Under rated songs

[earlvince]

Hi,
what 5 Elvis songs would you say did'nt get the publicity or air play that they deserved? Either because they were never released as a single and where hidden away as a bonus track on an album or something or perhaps never grabbed the publics attention but are among your favorites?
for eg. DANNY was cut from the film kingcreole in 1958 and didn't surface until much later on the legendery perfomer album.Yet Conway Twitty released it under the title Lonely blue boy and sold a million (how big would it have been for Elvis?)

to start off here are my 5 in no particular order

Danny
Big love big heartache
Dirty dirty feeling
fools fall in love
Blue river

also what about songs you would have liked Elvis to have recorded i.e

the most beautiful girl in the world (charlie rich) would have suited him down to the ground
And i wish he had done a complete version of lady madonna

[ForeverTheKing]

I can't name just few songs and I don't know about the kind of publicity they did at that time for every song,
But I think too many songs were and are under rated, maybe more when they came out then now...you know...after his death now every song can be considered a pearl for who still wants to sell.

Anyway, I think many of his movie songs were under rated at that time and if I listen them now I dicover how they were beautiful...you named just few...but I think also to others...Change of Habit, Let Us Pray, Edge Of Reality....A Little Less Conversation and Rubberneckin'..(they were hit few years ago in their remixed version but I don't know if they made the same result when they came out).

Some movie songs are quite silly and nonsense (out of their contest...a mean the movie) but others (ballads and rock songs) are wonderful

[songs4u]

I don't know the movie songs as well as some of you. I don't know if I can name 5 songs or not. I'm not sure if the songs I choose should be listed so I'm ready for correction.

For me the #1 would be

"I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" by Hank, Sr. He sang this at the Aloha concert. It can't be released now and is not on the DVD because of a songwriter settlement. I have it on the original taping of Aloha. Love it. Elvis, said it was probably the saddest song he had ever heard. I don't know if it got much air play but, I can tell you when I used to DJ at my radio station quite a few years back I gave it a lot of air play.

"Unchained Melody", did it become very popular? He does a great job on that one.

"Green, Green Grass of Home". I don't know how popular this one became for him.

"Rubberneckin'" before it's recent hit, when it was first released.

I can't even think of the name of this song - the one he sings to Ann Margaret while he plays the piano and she's dressing after they get back to her home from the helicopter ride. I really liked that song. Elvis acted like he really meant that when he was singing it to "Rusty".

Songs that I would have liked for him to record? I don't know if this counts because it's a recitation. I've only heard and seen a partial piece of this on TTWII....."Men With Broken Hearts" by Hank, Sr. It's a great recitation. Elvis could have put a lot of feeling into that whole piece.

Since I've read recently about him having an interest in "I Will Always Love You", I guess, I would have been curious as to how he would have recorded that song.

[rocker]

- Edge of Reality
- It Hurts Me
- Most of His songs from 1970=How the web was woven, Mary in the Morning, Sylvia, Sound of your Cry,ect.
- Little Less Conversation
- Down in the Alley

And the list can go on and on.............

[MISSCLAWDY]

there are so many it's hard to choose...but I think of
Edge of reality, Sylvia, thinking of you, rubberneckin' and guadalajara

[elvisdownunder]

The song you refer to is 'Today, Tomorrow, and Forever'. I agree, it is a beautiful song. I don't know if you know this, but there is a 4 cd boxset under this very title, and is HIGHLY recommended. There is also A DUET VERSION with Ann Margeret on it, and also on the Follow That Dream version of Viva Las Vegas. It is beautiful, and if you don't have it, i highly recommend you get it

Here are my 5 most under rated tracks

Just Pretend- Elvis never released this as an A or B side single, so it really had no chance of public recognition. Why Elvis or RCA never picked it, i will never know. It is one of hsi best ever songs, and his voice is spine chilling

The sound of your cry-Not the single B side version, but the one released on Legendary performer 8. Great version, and he really makes you believe the song

I got a feeling in my body- A true funk and soul classic. Once again, not released as a single. One of Elvis's best upbeat work

Hurt- Another instant classic. Released as a single, but never recognised truly how good it really was

T-R-O-U-B-L-E- Another chart failure for Elvis, that should not have been. It was tailor made for Elvis, and he brings in a rocking performance

[Menwithbrokenhearts]

As for underrated, I'm not sure either as far as official releases or chart history but I would say;

"Wearin' that loved on look"
"True love travels on a gravel road"
"Night rider"
"Bitter they are, harder they fall"
"Blue Moon"
and I agree on "Just pretend" and "Trouble". Great songs. Wierd they didn't do to well. Didn't Travis Tritt have a hit a few years back with "Trouble"?

