Viva Las Vegas (song)

"Viva Las Vegas" is a 1964 song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman^[1] and recorded by Elvis Presley for his Viva Las Vegas film vehicle of that year. It has since become widely known and often performed by others.

History

Released as the b-side of the "What'd I Say" single from the same film, "Viva Las Vegas" charted separately from its A-side, a modest hit reaching #29 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart.^[2] The Elvis version of "What'd I Say" peaked at #21, the two sides having equivalent appeal in the marketplace. "Viva Las Vegas" reached #12 on the UK Singles Chart, improving to #15 after a reissue in 2007.

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 bewilderement in related comedic situations. Somewhat amusingly, it is said that Doc Pomus wrote the words to "Viva Las Vegas" some thirty years before ever venturing west of Newark, New Jersey.

In 2002, the city of Las Vegas requested Elvis Presley Enterprises, the company that handles a portion of Elvis' 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^[3] 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.

The Simpsons episode "Viva Ned Flanders" is a reference to the song. In the episode, Ned Flanders & Homer Simpson go to Las Vegas.

Cover versions

• Influential punk band Dead Kennedys recorded a version of "Viva Las Vegas" on their 1980 debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables. 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 1998 film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas.
• Nina Hagen recorded a version of "Viva Las Vegas" on her 1989 album Nina Hagen.
• ZZ Top recorded a version of "Viva Las Vegas" in their own inimitable blues-rock style, as one of two new tracks on their 1992 Greatest Hits CD. (This remake can also be heard on the compilations that succeeded it, the box set Chrome, Smoke & BBQ (2003) and the double-CD anthology Rancho Texicano (2004)). The video for this song was reviewed by Beavis and Butt-Head in 1993.
• Film co-star Ann-Margaret recut a version of the song for the live action movie The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (2000) under the pseudonym of her animated alter-ego Ann-Margrock and with the song's title changed to, of course, "Viva Rock Vegas".
• Polish street punk/Oi! band The Analogs covered the song in Polish, without changing its name.
• The bluegrass act The Grascals did a version of the song on their debut album in 2005.
• Chilean punk band Fiskales Ad-Hok covered the song in Spanish, changing its name to "Viva Santiago".
• The song is featured in the film, The Big Lebowski. 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 1995 Rhino/Forward release, Til the Night is Gone: A Tribute to Songwriter Doc Pomus.
• The 2003 Scooby-Doo movie Scooby-Doo and the Monster of Mexico 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 1992 film Honeymoon in Vegas, and in his 2003 compilation, The Essential Bruce Springsteen.
• 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.
• There are also cover versions of the song by Wayne Newton, The Residents, The Misfits, Billy Swan, Dolly Parton & the Grascals, Dread Zeppelin, Engelbert Humperdinck, Lee Rocker, Phil Cody, The Gipsy Vagabonds, The Stray Cats, Cornell Hurd, King Junior, The Blues Brothers, The Royal Crown Revue, Mort Shuman himself, The Southern Boys, and many, many others.
• The Dread Zeppelin version of "Viva Las Vegas" was used as the theme to the Travel Channel reality series American Casino.
• Radio station WGIR-FM in Manchester, New Hampshire, did a parody version, "Viva Manch Vegas" (referring to the sarcastic nickname of the city) on its "Morning Buzz Show".
• At UNLV athletic events, UNLV's band often plays a version of "Viva Las Vegas" in the same way most college bands play schools' fight songs.
• 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.
• The Mexican band Plastilina Mosh released Viva Las Vegas in their Tasty album.
• In the 2003 movie Looney Tunes: Back in Action, the song is played on the radio of the spy car Bugs Bunny and Kate Houghton are driving in on their way to Las Vegas with Bugs singing along to the song till Kate takes his guitar he was playing with and throws it out of the car.
• Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson sang a portion of the song during his WWE stint with the chorus changed to "Viva Rock Vegas".
• Presley's version serves as the opening number in the first episode of the BBC One series Blackpool, with the various members of the Holden family singing along.
• Johnny Ramone had recorded a instrumental version of this song.
• In 2010, Vince Neil covered the song on his solo release, Tattoos & Tequila.
• Dark-synth band Lost Children (Formerly Depressed Children) performed a version of this song on their debut CD Our Fallen Cities.
• El grupo español La Frontera grabó una fantástica versión de Viva Las Vegas, suelen cerrar los conciertos en directo con esta canción. Esta incluida en el primer disco titulado La Frontera (Polydor 1985). Versión en español de los Dead Kennedys.

Notes

1. ^ "Doc Pomus - Biography". Allmusic.com. http://www.allmusic.com/artist/p115115/biography. Retrieved 2007-06-27. 
2. ^ Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; pp. 182, 416
3. ^ Halberstadt, Alex "Lonely Avenue The Unlikely Life & Times of DocPomus", 2007; DaCapo Press