Suzi Quatro discusses the song that changed her life: “It gave me my path”
The profound influence of Suzi Quatro on the rock music scene, especially as a groundbreaking female musician, remains an achievement widely lauded, and her significance in the music industry endures. When it comes to the artists and songs that have left a lasting impression on her, Quatro’s musical influences span a broad spectrum, yet one icon she shares a common bond with, much like many other rock musicians, is Elvis Presley.
‘Don’t Be Cruel’ was recorded by Presley and written by Otis Blackwell in 1956 and became the inaugural song that Presley’s music publishers, Hill & Range, introduced to him for recording. Blackwell was more than willing to relinquish 50% of the royalties and grant Presley a co-writing credit to guarantee that the “hottest new singer around” would embrace it.
Presley recorded the song during an extensive studio session, laying down tracks for ‘Hound Dog’ and ‘Any Way You Want Me’. It achieved remarkable success, becoming Presley’s top-selling single from his 1956 recordings, with over six million copies sold by 1961. It continued to be a staple in his live performances until his passing in 1977, frequently paired with other hits like ‘Jailhouse Rock’ or ‘(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear’ during shows starting in 1969.
Like countless others, Quatro’s introduction to the song followed a familiar path: she watched Presley’s electrifying performance of the hit on television, and it left an unmatched mark on her life.“This was the first time I saw Elvis Presley on TV,” she recalled, “I was seven, and I decided at that age, seeing that show — believe it or not — that I was going to be him. So that song and that performance changed my life. It gave me my path. I still get that same feeling every time I see it, all the time.“
The members of The Beatles were also big Presley fans, with John Lennon even once saying, “without Elvis, there would be no Beatles.” The band had the chance to meet Presley in 1965, though the encounter proved to be somewhat underwhelming. Nevertheless, their affection for Presley endured, especially as they reminisced about their youth in the post-breakup years.
“It was very exciting, we were all nervous as hell, and we met him in his big house in LA – probably as big as the one we were staying in, but it still felt like, ‘Big house, big Elvis,’” Lennon later recalled. “He had lots of guys around him, all these guys that used to live near him (like we did from Liverpool; we always had thousands of Liverpool people around us, so I guess he was the same),” Lennon recalled. “And he had pool tables! Maybe a lot of American houses are like that, but it seemed amazing to us; it was like a nightclub.”
Back in 2009, Starr was asked to list some of his favourite songs of all time. “I love music,” he claimed. “You know, people say, ‘Your top ten.’ I don’t have a top ten; I have a top thousand or 2,000. Music has meant a lot, you know.” Still, like Quatro, Starr had a particular fondness for ‘Don’t Be Cruel’. “I was working in this factory, and I took this girl to the movies because I had no money,” he said.
Adding: “The only seats left were two in the front, and we’re in the front row and, haha, [I was] trying to impress her in the front row. She worked in the office of the factory I worked in, and, anyway, the date didn’t go well. And I snuck up into her office, and on the dictaphone, I recorded ‘Don’t Be Cruel’. So that’s an important song. And Elvis was the best, Elvis the King.”
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