Did the Beatles ever cover an Elvis song?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by Haristar, Jul 16, 2017.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    Elvis Presley has often been stated as being the single biggest influence on the Beatles.

    But I find it interesting that, as far as I can recall, the Beatles never covered a song that had been made famous by Elvis.

    So I have three questions regarding this:

    1. Did the Beatles ever perform an Elvis song live?
    2. Has a Beatle ever performed an Elvis song in their solo career?
    3. If the answers to the first two questions are no, then why do you think that is?
     
    Mr. Explorer likes this.
  2. gja586

    gja586 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Gogledd Cymru
    The Beatles and Elvis both performed Memphis Tennessee and Long Tall Sally, which were, of course, Chuck Berry and Little Richard songs and so don't really count. :)
     
    Dark Mavis likes this.
  3. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan

    I think there's an Elvis song on Beatles BBC 1 That's alright Mama.

    Mccartney did a couple on Run Devil Run, All Shook Up for one, which he did great.

    Lennon did Hound Dog in 72
    I think Ringo did one, um... With Jeff Lynne ? Don't Be Cruel ?
     
  4. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    Stu Sutcliffe sang Love Me Tender at the Star Club
     
  5. OobuJoobu

    OobuJoobu Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    McCartney has released versions of All Shook Up (on Run Devil Run), That's All Right Mama and Just Because (on Choba B CCCP) and It's Now Or Never (on The Last Temptation Of Elvis Compilation).

    There may be more but I'm just going from memory here.
     
    Iceman08, Lewisboogie and Haristar like this.
  6. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    I'm going to sit right down and cry over you and I forgot to Remember to Forget are both on Live at the BBC
     
  7. christian42

    christian42 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Lund, Sweden
    And John did "Ready Teddy" and "My Baby Left Me" on Rock 'n' Roll.
     
    deany76 likes this.
  8. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You"

    "I Got A Woman"

    "I Forgot To Remember To Forget"

    Regardless of who wrote or released these before Elvis, I think The Beatles were covering his versions.
     
  9. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    Interesting - I wasn't aware the Beatles had covered Elvis songs.

    As for Paul, I should have remembered All Shook Up but the others are either new to me or I have long forgotten about them.
     
    deany76 likes this.
  10. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    Given the extremely long sets The Beatles were required to play in Hambourg, it is highly probable that they included some of Elvis' songs to pad-out their set. Unfortunately, we only have the Live at The Star Club tapes to document a small part of their setlist.
     
  11. opaltotem

    opaltotem Forum Resident

    They also did an impromptu version of 'It's Now or Never' prior to taping 'Hey Jude'...
     
  12. qwerty

    qwerty A resident of the SH_Forums.

    I have a recollection that The Beatles may have played some Elvis during the filming of Let It Be, on the Nagra tapes. I have a strong recollection of Lennon doing a brief parody of Elvis, probably from those recording sessions (even if they didn't do a full song).
     
    deany76 and johnny moondog 909 like this.
  13. JozefK

    JozefK Forum Resident

    Location:
    Dixie
    [​IMG]
     
    D.B., When In Rome, Bern and 8 others like this.
  14. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan

    MCartney did a version of Now or Never for a charity project or Elvis tribute, whatever it was , can't remember say between 1995-2005 somewhere in there.

    I looked up Ringo's Don't Be Cruel, it said that is a Time Takes Time outtake, which I'm not sure if it was ever released as a bonus track.

    Lennon I believe did a live in the studio Don't Be Cruel with Elephants Memory in 1972 as part of a medley with Hound Dog.
     
    DmitriKaramazov, deany76 and Haristar like this.
  15. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    Good Rockin' Tonight
     
    deany76 and qwerty like this.
  16. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    How about George?
     
  17. MikeP5877

    MikeP5877 V/VIII/MCMLXXVII

    Location:
    OH
    Paul also did "I Got Stung" on Run Devil Run.
     
    Bullis and Haristar like this.
  18. johnny moondog 909

    johnny moondog 909 Beatles-Lennon & Classic rock fan

    What about the Threetles Friar Park jam, 1994-or 95, they did Blue Moon of Kentucky, a Bill Monroe song, but didn't Elvis have a hit with that ? Before my time sorry. George sings the harmony on 95 version
     
  19. OobuJoobu

    OobuJoobu Forum Resident

    Location:
    Yorkshire, UK
    Just to add to that, when Paul did Blue Moon Of Kentucky in his Unplugged concert, he introduced it by saying "The record I had was by Bill Monroe". He started it in that style and then switched it part way through to an Elvis style, so in that instance he played a song both as an Elvis cover and a non-Elvis cover!
     
  20. nikh33

    nikh33 Senior Member

    Location:
    Liverpool, England
    The Beatles used to do 'Wooden Heart' in Hamburg (with it's German language verse). Stu did it originally but Paul took over later.
     
    Iceman08, Mal, Haristar and 1 other person like this.
  21. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    That's a nice fact. I wonder what Stu's singing sounded like? Also it's funny they sang the German verse.
     
  22. Darrin L.

    Darrin L. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Golden, CO
    Live at Sun Studio...

    Paul McCartney with Elvis Presley Band in Memphis…:
     
    artfromtex, willy, supermd and 4 others like this.
  23. jazz8588

    jazz8588 Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sandbach, England
    Slightly off topic but the Quarrymen were playing Baby Let's Play House on the 6th July 1957 when John met Paul. Elvis covered this song in 1954
     
  24. Hey Vinyl Man

    Hey Vinyl Man Another bloody Yank down under...

    "Run For Your Life" borrowed heavily from "Baby Let's Play House". That's probably the closest they came to an Elvis cover in their canonical catalog.
     
    905 and jazz8588 like this.
  25. Purple Jim

    Purple Jim Senior Member

    Location:
    Bretagne
    Did Elvis ever a write a song?
     
    andrewskyDE likes this.
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine