You Don't Have To Say You Love Me (1966) (1970)

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By: Dusty Springfield (born Mary Isabel Catherine Bernadette O'Brien April 16, 1939 in London, England, died of breast cancer March 2, 1999.)

Dusty Springfield was one of the most successful British female performers of the 1960s. She had 18 singles in the Billboard Hot 100 from 1964 to 1970.

The song proved so popular in the US that Springfield's 1965 album Ev'rything's Coming Up Dusty was released there with a slightly different track listing, and titled after the hit single.

In 2004, "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" was rankled #491 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Chart position: #4 (US), #1 (UK), #8 (US Adult Contemporary).

This was Dusty's only #1 UK hit.

It was preceded at #1 in the UK by "Somebody Help Me" (the Spencer Davis Group) and succeeded by "Pretty Flamingo" (Manfred Mann).

The Top Ten Songs: July 16, 1966 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Hanky Panky" (Tommy James and the Shondells)
2. "Wild Thing" (Troggs)
3. "Red Rubber Ball" (Cyrkle)
4. "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" (Dusty Springfield)
5. "Paperback Writer" (Beatles)
6. "Strangers In The Night" (Frank Sinatra)
7. "Along Comes Mary" (Association)
8. "Little Girl" (Syndicate of Sound)
9. "Lil' Red Riding Hood" (Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs)
10. "Hungry" (Paul Revere and the Raiders)
    

Written by: Pino Donaggio, Vito Pallavicini, Vicki Wickham and Simon Napier-Bell.

"You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" is an English version of an Italian song called "Io che non vivo (senza te)", or "I, who can't live (without you)"), written by Pino Donaggio and Vito Pallavicini.

Dusty Springfield heard it at the 1965 Sanremo Festival, where it was performed by Donaggio himself and his team partner Jody Miller. Dusty presented it to Vicki Wickham and Simon Napier-Bell, who wrote the English lyrics for the song.



Also by: Elvis Presley, whose version reached #11 (US) and #1 (US Adult Contemporary).

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All Shook Up (1957)

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By: Elvis Presley (born Elvis Aron Presley January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, died August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee.)

Called the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis is generally considered to be the most important, iconic entertainer of the 20th Century. He has sold over one billion records worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history. He has had 150 albums and singles certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum, 149 charting songs in the US, 114 of which were Top 40 hits, 40 of which were Top 10 hits, and 18 #1 hits.

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #3 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

When Elvis listened to the demo for "All Shook Up", recorded by songwriter Otis Blackwell, he, along with producer Steve Sholes and Colonel Tom Parker, thought it was a hit, so it was scheduled for his next recording session. Sholes said, "What could be a more perfect marriage than a song called 'All Shook Up' and a singer who couldn’t stop shaking when he sang?"

On January 19, 1957 (the same day he recorded all of the songs on the EP Peace in the Valley, the best selling EP in the history of music,) Elvis recorded "All Shook Up" at the Los Angeles Radio Recorders' studio.

Because he did not read music, Elvis learned the song by listening to the demo over and over again, never looking at the notated lyric sheet.  Therefore, Presley was influenced by Otis Blackwell’s singing style, down to his vocal inflections and word pronunciations.

The final version of "All Shook Up" contains the sound of Elvis slapping the back of his guitar to keep the song at the pace he wanted.  In some places, the slap is the only instrumental sound heard on the recording. 

"All Shook Up" was recorded in 10 takes.

Chart position: #1 (US, 8 weeks), #1 (US Country), #1 (UK, 7 weeks).

"All Shook Up" was Elvis' second-biggest hit in the US (after "Don't Be Cruel"/"Hound Dog").

The Top Ten Songs: April 27, 1957 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "All Shook Up" (Elvis Presley)
2. "Round and Round" (Perry Como)
3. "Little Darlin'" (Diamonds)
4. "Butterfly" (Andy Williams)
5. "Party Doll" (Buddy Knox)
6. "Marianne" (Easy Riders)
7. "Why Baby Why?" (Pat Boone)
8. "Come Go With Me" (Del-Vikings)
9. "I'm Walkin'" (Fats Domino)
10. "Gone" (Ferlin Husky)

Written by: Otis Blackwell (born February 6, 1932, died May 6 2002).

