Search - Terry Stafford :: Suspicion

Early Terry Stafford Sounds a Bit Like Elvis

jfn007@yahoo.com | California | 07/30/1998

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I bought his album in the early 60's. His copy of "Suspicion" is very close to that of Elvis. He does a great job on "I'll Touch a Star". You like Elvis imitators, then get this CD."

'Suspicion' in Chicago

. | Chicago, IL USA | 08/03/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"'Suspicion' was the song that broke the Beatles' long string of #1 hits in Chicago. With all of the eager fans and business machinery behind Elvis' career, why would a totally unknown Elvis soundalike have a hit with this tune when Elvis didn't, (neither then or the few years before when E's version was released)?...Because it's -that- good."

Better than the Elvis version... and that's hard to do.

S. Dudley | Florida | 03/04/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Stafford's version is the one everyone remembers as an Elvis song. If you play the two versions (I have) and compare them, there's really no comparision. Stafford's is simply better.



"Suspicion" was orginally a demo done by Stafford. Crusader Records remastered and released it.



Just because a singer releases a song first, doesn't make it his. Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote the song and they and their publishers own it. They were a prolific team and wrote many songs that Elvis, the Drifters and others recorded. (for example, "All Shook Up," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Great Balls of Fire").



If you listen closely, it's easy to tell it's not Elvis; notes aren't as round. However, since Elvis' voice is decidedly better, I believe Stafford's version is better due to production. That's why, two years after Elvis released it, Stafford's version topped the charts when Elvis' version never made it out of the gate. After all, that's what recording engineers are for... improving a recording.



You can't fault the artist. Back then, the record companies basically owned them and told them what to record, much like the movie studio system in Hollywood back in the day. It's not his fault his voice was similar to Elvis' and the record company exploited it instead of letting him develop his own style. It was probably to his career detriment; you can't be a star imitating someone else.



Stafford later did a country chart topper, "Say, Has Anybody Seen My Sweet Gypsy Rose" for a different record label."