Paul Anka talks about Elvis imitating

Why is it always the short guys who act like dictators!

Why is it always the short guys who act like dictators!

Is it not called the Napoleon complex?

Well my criticism had nothing to do with this particular clip........he's an arrogant little prick regardless of this episode.

Ad for those who proclaim him a great artist..........what the hell are you doing here??? Isn't there a Celine Dion or Steve Lawrence site you could be browsing??

Great artist.......

I can enjoy Anka on a lvery limited basis, as LTB notes, but as for the notion that Elvis never lost it on stage, I recommend Peter Guralnick's second volume...

And, hey, this "I'm casual" trend in entertainment is carried away anyway. A guy like Anka is of that era when people paid good money to see their entertainers entertain and that didn't mean looking like they just rolled off their living room couch to get to the gig. You looked sharp on stage ...and even in the audience.

You see this casual dress trend all over today in the USA, anyway. Another legacy of the '60s.... It's the mixed blessing that was and is rock'n'roll.

Hi ELVIS and ORION frwiends,

Pual Ankas was NOOOOO ELVIS and he NEVER sounded like ELVIS, but theres this one soundalike named JIMMY ORION ELLIS and he's sounds WAYYYYYYYYYYYY more ELVIS than ELVIS OK !

Bless,Frweinds,STC,Orion Rules, Allen

Oh, oh.

I thought Doug Church was everyone's favourite on the board

Doug who? I think no-one comes even close to Elvis' natural singing voice except for the Irish postman (by the name of "James Brown") who released an album called "Gravelands" at the end of the 90's. I think the guy is still occasionally touring throughout Europe altough he hasn't been in the limelight that much. Funny thing is he's not really an Elvis impersonator like all the other wannabes who simply copy Elvis' singing style but just happens to be blessed with chops that sound eerily similar to the King's voice.

I've been playing "Gravelands" here at work and people kept saying "I didn't know Elvis recorded these songs". I've never been interested in Elvis copycats but "Gravelands" just cracks me up. Elvis doing Led Zeppelin, the Doors or Jimi Hendrix, now that's something you don't hear that often done so well. Anybody can train their voice to sing like the King when it comes to his hits, but few can go out of their comfort zone and do an entirely different genre in such a convincing manner, that requires some serious talent.

Just wondering if anyone knows if Elvis did any other Paul Anka tunes.....My Way is an obvious one...........uf

My Way is not an Anka tune. Just the title and over the top lyric (translation ) that sadly became Elvis' Swan Song.

Last edited by Juan Luis on Tue Aug 29, 2006 8:00 am, edited 1 time in total.

Doug who? I think no-one comes even close to Elvis' natural singing voice except for the Irish postman (by the name of "James Brown") who released an album called "Gravelands" at the end of the 90's. I think the guy is still occasionally touring throughout Europe altough he hasn't been in the limelight that much. Funny thing is he's not really an Elvis impersonator like all the other wannabes who simply copy Elvis' singing style but just happens to be blessed with chops that sound eerily similar to the King's voice.

I've been playing "Gravelands" here at work and people kept saying "I didn't know Elvis recorded these songs". I've never been interested in Elvis copycats but "Gravelands" just cracks me up. Elvis doing Led Zeppelin, the Doors or Jimi Hendrix, now that's something you don't hear that often done so well. Anybody can train their voice to sing like the King when it comes to his hits, but few can go out of their comfort zone and do an entirely different genre in such a convincing manner, that requires some serious talent.

To my great surprise, thenexte (as someone who abhors "imitators" and "impersonators" / "ETA's" as a rule), I came across that same record and greatly enjoyed it. It's a lot of fun. There's enough talent there to take seriously (lending to the notion of 'what if Elvis recorded this or that classic rock tune?') but always tongue in cheek.... yet respectful.
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Bravo! Look for it, people!


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P.S. to JLGB, whether fair or even accurate, that song is widely known as a Paul Anka-'written' tune, when it's not being a called a "Frank Sinatra signature tune."

Here's Wikipedia's write-up on the song "My Way":

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/My_Way_(song)

It's a pity Elvis' famous version isn't given more play besides a mere name check...

Last edited by Gregory Nolan Jr. on Tue Aug 29, 2006 10:09 pm, edited 3 times in total.

Unclefester the royalty thing is not a good rule of thumb, Michael Jackson and now Sony Music get royalties for Yesterday, but i doubt if Paul McCartney would agree that either or both wrote it.

Paul Anka could have bought the rights to any song - including My Way if he didn't own the rights, but recieving royalty checks for publishing doesn't indicate any writing credit just an investment credit. ~The two things are seperate and that's why i say it isn't a good rule of thumb. See the Yesterday comments above.

Hey....it's my old pal JLGB.......tell us if Paul Anka has in the past and/or is still cashing royalty checks on the tune My Way......if he is.......I'll call it his song.....if he isn't please let the world know right here and now......so that any confusion for the past 30 or so years can be cleared up....and you're just the fella to do it......aren't ya?? .......clue us all in will ya?...........uf

So was Elvis cashing royalty to Don't Be Cruel, All Shook Up, LMT and many "arranged by" royalties as well.... I have not checked about the lyrics translation but the MUSIC was already written by a European fellow (from France if I am not mistaken).

Actually guys I think Anka bought the rights to the tune and then added the lyrics.

so he would get the checks as he would own it - or at least did. But he didn't right the tune only the lyrics.

did he co-write the lyrics ?????

whatever, the upside of this was that David Bowies lyric submission was turned down in favour of Ankas and so Bowie turned around went away and wrote Life On Mars.

Hey JLGB......how would you like to answer the question I posed....in case you missed it.....I'll repeat it for ya.........is Paul Anka now.....and/or in the past........cashing royalty checks for his involvement in the tune My Way?....if he is.....that's good enough for me.....Pay To The Order Of_________......let's go one step further........is the orignal composer of the melody getting a cut of Ankas checks sent to his estate for his heirs........or has the melody been in the public domain for a very very long time?....try to answer the question and if you don't know......please so indicate.......... instead of adding a bunch of drivel..........uf

Based on your original comment what you are saying about "cashing in" is DRIVEL. You have to be careful cause if you want to insult me ...then you should look if another person is adding similar drivel too! My answer?? TIC TIC TOC TOC TIC....TOC TIC>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Anka don t own the right of this song. It is not the translation from the french song so IMO the french lyricist earn nothing from my way but only the french melodist does

again the original version of "my way" was "comme d habitude" and the very first singer to ever sing this song in the world was one of the biggest french singer named claude françois ( the song was number one in France from dec 1967 to jan 68 but shadowed by the events in Paris in june 68 ). Anka was in france, heard the song and brought back the song to the US and (co?)-wrote the english lyrics inspired from sinatra's life . From time to time i read on some elvis' websites that C Francois was killed when a hair-drier fell into his bath water, well that 's wrong, He died while screwing an electric light bulb on the wall in his bath. ok a stupid death for this singer who shares another song with EP ... "my boy" but that s another story.