Thoughts about ELVIS PRESLEY 36 years after his passing.

I grew up from a baby listening to Elvis.

Songs such as "The Wonder of You","In The Ghetto", "And I love You So", "Suspicious Minds", etc are printed on my mind.

Elvis is the only one of them all who remained a strong and open Christian through all his life. He showed that to be openly Christian as a singer only made him more popular. Yes, he was just a man and did many naughty things. Yes, he over indulged in sex, prescription drugs and eating a lot, but the sentiments of the songs he picked to sing and the beauty of his voice have never been equalled, not even close.

I get lots out of listening to him still. He did the U.S proud all over the world. He made lots of money for many people, too.

All the people that knew him have said he was an incredibly generous man. He was devoted to his fan base, too, and always gave it all at his concerts. Nearly all the in concert shots are of Elvis beaded with sweat.

Here are two videos of him singing Don McLean's song "And I love You so" and an amazing rendition of "Unchained Melody" performed live with him singing to a solo piano played by himself just six weeks before he passed on by this earth. His voice is sooo powerful on that!

Elvis Aaron Presley, the kindest U.S export to the world!

ps; don't call him EVIL S either! His name also anagrams to LEVIS, too. Strange how he was called Aaron and was born with a twin who was to be called Aaron, who died at birth!

Never forget you, King Elvis. Thanks for your music being there as a comfort all my life. You were the only one who sang the gospel music and kept your love for Christ all your career!

I reckon you may not get many responses here.

Lots of ATS-ers are into that Hippity Hop / Trance / Electronica stuff; me personally, I'm all over the place, meaning, I can go from listening to Tool and NIN, then go right into listening to the Ink Spots or Django.

I really dig the Sun Sessions Elvis era though. I like a few of the James Burton era Elvis tunes, but not as much as I like the Scotty Moore material.

✰ for you!

I love the King of Rock n' Roll! He departed this mortal coil when I was but 2 years old... thankfully his music will live forever!

I WILL see Graceland before I die.

My father is a big Elvis fan too. I once asked my dad where he was when he heard that Elvis had died, he told me that he was in his patrol car at work and he just did not believe what he was listening to on the radio.

S&F

I noticed you mention a couple of his "older songs". I grew up as well to the "Hound Dog" Elvis....ie: "Jailhouse Rock"..."I cant stop loving you"..."Mystery Train"...and his version of Carl Perkin's "Blues Suede Shoes".

There is some really great older Elvis religious-spiritual stuff thats really good like "How great thou art".

Having recorded "In the Ghetto" in 1969, he had already been recording hits since 1954.

PS As a guitarist in bands in the 60's, I had to learn every one of his "rock-a-billy-Hound-Dog" tunes to play each weekend at the teen clubs, dances, weddings and parties I played.

James Burton was the best!!

Yeah, Elvis is King, awesome, nobody will ever come close to him.................I remember his death being announced on the radio when I was 12 years old in 1977, I was staying with my cousin during the school holidays ....even though I was so young I remember being quite shocked and just staring out of the kitchen window....but I think that after watching so many Elvis movies as a kid he became part of me....................somebody once said to me that you either love Elvis or you hate him, much in the same way that people think about Marmite........Love Elvis, Elvis Lives................

Originally posted by the_philth
I reckon you may not get many responses here.

Lots of ATS-ers are into that Hippity Hop / Trance / Electronica stuff; me personally, I'm all over the place, meaning, I can go from listening to Tool and NIN, then go right into listening to the Ink Spots or Django.

I really dig the Sun Sessions Elvis era though. I like a few of the James Burton era Elvis tunes, but not as much as I like the Scotty Moore material.

✰ for you!

edit on 8/28/2013 by the_philth because: (no reason given)

Thanks! I knew it would not be popular!

I make electronic dance music, I sing acoustic folk and blues, too. I am like you; listen across the whole spectrum.

Elvis is one of all time favourites, though. He really did put everything into the music.

Originally posted by TFCJay
I love the King of Rock n' Roll! He departed this mortal coil when I was but 2 years old... thankfully his music will live forever!

I WILL see Graceland before I die.

