By Bob Berry

Funny how checking out one thing can lead to a whole new thing.

Wednesday’s Rolling Stone featured a story and just released audio of “American Trilogy“, coming October 30th in the new Elvis LP, If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.  It’s one of my favorite Elvis songs, so naturally I checked it out. (two thumbs up, btw)

But it was the next video that led me to the Keener Friday Song. The remix of 1968’s “A Little Less Conversation” by Dutch composer/producer Junkie XL.

Killer tune, killer re-mix.

Originally done for a Nike 2002 World Cup campaign, the video builds with the song, the action and edits coming at you at 128 beats a minute!

Get ready for some seat dancin’, and enjoy the Friday Song on Keener13.com!

By Bob Berry

Some say the answer to the question is simple: it was your senior year in High School.

So, for me, 1968 works pretty well. “Hey Jude”, “Love is Blue”, “People Got To Be Free”, “Dock Of The Bay”. Great tunes, great memories on instant recall.

Some say the answer is based simply on the significant music released. And on that basis, 1965 is your year.  “In The Midnight Hour”,  “Satisfaction”,  “Like a Rolling Stone”, “My Girl”, “Wooly Bully”, and a couple of albums by The Beatles, Help and Revolver.

But for the sake of discussion, try 1957 on for size. “Wake Up Little Susie”, “Come Go With Me”, “Little Darlin'”, “Party Doll”, “School Days” and “You Send Me”. On the strength of those alone, you got a new soundtrack for American Grafitti!

And there’s one more. One of the singularly iconic songs in the history of rock and roll, a monster that was Number One for 9 weeks, and was on the charts for almost a half a year!

You just knew Elvis was in here somewhere!

By Bob Berry

It’s amazing what can happen in the digital age, and this may be a topper.

Elvis went to London’s Abbey Road Studios!

More accurately, the voice-tracks of some of Elvis’ most iconic recordings went to Abbey Road, and a new album, If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is coming October 30th.

Think about that. Elvis, gone nearly 40 years. Tracks that go back up to 50 years or more. Brought to London, to the home of The Beatles, and with newly imagined arrangements with the RPO, new recordings will soon be in our hands. The 14-song LP will include “Burning Love”, “It’s Now Or Never”, “Love Me Tender” and “In The Ghetto”, plus-get this!, Michael Buble’ on a duet of “Fever”, and guitar legend Duane Eddy on “American Trilogy” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.

Priscilla Presley said the project “would have been a dream come true for Elvis”. While we wait for the dream to become reality, here’s the first single release from the new album, “If I Can Dream”, originally recorded for the ’68 Comeback Special. Enjoy!

And for comparison, the original. I read where the update has been called “not a new version, but a fuller version”. That sounds about right to me-see if you agree.

If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be released as a single CD, double LP vinyl and on digital services.

Like him or not, there’s no question that Elvis Presley still is a phenomenon. New generations, born long after he “left the building” are fascinated with his life and career, his recordings still sell at a brisk pace, and Elvis impersonators represent a measurable showbiz segment, wherever gamblers congregate, from the pueblos of New Mexico to the glitter of Las Vegas. August 16th marks 30 years since the King’s death. From the Freep, here is Terry Lawson’s Essential Elvis.