ELVIS SONG #28: (NOW AND THEN THERE'S) A FOOL SUCH AS I, 1959

When Cliff Richard took over the lead as the act with the most British charts singles around 1993, he didn't dethrone a fellow British act like the Beatles or Rolling Stones. Instead, it was Elvis Presley, who was every bit as popular in England as he was in the United States.

"(Now And Then There's) A Fool Such As I" is the #28 Elvis song of all time. It's also the #10 Fool song of all time. This was another example of Elvis the Pelvis taking an old standard and making it into a new-sounding hit. "A Fool Such As I" was originally a #4 country hit for Hank Snow in 1953 and Jo Stafford took it to #20 on the pop chart that same year. Bill Trader wrote the song in 1952 and it's also been recorded by Tommy Edwards and the Robins.

Elvis' version of "Fool Such As I" peaked at #2 in May of 1959 and was kept out the top spot by "Come Softly To Me" by the Fleetwoods. It was #1 in England for five weeks. Elvis recorded the song almost a year earlier (June 10, 1958) at RCA's Nashville Studios and Take #9 was used. This was Elvis' first session with Ray Walker of the Jordanaires.

NEXT TOMORROW AT #27: DON'T YOU DARE STEP ON THEM!!

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ELVIS SONG #29: PROMISED LAND, 1974

In 1965, Chuck Berry wrote "Promised Land" and took it to #41. Then, in 1971, Freddy Weller took a remake of the song to #3 on the country chart. James Taylor included the song in his "Walking Man" album.

Then Elvis took the song and made a first class rock and roll song....and it's the #29 Elvis song of all time. It reached #14 in late 1974 and it may be Elvis' fastest tempoed rocker ever. The Pelvis recorded the song about a year earlier, on December 15, 1973 to be exact. He recorded it at the Stax Studios in Memphis.

The recorded version saw a slight change done later on as the tambourine part was dubbed in later on by David Briggs. In spite of the song being among Elvis' fastest tempoed songs, it still went to #11 on the then-Easy Listening chart (which today is the AC, or Adult Contemporary) chart.

When I broke into radio as News Director at WDMP/Dodgeville-Mineral Point, Wisconsin, I hosted a weekday half-hour show called "The Other Music" on a station that otherwise played country music. I would salute Elvis on his birthday and deathdates...and every time I did, I would lead off with "Promised Land."