Bridge Over Troubled Water

[Guest]

Thats The Way It Is version versus Elvis On Tour version?


I love TTWII for the passion of most of his performances but having watched EOT today it reminds me of how versatile Elvis was when he tried - 72 Elvis in particular could sing most adult Pop without a worry at all!

So, which version do you prefer?

70 BOTW had an almost gospel feel to it whereas 72 had a much more soulful though feel to it?

[Spanish_Eyes]

1970 hands down. He could hold the note at the end, while in 1972 he had to cut it by adding "Lord, Lord your mind" (more dramatic, but less polished)

[TJ]

Easily TTWII. Listen to the first verse of each. In 1970 there is total commitment and simply superb singing. In 1972, it's still good, but not as much care is taken.

[drjohncarpenter]

August 1970, by a mile.

Extra bonus points to the person who can name the primary influence on Elvis' cover version. No, it's neither Paul Simon nor Artie Garfunkel.

[Robert]

Easy choice for me:

'72.. "an emotional SOB..."

[elvisjock]

August 1970, by a mile.

Extra bonus points to the person who can name the primary influence on Elvis' cover version. No, it's neither Paul Simon nor Artie Garfunkel.

Aretha?

[Hans]

The On Tour version.......the smoothest version I ever heard and still very powerfull.

[Xaykev]

I like both....but my favorite is the On Tour version....
it's fantastic...!!

[Mike DK]

While both 70' and 72' versions are great I prefer his 1970 version.

I also think he does a fine job on the song in December 1976. On the cd "Love letters from Nevada" (audience recorded) he even sings part of it in falsetto (or whatever its called). While I don't like Elvis singing for most of 76' he did have a powerfull voice at the end of that year.

[drjohncarpenter]

Aretha?

It's not the great Ms. Franklin.

... in December 1976 ... he even sings part of it in falsetto ...

That was likely for Roy Orbison, who was in the audience for this performance. He pays "The Big O" a terrific compliment during that show as well.

[bajo]

B.J. Thomas

[elvispresleyfan1935]

Greensboro, NC April 14th 1972
No competetion to me...love the version done at this show!

[drjohncarpenter]

B.J. Thomas

And the extra points go to "bajo"! Well done.

[Scott Haigh 781990EP]

I thought it was Eva Cassidy. The karaoke cd i have is in the very same key as Elvis with that song. I use that backing track more than the 72 live version, its great.

[thekingisalive]

There are so many great versions of this song, but the ultimate one has got to be the very first, August 10, 1970. That one is hard to top. What a beauty. Other stunning versions include April 14, 1972; May 13, 1973; and May 7, 1975.

No artist in the world is even close to breaking Elvis’s top ten performances of this song. That says a lot.

Per

[Scott Haigh 781990EP]

Well said, not even the original.

But EOT wins it for me, his voice is so powerful and his expressions so great it sends chills, like many other Elvis songs. No other like him

[drjohncarpenter]

I thought it was Eva Cassidy.

Really? That's very interesting.

Can you tell us all how her live recording of the song, taped January 2, 1996 -- ten months before her untimely death -- influenced Elvis Presley's August 1970 performances?

One imagines you'll have to involve a ouija board in your explanation.

[Scott Haigh 781990EP]

Geez i did'nt know it was in the 1990s!! Holy, i was way off there. Her songs sounded to me like 70's

Whats an ouija board? lol

[Larry Dickman]

Greensboro '72.

[Marc Haegeman]

August 1970 - big time!

[dl]

I prefer the "On Tour Version". When I saw it for the first time it just blew me away. And it still does. Man, this guy could sing...

[Joe Car]

The August 10th 1970 version is unbelievable, nobody could do it better.

[ColinB]

Whats an ouija board? lol

It's a board marked with the letters of the alphabet and words like 'yes' & 'no' formed around a circle.

The participants all put their little finger of one hand on the bottom of an upturned glass and the glass spells out messages from the 'other side'.

Can be quite scary !

[OnTourCam]

Elvis on tour version IMO is the best version of bridge my friend and myself always talk about the Elvis on tour version from Greensboro it's amazing you can see on Elvis face and the band they have cut a very good version his so serious and nails it spot on which is the reason why his smiling during the ending amazing

Cam

[Steve Morse]

We've had this debate before.

For me, the ETTWII version wins by a mile. If I wanted to impress someone will Elvis's interpretion of a pop standard, I would play this version - to the whole world, in fact. I would NOT play the OT version, as I think it is slightly OTT !

The latter starts off beautifully, but Elvis seems to go off the rails towards the end of the song. Also, on the soundtrack, Elvis's voice is much more exposed and this much exposure needs a more refined treatment - conversely, perhaps the sound level on the orchestration should have been brought up much higher. Just my opinion !

Steve Morse