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Amen
Words & Music:
J. Hairston
Recorded:
1975/05/06Reactions
First, I don't especially enjoy listening to it, BUT I think it is pretty interesting for Elvis to have sort of grounded "I Got A Woman" with it's gospel roots. Also, I'd imagine Elvis liked the song-along aspect of the song, making it feel like one of those gospels sings he'd go to when he was younger. But no matter how much I can say in favor of it, between the sexism of "I Got a Woman" and the long drawn out JD bits of "Amen", I almost always skip both.
Always performed in a medley with "I Got A Woman" in numerous concerts from 1973-1977. I first heard this medley on the 1977 Elvis LP "Elvis In Concert" (although it was first released on the 1974 LP "Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis") and I loved it. Elvis transitions beautifully from an upbeat rocker into this gospel number and invites the audience to sing along. From there he allows JD Sumner to show off his unbelievably deep voice (the dive bomber) and then goes into a silly narrative about how he can't stand still. Did he do it too much in concert? Maybe. Did he ever think that 32 years after he died us crazy fans would be buying audience and soundboard recordings of every concert we could get our hands on? The answer is No.
A concert rut. Once Elvis got into a schtick, he didnt let it go. Too bad becaus this became unbearable after a while.
Why spoil 'I Got A Woman' with this carnival-intermezzo-like gospel nursery rhyme?
Elvis had a habit of taking some songs to their exacting limit this is just one of them. Extremely tedious and a version that will have Curtis Mayfeild spinning in his grave.
Yes its too bad it turned into a kind of goof with JD. This is a great Gospel/Christmas song by The Impressions, a hit single in 1964. Elvis could have blown the doors off it had he done it in a studio for either a Gospel or Christmas LP.
A nice song if Elvis hadn't turned it into a live freak show with JD Sumner; I usually skip it.
I like JD on this one,costed me some speakers too.
It's torture to listen to.
Enjoyable the first 500 times, then it begins to get tedious, especially after 1974 when it just dragged on forever...
Boring. It takes all the power away. Always skip it.
Heard it too much. The message to little
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