Blackwell also wrote "Don't Be Cruel", "Return to Sender", and "One Broken Heart for Sale", all of which were hits for Elvis Presley. Blackwell also wrote "Fever" (Peggy Lee, #8 US) and “Great Balls Of Fire” (Jerry Lee Lewis, #2 US).

Otis Blackwell often joked, "I can write a song about anything." Aaron "Goldie" Goldmark, one of the owners of Shalimar Music (Blackwell's publishing company) constantly brought him off-the-wall ideas, and Otis would always come up with something. One day, Goldmark bought a Pepsi from a vending machine, but before opening it, he dropped the bottle on the floor. Knowing that opening it would mean spraying it everywhere, he walked over and set in in front of Blackwell at his desk and said, "You say you can write about anything. Well, write about this." Blackwell studied the Pepsi for a moment, shaking it and watching the fizz. According to legend, he wrote "All Shook Up" so quickly that the drink was still cold by the time he was finished.

"All Shook Up" is credited to "Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley", even though Blackwell was the sole songwriter.

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Suspicious Minds (1969)

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• Dwight Yoakam - Suspicious Minds (MP3)

By: Elvis Presley (born Elvis Aron Presley January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, died August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee.)

Called the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis is generally considered to be the most important, iconic entertainer of the 20th Century. He has sold over one billion records worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history. He has had 150 albums and singles certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum, 149 charting songs in the US, 114 of which were Top 40 hits, 40 of which were Top 10 hits, and 18 #1 hits.

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #3 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

On January 13, 1969, Presley entered American Sound Studio in Memphis, the first time he had recorded in his hometown since 1956. During that time, producer Chips Moman brought "Suspicious Minds" to Presley, who immediately fell in love with it.

It was recorded between 4:00 AM and 7:00 AM in the morning. During his 1969 Memphis sessions, he also recorded such hits as "In The Ghetto", "Kentucky Rain" and "Don’t Cry Daddy".

He first performed the song live at the Las Vegas Hilton on July 31, 1969.

In 2004, Rolling Stone magazine ranked "Suspicious Minds" at #91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Chart position: #1 (US), #2 (UK).

It was #1 in the US for one week in November 1969. It was preceded at #1 in the US by "I Can't Get Next to You" (Temptations) and succeeded by "Wedding Bell Blues" (Fifth Dimension.)

Widely regarded as the single that jump-started Elvis' career, as it was his first #1 hit in 7 years. It was Elvis' eighteenth US #1 single, and would be his final US #1 single during his lifetime.

The Top Five Songs November 1, 1969 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Suspicious Minds" (Elvis Presley)
2. "Wedding Bell Blues" (Fifth Dimension)
3. "Sugar, Sugar" (Archies)
4. "I Can't Get Next to You" (Temptations)
5. "Baby It's You" (Smith)
   

Written by: Mark James.

James also wrote/co-wrote such songs as "The Eyes Of A New York Woman", "Hooked On A Feeling" (both hits for B.J. Thomas), "Always On My Mind", "Raised On Rock", "Moody Blue", and more.

Tensions arose between Elvis and his manager Colonel Parker when James refused to give him a cut of the publishing royalties. Parker was determined to hold out, but Elvis' love of the song ultimately won out, knowing he could make it a hit. It had flopped the previous year for James.

Also by: Dwight Yoakam, for the 1992 film Honeymoon in Vegas, which featured covers of Elvis Presley songs performed by many contemporary artists. The movie was notable for featuring the Flying Elvises (a group of skydiving Elvis impersonators).

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Are You Lonesome Tonight? (1950) (1960)

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By: Elvis Presley (born Elvis Aron Presley January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, died August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee.)

Called the King of Rock 'n' Roll Elvis is generally considered to be the most important, iconic entertainer of the 20th Century. He has sold over one billion records worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history.

He has had 150 albums and singles certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum, 149 charting songs in the US, 114 of which were Top 40 hits, 40 of which were Top 10 hits, and 18 #1 hits.

In 2004, Rolling Stone Magazine ranked him #3 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

In March 1960, Elvis was honorably discharged from the US army. Soon after, on April 4, he was in a darkened recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee at 4:00 AM, with Chet Atkins as producer.

As a favor to manager Colonel Tom Parker, who had never asked Presley to record any song, Elvis sang the Colonel and his wife's favorite song: "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". Presley liked the tune and the Colonel thought it had hit potential.

