Elvis blues

[Brian]

I was thinking had Elvis recorded more blues on par with the many country songs he recorded he would have been inducted into the Blues Foundation blues hall of fame. Just think Elvis in the Rock n' roll, country, gospel, rockabilly, blues hall of fames. Elvis blues catalogue is very limited something like only 14 real blues songs. I was thinking these are some of the blues songs he should have recorded I started this discussion on another board and got only a few replies I was hoping for a whole lot more.
I can just Imagine Elvis recording an all blues album with the american studio band in 1970 songs would include

hellbound on my trail
Baby please don't go
Hard time killing floor blues
The thrill is gone
Dust my broom
Sweet home Chicago
The sky is crying
Red house
I can't quit you baby
Further on up the road
Smokestack lightning
who do you love
stone crazy
I just wanna make love to you
Boogie chillen
Got my mojo working (Elvis version is too vegas to me I would like a more blues rock version)
Turn your love light on (A few more songs)

A 10 song soul blues album recorded at stax in 1973
Grits aint groceries
I pity the fool
Frosty
Just a little bit
Did somebody make a fool out of you
(a few more songs)

As a follow up to the Moody Blue and Elvis in concert could have been a country acoustic blues album featuring 12 songs

Crossroad blues
Mojo hand
Give me somme of your pie
(A few more songs)


Do you agree with me that Elvis should have recorded more blues songs and done some blues albums? why or why not
Do you like my song choices what blues songs would you have liked Elvis to record?
I look forward to hearing from all of you on this post
I hope I get a lot of feedback and replies

[rickb]

it's a pity he didn't do more blues as he had a definite feel for it

[goodelvisgirl]

he sure had a feel for blues music and he had a reall soulfull edgy voice an all blues album would have been great but there are so many things elvis should or could have done

[SleepyJack]

I think I`d be willing to part with a kidney for that album!.......I think it`s a shame he didn`t record more blues music, I think that if it hadn`t been for the movies he would have...given the huge rise in interest in the Blues in the early to mid sixties.
Can we put "House of the rising sun" on there as well??!!!(y)

[Diane]

Woohoo Jack....but hang on to your kidney.:) Yes House of the Rising Sun would be a must along with the rest you posted Brian.

Diane

[rocknroll]

Although he didn't record as many strict blues songs as country, he had a blues element in all of his music. I don't think a lot of Elvis' Country music sounded strictly country either. I just call it "Elvis" music. He was basically a Soul singer with everything he recorded.

[KPM]

In 1984, he received the "Keepin the Blues Alive" award with Sam Phillips
from the Blues Foundation.

[ALAN C]

Yes it's a pity that Elvis did not record more blues, although there have been several compilation albums of his blues recordings, so there is enough material available. On the other hand, Elvis was into many other types of music, like country, gospel, and even soul (Memphis 69 recordings have tremendous soul influence). It's marvellous how musically interchangable he was.

[Brian]

I think I`d be willing to part with a kidney for that album!.......I think it`s a shame he didn`t record more blues music, I think that if it hadn`t been for the movies he would have...given the huge rise in interest in the Blues in the early to mid sixties.
Can we put "House of the rising sun" on there as well??!!!(y)

I didn't know that ''House of the rising sun'' was a blues song I thought it was an old folk song that the Animals recorded, I guess it's true you really do learn something new everyday. Do you or anyone else have any other suggestions for blues songs for Elvis to record, I would love to hear them.

[Merry]

"Rainy Night in Georgia"

I'd be in Heaven!



"When the Night Comes Falling"?

[Brian]

"Rainy Night in Georgia"

I'd be in Heaven!



"When the Night Comes Falling"?

I always thought of Rainy night in Georgia as a ballad and not a blues song

[SleepyJack]

I see what you mean about "House of the rising sun"......most of the versions I`ve heard treat it more as a folk song....I had The Animals version in my head when I answered..and, to me at least,that sounds like a blues song..maybe not in the strictest sense...but there`s blues in there!
As for other suggestions.........Try and imagine Elvis doing Muddy Waters` "Mannish Boy" at one of the sit-down shows for the `68 special.....Woooo-eeeee.....aint that a man!!!

[KPM]

"The Thrill is Gone" and "Before You Accuse Me" come to mind.

[Raised on Rock]

Let´s just say Elvis had the blues, some people have it some people don´t, Elvis had much more blues in his little finger than many others most recognized blues artists, specially white ones, as Joe Cocker put it: Elvis is the greatest blues singer in the world.
Also Jimi Hendrix, which by the way did saw Elvis live in '57, pointed out Elvis gifts as a blues singer, so did the one an only Mr. Howlin' Wolf.

