Rock and Roll Garage

One of the most influential guitar players in the world since the 1960s, Keith Richards was a fundamental part of the success of The Rolling Stones alongside Mick Jagger, Bill Wyman, Charlie Watts and guitarists like Brian Jones, Mick Taylor and Ronnie Wood. He became an inspiration for countless generations over the decades but who impacted him the most when he was starting out? The musician once revealed who that guitar player was, saying it was "one of the heaviest hammers" that hit him. The guitarist Keith Richards said had the most impact on him The musicians from the 50s were the ones who impacted Keith Richards the most especially when he was still becoming a musician. One of them was the American guitarist Scotty Moore, known for being part of Elvis Presley's band. He told Guitar Moves in 2015, that the late guitar player was his hero. "That's a pretty good example (of something that really inspired me). (That song has) star, science, space, I mean, there's very little going on in that record. I think is probably one of the heaviest hammers that ever hit me. I started to listen to Scotty Moore (Elvis' guitarist). with Elvis, behind Elvis. (At the time I was also) starting to listen to Eddie Cochran. (I was trying to figure out) what these guys are doing? This is all fuel, you know. Scotty Moore is my hero." Then Richards was asked about the first song with Scotty Moore that he learned how to play properly. "'I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone', there was just something in the way he played it," the musician said about the track released in 1956 (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). He said he wanted to be part of Elvis' band and that they were one of the best of all time Unlike many musicians from his era, he was more interested in Elvis' band than in the legendary singer himself. “I could’ve done with being one of Elvis’s original band”, Keith told Spin in 1986. In a project called “Living Legends” in 2008, Keith said they were one of the greatest bands of all time. “I would start personally with probably The Hillbilly Cats, Elvis’ band. Scotty Moore (Guitar), D.J Fontana (Drums) and Bill Black (Bass). The most amazing stuff and it was very early on.” When Elvis' first album, released in 1956, was part of the documentary series "Classic Albums" in 2001, Richards said hearing the record was like the world had gone from black and white to color. “He hit it like a bombshell. It was like the world went from black & white to technicolor. I guess they were the first white band that anybody heard of with a good lead singer, that was sailable. They had the rhythm. The beautiful thing about Elvis was that he sort of turned everybody into everybody (and made people think) ‘maybe you can do it’.” Keith Richards continued: “I was just as interested in the band as I was in Elvis. So I just considered him to be part of it, you know, Bill Black, Scotty Moore and D.J. Because of the early ones (Elvis albums) didn’t have drums on it, this is the funny thing he is the king of Rock and Roll and some of his earlier records don’t actually have drums,” Keith Richards said (Transcribed by Rock and Roll Garage). Scotty Moore was a touring and studio guitar player for Elvis Presley from 1954 to 1968. There are critics who credit him for inventing the "power chords" in the 1957 song "Jailhouse Rock". He was active until 2009 and passed away in 2016 at the age of 84. Keith Richards recorded with Scotty Moore and Elvis' band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l0jpqF1uolk&list=RDl0jpqF1uolk&start_radio=1&pp=ygUtc2NvdHR5IG1vb3JlIGRldWNlIGFuZCBxdWFydGVyIGtlaXRoIHJpY2hhcmRzoAcB The Rolling Stones guitarist actually had the chance to become a member of Elvis' band at least in one record. He was part of the album "All the King's Men", which paid tribute those golden years of Presley and his band. The record had Scotty Moore and the drummer D.J. Fontana, which had as special guests names like Keith Richards, Cheap Trick, Jeff Beck, Ronnie Wood and Levon Helm. With them, Richards recorded the track "Deuce and a Quarter", which also had The Band. In an interview to promote the record, the musician recalled how he first heard Elvis' music. "The only radio station (I could hear in the London area) that played (Rock) at night, because BBC shut down real early, was a station out of Luxembourg which is an English station. They would (play) but it was terrible, the reception, I mean, you would be carrying the radio all around your room. Then it would be going in and out. When 'Heartbreak Hotel' (was played), that's how I met Scotty Moore. (The reception) keeps fading out and I'm running (in the room trying to hear properly)

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