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Without a Song...
Quotes about Elvis's singing talent and voice - submitted
by Sue Adams
(About his musical style, and impact as a
vocalist)
Included below are comments currently available either on the internet, in
reference guides, encyclopedias, or books, made by Music editors, producers and
songwriters; Record company CEO´s; Theater critics; Music professors, publishers
and commentators; Recording sound engineers; Musicians in the Classical, Pop,
Blues, Gospel, R&B, Soul, Rock, C&W and Latin-American music fields; Voice
teachers and coaches; Rock and Popular Music historians; and writers on the
Humanities, the Arts, as well as on Social, Racial, Literary, Copyright-Law and
other related studies
* * * * *
"Elvis Presley has been described variously as a baritone and a tenor. An
extraordinary compass- the so-called register-, and a very wide range of vocal
color have something to do with this divergence of opinion. The voice covers two
octaves and a third, from the baritone low-G to the tenor high B, with an upward
extension in falsetto to at least a D flat. Presley's best octave is in the
middle, D-flat to D-flat, granting an extra full step up or down. Call him a
high baritone. In "It's'now or never", (1960), he ends it in a full voice
cadence (A, G, F), that has nothing to do with the vocal devices of Rhythm and
Blues and Country. That A-note is hit right on the nose, and it is rendered less
astonishing only by the number of tracks where he lands easy and accurate
B-flats. Moreover, he has not been confined to one type of vocal production. In
ballads and country songs he belts out full-voiced high G's and A's that an
opera baritone might envy. He is a naturally assimilative stylist with a
multiplicity of voices - in fact, Elvis' is an extraordinary voice, or many
voices"
- Henry Pleasants, in his book "The Great American Popular Singers" (1974)
"I suppose you'd had to call him a lyric baritone, although with exceptional
high notes and unexpectedly rich low ones. But what is more important about
Elvis Presley is not his vocal range, nor how high, or low it extends, but where
its center of gravity is. By that measure, Elvis was all at once a tenor, a
baritone and a bass, the most unusual voice I've ever heard"
- Gregory Sandows, Music Professor at Columbia University, published in "The
Village Voice".
"I am reminded of a comment made shortly after the death of Elvis Presley by a
musician he had worked with. He pointed out that despite an impressive vocal
range of two and a half octaves and something approaching perfect pitch, Elvis
was perfectly willing to sing off-key when he thought the song required it.
Those off-key notes were art."
- Patrick H. Adkins, The Dream Vaults of Opar
"He got even more maturity in his voice as he got older; I was often amazed at
his range, just as one singer listening to another. He could sing anything. I've
never seen such a versality, and in fact I don't see it today. Usually a voice
can sing one way, but he had that ability about him, and he helped me to learn
the importance of communication with an audience. He had such great soul. He had
the ability to make everyone in the audience think that he was singing directly
to them. He just had a way with communication that was totally unique"
- Gospel tenor Shawn Nielsen, who backed Presley`s recordings both with the
"Imperials" and with the group "Voice", at the studio and in concert, from the
late sixties until Presley's death in 1977
"Presley brought an
excitement to singing, in part because rock and roll was greeted as his
invention, but for other reasons not so widely reflected on: Elvis Presley
had the most beautiful singing voice of any human being on earth."
- William F. Buckley, Jr., in his article "The Crooner, R.I.P.: Perry Como
and the casual mode," published by the National Review on June 11, 2001.
"He would probably be considered a baritone, but he could reach notes that most
baritone singers could not. Much of his abilities emanated from a very intense
desire to execute a song as he wanted to do it, which meant that he really sang
higher than he would normally be able to. When the adrenalin is going, and the
song is really pumping, you can get into that mode where you can actually do
things, vocally, that you couldn’t normally do. So he had a tremendous range
because of his desire to excel and be better, and that’s why he could do a lot
of things that most people couldn’t."
- Terry Blackwood, lead singer of the Gospel group, the "Imperials"
"Elvis' initial hopes for a music career involved singing in a gospel male
quartet. His favorite part was bass baritone, and he himself had an almost
3-octave vocal range... Yet to posterity's surprise, such a superlative and
magnetic natural talent always remained humble --perhaps too humble to keep
performing forever."
- IMDb's review of his appearance in Frank Sinatra's 1960's "Welcome Home
Party for Elvis Presley" TV special.
"The young Elvis Presley, without any doubt."
