Elvis Presley

[DonFan]

Maleah, it is quite a coincidence that you would mention that song. My good friend Melinda's mom passed away last month after a lengthy battle with cancer (like my dad) and she had Go Rest High On That Mountain sung at the funeral service. It is a very beautiful and touching song, and very sad, too.

[Perfect Little Sister]

We used that at my grandfather's funeral in the beginning of July, too. We also used Eric Clapton's Tears In Heaven for a slide presentation. Kinda a snapshots of his life type thing. I can only just listen to it without the tears now. Though it still takes me back to that day.

[SweetHolly]

I also really like his version of You Don't Have To Say You Love Me which was originally recorded by Dusty Springfield.

[Mrs Frey]

I just wanted to express my empathy for the pain of your losses, DF, Maleah and PLS. I'm also sorry for your friend's loss, DF. I have a hard time listening to "Stardust" of Nat 'King' Cole without crying, as that was my mom's favourite song by her favourite artist. She also loved "Judy" by Elvis (from his 1961 "Something For Everybody" album), "Til There Was You" by The Beatles and "Lyin' Eyes" by The Eagles. I cried recently while watching Glenn singing that in F1. She knew "Lyin' Eyes" was in my band's repertoire, and she would often ask, when I had done a gig, if we did that song.

SH, I also love "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me". Elvis did superb cover versions, often stealing the thunder of the original artist, as he did with "Blue Suede Shoes", which incidentally was a number 2 hit for its author and original singer, Carl Perkins. Elvis' version never really made it as a single, but it was the opening track of his 1956 debut album, "Elvis Presley", which went to number 1.

PLS, "Tears In Heaven" is the first Eric Clapton song that really touched my heart. I got very interested in his music after that, although I'm not a big fan.

[SweetHolly]

SH, I also love "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me". Elvis did superb cover versions, often stealing the thunder of the original artist, as he did with "Blue Suede Shoes", which incidentally was a number 2 hit for its author and original singer, Carl Perkins. Elvis' version never really made it as a single, but it was the opening track of his 1956 debut album, "Elvis Presley", which went to number 1.

I love Blue Suede Shoes too.

[Mrs Frey]

Cool, SH! "Blue Suede Shoes" has become a staple of my gigs. I think I've performed that song in almost every gig I've ever done during the last 5 years! The people always seem to enjoy it.

[Freypower]

What about Such A Night? Elvis the God-fearing Southerner doesn't sound especially holy in THIS track. Especially near the end.

I am also a big fan of Kentucky Rain. I love 'story' songs which involve place names and this is a perfect example.

[Mrs Frey]

I know what you mean about "Such A Night", FP... It reminds me of the rather heavy breathing going on in Glenn's "The Allnighter"... We're in agreement about there being nothing holy about it, but it's definitely sexy! That's one of the first songs I ever got of Elvis on cassette back in 1987 when I had just turned 11 years old. It's another of his brilliant cover versions, which appeared on his first post-army album, "Elvis Is Back", which is a brilliant album, by the way.

"Kentucky Rain" is beautiful - Elvis was a master at expressing all the right emotions in his voice for any song. He sounds so desperate, looking for his love who has left him. Awwwwwwwwww...

[Maleah]

By the way, does anyone else think that a young Michael Landon (Bonanza era) looked a lot like Elvis in his younger days?

[SweetHolly]

I can kind of see it, Maleah.