Welcome back to Elvis week.
Today is August 16, 2011. 34 years ago today, Elvis passed away at the (way too young) age of 42. The world was heartbroken. I was still ten years away from being born and yet this anniversary still weighs on me every year. Its strange, I know. This post was really hard for me. I feel like nothing would be good enough for this day. I should have just had 7w/D go dark today out of respect. However I worked hard on the post you are about to read and I'm not about to let it go to waste.
I hope you discover a new Elvis song you like or a little piece of trivia here or there. I hope my love for the man is evident and not crossing the line into crazy-town. Either way, I hope you think of Elvis Presley today, because I am(and so are millions of other people, I guess).
Here are seven covers that Elvis recorded. So its clear, a cover in this case is a song that was originally recorded by someone else and recorded again later by Elvis. In most cases I feel like Elvis' version was better than the original, but not all.
Hey Jude(1969) - The year after The Beatles brought us this #1 hit, Elvis recorded his own version. His voice sounds so raw in this song, like he didn’t even have to try to convey the emotion. He always sounds like singing is the easiest thing in the world for him. The background vocals bring it to an almost gospel like level. Obviously Elvis was no stranger to gospel. I especially love when he does the “...la la la la-la-la-la la-la-la...” part.
Always On My Mind(1972) - Brenda Lee was the first recording artist. Hundreds of people have covered this song. Elvis’ version is my personal favorite. It has just some raw emotion to me. It was recorded a month after Elvis and Priscilla separated and I can’t help but feel like he was singing this song to her. I listen to it and feel like it was never meant for my ears. He was always in love with her, until the day he died.
Blue Suede Shoes(1956) - Carl Perkins wrote this song and recorded it first but Elvis’s version came shortly thereafter and has since outshined the original. Elvis and Carl were friends and touring mates and sharing songs was common in those days. He performed it on TV several times in 1956, and those performances look like he is having so much fun and just truly enjoying the music. The black and white 50s performances are my favorite. When he was young and just completely obsessed with the music and having fun.
Here Come Santa Claus(1957) - Yes this is a Christmas song. Ten years before Elvis’ version was the original and since then, hundreds of people have recorded this song and everyone knows the words. Nobody can sing it like Elvis does though. The flair(?) or gusto in his voice is just MAGICAL! I have many favorite Christmas songs and this is one of my top 7!
Hound Dog(1956) - Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton and Kansas City Bill recorded this song originally, but how can anyone have sung this before Elvis? It is so distinctly Elvis’ style and clearly he worked hard at that style...31 takes(supposedly). Dozens have tried to sing this song and one of my favorites, aside from my main man, was Jimi Hendrix’s 1988 version. “Scratchin’ all the time”. Who isn’t an Elvis fan, honestly?
One Night(1958) - Elvis borrowed this from Smiley Lewis who recorded it in 1956. Only, Smiley’s version was called “One Night of Sin” and various other lyrics were changed to create a cleaner version. I like the mental picture that Elvis’ version creates much better. More longing and desire rather than regret and shame...plus the way his voice sounds when he says “onnnnneeeeee nigggghhhhhttttt” makes me melt. (tmi? my bad.)
What’d I Say(1964) - I love Ray Charles. Let me just put that out there. I love this song, he wrote it and performed it the best. That scene in Elvis’ movie Viva Las Vegas where he sings this and that big dance scene breaks out and they sing this song is so memorable to me. Watching him perform this, he just looks and sounds like he is having a blast!
Maybe Herc will see this and whip up a spotify playlist to go with this...if that's even possible...Guess who came through again! Elvis Covering
Viva Elvis!
I did not know hound dog and blue suede shoes weren't his original songs. Thanks for sharing!
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