Reviews
 Keep It Simple
Van Morrison
Roger McGuinn @ the Huntington IMAC, Long Island, NY - April 4, 2008
Emily Saxe @ the Allen Room/Jazz at Lincoln Center - April 5, 2008
Another Country
Tift Merritt
Be Your Own Pet
Get Awkward
Paul McCartney – The McCartney Years (DVD)
Juno – Music from the Motion Picture
Various Artists
Yes - Their Definitive Story
Day and Night Driving
Seven Mary Three
InterMedia Arts Center 2/2/08
Huntington, NY
|
Presley, Elvis
Elvis Presley was an interpretive singer, and as such, he relied on songwriters for virtually all of his material. But he had no shortage of songs from which to choose. He picked from rhythm and blues, country-western, Tin Pan Alley, and the emerging rock-and-roll writers. He was capable of putting his mark on each style by making them all, unmistakably, Elvis Presley songs. Elvis' first-ever single, "That's All Right, Mama" was an imaginative reworking of a song written by Arthur Crudup, an R&B artist who happened to be a particular favorite of Presley's. "My Baby Left Me" was also written by Crudup. Presley taped his version during the second recording session for his new label, RCA Records, and saw it relegated to the 'B' side of his second RCA release. The 'A'-side, "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" was a very good song but seemed awkward and stiff when compared to the frisky energy of "My Baby Left Me". Still, promotional efforts were concentrated on the safer "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" and it easily reached #1 while "My Baby Left Me" was lucky, as a 'B' side, to chart at all - it reached #31. Such was his popularity that double-sided hits became the rule and not the exception. Soon overshadowed by Elvis' next double-sided smash, "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel", "My Baby Left Me" became an obscurity and was almost completely forgotten.
Although it was Elvis' most popular song, I hesitate to include "Hound Dog" among his best work, but not for the usual reasons that have been cited by uninformed purists of blues and R&B. I am referring to the charge that Elvis stole "Hound Dog" from Big Mama Thornton and was out of his league. First of all, the song was written by Jerry Lieber and Mike Stoller, two East Coast Jewish kids, so it wasn't exactly traditional Negro blues or spiritual music. Secondly, Elvis’ version is so far removed from Big Mama Thornton's that they might as well have different titles. Her version is frightening, loaded with blue notes and anger, while Elvis' version is goofy and playful. I happen to think that her recording is better because it sounds more real, perhaps even dangerous; but that doesn't mean that Elvis should get saddled with a reputation for pilfering recordings from black artists. It was always his intention to give credit where it was due, and he never hesitated to mention the creators who were responsible for supplying his material.
"My Baby Left Me" would have fit in comfortably among Elvis' early Sun material. It has all of the classic stylings that make those songs so crucial - from the confident, exaggerated vocals to the rock-solid backing of band members Scotty Moore and Bill Black, augmented by D.J. Fontana on drums. Since none of the earlier Sun records ever hit the Top 40, there is no better example of the birth of rockabilly on the pop charts than "My Baby Left Me". It displays all of the inventiveness those remarkable Sun recordings had and should be recognized as a part of Elvis’ most innovative work.
 
|
Hit Network
More Music Reviews
More Movie Reviews
More Book Reviews
More Concert Reviews
See more hits from the 1950's
Powered by Millennium Communications Inc.