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The Nation's Favourite Elvis Song - UK

April 25, 2013 | Other

Shiver, the factual arm of ITV Studios UK, has been commissioned by ITV to produce The Nation's Favourite Elvis Song, a 90-minute prime-time special focused on the top 20 songs by the King of Rock 'n' Roll. The production, which will air later in the year, features commentary from Priscilla Presley as well as a number of producers and musicians.

Mark Robinson, the creative director of Shiver, commented: "Our Nation's Favourite. format has celebrated some of the greatest acts in popular music, but none bigger than the King of Rock 'n' Roll himself. This special tells the fascinating stories behind Elvis' best known songs, in the words of the people who knew him best, climaxing with the revelation of The Nation's Favourite Elvis Song."

Phil Savill, the director of marketing for CMG/Sony Music, added: "I am delighted that ITV have chosen to celebrate the marvellous music of Elvis Presley with The Nation's Favourite Elvis Song ITV special. He is arguably still the Nation's Favourite recording artist and we are delighted that ITV will be counting down through his 20 most popular tunes to reveal The Nation's Favourite Elvis Song."

This is good news indeed for Elvis in the UK. A similar programme featuring the Bee Gees proved very successful chartwise. No date has yet been given.

Source:Brian Quinn
circleG wrote on April 26, 2013
wow why am i surprised that Elvis is still popular in the UK? I haven't heard of any resurgance in the charts or anything .Maybe more people are secretly discovering him. I hope this programme has footage of Elvis and only Elvis singing the hits. Sure we'll have seen it all before but it would be great for the younger crowd to see a real star !
Gorse wrote on April 26, 2013
I agree circleG that there has been no major revival but it is surprising how many programmes of all kinds refer to him one way or another. I believe the UK and the world would be receptive to a major production be it a convincing film of his life or a 5 volume DVD anthology suitably and massively publicised. The special mentioned here could at least lead to more newbies becoming interested in the man and his music and help ensure that the legend remains in the mainstream subconscious for many more years.
Brian Quinn wrote on April 26, 2013
This could lead to a Top 10 Album in the UK and should it do so then it will become Elvis' 50th Top 10 Album - a feat which no other artist or group has achieved. Brian
joemin wrote on April 27, 2013
Who decides what the top 20 most popular songs are? Will they pick his 20 biggest hits in the UK?
Harvey Alexander wrote on April 30, 2013
This will be plain awful. It'll be like the same channel's previous shows on 'Grease' and the Bee Gees: so-called 'celebrities' murdering Elvis songs with a few very short snippets of the real Elvis as an afterthought. Cheesy, cheap and embarrassing. And not forgetting: some moronic host thinking he's so funny by wearing a jumpsuit and saying "Thank you very much" in a southern drawl. Avoid! Avoid! Avoid!
dgirl wrote on May 01, 2013
A top 10 album? Really? Like I'm An Elvis Fan album was? Or Viva Elvis? All ideas that people predicted big things for but they flopped badly. Why this obsession with the charts almost 59 years after Elvis first recorded at Sun? That shipped has sailed , those days are over. I doubt Elvis (by himself) will ever have a top 10 album again. I'm ok with that.
alanfalk wrote on May 01, 2013
And why this obsession with what other fans think ? Before Elvis "30 number hits" went through the roof in many countries 11 years ago, many would have said the same. What I think is weird is, why the same people again and again come to this site "to discuss an entertainer that has been dead for over 30 years", when he in their eyes are so irrelevant ?! I for one would never go to a Beatles or Tom Jones fan site to discuss their ups and downs (oh, sorry I forgot, The Beatles never had any downs), because they are not interesting for me. But I guess that the real obsession is inside the head on all the people who prefer other entertainers but can't understand why most Elvis fans feel so strong about him as they do, when they themselves don't feel that way towards their own idols.
dgirl wrote on May 01, 2013
11 years ago is a lifetime in the music business. I don't really care what others think but I am allowed my opinion and I think that Elvis in the top 10 again is very unlikely and really not necessary in the scheme of things. Is it possible? Sure anything is possible in this world but I don't think it can happen again without a gimmick (maybe the long rumored duets) or something along the lines of ALLC which in truth helped the sales of 30 # 1 Hits along with the Disney movie which thrust Elvis into the limelight again. That was a long time ago and nothing has come close to that year since plus music buying habits have drastically changed. Elvis would have to be heavily downloaded to achieve a chart hit. Likely to happen? I think not. You want to slam me for that rational opinion? Be my guest.
