Your favourite Elvis Presley song ...

[Clarets4me]

Trying to get to you

A great " left field " choice ... originally recorded at Sun Studios, then revived for the " 68 Comeback Special " and then added to his Concert schedule over the last 18 months of his life ...

[steve1264b]

Ive been to Gracelands.

2 songs for different reasons

You were always on my mind. Very emotional as the first record he released after divorce.

In the ghetto, a song of its time and a departure because it was a social concous record.

Tomorrow it could be two different ones.

[Claret Till I Die]

Ive been to Gracelands.

2 songs for different reasons

You were always on my mind. Very emotional as the first record he released after divorce.

In the ghetto, a song of its time and a departure because it was a social concous record.

Tomorrow it could be two different ones.

In the ghetto could've been written today

[basil6345789]

Old Shep

[Clarets4me]

Some great selections out there ... " Suspicious Minds ", " If I can dream ", Always on my mind ", " That's all right " and " I just can't help believin' " all strongly supported ... Interesting that the majority of picks come from his early stuff ... " That's all right ", " Heartbreak Hotel " etc and then between 1968-72 ... the four songs named above plus " American Trilogy ", " Separate Ways " etc ..

No surprise that virtually none of the Movie soundtrack songs passed muster ... " Old McDonald " and " Petunia the Gardener's daughter " being notable lows for me .. As someone mentioned, his rendition of " Unchained Melody ", from a show in Rapid City, South Dakota on June 21st 1977 is a tough watch, a very ill and overweight Elvis still giving it all for his audience, when he should have been in a hospital. If you've never seen it, it's on the link below, he died less than 8 weeks later ...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-RycNKdJk

[helmclaret]

Some great selections out there ... " Suspicious Minds ", " If I can dream ", Always on my mind ", " That's all right " and " I just can't help believin' " all strongly supported ... Interesting that the majority of picks come from his early stuff ... " That's all right ", " Heartbreak Hotel " etc and then between 1968-72 ... the four songs named above plus " American Trilogy ", " Separate Ways " etc ..

No surprise that virtually none of the Movie soundtrack songs passed muster ... " Old McDonald " and " Petunia the Gardener's daughter " being notable lows for me .. As someone mentioned, his rendition of " Unchained Melody ", from a show in Rapid City, South Dakota on June 21st 1977 is a tough watch, a very ill and overweight Elvis still giving it all for his audience, when he should have been in a hospital. If you've never seen it, it's on the link below, he died less than 8 weeks later ...

www.youtube.com/watch?v=61-RycNKdJk

If I Can Dream

[Caballo]

If I can dream & In the ghetto, for me.

[Burnley Ace]

Guitar Man.

[Middle-agedClaret]

Apologies for going off topic, but seeing that this thread evolved from a commemoration of what would have been Elvis’s 90th birthday got me thinking.
He did die young.
In a world where CT’s report on the Bristol City game mentioned a nonagenarian Claret, who knows what Elvis might have gone on to do with his music had he lived beyond 42.
With artists like Mick Jagger and Rod Stewart still going strong at 80 ( just about, for Rod), Elvis could have had a further 30 odd years.
What a waste.

[jetblackcat]

King Creole
Blue Moon of Kentucky

[Midmoorclaret]

One Night.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZoC3U9j22Q

[dermotdermot]

It’s Now Or Never.

[IanMcL]

Wooden Heart

[AlargeClaret]

Such a tragedy he died so young , if he’d been around 10 yrs later , he could have simply checked into a clinic , sorted himself out and he’d have been “ 1968 elvis “ all over again.
In the Ghetto

[levraiclaret]

Mystery Train

[Terrier]

Always liked my boy, brilliant song, brilliantly sung!

[Clarets4me]

Always liked my boy, brilliant song, brilliantly sung!

Yes, he did a good number of " break-up " songs towards the end of his life ...

" It's easy for you " had an interesting story. Tim Rice was a huge Elvis fan, and wrote this with Andrew Lloyd-Webber, they literally sent the lyrics and score by International post to Graceland, in late 1975, and heard nothing. In July 1977, Rice bought the latest Elvis Album, " Moody Blue ", and was astonished to see the song listed as the last track on side 2. On the first pressings, Lloyd Webber is listed as " Weber " ... It was recorded in October 1976, at Graceland, and they've never had a royalty payment since .. Rice isn't bothered, " I'm just so proud he recorded one of my songs ! "

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHqVPxvJQbw

[Hipper]

I'm no Elvis lover but he did 'I've Lost You':

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7eyRt3cijv8

This was also covered by my favourite, Iain Matthews:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O0LUD6yQW8M

The story is this, according to Matthews:

When Matthews went solo after being pushed out of Fairport Convention he needed new management. He went to Ken Howard and Alan Blaikley. They'd written pop songs for the likes of Dave, Dee, Dozy, Mick and Tich. They were nervous about other songs of theirs being used for a Matthews type of musician so used a pseudonym, Steve Barlby, for the composer's name. One of the Barlby songs written for Matthews first album, called Matthews Southern Comfort, was I've Lost You. This album came out in January 1970. Elvis's single came out in July 1970. Howard and Blaikley had offered a bunch of their songs including I've Lost You to Col. Tom Parker and Presley and Matthews thinks that as his was the only recording at the time that is what Parker and Presley heard and would have used to learn the song.

Imagine you were a modest singer making a start in the music business and you discovered this! Matthews says he once dreamt that one day he would be meet The King and be invited on stage to sing a duet of the song!

[Clarets4me]

The programme is now available on BBC " Sounds ", and is broadcast today on Radio 2, the top-ten were ....

1. Suspicious Minds
2. In the Ghetto
3. If I can dream
4. Always on my mind
5. Can't help falling in love
6. The wonder of you
7. American Trilogy
8. Burning love
9. I just can't help believin'
10. Jailhouse Rock

Interesting how his later stuff got more votes than his classic " pre-army " hits, 8 out of 10 of those chosen were recorded between 1968 -1973 !!

[JohnDearyMe]

The programme is now available on BBC " Sounds ", and is broadcast today on Radio 2, the top-ten were ....

1. Suspicious Minds
2. In the Ghetto
3. If I can dream
4. Always on my mind
5. Can't help falling in love
6. The wonder of you
7. American Trilogy
8. Burning love
9. I just can't help believin'
10. Jailhouse Rock

Interesting how his later stuff got more votes than his classic " pre-army " hits, 8 out of 10 of those chosen were recorded between 1968 -1973 !!

That is interesting, given how pioneering and exciting some of his earlier songs were. Similar to how most Elvis impersonators seem to heavily focus on his Vegas era

[Bosscat]

My votes were 1 and 2 get in

[Clarets4me]

My votes were 1 and 2 get in

A mere 1 & 3 for me ...