Earliest Elvis: Boy Who Would Be King

The release this week of Elvis Presley’s informal 1953 recording of “My Happiness” is as noteworthy in the pop world as the unveiling of an early, recently discovered Van Gogh painting would be to the art community.

The recording--which offers an invaluable glimpse into the rock legend’s musical instincts--is the top choice in this edition of the Alternative Top 10, a periodic guide to appealing new singles and album tracks.

Three years before “Heartbreak Hotel” made him a national sensation, Presley walked into a recording studio in Memphis and paid a secretary $3.98 to make a souvenir disc for his mother.

Accompanied only by his own acoustic guitar, Presley, then 18, recorded two old songs that were presumably among his mom’s favorites: “My Happiness” and “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin.” The secretary was impressed and wrote down the teen-ager’s name and phone number for her boss, record producer Sam Phillips.

Some months later, Phillips--who would also discover such stars as Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash--contacted Presley and set to work with musicians Scotty Moore and Bill Black in developing the Presley style that would largely define the emerging rock ‘n’ roll sound.

The question that’s been unanswered all these years is, what vocal instincts did Presley bring to Phillips and Sun Records?

“My Happiness” suggests that many of the most familiar characteristics of Presley’s singing--including the sensual intimacy and dramatic shading--were present before Phillips’ experimentation began.

Because of the historical significance of the record and the fact that the “My Happiness” phrasing sounds so much like the Presley of later years, the question of authenticity comes to mind. Is “My Happiness” the work of a Presley imitator?

Don Wardell, national director of catalogue for RCA Records, said, “Marion Keisker, the secretary who recorded the disc with Elvis, signed a certificate of authenticity before her death, and the Presley estate believes the record is genuine. It was in the possession all these years of Ed Leek, a former TWA pilot and high-school buddy of Elvis.”

RCA, Wardell said, licensed the disc--which appears on a new retrospective album titled “Elvis: The Great Performances”--from Sun Entertainment, the Nashville company that purchased the Sun catalogue from Phillips in the late ‘60s.

And what about the other song on the 1953 souvenir disc?

Wardell said the rendition of “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin”--a song Presley later recorded for RCA--is not in as good shape as “My Happiness,” but “major restoration” could make it marketable.

The Alternative Top 10 doesn’t automatically exclude records that are in the actual Billboard magazine Top 10, but the emphasis is on new acts or artists from fields--including alternative rock, rap and country--that are often shunned by radio’s mainstream pop formats.

1. Elvis Presley’s “My Happiness” (RCA)--It’s unlikely that Presley would have made records as great as “Baby, Let’s Play House” and “Mystery Train” without Phillips’ encouragement and assistance, but this early sample of his style--if authentic--suggests he might have come close.

2. The Stone Roses’ “One Love” (Silvertone/RCA)--”My Happiness” is an amazing slice of pop history, but the true excitement of rock rests in the artists and bands that step forward with enough imagination and vision to make us feel they can take us on a marvelous new musical journey. This Manchester, England, band radiates with that promise as it continues in the guitar-driven funk ‘n’ rock mode of its recent “Fool’s Gold” single.

3. Jane’s Addiction’s “Stop” (Warner Bros.)--Nearly as heady an invitation to a new musical consciousness as the Stone Roses entry, this high-energy, high-imagination explosion revives the independence and spirit of ‘60s underground rock and shows why Jane’s Addiction deserves to be the biggest hard-rock band from Los Angeles since Guns N’ Roses.

4. Was (Not Was)’ “Papa Was a Rollin’ Stone” (Chrysalis)-- Was (Not Was) on this record and Curtis Mayfield on “Superfly 90” (below) illustrate the rewards of purposefully updating classic material. Was (Not Was) serves up the sonic power of the Temptations’ 1972 hit. The key, however, is a rap by G Love E that challenges errant papas to live up to their parental responsibilities.

5. Concrete Blonde’s “Everybody Knows” (MCA)--In its best moments, this Los Angeles-spawned band explores urban attitudes and options with as poetic an eye as any Southern California band since X, and the group is right on target on this dark, cynical version of Leonard Cohen and Sharon Robinson’s song. The track is on the “Pump Up the Volume” sound-track album.

6. Curtis Mayfield’s “Superfly 90” (Capitol)--Joined by rapper Ice-T and guitarist Lenny Kravitz, Mayfield--one of the most influential figures in ‘60s and ‘70s soul music--updates his landmark 1972 single.

7. Kid Frost’s “La Raza” (Virgin)-- There’s none of the overt sonic assault of N.W.A or Ice Cube’s gangsta rap in this seductive mix of sinuous Latin melody and forceful gangsta sentiments, but the uncompromising street tone will strike some listeners as equally unsettling.

8. Jesus Jones’ “Never Enough” (SBK)--This English rock band combines tuneful, post-punk energy and cynicism with a trace of ‘60s psychedelia.

9. Jann Browne’s “Mexican Wind” (Curb)--Browne’s vocal on this tale of romantic longing reflects some of the evocativeness of Emmylou Harris’ best work, which may explain why Harris guests on the track.

10. Happy Mondays’ “Step On” (Elektra)--The themes of this Manchester band tend to be a bit fuzzy, but the dance-rock beat is a wonder to behold.