alanfalk wrote on May 01, 2013
I am "slamming you" for your negative comment against people like Brian Quinn who wish for another chart topping album, calling them obsessed ! And as you are allowed to have and state your opinion, so am I and the rest of the people who think that your negative comment about Elvis is getting a little too much. When an album get a high placing there are always reasons for it, you can call it gimmick or whatever. And why do you care anyway, this was one example that show how Elvis is still relevant around the world and a few Elvis fans made a comment because it made them happy, and then you had to throw in another negative remark about these "obsessed" fans (at other times fans who doesn't think like you are, "not mature" or "will defend Elvis at any costs" ), and when then someone are answering you back in the same way you get offended, well you better get used to, it because when I see silly remarks I can't stop myself from responding to them :) .
dgirl wrote on May 01, 2013
It just seems some people are still obsessed with the charts, 36 years after his death. I find it kind of amazing people still care about it because the criteria for placing on the charts has changed so much it is irrelevant. The world has bigger problems than Elvis making the charts.
MickeyN wrote on May 02, 2013
I am totally with alanfalk on this. I love Brian Quinn's enthusiasm for Elvis and share his wish that present and future generations have the opportunity to appreciate Elvis' timeless quality and style. One way for that to happen is chart success and Brian is right to promote that. I am lucky that I am so musically "ignorant" that I actually like ALL of Elvis' different phases, all his songs, his concerts and his movies - they all entertained people so give it a rest dgirl; if there are bigger problems in the world than Elvis in the charts, why don't you use your "rational opinion" and go solve them? Leave us to our enthusiasm.
Gorse wrote on May 02, 2013
alanfalk don't get so upset with all of this, it is supposed to be fun. I don't agree with a lot dgirl says but in this instance she is spot on. It does need something spectacular to oust the 'living' folk from the charts, such as a magnificent film bio. The fact that people still know his name after all these years and still buy/download his recordings, albeit in smaller numbers is enough for me. Whatever the total record sales and chart entries are has become somewhat irrelevant in the great scheme of things. The one overriding and important fact is that the impact and image created by this colossus of the entertainment world will never be forgotten
alanfalk wrote on May 02, 2013
Gorse I mostly get a little upset (not much) when the same people again and again look down at/talk down to fans that in these peoples eyes are not fans in the real way or care more about Elvis than they do, these fans have been called names and have been tried ridiculed by a little group of people for some years now (I can tell by looking through old comments as I have only been a member for under one year). So it is not the discussion about if it is reasonably to believe in another chart topper from Elvis, but the way that those who wish for it are being talked down to, that i object to . And it goes without saying that there are more important things than chart placing in the world, but I really can't see what that has to do with this discussion, because if you follow that kind or reasoning then you might as well say that there are more important things in the world than music and then everyone (including dgirl) that are visiting this site are to blame. But back to the serious discussion, I would also like to see Elvis on the chart again, if not for anything else then to give him more exposure and maybe to inspire Sony to make (even more) quality releases. I know that the market is changing and cd sales are declining, but music in one form or another will always be sold, some years ago most people said that vinyls were 100% dead. And I think that the more people who buys Elvis music the more products we will get (maybe better versions of On tour and movies on Blue ray etc.). I also belong to the more optimistic part of the fans who will not be told that from now on fewer and fewer people will care about Elvis, and I will do what is in my power to keep him in peoples mind. I have just gathered 5 really dedicated danish fans