19 Elvis Fans Can Be Polled: The ILM Elvis Presley poll roll out thread

Wonderful poll, amazing pictures. Thanks for doing this, Moka & Euler!

Yeah, the graphics were fantastic.

I thought "Mystery Train" was a lock for the top spot, but I guess I was the only one who voted it #1 ... maybe I underestimated ILM's anti-Marcusism

thangyouverrahmuch Euler and Moka!

My too-small, hastily-assembled ballot. I didn't have enough time to do any serious relistening, so I stuck with what I know best: Sun Sessions, gospel, and the '70s:

1. Blue Moon of Kentucky
2. Bridge Over Troubled Water
3. Blue Moon
4. Mystery Train
5. I've Got Confidence
6. We Call On Him
7. You've Lost That Lovin' Feeling
8. Baby Let's Play House
9. Never Been To Spain
10. Lawdy Miss Clawdy
11. Good Rockin' Tonight
12. That's All Right
13. Suspicious Minds
14. How Great Thou Art
15. Milk Cow Blues Boogie
16. You'll Never Walk Alone
17. Power Of My Love
18. He Touched Me
19. An American Trilogy
20. Don't Cry Daddy
21. Don't Think Twice, It's Alright
22. In The Ghetto

Bravo Euler and Moka. Didn't vote but enjoyed the rollout immensely. Lots to check out now!

great job guys!!

Beautiful poll. I'm so happy Marie's The Name placed so high. I thought it was gonna get shut out which would have been a crime.

Here's my ballot:

Tomorrow Is A Long Time
Long Black Limousine
(Marie’s the Name of) His Latest Flame
Change of Habit
Mystery Train
One Night
Kentucky Rain
Memories
That’s All Right
All Shook Up
If I Can Dream
Where Do I Go From Here
Clambake
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Always On My Mind
Wearin’ That Loved On Look
Good Rockin’ Tonight
Baby, Let’s Play House
I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
Suspicious Minds
Can’t Help Falling In Love
Stranger in My Own Home Town
The Wonder Of You
Inherit The Wind
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Viva Las Vegas
Jailhouse Rock
I’ll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Hold You In My Arms)
Burning Love
Separate Ways
It’s Now Or Never
Hound Dog
In the Ghetto
Don’t Be Cruel
Shake, Rattle & Roll/Flip Flop Fly
Heartbreak Hotel
American Trilogy
Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues
Power of My Love
Only the Strong Survive
You’ll Think Of Me
Don’t Cry Daddy
Blue Moon
Love Me
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Never Been to Spain
Patch It Up
Hard Headed Woman
Crying In the Chapel
Fool

Many thanks to Euler and Moka for running this.

This poll has been a pleasure to take part in. Thanks Euler for being pollrunner and Moka for smashing it out of the park with the graphics.

Tracks:

1. “Burning Love”
2. “Mystery Train”
3. “Suspicious Minds”
4. “Such A Night”
5. “Way Down”
6. “One Night”
7. “Hound Dog”
8. “Wearin’ That Loved On Look”
9. “Baby What You Want Me To Do?”
10. “Marie’s The Name Of His Latest Flame”
11. “Little Sister”
12. “Jailhouse Rock”
13. “Long Black Limousine”
14. “All Shook Up”
15. “Return To Sender”
16. “A Big Hunk O’ Love”
17. “That’s All Right”
18. “Money Honey”
19. “An American Trilogy
20. “US Male”
21. “Tomorrow Is A Long Time”
22. “Blue Moon”
23. “Hard-Headed Woman”
24. “I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water”
25. “Guitar Man”
26. “Moody Blue”
27. “The Lady Loves Me”
28. “The Power Of My Love”
29. “Baby I Want To Play House”
30. “Polk Salad Annie”
31. “Dirty Dirty Feeling”
32. “Blue Suede Shoes”
33.”I Was Born About 10,000 Years Ago”
34. “Blue Moon Of Kentucky”
35. “For The Heart”
36. “Don’t Be Cruel”
37. “Can’t Help Falling In Love”
38. “My Baby Left Me”
39. “Heartbreak Hotel”
40. “Stranger In My Own Hometown”
41. “Reconsider Baby”
42. “You’re So Square Baby I Don’t Care”
43. “You’re The Devil In Disguise”
44. “I’ll Hold You In My Heart”
45. “It’s Now Or Never”
46. “Tiger Man”
47. “Always On My Mind”
48. ”I Feel So Bad”
49. “Edge Of Reality”
50. “The Last Farewell”

Movies:

1. Elvis: That’s The Way It Is
2. Viva Las Vegas
3. Jailhouse Rock
4. The Trouble With Girls
5. Elvis On Tour

Ups to Euler & Moka!

