Orion - Some Think He Might Be King Elvis (CD)

All Music Guide

Only a handful of Elvis Presley impressionists proved viable on the popularity charts: Terry Stafford, Ral Donner, and Orion (aka Jimmy Ellis), all of whom cultivated a soundalike style that transcended mere influence and entered the realm of vocal impersonation. Sun Records' marketing of Orion took the schtick one step further than Donner and Stafford did by implying that Orion actually was Elvis, who had (the story goes) faked his own death to escape the scrutiny of fame. It's unclear why Elvis would go to such lengths only to reemerge singing his old songs and looking exactly like his former self down to the sequined duds and pompadour hairstyle but wearing a Lone Ranger mask and using a different name. Nevertheless, that was the legend of Orion, whose voice was so similar to Elvis' that many wishful fans fully embraced the fanciful resurrection story. Some Think He Might Be King Elvis is an anthology of Orion's Sun recordings from 19721982 that includes a handful of previously un...released cuts. During this period he graced the country charts nearly a dozen times with minor hits like "Rockabilly Rebel" and a cover of Queen's "Crazy Little Thing Called Love," but only a few of Orion's hits appear on the anthology. Most of the songs are Orion's versions of classic rock roll numbers like "Rockin' Little Angel" and "Peggy Sue," along with early'80s ballads on which he sounds very much like Elvis. The joy in Orion's music, apart from indulging in the appealing fantasy that Elvis didn't die, is the opportunity it affords to hear a good pseudoElvis perform songs like Bobby Mitchell's "I'm Gonna Be a Wheel Someday" that sound like something the real Elvis would have recorded. Orion really does manage to recapture a little of the Elvis magic, and he certainly rises to the top among the ranks of Elvis impersonators who have made commercial recordings. Elvis and Orion enthusiasts wanting to dig even deeper into the Jimmy Ellis experience can seek out Bear Family's fourdisc Orion box set, Who Was That Masked Man? - Greg Adams, All Music Guide Read more Less