Top New Zealand opera star and soprano Kiri Te Kanawa's answer to UK
show-host Michael Parkinson ( who probably expected her to name Luciano
Pavarotti, or Maria Callas), when asked whose was the greatest voice she had
ever heard (as published in Blabbermouth.net, 3 January 2007)
"People will often say that opera singers sound too stiff and operatic when
singing contemporary music. This is because the vowels in an operatic style tend
to be more open, whereas in a rock style singers tend to thin out the vowel.
There is nothing wrong, and everything right, in opening the vowel in the higher
register so that the higher notes can be sustained. Elvis Presley was very open
in his singing style even though he was 'the' rock and roller."
- Brain Gilbertson, world-famous voice teacher.
"Along with the rest of "Deep Purple", I once had the chance to meet Elvis. For
a young singer like me, he was an absolute inspiration. I soaked up what he did
like blotting paper. It's the same as being in school — you learn by copying the
maestro. His personality was also extremely endearing, his interviews were very
self-effacing (and), he came over as gentle and was generous in his praise of
others. He had a natural, technical ability, but there was something in the
humanity of his voice, and his delivery. Those early records at the Sun Records
label are still incredible and the reason is simple: he was the greatest singer
that ever lived."
Deep Purple's lead singer and frontman, Ian Gillan, interviewed by Classic
Rock magazine, explaining why Presley belongs in the list of rock icons ( as
published in blabbermouth.net, on 3rd January, 2007)
"But it was on the gospel numbers, such as the stunning "How Great Thou Art",
(1977) that Presley showed the awesome power of his voice. The fact that he has
one of the greatest voices in popular music has been obscured by the mystique
that has surrounded him."
- Steve Millburgh, writing for the "Omaha World Herald", on one of Presley`s
last concerts, on 19 June 1977.
"He was the most commercially successful singer of rock and roll, but he also
had success with ballads, country, gospel, blues, pop, folk and even
semi-operatic and jazz standards. His voice, which developed into many voices as
his career progressed, had always a unique tonality and an extraordinarily
unusual center of gravity, leading to his ability to tackle a range of songs and
melodies which would be nearly impossible for most other popular singers to
achieve"
- The Wikipedia`s all-too-brief, yet concise reference on Presley`s voice,
and musical background
"There was no model for Elvis Presley's success; what Sun Records head Sam
Phillips sensed was something in the wind, an inevitable outgrowth of all the
country and blues he was recording at his Union Avenue studio; enter Presley in
1954, bringing with him a musical vocabulary rich in country, country blues,
gospel, inspirational music, bluegrass, traditional country, and popular music
-- as well as a host of emotional needs that found their most eloquent
expression in song; his timing was impeccable, not only as a vocalist, but with
regard to the cultural zeitgeist: emerging in the first blush of America's
postwar ebullience, Presley captured the spirit of a country flexing its
industrial muscle, of a generation unburdened by the concerns of war, younger,
more mobile, more affluent, and better educated than any that had come before;
(as such), the Sun recordings were the first salvos in an undeclared war on
segregated radio stations nationwide.
- Rollingstone Magazine, focussing on the importance of Elvis' Sun Records
label recordings
"In 1956, even the youngest of his fans knew that the 21-year-old Elvis Presley
was unquestionably the whole package; and, obviously, his great three octave
tenor voice, with a lower register close to bass, seemed to vibrate on the inner
scale of every teenager in America; they loved the high tenor, but when he "got
down" with that lower register, fans exploded; Elvis translated this into his
moves on stage, so it was a 10.0 assault on the senses"
- Sugarpi Productions´' essay on Elvis Presley, as published in
Clay´s.Daily.Double.com
"I am indebted to Scott W. Johnson, my fellow at the Claremont Institute, for
many things over the years, but not many rate higher than his "introducing" me
to Elvis Presley. I came of age (i.e., reached the 9th grade), just in time for
the "British Invasion" and, despite my childhood memories, soon came to think of
him as the ultimate in passe; so, I was astonished when Scott told me, a year or
two ago, that in his opinion Elvis Presley was the greatest male vocalist of the
20th Century; I had never thought of him in that light, to put it mildly, but
that conversation caused me to realize that I had never actually 'listened';
starting then, I did - with the aid of Scott's encyclopedic music collection -,
so if you have never gotten past a cartoon image of Elvis, do yourself a favor
and 'listen'".