Thank you to all who voted! Helped me rediscover his catalogue and the top 50 is tight! Also Crawfish made it! (I was the number one vote apologies to the haters of the song)

My ballot is a bit weird. And I criminally forgot to vote for the 1968 performances.

CRAWFISH
POCKETFUL OF RAINBOWS
ANIMAL INSTINCT
(MARIE'S THE NAME) HIS LATEST FLAME
CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE
BURNING LOVE
THE GIRL OF MY BEST FRIEND
(YOU'RE THE) DEVIL IN DISGUISE
RECONSIDER BABY
JAILHOUSE ROCK
ALL SHOOK UP
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
HOUND DOG
LOVE ME TENDER
BOSSA NOVA BABY
KING CREOLE
NO MORE
LITTLE SISTER
TROUBLE
BLUE MOON
I'M LEAVIN'
GOOD TIME CHARLIE'S GOT THE BLUES
BLUE SUEDE SHOES
MEAN WOMAN BLUES
MEXICO
SURRENDER
THAT'S ALL RIGHT
PLEASE DON'T STOP LOVING ME
DON'T THINK TWICE, IT'S ALL RIGHT
CRYING IN THE CHAPEL
LONG BLACK LIMOUSINE
RUBBERNECKIN'
WHOLE LOT-TA SHAKIN' GOIN' ON
DON'T BE CRUEL
SUCH A NIGHT
FEVER
A DOG'S LIFE
BIG BOSS MAN
MYSTERY TRAIN
FIND OUT WHAT'S HAPPENING
GOOD ROCKIN' TONIGHT
IN THE GHETTO
A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION
RIP IT UP
LONG TALL SALLY
IT'S YOUR BABY, YOU ROCK IT
KISSIN' COUSINS
PLEASE DON'T STOP LOVING ME
YOU GAVE ME A MOUNTAIN
VIVA LAS VEGAS

1. If I Can Dream
2. Only The Strong Survive
3. True Love Travels On a Gravel Road
4. (Marie's the name of) His Latest Flame
5. Wearing That Loved In Look
6. Long Black Limousine
7. Stranger In My Home Town
8. In The Ghetto
9. Power of My Love
10. Any Day Now
11. Hound Dog
12. Blue Suede Shoes
13. Always on my Mind
14. Suspicious Minds
15. Jailhouse Rock
16. Rubberneckin'
17. All Shook Up
18. Viva Las Vegas
19. Kentucky Rain
20. (You're the) Devil in Disguise
21. Trying to Get to You
22. Can't Help Falling in Love
23. Gentle On My Mind
24. Burning Love
25. Return to Sender
26. (You're so Square) Baby I Don't Care
27. Love Me Tender
28. Heartbreak Hotel
29. Don't Be Cruel
30. Return to Sender
31. Tomorrow is a Long Time
32. A Little Less Conversation
33. You'll Think of Me
34. Trouble
35. Promised Land
36. Surrender
37. Little Sister
38. U.S Male
39. She's Not You
40. Are You Lonesome Tonight
41. Inherit the Wind
42. I've Got a Thing About You, Babe
43. Blue Moon of Kentucky
44. Stuck on you
45. Guitar Man
46. Loving Arms
47. Fool
48. Hi-Heel Sneakers
49. Without Love (There is Nothing)
50. The Fool

No doubt would reorder if I were doing it today and some things may drop out entirely but happy with it.

Eight US Number Ones missed the cut: Love Me Tender, Too Much, Don't, Hard Headed Woman, A Big Hunk O' Love, Stuck On You, Surrender, and Good Luck Charm.

Not to mention a bunch of UK Number Ones. This is a really deep oeuvre.

