Glenn Danzig‘s long-awaited collection of Elvis Presley covers, appropriately titled “Danzig Sings Elvis”, is scheduled for an April 17 release. Tracks set to appear on the effort include “Is It So Strange”, “Loving Arms” and “One Night”.
Two live shows in support of “Danzig Sings Elvis” will be announced next week for Los Angeles and San Francisco. Set to take place in late April, these will be small, intimate seated performances as Glenn wants to try to capture an old Las Vegas night club atmosphere.
In 2018, Danzig spoke to Full Metal Jackie‘s nationally syndicated radio show about why it has taken him so long to complete “Danzig Sings Elvis”. “Every time I’d have downtime, or if I was working on soundtrack stuff, I would just record another Elvis track or two,” he said. “So what started out as an EP, I now have more than enough for a full album; I have extra songs that won’t even make it on the record. So I’m really gonna have to sit down and pick the songs that I really want on the record. But it came out really good; I can’t wait for everyone to hear it. A lot of people ask me about it all the time when I’m on the road. So it will be nice to get it out.”
Danzig previously covered Presley‘s “Trouble” on his eponymous band’s “Thrall-Demonsweatlive” EP in 1993. He also recorded a version of “Let Yourself Go” for 2015’s “Skeletons”.
“Elvis is actually kind of how I got into music,” Glenn told Rolling Stone in 2015 interview. “When I was a kid, I was cutting school pretending I was sick and I would lie at home watching old movies, and ‘Jailhouse Rock’ came on with Elvis. I was, like, ‘I want to do this. This is great.’ And that’s how I veered to music.”
Regarding how he came to cover “Let Yourself Go”, Danzig said: “It’s a song that a lot of people may or may not be familiar with, but he actually liked it so much he put it on the ”68 Comeback Special’. It’s just a cool song I’ve always liked. I knew I could do something really cool with it. I didn’t want to do the obvious Elvis song, you know? You don’t have to highlight an Elvis song, everyone’s heard them, this is just probably a lesser known song of his thousands of songs that everybody knows. I like his delivery, his voice. He’s not just standing there, he’s moving around. I like that. I don’t like singers who just stand there. It’s boring to me. I like singers who are really getting into it and showing you they’re getting into it. I think he has all of that.”
DANZIG was formed in 1987 after Glenn‘s involvement with horror-punks the MISFITS and gothic hard rockers SAMHAIN.
DANZIG‘s latest album, “Black Laden Crown”, came out in May 2017 via Evilive Records/Nuclear Blast Entertainment.
01. Is It So Strange
02. One Night
03. Lonely Blue Boy
04. First In Line
05. Baby Let’s Play House
06. Love Me
07. Pocket Full Of Rainbows
08. Fever
09. When It Rains It Really Pours
10. Always On My Mind
11. Loving Arms
12. Like A Baby
13. Girl Of My Best Friend
14. Young And Beautiful