The song “Can’t Help Falling in Love with You” was originally recorded by Elvis in 1961 and was featured in the film “Blue Hawaii”. It went platinum – selling over one million copies. In the 60’s and 70’s he used it as his final number for every show. It was also the closer for his 1973 global telecast “Aloha From Hawaii”. According to Wikipedia, Elvis did a faster and sloppier arrangement as the closing number for Presley’s final TV special “Elvis in Concert”.
Okay, so it’s a nice love song and a huge hit. But here’s the rub – Elvis wasn’t the first to do the song! Supposedly, it was written for Elvis by Hugo Peretti and George David Weiss, but I’m here to tell you they stole the melody line from a Frenchman, Jean-Paul Martini. The song was originally called “Plaisir d’amour” and was written by Martini in 1784. Even some of the lyrics from this classic love song were lifted to fit the bridge to Preseley’s version – kinda. Elvis sings “like a river flows, surely to the sea” – but the French lyrics are ” as long as this water will run gently towards this brook which borders the meadow”. Close enough!
Need proof? In 1949 Montgomery Clift played the piano and sang “Plaisir d’amour” in the film “The Heiress”. Watch the clip from the movie (listed below) and see if you don’t think it was ripped off for the Elvis classic. Oh, the things you learn…
Anyway, it’s a great tune and is on my midi download list – Elvis style (sorta). Get it and perform it…. with a martini.
http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/253247/Heiress-The-Movie-Clip-The-Joys-of-Love.html