- John H. Hinderaker, of the Claremont Institute, a Harvard Law School
Graduate and expert on public policy issues, including income and race, as
published in Power.Line, on January 09, 2007
"In Elvis, you had the whole lot; it's all there in that elastic voice and body.
As he changed shape, so did the world. His last performances showcase a voice
even bigger than his gut, where you cry real tears as the music messiah sings
his tired heart out, turning casino into temple. I think the Vegas period is
underrated. I find it the most emotional. By that point Elvis was clearly not in
control of his own life, and there is this incredible pathos. The big opera
voice of the later years -- that's the one that really hurts me."
- lead singer Bono, of U2, for Rollingstone Magazine, as published in their
April 15, 2004 edition.
"Elvis Presley`s talent as a musical artist was double barrelled and more; his
voice, on the one hand, was extraordinary for its quality, range and power, as
well as being a unique stage performer with instinctive natural abilities in
both areas; he was the master of a wide and diverse range of vocal stylings and
ventriloquist effects, from the clear tenor of his C&W heroes, to the vibrato of
the Gospel singers he loved, his voice invariably possessing an aching sincerity
and an indefinable quality of yearning virtually impossible to pigeonhole".
- From the U.S Department of the Interior`s paper on criteria for greatness
as a vocalist, which, together with all aspects of his life and legacy, led to
the inclusion of his home, Graceland, in the National Register of Historic
Places, in 2006.
"Blues, country, pop, rock and roll, gospel, and beyond, this man could sing
anything. From the rockabilly of the Sun Sessions, to the MOR of "Wooden Heart",
to the later day "Burnin' Love", Elvis proved that he had the skills as a
vocalist that few have, or will ever have"
- Rob Jones, Canadian musicologist, writing in "Helium: Where knowledge
rules".
"Elvis loved gospel music, he was raised on it, and he really did know what he
was talking about. We would jam with him for an hour, and he had a feel for it
and was "tickled" to have four `church sisters' backing him up; he was singing
Gospel all the time, (in fact), almost anything he did had that flavor. You
can’t get away from what your roots are."
- Gospel singer Cissy Houston, mother of Whitney Houston, and a founding
member of the "Sweet Inspirations", one of the Gospel Groups who backed Presley
in his live performances, from 1969 until his death, as told to Jerry Helligar
in an interview published in "True Believer", at classicwhitney.com, on Aug 10,
1998
"The greatest voice of all time".
- "Q" Magazine Judging panel´s laud of Elvis Presley, from a poll published
on their March 4, 2007 issue.
"I taught him some lyrics in Spanish and he learned them. I wrote it for him the
way it was sung (phonetically). He was very talented. It was very difficult
Mexican music."
- Manny Lopez, RCA vibraphone recording artist known as the "King of the Cha
Cha", explaining how, under his tutelage, Elvis sang the Mexican standard,
"Guadalajara", (1963) in Spanish, like an authentic Mariachi, as published in
Las Vegas' "The Desert Sun", on March 16, 2007
"What he actually did was take 'black' and 'white' music and transform them into
this third thing; (in the final analysis), no one sang so many different kinds
of music - rock, gospel, country, standards -, as well as Presley sang them, at
such a high level, and for such a long time"
- Greg Drew, world famous voice coach whose clients include Lenny Kravits,
Avril Lavigne, and Corey Glover, as quoted in Mike Brewster`s "The Great
Innovators: Birth of a Rock star", published by Business Week in its September
24, 2004 issue.
"Had Presley never sung a note he might have still caused a stir, but sing he
did. Watershed hits such as "All Shook Up" (1957) or, for instance, "Are You
Lonesome Tonight", (1960), were imminently Presley's from the moment he put his
stamp on them. His jagged, bubbly highs, and Southern baritone jump from those
recordings like spirits from a cauldron. Elvis crooned romantically, then
screeched relentlessly, always pouring his heart into the lyric and melody.
After Elvis, the male vocalist could no longer just sing a song, especially in
the new world of rock-n-roll. The "feel" of a performance far out-weighed the
perfection of the take."
- James Campion, in his book "The 25 Most Influential Americans of the 20th
Century", published in 1996.
"In the collective memory of his fans, he reigns as the sleek musical genius who
soaked up the multiple influences of America's vernacular music -gospel, country
swing, rhythm 'n' blues—, and made them his own; Bob Dylan, one of pop's
favorite poets, put it best: Elvis, he said, was "the incendiary atomic musical
firebrand loner who conquered the western world."
