In 1996, Jon Bon Jovi and Willy DeVille combined for a moving duet on “Save the Last Dance for Me.”
In March 1996, Jon Bon Jovi and Willy DeVille appeared on television in Paris, singing the classic song, “Save the Last Dance for Me.” Bon Jovi was a popular artist still riding high from his band’s music and solo work, having recently released These Days (1995), which did even better in Europe than in the U.S. DeVille, an influential singer-songwriter who had been recording for decades both with his band Mink DeVille and as a solo artist, was going through a period where he was more popular in Europe than in the U.S.
Bon Jovi was in his early 30’s, while DeVille, due to a heroin habit he would eventually kick, looked even older than his age of 45. But here, across the generations, the pop star and the independent underground legend created magic out of a hit song written before Bon Jovi was even born. First made famous by the Drifters in a 1960 release, “Save the Last Dance for Me” also had a fascinating back story behind the song and its writer Doc Pomus (who also worked with DeVille several times throughout their careers).
In the Paris TV performance, Bon Jovi and DeVille and the song join for an odd combination that should not work. But somehow they create some magic. Check it out.
Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis” movie portrays a dramatic moment where Elvis Presley shows up to perform for a TV special and surprises Col. Parker with “If I Can Dream.” Did it really happen that way?
Austin Butler as Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s “Elvis”
Having read several books about Elvis Presley, I was caught off guard while watching director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis movie (2022) as Colonel Parker and others waited for Elvis to sing a Christmas song on a Christmas set for the Singer . . . Presents Elvis 1968 television special. As portrayed in the film, Parker brings executives to watch Elvis sing about Santa Claus on a full Christmas set.
Suddenly, Elvis, shaken by the killings of Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy, appears in a white outfit. He faces the Christmas set that is all prepared and instead sings “If I Can Dream,” a “protest” song to close out what would become known as the ’68 Comeback Special. Elvis thereby flashes his independence from Colonel Parker in a last-minute surprise move, showing his dedication to music and to civil rights.
Did it really happen that way? Well, sort of, but not quite. More importantly, why did Luhrmann make the changes he did?
What Luhrmann’s “Elvis” Gets Right?
It is true that Colonel Parker originally wanted Elvis to tape a Christmas special. And it is true that Elvis, supported by producer Bob Finkel and director Steve Binder, instead put together a completely different show. That show, recorded in June 1968 and broadcast in December of that year, featured Elvis singing non-Christmas songs, including staged performances and an intimate sit-down jam before an audience. The TV special ultimately only included one Christmas song (“Blue Christmas“) that Elvis performed on stage with no Christmas decorations.
And it is true that the special re-invigorated Elvis and his music career after a decade of making movies of varying quality. And it is correct that the show closed, as actor Austin Butler portrays, with Elvis giving a powerful performance of “If I Can Dream.”
What Luhrmman’s “Elvis” Gets Wrong?
But there was no Christmas set or surprise Elvis performance of “If I Can Dream” while dancers dressed in holiday garb looked on. By the time Elvis performed “If I Can Dream” on the set, everyone was on board with the scrapping of the Christmas theme. And even though Parker had said that “If I Can Dream” “ain’t Elvis’ kind of song,” he was also on board with the changes by the time Elvis sang the song, realizing how much Elvis wanted to do it.
So nobody at the set was surprised the day Elvis sang “If I Can Dream.” And there was no big Christmas scene all set up, facing Elvis as he sang or anywhere.
Why Did Luhrmann Change the Way the TV Special Happened?
Yes, Baz Luhrmann takes some liberties in his excellent film about Elvis Presley, but the changes highlight the drama and the choices that Elvis made. Even though in real life the original plan was for a Christmas special, Elvis’s desire for something different and his commitment did alter the course of his career.
Having Presley sing “If I Can Dream” facing the alternate reality of the Christmas set in the movie highlights the contrast of what might have been, even if it did not quite occur in exactly the same way. It’s a wonderful visual image to illustrate what really happened. As reviewer Sean Burns has correctly noted, the film takes risks by not following the conventional sameness of TV-style movies we are inundated with these days. And such risks are necessary to illustrate Elvis’s “impact and the power of the dream therein.”
More importantly, the difference between reality and the images in the movie can be explained by the movie’s concept itself. The movie Elvis is narrated by Colonel Tom Parker, played by Tom Hanks. So, everything in the film is shown from the memory of the character Parker. And as we see at several points, Parker is portrayed as an unreliable narrator.
Thus, the images of the “If I Can Dream” performance should be taken, in the context of the film, as Parker’s recollection (or the recollection of the movie “character” of Tom Parker). So, Hanks’s Parker in old age is in 1997 remembering back to the 1968 performance. Thus, it makes sense that the character’s unreliable memory creates a more dramatic moment than reality.
