*The Lord's Prayer ~ Duet with Mario Lanza*

[elvisalisellers]

Once described as "The Greatest Voice of the 20th Century," Mario Lanza's influence on Elvis Presley cannot be overestimated.

As early as the March 1956 Warwick Hotel interview - to the filmed interview/conversation [officially unreleased] from "Elvis On Tour," 16 years later, Elvis was always quick to acknowledge his admiration for Lanza.

Indeed, the Lanza influence on Elvis is clearly evident on the early 60's smash hit singles - It's Now or Never (O Sole Mio) and Surrender (Torna a Surriento).
Sadly, Lanza's untimely death on October 7, 1959 fated him never to hear these two tremendous recordings.

Acclaimed Presley biographer Peter Guralnick once observed:

Incredible as it might seem, his favourite [artist] was Mario Lanza. Elvis played the soundtrack album from MGM's "The Student Prince" so often that he wore out the grooves. Lanza's delivery of such songs as Golden Days, I'll Walk with God, and Serenade had such an impact on Presley that he went on to mimic the style in his own impending songs, including the ballad Can't Help Falling In Love and the operatic It's Now or Never.

Which all leads to an audio creation that I have worked on, that unites Elvis with Lanza in "duet" on a unique version of The Lord's Prayer.

Taken from Lanza's stunning interpretation, recorded at Radio Recorders [!], Hollywood, CA, on August 14, 1951 [for inclusion in his radio program "The Mario Lanza Show"] and Elvis' informal recording from May 16, 1971, it makes for a thrilling and spine-tingling listening experience.

Clearly Lanza's version had to act as the basis for this creation, so it is him who is the dominant lead vocalist over an exquisite musical backdrop. Elvis acts as a kind of understudy here , when echoing Lanza in verse for the most part but also singing in unison with him on certain key lines too [a lot of manipulation was necessary in the editing process to make this work].

The overall effect is quite astonishing and serves to finally take Elvis' extant [semi-serious] vocal to a place possibly not dreamed of before.

Anyone who would like to hear this creation, feel free to contact me and I will gladly provide a free link for download. Thanks.



Mario Lanza - "The Greatest Voice of the 20th Century"

[JimmyCool]

I want to hear it! Please

[elvisalisellers]

Yes sir!

[Steve Morse]

Me too ! I have commented several times on this board that I think Elvis's version, though informal, is one of his most astonishing vocals. Not many (not any?) have agreed with me !

Steve Morse

[elvisalisellers]

No problem, Steve.

[Dan_T]

May I hear it too please ?

[greystoke]

Me too ! I have commented several times on this board that I think Elvis's version, though informal, is one of his most astonishing vocals. Not many (not any?) have agreed with me !

Steve Morse

This is also one I have to disagree with you on, Steve. Granted, Elvis's take on The Lord's Prayer was informal, with tongue in cheek although a hint of bravura. But harsh criticism here may be a tad unfair because we know how capable and hypnotic Elvis could be with material of this nature when singing with sincerity and restraint.

Still, I feel as though Elvis's reach is outstretching his grasp on a song/prayer tackled in a key that's to high for him. He didn't quite have the range to sing The Lord's Prayer in the same key and style as either Lanza or Frank Sinatra, whose version is also quite magnificent.

Elvis's middle/lower register may have treated him better here, not forcing his tone and perhaps offering a few blues inflections in 3/4 time. And we know that gospel music, hymns, prayers and spirituals were very much his metier; and although there's not much to want from Elvis in this capacity, one does wonder what a more considered attempt at The Lord's Prayer would have yielded.

[keninlincs]

Can i have the link please

[dannyboy1]

I also would love to hear it!

Thanks!

[rjm]

Sure; it sounds like it would be quite a treat!

rjm

[zolderopruiming1]

I would welcome a link.

[trouble_jw]

Me also please

[Steve Morse]

Me too ! I have commented several times on this board that I think Elvis's version, though informal, is one of his most astonishing vocals. Not many (not any?) have agreed with me !

Steve Morse

This is also one I have to disagree with you on, Steve. Granted, Elvis's take on The Lord's Prayer was informal, with tongue in cheek although a hint of bravura. But harsh criticism here may be a tad unfair because we know how capable and hypnotic Elvis could be with material of this nature when singing with sincerity and restraint.

Still, I feel as though Elvis's reach is outstretching his grasp on a song/prayer tackled in a key that's to high for him. He didn't quite have the range to sing The Lord's Prayer in the same key and style as either Lanza or Frank Sinatra, whose version is also quite magnificent.

Elvis's middle/lower register may have treated him better here, not forcing his tone and perhaps offering a few blues inflections in 3/4 time. And we know that gospel music, hymns, prayers and spirituals were very much his metier; and although there's not much to want from Elvis in this capacity, one does wonder what a more considered attempt at The Lord's Prayer would have yielded.

Excellent and insightful observations, Greystoke. Yes, there's definitely a hint of bravura and mimickry too (perhaps, more correctly, immitation), probably of Lanza. He did a similar thing, in terms of mimickry, with Bill Monroe's 'Little Cabin' during the MDQ session. Elvis seemed to be fond of stretching the limits of his voice, perhaps too much so during the latter years

It's a pity he couldn't have been more true to himself, sometimes, rather than worrying what others might think of his repertoire or type of performance. Witness the incident of his playing Moonlight Sonata during the making of ETTWII (or was it EOT?) which he abruptly stopped when one or more of his entourage entered the room. The impromptu comments of his cronies during the informal Lord's Prayer are in no way funny and, yes, it's a pity he couldn't have made a formal recording in a style that suited him, and not necessarily Mario Lanza-esque. I happen to like An Evening Prayer very much, though others don't. It's passionate rather than reverential, which Lanza's Lord's Prayer is in many respects.