- Gwen Gibson, in his article "The Top 10 Pop Stars, Ever", published in the
AARP's May 2003 edition
"The voice is so melodious, and - of course, by accident, this glorious voice
and musical sensibility was combined with this beautiful, sexual man and this
very unconscious - or unselfconscious stage movements. Presley's registration,
the breadth of his tone, listening to some of his records, you'd think you were
listening to an opera singer. But…it's an opera singer with a deep connection to
the blues."
- Jerry Wexler, co-founder of Atlantic Records.
"When healthy and serious, he was flat-out the world's greatest singer. In his
voice, he possessed the most beautiful musical instrument, and the genius to
play that instrument perfectly; he could jump from octave to countless other
octaves with such agility without voice crack, simultaneously sing a duet with
his own overtones, rein in an always-lurking atomic explosion to so effortlessly
fondle, and release, the most delicate chimes of pathos. Yet, those who haven't
been open (or had the chance) to explore some of Presley's most brilliant work -
the almost esoteric ballads and semi-classical recordings -, have cheated
themselves out of one of the most beautiful gifts to fall out of the sky in a
lifetime. Fortunately, this magnificent musical instrument reached its
perfection around 1960, the same time the recording industry finally achieved
sound reproduction rivaling that of today. So, it's never too late to explore
and cherish a well-preserved miracle, as a simple trip to the record store will
truly produce unparalleled chills and thrills, for the rest of your life; and
then you'll finally understand the best reason this guy never goes away".
- Mike Handley, narrator and TV/radio spokesman, in the 'The Jim Bohannon
Show', airing on 600+ radio stations on the Westwood One Network.
"He treats the song as a private meditation, full of pain and the yearning to
believe. Though the lyrics speak of hope, Elvis turns them into a cry, as if
reaching for one last sliver of light in engulfing darkness. 'I am alone', he
seems to be saying. But maybe, just maybe, we can find someone or something to
cling to. In his case, it's God. But each of us, hearing him, reaches for our
own salvation; if great art needs nakedness (then), those few minutes of Elvis
alone at the piano amount to the most naked performance I've ever witnessed."
- Nick Cohn, commenting on Elvis Presley's rendition, alone at the piano, of
"You'll never walk alone" , at the Nassau Coliseum, Uniondale, NY, (1975) and
published on the Guardian's Sunday edition, on January 21, 2007, in an article
entitled "The 25 best gigs of all time".
"We are startled, on the amazing "Blue Moon," by his trick of shifting, in a
heartbeat, from saloon baritone to pants-too-tight wailing and by his near
Hawaiian avoiding of consonants ("Ya-hoo A-know Ah can be fou'/ Sittin' home all
alo'"), from "Don't Be Cruel", a song that comes close to redefining the art of
the pop vocal; So, what's left? A terrific crooner who was closer, in
intonation, vocal virtuosity and care for a song's mood, to Bing Crosby, than to
any top singer of the rock era. Toward the end, he still had it as a Gospel
ballader, the choir-soloist power of the hymn "He Touched Me" — his voice
breaking poignantly at the end of the hymn, as if he had just seen Jesus — still
thrills and haunts. So does his desire to please an audience of kids and
grandmas, instead of comfortably occupying a niche, as almost every pop star has
done since"
- Richard Corliss, TIME magazine`s Music Editor, reviewing the "Platinum",
box-set, as published in the magazine`s January 8, 2003 edition.
"He had a musically textured rhythmic voice that had emotional intelligence;
concentrate on his voice: sweet, remorseful, defiant, suggestive"
- Eileen Battersby, literary correspondent, citing the reasons for her being
hooked on Elvis after "discovering" him inadvertently as she changed the dial
looking for her favorite classical music radio station, as published in the
"Irish Times" in August of 2002.
"During the early going at the Charlotte Coliseum, there were scattered notes
here and there that made you wonder if finally he was gonna do it but, always,
he would pull up short, rely on the grins, the charisma and the legend, until
finally a little before 10:45, he came to the gospel classic, "How Great Thou
Art"-. And that was it. As he came to the part where he belts out the title, he
sounded like Mario Lanza with soul, cutting loose a series of high notes that
would tingle the spine of even the diehard skeptic; but crescendo came on a song
called "Hurt"; it's an old song that Elvis didn't record until a couple of years
ago, and the key ingredient is its range, an awesome collection of notes that
could leave a normal set of vocal chords in shreds; he finished in what seemed
his most potent style, but wasn't satisfied, and mumbled to the band, "Let's do
that last part again."; he did, and if there was anyone among the packed-house
crowd who had thought Elvis was a fluke, they no doubt came away converted.
