ElvisBlog | By Phil Arnold Original Elvis Blogmeister

Time 2020-06-22 06:04:45

Web Name: ElvisBlog | By Phil Arnold Original Elvis Blogmeister

WebSite: http://www.elvisblog.net

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This is a repeat of a post from 2012. It prompted a very positive comment from a fellow named Rod.I have visited more Elvis sites on this WWW than I can remember, and your effort was very refreshing. Well written, and very informative.So, with those kudos, I m pretty sure you will like my very different Top 10 Elvis Song list.A few years ago, my friend Alan Hanson listed Elvis Presley’s 20 Greatest Recordings on his  Elvis-History-Blog   (Editor s note.  This blog is now inactive.)  This past August, another Elvis-blogger-buddy Troy Yeary presented his picks for the top 100 Elvis songs on his MysteryTrainElvisBlog (also now inactive).   I noticed only two songs were on both of their top 10s – “Jailhouse Rock” and “Reconsider Baby.”  These two guys are genuine Elvis fans and they really know their stuff, but their opinions differed greatly.So, I thought about what songs would be on my Elvis Top 10 list.  Rather than trying to make a subjective analysis, my list would just be my favorites.  My personal prejudices would certainly show up.  I grew up in the late fifties and strongly believe Elvis made his best music in the years before going in the Army.  I really don’t care for much of Elvis’ music from the seventies not really rock and roll, too many horns and fancy arrangements.  And, I have become a great blues fan for the past twenty years, so I have sought out Elvis’ blues offerings over his career and made a playlist out of them.  And finally, I have listened to some Elvis hits so many times that I’ve grown tired of them.With all that explained, here are the selections for my personal Top 10 Elvis Songs#10:    I Was The OneThis song has been a favorite since I was a teenager in the late 50s.  We had lots of parties, and we played records and danced to them for hours.  We’d stack up seven or eight 45s on those little record players.  When the last 45 dropped down and finished playing, we would pick up the whole stack and flip them over.  So, in addition to listening “Heartbreak Hotel,” we would also slow dance to the flip side, “I Was The One.”  I remember getting close and lovey with girls while dancing to this song, an important prequel to the make-out sessions that followed later.  To this day, whenever I hear ‘I Was The One,” I get all warm and fuzzy.#9:    Santa Claus Is Back In TownLike most fans, I pull out the CDs of Elvis Christmas songs every December.  There is one song that always stands out for me, “Santa Claus is Back in Town.”  I’m so glad the Christmas season gives me a chance each year to reconnect with this song.  I just love it.#8:    Reconsider BabyElvis and Boots Randolph performing Reconsider Baby at Pearle Harbor, Hawaii, March 25, 1961I have always liked this song no matter which artist was singing it.  But my special affection for it began in 2004 during the “Good Rockin’ Tonight concert at Elvis Week.  I was a gofer for all the singers and players that night, and I got to sit off to stage right with Boots Randolph before he went on for his segment of the show.  He was so nice and friendly, and I couldn’t believe he talked so much to a nobody like me.  Then he went on stage to perform three songs, including “Reconsider Baby.”  Although he was 77 years old, Boots absolutely knocked out the audience with his soulful sax wailing, and he was rewarded with a huge standing ovation.  It was electrifying.  Boots died three years later, but Elvis’ version of the song carries on.  Now, whenever I hear “Reconsider Baby” by Elvis, I flash back to that wonderful evening.#7:    I Want To Be FreeI have admitted that I’ve loved blues music over the last twenty years, so my Elvis top ten list is slanted toward his blues offerings.  The next time you watch Jailhouse Rock , really listen to “I Want To Be Free.”  Maybe it will grow on you like it has on me. Normally, I would never think of the Jordanaires as a group that would fit in a blues song, but they did a great job here.  Of course, Elvis did too, showing off that wonderful vocal range he had.#6:    Steamroller Blues:Like I said, I don’t care for much of the Elvis’ music from the 70s, but this song from 1972 is an exception.  Elvis never recorded “Steamroller Blues” in the studio, but who can forget him singing it in Aloha From Hawaii?   You’ve got to love a song with lyrics like, “Well, I m a cement mixer, a churning urn of burning funk,” and “I m gonna’ inject your soul with some sweet rock n roll and shoot you full of rhythm and blues.”  Elvis at his baaadest.#5:    I Washed My Hands In Muddy WaterThis is the other exception to my indifference for Elvis’s 70s music.  Elvis recorded “I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water” in 1970, and a short version of it was included on the album Elvis Country.  But, the version I like is on the 1996 CD A Hundred Years From Now.  It goes on for five minutes and sounds just like what it is – a free-wheeling jam session.  You can’t possibly listen to this song without getting revved up.#4:    Lawdy Miss ClawdyI have been a fan of this song ever since Lloyd Price released it in the mid-fifties.  I liked Elvis’ version on his first album, Elvis Presley, and I liked his unplugged version during the ’68 Comeback Special even more.  