What if Elvis Presley had lived until today? What would he have done with the rest of his career, and how would his death today have affected people?
The first thing I want to explain is why I picked March 24, 2020, as the date for Elvis to die after living a good, long life to the age of 85. I could have gone with his 100th birthday, January 8, 2035, or the date in the year in which he would have turned 100 that was the same one on which he died, August 16, 2035.
Here's why. There were 15,561 days between the day on which Elvis was born, January 8, 1935, and the day on which he died, August 16, 1977. And there were 15,561 days between August 16, 1977, and today, March 24, 2020. Since all of these dates were Tuesdays, the weeks between them don't include fractions: 2,223 weeks.
Enough of the math stuff. Let's speculate what Elvis would have continued to do.
Elvis would have continued making records for a very long time, maybe even up to the present time. Maybe he had a new album ready to go that would have been even more anticipated because it was now going to be his last one. At some point, his contract with RCA would have been up. Even if his sales had been in decline, he'd still likely have attracted a decent contract with a label, either RCA or another one.
He would have also continued his live performances on tours and in places like Las Vegas for a few more decades. Maybe at some point in the 2000s, an Elvis Farewell Tour would have drawn fans eager to see him one last time, as well as some first timers who wanted the chance to say that they had seen Elvis Presley perform live. Even after this tour, he may have taken up residence in Las Vegas, Branson, or some other entertainment hotspot and just done shows there.
Elvis hadn't made a movie for eight years at the time of his death. His movies were often done quickly, with thin plots. In the case of It Happened at the World's Fair, for example, what sane parent would trust their young child with a complete stranger (played by Elvis) these days? But some of his best-known hit songs came from his movies, including "Love Me Tender", "Jailhouse Rock", and "Can't Help Falling In Love". That said, it wouldn't have surprised me to have seen Elvis get back into movies with the proper but solid plot and some great songs. One person who may have made a great costar with Elvis is Dolly Parton. Dolly's own film career didn't take off until about three years after Elvis died. Her new cinematic star power may have boosted Elvis' reborn one and vice versa.
Elvis did not perform duets with other singers, unless you count his backup group the Jordanaires. Within a couple of years after his death, duets of singers who didn't normally sing together became an "in" thing. And one of the first singers to be involved in such a recording was the man sometimes called "The Jewish Elvis", Neil Diamond, when he sang "You Don't Bring Me Flowers" with Barbra Streisand, which went all the way to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Streisand continued in this vein with hit duets with artists like Donna Summer and Barry Gibb (of the BeeGees) and eventually released an album of duets. Frank Sinatra, who was as big an artist in his day as Elvis was in his, did two albums of duets in his later years. Elton John, who also is as big an artist in his day as Elvis (early birthday greetings Elton!), has done one. And Kenny Rogers, who really did die in the past week at the age of 81, had duet hits with at least four other artists, including Dolly Parton, and probably more, since I stopped following the hits of the day after around 1988. With Elvis actively recording during those years, I'm sure there would have been many artists, male and female, young and old, who would have loved to have done one or more with Elvis. Elvis duets albums, especially one of love songs or rock and roll hits, would not have been inconceivable.
In fact, some posthumous duets involving dubbing have been made, both officially and unofficially. I remember hearing a version of Linda Ronstadt and Elvis performing "Love Me Tender" on the radio not long after he died. An album of Christmas duets was released in 2008.
Elvis' late 1960s comeback started with a television special aired in November 1968. Elvis would have continued to use TV and videos to keep his career going. While he would probably not have been in regular rotation on MTV or even VH1, he would have had periodic specials, perhaps at Christmas, and direct-to-consumer releases (first on VHS, then on DVD/Blu-Ray, and finally on streaming sources).
The industry that grew up around Elvis after his death would not have happened like it did, at least not in such a large-scale manner. Graceland would still be his home, so it would not have been the tourist attraction that it is today. Sun Studios, where Elvis recorded his early hits, is also a tourist attraction in Memphis. In fact, when I was in Memphis when I should have been home watching the start of the 2008 World Series, I toured Sun Studios but not Graceland. Since it had not been in use for a long time, and it is also famous for early recording sessions by singers such as Johnny Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, and Roy Orbison, this would have still been a tourist stop in Memphis even with Elvis still alive and living there.