Elvis loved blues music, its been said he had an huge collection of blues 45's, and blues music was a definitive influence on his way of singing, yet, he seemed to recorded much more often any other kind of music, but abyways, every time he dare to touch any blues classic it turned out to be a diamond recording through Al´s mike, or Sam´s mike or whoevers mike, from Sun Records classic single: Milkcow Blues Boogie, to his finest early 60's Reconsider Baby and Feel So Bad, to even christmas blues Merry Christmas Baby.

Sure, I guess almost evrybody, both fans and critics will agree that some more blues tracks from Elvis Presley would have been one of the most apreciated gifts that he could had delivered, and that a '73 Blues album as follow up to '71 Elvis Country and '72 He Touched Me would had been just the most, a wonderful trylogy on American music. Yet, from my point of view, that blues album, those more blues songs that Elvis never did, are not in the same category of the long list of Presley greatest never dids, like the Word Tour, the decent movie, getting out of drugs etc.

It doesn´t go into that list to me because blues was surely something very special for Elvis, and when he did a blues song in the studio it was always a very special moment, and event, either if it was a sudden incendiary jam or Elvis getting serious about one song, like saying, just one moment, this is a very special song I want to do, lets get it right. It was a matter of inspiration to him, so you can´t ask him for more, he did recorded the blues songs he did, like a writer that did just said what he had to say about that, you can´t force, not that I would had like more of course, and yeah sure, not that he could not had locked him self in the studio with only blues on his mind, but I guess he never got the feeling for that, as he did for gospel music.

But anyway, what other song I would had liked, wow, what a great question, and what a great thread as Im a huge blues fan, and oddly, I became a blues fan because of Elvis.

I have always liked to heard Elvis trying into some Robert Johnson stuff, seems that everybody did that except Elvis, "When You Got A Good Friend", "Love in Vain" "Come on in to My Kitchen" and "Preaching Blues". This would had sounded good either from the Nashville '70 sessions of while in Sun Records, its country sounding blues, rural blues as it is known. He should have tried some John Hurt stuff too for this sound.

Some songs for the '60 or '66 Nashville sessions some Chicago blues: Sonny BOy Williamson's "Checkin' Up On My Baby" "One way Out", Willie Dixon's "Do the Do", "You Need Love", John Lee Hooker´s "Boom Boom", Boogie Chillen´".

For Stax '73: T-bone Walker classic "Stormy Monay Blues", B.B. Kings "The Trill is Gonne" and "Until Im Dead and Cold", Maggic Sam's "You Don´t Love Me", Howlin' Wolf's "Moaning at Midnight".

I don´t know I can keep going and going with all the songs I would have liked to hear in Elvis voice, but the true is, Elvis knowledge and taste in blues was kind of diferent from the most predictable Clapton, Mayall, or and The Rolling Stones themselves, the british rock/ blues scene that bringed blues back to the american audiences, Elvis, as he grew up in Memphis and did not depended on imports to made for his contact with the blues, seemed to choose some more obscure artists to cover, so its hard to tell which other blues songs he might do if he had lived.

[Raised on Rock]

Got my mojo working (Elvis version is too vegas to me I would like a more blues rock version)

It does sound too Vegas when you hear the dubbed version from the Love Letters Album, they ruined it with those honrs, try to find the undubbed version, the studio Jam just as it was (CD: A Hundred Years From Now on the Essential Elvis series) it does sound fantastic from my point of view.



A 10 song soul blues album recorded at stax in 1973

Just a little bit


Elvis did recorded the song Just a Little Bit at Stax in '73, it was released in the album "Raised on Rock", had a great guitar solo from James Burton, the Elvis version of this song its great and underated.

[Brian]

It does sound too Vegas when you hear the dubbed version from the Love Letters Album, they ruined it with those honrs, try to find the undubbed version, the studio Jam just as it was (CD: A Hundred Years From Now on the Essential Elvis series) it does sound fantastic from my point of view.



Elvis did recorded the song Just a Little Bit at Stax in '73, it was released in the album "Raised on Rock", had a great guitar solo from James Burton, the Elvis version of this song its great and underated.

Yes I know Raised on Rock but I didn't really like Elvis version he was in poor voice to me during the July Stax sessions. I would have liked for Elvis to rerecord the song and do it in a slower soulful way

[SleepyJack]

One thing that always struck me about Elvis and blues was how his style always seemed to lean more towards blues when he was playing guitar than at other times....the sit-down shows from `68 for example......also the recordings from Vegas in `69...songs like "Baby what you want me to do"...he just seemed to slip into blues territory when he was playing.