- Frye Gaillard, reviewing his February 20, 1977 show at the Coliseum, for
the "The Charlotte Observer"
"The point of Elvis Presley was that, after a dismal eight years on the screen,
he returned to the stage where he always belonged and to the grinding treadmill
of being on the road, which has killed so many of America's artists; he may not
have pushed the boundaries of music farther but when he opened his mouth to
release that baritone - the only white voice that could ever match the blues-,
all you could feel was his longing. and your own stirrings"
- Adrian Hamilton, writing for "The Independent", on August 14, 2002
"He had an incredible, attractive instrument that worked in many registers; he
could falsetto like Little Richard, his equipment was outstanding, his ear
uncanny, and his sense of timing second to none; (in short) he could sing..."
- Jerry Leiber, who with Mike Stoller, co-wrote some of the greatest R&R and
Pop hits of the 50's, and early 60's.
"Presley's voice was remarkable in the sense that, through it, he touched people
in a way only great artists can do. (In fact), the people he touched are as
diverse as humanity itself and, because of that his popularity has transcended
race, class, national boundaries, and culture. There is no simple answer about
why that is so, all I can say is he had that magic. When Elvis Presley was first
popular, many people said that he did not have a good voice. Almost everyone,
today, knows that he did, but more people today should see him not simply as a
performer, but as an artist with a great soul.
- John Bakke, professor emeritus of the University of Memphis, in an
interview with the US State Department, transcripted by UNUSINFO on July 18,
2006 on the legacy of Elvis Presley
"There comes a point when the voice starts to wash over you. You get inside of
it, start to really hear what he's doing, and you realize his singing has this
extraordinary, effortless quality to it. Sometimes it's like listening to a
stream of honey. It's a very smooth ride, the voice of Elvis Presley. I don't
think you focus on the words when he's singing. I think he's doing what bel
canto singers do - you don't listen to the words, "just" to the beauty of his
voice-. When I say "just", that makes it sound as if he's denying you something
else but, actually, that's quite enough".
- Barb Jungr, reviewing the album "Love", for "The Scotsman", as published in
its 25 June, 2005 edition
"Even in his laziest moments, Presley was a master of intonation and phrasing,
delivering his rich baritone with a disarming naturalness. And when he caught a
spark from his great T.C.B. Band, Presley could still out-sing anyone in
American pop. You can hear it here on inspired versions of Muddy Waters' "Got My
Mojo Working", Wayne Carson's "Always on My Mind", Chuck Berry's "Promised
Land", McCartney's "Lady Madonna", Percy Mayfield's "Stranger in My Own
Hometown", Dennis Linde's "Burning Love" and Joe South's "Walk a Mile in My
Shoes".....
- Geoffrey Himes, reviewing the "Essential 70's masters" box-set, for
amazon.com
"Even as a young man, that's what Presley sounded, like a man. I wasn't of a
culture nor a region that found Presley appealing, and I've never seen a Presley
movie through but, a few years ago when in a tribute to him various modern
singers covered some of his originals, followed, or enclosed by, his versions of
the same songs, I was struck by how much fuller, deeper, and richer his were."
- Al Spike, explaining to North Africans why Presley's manly baritone rang
true, in the web`s "Chicago Boyz".
"Take a track like "One Sided Love Affair" and really examine every nuance of
his voice, every caress, every tease and every growl that he lets loose for the
song's duration, and you`ll you come to understand that the reason Presley's
voice has been so often imitated is because it was unique and, furthermore, damm
great; no phony piano intro, not even a puerile lyric could have ever stopped
him from turning this song into a real classic; imagine, then, how great it is
when Elvis gets to sing material that is up to his standards — like on the Sun
Records label song "Tryin' To Get You" - , probably the bluesiest song on this
record, where Presley shows a sense of determination, not just a combination of
nobleness and sex, but an expression of guts as well; quite simply, this is a
guy who knows what he wants, and knows he's gonna get it, and his confidence -
never arrogance -, is so contagious that by the end of the song, you believe it
too"
- Daniel Reifferscheid, reviewing Elvis' first album, for Toxic Universe
"Then, in mid 1968 he taped a television special in a black leather suit, in
front of a select live audience, opening with "Guitar Man" and closing with a
mild social-conscience song, "If I Can Dream". But it wasn't until Greil Marcus
brought out the recording of that performance for me, almost three years later,
that I realized how significant it had been. Marcus has spent as much time
listening as anyone who is liable to be objective, and he believes Elvis may
have made the best music of his life that crucial comeback night. It's so easy
to forget that Elvis was, or is, a great singer. Any account of his impact that
omits that fundamental fact amounts to a dismissal."
