I think the point being made in the article is not that he didn’t write songs, but that he was given some song-writing credits or co-credits that he didn’t really deserve.
I’m not an Elvis fan; don’t like him very much, really, except for some of the Sun recordings. But I’m not sure he could be called overrated, even though he only had a couple of good years before the colonel turned him into a schlock factory.
The fact is that the guy had a good voice, and a phrasing as distinctive as Crosby or Sinatra. He didn’t really sing “black;” it was a combination of R&B, C&W, and old fashioned crooning. Unique, really, and although he spawned a lot of imitators, you can always tell the real thing.
The other thing he had, as far as I can tell, was amazing stage presence. It’s hard to think of another performer who comes close. Certainly the Beatles as a group, but individually not so much; maybe Jim Morrison (talk about overrated… but I digress). Even through the filter of TV, which makes many, if not most, great stage performers seem bland, the guy is absolutely rivetting. You can’t take your eyes off him.
I don’t think this discussion would have even gotten off the ground if Elvis had not been subverted (with his own collusion) so early on. He was a great entertainer. Maybe not the King, but great.
Not sure that’s fair. He rearranged many songs making them almost unrecognizable. He was also a fantastic producer. Also, he wasn’t much of a business man so I can’t see him getting songwriting credits based on duplicity or even pressure.
Does this sound like “A Hard Day’s Night” to anyone else? 
This thread is still fresh enough to not be a zombie, right? If not, sorry.
So there is the new **Chris Isaak **show - he interviews a musician for the full hour, intercut with performances where the musician and their band teams up with Isaak and his band to work out on some songs.
I happen to love Chris Isaak’s style and voice so that’s all good, as far as I am concerned (I always wish Chris was *less *laid back and put more into both his delivery and his songs - he has the talent to take it to the next level, IMHO…)
Anyway - how does this relate to Elvis? Well, the neo-crooner **Michael Buble **was Isaak’s guest. I have a couple of his CD’s and find him to be a…good, solid neo-crooner - not enough other influences to map out his own style yet, like Harry Connick, Jr. has done by weaving a heavy New Orleans influence into *his *crooning.
But in this clip from YouTubefrom the show, they start off in interview mode with an impromptu bit of acoustic on Isaak’s song Somebody’s Crying. But then Isaak asks Buble about Elvis - and Buble gives a solid, respectful response that touches on a number of points made in this thread. And then they go back to performance mode and work through a great cover of That’s All Right, Mama - Isaak is great as you would expect, but Buble really surprised me…just a great job.
That’s on the Bio Channel, right? I saw that on the grid last night and thought it was a rerun of his old show. I’m going to have to check that out.
Speaking of which, that guy that used to play guitar for Isaak (James Wilsey) back in the day is/was a GOD to me.
Plus, sometimes when doing sound check, I sing the first verse/chorus of Wicked Game a cappela just for kicks
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James Calvin Wilsey is one tasty mutha of a player - his tone and lead on stuff like Wicked Game just absolutely kills. He’s another One-Note Wonder - where he can sting you with a single note. Much respect. (oh, and you know he came from punk, right? The CA punk scene - he was in The Avengers, IIRC…)
I wish I knew why he parted ways with Isaak - the first 4 or so Isaak albums featuring him are just sublime, IMHO. Isaak’s new guy is great, too (chubby dude with a Pharoah beard, plays a white Strat for his main electric) - but his tastiness is not up to JCW’s level…
Y’know, The Avengers is one of those bands I’ve heard a lot about, but never checked out…I think some research is required. 
If it doesn’t involve Diana Rigg in a skin-tight outfit, I’m not interested.
Y’know, An Arky, he does have a point. 
True, but can’t I do both?
Hey, man, as long as this topic’s all off in the weeds, I’ve been grooving on couple of Arrows songs on You Tube. Good chunky three chord Les Paul rock.
You may know that they originally did I Love Rock n Roll, but I think that Toughen Up stands up pretty well today. They had their own TV show in England in the mid-70s, which is where the second clip comes from.
Yeah - good stuff. Those clips end up on the Les Paul forum pretty regularly because of the '59 (I think) sunburst Les Paul the guy is playing - if it was still in that condition it’d be worth a cool few hundred thousand dollars these days…
You’re just a sucker for good power pop, aren’t you? How big of a guilty pleasure are the Baby’s for you? I love me some Head First!!
ahem now returning to you regularly-scheduled Elvis thread…
Yeah; but not-so-guilty pleasure. I had their first two albums on vinyl! Yet another good band doomed to Chrysalis Records.
Oh, yeah, I knew that was a sweet vintage LP…Jake Steele (the guitar player, not the doper, or ?) co-wrote I Love Rock n Roll and if my Wiki-fu memory is correct, he recently sold his share in that song. I would bet that he could buy a '59 with that, or one would hope.
So true about Chrysalis. sigh UFO…and yeah, in a lot of ways, the Babys are more than just a guilty pleasure; they have some good songs and Waite’s voice is top notch (like I need to explain that to Robin Zander / Cheap Trick fan…)
Didn’t know about selling the rights and yeah, that should be worth huge money. It’s like Norman Greenbaum who can still live off the royalties from Spirit in the Sky…
Yep…well, which one of us is going to get to paint another mark on our nosecone for the threadkill? Powerpop discussions are usually good for that.
Eh, I’ll let you take this one, since you started it…although I’m not sure if it’s a confirmed kill when you’re the OP. I should get the assist for hijacking it all the way from Elvis to powerpop. 
Off to do kid stuff…my oldest is running the lights for a school play tonight…
Oh yeah - my thread suicide!
PS: just heard Bowie’s TVC15 on the radio…bliss.