Simon and Garfunkel are an iconic duo for the ages. They’re responsible for the soundtrack of just about any film set in the 60’s. Double points for a film that references the film “The Graduate”, with such notable songs from the folk duo as “The Sound of Silence”, and of course, “Mrs. Robinson”. They’ve inspired countless other musicians to form their own folk groups and get their own singer/songwriter thing going.
But notably, they don’t only inspire amateurs… Sometimes they inspire kings…
And not just any old kings, The King himself, Elvis Presley.
In a recently remixed video of Elvis singing “Like a Bridge over Troubled Water”, we can hear how even some of the greatest entertainers of all time can put their own spin on their fantastic work. He brings all the swooning rock n’ roll charm that we associate Elvis with, while still honoring the slow, emotional tone of the song.
The remixed sound is fantastic!
It sounds as if the recording was made only a few years ago, crystal clear and perfectly balanced. The white noise you normally get with older recordings, and the quality of the vocal recording has been matched to modern standards, and The King has never sounded better.
The song is so sentimental, and Elvis’s warming, low voice is a perfect match.
Well you can see why they call him The King, when his vocal range, control and tone are all so perfect. In this clip he’s come a long way from the knee swingin’ rock n’ roller of his earlier career, but his…let’s say tempered, voice lends such a comforting nature to the song about helping a loved one or friend in a time of need.
And he’s wearing the iconic jumpsuit!
I’d hazard a guess that most young people would only be able to recognize Elvis in this infamous white jumpsuit with the big quiffed hair and sideburns. It’s quite a look and there’s definitely a reason that it has stuck! It’s the one look to rule them all, I mean, who wouldn’t want to rock an oversized studded collar?
And his backup singers are amazing!
As the song builds the way that it does, the background singers play a larger and larger part. The orchestral element swells, and the band all raise the energy. This is when the remix really shines, and the sound quality is excellent despite the overall volume rising and the balance being pushed.
Finally the climax of the song arrives, and it sends chills down your spine!
At the big finale, you really get a sense of not just Elvis’s talent, but how adored he is by his fans. The lights go up and the audience are rapturous. He throws up his arms triumphantly and the orchestra seems to follow him as some sort of quiffed conductor.
And the comments tend to think that Elvis is the greatest of all time!
“No one ever has nor anyone will ever come close to this guy.He is simply the greatest singer of all time. End of story”- Dire Straits
It’s hard to argue with that after listening to that song! Good thing we have fantastic songs by singer/songwriters such as Paul Simon and Art Garfunkel to let Elvis make his own!
Watch the full video below to be wowed by this incredible rendition of a beautiful song!
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