(137) ELVIS' #1 HIT 1961 ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT?

In 1961 Elvis had two number one hits on the charts. One was "Surrender" and the other was "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" which has a spoken part. It had been a hit for the entertainer Al Jolson in 1950.

Here is Elvis's 1961 version....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4HluUP8FbA

To compare, here is a YouTube video of Al Jolson and his 1950 version which has that Hollywood musical feeling to it. If you are not familiar with Al, he became controversial because of his use of black-face, in the tradition of the "Negro" vaudiville act. Friends to Al said that he was able to make inroads in show business that other African-American entertainers could not as a result. Enemies to Al said he was some sort of sell out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x-tQRvCnQX0

One of the reasons we want to post this comparison is to emphasize the fact that we were in the "cover-tune era." It was a rare thing that a singer or group wrote most or all of their own material. This was a terrific era for the songwriter! It helped if a songwriter could carry a tune but it wasn't necessary to sell a song. Buddy Knox, who I traveled on tour with, was THE FIRST TO WRITE HIS OWN NUMBER ON HIT - "Party Doll!"