The King of Rock & Roll

No-son #1 is posting on his top five Elvis songs.  

1. Can't Help Falling in Love
2. Return to Sender
3. (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame
4. I Got Lucky
5. Crying in the Chapel

That's not a bad list, and Noman salutes No-son #1 on his sterling taste in artists.  But Noman begs to differ.  At the risk of leaving off some great numbers, Noman's top five favorite Elvis songs are:

5. Return to Sender: 

(n.b. The beautiful blonde is Stella Stevens, the woman Elvis should have chosen in this movie.)

4. (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame:

3. Little Sister:

2. All Shook Up:

(n.b. Though the song's incomplete, this video is great!)

1. Jailhouse Rock:

Honorable mention goes to:

• Don't Be Cruel
• (Let Me Be) Teddy Bear
• Blue Suede Shoes
• Don't Cry Daddy
• Kentucky Rain

As long as Noman is on the topic, his absolute favorite Elvis movie is "Kid Gallahad," which opens with a scene that made an impression on small Noman (No-boy) and turned him into a lifelong Elvis nut: the king sitting on the back of a moving van singing "King of the Whole Wide World" 

It features "I Got Lucky," and one of Noman's favorite Elvis ballads, "Home is Where the Heart Is."  Both are on this clip.  Yes, that is Charles Bronson towards the end.  The movie features great performances by Charles Bronson, Gig Young, and Joan Blackman--the consummate Elvis girl.

This Elvis post wouldn't be complete without a link to "Pocketful of Rainbows," from "G.I Blues," which co-stars Juliet Prowse.  It's a corny movie, like all of them were, but Prowse dances, Elvis wins the girl, and everything ends up the way it's supposed to in a sane world.

Finally, check out the king singing "Mean Woman Blues."  The bad guy in this scene gets his block knocked off by Elvis, and also got it knocked off in a bar fight in G.I. Blues.  Can you imagine him describing his acting career to his grandchildren?

Well, enough is enough.  If all that isn't sufficient to whet your appetite, then Elvis is not for you.  On the other hand, if you like it, all his music and movies are readily available.  Long live the king.  And, thanks to No-Son #1 for getting Noman started.