Viva Las Vegas (song)
"Viva Las Vegas" is a 1964 song recorded by Elvis Presley written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman[1] for his film Viva Las Vegas, which along with the song was set for general release the year after. Although Elvis Presley never sang the song live, it has since become widely known and often performed by others. The RIAA certified the single disc "Viva Las Vegas/What I Said" gold on March 27, 1992, having sold 500,000 copies in the United States.[2]
| "Viva Las Vegas" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| B-side | "What'd I Say" | |||
| Released | April 28, 1964 | |||
| Recorded | July 10, 1963 | |||
| Studio | Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:24 | |||
| Label | RCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
History
The song was recorded on July 10, 1963. Released as a single in 1964 with the B-side "What'd I Say" from the same film, "Viva Las Vegas" charted separately from its B-side, reaching No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart.[3] The Elvis version of "What'd I Say" peaked at No. 21, the two sides having equivalent appeal in the marketplace. "Viva Las Vegas" reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, improving to No. 15 after a reissue in 2007. The single reached No. 20 on the Record World chart in the U.S. and No. 14 in Canada.[4]
The song was published by Elvis Presley Music, Inc.
In the years since its first release, the song has become one of Presley's most recognized numbers. In the 1990s and 2000s, the song appeared in countless movies and TV sitcoms, either as a reference to the city of Las Vegas, or simply as an expression of joy or bewilderment in related comedic situations.
In 2002, the city of Las Vegas requested Elvis Presley Enterprises, the company that handles a portion of Elvis's legacy and all Elvis-related music rights, to allow it to be the official song of the city. Negotiations stalled over the price requested by EPE, notwithstanding that EPE had not controlled the copyright to the song since 1993, at which time it became the property of the families of the songwriters Doc Pomus[5] and Mort Shuman. Since EPE no longer owns the copyright to the song, it essentially means that EPE does not have the authority or right to negotiate the use of the song "Viva Las Vegas" within the United States, its territories and possessions, although EPE may be able to negotiate the use of the actual Elvis recording of the song.
Use in other media
- The song has been adopted as the victory theme for the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Vegas Golden Knights when they win games at T-Mobile Arena.[6]
- The song got used on the The Simpsons episode "Viva Ned Flanders". Homer and Ned take a trip to Las Vegas, where they get married to cocktail waitresses during a drunken stupor. The song plays as the two of them try to escape the casino authorities, and then over the closing credits.
- The song is used in the 2003 film Looney Tunes: Back in Action, with Bugs Bunny singing the song and playing a ukulele.
ZZ Top version
| "Viva Las Vegas" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by ZZ Top | ||||
| from the album Greatest Hits | ||||
| B-side | "2000 Blues" | |||
| Released | 1992 | |||
| Length | 4:47 | |||
| Label | Warner Bros. | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman | |||
| ZZ Top singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
ZZ Top recorded a version of "Viva Las Vegas" as one of two new tracks on their Greatest Hits album (1992). "Viva Las Vegas" was released as a single and reached the Top 10 in both the UK (No. 10) and Ireland (No. 8).[7][8] This version appeared in a 1993 episode of Beavis and Butt-head.[9] They used some sound elements from Michael Jackson's "Jam" in the track.
Other cover versions
This section needs additional citations for verification. (December 2020) |
- Punk band Dead Kennedys recorded a version of "Viva Las Vegas" on their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980). The song had been a part of their live set almost since the band's inception. Their version strips the musical arrangement down to guitar, bass and drums, and uses a slightly faster tempo, yet maintains the song's melodic structure. It also features satirical lyric changes by lead singer Jello Biafra in the second and third verses, referencing a gambler using speed and cocaine in order not to "sleep a minute away". This version can also be found in Terry Gilliam's film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
- Ann-Margret, who appeared in the original film, recorded a version of the song for the 2000 film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (itself a reference to the original song and film) under the title "Viva Rock Vegas". Keeping with The Flintstones' Stone Age theme, she was credited as "Ann-Margrock".
