A rendition of Tomorrow is a Long Time from Elvis Presley has been hailed as a “soul-stirring” rendition of the Bob Dylan track.
The song, which would feature on the Greatest Hits Vol. II compilation was covered by The King during sessions for his How Great Thou Art album. Dylan himself was a fan of the cover, going as far as to call it “the one recording I treasure the most.” His love of The King’s work and life is well documented, with Dylan allegedly refusing to speak to anyone for days after the death of Presley. Before his death, he would cover Tomorrow is a Long Time, a rousing song where lonesome men travel endless highways. It’s a stunning rendition of a classic Dylan track which would be placed, along with When I Paint My Masterpiece and I Shall Be Released, on his compilation album in 1971.
The songs were written and available to other artists to cover before the album released. An upload of Presley’s cover to YouTube has been hailed by members of the public, who believe Presley’s version is a worthy piece of work. One fan wrote: “I found this by accident… the best mistake of my entire life.”
Another added: “Elvis’ voice and Bob Dylan lyrics – perfection. From the soul-stirring introduction to the beautiful rendition of the words. This is one of the finest songs Elvis ever recorded. I love it.” A third wrote: “So beautiful, quintessential Elvis and Dylan.”
Others say it’s clear to hear why Dylan treasures this recording of Tomorrow is a Long Time as Presley gets to grips with the magic of the release. One person wrote: “Elvis was so versatile. Bob treasured this one.”
Another added: “Elvis takes other artists’ material or songs, puts his touch or his voice, and makes it magical. Makes it gold.” A third agreed, adding: “A lot of singers touch the heart, only Elvis touches the soul.”
Despite his love for The King, Dylan would choose not to meet his idol when offered the chance as he did not want to ruin the “mystic” image of him. He said: “I never met Elvis, because I didn’t want to meet Elvis. Elvis was in his Sixties movie period, and he was just crankin’ ’em out and knockin’ ’em off, one after another.
“And Elvis had kind of fallen out of favour in the Sixties. He didn’t really come back until, whatever was it, ’68? I know the Beatles went to see him, and he just played with their heads. George [Harrison] told me about the scene. And Derek [Taylor], one of the guys who used to work for him.
“Elvis was truly some sort of American king. His face is even on the Statue of Liberty. And, well, like I said, I wouldn’t quite say he was ridiculed, but close. You see, the music scene had gone past him, and nobody bought his records.
“Nobody young wanted to listen to him or be like him. Nobody went to see his movies, as far as I know. He just wasn’t in anybody’s mind. Two or three times we were up in Hollywood, and he had sent some of the Memphis Mafia down to where we were to bring us up to see Elvis. But none of us went.
“Because it seemed like a sorry thing to do. I don’t know if I would have wanted to see Elvis like that. I wanted to see the powerful, mystical Elvis that had crash-landed from a burning star onto American soil. The Elvis that was bursting with life. That’s the Elvis that inspired us to all the possibilities of life. And that Elvis was gone, had left the building.”
Dylan would cover the Presley song, Can’t Help Falling in Love, on his self-titled, 1973 album. The New Morning track, Went to See the Gypsy, is believed to have been a song written after an encounter between Dylan and Presley, though the two never met. Presley’s Tomorrow is a Long Time can be listened to below.
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