Posts Tagged: elvis presley music

I used to hang out at local ’50s themed restaurant that played what we refer to today as the oldies, music from the ’50s and ’60s. More than any other band or musician, Elvis Presley music seemed to play all the time.

I did not think much about this, because along with The Beatles, Elvis was probably the most famous and prolific rock-and-roll musician of that time period, but as I started paying more attention to the music being played at stores, malls and several other locations, I realized that Elvis Presley music is still thriving 50 years later.

The first time that I really experienced this phenomenon was when I went to Barnes & Noble one day, and I saw a little girl, probably not more than 12 or 13 years old, in the music department with headphones on, mouthing the words to “Heartbreak Hotel.” She seemed a little embarrassed when she looked up and saw me smiling, so I said, “You know that song?”

She laughed and said she loved Elvis Presley music and had several of his albums. She was buying one of his greatest hits CDs at Barnes & Noble, because she said that there were some songs on the CD that she did not have among her collection.

A few weeks later, I was taking my kids to a roller skating rink, where all of the kids seemed to be having a pretty good time, but were rather subdued. Then Elvis Presley’s song “Hounddog” started up, and all of the kids started whistling and cheering, and it just seemed like the speed of the rollerskating increased tremendously.

I grew up after the time of Elvis Presley’s prominance, and I was always a big fan, but I am a big music fan in general and was pretty unaware of how well his music has endured. It is not only something that you hear, either, but you can see it in cinema as well.

The first movies that come to mind for me when I think about Elvis Presley music are “Honeymoon in Vegas” and “3,000 Miles to Graceland.” I know that there are many more, but I saw those two movies were on the other day right around the same time, and what an interesting coincidence that was!

Elvis Presley music seems to play wherever I go thse days, and I can see that, even after all of these years, the “King” would be proud to know that his songs are played all the time and his music is still thriving. I guess there is a reason that Elvis Presley is from a genre of music often referred to as “classic rock,” because it never seems to go away.

A musical revolution occurred in the 1950s, courtesy of Rock ‘n’Roll and Elvis Presley music in particular. Born in 1935 in Mississippi, Elvis grew up listening to country music, gospel and the blues. This mix had a profound influence on him. He sang and played guitar from a young age and destiny called when he walked into the Sun Record studios to record in 1953.

The young singer proceeded to the RCA label and the radio DJs took notice of this new sound. The live concerts stunned young audiences, particularly the girls who screamed at their loudest. Elvis had the looks and an incredible voice, perfect for singing up tempo rockers and ballads. His breakthrough single was Heartbreak Hotel, which he received a co-writing credit for. It reached number one in 1956 and the music of Elvis Presley was here to stay on both sides of the Atlantic.

The song writing partnership of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller provided the next number one with Hound Dog. The chart topping hits kept coming in the 1950s, including Don’t Be Cruel, Love Me Tender, All Shook Up, and Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear. The films that Elvis made also provided some success, including Jailhouse Rock. Three great musicians contributed to the early Elvis Presley music, providing the beat and the rhythm. Scotty Moore played guitar, Bill Black was on double bass and D.J Fontana was the drummer.

The 1960s brought more hits with Are You Lonesome Tonight, Return to Sender and Wooden Heart. In the 1970s, there was The Wonder of You, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, Burning Love and Way Down. Musical trends came and went through the years but Elvis fans stayed loyal, clamoring for tickets to his spectacular live shows.

The back catalogue also contains the soundtracks from the many Elvis movies. His first film was in 1957 when he made Loving You. Other films include King Creole, G.I Blues, Kid Galahad, and Fun in Acapulco. A TV Special provides another soundtrack of Elvis Presley music and a DVD. The show was known as the Elvis Presley ’68 Comeback Special. Elvis is seen in peak physical condition and looked fantastic in a black leather suit. He sang and played guitar with his old buddy, Scotty Moore, in front of a small intimate audience. The show’s finale is his moving song, If I Can Dream.

One of Elvis’s abiding passions was his religious faith and his love of gospel music. He recorded many gospel songs over the years and these have been gathered together on the Elvis Ultimate Gospel cd. Tracks include How Great Thou Art, You’ll Never Walk Alone, and Crying in the Chapel. Elvis Presley music is also associated with Christmas. Some of these records are on the Elvis Presley Christmas Duets album, and include O Come All Ye Faithful with Olivia Newton John, Blue Christmas with Martina McBride, and White Christmas with Amy Grant.

The legend of Elvis lives on and this was apparent in 2002 when one of his largely forgotten songs was given a new lease of life. Elvis had recorded A Little Less Conversation for the movie Live a Little, Love a Little in 1968. A re-mix dance version was released in 2002 and was a number one hit in many countries and has featured in several films and TV commercials.