who as I write this are making material for radio stations, journalists and High school teachers, about Elvis and his music, and we have planed a lot of other activities too. In the beginning this is a project mostly aimed at Denmark, but when we are well on our way then we will contact other European fan clubs and see if we can spread our ideas and material. If anyone would like to help in any way (we could especially use people who are good at making You Tube clips), then they are more than welcome to leave a message in my inbox. We fans can do more than complain over what is not done to promote Elvis, I think it is better to try to do something ourselves (as many good people such as Brian Quinn, Lex, Ciscoking and many others are doing), that doesn't mean that we can't also go out and save the whales "in a rational way of course ", but why should one exclude the other ? And MickeyN, you can put me in that "ignorant" group also :), but I guess we will just have to live with the shame LOL. Oh just a side note, two years ago a guy in Denmark made a copy (only on the outside) of Graceland, inside there are a big Elvis museum, a cinema showing Elvis documentaries , a shop selling everything Elvis, a diner in 50' style and a big banquet facilities you can rent for parties of any kind. First year 50.000 people visited this place (the numbers for second year hasn't come yet, but it has gotten more popular it seems), and the banquet facility is booked one year out in the future. On its first year birthday a full size bronze statue were put up and this year a replica of Elvis birth house in Tupelo were revealed. Now you can think what you will about this (I didn't write this to start a discussion "pro et contra"), but it does say a little about Elvis' ongoing popularity !
Gorse wrote on May 03, 2013
Ok alanfalk I truly acknowledge your points of view and give you due respect for your energy and ideas. All I say is enjoy it all as much as you can and accept that we are all coming from different angles in the Elvis world, and we are here all doing our bit, albeit small in most cases, to help continue the legend. Anyway good luck my friend with your enterprise.
dgirl wrote on May 03, 2013
Gorse - yes different angles. Here's the difference. Most of you folks are in Europe. Elvis no doubt can chart maybe again in Europe. Here in the States I think his popularity is much less than in Europe. When I post I look at things from a USA point of view and I probably shouldn't. I never consider European charts and I should because Elvis and 50's and 60's music in general are much more relevant there. We don't even have an oldies station anymore. The oldies stations here now generally play 70's & 80's with a few songs 1965-69. Elvis' classic stuff is virtually ignore on radio now. So you get my point? It would be very hard for Elvis to chart again with that kind of situation. Yes, I think it is possible in other parts of the world. Amazing he is so popular outside the States since he never toured the world.
Gorse wrote on May 03, 2013
Yes I see where you are coming from dgirl and mainly agree. It is interesting that artists like Buddy Holly, Eddie Cochran and Jim Reeves charted for years after their demise in the UK but appeared to be forgotten very quickly by the masses in the USA. Everyone has their idea of creating a magnificent vehicle for Elvis to appeal to the wider public at a high impact level, and I think it could possibly happen even in the USA with a well thought out ONE OFF. We fans would have to recognise that it would then subside back to a more sustainable level after a comparatively short time
Mr Cool wrote on May 04, 2013
Thinking this show will actually be positive and yes i can see some kind of compilation tieing in with it for the general public. Have to diagree slightly with some comments, according to regular chart updates Elvis sells 10k+ units every week in U.S. More at christmas and anniversarys.Believe icons like Elvis and The Beatles will always sell as new generations discover real music...
In-A-Flash wrote on May 05, 2013
My impression at Elvis concerts and other events is that at least 67% of the audience is aged below 50 years. Not many of today's fans originate from the period 1956-1963 anymore when Elvis dominated the music scene. Still some way to go but this is from an European perspective indeed. On the other hand, I made the statement amongst younger colleagues (in their twenties and talking about music) that it is really hard to understand people not liking Elvis or The Beatles. To my amazement they said you are absolutely right, that is rivalry amongst old people, we regard them as the Beethoven and Mozart of popular music!
sunrecords56 wrote on May 22, 2013
Does Tommy Steele get to hold the crying towel?