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

[boogie]

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.

Indeed great choise, i just saw the version of "opening night" from the "outtakes"...
IT blows you away

[mistymorning]

There are a lot of songs to choose, but I think "make the world go away" is a great one! I played it for a singer in my country and he was stunded! he said that he had never heard such a moving song with such a strong voice! he was really moved and admired elvis alot!
( by the way elvis was fat just the last few years of his life! why do the people over there know him as a fat guy?!!! here in my country with all of those limitations in following super stars lives, people know him as a very attractive person, and sometimes when they want to say something is very beautiful , they say it,s elvis!!

[jason7890]

If I Can Dream And Crank It Up.

[Lonniebealestreet]

There are so many songs that come to mind here, but I'm gonna play by the rules for once and just name one: I Can Help.

I think its being a cover song actually would have a mostly positive effect. I don't think most people would think, "Aw, hell, he's just singing songs other people made famous." I think you usually get more of something like, "No way! Elvis did that?"

I think it helps that it's a song that is already a part of people's consciousness. The familiarity helps because people immediately relate to it, but they are also taken by how good the song sounds coming from Elvis. So it has this double 'wow' effect.

What a great tune it is. I think people often forget about it when you talk about uptempo, 'happy' songs from the seventies.

I have often thought BMG should make a CD of such songs, that this is the direction they should shoot for to bring in the legions of new fans that are out there just waiting to be born, if you know what I mean. The right songs, the right packaging, and the right promotion would make a project like this do wonders, I fully believe.

Instead the approach is, the oft-recycled hits for the general public, and everything else gets put out on a label the general public will likely never discover.

I'd love to see the songs named in this thread (and I hope it continues) made into a fantasy project of this sort with a cover done by one of our designers. Someone please take a stab at it!

[Albert]

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!

I also hate that image. And I guess the strategy of EPE/BMG to fight that horrible image, is just to pretend like Elvis died after the Aloha. Denial is a horrible instrument.

I think I'd choose for a song after the Aloha, just to show that Elvis did matter of that milestone. I can't come up with a really great song that stands out as much as a 1969 song like "A Change Of Habit" or "Long Black Limousine".

[KPM]

Well right after Elvis died they did the remix Guitar Man album with an updating of the instrumentation and a different mix on his voice. It did pretty good but sold mainly to fans.
I asked in another thread what others thought about a Duets album and most seemed to not like the idea. But I was looking for away to do what this thread is asking: get non fans to here his voice in a big way. Truthfully some people are so sure they know his sound that they do not really listen-they just" take a position on him and his voice" Thats Alright Mama sold pretty well in Jan 05 but , we bought it mainly.
We can only get close friends to listen closer, a lot of kids when they are younger like him after hearing him with parents, but the age of 13-15 they go to what is current (partly because their friends are into current sounds and view them as odd for liking Elvis) I really think a Duets cd with current artists and established respected artists would give Elvis more chance with people who think they know him and his sound. Most negative views are that he should be discovered on his own terms(and that happens but not in large numbers)If he were alive I would say yes, but he is not. His creativity, and remarkable voice are not here to begin new projects. But new projects in some way must be launched that new young people embrace, not just geared to us and the few younger fans who see the greatness.

[Memphisgurl]

Burning Love

[mozzarella]

I would show them the '68 Special and the Aloha special Deluxe, and TTWIISE. And the Ed Sullivan shows. But if I had to pick only ONE song to make someone love Elvis that would be the laughing version of Are You Lonesome Tonight from 1969. It's so human, it's so Elvis. But I could hardly stop showing another recording and another and another etc...

[Menwithbrokenhearts]

I would have to say the "Burning Love" version from the FTD release "Too Much Monkey Business". I loved this stripped down, heavier guitar riff laden version. It completely rocks. I've never heard another Elvis song where the guitars were this heavy and without all the orchestra and female back up voices it completely rocks!
I couldn't believe it when I first heard it.

[carolynlm]

I like to see the look on peoples faces when I show them Polk Salad Annie from TTWII......his movements on stage, the 'so you'll undertand what I'm talkin' about' introduction.....all great stuff.....

[Wendy56]

Can I pick "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (besides "My Way")? That song is so touching! One of my favorites.

[jeanno]

Audio : IN THE GHETTO (alt take 3 from "Platinum")
Video : Heartbreak/Hound dog/All shook up from "68 stand up show #1"

[ph10579]

Just a little bit

[BJBAmerica]

Mystery Train/Tiger Man from 1969 "In Person" CD.

[geordie]

i think you said what song would you show to an non-elvis fan?
if thats the question i would say suspicious minds from ttwii the one when el gets the shakes at the end(try doing that,i have in front of the mirror) its hard

[stefankoch]

Hi there!
Its a great question but here`s my songs that would blow every non-Elvis fans away:
Audio : You gave me a mountain (Elvis in concert)
Video : Suspicious minds (TTWII ORG.1970)

[bogarcon]

I WOULD SAY..PROMISED LAND (STUDIO VERSION)..BY EXPERIENCE...AFTER ONE PLAYING TO SOME FOLKS THEY CHANGED THEIR MINDS ON ELVIS ROCK FROM THE `70`S..
HAVE A NICE DAY, BOGARCON

[KPM]

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

Its hard to say what single song might give a better impression of him.
In 69 I was in the 8th grade and a few of my classmates thought of him as "the past" , greasy helmet hair etc... I showed them a couple color pictures from August 69 and showed them his set list, which had quite a few non Elvis songs. They just were not getting it and still said he was old hat. Some people you can never get accross to. Today its almost 40 years since then, so I'm not sure what to tell you to combat that image. Bridge Over Troubled Water is one I might give a try, it has range, emotion and speaks to most everyone. If I Can Dream is another with a powerful message -far from the impression a lot of young people have of him.

[ForeverTheKing]

To know better who Elvis is (I can't say "was") it would be necessary much more than just a song or a video performance.
I've discovered that many people "know" Elvis Presley just for his popular name,his 60s movies with lots of cars and girls, the most famous songs sometimes used in others movies or advertsing spaces on tv, the usual stereotypes.What a limited knowledge!!
It would be hard to choose just few songs to let people understand how big Elvis is...he sang so many different kind of songs and music!
Anyway, I've started my personal "mission", try to let some of my friends know that I'm not totally crazy to adore that man and his music; I've started to make some friends listen to his songs and...guess what? The most part of them like him a lot and always tell me "I didn't know he was so great...I knew just few songs, some ballads"...they were surprised to listen him singing blues, country and gospel.
I've undersood that people who aren't fans like us just know Elvis had a nice voice but don't know anything about his music, his big talent as a singer and performer.
Elvis had a great voice, of course, but also an extraordinary energy on stage and today it's hard for me to find others performers who give me the same emotions as him (although there are a lot of good artists).
If I had to choose some songs just to listen....well I'd choose "Baby Let's Play House", "Mary In The Morning", "If I Can Dream", "How Great Thou Art", "Memories", "Talk About The Good Times", "Danny Boy"...but these are just few.
I'd recommend to see Elvis performing live especially in TTWII and '68 Comeback ...here it's hard to choose just a shor performance 'cause every song has something special.
But I'd like people to see "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "Can't Help Falling In Love With You" in "Elvis On Tour" and "My Way"and "An American Trilogy" in "Aloha From Hawaii".....I always cry with these ones but I think "non fans" can be at least touched..

[elvis fan 1976]

American Trilogy Aloha or memphis 1974