"Suspicion"..was this the song that got away from Elvis?

Terry Stafford,after Elvis turned down his tune "Suspicion",recorded it himself in the style of Mr. Presley..VOILA! #1! Which begs the question:Was this "The One that Got Away"? And what about "Wooden Heart"? Another Woulda,Coulda,Shoulda,but wasn't,didn't and never got a honest break!

 

Elvis recorded "Suspicion" two years before Terry Stafford. It was on his 1962 album Pot Luck.

And "Wooden Heart" was #1 in Germany

 

But they weren't single releases until the other artists had their own,Terry's in 1963 and Joe Donnell with "Wooden Heart,AKA Muss I Denn" in 1965...Elvis' version had the blurb "By Popular Demand" after Donnell had the hit in the US,and was issued afterwards.

 

Elvis' version of Wooden Heart was first issued on a 45 in November 1964, as the b-side to Blue Christmas (the "by popular request" on the sleeve refers to Blue Christmas). It was released again as the b-side to Puppet on a String in October 1965. I don't think it was ever released as an a-side in the US. It probably would have been a hit if it had been released as a US single in 1960, given the fact it hit #1 in several other countries worldwide. But I for one am glad it wasn't... it's a silly, cheesey song and Elvis' version is nothing special. It's not like he was hurting for hits in 1960.

 

Regarding Suspicion, it was definitely worthy of single release in 1962. But I think the primary policy at that time was to release singles that were not on albums. It was during the years Elvis only recorded soundtrack songs that "deep album cuts" became singles and were poached, at least for the movie Tickle Me.

 

Gotta say that the Terry Stafford version is a better record. "Wooden Heart" was schlock no matter who did it.

 

Ditto ...

 

I always loved the Bonzo Dog Band version best...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PIwXtOq7WKQ

Wasn't Elvis supposed to have recorded "Don't Pull Your Love Out On Me, Baby" (Hamilton, Joe Frank & Reynolds tune?)

 

Ditto again ...

 

I agree with that. Elvis' version was a great demo to use for creating a tighter arrangement and a way better re-make. Lose those Maynard G Crebbs bongos El.

I learn more about the later single all the time. Unless history has been completely rewritten, Bob Summers (brother in law or something to Les Paul) did the entire Stafford backing track himself. Engineered it too. Which being related to LP, he must've had much better tape machine technique than many on the planet that year.

Played all the instruments himself, including the cool little overdubbed Farfisa part, even using a volume pedal on the two parts.... did any of you use a volume pedal on Farfisas in the 60s? I didn't .... Bob Summers must've been (or maybe still is) a regular old Todd Rundgren of his day.

Now that I think about it, Brenton Wood's Gimme A Little sign is about the only other Farfisa sound I've ever liked on a record.

 

Dowell.

 

I always thought Elvis sang Suspicion when I would hear it on the radio.

 

Also The Girl Of My Best Friend by Ral Donner is much better then Elvis's original version.

 

Ditto on that one also ...

 

Terry Stafford's "Suspicion" is a great car radio song.

Tom Petty liked "Wooden Heart" enough to cover it many years later.

 

The "By Popular Request" refers to a series of re-issue singles released on the "447-", "Gold Standard Series" which included picture sleeves.

 

The entire album is excellent as well and it has been on CD for many years by Collectables.

 

OK, so has it ever been determined just what that weird instrument is on this record? You know, the buzzing keyboard sorta thing that sounds like a pedal steel from outer space in the 2nd verse?
I have googled, and I see a few suggestions: Farfisa, reed organ, ondioline, etc. I even saw a comment from the guy who produced the record saying that they put a paper bag over the leslie speaker of the organ. . .What to believe?

 

Elvis owns Suspicion. The other guy just sounds like a guy trying to emulate Elvis.

 

If you say so...

 

Where the heck did that Bonzo version come from?? I've never heard that before and only see it on compilations and as a bonus track on Let's Make Up and Be Friendly. Was this released on a single or something?

Those who love this version of "Suspicion" and have a taste for the avant-garde should check out Holger Czukay's "Ode to Perfume". Holger shoves part of this song at the beginning of his own, and it really works in a very strange way. I had never heard the song before and figured it was something obscure I'd never hear again, but I darn near keeled over when I heard the full "Suspicion" playing on the radio one day.

 

Originally on the Bonzos' 1972 album Let's Make Up and Be Friendly.
Subsequently on a number of group collections, like History.
Those guys were unparalleled!

 

Ah yes - the "do I or don't I" conundrum in compiling an Elvis singles A/B playlist.

 

No - because he didn't turn it down?