1001 Songs Challenge #915: A Little Less Conversation (2002)

On 11 February 2019 I set myself the challenge of reading 1001 Songs You Must Hear Before You Die by Robert Dimery (ed.) and following the book’s advice to the letter. I’ve previously read 1001 Films… and started 1001 Albums… but felt 1001 Songs… would be a sensible place to start for what I have in mind here.

My challenge is to read about one song per day and listen to it (YouTube and Spotify, I need you tonight!) before sharing my own thoughts. Some songs I will love, others I’ll hate, and I’m sure there will be those that leave me perplexed but listen to them I shall.

I’ll also try, and most likely fail, to pinpoint the best song from the 1001 on offer but I’m nothing if not foolhardy. Instead of one song, I’m predicting I’ll have about 100 favourites by the end and may have to resort to a Top 10 so far to maintain any semblance of sanity.

So long as I post every day (including Christmas) then this challenge should come to an end on Wednesday 8 November 2021. Staying with the Barney Stinson theme I am hoping that the whole experience will prove to be… legendary!

 

Elvis Presley vs JXL – A Little Less Conversation (2002)

 

 

We’re leaving the UK today, dear reader, and making our way across the English Channel into Europe. To the Netherlands we head and here we find an artist by the name of Junkie XL or JXL. JXL began his career in 1988 but we pick up his story in 2002 when he was working on music for films. JXL was asked to remix A Little Less Conversation by Elvis Presley which had been recorded in 1968. The result took many by surprise.

In the original track, A Little Less Conversation saw Elvis singing to a woman and beseeching her to stop fooling around and to get serious. The title is used in the opening lines with the King telling this woman he wants action rather than talking and the theme continues throughout the song. JXL’s remix saw Elvis’ voice lowered and the music given more prominence. 

Released 25 years after Elvis Presley’s death at the age of 42, A Little Less Conversation went from being a minor hit by the King to one of his biggest successes. Topping the charts and selling well across the globe, including hitting the UK Top 5 twice in the space of three years. Elvis’ star continued to shine bright in the twenty-first century, with a little help from his Dutch friend.

 

Favourite songs so far:

The Animals – House of the Rising Sun (1964)

Simon & Garfunkel – The Sounds of Silence (1965)

The Beatles – A Day in the Life (1967)

The Doors – The End (1967)

Pink Floyd – Wish You Were Here (1975)

Meat Loaf – Bat Out of Hell (1977)

Tracy Chapman – Fast Car (1988)

U2 – One (1991)

Jeff Buckley – Hallelujah (1994)

Radiohead – Paranoid Android (1997)