As he was singing in the dimly lit room, Elvis kept bumping the microphone stand. Frustrated, Presley felt he could not do justice to the song and wanted to forget about recording it. He was encouraged to get at least one full take of the song.

The first take of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", even with the sounds of inadvertent bumping, was the recording that became a hit.

Elvis' version was listed at #81 on Billboard's Greatest Songs Of All Time.

Chart position:  #1 (US), #1 (UK).

It was preceded at #1 in the US by "Stay" (Maurice Williams & the Zodiacs) and succeeded by "Wonderland by Night" (Bert Kaempfert).

The Top Ten Songs: November 28, 1960 (US Billboard Hot 100).

1. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" (Elvis Presley)
2. "Last Date" (Floyd Cramer)
3. "Stay" (Maurice Williams and the Zodiacs)
4. "Poetry In Motion" (Johnny Tillotson)
5. "A Thousand Stars" (Kathy Young and the Innocents) 
6. "New Orleans" (Gary U.S. Bonds)
7. "North To Alaska" (Johnny Horton)
8. "Alone At Last" (Jackie Wilson)
9. "Let's Go, Let's Go, Let's Go" (Hank Ballard and the Midnighters)
10. "Georgia On My Mind" (Ray Charles)

Written by: Lou Handman (born September 10, 1894 in New York, New York, died December 9, 1956 in Flushing, New York) and Roy Turk (born September 20, 1892 in New York, New York, died November 30, 1934 in Hollywood, California.)

It was originally published in 1926.



Also by: Blue Barron (born Harry Freidman November 19, 1913 in Cleveland, Ohio, died July 16, 2005 in Baltimore, Maryland.)

Blue Barron was a big-band orchestra leader in the 1940s and 1950s, who had a #1 hit with "Cruising Down The River" in 1949.

Barron's version of "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", with vocals by Bobby Beers, was the first version to chart, reaching #19 in 1950. It was also the first version to feature the spoken-word middle section, recited by John McCormick.

That section was loosely based on a line from William Shakespeare's As You Like It: "All the world's a stage, and all men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; And one man in his time plays many parts."

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Are You Lonesome Tonight - Live Performance by 24K Gold Music - Original by Elvis Presley

Blue Moon Of Kentucky (1947) (1954)

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By: Bill Monroe (born William Smith Monroe September 13, 1911 in Rosine, Kentucky, died September 9, 1996) and the Blue Grass Boys.

Called the Father of Bluegrass, Monroe is credited with developing the style, which takes its name from his band.

At the time when "Blue Moon of Kentucky" was recorded, the Blue Grass Boys included vocalist and guitarist Lester Flatt and banjoist Earl Scruggs, who would later form their own bluegrass band, the Foggy Mountain Boys.

The song, a 3/4 waltz, had become a nationwide hit by 1947 and also became enormously popular with other bluegrass, country, and early rockabilly acts.

"Blue Moon of Kentucky" is Kentucky's official state bluegrass song.

In 2003, CMT ranked it #11 on its 100 Greatest Songs in Country Music.

Written by: Bill Monroe.

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Also by: Elvis Presley (born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, died August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee.)

Called the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis is generally considered to be the most important, iconic entertainer of the 20th Century. He has sold over one billion records worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history. He has had 150 albums and singles certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum, 149 charting songs in the US, 114 of which were Top 40 hits, 40 of which were Top 10 hits, and 18 #1 hits.

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #3 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

Sam Phillips started the Memphis Recording Service in 1950, specializing in recording black blues musicians and singers such as Joe Hill Louis, B. B. King, Howlin' Wolf, Roscoe Gordon, and Jackie Brenston and the Delta Cats (who had the 1951 hit "Rocket 88" considered the first ever "rock and roll" record.)

Philips started Sun Records in 1952 as a real record label, recording more blues artists, such as Rufus Thomas, Little Junior Parker, Little Milton, and the Prisonaires (a singing group from the Tennessee State Penitentiary.)

Elvis came in to record a demo recording in 1953.  In 1954 Phillips asked him to record a couple of songs that needed a vocal: "It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You" and "I'll Never Stand in Your Way". Nothing happened with those, but Phillips decided to see what Elvis could do. He asked guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black to work with Elvis. Phillips was an easygoing person and let musicians loosen up while he rolled tape. 