Mystery Train
Blue Moon
That's All Right
Promised Land
Stranger In My Own Home Town
Baby Let's Play House
Long Black Limousine
Heartbreak Hotel
Kentucky Rain
Tryin' to Get to You
Only the Strong Survive
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Suspicious Minds
Baby What You Want Me to Do
Good Rocking Tonight
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Down in the Alley
Memphis Tennessee
Crying in the Chapel
Tomorrow Night
When It Rains, It Really Pours
Tiger Man
I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water
Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
Ready Teddy
Rip It Up
Little Sister
Trouble
Faded Love
If I Can Dream
Are You Lonesome Tonight?
Reconsider Baby
I Got a Woman
Tomorrow is a Long Time
Jailhouse Rock
I Forgot to Remember to Forget
Hard Headed Woman
Any Day Now
(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame
(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care
Love Me
Viva Las Vegas
Burning Love
I Really Don't Want to Know
Always on My Mind
Wearin' That Loved-On Look
He'll Have to Go
Gentle on My Mind
(You're the) Devil in Disguise

Thanks Euler and Moka. I've been waiting for an ILM Elvis poll for sooo long, it's been a great rollout and have loved all the comments. Unperson I'm with you on 'honky tonk angel'. I feel I left so many stonewall classics off my ballot but I went with ones that have stuck with me for different reasons for many years. Marie's the name was way too high.

My ballot, all ranked.

Films:

Elvis: That’s the way it is
Elvis on Tour
Jailhouse rock
Kid Creole
Loving you

Tracks:

Are you lonesome tonight
My baby left me
Pieces of my life
Anyway you want me (that’s how I’ll be)
Baby let’s play house
Blue moon of Kentucky
That’s alright mama
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
Hound dog
How great thou art
Milkcow blues boogie
Tomorrow never comes
Milky white way
Good rockin’ tonight
Blue moon
One night
Peace in the valley
Little sister
Tomorrow is a long time
Unchained melody (live 1977)
Good time Charlie’s got the blues
There’s a honky tonk angel (who’ll take me back in)
For the good times
His hand in mine
Loving arms
Lead me, guide me
An American trilogy
Anything that’s part of you
Mystery train
Don’t be cruel
All shook up
There’s always me
It’s midnight
Blue Christmas
Hurt
She’s not you
Bitter they are, harder they fall
Whole lotta shakin’ goin’ on
Fame and fortune
Stranger in my own home town
Love coming down
The girl of my best friend
She’s not you
Merry Christmas baby
Return to sender
Surrender
Is it so strange
When my blue moon turns to gold again
Just pretend
You gave me a mountain

It occurs to me that I've never read contemporary accounts of the 68 comeback special from other musicians. Like, did Lennon say anything about it? Elvis is so ferocious here, it's just completely different from, like, watching the rooftop concert a year later.
― droit au butt (Euler), Tuesday, July 31, 2018 6:28 PM (one hour ago) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

funny you should ask that Euler, and weird synchronicity that i had a day off work today to go buy some records and on the way found that elvis book that i'd never heard of before, because it mentions john lennon talking about elvis... i'll see what i can do.

― lefal junglist platton (wtev), Tuesday, July 31, 2018 8:05 PM (yesterday) Bookmark Flag Post Permalink

https://i.imgur.com/tm1mlBf.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/4FrLpBZ.jpg

Just remembered this about milkcow blues boogie. If you listen closely to the beginning of the fast section you get a window into (in my opinion) the brilliance of his vocal technique and innate studio craft. It's the taking of two breaths in quick succession so that he's got enough lung power to do justice to how he needs the performance to sound.

Well I woke up this morning and I looked out the door (breath)
And I can tell (breath) that old milkcow I can tell the way she lows
Now if you see that milkcow please drive her on home (breath presumably)
I aint' had no milk and butter etc..

Thinking about the few sun outtakes that exist, one of them is key here, which is sam philips telling elvis not to get "too close to the mike". Cos sam had his levels pretty well set in the studio and these couldn't cope dynamically with some of the extra input Elvis was giving (I'm not explaining very well, but I think when he was recording he was also performing so was going into and away from the mike, something he did all through his career e.g. in the aloha performance he moved the mike away to create a 'fade' on his vocal). The fact that we can hear his in-breaths means he was close in on the mic at that point but maybe moved away a little at the end of 'drive her on home' because we can't hear the in-breaths any more. I like to think that these details in the performance also show the rehearsals that must have happened prior to the recording, and that Elvis had worked out in those rehearsals how he could best get through that opening verse. There are no outtakes from that session (and its date isn't fixed either) so we can't be sure of how many takes there were, but I'm fascinated by what the recording we actually have can tell us about the recordings that we'll never hear.

Also think that the effect of the double breath, allowing him to keep going to "drive her on home", also means his voice works as a kind of percussive accompaniment alongside the slap bass. No drums so all other percussive hands needed to be on deck, and his vocal has a great rhythmic quality to it.

