#Like I don't mind copyrighted songs in films when it's done right

[thecluelessdoctor]

It's time for my annual day of thinking about that one really weird jukebox musical made by Disney and lucasfilms that I hate and adore with every fiber of my being. I hate it because it's a jukebox musical and half the characters are the worst things ever and the writing is really bad alot of the time and I love it because the relationship between the main two characters is the GREATEST ENEMIES TO LOVERS I HAVE SEEN IN A LONG TIME and it's a straight couple and it's not cringe (or it's good cringe idk) AND I can cut the tension when they are flirting with a knife and it's funny

...this post is about Strange Magic by the way. It's amazing and terrible all at once and I need to talk about it at some point because I've been thinking about it again

[septembersghost]

I Will Always Love You ('73): Dolly Parton (Farewell song to mentor Porter W. as she left their group to go solo). Classy. "Elvis loved the song, that was when he and Priscilla were having their problems," she explained while on The Big Interview. "But during that time—and it's no fault of Elvis'—but Tom Parker, his manager…calls me the day before and says, 'Now you do know that Elvis is recording your song and Elvis don't record anything that he don't publish or get half publishing on." People

yeah :(((

“Elvis loved “I Will Always Love You,” and he wanted to record it,” said Parton in a 2006 CMT interview. “I got the word that he was going to record it, and I was so excited. I told everybody I knew, ‘Elvis is going to record my song. You’re not going to believe who’s recording my song.'”

Parton added, “I thought it was a done deal because he don’t just say he’s going to do something. Anyway, he sent word that he loved it and he was doing it. They get to town and they call and they ask if I want to come to the session, and of course, I was going to go.”

The cover was too good to be true after Parton was approached by Presley’s manager, Colonel Tom Parker, who demanded that Elvis receive a hefty portion of the publishing rights to the song.

“Now, you know we have a rule that Elvis don’t record anything that we don’t take half the publishing,” said Parker, according to Parton. “And I was really quiet,” said Parton. “I said, ‘Well, now it’s already been a hit. I wrote it and I’ve already published it, and this is the stuff I’m leaving for my family when I’m dead and gone. That money goes in for stuff for my brothers and sisters and nieces and nephews, so I can’t give up half the publishing,’ and he said ‘Well then, we can’t record it.'”

Parton added, “I guess they thought since they already had it prepared and already had it ready, that I would do it. .. Something in my heart [said] ‘Don’t do that,’ and I just didn’t do it, and they just didn’t do it.”

Turning down Presley, said Parton, broke her heart because she truly wanted to hear him sing her song.

“I said, ‘I’m sorry, but I can’t give you the publishing,” said Parton, talking about the experience in a 2021 interview. “I wanted to hear Elvis sing it, and it broke my heart I cried all night. But I had to keep that copyright in my pocket. You have to take care of your business. Everybody’s going to use you if they can. These are my songs. They’re like my children. And I expect them to support me when I’m old.”

Though Presley never recorded the song, it still held a special place in his heart. Parton previously shared that his ex-wife Priscilla told her that he sang the song to her when they divorced. “Priscilla told me that when she and Elvis divorced, Elvis sang my song to her,” shared Parton. “That touched me so deeply.”

i admire her for sticking to her guns and i hate that he didn't get the chance to sing it.

i don't know if you've seen the film, but they subtly reference this (and were planning to do so even more directly with austin singing it in the scene). it's astonishing to think what an indelible song it would become almost two decades later when memorably covered by whitney. elvis connecting to it given what he felt at that time is very poignant and understandable, and i wish so much that he had been able to record it, it would've been stunning. (do not get me STARTED on my rage towards that man and the way he intentionally held him back and the countless opportunities and songs E missed out on because of his greedy parameters and general lack of vision. he nearly didn't get to record suspicious minds because of this too, though they fortunately worked that out, but the things he could've done in his career are probably incalculable and it makes my heart ache.)