So, in the movie character Parker’s memory of Elvis rejecting his plan for a Christmas special, it all comes to a head with Parker wearing in a Christmas sweater sitting with executives from the sponsore. In Parker’s memory in the film, Elvis was going to sing “Here Comes Santa Claus” right up to the final moments, with the stage all set up.
In reality, though, the closing song at one point was “I’ll Be Home for Christmas.” The movie character’s “memory” of of the more jovial “Here Comes Santa Claus” creates more of a contrast with Elvis’s chosen closer “If I Can Dream.” And Parker’s faulty memory of the song, the stage, and the dramatic moment all highlight the betrayal Parker felt when Elvis rejected his plan.
“If I Can Dream”
The song “If I Can Dream” was written specifically for Elvis and the special. So it would have been difficult to hide the surprise. W. Earl Brown wrote “If I Can Dream” for Elvis Presley once it was decided that the show would close with something other than a Christmas song. The song indirectly echoes some of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s language because the songwriters understood how King’s assassination in Memphis had affected Elvis.
There is reference in Elvis to “If I Can Dream” as a “protest song.” But the words are much more generic than a specific protest or direct call for social justice. The lyrics themselves really cannot be offensive to anyone. But it was a change for Elvis, who had generally avoided anything with a whiff of politics.
There must be peace and understanding sometime; Strong winds of promise that will blow away the doubt and fear; If I can dream of a warmer sun, Where hope keeps shining on everyone, Tell me why, oh why, oh why won’t that sun appear?
So, it is not a strong protest song on its face. We do get “a beckoning candle.” And the singer does “dream of a better land /Where all my brothers walk hand in hand.”
Yet, any vagueness in the lyrics is overcome by Elvis’s impassioned performance. Elvis’s energized vocals on the song, as well as the language that indirectly invokes Martin Luther King Jr., creates a strong statement from someone who did not make strong statements. I love the song and Elvis’s performance.
The movie features another image that reflects another truth about the recording. Before showing Elvis on stage singing the song, Luhrmann has Elvis on his back on the floor singing it while others look on. It is true that at one point during the recording of the record in the studio, Elvis did lay down on the floor, actually in the dark, to get more power in his vocals.
After the ’68 Comeback Special closed with “If I Can Dream,” Elvis went on to make more fantastic music as part of this comeback. During the making of the special, he had told Binder, “I never want to sing any more songs I don’t believe in.” Unfortunately, he could not maintain that faith to the end. But he did create a stunning moment in 1968, even if everyone’s memory of that moment may differ.
On a powerful new single release of “You’re Not Alone” to benefit charity, Allison Russell gets some help from Brandi Carlile for an inspirational recording.
Two of the most talented living singer-songwriters Allison Russell and Brandi Carlile recently joined voices on “You’re Not Alone.” The duet is one of the most powerful pieces of music we have heard in a long time.
The song, written and produced by Russell, as noted by her website, features “inspiring meditation on the power of ancestral strength and the essential nature of community.” Russell, who was born in Montreal, includes French lyrics in the song, stressing the universality of its message that during difficult times we can find hope from others, past and present.
Originally, Russell’s former group Our Native Daughters included their beautiful version of “You’re Not Alone” on their 2019 debut album. In the new version of “You Are Not Alone,” the song begins with quiet strings, building in strength. The song’s musicians include Sista Strings: Monique Ross, Chauntee Ross, and Larissa Maestro.
In the cradle of the circle (oh, In the cradle of the circle), All the ones that came before you (all the ones who came before you), Their strength is yours now (their strength is yours); You’re not alone.
Why did Russell decide to release a new version of her song now, besides the fact that she has found a bond with Carlile, part of her “chosen family”? Well, recent events, such as school shootings and the Supreme Court’s decision in Dobbs, seem to have influenced the inspirational new version.
With this release, Russell explained: “Every child deserves to be loved and protected. Our families with LGBTQIA+ parents are just as precious. No one should be forced into the sacred role of parenthood against their will. Human Rights are worth fighting for. We’ve come a long way but we must go farther still.”
Russell and Carlile are currently touring together. Check out Russell and Carlile performing “You’re Not Alone” live at Bethel Woods in Bethel, NY on August 19, 2022.
Arlo McKinley’s outstanding timely and timeless album “This Mess We’re In” reflects on pain, loss, and hope.
Singer-songwriter Arlo McKinley has followed up his critically aclaimed 2020 album Die Midwestern with another outstanding outing on This Mess We’re In (2022). While the new album, like the previous one, mines the tragedies of life, McKinley’s warm voice reminds us we are not travelling alone.
