Bill Lloyd hosted another remarkable “Nashville Cats” session at the Country Music Hall of Fame this afternoon, interviewing pioneering rock ‘n’ roll drummer D.J. Fontana.
Fontana, Scotty Moore and Bill Black were Elvis Presley’s first band, playing such classics as”Heartbreak Hotel,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog” and “Don’t Be Cruel.” Over time, Fontana drummed on almost 500 Presley recordings.
Some snippets from today’s conversation:
– On the effort to replicate Sun Studio’s distinctive sound by putting microphones in the hallways on “Heartbreak Hotel:” “Nobody I ever knew got that sound again.”
– Asked whether the band was exposed to rhythm and blues in those early days, Fontana said Bill Black wouldn’t let them play the radio in the car on road trips because “he didn’t like noise.” If you played the radio, Black “would kick it out.”
– Asked whether it was different to play with Los Angeles-based session men a few years on, Fontana said he saw no change: “If you play good, you play good and that’s it.”
