Footage Shows Elvis Performing 'Suspicious Minds' Live In Las Vegas In 1970

Feb 14, 2020 by apost team

There are many things about the Elvis Presley hit "Suspicious Minds" that are often discussed in social media platforms; some facts about the songs are distorted while others are incorrect, but there is one item of consensus about the greatness that the King injected into this signature melody when he staged a comeback in Las Vegas.

When you watch a video clip of one of Presley's many performances of "Suspicious Minds," you understand why he was called the King.

This song is not a Presley original; it was originally written and recorded by songwriter Mark James, a prolific hitmaker from Texas who would go on to pen a few songs for Presley. James took a chance on "Suspicious Minds" by recording it himself, but it did not achieve the acclaim that producers initially hoped for.

Presley loved everything about the song, and he did not touch the arrangement too much; however, he did inject a substantial amount of feeling to the vocals because this is something he always admired from African-American soul bands.

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"Suspicious Minds" was pretty progressive at the time it was recorded during the Summer of Love. Instead of a syrupy love ballad, this song dealt with a relationship plagued by trust issues and jealousy.

As for the instrumental track, it borrowed some of the jazzy riffs that soul bands were starting to play at the time, and which would later be incorporated into the emerging disco musical genre. You hear a string section, an ethereal female chorus, and brass connecting the rhythm with Presley's vocal delivery floating above it all like a salsa singer.

This would be the last Presley song to claim the top spot of the Billboard charts, and it became legendary because when the King moved his show to Las Vegas, he truly rocked Sin City in the style that Frank Sinatra had previously done years before, and he did it with a blend of rock, country, rhythm and blues, and even a couple of soul numbers.

If anything, Presley paved the way for the rock and country residency acts currently doing very well in Las Vegas.

Some Elvis fans believe that his retirement from showbiz was right on time because he had plans to move into disco. There is no question his music would have ruled on the dance floor; alas, he tragically passed away in 1977. Pass this video clip on to your friends and relatives, particularly younger music fans who can appreciate great performances when they see them.