Thursday, June 20, 2013

Fine Young Cannibals: their eponymous debut album, with a nod to Elvis


I am reading a book called Sun King - about Sam Phillips, who of course founded Sun Records and - this is undisputed: discovered Elvis Presley.  And on the record above - the Fine Young Cannibals cover Suspicious Minds. The self-titled Fine Young Cannibals is an album released in 1985 by the band of the same name.  The success of their UK #8 debut single "Johnny Come Home" did not continue with the next single, "Blue", which languished at #41 in the UK.  The version of "Blue" on the original vinyl LP and cassette was re-mixed for the single release in an attempt to boost its commercial appeal.  The re-mix version features additional electronically processed drum and percussion sounds, giving it a sound typical of other 1980s technopop hits.  The currently available CD features the re-mix version in place of the original album version.   Ah - but here is more: turns out "Suspicious Minds" is a song written by American songwriter Mark James.  After James' recording failed commercially, the song was handed to Elvis Presley by producer Chips Moman, becoming a number one song in 1969, and one of the most notable hits of Presley's career.  "Suspicious Minds" was widely regarded as the single that returned Presley's career success, following his '68 Comeback Special.  It was his seventeenth and last number-one single in the United States.  Rolling Stone later ranked it No. 91 on their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

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