Songs He Might Have Recorded If Still Alive

[nabelt24]

Alright, my friends.... If still alive, what songs, from 78 to the present, do you think were meant for Elvis to record or would have been perfect for him to perform? Any ideas?

How about....

Tears In Heaven - Eric Clapton
Graceland - Paul Simon
Have I Told You Lately - Rod Stewart
Heart of Rock N' Roll - Huey Lewis & The News
Somebody Lied - Conway Twitty
Statue of A Fool - Ricky Van Shelton
Feel Like Going Home - Charlie rich
Good Hearted Woman - Waylon Jennings
Some Memories Just Won't Die - Marty Robbins
That's The Way Love Goes - Merle Haggard
A Fire I Can't Put Out - George Strait
Take Me Down - Alabama
Nothing - Dwight Yoakam
Don't Take It Away - Conway Twitty
Saturday Night Special - Conway Twitty

and a lot more.... can you tell I'm a country fan? So, let's hear your ideas!

[Liverbobs]

I Can't Make You Love Me - Bonnie Raitt
The Price I Pay -Billy Bragg
Against All Odds - Phil Collins

He was drawn to the sad love type songs :'(

[quinn53]

I would have liked to hear him do "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot.

[ComeBackChick]

In the air tonight - Phil Collins.....:'( That would give me the chills!!!!

[Steve]

Home - Michael Bubl?
Don't let the sun Go down On me - Elton John

He would did a fine job on this on.

(and Georgia on my mind - Ray, but change the titel to Memphis on my mind :lol: )

[elvisdownunder]

i was listening to my local radio station and tina turners 'whats love got to do with it' came on. Elvis could've done better i know it. he could've changed the lyrics a bit and reached those awesome climaxs he does and it woulda been awesome!

[peter]

Child In Time....

[Deke Rivers]

When I first saw this post the first song that came to mind was, "One Good Reason" the Tracey Chapman Song; it has this Memphis '69 sound. Great song!

After giving it a little bit of thought, "Glory Days", "I'm On Fire", "Dancing In The Dark" (all Sprinsteen songs), "Baby Did A Bad Bad Thing" (Chris Issak), several of Huey Lewis' songs, Eddie Rabbitt (Someone Could Lose A Heart Tonight....among others), "Let Her Cry" & "I Go Blind" (Hootie & The Blowfish)....Those are just A few that are Elvis to me.

[Cryogenic]

I would have liked to hear him do "If You Could Read My Mind" by Gordon Lightfoot.

That's one of my all-time favourite songs! So definitely!

I would have liked to have heard Elvis covering Simply Red's "Holding Back The Years". It fits his vocal style (though almost ANYTHING does), and lyrically, seems highly appropriate for his life in the 70s.

[Lonniebealestreet]

Much agreed there, quinn and Cryo. I can see him doing a lot more of Gord's songs than he did. I think the attitude of Sundown would have fit him nicely (perhaps a nice B-side for If You Talk In Your Sleep? :)), but a lot of his other ballads and easygoing songs would have been great performed by Elvis too...Carefree Highway for sure.

For whatever reason, If You Could Read My Mind made me think of some Jim Croce songs like I'll Have To Say I Love You In A Song, Time In A Bottle, and It Doesn't Have To Be That Way. Elvis would have given masterful versions of those, no doubt.

Billy Joel's (The Stranger album--one of my favorite LPs) She's Always A Woman, Just The Way You Are, and She's Got A Way would have been delivered beautifully by Elvis.

Of course lists such as these could go on forever. :king:

[Cryogenic]

Indeed they could!

Another fave of mine in the world of Gord is "Rainy Day People". I'm sure Elvis could have done a fantastic version of that, too! Although... he would have needed to have laid off of "Canadian Railroad Trilogy" and "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald". They're for Canadian peeps only! :D

There is just such a rich songscape for Elvis to tap into to - then and now. That man could have gone many places he didn't. Funny, though... I think I'm right in assuming most of these suggestions are balladic and NOT rockin' numbers. It shows how familiar and comfortable we all are with the notion that THIS was really the kind of singer Elvis was. He was definitely more interested in soulful music that was a natural outgrowth of gospel than the frenetic, guttural tunes like "Hound Dog" and "Jailhouse Rock" (I think it's very telling that he also slowed down "Heartbreak Hotel" in the 70s and made it even bluesier).