But what really turned me on was watching Elvis nail “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” on the theatrical showing of the restored Elvis On Tour.  In fact, when the song began, there was a noticeable stirring among the theater audience, so I wasn’t the only one it got to.  Kudos to Glen D. Hardin for an outstanding piano part on the song.#3:    Tryin’ To Get To YouElvis recorded this song at Sun Records in 1955, but it was first released on the RCA album Elvis Presley in 1956.  Later that year, it was released as a single, but it did not chart.  However, it must have been a favorite of Elvis’ because he sang it during the filming of the ’68 Comeback Special.  Unfortunately, it was left on the cutting-room floor.  Only a few lucky folks like me who own the bootleg album The Burbank Sessions have heard this terrific raw version of “Tryin’ To Get To You.”  I can’t believe they edited it out of the special.#2:    (You’re So Square) Baby, I Don’t CareI have mentioned this song numerous times on ElvisBlog as a big favorite.  Why it was never released as a single is a mystery to me.  You will remember “Baby, I Don’t Care” as the song Elvis sang during the swimming pool scene in Jailhouse Rock.  Some people consider the dance sequence with the movie’s title song as the forerunner to the modern music video, but I think it’s a tie.  Same thing goes for “Baby, I Don’t Care.”#1: Like A Baby If you thought my other selections were a little strange, this one should blow your mind.    Do you even know this song?  You should if you listen to the 1960 album Elvis Is Back.  This album is on just about everybody’s top 5 Elvis album list.  It is rated his best album by many, including me.  The reason it’s so good is because it contains a number of blues songs (including “Reconsider Baby” mentioned above).  For many years “Like A Baby” was my favorite Elvis blues song, but after thinking about it for this article, I’ve decided it really is my favorite Elvis song, period.Like they say, opinions are like a** holes; everybody’s got one.  I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about my choices.  If you strongly disagree, please comment below.©  2012    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.netElvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. While searching for a good old article to post again, I found one  from 2011 titled: Elvis Money — Two Stories from Elvis Nixon I have re-titled it for this retro-look, and made one small change.  Hopefully you will enjoy it because it has glimpses of Elvis that show two different aspects of his character and they both involve money.Elvis fans know he always traveled with an entourage.   Four, five or six members of his Memphis Mafia accompanied Elvis everywhere, and they took care of all arrangements and logistics of the trips.  This included any expenses incurred, so Elvis never had the need to carry much money.  Somebody else always handled it.So, when Elvis stormed out of Graceland on Saturday, December 19, 1970, all he had in his wallet was a little cash and a credit card he had never personally used.  This was the start of the strange saga that ended with Elvis meeting President Richard Nixon in the White House two days later.  His experiences with the money needs he encountered along the way are fascinating.When Elvis arrived at the Memphis Airport, he went to the Pan Am ticket counter to get a flight to Washington DC.  According to the 1999 movie Elvis Meets Nixon, the girl behind the counter asked him how he wanted to pay for his ticket.Elvis reached for his wallet and realized he had forgotten to load up with cash before leaving home.  So, he tried a couple of ploys.  First, Elvis asked if they could just send the bill to the Colonel.  Of course, that didn’t work, so the counter girl brought her supervisor over to speak with Elvis.Elvis made one more futile attempt to have the man send the bill to the Colonel.  When he got the same negative answer, Elvis pulled out the keys to his car.  He offered the supervisor a chance to drive Elvis’ brand new Cadillac while he was out of town, if they could work out a way to cover the ticket.The man was tempted, but ultimately he backed away and asked if Elvis had a credit card.  Elvis finally remembered he carried a credit card in his wallet for emergencies, and this was one.  Problem solved.Movies sometimes embellish the truth, and that may be the case here.  However, it is a documented fact the Elvis started his trip with almost no cash.  This was verified by Elvis’ long time friend Jerry Schilling at a January 2010 lecture program presented by The National Archives Administration.This program, titled “We Were There When Nixon Met Elvis,” had two men share their experiences of the famous meeting.  In addition to Schilling, there was Egil (Bud) Krogh, Deputy Counsel to the President and the man who oversaw Nixon’s War on Drugs.  He was instrumental in setting up the meeting, and is included in some of the official photographs taken at the historic event.Jerry Schilling was with Elvis for a day and a half before that meeting, and he was invited in to meet the President and was included in one of the last photos snapped to commemorate the event.  As Schilling explained at the National Archives panel discussion, after Elvis checked into the Hotel Washington, he returned to the airport and booked a flight to Los Angeles.  He called Schilling who had been living there for the previous year, working as an apprentice film editor.  