- Paul Revere & The Raiders – ‘SS396’
- Johnny Ray – ‘No Regrets’
- The Rays – ‘Silhouettes’
- Piano Red – ‘Jumpin With Daddy’
- Piano Red – ‘Red’s Blues’
- Piano Red – ‘Goodbye’
- Piano Red – ‘Please Don’t Talk About Me When I’m Gone’
- Piano Red – ‘Rock, Baby’
- Jimmy Reed – ‘Too Much’
- Jim Reeves – ‘Am I Losing You’
- Charlie Rich – ‘School Days’
- Charlie Rich – ‘Let Me Go My Merry Way’
- Little Richard – ‘Heeby Jeebies’
- Little Richard – ‘Bama Lama Bama Loo’
- Little Richard – ‘Good Golly Miss Molly’
- Little Richard – ‘Keep A Knockin’
- Little Richard – ‘Long Tall Sally’
- Little Richard – ‘Reddy Teddy’
- Little Richard – ‘Send Me Some Lovin’
- Little Richard – ‘Tutti Frutti’
- Little Richard – ‘Rip It Up’
- Little Richard – ‘All Around The World’
- Lee Riley – ‘Flyin’ Saucers Rock’n’Roll’
- Johnny Rivers – ‘Un-Square Dance’
- Johnny Rivers – ‘Cupid’
- Johnny Rivers – ‘Walk Myself On Home’
- Johnny Rivers – ‘Memphis’
- Marty Robbins – ‘Singing The Blues’
- Ray Sharpe – ‘Monkey’s Uncle’
- O.C. Smith – ‘Little Green Apples’
- Huey Smith & The Clowns – ‘Rocking Pneumonia Part 1 & Part 2’
- Sam Smith – ‘A Truck Load Of Watermelon’
- Ray Smith – ‘Candy Doll’
- Warren Smith – ‘Rock’n’Roll Ruby’
- Warren Smith – ‘Miss Froggie’
- Warren Smith – ‘Ubangi Stomp’
- Nancy Sinatra – ‘These Boots Are Made For Walking’
- The Spiders – ‘Witch Craft’
- Kay Starr – ‘The Rock And Roll Waltz’
- Jeb Stuart – ‘I Betcha Gonna Like It’
- Johnny Taylor – ‘Disco Lady’
- Rufus Thomas – ‘The Dog’
- The Triumphs – ‘Humid’
- Joe Turner – ‘Boogie Woogie Country Girl’
- Joe Turner – ‘I Need A Girl’
- Joe Turner – ‘Flip, Flop And Fly’
- Joe Turner – ‘Lipstick, Powder & Paint’
- Joe Turner – ‘Love Roller Coaster’
- Bill Yates – ‘Don’t Step On My Dog’
- Bill Yates – ‘I Dropped My M&M’s’
- The Valentinos – ‘Tired Of Livin’ In The Country’
- Walter Vaughn – ‘Sally Pearl’
- The Vibrations – ‘The Watusi’
- Gene Vincent – ‘Woman Love’
- Jr Walker & The All-Stars – ‘Shotgun’
- Little Walter – ‘My Babe’
- Little Walter – ‘Who’
- Billy Ward – ‘Bobby Sox Baby’
- The Wild Cats – ‘Billy’s Cha Cha’
- Billy Williams – ‘I’m Gonna Sit Right Down And Write Myself A Letter’
- Larry Williams – ‘Bony Moronie’
- Otis Williams – ‘In Paradise’
- Otis Williams – ‘That’s Your Mistake’
- Otis Williams & His Charms – ‘I’d Like To Thank You Mr DJ’
- Chuck Willis – ‘CC Rider’
- Anita Wood – ‘Memories Of You’
- Anita Wood – ‘Still’
- Anita Wood – ‘It Hurts Me To My Heart’