[David]

I would have liked to hear him singing Bruce Springsteen's "Sad Eyes" or Billy Joel's "The River Of Dreams".

"I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For" (U2) and "Some Guys Have All The Luck" (Rod Stewart) would've been intersting, too.

[Leroy]

I would have love to hear him do some John Denver stuff. On the 1979 album "JD" are some awesome songs like "Sweet Melinda" and "What's On Your Mind". Both songs featured James Burton and Emory Gordy who were working with John Denver at the time. Another John Denver song "This Ol' Guitar" would also fit him perfectly. And from John Denver's album "Spirit" I would like "In The Grand Way" and "Come And Let Me Look In Your Eyes".

Furthermore:

"Tears In The Morning" of the Beach Boys.
"When You Are A King" of White Plains.
"Jennifer" of Bert Sommer (Woodstock '69).
"Touch Me" and "People Are Strange" of the Doors.
"The Girl From Yesterday" of the Eagles (Hell Freezes Over).
"Together Again" and "She" of Gram Parsons.
"A Good Year For The Roses" of Elvis (!) Costello.
"How Can We Hang On To A Dream" of Tim Hardin.
"Only A Fool" of Mighty Sparrow & Byron Lee.
"Could It Be Magic" of Barry Manilow with that beautiful classical Chopin intro.

And of course the one and only song of all times "MacArthur Park". Elvis' version would have been the ultimate and final version.

[Cryogenic]

This is going to sound strange to some, but... I wish Elvis could have laid down vocals to a Disney film of some kind. I know "Lilo and Stitch" used some of his songs for its soundtrack but I'm talking about all-original songs. Again, it may sound strange to some, but I think he could have done a great version of "Circle of Life" (the opening track to "The Lion King"). It's an epic song about an epic philosophy - something that would have been right down Elvis' street.

[U.S. Male]

What do you think about these:


Like A Rock (Bob Segar)
I'm A Ramblin' Man (Waylon Jennings)
He Stopped Loving Her Today (George Jones)
Lady (Kenny Rogers)
Driving My Life Away (Eddie Rabbit)
Achy Breaky Heart (Billy Ray Cyrus)
Angels Among Us (Alabama)
Go Rest High On That Mountain (Vince Gill)
Hurt (Johnny Cash version)
I Won't Back Down (Tom Petty)
You Shook Me All Night Long (ACDC)

[nabelt24]

Big Boss Man, those are great choices! I can see that we have another country music fan in the house, huh? I totaly agree with your first three choices...

I'm A Ramblin' Man (Waylon Jennings)
He Stopped Loving Her Today (George Jones)
Lady (Kenny Rogers)

They've got Elvis written all over them! If still alive, he probably would have recorded "He Stopped Loving Her"... before George?

Anyway, here's an interesting thought that I might start another thread on... what style do you think he would have leaned more towards in the 80's, 90's and so on? More country, pop, or gospel? I think he would have done more music in the country genre. Any thoughts?

[TheTiger77]

I always thought Elvis would of done good with some of Garth's stuff.

The Dance, Thunder Rolls, I got friends in low places.

And so many more really, both rockin and balads.

There's an Elvis Imp, Doug Church i believe, who put out some CD awhile back doing Elvis-doing other hits. It's really kinda neat. I've got them and admit it's not something i've listened to more then once or just to share with someone who hasn't heard it. It's just a way to kind of dream about what could of been. It was fun to hear.

Trish

[Lonniebealestreet]

I'm not a big Elton John fan, and I haven't heard this song in a long time, but for whatever reason the other day his "Blue Eyes" popped into my head. He actually sang it with a sort of Elvis-like delivery, and that type of song would have suited him perfectly.

[LeMond]

I wish he could have recorded "T.L.C." from Tom Jones' Tender Loving Care album.:cool:

[curtis simpkins]

Here's another one "Sweet Music Man"(Kenny Rogers)


this would been a very nice song for Elvis.

[richardo316]

i think elvis would have done a great job on tight fittin' jeans by conway twitty and love without end amen by george strait. another one would have been mercury blues by alan jackson