This should be one of the most difficult assignments ever, but somehow I did this one relatively easily. Having said that I would expect there to be hundreds of dissenters with their own three picks since he had so many great recordings. Anyway, here goes…
My first pick is Suspicious Mind. Elvis demonstrates his vocal talent and super showmanship with this piece of work. This song also adds in the haunting sounds from the backup singers. This is clearly an Elvis classic.
My second pick is The Wonder of You. Enjoy this video, note the smirk, note the smile, note the voice… There’s only one KING and Elvis is HE!
I am cheating a little with my third pick. I am going with If I Can Dream. HOWEVER, I want to use the video from AMERICAN IDOL that features a duet with Elvis and Celine. I love the use of technology to accomplish this video and the outcome is simply spectacular. Suspend you disbelief and just enjoy the experience.
HERE’S TO THE KING… THE ONE AND ONLY KING!
Since it is Christmas time, here’s a present for you. What could be more fun than this??? Watch Elvis sing with Martina.
One on my favorite treats is to discover some new (old) music from Roy that I really enjoy. Over the years I have captured five (5) such treasures and I would like to share them with you right here…
First is, “DREAM”, not In Dreams! This version was made famous by the movie “You’ve Got Mail”. Terrific song, enhanced by Roy’s perfect voice. ENJOY
Next up is “Hey There Pretty One”, not Pretty Woman! Another mystery why this song wasn’t a hit… maybe Roy needed a different manager back then! Have fun…
Another mystery mis-hit is “Here Comes That Song Again”. You’ll be singing along with this one shortly…
Roy covered this song, “Cry”, not Crying and could have sold a million as a single. Here’s his take…
Finally, I need to thank Carol, who hosts us on her Roy Orbison Group on Facebook, and her followers for recently introducing me to “Lonely Wine”. When I heard it, I knew it was ‘classic Roy’ and could have stood on its own in its day. Here’s my newest old favorite…
I hope you enjoy these as much as I do, which may be be tough to do!
During the summer of 2018, I was fortunate enough to attend the Happy Together Tour, starring The Turtles and featuring The Association, among others.
I mention The Association because they stole the show. The vocal talents of Terry Kirkman and Larry Ramos were unmatched during the 60’s and 70’s and have not diminished since.
The entire audience knew all the lyrics and calmly sang along to their beautiful ballads. If you look up ‘soft rock’ in the dictionary, surely this group’s picture would appear!
My 3rd Pick from The Association is Everything That Touches You. Enjoy the harmonies during this song. My eighth-grade experience was made better by this group and this song – slow-dancing was nerve-wracking but, in the end, worth it.
My 2nd Pick is this group’s biggest hit, Cherish (Is the Word). A simple love song of longing for the unobtainable, the use of chimes lending it an ethereal feel. The word ‘cherish’ is a beautiful term of endearment and the song Cherish lives up to that description.
My Number 1 Association Pick is Never My Love. This song was the second most played song during the 20th century! The studio band behind this song was The Wrecking Crew. Do yourself a favor… go see the documentary on Amazon Video called The Wrecking Crew. (I just gave you the hint of the year! Don’t miss this.)
Meanwhile, Never My Love was recorded by 16 different artists within a few years of its release. Everyone, including The Association, knew it was an easy hit.
The Association is touring and the details are available here…
https://www.songkick.com/artists/249286-association
The better the performer(s), the tougher the challenge to PICK 3! That is the case with the Everly Brothers. Don and Phil teamed up for so many hits starting in the late 50’s with Bye Bye Love (1957) and leading to On the Wings Of A Nightingale in 1984, which was a song written by Paul McCartney. Who can forget Cathy’s Clown and All I Got To Do Is Dream among many others?
Paul Simon, who was influenced by their music and a huge fan said: “… they witnessed and were part of the birth of rock and roll.” John Lennon and Paul McCartney were influenced by these guys and referred to themselves as “the English Everly Brothers”. In fact, for Please Please Me they based the vocal arrangement on Cathy’s Clown.
The brothers were inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986. Along the way, they had their issues, but still produced some of the very best music for 50 plus years. Phil died in 2014 from lung disease and Don has retired to a quieter life.
My number 3 pick is Walk Right Back… I love how you know the song right from the very first note, then their harmonies take over. My favorite part of the song is the change of tempo halfway through the song. I love the line…”Bring your love to me, don’t send it.” Very cool lyrics. I am sure you’ll enjoy this golden oldie…
My number 2 pick is Let it be Me. The opening line says… “I bless the day I found you.” What more can you say? This is a love song of the highest order. This was the song that The Everly Brothers usually used to close their shows, except for their very last show when they closed their very last performance with Sam Cooke’s You Send Me. The rendition I attached here really shows the emotion that they intended us to experience. This from their show in Melbourne, Australia. Enjoy!
As difficult as it was to pick 3 from The Everly Brothers, picking number 1 was easy! No doubt about it… Crying in the Rain. One of my TOP 10 of All Time! My only complaint is that it is too short, so whenever I put it into a playlist I need to enter it twice, back to back!
You will love the version that I offer here since it was from the Ed Sullivan Show when the guys were in their marine uniforms. The vocals in this recording might be overlaid from the actual recording because it sounds every bit as good.
