• Blues

    Happy Birthday to the King

    Ickmusic sends a shout out to the skies above….Happy 72nd Birthday Elvis!

    I watched King Creole a couple of times over the holidays to help prime me for my trip to New Orleans. Here’s a quality moment from the film when Elvis the bus boy jumps up on stage at the request of the film’s heavy, Maxie Fields, played by Walter Matthau. The female lead sitting next to him is Carolyn Jones, aka Morticia Addams from The Addams Family.

    Happy Birthday King!

    [youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JKmmRY3-fwo&w=425&h=350]

  • Acoustic,  Laid Back

    Welcome to my World

    Well, it’s been a good week. My second daughter was born into this world yesterday morning, right into my waiting hands. Words can’t describe it, my friends. The miracle of birth makes skeptics like me into believers. I only wish the world I’ve brought my daughters into was a very different place.

    The music that is a natural accompaniment to great moments like these is the music of Bruce Cockburn. Since I discovered his vast catalog of music in the early 90’s, I have turned to Bruce’s music when I want peace, calm, inspiration, and gentle reason.

    Here are a couple from my favorite Bruce album, 1979’s Dancing in the Dragon’s Jaws.

    Bruce Cockburn: Creation Dream (mp3) | Hills of Morning (mp3)

    And it goes without saying that one of the first recorded human voices my daughter will hear is Elvis Presley’s.

    Elvis Presley: Welcome to my World (mp3) – from Aloha from Hawaii

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    Other Bruce News: For you Sirius Satellite Radio subscribers, check out an exclusive interview with the Boss this Sunday. Details are here. An interesting note in this press release regarding the upcoming tour:

    Each night, an all new evening of gospel, folk, and blues will be presented by Springsteen with the 17-member Seeger Sessions Band.

  • Oldies

    Be Saved, Elvis Style

    Regardless of how religious you are, you can’t help but be a little moved by the power of the King in this outtake from ‘How Great Thou Art’. I picture a Southern Baptist church on a sunny Sunday morning (think the scene from ‘Blues Brothers’ with Elvis in James Brown’s place). Elvis and his boys amble up to the front of the pews, turn around, look sheepishly at the ground, clear their throats, and unleash upon the congregation this 2 minutes and 47 seconds of salvation…

    Elvis Presley: Run On – Alternate Take (mp3)

  • Rock

    What do you get when you cross Elvis and Bob Marley?

    No, it’s not fried peanut butter & ganja sandwiches, it’s this ‘mash-up’ of Elvis’ “Crying in the Chapel” over the rrrrasta beat of Bob’s “Satisfy My Soul.”The great music blog The Suburbs Are Killing Us writes:

    “Fuckin’ love song here, son.”
    That’s what the King says at the end of what must be a modern mashup of ol’ Elvis croonin’ the Orioles’ 1953 hit “Crying in the Chapel” over the Wailers’ “Satisfy My Soul.” If there’s one thing that Elvis knows more than love, son, it’s Rasta biznezz. And snacks.

    The tune came out on a limited edition 7-inch last year, with Presley’s “In the Ghetto” vox laid over “Taurus Song” by Sound Dimension on the flip.

    Elvis Presley & the Wailers – Crying in the Chapel (mp3)- bootleg 7-inch, 2004

  • Blues,  Oldies

    One for the King

    Well before I plop myself in front of the TV this weekend, tune in to AMC, and watch some quality Elvis movies (GI Blues, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Girls! Girls! Girls! to name a few), I have to pay my respects to the King on his 70th birthday. Here’s a great blues tune recorded in 1960 after his return from the Army. ‘Reconsider Baby’ was composed and performed originally by Lowell Fulson in 1954 (that’s the fella pictured below).

    Happy Birthday Elvis.

    Elvis Presley – Reconsider Baby (mp3)

    Check out the album, Elvis is Back.
    AMC’s schedule this weekend. Elvis movies all day!

    Check out Lowell Fulson’s bio on All Music.