Almost no one sings like Elvis anymore

[s1m0n]

I’m reading a piece in Rollling stone, where they chart what they claim to be 100 best singers, [yadda yadda]. The list is the boring part; the interesting part is that they get singers from the list to write about other singers. Below is from Bono on Dylan, but Jackson Browne’s interesting talking John Lennon, and Robert plant about Elvis.

@Bono

Almost no one sings like Elvis Presley anymore. Hundreds try to sing like Dylan. When Sam Cooke played Dylan for the young Bobby Womack, Womack said he didn’t understand it. Cooke explained that from now on, it’s not going to be about how pretty the voice is. It’s going to be about believing that the voice is telling the truth.

Iggy Pop on James Brown:

@Iggy Pop

He was a terrific editor. The one that flipped me out — I still remember being in the car, hearing it — is “I Can’t Stand It.” He was down to fck the chorus, fck the melody. This is barely a riff. But he pushes the group along like the coxswain on a Roman galley: Stroke, motherf*cker, uh!

[brianormond]

-Its true Elvis’ crooning sonority is out of style, but some hits go on forever. I’m working
on a medium-slow & mellow old-time style banjo version of “I can’t help falling in love with you”. Nobody will mistake it for the original but a certain person will hear it and associate the melody with Elvis’ rendition. The rest? Bob’s yer uncle.

[Flyingcursor]

@brianormond

-Its true Elvis’ crooning sonority is out of style, but some hits go on forever. I’m working
on a medium-slow & mellow old-time style banjo version of “I can’t help falling in love with you”. Nobody will mistake it for the original but a certain person will hear it and associate the melody with Elvis’ rendition. The rest? Bob’s yer uncle.

I’d like to hear that.

[chas]

@brianormond

-Its true Elvis’ crooning sonority is out of style, but some hits go on forever. I’m working
on a medium-slow & mellow old-time style banjo version of “I can’t help falling in love with you”. Nobody will mistake it for the original but a certain person will hear it and associate the melody with Elvis’ rendition. The rest? Bob’s yer uncle.

The melody goes way back before Elvis – definitely old-time, although not in the sense that you mean. It’s from a song called “Plaisir d’amour,” I first heard it sung by Joan Baez, but have heard many others sing it since.

[brianormond]

Thanks on its history, Charlie-I’ll check it out. Its a nice melody.

• Elvis’ voice is a more potent attractor than a banjo on average.

[djm]

@chas

but have heard many others sing it since.

banana moose curry

djm

[Congratulations]

I love that Iggy quote about James Brown.