Shake It Like a Polaroid Picture...

Just as our latest production at the theatre was getting underway – our house manager was trying to get together a playlist to have going in our lobby before & after the show that dealt with our show. He’d printed a list of popular love songs – and love/hate songs. I offered to burn him some music so he didn’t pay for anything on iTunes. Going over said list, I casually remarked which songs I thought I had, or knew I didn’t.

Apparently, owning 2 songs by Elvis Presley – is just not enough. Floyd teased me mercilessly & prompted my trip to the local library, where I was lucky enough to find Elvis Presley: The Top Ten Hits Volumes 1 & 2. Thirty-eight songs later — in addition to my own Elvis tracks (Jailhouse Rock & You Were Always On My Mind, respectively) I know have fourty songs by The King.

I’ve always found Elvis to be a bit of an oddity, particularly as he got older. His evolution was strangely hipnotic. It wasn’t graceful – nothing that involves rhinestones is. But he was a cultural phenomenon.  And some of his songs are exceptionally good. I can even forgive the fact that most people know his version of  Hound Dog instead of Big Mama Thornton’s. And those cheesy movies… Elvis actually grew on me alot after seeing Bruce Campbell’s performance in the ridiculous Bubba Ho-Tep, and then even moreso after reading the Sookie Stackhouse series (fellow readers will understand).

I’ve added 3 highlight songs to my 101 Tracks list in honor of the occasion: All Shook Up, Hearbreak Hotel, & Burning Love.
Now, if I can just get my mom to stop telling me how great the new Michael Bublé album is & actually let me borrow it… we’ll be golden!