Steve Morse

[elvisalisellers]

Can i have the link please

I also would love to hear it!Thanks!

Sure; it sounds like it would be quite a treat!rjm

I would welcome a link.

Me also please

Sure [check your Inboxes later].

Will look forward to reading your comments.

[keninlincs]

Can i have the link please

I also would love to hear it!Thanks!

Sure; it sounds like it would be quite a treat!rjm

I would welcome a link.

Me also please

Sure [check your Inboxes later].

Will look forward to reading your comments.

I Had a couple of listens ,andmust say it works very well,boy Mario could sing couldnt he.would have made a nice duet for them

[James27]

Can i have the link please

I also would love to hear it!Thanks!

Sure; it sounds like it would be quite a treat!rjm

I would welcome a link.

Me also please

Sure [check your Inboxes later].

Will look forward to reading your comments.

I would love to hear it too!

[R2-D2]

and me please.

[jacob]

Me too ! I have commented several times on this board that I think Elvis's version, though informal, is one of his most astonishing vocals. Not many (not any?) have agreed with me !

Steve Morse

This is also one I have to disagree with you on, Steve. Granted, Elvis's take on The Lord's Prayer was informal, with tongue in cheek although a hint of bravura. But harsh criticism here may be a tad unfair because we know how capable and hypnotic Elvis could be with material of this nature when singing with sincerity and restraint.

Still, I feel as though Elvis's reach is outstretching his grasp on a song/prayer tackled in a key that's to high for him. He didn't quite have the range to sing The Lord's Prayer in the same key and style as either Lanza or Frank Sinatra, whose version is also quite magnificent.

Elvis's middle/lower register may have treated him better here, not forcing his tone and perhaps offering a few blues inflections in 3/4 time. And we know that gospel music, hymns, prayers and spirituals were very much his metier; and although there's not much to want from Elvis in this capacity, one does wonder what a more considered attempt at The Lord's Prayer would have yielded.

Excellent and insightful observations, Greystoke. Yes, there's definitely a hint of bravura and mimickry too (perhaps, more correctly, immitation), probably of Lanza. He did a similar thing, in terms of mimickry, with Bill Monroe's 'Little Cabin' during the MDQ session. Elvis seemed to be fond of stretching the limits of his voice, perhaps too much so during the latter years

It's a pity he couldn't have been more true to himself, sometimes, rather than worrying what others might think of his repertoire or type of performance. Witness the incident of his playing Moonlight Sonata during the making of ETTWII (or was it EOT?) which he abruptly stopped when one or more of his entourage entered the room. The impromptu comments of his cronies during the informal Lord's Prayer are in no way funny and, yes, it's a pity he couldn't have made a formal recording in a style that suited him, and not necessarily Mario Lanza-esque. I happen to like An Evening Prayer very much, though others don't. It's passionate rather than reverential, which Lanza's Lord's Prayer is in many respects.

Steve Morse

That was during the making of the 68' Special, Elvis was learning it with the help of Billy Goldberg.When a couple of the MM walked throgh the door he abruptly took his hands off of the keys.They asked Elvis, "What the F**** was that?" Elvis said it was just something they were working on and they replied, "Oh it's awful."

[James27]

I agree, I almost never find the comments of his buddies funny, they're not exactly comedians, and Elvis was funny and witty sometimes, but sometimes not. But generally I like his sense of humour. His best jokes to me were the kind that got the least laughs from his buddies because they were sometimes way out there, which I happen to find funny. But ultimately Elvis wanted them around, for familiarity and support. The guys couldn't help being who they were, they were just... regular guys, nothing special or unusual about them, which couldn't be said about Elvis.

[Rockin_John]

Me too ! I have commented several times on this board that I think Elvis's version, though informal, is one of his most astonishing vocals. Not many (not any?) have agreed with me !

Steve Morse

I do! the "in heaven" line is pure magic!

[Rockin_John]

And yeah, I wanna hear it!

[James27]

This to me shows clearly how Elvis, despite his vocal limitations, can inject so much soul into his performance, that it becomes something memorable. When his voice almost breaks, it's even more emotional. In a vocal-technical sense he can't touch Lanza.

[dennyelvis]

Me too please, if not too late ?

[MikeFromHolland]

Can I hear it too, please? You made me curious...

[rjm]

As for Elvis's version, let's remember that it was just an improvisation, on-the-spot. Didn't give himself time to think it out, rehearse, do takes, etc. It's clear that he's drawing from Lanza's version, but he injects a little old-fashioned gospelish flair here and there. And clearly, several of "the guys" wouldn't even let him sing! In any case, if it were a "real" record that he was cutting, I think it would have sounded a bit different, and definitely more polished. I rather like it without the polishing. There are other approaches to The Lord's Prayer which have been superb, but if Elvis liked something, that's what he was going to do. He certainly would change keys when cutting records when he felt less comfortable, and he might have done so had he been cutting a record on this. But the approach? I don't think he would have changed the approach.

There is another way for a pop-soul-gospel singer to do it, but Elvis didn't want to do it in that different way. You don't have to try to blow the roof off. (But Elvis wanted to, and that's that.) But, if you prefer a different approach . . .like this, for instance:

..

One of many versions I love, including Elvis's.

rjm
P.S. -- I made artwork for the song in ITunes, but it won't take. I guess the file format . . .