[Raised on Rock]

Yes I know Raised on Rock but I didn't really like Elvis version he was in poor voice to me during the July Stax sessions. I would have liked for Elvis to rerecord the song and do it in a slower soulful way

Yes I know, seems to be the only one session where his voice was not at his best, all the songs he recorded during that session could have sounded better if they were done in December, but yet, the arrangments of many of the songs he did there are very cool for me, Find Out Whats Happenin', I Got a Thing ABout You Baby and the blues song Just a Little Bit came to my mind. I stilll do like Elvis arrangment of Just a Little Bit despite of his mushy voice then. I do like it more than Magic Sams '68 version and Jerry Lee Lewis '73 version.

A matter of taste anyway.

Apart from that, don´t you find alarming that between all the country and gospel music compilations, all the Love songs and Greatest Hits compilations, there had only been a very few Blues compilations, Reconsider Baby '85, and the Japan import Elvis R&B around 00'. And I belive there is another R&B recently in the import world, but nothing important.

And I bet you that in the coming Elvis compilations from BMG we will get another Love songs, another Greatest Hits, another greates Country songs, and another Gospel even. But no Elvis Blues.

If you are able to do an Elvis Blues 2 cd compilation, which ones would be your choices?

[KPM]

One thing that always struck me about Elvis and blues was how his style always seemed to lean more towards blues when he was playing guitar than at other times....the sit-down shows from `68 for example......also the recordings from Vegas in `69...songs like "Baby what you want me to do"...he just seemed to slip into blues territory when he was playing.
He loved that bluesy lick in "Baby What You Want Me to Do":D

[jeanno]

Joe Cocker once said that Elvis was the greatest white Blues artist.

I agree with the idea of a 1973 Blues album as part of the Country / Gospel / Trilogy. As a matter of fact, when interviewed in 1973, he said that he wanted to do a Blues album (you should include R&B and Soul in Elvis´ own definition of Blues music) but, sadly, 1973 Stax sessions did not bring much (Blues) music.

On the other hand, it is not that complicated to create your own 1970/1971 Blues album thanks to both Nashville and TTWII studio sessions. Here is a possible track list:

1- Mystery train / Tiger man (studio instrumental jam)
2- Merry Christmas Baby
3- That´s all right, mama (july 1970 rehearsal)
4- Whole lotta shakin´ goin´ on (undubbed)
5- The fool
6- I washed my hands in muddy water

7- Stagger Lee (july 1970 rehearsal)
8- Got my mojo workin´ (undubbed)
9- I´ll be Home on Christmas day (blues version)
10- Stranger in my own home town (july 1970 rehearsal)
11- What´d I say (july 1970 rehearsal)
BONUS TRACKS:
12- Santa Claus is Back in Town (aug.1970 rehearsal)
13- C.C. Rider (live, feb.1970)

[Brian]

what about Bobby Rush I have heard from a friend of mine that he was or still is an excellent soul blues singer. I was wondering to go along with my idea of a soul blues album recorded at stax what soul blues songs from Bobby Rush would you have wanted Elvis to record?

[Raised on Rock]

Welll Bobby Rush went to fame years after Elvis dead, so there is no much chances that Elvis might had heard of him, although who knows. But going into fantasy thoughts, some of the latest Rush albums from the '90's and the 00's might give us a probable idea of how Elvis might sound if he, at his 60's or 70's, would give the Memphis sound another try. YEah!

[Brian]

Welll Bobby Rush went to fame years after Elvis dead, so there is no much chances that Elvis might had heard of him, although who knows. But going into fantasy thoughts, some of the latest Rush albums from the '90's and the 00's might give us a probable idea of how Elvis might sound if he, at his 60's or 70's, would give the Memphis sound another try. YEah!

Hi Raised on Rock
Are you sure I heard an interiew with Bobby Rush here recently and he talked of performing in the 60's an 70's.

[Raised on Rock]

Hi Raised on Rock
Are you sure I heard an interiew with Bobby Rush here recently and he talked of performing in the 60's an 70's.

He performed since the 50's, what I meant is that he really reamained unknown to the mainstream public until the late 70's, even among the blues fans he was pretty much unknown until his first album came out I belive in 1978, he never recieved the critical aclaim neither enjoyed the fame and fortune of people like Muddy Watters, or Freddy King, or B.B. or Hooker.

If Elvis knew of him or not is really hard to tell, I mean he was familiar with some real obscure blues artists, but at the same time ignored who Eric Clapton was so... He could have knew of Bobby Rush who knows.