Elvis asked him to pick him up at LAX.  Schilling complied, and the two spent the night at Elvis’ house on Hillcrest Drive in Beverly Hills.Elvis wanted Schilling to accompany him back to Washington.  Schilling agreed and got back into his old routine of making arrangement for Elvis.  This included booking the flight and getting some money.  Elvis had a check book at his Beverly Hills home, but it was Sunday night and the banks were closed.  Money machines had not yet been invented in 1970.  Schilling had very little cash.  So what could they do?Believe it or not, they contacted Gerald Peters, the limo driver Elvis always used while filming in Los Angeles.  Elvis called him Sir Gerald because he had once been a driver for Winston Churchill.  Sir Gerald provided limo service for the rich and famous, so he was well known to the management of the Beverly Hilton Hotel.  On the drive to the airport, they stopped at the hotel, and Sir Gerald, Elvis and Jerry Schilling went inside.  Together they got a check for $500 cashed.  Schilling put the envelope containing the bills in his inside coat pocket, and they headed to the airport with their money problem solved.On the flight, Elvis moved around and socialized with many of the passengers.  The war in Viet Nam was going on in 1970, and Elvis spent ten minutes speaking with one of the G.I.s returning home for the holidays.  Here’s the rest of the story in Jerry Schilling’s words:He (Elvis) comes back to me and he goes, “Where’s that money?”I know what’s going to happen, so I said, “What money?”And he goes, “The 500 dollars.”I said, “Elvis, we’re going to Washington.  That’s all we’ve got.”He said, “You don’t understand.  This man’s been in Viet Nam.  He’s going back home for Christmas.”Any true fan of Elvis instinctively knows how this story ends.  Elvis gave the soldier the entire $500.Elvis moving around and talking to folks on the flightThese two little stories about Elvis illustrate some truths that make up the Elvis legend.  The first is a little sad because it shows what a sheltered existence his fame forced him into.  Without his buddies around him, Elvis could struggle with some things normal people take for granted.The second story is so wonderful it can bring tears to your eyes.  Elvis is famous for giving away cars, rings, and so forth, but I think his actions with the soldier are the best example of his generosity I have ever heard.©  2011    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.netElvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. A Strange Find On Streaming TV While Stuck At Home If you are like me, you ve been checking out some of the free streaming channels the past two months.  One I found is TUBI, and there were a couple of offerings on it that were interesting.  My favorite was an animated sci-fi series named REBOOT that takes place inside a giant computer mainframe. In one episode, I found this:One-Eyed Elvis RobotThey called it a Binome on the show, but to me it s a one-eyed Elvis robot.  As bad as that is, the show also had a one-eyed female Elvis robot.One-Eyed Female Elvis RobotYes, this is not very respectful to Elvis, but it reminds me of something I ve been saying on ElvisBlog for years Elvis is everywhere.  These screen grabs from a Saturday morning animated sci-fi TV show are another confirmation of it.For years, ElvisBlog was the top Google search response for Crummy Elvis Shit.  I guess this post will confirm  that ranking, too.If you d like to read the whole story about Crummy Elvis Shit, please click here.Stay healthy,       Phil Three months from now, will Memphis require all the fans to wear masks and stay six feet apart?I wonder if masks still work when they re soaked with tears.We live in a strange time.  Let s hope the health experts have this Covid 19 thing resolved by August 16. This photo needs some explanation.  It was taken from the deck off our bedroom.  We have a sprinkler sitting on the upper landing that puts out a 60 ft diameter half-circle spray. You can see it in the top center of the picture.  I have high water bills, but we also have a lush panorama of flowers and plants to look at when we sit on the deck (which is often).As the sprinkler spray rotates back and forth, it leaves a curtain of tiny water droplets, and every spring and fall in the late afternoon, we get a wonderful rainbow. It s pretty cool to enjoy happy hour with our own private little rainbow.You will also note there is an Elvis bust on the deck.  A writer buddy of mine gave it to me.  He was moving to Hawaii and didn t want the hassle of getting it there. It is very heavy.  The pole behind Elvis supports one of our bird feeders.The angle and placement of the rainbow change as the afternoon sun moves lower in the sky.  And I can get different camera shots by moving around left, right, and standing up.Yesterday, all of the conditions resulted in this.So, here s a rainbow seeming to originate from Elvis head. I labelled the picture The Elvis Rainbow Connection.   My son suggested Elvis may not have had any Irish ancestry, but you can t argue with a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, especially if it came in gold records. Elvis had ..gold records, enough to fill any pot.   If you have a good tag for the picture, please put it into Comments.Have a great weekend.     Phil Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Join 581 other subscribers Email Address

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