Did the Beatles ever cover an Elvis song?

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

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  1. deany76

    deany76 Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Wales, UK
    Jesse, Elvis's twin brother, was Elvis's driving force and unprecedented success.

    I'd be be asking Jesse myself, Elvis did it for Jesse.
     
  2. Wiserforthetime

    Wiserforthetime Forum Resident

    Ringo's "don't be cruel" was a b-side to the "Weight of the world" single and also a bonus track on the Japanese "Time takes time" album.
     
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  3. Haristar

    Haristar Apollo C. Vermouth Thread Starter

    Location:
    Hampshire, UK
    George wrote a song that was essentially a rewrite of that same Elvis song.

    What is it with Beatles and that song?
     
  4. Chazzbo13

    Chazzbo13 Forum Resident

  5. Bullis

    Bullis Forum Resident

    Location:
    Niagara County
    Great version
     
  6. coniferouspine

    coniferouspine Forum Resident

    It's not just the Beatles. That's the same song that Jimmy Page says inspired him to pick up the guitar. Hugely influential. 1955.
     
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  7. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    Elvis's influence is all over the "Get Back" sessions.

    "All Shook Up" (right after a tea break - hence "I'm sippin' like a man on a cup of tea")
    "Don't Be Cruel"
    "That's Alright Mama"

    ... just to name a few.

    There are brief references to "I Got Stung" and "It's Now or Never" (again to just name a few).

    And despite the songs being covered by many artists, Elvis may the influential source for "Shake, Rattle and Roll" and "Rip It Up".

    Paul was always up for "Doing Elvis", and can be seen doing so in the "Let It Be" film during the fast "Two of Us".
     
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  8. klaatuhf

    klaatuhf Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sydney, Australia
    Haristar, I'm very curious (and not being nasty), do you not own any of the essential Beatle books that commonly answer many of your questions including this one which is common knowledge amongst most Beatles fans (as their replies have shown)? The answers you seek are also all easily available elsewhere on the web too.
    The essential Lewishon bible "The Beatles Live" gives an indepth listing of the majority of songs the Beatles played live throughout their career (including 1955 - 1962). I suggest you find a copy along with all other Lewishon books and anything by Chip Madinger as well as these are all essential to any sort of Beatles fan who is as curious as you seem to be. :)
    The fun thing about being a Beatles fan/collector is discovering all this information by yourself or it was back in my day.. the fun was in the chase. Maybe these days everyone's too lazy to do any sort of leg work apart from asking a question on a forum? I wonder how the youth of today would survive without the net and have to rely on "snail mail" to receive the info that is nowadays at the end of your fingertips. Back before the internet I had to wait almost 3 months to receive Beatle mags/fanzines to find out the latest Beatle news which was already 3 months old so I'd find out 6 months later that Wings had toured Europe or had appeared on TV somewhere etc or that a UK only single had been released! Ah the good old days! Kids today have it far too easy LOL.
     
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  9. egebamyasi

    egebamyasi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Worcester, MA
    Even though I've read about and listened to The Beatles for forty plus years only the McCartney covers immediately came to mind. Now go read a book!
     
  10. RayS

    RayS A Little Bit Older and a Little Bit Slower

    Location:
    Out of My Element
    You can learn from books!
     
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  11. Darrin L.

    Darrin L. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Golden, CO
    What are "books"? :shrug:
     
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  12. George C.

    George C. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Littleton, CO
    The closest is probably this...which he co-wrote

     
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  13. George C.

    George C. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Littleton, CO
    Paul McCartney singing "Heartbreak Hotel" while playing the original Elvis Presley/Bill Black bass:



    Paul McCartney: "Elvis is truly a great vocalist. And you can hear why on this song. His phrasing, his use of echo, it's all so beautiful. It's the way he sings it too. As if he's singing it from the depths of Hell. It's a perfect example of a singer being in command of the song. Musically, it's perfect too. The double-bass and the walk-in piano create this incredibly haunting atmosphere. When The Beatles were recording, we'd often ask George Martin for "the Elvis echo." I think we got it down perfectly on "A Day in the Life." I love Elvis so much that for me to choose a favorite would be like singling out one of Picasso's paintings. I have my days when I'll only listen to early Elvis and, when I do that, I'll be telling myself that nothing comes close to him in terms of brilliance. That's when I covered "All Shook Up" for my Run Devil Run album. There's a lot of emotion involved in revisiting songs that have formed you. Something like "All Shook Up" has so many great emotions attached to it. That stuff doesn't go away. Whenever I listen to Fifties Elvis, I'm blown away every time. I doubt very much if the Beatles would have happened if it was not for Elvis. God bless you Elvis. I still love him, particularly in his early period. He was very influential on me."
     
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  14. Darrin L.

    Darrin L. Forum Resident

    Location:
    Golden, CO
    And this one, which he also wrote with his bodyuard, Red West...

    That Someone You Never Forget - Elvis Presley:
     
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  15. Mal

    Mal Phorum Physicist

    [​IMG]

    :D
     
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  16. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

  17. action pact

    action pact Music Omnivore

  18. mrjinks

    mrjinks Optimistically Challenged

    Location:
    Boise, ID.
    Obviously this is more Carl than Elvis, but it's certainly a song associated with both.

    Go to about 3+ min in to hear George sing some lead:
     
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  19. egebamyasi

    egebamyasi Forum Resident

    Location:
    Worcester, MA
     
  20. booker

    booker Forum Resident

    Location:
    Poland
    It is a tough one because Elvis was the performer not the writer and for some songs it is difficult to say what The Beatles were influenced by: Elvis or the other artist like Carl Perkins, Chuck Berry, Little Richard versions. From Get Back sessions we have some of these like Blue Suede Shoes, Lawdy Miss Clawdy, Shake Rattle & Roll, Rip It Up.
     
  21. Digital-G

    Digital-G Senior Member

    Location:
    Dayton, OH
    John did a version of Blue Suede Shoes on the Live Peace in Toronto album. Unless he was doing a Carl Perkins cover (which is entirely possible).
     
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  22. The Killer

    The Killer Dung Heap Rooster

    Location:
    The Cotswolds
    Mrs Killer was there at that session, I'm so jealous, still!
     
  23. groundharp

    groundharp Maybe your friends think I'm just a stranger

    Location:
    California Day
    Here's Paul McCartney doing It's Now Or Never:
     
  24. JoeF.

    JoeF. Forum Resident

    Location:
    New Jersey, USA
    He is "credited" ( wink, wink) with a few co-writes including "All Shook Up", "Don't Be Cruel" and "Love Me Tender." I doubt he did little more that improvise or riff on a particular song and was given courtesy credit--which helped him gain royalties ( of which "The Colonel" got a generous cut, natch).
     
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  25. groundharp

    groundharp Maybe your friends think I'm just a stranger

    Location:
    California Day
    But McCartney had performed that song before, so to answer the OP's question... yes, The Beatles did cover an Elvis song.

    "The Beatles improvised a parody of Elvis Presley's It's Now Or Never, which was never seen by television viewers."
     
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