Elvis Presley has reportedly been spotted in a number of different places since his death in 1976-sitting at the counter of a Memphis donut shop, ordering at the drive-through at a Hollywood McDonald’s, stacking chips in a Las Vegas casino. But who would have imagined The King would take up residence in the body of a 31-year-old Belfast postman with a wife and five children? And that same mild-mannered working class bloke would also share the name of the legendary Godfather of Soul, James Brown? Is this the “Twilight Zone” or what?
Brown not only channels the spirit of the late, great Presley, but also The King’s patented vocal style, a remarkable gift he puts to amazing use on his Ark 21 debut, “Gravelands,” which answers the musical question, “What would Elvis Presley be singing if he were alive today?” A tribute to great dead rockers of the past, Brown as The King sinks his teeth into such classics as Nirvana’s “Come As You Are,” AC/DC’s “Whole Lotta Rosie,” ” Marvin Gaye’s “I Heard It Through the Grapevine, Frank Sinatra’s “New York New York,” Bob Marley’s “No Woman No Cry,” Jimi Hendrix’s “Voodoo Chile,” Sweet’s “Blockbuster,” and Eddie Cochran by way of Sid Vicious’ “Something Else,” among others.
Thanks to the video for “Come As You Are,” “Gravelands” has become a smash hit in the U.K., embraced by influential disc jockeys like John Peel and one-time Live Aid organizer Bob Geldof. Brown himself has taken a one-year leave of absence from his job with the postal service to tour throughout Europe, with plans to hit these shores in March ’99. “America is my favorite country in the world,” he says.
Under the guidance of producer Bap Kennedy-who recorded his own solo album last year for Steve Earle’s E-Squared Records label-and a crack band (guitarist Paul Guerin, bassist Lee Pomeroy, keyboardist Keith Weir, drummer Steve Emney and saxophone player Greg Mason), “Gravelands” transcends novelty status thanks to The King’s near-perfect drawling, hiccupping vocal inflection. Songs like “Come As You Are,” and “Voodoo Chile” incorporate the arrangements of the originals with The King crooning on top, while Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Sweet Home Alabama” is given a fiddle-driven country feel and “Whole Lotta Rosie”-complete with its “Thus Spake Zarathustra” nod-comes off like Presley doing “CC Rider.” Other Elvis touches include the refrain of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” in the middle of “No Woman No Cry,” and the uncanny evocation of Elvis on Presley’s first big hit, “That’s Alright Mama.”
Not an Elvis impersonator, the humble, unassuming Brown just happens to be blessed with Presley’s singing voice. A devotee of the rock & roll legend since seeing his ’68 Vegas comeback special on TV when he was just seven years old, The King had only sung at family weddings before a sly aunt had him called up to the microphone while at a local Belfast workingman’s club. “I was absolutely petrified,” he says, but after his renditions of “The Wonder of You” and “Suspicious Minds” brought the house down, the club owner invited him to come back and perform. That’s where he met fellow Belfast native turned London rocker Bap Kennedy, who had the idea to record an album of Presley doing modern rock hits.
“We stumbled on the concept,” says The King. “Bap’s idea was to do a whole album of Nirvana songs, but after listening to ‘Nevermind,’ I told him it wouldn’t work, even though I picked out ‘Come As You Are’ as a candidate for the record.”
After “Something Else” and “No Woman, No Cry” were suggested, the two came up with the concept of “Gravelands”-The King sings songs by dead rockers. “From there, things just snowballed,” he says.
After recording the album, Brown flew to New York, where he filmed the video to “Come As You Are” with a band of Japanese women rock musicians backing him up in the clip. It was just the start of a whirlwind adventure which has taken The King to several exotic locales around the world. “I hope I never have to go back and deliver the mail,” he admits. “But if this thing falls apart tomorrow, I had a good time while it lasted. My wife and kids are very proud and excited, but it’s tough being separated from them while I’m on the road for long periods of time. But I’ve been assured it won’t get any easier.”
As for what Elvis himself might have thought, The King insists Presley would appreciate Brown’s labor of love. “The album was not done in a tacky way. And it really is from the heart. It’s a tribute, a commemoration and a celebration of rock & roll’s dead. It’s not meant to be sick and morbid. Elvis himself had a very wacky sense of humor. His favorite TV show was ‘Monty Python,’ so I think he would have liked this record.”
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