Themes, Dreams & Schemes - Weather

occasional commentary on Bob Dylan's Theme Time Radio Hour weekly show

“We forget how much Elvis wanted to be Dean.” - Dylan introducing Dean Martin's Dixeland version of "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine" on episode one of "Theme Time" - Weather.

Actually it's the first time it had occurred to me, Bob. But as usual with Dylanesque statements, it makes more sense the more you think about it. In "Elvis & Dino" an updated version of an article Chris Spedding wrote for Musician magazine, he notes...

... one of the few accredited quotes from the one person most sources agree can legitimately lay claim to having "discovered" Elvis, the office manager of Sam Phillips' Sun Records studio in Memphis, Marion Keisker, who tells of a not entirely successful first audition Presley had with Phillips. According to Marion, Sam asked Elvis to run through some of his repertoire, which seemed to lean so heavily on Dean Martin stuff, she thought Elvis had decided "...if he was going to sound like anybody, it was going to be Dean Martin."

Spedding goes on to note Elvis' "cover" of Martin's "I Don't Care if the Sun Don't Shine," although more accurately both Presley and Martin were covering Patti Page's 1950 Top 10 hit.

"I Don't Care..." was written by Mack David (Tin Pan Alley tunesmith and brother of Hal David) originally for the Disney version of Cinderella, believe it or not. The song was dropped from the movie without ever being recorded, as far as I can tell, which seems to have been a smart decision. The mind boggles at Cinderella and Prince Charming singing...

I don't care if the sun don't shine,
I'll get my lovin' in the evening time.
When I'm with my baby.
It's no fun with the sun around,
but I get going when the sun goes down,
and I meet my baby.