The love songs of Elvis

The big news is that nearly 38 years after his death on Aug. 15, 1977, the songs of Elvis Presley continue to outsell recent recordings by the new batch of artists in the United Kingdom. The latest chart buster is Devil in Disguise, which he recorded way back in 1963. This comes on the heels of another hit single, Good Luck Charm, which is even older and was first released in 1962.

If the trend continues, we can expect these two songs to also make the charts in other countries, most notably the US of A. This was what happened to the remix of the 1968 single A Little Less Conversation by DJ Junkie XL from the Netherlands in 2002. A year later, there was an even bigger seller in the remix of the 1969 hit Rubberneckin by UK DJ Paul Oakenfold. That tune made it to No. 1 in both the US and the UK hit charts.

The timeless appeal of these tunes do testify to the public’s eternal fascination with all things Elvis. They also call attention to the fact that long before the Beatles or Motown R&B came along, Elvis created the sound of rock and roll. All well and good, but given the romantic nature of Filipinos, the Elvis recordings they prefer to listen to are the love songs. These might never be dissected or remixed the way DJs do to the others. These might never win admiration for being risky or innovative but you can bet that they will always touch the hearts of men for years and years to come.

Twenty-four of these songs are included in the new compilation Love Elvis. I grant that Elvis recorded more than 24 great love songs in his lifetime but as always, it is not possible to have everything in one package. If you want more, there was a two-CD set released a few years ago titled 50 Greatest Love Songs, which also costs more. So why buy this new CD. First off, the songs have been digitally remastered and they did a truly masterful job. The sound is just terrific. Second, there are great photos of the King of Rock and Roll on the cover like that one of him playing the piano that shows off his very handsome profile.

Then of course, although, it does not have all of the love songs, Love Elvis offers up some surprises seldom or never found in other Elvis collections. There are his always remarkable version of Unchained Melody, that sexy rendition of Peggy Lee’s Fever, a live recording of the Everly Brothers’ Let It Be Me and a never before released take of Kris Kristofferson’s For the Good Times.

And then there is the best reason of all, Elvis himself. Michael Hill says why so well in the album’s liner notes. "This collection displays Elvis Presley at his most intimate, unguarded and boyishly sincere." I heartily agree. Elvis was one of the greatest vocalists of all time and his singing is at its most heartfelt when he is doing love songs.

That is why we never get tired of Are You Lonesome Tonight. Okey, that whispered verse in the middle gets icky at times but Elvis sounds like he means every word. Just as he does in It’s Impossible, And I Love You So, Can’t Help Falling in Love, You Don’t Have to Say You Love Me, (Now and Then There’s) A Fool Such As I, The Wonder of You, Any Way You Want Me and the rest of the songs. I miss my favorite Elvis song, Suspicious Minds, but perhaps it does not qualify as a love song. It has my second favorite though, the still heart wrenching Always on My Mind.

Just a note before I leave Elvis. I want to go back to that piece about the cover in Hill’s liner notes. "The cover of this package sets the tone with a just-this-side-of-naughty image that is caught, not posed: a gorgeously youthful Elvis going playfully tongue to tongue with a local fan from Virginia." There is no such photo on the cover. There is only Elvis looking quite handsome with brooding eyes and a hint of a pout. Nice but somebody changed that tongue to tongue picture without reading the liner notes.