There would still be Elvis imitators and tribute acts. You only have to look as far to see that Neil Diamond, who is still alive and was performing live as recently as 2017, who has spawned a good number of such acts through the past 25 or 30 years. Elvis would have done the same.
I don't want to speculate on Elvis' personal life. At the time of his death, his girlfriend was Ginger Alden. Maybe they eventually married, maybe they didn't, and if they did, were they still together? I don't think he would have been too happy when his daughter Lisa Marie married Michael Jackson and would have been relieved when they split.
As for cause of death, I'm going to say that it was not that thing that's going around. He would have likely been reclusive at the end and would not have been exposed to it. More likely, the cause would have been a longer term illness or medical condition, such as dementia, cancer, or heart disease. Because of that thing going around, he would have had a quiet burial at Graceland next to both of his parents, with fan gatherings happening later.
Showing posts with label Neil Diamond. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Neil Diamond. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 24, 2020
Friday, March 13, 2020
Happy Birthday, Neil Sedaka!
He's only my second favorite singer named Neil who graduated from Abraham Lincoln High School in Brooklyn. But Neil Sedaka, born on March 13, 1939 (not a Friday, but a Monday), has written and sung a lot of great songs. He is another one who should be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, if not as a performer, then as a songwriter.
His best-known song is probably "Breaking Up is Hard to Do":
Another of his hits, "Oh! Carol", was written for his friend Carole King, who also became a famous songwriter and singer:
Carole then sang an answer song, "Oh, Neil":
When the British Invasion and other new music styles came along starting in the mid-1960s, Sedaka went through a period in which he didn't have any U.S. hits. But in 1974, with the help of Elton John, he began having hits again. The first one was "Laughter in the Rain":
Neil Sedaka's main songwriting partner in the early part of his career was Howard Greenfield. Later, he wrote songs with Phil Cody. Other artists also had hits with songs he wrote. The second best known one is likely "Where the Boys Are" by Connie Francis, written with Greenfield:
The best known one is likely "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain and Tennille, also written with Greenfield:
Finally, a birthday song, in which both Neils from Abraham Lincoln High School, Sedaka and Diamond, sing one of Sedaka's hits, "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen":
Happy birthday, sweet 81, Neil Sedaka!
His best-known song is probably "Breaking Up is Hard to Do":
Another of his hits, "Oh! Carol", was written for his friend Carole King, who also became a famous songwriter and singer:
Carole then sang an answer song, "Oh, Neil":
When the British Invasion and other new music styles came along starting in the mid-1960s, Sedaka went through a period in which he didn't have any U.S. hits. But in 1974, with the help of Elton John, he began having hits again. The first one was "Laughter in the Rain":
Neil Sedaka's main songwriting partner in the early part of his career was Howard Greenfield. Later, he wrote songs with Phil Cody. Other artists also had hits with songs he wrote. The second best known one is likely "Where the Boys Are" by Connie Francis, written with Greenfield:
The best known one is likely "Love Will Keep Us Together" by The Captain and Tennille, also written with Greenfield:
Finally, a birthday song, in which both Neils from Abraham Lincoln High School, Sedaka and Diamond, sing one of Sedaka's hits, "Happy Birthday, Sweet Sixteen":
Happy birthday, sweet 81, Neil Sedaka!
Monday, March 9, 2020
Happy Birthday, Mark Lindsay!
Mark Lindsay was the lead singer of the rock band Paul Revere and the Raiders, who had a lot of hit records in the late 1960s and early 1970s. Their music often featured a hard rocking beat, but sometimes they sang softer songs.
The Raiders are a group that needs to be in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, but they're not. Like the Monkees, they may have been denied this honor because, in their prime, they appealed to an early and pre-teen audience. Mark in particular appealed to girls. I've felt for several years that there is some sexism involved with Rock Hall of Fame selection, not so much the artists (although I think there is some there, too) but with artists that primarily appealed to female fans being ignored in the voting.