Songs on This Mess We’re In reflect McKinley’s attempts to make some sense of everything, or at least to find some hope. As NPR describes, the new album “reflects on loss, addiction, self-forgiveness and navigating this post-pandemic world.” Like for many of us, the last few years have not been easy on McKinley. Having struggled with his own addiction in the past, McKinley faced several losses in the last few years, including the deaths of his mother and several close friends.
“Now I know that nothing is forever; And no one leaves As perfect as they came.” – “Dancing Days”
McKinley writes from his personal experiences but as in all good art, the personal is universal. Many of the songs on This Mess We’re In touch on heartbreak (“I Don’t Mind”), longing and loneliness (“Rushintherug”), addiction and striving to get back home (in a lovely duet with songwriter Logan Halstead on “Back Home”), male friendship (“City Lights”), and loss (“Here’s to the Dying,” a song McKinley wrote about his mother passing away).
The album’s themes are timeless, but they also seem especially right and inspired by modern times. There’s even what appears to be a nod to youthful revolutionary spirits in “To Die For,” a song McKinley wrote about the music industry.
We watched as they chose to ignore, The changing of the guard and the sound; We were few but we were ready for war; A war, to burn this place to the ground. — “To Die For”
Despite the willingness to confront the darkness, McKinley maintains there may be some light at the end of the tunnel, especially in the touching piano ballad of the title track, “This Mess We’re In.” As in “To Die For,” the singer again references setting the world on fire, but in a different way, with the woman he loves. In the struggle to get through the mess, the singer finds “proof that the bad days do get better” and “proof that love is still alive.”
McKinley has further explained, that despite the tragedies reflected in many of the songs, “I don’t think any of them are without hope. I never write a song where I feel it comes across as being defeated completely. I may feel defeated at this moment, but it can get better – that’s the mindset I’m writing from.”
The overall sound of the album is not a major digression from Die Midwestern, although McKinney has noted that This Mess We’re In features mores strings and organs. The Ohio artist further explained to the Cincinnati Enquirer that during the making of the new album, “I was listening to a lot of Nick Cave and Nick Drake at this time. I think some Nick Drake snuck in there. It was different from anything I’ve done yet. A lot of this record is different than anything I’ve put out.”
And then there is McKinley’s outstanding voice. Arlo McKinley remains one of the outstanding singer-songwriters we are lucky to still have around, producing wonderful albums since signing as a solo artist on John Prine’s Oh Boy Records. Check out the first single from This Mess We’re In, “Stealing Dark From the Night Sky.”
What is your favorite song on The Mess We’re In? Leave your two cents in the comments.
Merle Haggard and Marty Robbins had a close relationship that connected in their songs as well as Merle’s impersonation of Marty.
After Merle Haggard wrote one of his greatest songs, he originally planned to give it to another artist. As Haggard wrote and first sang “Today I Started Loving You Again,” he thought it sounded like it should be a song by Marty Robbins.
Haggard then planned to give the song to Marty Robbins. But, unfortunately for Robbins, the timing did not work out right.
Haggard and Robbins
As Haggard explains in the video below, after he wrote “Today I Started Loving You Again,” he ended up going into the studio to record an album before he talked to Robbins. So, he went ahead and recorded the song himself. And the classic song is remembered in Haggard’s voice.
Perhaps had there been cell phones back then, Haggard would have texted Robbins right after he wrote “Today I Started Loving You Again.” And history would have been a little different.
You can get a sample of how the song sounds in the voices of both of the great singers below.
Haggard’s Song
Haggard wrote “Today I Started Loving You Again” in 1967. At the time, he was still married to Bonnie Owens, who often wrote down the songs as Haggard created them.
Although the two would divorce in 1978 and later find other partners in love, they remained close to each other through the rest of their lives. Owens continued to sing backup in Haggard’s band until 2006. And “Today I Stopped Loving You” remained with a special meaning for the two.
Haggard released “Today I Started Loving You Again” as a B-side in 1968, and today is a classic, even though the original release did not hit the charts. The song began reaching a wider audience when Sammi Smith covered the song in 1975, and it has since been covered by a number of artists.
As for Marty Robbins, Haggard and Robbins had a mutual respect and friendship. Robbins later did record a version of Haggard’s “If We Make It Through December.”
Beyond the song connections, their personal connection is even more apparent in this video of Haggard doing a spot-on impersonation of Robbins.
If that is not enough of a connection between the two to illustrate their friendship, Haggard named his son Marty after Robbins, who passed away December 8, 1982. Merle Haggard passed away on April 6, 2016.
What Merle Haggard song do you wish Marty Robbins would have recorded? Leave your two cents in the comments.