Jailhouse Rock
Marie's the Name (His Latest Fling)
Burning Love
Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues
Suspicious Minds
Return to Sender
Hound Dog
I Need Your Love Tonight
Too Much
Don't Be Cruel

I am v glad Blue Moon of Kentucky placed so high. One of my favorite covers of his, still gets me every time I hear it

Surprised "Jailhouse Rock" (my #1) placed outside the top 10, and grateful for the voting thread for introducing me to "Good Time Charlie's Got the Blues." Thanks Euler and Moka!

Thanks wtev for those informative posts!

xp He set the bar unbelievably high right from the start with "That's All Right" / "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as his first Sun single

no question

My #2 matched the poll, poll #3 was my #12, and my #1 for years was the poll #1, but in the end I dropped it to #4. My ranking was really very general and if I wrote up my ballot on another day, it would have a different order and some different songs. Really, the strength of the talent and as somebody said upthread, the depth of the catalogue means there are not too many wrong answers and I'm pretty happy with the results here.

My ballot (In ranked order, but numbers aren't copying properly)

James Redd and 50,000,000 Blecchs Can't Be Wrong!

Polk Salad Annie
Mystery Train
Milkcow Blues Boogie
Suspicious Minds
Little Sister
Kentucky Rain
In The Ghetto
You're So Square (Baby, I Don't Care)
Good Rockin' Tonight
Blue Moon of Kentucky
Jailhouse Rock
Marie's The Name (His Latest Flame)
Sweet Caroline
Burning Love
Return To Sender
(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear
Heartbreak Hotel
All Shook Up
Viva Las Vegas
Money Honey
Blue Suede Shoes
Baby Let's Play House
Stuck On You
Moody Blue
Hurt
(You're the) Devil In Disguise
Young and Beautiful
Blue Christmas
Only the Strong Survive
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
King Creole
Don't Be Cruel
Hound Dog
Long Black Limousine
True Love Travels on a Gravel Road
Baby What You Want Me To Do
Rock-A-Hula Baby
Brown Eyed Handsome Man
Santa Claus Is Back In Town
That's All Right
It's Now Or Never
Can't Help Falling In Love
Crying in the Chapel
My Baby Left Me
Suspicion
Is It So Strange
A Little Less Conversation
If I Can Dream
Steamroller Blues
Ito Eats

Thread made me dip into Memphis Boys:The Story of American Studios by Roben Jones and now I can’t stop thinking about whether certain string charts were written by Mike Leech or Glen Spreen.

Here’s the Mann/Weil song that Elvis gave to Roy Hamilton instead of recording himself when they both were recording at American
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WI3gKJw7RbA
although apparently it had already been recorded and charted several times prior to Hamilton’s version
https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=53046

From Memphis Boys, about the recording of “In The Ghetto”:

When Elvis came in that night, Marty recalled that Chips asked him, "If y' ain't gonna do it, can I have it?' Elvis said, `No, I'm gonna cut it:" Chips had thought that Joe Simon or Rosey Grier could do the song, if Elvis had not wanted to; if he did, Chips was determined that the song would be an exclusive. And sing it Elvis did, in a recording whose significance, if anything, has grown over the years. "I played the exact same guitar part Mac played when he was pitchin' the song, it's built in;' said Reggie Young, who used the same old Gibson 440 he had played on Dusty Springfield's "Windmills mills of Your Mind" and Tommy had played on Sandy Posey's "I Take It Back," that Scotty Moore had traded to Chips. It gave the session continuity, as if Scotty were still represented in some way. "When we did `Ghetto, my hands were shakin', the guitarist continued. "The whole front end of the song was me and him. It was nervousness, in a good way. Boy, he was just bigger 'n life. You definitely knew he was there.”

Marie's the Name (His Latest Fling)
― Police, Academy (cryptosicko)

I like that.

Oops! I hope my vote for it still got counted (not that it would've hurt much).

I assume so. Same as mine, which also had the parentheses in the wrong place.

Scott Walker did "Angelica" too.

