Songs you wish Elvis had recorded

[SteveDave]

If the story is true that Bowie wrote Golden Years, with an eye on Elvis to record it, that would have been something special. Would have been a very poignant note in his haunted, final Vegas years.

I can't remember what book it's in (possibly Fab Four FAQ 2) but the author is convinced that the first "Aaaaangel" in "Golden Years" is sung by John Lennon. It's quite different from the second "Aaaaangel" later in the song to his credit.

On point though, I would have liked to have heard Elvis do "Station To Station"

"Tha returrrn of tha thin white dook..."

And then doing this thing



during the "It's not the side effects of the cocaine" bit

[Custard]

Bad Moon Rising. You can just hear it, can't you

Instant Karma

Shining Light by Ash

[Jim_MacLaine]

The Smiths ASLEEP in his Sun Records period style.

Devastating.

[Tikwid]

There's a thread on alternatehistory.com (a writing forum whose remit is in the name) that focuses on the consequences of the Beach Boys actually finishing SMiLE - among the knock-on effects, prompted by increased awareness of mental and physical health within the music industry, is Elvis surviving to the 80s and releasing an interesting comeback album:

ELVIS PRESLEY - STUBBORN (1982)


Side One
I Love You (Chris White)
Dragon Attack (Brian May)
Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down (Andy Partridge)
Misirlou (Nick Roubanis)
Sympathy (Rare Bird)
Alison (Elvis Costello)

Side Two
Bogey Music (Paul McCartney)
Tempted (Glenn Tilbrook and Chris Difford)
Listen To The Band (Michael Nesmith)
Whole Wide World (Eric Goulden)
The Eagle And Me (Harold Arlen and EY Harburg)
What's So Funny 'Bout Peace, Love, And Understanding (Nick Lowe)

https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/t2580-the-beach-boys-finish-smile.487927/page-4#post-20898062

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Bad Moon Rising. You can just hear it, can't you

Oh yes, definitely. And he actually did cover Proud Mary, of course. Suits him perfectly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mj_gv-eVSfE

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

https://www.alternatehistory.com/forum/threads/t2580-the-beach-boys-finish-smile.487927/page-4#post-20898062

That's great. It really does sound plausible too. Nick Lowe producing an Elvis album? Yep, that makes sense. And Elvis, when left to his own devices, would always record songs he liked, from whatever genre, just because he liked them. So of course he'd do something by XTC if it appealed to him. 

[non capisco]

I'd never had picked it but I can absolutely hear him doing 'Dragon Attack' Elvis style.

The XTC song that springs to mind for me is 'Snowman'. I can hear him having fun with Andy Partridge's nonsense syllables in the verses.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I'd never had picked it but I can absolutely hear him doing 'Dragon Attack' Elvis style.

I listened to Dragon Attack for the very first time after reading that 'what if?' scenario, and I LOLLED out loud. As you say, a King-sized version is just so easy to imagine. And I love the idea of him going, "Nah, I'm not doing Crazy Little Thing Called Love, that's too obvious."

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

There's a thread on alternatehistory.com (a writing forum whose remit is in the name) that focuses on the consequences of the Beach Boys actually finishing SMiLE

That's such a great thread, Tikwid. I love the butterfly effect of The Monkees making, not Head, but an elaborate psychedelic multi-media project. A world without Head (stop it) is unthinkable, but this hypothetical album would've stood proudly (again, stop it) against the very best of '68.

Side One

Porpoise Song
Auntie's Municipal Court
St. Matthew
Tapioca Tundra
Daydream Believer

Side Two

Long Title: Do I Have To Do This All Over Again? Or, The Karma Blues
P.O. Box 9847
Can You Dig It
(I Prithee) Do Not Ask For Love
Circle Sky
Reprise

The only changes I'd make to that track-listing are these: on side one, put Circle Sky (live version) after Porpoise Song. On side two, Auntie's Municipal Court should be followed by Zor and Zam (get rid of Prithee) then the Porpoise Song reprise. And right there you've got yourselves a classic album.

I spend far too much time thinking about this sort of thing.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

Sleep- Dopesmoker

Thaaaaaaaank yooooou very much The Weedian!

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Elvis would sing the everloving arse/ass out of Party Hard by Pulp.

[The Mollusk]

Gonna have a non-"lol ironic" hasty stab at this:

Simply The Best

[non capisco]

Bloodbuzz Ohio by The National

Don't tell me you can't hear The King belting out the "I still owe money to the money to the money I owe" bit.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I don't think the vast majority of suggestions in this thread have been 'lol ironic'.

[non capisco]

Would he have also had a knowing stab at 'The King of Rock 'N' Roll' by Prefab Sprout?

[Brundle-Fly]

It's Raining Today - Scott Walker.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

Would he have also had a knowing stab at 'The King of Rock 'N' Roll' by Prefab Sprout?

Almost certainly.

Elvis, as we all know, was a massive Python fan. So he probably would've turned up in a Comic Relief sketch with Palin and Cleese. The sketch would be underwhelming, but y'know, worlds colliding etc.

Elvis would probably like The Office too. Fucking hell, he'd have a cameo in Extras, wouldn't he?

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

It's Raining Today - Scott Walker.

Yep. Scott was apparently a big Elvis fan. Just imagine them hooking up in the '90s for an avant-garde project. Elvis chainsawing a table while Scott croons disturbingly about Papa Doc Duvalier.

[Nice Relaxing Poo]

As a non daft answer I reckon he'd smash it out of the park on any number of Nick Cave songs.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

As a non daft answer I reckon he'd smash it out of the park on any number of Nick Cave songs.

An entire abum of Cave covers, that would be quite something.

Elvis' very own I'll Hold You in My Heart is basically the blueprint for Cave's balladeer solo career (this isn't an original observation, obviously; Cave is openly indebted to Elvis).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IhizBNp-Gow

[daf]

A whole album written and produced by Richard Hawley.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

A whole album written and produced by Richard Hawley.

I don't think Hawley would be able to cope with that. He'd explode in a puff of gas.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

He'd end up doing a duet with fucking Shaky, wouldn't he?

[Brundle-Fly]

He did that duet with Cypress Hill in '91.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fA5YKXaBEkA

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I'd forgotten about that. A difficult time for Elvis, but he bounced back two years later with that Melt Banana album. The Comic Relief single with Peter Kay was a low point, but at least it raised some money for a charitable cause.

[Pauline Walnuts]

He would have made a great ft. on Kool Keith's Black Elvis

[thecuriousorange]

Elvis would sing the everloving arse/ass out of Party Hard by Pulp Andrew WK.

[Mr Farenheit]

'Open Up And Bleed' by The Stooges

Starting off like 'Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues', then something like a slower version of the end of 'Wash My Hands in Muddy Water' for the more intense bits.

'Dear Someone' by Gillian Welch

[kalowski]

some  late Doors stuff - Love Her Madly, Riders on the Storm.

Which reminds me, Touch Me would have been perfect.
And Only the Lonely, which I believe The Big O wrote with Elvis in mind.

[Ballad of Ballard Berkley]

I think this thread has established that Elvis could've sung all of the songs, Yes, he would've made them all sound like Elvis songs, each and every one of them performed in his unique Kingly baritone, but such was the mark of the man.