The Raiders' earliest hits were usually covers or remakes of other artists' songs or ones written by notable songwriters of the time such as Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil. Mann and Weil wrote one of their best-known hits, "Kicks":
Another song they did around this time was one written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart that was also recorded by the Monkees, "I'm Not Your Stepping Stone":
Later, Mark Lindsay and group leader and keyboard player Paul Revere began writing most of their songs. Sometimes record producer Terry Melcher (Doris Day's son) collaborated in the songwriting. Here is one of the Lindsay-Melcher songs, "Him or Me - What's It Gonna Be":
Starting in 1969, Mark Lindsay made some solo recordings while remaining a member of the Raiders. The biggest hit among these was "Arizona":
A lesser-known one was "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind", a song that Elvis Presley also recorded, as well as the guy who wrote it, Neil Diamond:
Finally, in 1971, the Raiders had their biggest hit record, "Indian Reservation (The Lament of the Cherokee Reservation Indian)". It was their only single to go to #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. By the 1970s, the Raiders were doing a lot of songs by outside songwriters again. This one was written by John D. Loudermilk. I will probably do a blog post about his songs one of these days because I think he was underappreciated.
Sunday, March 8, 2020
Neil Diamond Singing "I'm a Believer"
As you have read or can read in my other blog post today, Neil Diamond wrote the Monkees' hit record "I'm a Believer". He has also recorded his own version of this song multiple times.
His first version of this song was practically a duplication of the Monkees' hit, possibly even a fleshing-out of his demo version of the song. It was first released on his 1967 album Just for You and has appeared on multiple compilation albums from him since then.
He then recorded a new version with an updated arrangement and some new lyrics that was released on his 1980 album September Morn.
Most recently, he released a slow version on his 2010 album Dreams.
During his 2012 concert tour, he sang both the slow version and the traditional uptempo one back-to-back.
The Monkees recorded three other songs that Neil Diamond wrote. Davy Jones sang lead on the other three, "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You", "(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow", and "Love To Love". I have seen Micky Dolenz perform "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" in concert; he has also done other songs that originally featured another Monkee singing lead. Of these three, Neil has only recorded "Love to Love". It was on his first album, The Feel of Neil Diamond, released in 1966, and was never available on CD until the 2011 release, The Bang Masters: 1966-1968. He performed "(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow" during his 2005 concert tour and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" in some late 1960s shows in places such as New York City's Bitter End.
His first version of this song was practically a duplication of the Monkees' hit, possibly even a fleshing-out of his demo version of the song. It was first released on his 1967 album Just for You and has appeared on multiple compilation albums from him since then.
He then recorded a new version with an updated arrangement and some new lyrics that was released on his 1980 album September Morn.
Most recently, he released a slow version on his 2010 album Dreams.
During his 2012 concert tour, he sang both the slow version and the traditional uptempo one back-to-back.
The Monkees recorded three other songs that Neil Diamond wrote. Davy Jones sang lead on the other three, "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You", "(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow", and "Love To Love". I have seen Micky Dolenz perform "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" in concert; he has also done other songs that originally featured another Monkee singing lead. Of these three, Neil has only recorded "Love to Love". It was on his first album, The Feel of Neil Diamond, released in 1966, and was never available on CD until the 2011 release, The Bang Masters: 1966-1968. He performed "(Look Out) Here Comes Tomorrow" during his 2005 concert tour and "A Little Bit Me, A Little Bit You" in some late 1960s shows in places such as New York City's Bitter End.
Happy Birthday, Micky Dolenz!
Last week, I posted on the anniversary of Monkee Davy Jones' death. Today, let's observe the birthday of fellow Monkee Micky Dolenz, who is one of the two surviving Monkees (along with Michael Nesmith, following the death last year of Peter Tork).
Micky Dolenz was born George Michael Dolenz, Jr., in Los Angeles on March 8, 1945. He had a career as a child actor in the 1950s, starring in a show called Circus Boy. My mother told me that I watched this show, but I don't remember it. I was only 4 and 5 years old at the time. Dolenz' stage name at the time was Micky Braddock. By the time he tried out for the Monkees almost ten years later, he had gone back to the Dolenz name.
