It's the 8th January in the majority of the world, so to make sure it's around for most people I'm putting this up a few hours early.
We can't let Elvis's birthday pass without some of his music, and I would like to introduce to anyone who has spent their life under a rock the absolute best Elvis LP (in my humble opinion) and that is undoubtably "Elvis is Back" the first album he recorded after his return from the army. The regular fans will recognize it, and if they give it some thought they may even agree with me.
A Mess of Blues
This is from the 2011 Legacy version release
I Will Be Home Again
Make Me Know It
Thrill Of Your Love
My thanks go out to Jackiej61t00 for their extreme good taste in uploading these videos and to Wes and Christine for their inspiration.
The first album by Elvis Presley after his military discharge from the army, the first day of its sessions were attended by the Colonel, his assistant Tom Diskin, and representatives from RCA in a show of interest regarding whether or not Elvis still "had it" after two years in uniform. His long-serving guitarist Scotty Moore, pianist Floyd Cramer, and drummer D. J. Fontana had returned, along with his back-up vocal quartet The Jordanaires, but the other musicians had only played on one previous session with Elvis. One new face at the sessions whom Presley had befriended while in the service, Charlie Hodge, would become a Presley regular, member of the Memphis Mafia and a mainstay in his return to live performance at the end of the decade. Pressure aside, the sessions were successful, the album a highlight of the entire decade and a declared favorite by Presley regarding his own work. He moved beyond his standard rock and roll sound of the 1950s, combining doo-wop, gospel, blues, and even jazzy tones from his version of "Fever" following so close to that of Peggy Lee from 1958. The results yielded a new sound for Presley, with a varied song selection, moving him further toward the pop music he would undertake as the decade progressed. Prior to this, only his second album fully derived from a specific set of sessions undertaken expressly to make a particular album. [Wikipedia]
If you want more Elvis, and who doesn't, here's some earlier posts featuring the King.
Poor Boy
Lonesome Cowboy
Jailhouse Rock
Trouble
Suspicious Minds
Crawfish
King Creole
That's all right mama, the droopy mike version.
Blue Suede Shoes
Fever
Mystery Train
Don't be Cruel
Dixieland Rock
Stuck on You
Teddy Bear
Reconsider Baby
Such a Night
One Night With You
I Got A Woman
Long Tall Sally
Tutti Frutti
Shake Rattle and Roll
Rip it up