- Robert Christgau, Dean of American Rock critics, in his 1973 book "Any old
way you choose"
"With the way he was marketed, he didn't even need to be able to sing the way he
could. But Elvis had talent, plain and simple. The guy had a thousandth-octave
range, and a variety in his vocal styles and approach, he could make more vocal
tones, with just his voice, than a guitar player with 50 pedals and gadgets. If
you never even saw the guy, you could plain feel, not just hear, the emotion and
passion in his voice, and you are immediately taken in, one hundred percent. On
the merit of vocals alone, he had more talent in the barbecue stuck in his teeth
than the singers who sell millions of records do today."
- Country singer Roger Wallace, in the web`s "Soapbox".
"Elvis' range was about two and a quarter octaves, as measured by musical
notation, but his voice had an emotional range from tender whispers to sighs
down to shouts, grunts, grumbles and sheer gruffness that could move the
listener from calmness and surrender, to fear. His voice can not be measured in
octaves, but in decibels; even that misses the problem of how to measure
delicate whispers that are hardly audible at all."
- Lindsay Waters, Executive Editor for the Humanities at Harvard University
Press, in his essay "Come softly, darling, hear what I say".
"During his rendition of "Hurt", (1976), he was in even better voice, singing in
a register that gave more impact to his phrasing, and even hitting notes that
could cause a mild hernia. And, after they drew a good crowd reaction, he
offered them in a reprise that was tantamount to masochism."
- Mike Kalina, reviewing Elvis' 1976 New Year's concert for the "Pittsburgh
Post Gazette", January 1, 1977.
"We can even hazard a little analysis as to what made his voice so appealing.
"That curious baritone," one critic called it. Actually, that is inexact. The
voice had mixed propensities, hovering between tenor and bass and everything in
between. Even a convincing falsetto lay within his range. One thing he was not,
ever, was "Steve-'n-Edie", the polished, professionally accomplished Vegas
artistes who once pronounced on an afternoon interview show (Mr. Lawrence
enunciating the sentiment for himself and his partner/wife, Ms. Gorme), "We
don't really think of Elvis as a singer. But he was a star." It is only when,
years later, one gets past the indignation of hearing such apparent ignorance,
that the sense of the observation becomes clear. A singer is someone like Steve
Lawrence rolling effortlessly (and meaninglessly) through a shlock-standard like
"What Now, My Love?". More or less like doing the scales. A star is the persona
in whom one invests one's vicarious longings, a being who is constantly
hazarding — and intermittently succeeding at — the impossible stretches that
every soul wishes to attempt but lacks the means or the will to. It's not a
matter of virtuosity."
- Jackson Baker, in "Memphis Magazine", July 2002 issue.
"I don't really think Elvis' voice was significantly lower than those of any
other baritones. The color of the voice and the sense of warmth and richness of
tone gave the sense that the voice was much deeper. Elvis, in fact, did not
force his lower register, comfortable as he was with it, which in turn gave the
impression that it was lower than those of other baritones."
- Brian Gilbertson, world famous voice teacher, explaining the deepness of
Elvis' lower registry.
"Elvis was a (Gospel) singer par excellence. On "Milky White Way", (1960), he'
got the strength of a bassman and the sweetness of a tenor. The heritage we have
in Elvis' gospel music is a gift to the world".
- Paul Poulton, as published in "Cross Rhythms Magazine"
"In "Hawaiian Wedding Song", (1960), Elvis takes particular advantage of his
voice's strong lower middle and higher note registers, made particularly
difficult because of the need to sing in cascading notes. Elvis meets the
challenge on every occasion, his performance being absolutely meticulous, with
not a hint of vocal strain."
- BMG's'review of his album "Blue Hawaii"
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