Did Elvis have a preference for his own recordings?

[samiam125]

Hi

I was just wondering if anyone knew if Elvis had a favourite song that he recorded?

I am trying to establish if there was one song that he recorded that stood out for him and he loved to sing it.. also on the other side of the coin was there one song that he got tired of singing, but he kept singing it for the fans?

Sorry if this is a repeat question (I tried to search the threads but I didn't come across anything)

[Getlo]

He mentioned several times that It's Now Or Never was his favourite; but I'd imagine this changed many times over the years.

By the way, hello to Becky from Topix, also on here under another name.

[ksimms2]

Good question Sam! I don't have the answer, but I'm sure several on here do. I know he didn't like his movie songs....didn't I read somewhere where he got tired of singing Suspicious Minds? Maybe I'm mistaken.

[Getlo]

didn't I read somewhere where he got tired of singing Suspicious Minds? Maybe I'm mistaken.

It was probably too physically tiring for him after a while.

He sang it over 350 times in concert; from 1969 all the way through to Vegas, August 1974.

Then, he brought it back into his repertoire after a year, and sang it twice in Vegas, August 1975.

Finally, just a few lines were attempted in Lincoln, June 20th, 1977.

[melissatarv]

I that he was tired of singing All SHook Up and Don't Be Cruel, but don't hold me to it. I too have wondered if he had favorites!

[Getlo]

I that he was tired of singing All SHook Up and Don't Be Cruel, but don't hold me to it. I too have wondered if he had favorites!

I suppose he was tired of these, but I assume he sang them because that's what fans wanted to hear. Or so he thought.

He finally got tired of All Shook Up by February 1977. But he kept Don't Be Cruel in there (usually in a medley with Teddy Bear) right up until the final show.

[Diane]

I think it might have be a matter of Elvis outgrowing songs like All Shook Up etc. but the fans didn't. He didn't seem to enjoy singing them anymore as fast as he tried to get through them.

Diane

[jon_burrows]

Sorry I don't want to stray off topic but Elvis did get tired of singing the same songs in concert.
On August 19 - 1974 opening night in Las Vegas Elvis changed the usual song list. But the fans' reaction was mixed so the song list was changed back the way it was.

[utmom2008]

I think it might have be a matter of Elvis outgrowing songs like All Shook Up etc. but the fans didn't. He didn't seem to enjoy singing them anymore as fast as he tried to get through them.

Diane
I was about to say the exact same thing Diane.(y) I never thought he cared for the oldies or he would have put more into singing them. (n)

[LianaKaralivanou]

I thought it was well known that "Can't help falling in love" was his favourite song, at least from the ballad songs. That's why he used to sing it in every finale at his concerts. Am I wrong?

[SleepyJack]

I always got the feeling that the little remarks and jokes about "Love Me Tender" were more serious than he let on...I think he really was tired of the song.It has been said many times that he was very proud of "It`s now or never"...I reckon he was. Another song that he supposedly sang in private for years was "Unchained Melody"...I always found it surprising that he never went for a serious attempt at it in the studio...that could have been really great.

[elvis himselvis]

It was probably too physically tiring for him after a while.

He sang it over 350 times in concert; from 1969 all the way through to Vegas, August 1974.

Then, he brought it back into his repertoire after a year, and sang it twice in Vegas, August 1975.

Finally, just a few lines were attempted in Lincoln, June 20th, 1977.

Thanks for sharing this info.
He also mentioned My Way as one of his favorites.

[Getlo]

I thought it was well known that "Can't help falling in love" was his favourite song, at least from the ballad songs. That's why he used to sing it in every finale at his concerts. Am I wrong?

He liked the song, yes. But he's not on record as saying it was his favourite as far as I know.

And it wasn't used as the finale every time either ...

[LianaKaralivanou]

You're right, Getlo.

[n-gageboy]

Well I would say that How Great Thou Art was his favourite or so.

[KPM]

He liked the song, yes. But he's not on record as saying it was his favourite as far as I know.

And it wasn't used as the finale every time either ...
Its true it wasn't always the closer, but it was rare when he closed with anything else.

[elvis himselvis]

Well I would say that How Great Thou Art was his favourite or so.

That's a good one(y)

[samiam125]

Thanks for the info, interesting reading.

(y)

[President Presley]

I also read that Elvis didn't like "Burning Love":cold:

[Cryogenic]

It's a very cool question / set of questions, sam. Don't you worry about it.

- In a 1950's interview, Elvis actually said "Padre" was one of his favourite recordings, and he finally committed it to tape in 1971, just after Marty Robbins had released his version.

- In a 1972 interview in New York (for his MSG concerts), he said that "It's Now or Never" was his favourite of his own recordings.

- Just after he'd cut "There's Always Me", he privately played it to the original songwriter (the pair of them listened on headphones). He was apparently very proud of the big operatic finish and also keen to extoll his appreciation of the song's lyrics. You can read about this in "Careless Love".

- In the Comeback Special, it's obvious that Elvis is obsessed with "Baby, What You Want Me To Do", as he plays it over and over in the sitdown shows, even spontaneously launching into it during a break in filming for one of the standup shows.

- I think it's clear he loved "Suspicious Minds" for a time, dazzling people with both the power of his vocals and his stage movements, and probably getting pretty high on Ronnie Tutt's drumming.

- In 1976 and 1977, I think he was really into "Hurt". Again, he seemed to delight in performing it to show his operatic voice off, and he again seemed to revel in the stage movements he occasionally did at the end (i.e. rolling on the floor and punching the air).

- I think he was generally ambivalent towards "Burning Love". He performed it for a while, then seemed to tire of it. I sense there was always at least some disinterest, and maybe even embarrassment at the lyrics; one way or another, it always seemed on the cusp of capturing his imagination, but I don't think it ever quite did. That said, Elvis later did another of Dennis Lynde's compositions, "For The Heart", in the Jungle Room sessions, which he threw his all into.

[Getlo]

I also read that Elvis didn't like "Burning Love":cold:

Yes, when he first started with it. He liked the song, but said he didn't like actually performing it.

It was done a couple of times in April 1972, then most of November that year. Then, only five times in 1973, including the two Aloha versions.

I think he tired of it at this point.

But then, he brought it back in Vegas in March 1975, and it was pretty constant until June 1976. Then a couple of versions later that year.

It was done 99 times, so I think it was an important part of the Elvis concert oeuvre.

[EnigmaticSun]

Elvis loved so many songs, but his soul comes shining through in "It's Now Or Never", "How Great Thou Art" and "Hurt". I may be mistaken, but for some reason he couldn't get enough of these. I can't say how he felt about the recorded versions.