Elvis in concert, at 40.
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2010/JAN/Elvis75a.mp3]“How old are ya, kid? Thirteen???”
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2010/JAN/Elvis75b.mp3]
Elvis in concert, at 40.
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2010/JAN/Elvis75a.mp3]“How old are ya, kid? Thirteen???”
[audio:http://www.dograt.com/Audio/2010/JAN/Elvis75b.mp3]
Wow, that was downright cerebral! I had no idea Saroyan was involved, even though I knew Ross wrote the tune. Here ARE the Chipumunks singing the tune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ecleypOc124
As you probably already know, Rosie hated the tune and nearly refused to record it. Of course, it was one of her biggest hits.
I know what you’re saying. It’s partly a generational thing, I suppose. Elvis was the right guy at the right time. As Sam Phillips said, he was a white kid who sounded black. Elvis was a huge break from everything else that was being done in popular music at the time. One such example was this song that was a big hit for Rosemary Clooney…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-7otAzrR0I
It seemed like everybody was going nuts on what would have been The King’s 75th birthday two days ago. I’m like Tom is with the Beatles when it comes to Elvis: the allure totally eludes me. But unlike Tom, I feel GUILTY about it! First of all, he was drop-dead gorgeous when he was young, he had an incredible talent for singing a wide variety of music, and was kind to all of his fans. So what’s my problem? I have absolutely no idea. Yeah, he had his quirks. Yeah, he did the drug thing like Michael Jackson. Hmm, seeing some parallels here … I did like some of his later hits, like “Suspicious Minds,” and “Kentucky Rain.” On some TV special (Discovery? can’t remember), a Jordanaire claimed that Elvis first and last musical love was gospel music, and he would often keep everybody up late at night to sing it (he had insomnia, just like Wacko). Then there’s his Oedipal complex with this mother …