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He'll Have to Go

Rating:
3.8 / 5

Words & Music: Joe Allison Audrey Allison

Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone
Just pretend that we're together all alone
Tell the man to turn the juke box way down low
You can tell your friend there with you, he'll have to go

You can't say the words I want to hear
When your with another man
If you love me, answer yes or no
Darling I will understand

Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone
Just pretend that we're together all alone
Tell the man to turn the juke box way down low
You can tell your friend there with you, he'll have to go

You can't say the words I want to hear
When your with another man
If you love me, answer yes or no
Darling I will understand

Just put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone
Just pretend that we're together all alone
Tell the man to turn the juke box way down low
And you can tell your friend there with you, he'll have to go
Yes you can tell your friend there with you, he'll have to go

Recordingdate: 1976/10/30, first released on: Moody Blue (album)

Musicians

Musicians who contributed to the first recording of He'll Have to Go:

(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(electric piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)

Others*

(steel guitar)
(moog)

*Orchestra, overdubs

Availability

Find available albums with He'll Have to Go.

dgirl wrote on August 10, 2009
Cant touch the Jim Reeves classic which is a country/pop standard. Too draggy.
Deano1 wrote on February 28, 2010
Another very solid rendition of a country standard that was made popular by Jim Reeves in 1959-60. Of the two version, Jim's is the one that drags, but his record was very good. Elvis put quite a bit into his version, but not near as much emotion as he put into most of the "Jungle Room" tracks. Elvis' version does have a little bit of a soul in it and brings back fond memories of his classic renderings of "Funny How Time Slips Away" and "There Goes My Everything". I will call it a draw between "Gentleman Jim" and Elvis. Noteworthy as the last song Elvis ever recorded (not counting concert recordings).
sugartummy wrote on March 11, 2013
I prefer the Ry Cooder version, but the song is so good, it's hard to spoil it.
Gorse wrote on July 25, 2013
A competent performance by Elvis on this song but it just lacks that bit of magic one comes too expect from him. I too prefer the Jim Reeves version which seemed to suit his silky baritone a bit more than our boy - 3 1/2 stars
cookingfat wrote on November 08, 2013
A dirge,sounds like Elvis recorded it after one too many pills awful.
Jerome wrote on November 08, 2013
Think when he recorded this he was thinking of firing Red and Sonny- "He'll have to go"...
ElvisSacramento wrote on November 08, 2013
I do like Elvis' version of this classic Country gem, but I prefer Jim Reeves' smash hit recording of it by far.
JerryNodak wrote on November 08, 2013
I prefer the Jim Reeves version. But I like Elvis' version. He does it his way. Jim Reeves, 5 stars. Elvis, 3 and a half.
Great Dane wrote on November 08, 2013
I have several records of Jim Reeves but i can't play them in one row, i can't stand his voice that long. So i'll take Elvis' version any time. 4 stars from me.
Cruiser621 wrote on January 09, 2018
One of the few songs that really stick out to my ears. Luv it.
Torments my heart wrote on December 19, 2018
Just listened to Jim's version. I wasn't around when it came out so don't have the warm memories that accompany the time but listening to it cold and then listening to Elvis' version, the Elvis performance is much more tender and relatable... Jim hits all the notes but I don't believe a word he says.
Steve V wrote on December 19, 2018
The Elvis version seems to never end and is produced poorly. Give me the brilliant sounding RCA Studio B Jim Reeves version any day. Big crossover hit in 1960.
bajo wrote on December 12, 2019
Country soul, if there ever was such musikal style. I don't compare great recordings among artists. I can easily like many different performances by different artists. Elvis' rendition of this song is very good imo! He gave it his own touch, and that's what I like. Jim Reeves was a great singer, I really like him. But, when I play He'll Have To Go it's Elvis!
DerekH wrote on July 23, 2022
Not great, but better than some others
Milky White Way wrote on July 23, 2022
This is the worst song of the Jungle room sessions. It drags and feels tired. I love the sessions but skip this one every time.
Pachakuti! wrote on July 24, 2022
Slightly prefer Jim's version, but you cannot say Elvis simply copied it. Country soul is a nice term. Maybe if he had tried it live it could have been even more "real"? 4 stars from me.
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