By the way this might be interesting for you and some other fans, this is just a rumor not a fact, but anyway, acording to the book: Elvis from A to Z, Presley wanted to get in touch with Mr. Arthur Crudup, Mr. Crudup was having a hard time economically so Elvis wanted to finance a record for him, unfortunately Arthur Crudup died before Elvis could even had reached him.

There is another rumor of Elvis, Scotty and Bill once Jamming with Lowell Fulsom somewhere in '55, it is not likely to be true anyhow, my source, some people at TCB World post it in another blues related thread a year ago or so.

Anyone has any info about it?

[Brian]

He performed since the 50's, what I meant is that he really reamained unknown to the mainstream public until the late 70's, even among the blues fans he was pretty much unknown until his first album came out I belive in 1978. If Elvis knew of him or not is really hard to tell, I mean he was familiar with some real obscure blues artists, but at the same time ignored who Eric Clapton was so... He could have knew of Bobby Rush who knows.

By the way this might be interesting for you and some other fans, this is just a rumor not a fact, but anyway, acording to the book: Elvis from A to Z, Presley wanted to get in touch with Mr. Arthur Crudup, Mr. Crudup was having a hard time economically so Elvis wanted to finance a record for him, unfortunately Arthur Crudup died before Elvis could even had reached him.

There is another rumor of Elvis, Scotty and Bill once Jamming with Lowell Fulsom somewhere in '55, it is not likely to be true anyhow, my source, some people at TCB World post it in another blues related thread a year ago or so.

Anyone has any info about it?

Marty Lacker who answers fan questions at a website was just recently asked the Arthur Crudup question by a fan he responded by saying that he didn't recall Elvis doing that he went on to say it was just untrue.

The Lowell Fulson question I don't know it could be true I will look and see if I can find anything for you.
btw I have a Elvis gospel album thread I would like you to take a look at.

[Raised on Rock]

The Lowell Fulson question I don't know it could be true I will look and see if I can find anything for you.
btw I have a Elvis gospel album thread I would like you to take a look at.

Thanks, Im already thinking for some gospel tunes, just give me some time, good threads.

[ehollier]

I believe that it is such a tragedy that Elvis did not record more blues in the 60's and 70's. He had the voice and the rhythem, and was steeped in R & B as a child. What ashame he went to a more "pop" sound after the army. He could have recorded Otis Redding, Bill Whithers, Barry White, Al Green, B. B. King, Muddy Waters, Robert Johnson, Fats Domino and done such an incredible job not only singing these songs, but also making them his own as he was so apt to do.

[ehollier]

Don't forget that he recorded Ray Charles, too.

[ehollier]

Otis Redding -- These Arms of Mine.........

[jeanno]

There is another rumor of Elvis, Scotty and Bill once Jamming with Lowell Fulsom somewhere in '55, it is not likely to be true anyhow, my source, some people at TCB World post it in another blues related thread a year ago or so.

Anyone has any info about it?

If i remember well, Peter Guralnick tells the story about Scotty and Elvis meeting Lowell Fulsom. It must be in "Last train to Memphis".Anyway, i´ll chekit out.

[john carpenter]

It would've been cool to hear him sing "Blues Man" by Hank Williams J.R.. One line goes..So i started drinking.took things that messed up my thinking..i was sure sinking when you came along.:notworthy:doh:

[Brian]

In my original post where I listed all the blues songs I thought it would be good for Elvis to do I forgot Albert King's ''Born under a bad sign''

[Unchained Melody]

He certainly could sing that blues type of music when he wanted to. Even in the end...just play fort baxters moody blue and other great performances cd...reconsider baby...that's all you need.

[LianaKaralivanou]

We all know that Elvis was influenced by the blues type of music and I really would have enjoyed listening to some more blues songs sung by him. But I appreciate his ability of singing whatever type of music he wanted. I also like his gospel singing. A lot.

[Unchained Melody]

We all know that Elvis was influenced by the blues type of music and I really would have enjoyed listening to some more blues songs sung by him. But I appreciate his ability of singing whatever type of music he wanted. I also like his gospel singing. A lot.

Elvis could sing almost any type of music...and he very much did so.. except rap.:blink:

[john carpenter]

Well, Col Jon Burrows as you know rap wasn't around in the 70's. But he wouldn't want to sing crap music anyway.:lmfao::king:

[Unchained Melody]

Well, Col Jon Burrows as you know rap wasn't around in the 70's. But he wouldn't want to sing crap music anyway.:lmfao::king:

Very true.