"The Wonder of You"
Song
Released1958 (1958)
Songwriter(s)Baker Knight

"The Wonder of You" is a song written by Baker Knight.[1] It was originally recorded by Vince Edwards in 1958, but this recording has never been released. In an interview with a DJ from Chattanooga, Tennessee, Ray Peterson told the story of how Baker Knight confided that "The Wonder of You" was originally written as a gospel song.

Ray Peterson recording

In 1959, "The Wonder of You" was first released by Ray Peterson as a single. The song became a Top 40 hit for him on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at #25, and it briefly re-entered the Hot 100 peaking at #70, in 1964.[2] The 1959 Ray Peterson recording also reached #23 in the UK.[3]

Elvis Presley version

"The Wonder of You"
Single by Elvis Presley
from the album On Stage
B-side"Mama Liked the Roses"
ReleasedApril 20, 1970 (1970-04-20)
RecordedFebruary 19, 1970
VenueInternational Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada
GenreSoft rock, pop
Length2:34
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Baker Knight
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Kentucky Rain"
(1970)		 "The Wonder of You" / "Mama Liked the Roses"
(1970)		 "I've Lost You" / "The Next Step Is Love"
(1970)
Music video
"The Wonder of You" (audio) on YouTube

Elvis Presley had a No. 1 hit in the UK and a Top 10 hit in the U.S. with his 1970 live version of "The Wonder of You" recorded in Las Vegas, Nevada in February 1970. The song was released as a single on April 20, 1970, backed by the song "Mama Liked the Roses". In the United States, both songs charted at #9 together during 27 June - 11 July 1970. "The Wonder of You" was one of his most successful records in the UK ever, topping the UK Singles Chart for six weeks in the summer of that year. It has sold over 400,000 equivalent units in the UK, qualifying the single for a gold sales certification in 2022.[4] It also stayed at number one in the Irish Charts for three weeks that same year. This was the 59th Top 40 hit of his career. Presley's version also reached number 37 on the US Country Singles chart, and number one on the easy listening chart.[5]

"The Wonder of You" was one of about thirty-five songs Presley would regularly perform at concerts.

According to Peterson, "He [Elvis] asked me if I would mind if he recorded 'The Wonder of You.' I said, 'You don't have to ask permission; you're Elvis Presley.' He said, 'Yes, I do. You're Ray Peterson.'"[6]

In 2016, a version of the song featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra was released together with other orchestral versions of Elvis songs in the album The Wonder of You.

Other recordings

Popularity in association football

The song has been adopted by English Association football club Port Vale, which runs out to the song at the start of its home matches, while the club's fans sing the song throughout their matches, periodically with altered lyrics.[8] Arsenal Football Club also adopted the song as their opening anthem upon their move to the Emirates Stadium. [9] Scottish club Ross County have also adopted the song as an anthem at the end of home matches.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "secondhandsongs.com". secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  2. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2013). Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles, 14th Edition: 1955-2012. Record Research. p. 665.
  3. ↑ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  4. ↑ "British single certifications – Elvis Presley – The Wonder of You". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved October 28, 2022.
  5. ↑ Whitburn, Joel (2002). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961-2001. Record Research. p. 196.
  6. ↑ "David Neale - Elvis Presley The Originals".
  7. ↑ "officialcharts.com". officialcharts.com. Retrieved December 1, 2020.
  8. ↑ "The Wonder Of You Chant". fanchants.com. 30 Jul 2007. Retrieved 2009-02-06.
  9. ↑ "Arsenal issue response". Football London.com. 6 August 2017.
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