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Since it was founded in 1984 the fan club has donated over 400,000
euro to charities in Ireland, this makes it the leading fund
raising Elvis Presley Fan Club in the world, a record we are proud
of, you can help us in this work by supporting our fund raising
activities, if you would like to contact us
CLICK HERE
Several years ago the fan club produced the 'Elvis Hour'
Radio show for Century Radio here in Dublin. The show was
produced by club Secretary George Twamley and presented by
Joe Harrington, during the year that the show was on the air
a poll was conducted to find the top 50 favourite Elvis
songs in Ireland. Over one thousand fans voted and here are
the results, we have added a little bit of additional
information about each song.
(1)
SUSPICIOUS MINDS
Written by Mark James and first
recorded by him at American Sound Studios in 1968 his
recording (Scepter 1221) did not chart. On January 23rd.
1968 Elvis recorded the song also at American Sound Studios
using the same musicians that James had used. "Suspicious
Minds" reached number one in the US but only had a one
week stay at the top being replaced by The Fifth Dimension's
"Wedding Bell Blues"
At 4 minutes. 22
seconds "Suspicious Minds" was Elvis's longest number one
record. In the UK the song only reached the number two spot,
being kept of the top spot by Rolf Harris's "Two
Little Boys" "Suspicious Minds" is widely regarded as
one of the greatest pop songs ever recorded. In August 1987
USA Today had a telephone call-in ballot on the caller's
favorite Elvis song "Suspicious Minds won with a 30.5
percent of the vote. During the 70s Elvis featured the song
in all his live stage performances, including "Aloha From
Hawaii"
(2) JAILHOUSE ROCK
Jerry Leiber and Mike
Stoller wrote "Jailhouse Rock" for the big production number
in Elvis's 1957 movie of the same name. Recorded on April
30th. 1957 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood Jailhouse Rock
entered the US charts at number 15 three weeks later it was
number one spending seven weeks at the number one position
spending 27 weeks on the charts. The record also spent one
week in the number 1 spot in the C&W charts. In The UK
Jailhouse Rock entered the charts at number 1 the first
single in the history of the UK charts to enter at the
number 1 position. The record sold several million copies.
Take 6 was the one used on the recording of the song. Elvis
sang "Jailhouse Rock" in two of his TV Specials "Elvis" and
"Elvis In Concert"
(3) LOVE ME
TENDER
Composed by Ken Darby "Love Me Tender" was
based on the 1861 ballad "Aura Lee" written by W. Fosdick
and and George Poulton and was a favourite of the Union Army
during the American Civil War. With new words and retitled
"Army Blue" it was adopted as the class song of West
Point graduates in 1865. "Aura Lee" was sung by Francis
Farmer in the 1936 movie "Come and Get It" Elvis
recorded the song on either August 2nd or September 24th. at
Radio Recorders in Hollywood. The song was recorded for
Elvis's first film originally called "The Reno Brothers" it
was later changed to "Love Me Tender" The film version
of the song had slightly different lyrics and one extra
verse. Advanced orders for the record exceeded one million
copies the first record in history to do so. Elvis sang
"Love Me Tender" on all his three appearances on the "Ed
Sullivan Show" and on the "Louisiana Hayride" "Love Me
Tender" had a four week stay at the top of the US charts. In
the UK the song peaked at number 11.
(4) IN THE GHETTO
Written by Mac Davis "In The Ghetto" was first
offered to Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers and then to
Sammy Davis Jnr. both refused the song. The song was
then offered to Elvis who recorded it on January 21st 1969
at American Sound Studios. It enjoyed a 13 week stay in the
US charts peaking at number 3 where it stayed for 3 weeks. I
the UK charts "In The Ghetto" reached the number 2 spot. The
full title of the song is "In The Ghetto The Vicious Circle.
The song has been covered by many artists notably Dolly
Parton who had a hit with in in the C&W charts. Candi Staton
recorded it in 1972 and it reached the number 50 spot in the
US charts.
(5) THE WONDER OF YOU
Written in 1959 by Baker Knight for Perry
Como, but RCA decided to give the song to Ray Peterson
instead, his recording of the song reached number 25 in the
US charts, it was re-issued again in 1964 but could get no
higher than number 70. Elvis's version of the song was
recorded by RCA at the International Hotel, Las Vegas on
February 19th. 1970. Elvis's pianist Glen D. Hardin wrote
the arrangement. It sold over two million copies reaching
number 9 in the US. In the UK it held the number 1 spot for
a total of 6 weeks. "The Wonder Of You" was the first live
recording to reach number 1 in the UK charts.
(6) BLUE SUEDE SHOES
Written and recorded by the late Carl Perkins
in 1955. Perkins of course was a friend of Elvis at Sun
Studios in Memphis, Tennessee, and was a member of the
famous Million Dollar Quartet with Johnny Cash and Jerry Lee
Lewis. Three versions of blue suede Shoes charted in the US
Perkin's Elvis's and Boyd Bennett and His Rockets. Elvis
recorded the song on January 30th. 1956 at RCAs New York
Studios. Although the single did not chart earlier in the
year "Blue Suede Shoes" had reached number 24 in the US as
part of the EP "Elvis Presley" In the UK the song
reached the number 9 position in the charts. Elvis sang
"Blue Suede Shoes" during his screen test for Paramount
Pictures on April 1st 1956. and on the following TV
programmes "Stage Show" (February 11th. 1956 and March 17th
1956) "The Milton Berle Show" (April 3rd. 1956)
and "Aloha From Hawaii" In 1985 RCA issued a music video of
Elvis's "Blue Suede Shoes" in which Carl Perkins made a
cameo appearance.
(7) DON'T BE CRUEL
Otis Blackwell wrote "Don't Be Cruel" in 1955
and sold the publishing rights to Shalimar Music for $25.
Reportedly the song was first offered to the Four Tunes, a
group that also recorded with RCA but they turned it down.
When Elvis heard Blackwell's demo of "Don't Be Cruel" he
thought it was fantastic. To get Elvis to record the song,
Blackwell had to give 50% of his writers' royalties rights
to Elvis. That's why Elvis is listed as co-composer. Elvis
recorded the song on July 2nd. 1956 and featured the four
Jordanaires on a record for the first time. DJ.
Fontana, Scotty Moore, Bill Black and Shorty Long (pianist)
also played on the recording. Take 28 was the one released.
Entering the US charts at number 28 it soon shot to the top
spot staying there for a total of seven weeks, it also got
to the number 1 spot in the UK charts. Total sales of "Dont
Be Cruel" have been estimated at around nine million. Elvis
sang the song on "the Ed Sullivan Show" September 9th. 1956;
October 28th. 1956 and January 6th. 1957 he also sang it on
his 1977 TV Special "Elvis In Concert" he also recorded it
for the 1968 TV special but was not used.
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