Elvis the Musician

[hounddog]

Not sure if this thread has been done before.

I've read a few times now that Elvis palyed the bass in You're So Square Baby I Don't Care (because Bill Black chucked a tantrum and walked out of the session) and also that it's Elvis' piano playing on Wear my Ring Around Your Neck. I know his listed as playing the piano also on I'll hold you in my heart.

Does any one here know what other songs Elvis played bass or piano on? I think it's time to look at Elvis the musician as i think he's underated.

[moody_ blue]

I agree

But i know elvis played piano on more songs
Like How the web was woven

Ill take you home again kathleen

Its still here

And the live on stage

Unchained melody

Where no stands alone

and maybey there are more songs

i dont know

[jak]

Ive been flipping through Johnny Cash's bio recently.He wrote that he thought Elvis was a great rythm guitar player.That comment caught me by surprise.A nice compliment coming from Cash.
Jak

[KPM]

If you watch TTWII when they are rehearsing he asks Glen Hardin if he knows the chords to "Don't" you can't hear the answer very well but it must have been yes because Elvis says "You know more than I do man" Then they start to jam on the song and you can hear Hardin hitting the wrong notes on the piano-at the end Elvis goes back to do the ending again and plays on his guitar the correct minor chord to major to end the song. I think he knew more a lot of times than he acted like he did. He could have been much better if he had spent more time practicing IMO But why do it when you have the best guys backing you.

[T_J]

If you watch TTWII when they are rehearsing he asks Glen Hardin if he knows the chords to "Don't" you can't hear the answer very well but it must have been yes because Elvis says "You know more than I do man" Then they start to jam on the song and you can hear Hardin hitting the wrong notes on the piano-at the end Elvis goes back to do the ending again and plays on his guitar the correct minor chord to major to end the song. I think he knew more a lot of times than he acted like he did. He could have been much better if he had spent more time practicing IMO But why do it when you have the best guys backing you.

That's a good example of Elvis' self deprecation. He was also joking later on when he said he only knew three chords on the guitar, although I've seen that written up as fact. As a guitarist, Elvis was fairly limited but did have really great natural rhythm and used it to good effect on the early rock 'n' roll tracks.

He also played piano on You'll Never Walk Alone. I've heard rumours that he played piano on Old Shep and Lawdy Miss Clawdy, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

[Ramiro]

Yes, Elvis sense of humour and way of laugh of himself has been unfairly used many times to downgrade him by the media. It has been spread a false image of Elvis as a fool who only walked the right way at the right moment. But the reality is that he was a lot smarter than the majority of the show business stars and of course he was a very talented man in many aspects, being his talent in music one of them.

[vinceeverrette]

Lawdy Miss Clawdy was Floyd Kramer. You'll Never Walk Alone was never supposed to be recorded, but Elvis played and sang that song for fifteen minutes in the studio when he though he was by himself. They turned on the lights inside the booth and everyone in there was sobbing. The next day Elvis put a beginning to it and the Jordanaires did some vocal overdubs before it was released, but the original was just Elvis and the piano.

[pacer 1966]

I think he was a talented musician who if he wanted to could have turned his hand to any instrument.
But for me his best work was done on the piano and guitar...

[T_J]

Lawdy Miss Clawdy was Floyd Kramer.

No, it was Shorty Long. Kramer didn't appear on an Elvis session until June 1958 - Big Hunk O' Love, I Need Your Love Tonight, etc.

[Jungleroom76]

Elvis played piano on RAGS TO RICHES during the New Year's Eve Pittsburgh show in '76 as well!

I think Elvis was a very good musician and could have been even better, had he put his mind to it....but considering he was surrounded by so many other great musicians throughout his career, perhaps he didn't feel the need to further enhance his own musicial skills??

TCB!
Mike

[hounddog]

thanks for those songs everyone i could'nt drag them out of my memory

[KPM]

I recall a story where Elvis was recording a movie soundtrack I think and during a break everyone stepped out except Elvis. One of the musicians, or a song writer(can't recall who exactly) came back and found Elvis on the piano playing "Beethovens Moonlight Sonata" and he kept stopping at the same section of the song obviously unsure of where it went from there. I recall the person knew where it went from there and showed Elvis how to play the next section. Elvis had for a long time liked the music and had been working on it - but was just stuck. Its not an easy piece to play for sure.

[KPM]

You know the composer of the "Moonlight Sonata" is Beethoven. I got the wrong composer originally but changed it from Mozart to Beethoven. I knew it was one of them. Brain freeze.

[ph10579]

Elvis' voice was his best instrument, and that is what payed the bills!

[elvis himselvis]

Elvis also played the piano in concert while singing Blueberry Hill,on february 14