duane west was the backup singer for elvis presley.
duane west was the backup singer for elvis presley.
who were the backup singers for elvis presley?
duane west
ann-margret began recording for rca victor in 1961. her first rca victor recording was "lost love" from her debut album "and here she is: ann-margret", produced in nashville with chet atkins on guitar, the jordanaires (elvis presley's backup singers), and the anita kerr singers, with liner notes by mentor george burns. she had a sexy, throaty contralto singing voice, and rca victor attempted to capitalize on the 'female elvis' comparison by having her record a version of "heartbreak hotel" and other songs stylistically similar to presley's. she scored the minor hit "i just don't understand" (from her second lp), which entered the billboard top 40 in the third week of august 1961 and stayed six weeks, peaking at number 17. the song was later covered in live performances by the beatles and was recorded during a live performance at the bbc. her only charting album was "the beauty and the beard" (1964), on which she was accompanied by trumpeter al hirt. ann-margret appeared on "the jack benny program" in 1961 (season 11, episode 24). she also sang at the academy awards presentation in 1962, singing the oscar-nominated song "theme from bachelor in paradise." her contract with rca victor ended in 1966.
ann-margret
ernst jørgensens' book, "elvis presley: a life in music - the complete recording sessions", gratefully acknowledged tunzi, among others, "for the use of illustrations in this book." several of tunzi's works, including "elvis sessions: the recorded music of elvis aron presley, 1953-1977", "elvis '69: the return" and "elvis '73: hawaiian spirit" were cited in the bibliography to "last train to memphis: the rise of elvis presley", volume one of peter guralnick's two part biography on presley. in "careless love: the unmaking of elvis presley", the second volume of guralnick's tome on elvis presley, several more works by tunzi were cited in his bibliography, including "elvis sessions ii: the recorded music of elvis aron presley, 1953-1977", "elvis: highway 51 south, memphis, tennessee", "elvis: standing room only, 1970-1975", "elvis '69: the return", "elvis '73: hawaiian spirit", "photographs and memories", "tiger man: elvis '68", and "elvis, the lost photographs, 1948-1969". additionally, tunzi also supplied several photos for "careless love: the unmaking of elvis presley".
joseph a. tunzi