A Song You Would Choose To Show To A Non Elvis Fan

[elvisdownunder]

i've found that many people, when they think of Elvis, always think of the parodied fat jumpsuited guy, with a peanut butter sandwich in his hand, mumbling 'thank you very much', which i ABSOLUTELY HATE!

to change their view, not make them a fan, but change their view, what song would you choose to show them

i am doing a listening assignment in music, and the song i've decided to pick is 'you've lost that lovin feelin' from the MSG show, which is a killer version!

pick just one please

[boogie]

polk salad from TTWII (DVD)

[elvisdownunder]

audio only, not so crash hot, audio visual: awesome choice!

[Tommy]

"Unchained Melody"

Tommy

[Cryogenic]

Probably something like "Little Sister" for its relatively contemporary sound.

"You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling" is a good choice, though!

[THENATUREBOY]

I would probably choose 'I Cant Stop Loving You' from "Thats The Way It Is." I just love the way he does that song, and a non-elvis fan watched it once with me and liked it.

[Cryogenic]

I think the Aloha version blows the one from TTWII out of the water!

[THENATUREBOY]

Well thats your opinion, my opinion is that you cant even compared the two. So much more energy and charisma goes into the 'Thats The Way It Is' version, and I think that would attract a non-elvis fan.

[Cryogenic]

I think...

Well thats your opinion...

No shit, sherlock!

[THENATUREBOY]

Well, good job on being a ******** there buddy.

[Wendy56]

many people think of Elvis... [as] the parodied fat jumpsuited guy, with a peanut butter sandwich in his hand, mumbling 'thank you very much', which i ABSOLUTELY HATE!...

I hate that stereotype too. Drives me mad everytime I hear or see it. If is possible, I try to show to people that Elvis was not only a "fat guy" and try to make them see he means so much more than that.
And about that song... Is hard to choose. I like My Way though it is a cover song. I like it because of Elvis amazing voice there, people will be able to check it perfectly.
Elvis' music is so varied. I would choose one gospel song, a 50s song maybe. From the 60s would be Almost in love and Bridge Over Troubled Water from 70s. That is a beautiful song; has a sentimental value to me.
But as you asked only one song... I think I would pick My Way. Elvis version is simple the best.

[iloveelvis05]

Great thread idea!!!

I think it's a TIE between:

~ Just Pretend (TTWII)
~ Hurt (Last concert in 1977)

Both of those songs, he gets so emotional in them and hits incredible notes. I get blown away everytime!

[Raised on Rock]

If its Audio and video Ill choose: (In red my best choices)

"Trying TO Get TO You" '68 comeback special.
"BLue Suede SHoes" This Is ELvis Edit.
"Polk Salad Annie" TTWII.
"You Lost That Loving Feeling" TTWII
"Suspicious Minds" TWWII
"Trouble Guitar/Man" Opening Version, 68? COmbackspecial.
"If I Can Dream". '68 comback....

Maybe... "See See Rider", "POlk Salad Annie" and "I GOt A WOman" from Elvis On TOur" and "Steam Roller Blues" from the Aloha.

For an only less than 5 minutes chance Ill choose: "BLue Suede SHoes" This Is ELvis Edit. Or maybe Ill do my own edit using the 8pm sit down version of blues suede shoes with a complete after the guitar solo version of the stand up show used in This is Elvis in which was edited that great mistake after the solo that turned out in one of those irreplicable moments on film.

On Audio...

"Stanger In My Own HOme TOwn"
"Suspicious Minds" Stipted down version (alt take 7)
"Polk Salad Annie" MSG
"Little Sister"
"Baby Lets Play HOuse"
"Reconsider Baby" or "Feel SO Bad"
"Big HUnk Of Love" tweaked high and Loud!

One CHoice , well depend on the audience, Suspicious Mind undubbed for '60 people and altertative people on the Fiona Apple Mood.

"Little SIster, Baby Lets play House and Big Hunk Of Love" for the rock fans.

The "Reconsider... and Feel So Bad" or blues lovers.

"Stranger and Polk Salad" for the R&b soul lovers

[elvisdownunder]

great choices so far everybody! keep em coming

[Elvos]

Some songs did always do the job in my case!
Promised Land ,Long black Limousine, And the majority of the memphis 69 session....

I think promised land would do good as a single even nowadays!
And in this case I mean NO REMIX! Just the Platinum or extended original version!

[Leroy]

Twenty Days and Twenty Nights
Mary In The Morning
Stranger In My Own Home Town
Thinking About You
If You Talk In Your Sleep
Tomorrow Is A Long Time

The above songs worked in my surroundings. One guy even stated that "If You Talk In Your Sleep" had more funk that the Brothers Johnson and he was a real soul & funk freak.

[nabelt24]

What agreat idea for a post, Elvisdownunder!!! What a tuff question! You have to think about which decade of Elvis' career you would want to represent to someone who is only familiar to the typical stereotype that we TRUE Elvis fans HATE!

To represent the 50's, I would choose something that really ROCKED! Everyone knows his number one's, how about something that they possibly haven't heard.... my choice is "Good Rockin' Tonight" because it has a passion and vibe to it that you can't deny.

The 60's. Wow! What a difficult choice to make here! It needs to show how much fun he had with music and how he poured out what he felt! Again, not something that everybody knows and definately skipping over the movie years (although some soundtracks weren't all that bad). I've got to go with something from the '68 Comeback Special! How about "Trying To Get To You".

The 70's need to put the stereotype to bed! This was a new era in the way that Elvis performed physically and vocally. It was a time that represents dynamics! I pick "Bridge Over Troubled Water" because it shows his incredlible range and shows what a fantastic group he had behind him!

Mainly, these song choices are suppose to say, "He's not just some guy in a jumpsuit eating doughnuts and saying Thank You Very Much" I think that a lot of the impersonators that have absolutely no respect for Elvis, have helped created this image that non-'Elvis'-educated fans, or people who are not fans at all, have stuck in their heads.

[KPM]

I think I 'd show them Little Sister/Get Back from TTWII remix. Or How he worked on Bridge Over Troubled Water in TTWII. They seem to think he was unaware of music and that he never really worked at the music he made. LS/GBack shows how he knew the 2 had very similar rhythm patterns and that they would blend well(plus it rocks) Bridge shows how he produced and directed the sound he wanted, and shows the depth and range of his voice.

[geordie]

i've found that many people, when they think of Elvis, always think of the parodied fat jumpsuited guy, with a peanut butter sandwich in his hand, mumbling 'thank you very much', which i ABSOLUTELY HATE!

to change their view, not make them a fan, but change their view, what song would you choose to show them

i am doing a listening assignment in music, and the song i've decided to pick is 'you've lost that lovin feelin' from the MSG show, which is a killer version!

pick just one please

looking at the replies, just lets us know how much classic music elvis left us, but you asked for just 1 song.i would pick change of habbit,i think this is a really underestermated song

[elvisdownunder]

looks like people have broken toe ONE SONG rule. ah to hell with it!

well i've just listened to 'the essential 70s masters disc 3' today, and there were THREE songs on that cd that gave me goosebumps when i turned them up loud

bridge over troubled water
just pretend
tomorrow never comes

i'm going to do one of them for my listening assignment, i think people are going to be SHELL SHOCKED when they hear the Elvis i'm going to present them. if they knew the hundreds of AWESOME songs he made, i think they'd have a better understanding of Elvis.