Micky sang lead on the Monkees' first two hit records, "Last Train to Clarksville", written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and "I'm a Believer", written by Neil Diamond. Boyce and Hart wrote a whole bunch of songs that the Monkees recorded, including the theme song to their T.V. show. On the show, he appeared as the band's drummer. When the group members won the right to play their own instruments, he continued as such, even though his initial desire was to be a guitarist.
In the late 1960s, the Monkees were not highly regarded by many of the people who wrote about rock music. I think that this was partly due to their fanbase at the time mainly being female and in their early or pre-teens. But about twenty years later, they were finally recognized as being early examples of music videos and reality TV, even though their shows were scripted. Many of their songs have become classics, including both of their "Believer" songs, the other one being "Daydream Believer", on which Davy Jones sang lead. Many have been covered by other artists over the years. "I'm a Believer" has been featured in at least two movies. The Monkees' original version was in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. A remake by Smash Mouth and a partial performance of the song by Eddie Murphy's donkey character were highlights of the 2001 motion picture Shrek.
In recent years, Micky has done a lot of touring, sometimes as part of Monkees reunions, sometimes own his own, and sometimes as part of package tours, such as the Happy Together tour. In his solo and package tour shows, his finale has been "I'm a Believer". He introduces it by telling the younger audience members that he, "did it before Shrek."
But the Monkees are still not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Has their early bad press remained to haunt them?
Here are some of his most memorable Monkees songs:
"Last Train to Clarksville":
"(I'm not Your) Steppin' Stone", written by Boyce and Hart, which was the B-side of "I'm a Believer" but was also a hit record:
A solo version of "I'm a Believer" from the 21st century:
Neil Diamond has done his own version of this song. In fact, he has recorded it in three different styles. Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart had a brief period of recording success in the late 1960s building upon their work with the Monkees. Following that, the two of them toured with Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart.
Micky Dolenz was born George Michael Dolenz, Jr., in Los Angeles on March 8, 1945. He had a career as a child actor in the 1950s, starring in a show called Circus Boy. My mother told me that I watched this show, but I don't remember it. I was only 4 and 5 years old at the time. Dolenz' stage name at the time was Micky Braddock. By the time he tried out for the Monkees almost ten years later, he had gone back to the Dolenz name.
Micky sang lead on the Monkees' first two hit records, "Last Train to Clarksville", written by Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart, and "I'm a Believer", written by Neil Diamond. Boyce and Hart wrote a whole bunch of songs that the Monkees recorded, including the theme song to their T.V. show. On the show, he appeared as the band's drummer. When the group members won the right to play their own instruments, he continued as such, even though his initial desire was to be a guitarist.
In the late 1960s, the Monkees were not highly regarded by many of the people who wrote about rock music. I think that this was partly due to their fanbase at the time mainly being female and in their early or pre-teens. But about twenty years later, they were finally recognized as being early examples of music videos and reality TV, even though their shows were scripted. Many of their songs have become classics, including both of their "Believer" songs, the other one being "Daydream Believer", on which Davy Jones sang lead. Many have been covered by other artists over the years. "I'm a Believer" has been featured in at least two movies. The Monkees' original version was in the 1999 film Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me. A remake by Smash Mouth and a partial performance of the song by Eddie Murphy's donkey character were highlights of the 2001 motion picture Shrek.
In recent years, Micky has done a lot of touring, sometimes as part of Monkees reunions, sometimes own his own, and sometimes as part of package tours, such as the Happy Together tour. In his solo and package tour shows, his finale has been "I'm a Believer". He introduces it by telling the younger audience members that he, "did it before Shrek."
But the Monkees are still not in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Has their early bad press remained to haunt them?
Here are some of his most memorable Monkees songs:
"Last Train to Clarksville":
"(I'm not Your) Steppin' Stone", written by Boyce and Hart, which was the B-side of "I'm a Believer" but was also a hit record:
A solo version of "I'm a Believer" from the 21st century:
Neil Diamond has done his own version of this song. In fact, he has recorded it in three different styles. Tommy Boyce and Bobby Hart had a brief period of recording success in the late 1960s building upon their work with the Monkees. Following that, the two of them toured with Davy Jones and Micky Dolenz as Dolenz, Jones, Boyce & Hart.
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