I was thinking that night about Elvis
Day that he died, day that he died
I was thinking that night about Elvis
Day that he died, day that he died
Just a country boy that combed his hair
And put on a shirt his mother made and went on the air
And he shook it like a chorus girl
And he shook it like a Harlem Queen
He shook it like a midnight rambler, baby
Like you never seen, like you never seen, never seen
Gillian Welch and David Rawlings
I’m old, but not old enough to remember Elvis Presley in the wonderful time of early rock n roll. I do remember his name coming up in the late sixties and my older sister explaining to me that he was someone from the past. That was enough for me to pay scant attention to his later output and ignore the early output until I got my act together and learned what I’d been missing a good many years later.
There were two narratives running when I was making my way in music. One was it was only loveable eccentrics who still loved Elvis. The other, perhaps more harmful than the first, that the story of the King of Rock n Roll deserved little more than a sidebar as he didn’t write any songs and he became a gloated cabaret star. Needless to say I subscribed to none of this and it has been my pleasure to highlight gems from Elvis’s extensive back catalogue over the years we’ve been on air.
On this first week of the AC in 2025 we are going to highlight some great Elvis country tracks (many recorded in Nashville’s RCA Studio B) which show his deep love of country and roots music. It also highlights Elvis’s energy for showcasing great songs. Elvis would have been 90 on January 8th and it seems a good time to celebrate his great voice and memorable recordings.
We’re also in an exciting time for live music. Celtic Connections begins very soon, The UK Americana Awards follows on and before you know it we will be gearing up for Country 2 Country in March. On this week’s show you will hear music from acts who’ll be appearing at these festivals as well as records from albums coming out over the next few months. Listen out for Brett Eldredge, Dylan Gossett and The First Time Flyers. It’s a packed show which reflects on what will, inevitably be, a packed year of exciting new music. Join me if you can from 8 p.m. this Tuesday on BBC Sounds or BBC Radio Scotland.
