Elvis Presley Advises Us To Be A 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'
Sep 04, 2020 by apost team
There are some musical artists that seem to remain a very present part of culture, even when they have not been around for a long time. Elvis Presley’s cover of the classic song Bridge Over Troubled Water by Simon & Garfunkel is the type of song that makes an artist seem contemporary.
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Some are surprised to find that this song was released way back in 1970. Bridge Over Troubled Water was on Simon & Garfunkel’s final album before they decided to call it quits. They had four other albums. The song was covered by Elvis around the time he made his comeback, years before he passed away in 1977.
Interestingly, this song was also covered by Aretha Franklin a year after it was first released.
During tough times in 1972, Elvis was touring as a B-list celebrity and a lot of time had passed. His life was being documented as a camera followed him from one city to the next. He sang the song as part of his set. Amazingly, quite a few videos exist of him singing the song during sets around the country.
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True to his style, Elvis was dramatic when performing this song. Having awesome backup singers and an amazing orchestra added to the appeal. His presence on stage was beautiful and powerful. It was different than the original version that had a somber tone. Many believe Presley took the song to a whole new level.
Although he called it a “touch on the dramatic side,” Paul Simon said he loved Presley’s version of the song. He even told Rolling Stone that he didn't know if he could actually compete with Presley’s version.
There was a version of the song restored on YouTube over a decade ago where Elvis wears his white suit during the performance. It’s a video that has nearly 30 million views. This alone tells you how much people still love Elvis. Restoring the audio helped viewers hear just how amazing he was on stage.
You have to keep in mind that autotune didn’t exist back then, so you’re able to get a feel for the power of his vocals. Although Elvis covered this song late in his career, it still ended up being a classic.
What do you think about the King’s version of Bridge Over Troubled Water? Ask a family member if they remember the song and watch them take a walk down memory lane.