The Beatles Song That Paul McCartney Said Perfected the ‘Elvis Echo’

The Beatles all considered Elvis Presley to be one of their rock idols. Much of their love for the genre comes from listening to early records by the king of rock. Paul McCartney said The Beatles tried to utilize some of Elvis’ techniques in their own work, and one song perfected what he called the “Elvis echo.”

Paul McCartney said ‘A Day in the Life’ used the ‘Elvis Echo’

Paul McCartney of The Beatles conducts the Black Dyke Mills Band in Yorkshire, England, in 1968 — Paul McCartney | Daily Mirror/Mirrorpix/Mirrorpix via Getty Images

One Elvis Presley song that profoundly impacted Paul McCartney was “Heartbreak Hotel”. McCartney was in awe of the Memphis singer’s vocals, but he also was fascinated by the blaring echo that gave the track a distinct sound. The Beatles wanted to replicate that echo, and McCartney said one song that perfected it was “A Day in the Life” from Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.

“Elvis is a truly great vocalist, and you can hear why on Heartbreak Hotel,” McCartney said in 2005 (via Guitar World). “It’s a perfect example of a singer being in command of the song. Musically it’s perfect, too. The double bass and the walk-in piano create this incredibly haunting atmosphere. It’s so full of mystery, and it’s never lost that for me. The echo is just stunning. When The Beatles were recording, we’d often ask George Martin for ‘the Elvis echo.’ I think we got it down perfectly on ‘A Day in the Life.’”

McCartney still remembers hearing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ for the first time

“Heartbreak Hotel” was released by Elvis Presley in 1956. It was a massive hit, reaching No. 1 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100. Many artists have shared this song’s impact on them, including Keith Richards, George Harrison, and John Lennon.

In a 2012 interview, Paul McCartney recalled the first time he heard this Elvis track. The “Blackbird” singer said rock n’ roll wasn’t popular at the time. So when people heard “Heartbreak Hotel”, it was unlike anything else released then.

“[Hearing rock’n’roll] was electrifying,” McCartney shared. “You heard people saying, ‘I’ve never heard anything like that before, man.’ And it was that. You hear on the radio Elvis Presley’s ‘Heartbreak Hotel’. It was like, ‘Oh my God, what is that?’ Now that we know it so well, you think, ‘Oh, it’s Elvis singing ‘Heartbreak Hotel’. There will be listeners who can remember that moment when you heard that.”

How did ‘A Day in the Life’ perform on the charts?

“A Day in the Life” wasn’t released as a single, so it never charted. However, it is considered one of the best songs from 1967’s Sgt. Pepper’s. The track was co-written by John Lennon and McCartney, who found inspiration for the lyrics from several newspaper articles. Musically, the sound went beyond just including the “Elvis echo.” McCartney and producer George Martin brought in an orchestra to make the production even more epic.

While the song never charted, Sgt. Pepper’s is still the best-selling album by The Beatles today. It has sold over 32 million copies worldwide, and who knows how many people have downloaded it on streaming. It reached No. 1 in many countries, including the U.K. and the U.S.

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