Yeah. That link has his version listed

So, a few decades ago I went to see Lonnie Mack at The Bottom Line. Before the show started the soundsystem was playing a Roy Buchanan version of “You Can’t Judge A Book By It’s Cover.” This was pre-smart phone days, and I couldn’t remember who did the original which was driving me a little crazy. But then I looked over and saw somebody I recognized from having seen his picture and thought: “Oh that’s Doc Pomus, maybe he’ll know.” So I went over and asked him and he said “How the hell do I know?” He proceeded to elaborate: “Do you know how many records dates I was on and people send me letters berating me because I don’t know who was playing saxophone on a particular date?” Since nobody else was sitting at the table I just sat there myself and watched the show and we didn’t really talk anymore. Lonnie played great. He said “Just because it ain’t to the walls tonight, don’t mean we can’t have a good time,” perhaps before playing an excellent version of “Why?” Almost immediately after the show ended, Doc’s wheelchair started wheeling backwards, whether purely of his own propulsion or with the aide of a helper I couldn’t tell, it was happening so fast, and he quickly disappeared into the night. That was the last I saw of him. I don’t believe this incident influenced my voting for several of his songs in this poll. For further information, I highly recommend the book Lonely Avenue: The Unlikely Life and Times of Doc Pomus, by Alex Halberstadt. Have yet to see the film about him.

That’s a really cool story. I would have probably annoyed him by being chatty.

my ballot:

Beyond The Reef
Blue Moon
Tomorrow Is A Long Time
An American Trilogy
Suspicious Minds
My Happiness
His Latest Flame
Mystery Train
Burning Love
Where Did They Go, Lord
Baby Let’s Play House
Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues
Long Black Limousine
You’ll Never Walk Alone
One Night
In the Ghetto
Can’t Help Falling In Love
Love Me
It's Your Baby, You Rock It
Stranger In My Own Home Town
My Baby Left Me
It Is No Secret (What God Can Do)
Blue Christmas
Trying To Get To You
Teddy Bear
Faded Love
Tomorrow Never Comes
Wearin’ That Loved On Look
Kentucky Rain
Little Sister
Hurt
Milkcow Blues Boogie
I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago
Tiger Man
Change of Habit
(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care
Make The World Go Away
Blue Moon Of Kentucky
In The Garden
Heartbreak Hotel
It Ain't No Big Thing (But It's Growing)
Always On My Mind
I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water
A Hundred Years From Now
White Christmas
Seeing Is Believing
That’s All Right
Hound Dog
Return to Sender
Viva Las Vegas

love that Dylan/Lennon anecdote

Thanks for running this. I didn't feel I had enough to contribute a ballot but am excited to do some listening.

Suspicion got just a single lowly vote! I love that song.

If only I had told Doc Pomus that

Maybe somebody else voted for it whose ballot hasn’t been posted yet

Thanks Euler and Moka and everybody who participated, really enjoyed this poll and hope to comment a little more this weekend.

My copy of the Elvis On Tour DVD came in today's mail. Really looking forward to checking it out this weekend.

treat city, here you come!

Been off-grid for a few days so just catching up with results now. Thanks Euler and Moka, hope to see the complete results at some point. Here's my ballot.
1. Any Day Now
2. Suspicious Minds
3. Mystery Train
4. Don’t Be Cruel
5. Trying To Get To You
6. Kentucky Rain
7. Reconsider Baby
8. Tomorrow Night
9. All Shook Up
10. Jailhouse Rock
11. A Mess of Blues
12. Baby, Let’s Play House
13. Tomorrow is a Long Time
14. I’ll Hold You In My Heart (till I Can Hold You In My Arms)
15. Blue Moon of Kentucky
16. True Love Travels on a Gravel Road
17. Santa Claus Is Back In Town
18. I Feel So Bad
19. So Glad You’re Mine
20. If You Talk In Your Sleep
21. That’s Someone You’ll Never Forget
22. One Night
23. (Marie’s The Name Of)His Latest Flame
24. That’s All Right
25. Heartbreak Hotel
26. Love Me
27. Promised Land
28. Wearin’ That Loved On Look
29. Good Rockin’ Tonight
30. Blue Christmas
31. Little Sister
32. Spinout
33. Let Yourself Go
34. Hound Dog
35. Love Lettters
36. Crawfish
37. Don’t
38. (That’s What You Get) For Lovin’ Me
39. Separate Ways
40. Surrender
41. Stranger In My Own Home Town
42. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
43. (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care
44. Run On
45. Guitar Man
46. Burning Love
47. Ain’t That Lovin’ You Baby
48. Blue Moon
49. Summer Kisses, Winter Tears
50. When It Rains, It Really Pours

Glad to see there was at least one other vote for the majestically lewd "Santa Claus Is Back In Town".

Is there a lazy way to post the full results? I have a spreadsheet.

Just link to it in Google Docs?

I’ll see how easy it is in the next few days then

thanks for running this Euler and Moka, was fun to follow