As far as songs he should have done. I agree with the Charlie Rich song, "Behind Closed Doors" probably good too.

also,

"Feels so right" from Alabama
"If I could change the world" from Babyface and Eric Clapton
I agree with an official recording of " I'm so lonesome I could cry"

[FlamingStar]

Here's some songs that i think is very underated:

You'll Think Of Me (Fantastic song with many verses and good solo play, great intro etc..)

I Miss You/Sweet Angeline) This is 2 fantastic songs with beautiful lyrics

True Love Travels On A Gravel Road (One of my faves.)

Tweedle Twee (What a cool song )

America The Beautiful

Bitter they are, harder they fall - I agree with you! what a good number. I wish he sang it live one time..

Danny Boy - A very strong vocal performance.

[tjs]

For me:

Thinking about you
It's Only Love
Please Don't Drag that String
Long Black Limousine
Poison Ivy League

It's weird--underrated for Elvis would make others careers...

[Raised on Rock]

Well theres a lot of good ones that never get to much atention, I think of the next ones as potential top 10 hits but never were:

What I Say?. From Viva Las Vegas, this should have been released as an A) side intead of a B) side. This song I think is one of Elvis finest rockers from the early 60's among Little Sister or Feel so Bad, but just because it was from a movie soundtrack it gets the bad publicity, the odd thing is that It wasnt recorded on the same sessions as the rest of the Viva soundtrack. This song deserves for sure much more attention from the Elvis Rock and Roll and R&B Fans.

Tomorrow Is A Long TIme/Down In THe Alley As I stated in a thread some months ago, this two, released as a A) and B) side could have been a killer hit single, just what Elvis needed, but they were burried as bonus songs.
Thinking about YouRemember this one? but some of you dont, is from the Promised Land Album, also released as a B) side, bad idea, as an A) side this song could have been something, ist a great modern song, very in the Suspicious Minds spirit, but more 70's coutry soul light hearted pop song. I think is a great number.

And a... how about Raised on Rock?

[earlvince]

Thank you all for your contributions.
there is no wrong answer all the songs mentioned are well worth a listen and i couldn't agree more on the likes of Thinking About you what where RCA thinking about at that time also just a year or two earlier Any day now was "b" side of In the ghetto another song that would have done well as an "a" side.
Songs4u you are spot on with the Ann Margret track and that is "Sound Advice" from Elvisdownunder the boxed set is worth looking out for.
Any more? as i said there's no wrong answer
the only reason i said name five is because as a few people have said there are many more still nothin' stoping you coming back on with another five

[Awickedreigndrop]

There's too many for me too list but my all time favorite is "Rubberneckin" before the remix And I think "Such a Night" was very under rated! I don't know but there's something about that song I liked.

[MIElvis]

I've always likes the song Western Union from the movie Speedway. Great song to me and it almost seems to be part two of Don't Be Cruel in the story line.

[spanish eyes]

Here is my list of 5:

It Hurts Me (taken from a Legendary Performer Vol 3)
The Sound of Your Cry
They Remind Me Too Much of You
You Don't Know Me
Just Pretend

[Awickedreigndrop]

I was wondering have anyone heard of the song Hi-heel Sneakers that Elvis sang? I have it and it's unedited and Elvis is singing something in the beginning, you know just playing around. The song all around is cute.

[robman]

most of his songs are underrated

[Cryogenic]

"It Hurts Me" -- Probably the greatest vocal that Elvis ever recorded.

"Tomorrow Is A Long Time" -- Amazing Bob Dylan cover (Bob Dylan himself said it was the best cover anyone ever did of his material).

"Just Pretend" -- Mindblowing ballad.

[JDD]

Today as I was driving around listening to the elvis station on Sirius, they played a few that made me think of this thread immediatly.

Until its time for you to go

Seperate ways

and his amazing cover of the Simon and Garfunkel

Bridge over troubled water

None of them were really hits for Elvis but they're all preformed as if they were made just for him and nobody else to sing.

[MISSCLAWDY]

so true, I love "true love travels on a gravel road" and "thinking of you" and "wearin' that loved on look"!!!!and they were underrated

[Trisi]

I'm leavin
she thinks i still care
please don't drag that string around
blue eyes criyng in the rain
these songs are very underated in my opinion