My father is a big Elvis fan too. I once asked my dad where he was when he heard that Elvis had died, he told me that he was in his patrol car at work and he just did not believe what he was listening to on the radio.

S&F

Thanks for your reply. I share your and your Dad's sentiments entirely!

I would like to see Graceland, too!

Originally posted by mysterioustranger
I noticed you mention a couple of his "older songs". I grew up as well to the "Hound Dog" Elvis....ie: "Jailhouse Rock"..."I cant stop loving you"..."Mystery Train"...and his version of Carl Perkin's "Blues Suede Shoes".

There is some really great older Elvis religious-spiritual stuff thats really good like "How great thou art".

Having recorded "In the Ghetto" in 1969, he had already been recording hits since 1954.

PS As a guitarist in bands in the 60's, I had to learn every one of his "rock-a-billy-Hound-Dog" tunes to play each weekend at the teen clubs, dances, weddings and parties I played.

James Burton was the best!!

edit on 2010 by mysterioustranger because: (no reason given)

Yeah, I love all Elvis tunes; from the early days with the Sun sessions right up to the late seventies "Moody Blue" Album.

Thanks for your reply. It's nice to see that people still respect him. I really think that while he was around music was very special. He seems to have been the driving force and music has not been the same since his departing. It has lost momentum.

His gospel tunes are so beautiful. "How Great Thou Art"; who could sing it like he did!

Originally posted by davethebear
Yeah, Elvis is King, awesome, nobody will ever come close to him.................I remember his death being announced on the radio when I was 12 years old in 1977, I was staying with my cousin during the school holidays ....even though I was so young I remember being quite shocked and just staring out of the kitchen window....but I think that after watching so many Elvis movies as a kid he became part of me....................somebody once said to me that you either love Elvis or you hate him, much in the same way that people think about Marmite...

.....Love Elvis, Elvis Lives................

I was 11 when he died. I remember being shocked, too. Like you said, he has become part of me and my early memories. He always seemed to be there; on the TV and on the radio.

He was different to the others. So glam, but never pretentious.

I was looking at some old pictures of him. He had not a racist bone in his body. I have seen many pictures of him with African American people. He kept the same African American backing singers all through the seventies.

I think that Bob Marley got his idea of the I Threes backing singers from Elvis (who had the three female backing vocalists long before Bob Marley).

John Lennon almost got it right: 'Elvis died when he went into the army.'

He didn't quite; there was the Comeback Special and a few other signs of life over the years, but from 1959 or so onwards it really was just bad, sentimental music and too much pork and peanut butter.

His first two or three years were all that mattered. And they were enough.

reply to post by Revolution9

After the Miley episode this week....who wouldve believed that they only filmed Elvis performing from the waist up because they thought his "gyrating" was pornographic!

I dont think there will ever be anthor like him...ever. That voice alone...was...and still is....unmatched.

Originally posted by Astyanax
John Lennon almost got it right: 'Elvis died when he went into the army.'

He didn't quite; there was the Comeback Special and a few other signs of life over the years, but from 1959 or so onwards it really was just bad, sentimental music and too much pork and peanut butter.

His first two or three years were all that mattered. And they were enough.

He was definitely on fire pre joining the army and then afterwards developed a more commercially appealing persona.

I do love his ballads though. They are very comforting.

It is easier to see him for what he was now. He had to hide a lot of his behaviour like with the prescription drug use, etc. Nowadays that is not such a big deal.

I think he got used and abused a lot really. His manager was a big gambler and made Elvis work constantly.

With all that glory came a lot of pain I guess. That is the way it works.

I admire him for his faith very much. He always had a Christian spirit about him that he was never embarrassed about. He won a lot of hearts because of that.

In retrospect I think he was a very unique and complex human being, not like he is sometimes portrayed. I always take a good hard look at people to see who they really are.

With him I see a man who put everything into his art and career. His enthusiasm for it lasted right until the end as we can see in that video performance above of "Unchained Melody". The power in his voice is almost super human.

He will always be quite a phenomenon I guess. I can't really see him ever being matched. He was in that era of the golden age of modern music.