This week we take a look at “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” performed by both Elvis and Tom Jones.
To almost every cover Elvis did, he added something extra. In our opinion this was certainly not the case on most songs of the Jungle Room sessions, or it must be something depressive. One of the songs shouldn’t have been recorded at all by Elvis, both mentally and physically he wasn’t able to come even near the best known version of “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again”, indeed, Tom Jones' version.
Where Tom sounds passionate, Elvis sounds bored, Tom hits every note where Elvis misses almost all. Because this song needs a strong performance (it isn’t too good itself (in our humble opinion of course)) it certainly is a pity to know that Elvis was able to give the song his special touch only a couple of years earlier. But like the Dutch say, “done business don’t turn around”. Weak performances like this and even not the stupid movie songs won’t hide all the gems Elvis brought us.
But now back to Tom Jones: even after so many years, while Tom Jones just made his zillionth comeback (with a very refreshing album), Tom still brings “I’ll Never Fall in Love Again” in his own passionate way. Over the years he changed the arrangement slightly several times, but the song still stands. It is obvious Elvis got bored pretty soon by singing the same song(s) over and over again. Tom Jones still has the spark, even on the “Golden Oldies”. Probably because he changes a big part of his repertoire pretty often. Elvis only tried to do this once, in Las Vegas 1974, but the reaction from the audience made him switch back immediately (unfortunately).
More “bad luck” is that those two guys (in our eyes two of the best – at least best sounding - vocalists ever) never really did something together on record, it would have been great to have a duets-album by the two of them. It is obvious both artists admired and influenced each other. And it is a pity only one of them is still appearing in the next Millennium, nonetheless Elvis’ flame will light us forever. Amen.