- The song is featured in the film The Big Lebowski (1998). Shawn Colvin performs it as a folk ballad during the closing credits. A rock version in the film is credited to a band called Big Johnson, and is styled after the ZZ Top version. The Colvin version was recorded originally for the Rhino/Forward release, Til the Night is Gone: A Tribute to Songwriter Doc Pomus (1995), and is also featured prominently in Episode 11 of Twin Peaks.
- The Scooby-Doo movie Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico (2003) featured a variation of the song entitled "Viva Mexico", done in a Latin beat.
- The song is a part of Bruce Springsteen's live act, and was included in The Last Temptation of Elvis, a commemorative album of renditions by singers, and rock groups, of songs made famous by Presley. Springsteen's studio version of "Viva Las Vegas" was also included in the soundtrack of the film Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), and in his compilation The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003).
- The Thrills performed "Viva Las Vegas" with James Burton at Elvis' induction to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. The song was recorded live and later released as a B-side to The Irish Keep Gate-crashing.
- The Dread Zeppelin version of "Viva Las Vegas" was used as the theme to the Travel Channel reality series American Casino.
- The song was recorded for a Viagra commercial with lyrics changed to "Viva Viagra".
- The song served as the theme tune for NBC's short-lived animation series Father of the Pride.
- Allison Crowe and Richard Cheese perform a duet of "Viva Las Vegas" that plays throughout the title sequence of Army of the Dead.
- Holly Cole covered the song on her 2012 album Night.
Charts
Elvis Presley's original version
| Chart (1964) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia | 4 |
| Belgium | 12 |
| Canada (CHUM) Hit Parade[10][4] | 14 |
| Denmark | 3 |
| Germany | 21 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 8 |
| Italy | 8 |
| New Zealand (Lever Hit Parade)[12] | 4 |
| Norway | 6 |
| Spain | 16 |
| Sweden | 5 |
| UK Singles Chart[13] | 17 |
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 29 |
| US Cash Box Top 100 | 16 |
| US Record World | 20 |
| Chart (2007) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart[15] | 15 |
ZZ Top cover
| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA)[16] | 28 |
| Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[17] | 21 |
| Germany (Official German Charts)[18] | 34 |
| Ireland (IRMA)[11] | 8 |
| Netherlands (Single Top 100)[19] | 27 |
| New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[20] | 17 |
| Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[21] | 7 |
| Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[22] | 20 |
| UK Singles Chart[23] | 10 |
| US Billboard Album Rock Tracks | 16 |
References
- ^ "Doc Pomus – Biography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2007-06-27.
- ^ "Gold & Platinum". RIAA. Retrieved 2021-11-18.
- ^ Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; pp. 182, 416
- ^ a b . Archived from the original on 2020-01-28. Retrieved 2018-12-30.
- ^ Halberstadt, Alex "Lonely Avenue The Unlikely Life & Times of DocPomus", 2007; DaCapo Press
- ^ Katsilometes, John (May 5, 2018). "Bellagio fountains cue up 'Viva Las Vegas' after Knights wins". Las Vegas Review-Journal. Retrieved May 19, 2018.
- ^ "Viva Las Vegas | Full Official Chart History | Official Charts Company". www.officialcharts.com. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – All there is to know". irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ Daniels, Neil (2014). Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers: A ZZ Top Guide. Soundcheck Books. ISBN 978-0-9571442-7-9. Retrieved 29 June 2020.
- ^ "CHUM Hit Parade, June 22, 1964". Chumtribute.com. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
- ^ a b "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Viva Las Vegas". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved January 13, 2020.
- ^ "Flavour of New Zealand - search lever". Flavourofnz.co.nz. Retrieved 8 October 2022.
- ^ "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1964-03-18. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
- ^ . AllMusic. Archived from the original on 2016-03-08. Retrieved 2016-12-30.
- ^ "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 2007-11-10. Retrieved 2020-01-13.
- ^ "ZZ Top – Viva Las Vegas". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "ZZ Top – Viva Las Vegas" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "ZZ Top – Viva Las Vegas" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "ZZ Top – Viva Las Vegas" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "ZZ Top – Viva Las Vegas". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "ZZ Top – Viva Las Vegas". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "ZZ Top – Viva Las Vegas". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved October 22, 2022.
- ^ "Official Charts Company". Officialcharts.com. 1992-04-11. Retrieved 2020-01-13.