Admitting a Guilty Pleasure

/ TY

Today, I want to make a startling admission that may cause you to never want to read any of my Elvis reviews ever again.

In fact, it may forever change the way you read The Mystery Train Elvis Blog, if you come back here at all.

It’s not fair for me to keep posting here without letting you know the full truth, though. I can no longer hide this secret.

So, here it is. Prepare yourself. I’m even placing a random Elvis photo in between, in case you want to stop reading now and avoid the shock and horror of what I have to say below. Don’t say I didn’t warn you.

Cover of Double Trouble (1967)

Cover of Double Trouble (1967)

Here is my confession:

I love Elvis’ version of “Old MacDonald.”

There, I said it. I have finally admitted it.

I know the 1966 recording for the movie Double Trouble is considered a career low point for Elvis. By most accounts, recording the song was an extreme embarrassment for him – which is an accomplishment considering how embarrassing it must have been to record many of his other 1960s movie tunes, too.

Yet, despite all of that, I still can’t help but love “Old MacDonald.” I want to sing along every time it comes on. Maybe that’s the power of Elvis, or maybe that’s just the power of my own insanity.

I also enjoy the dark humor of the song, which was adapted by Randy Starr from the children’s tune for use in the movie. Stuff like, “…if those animals get out of line, we’ll have a mulligan stew…” Being an animal lover, I probably shouldn’t find that funny. But I do.

I have now admitted being a fan of a “bad” Elvis song. How about you? Are there any universally panned Elvis performances that you secretly enjoy? Make your confession in the comments below.

9 thoughts on “Admitting a Guilty Pleasure”

  1. I love “Datin'” and “Beach Shack” so brother we have nothing to fight about-the irony, intelligence and character in Elvis’ voice can add wonders to even the most unlikeliest turkey-I even dig “Yoga Is As Yoga Does.”

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  2. I’ve always had a weak spot for “Hey, Hey, Hey”. Although the lyrics leave a lot to be desired, the melody is a really funky one. The number doesn’t work as well on the movie screen, though…

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  4. Remember that little moment in the 68 special when Elvis did a snippet of ummmm “MacCarthur Park” in that silly voice, well i love that:-

    “I don’t think that I can take it ’cause it took so long to bake it And I’ll never have that recipe again.”

    Cracks me up…..

    Cheers

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      • Ouch, better than all the Elvis songs?? I Admit they where not classics but stuff like “Tender Feeling”, “It’s a Long Lonely Highway”, Echoes of Love” deserve better than to be demoted to below the “The Pappy song” surely.

        Even “Once is Enough, “Kissin Cousins” and “Catchin’ on Fast” have great vocals from our man and are rather catchy tunes themselves.

        OK OK I’m a closet “Kissin’ Cousins” fan, there i said it…..

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      • Ray: In Nina’s defense, Elvis did not actually record the strongest titles you mentioned, “Long Lonely Highway” and “Echoes of Love,” for the Kissin’ Cousins movie, nor do they appear in the film. They do, however, appear as bonus tracks on the soundtrack album.

        Elvis later used “Long Lonely Highway” in the movie Tickle Me (which, if we’re including movies now, is another guilty pleasure for me).

        That being said, I do agree that several, and maybe even all, of the Elvis performances in the Kissin’ Cousins movie are better than “Pappy, Won’t You Please Come Home” – yet another Tepper & Bennett hack job.

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  6. Ray

    That Pappy Won’t You Please Come Home song was – compared to everything else in the Movie – a killer bluesy track not too far off Bill Bailey Won’t You Please Come Home – the bluesy Patsy Cline version

    The Elvis songs suffer from comparison to his better and more edgy work, knowing how much better he could be doing.

    It surprises me every time I watch this movie that the pappy song was slipped in, almost as if to show Elvis up.

    Sometimes, I wonder about the theory that Parker had elements put in the movies to keep putting Elvis down and in his place for Parker to control him.

    then I remember that conspiracies really take too many people and coordination to pull off

    nina
    http://ntrygg.wordpress.com/elvis-index/

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