In July 1954 they finally came up with something: Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup's "That's All Right" and Bill Monroe's "Blue Moon of Kentucky". Phillips took it to Memphis DJ Dewey Phillips (no relation) to play on his "Red, Hot, and Blue" radio show. Dewey liked it and played it often.

Presley, Moore, and Black went on tour to promote the record. They played the Grand Ole Opry, but were not received well.  They were received well, however, on the Louisiana Hayride show. At that time, Elvis was billed as a country and western performer.

The "That's All Right"/"Blue Moon of Kentucky" single is generally considered the first of what became known as "rockabilly", a combination of Blues and Country together with an uptempo beat.

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That same year, after the release of Presley's version, Bill Monroe rerecorded "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" using a mixture of both his and Elvis' style, starting the song in its original 3/4 arrangement, then launching into an uptempo 4/4 rendition that was even faster than Elvis' version!

My two cents: "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" is, in my opinion, the great bluegrass song of all time. And not only that, but a great song, period. Any song that can be effortlessly transferred from one genre to another certainly qualifies as being one of the greats!

I remember the first time I heard this song was on a local community radio station (Bill Monroe's 1954 version). I was hooked by the melody, even though I couldn't really understand some of the words. Am I alone in that? Maybe it's because I don't speak bluegrass...

I also remember the first time I heard Elvis' version. At first, I didn't like it because I wasn't used to such a radically different take. But, now, I almost like it even more: the emphatic "blue moon" intro, the excessive tape delay on Elvis' voice, Scotty Moore's energetic solo...in a word: classic!

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That's All Right - Live Performance by 24K Gold Music - Original by Elvis Presley

Burning Love - HD Quality! - Elvis Presley Version - 24K Gold Live Concert Performance

Can't Help Falling In Love (1961) (1993)

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• UB40 - (I Can't Help) Falling In Love With You (MP3)

By: Elvis Presley (born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi, died August 16, 1977 in Memphis, Tennessee.)

Called the King of Rock 'n' Roll, Elvis is generally considered to be the most important, iconic entertainer of the 20th Century. He has sold over one billion records worldwide, more than anyone in record industry history. He has had 150 albums and singles certified gold, platinum and multi-platinum, 149 charting songs in the US, 114 of which were Top 40 hits, 40 of which were Top 10 hits, and 18 #1 hits. In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked him #3 on their list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time.

"Can't Help Falling in Love" was featured in Elvis' eighth movie, Blue Hawaii. According to songwriter George Weiss, the movie producers and Elvis' associates didn't like the song when they heard the demo. However, Elvis insisted on recording it for the movie. It was completed in 29 takes.

Elvis’ most successful album, the Blue Hawaii soundtrack album spent 79 weeks on the US pop album chart, 20 of those weeks at #1. The album sold over half a million copies in the first three months of its release. It took just three days to record the 14 songs featured on it.

In 1968, Presley first performed a new live treatment of the song in his '68 Comeback Special. He used the song to close most of his live concerts, including his last in June 1977 at the Market Square Arena in Indianapolis, Indiana.

In 2004, Rolling Stone ranked "Can't Help Falling in Love" at #394 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Chart position: #2 (US).

It was kept from #1 in February 1961 by "The Peppermint Twist" (Joey Dee and the Starlighters.)

The Top Ten Songs: February 3, 1962 (US).

1. "The Peppermint Twist" (Joey Dee and the Starliters) 
2. "Can't Help Falling In Love" (Elvis Presley)
3. "The Twist" (Chubby Checker)
4. "Norman" (Sue Thompson)
5. "I Know" (Barbara George)
6. "The Wanderer" (Dion)
7. "Duke Of Earl" (Gene Chandler)
8. "Baby It's You" (Shirelles)
9. "Break It To Me Gently" (Brenda Lee)
10. "The Lion Sleeps Tonight" (Tokens)
    

Written by: George David Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore.

George David Weiss also wrote such songs as "Surrender", "Too Close for Comfort", "The Lion Sleeps Tonight", "Lullaby of Birdland", "That Sunday, That Summer" and "What A Wonderful World".

It was based on the French ballad "Plaisir D'amour" by Jean-Paul Egide Martini.



Also by: UB40, whose version was at #1 (US) for 7 weeks and also reached #1 in the UK in 1993. It also reached #1 in Australia, Austria, the Netherlands, New Zealand and Sweden.

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