Elvis Presley lives on thanks to Brandon McPhee's Christmas single
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Brandon McPhee from Castletown shared the incredible story of how his latest hit came about and the collaboration with a musician who saw Elvis Presley the night he died.
The 27-year-old is rising high in the UK Country iTunes chart with his latest composition, a Christmas song called “Merry Christmas Elvis” which he dedicates to fans of the late singer.
Brandon said: "I've been a massive Elvis fan for as long as I can remember and it's a real honour to write a song with James (McQueen) who was actually working in the very hospital that Elvis was rushed into back in 1977. It's an incredible story and I'm delighted I can be part of it."
According to Brandon, James T McQueen (known to his friends as 'Mac') had written a song called Merry Christmas Elvis that he posted online and was looking for people to record it. The young Scottish musician took a liking to the song but felt he could make it his own by rewriting a lot of it and changing the melodies.
He contacted the 90-year-old songwriter, who was delighted to collaborate, and they worked on changing the lyrics and other elements of the song quite substantially. "It's actually registered as co-written by James McQueen and myself," adds Brandon.
"It was released on November 10 and it reached number 17 in the UK Country iTunes charts so we were delighted with that. We've had a great response to the song and considering James worked at the hospital as Elvis was taken in, it really adds something to the story."
Brandon shared the details of how James McQueen, described as a huge Elvis fan, was on duty as an electronics technician when the ambulance (badged Unit No 6) swept into the Memphis Baptist Hospital at "alarming speed and a sense of heightened security".
"He was a biometric technician and was involved with all the electronics and heart monitoring machines in the hospital. He worked the machines and was at the door as Elvis was rushed in.
"James actually owns the electronic paddles that were used to try and save Elvis' life." The stretchered patient's face was covered up but later a weeping nurse told Mac it was Elvis and he had died.
Brandon said that his family listened to a lot of Elvis music when he was growing up and he was greatly inspired by the American musician and actor, known as "The King" by fans. Many visit his Graceland mansion around the festive season to pay tribute to their idol. His recorded performances have endured in popularity across the decades and a significant number of fans regard The King as immortal.
Some, who found the news of his passing too painful to deal with, even believe that Elvis never died that fateful night on August 16, 1977 and think their hero is still alive and living in obscurity, perhaps on a tropical island or working in a burger bar.
Elvis had been gone almost 20 years before Brandon was born, but even as a young boy his keen musical ear drew him to the sound of The King. His new song follows on from last year's Always Me, a single released from the album Mr Country and inspired by the Baz Lurhmann film on the legendary American singer.
"With Elvis fans there's always been a superstition that he's still alive and if you listen to the words of the new song it talks about his presence still being there and the more that we sing about him, and play his music, the more his memory is still alive and still there very, very strongly," adds Brandon.
"We're delighted with how the track turned out. On it there's Manson Grant, Robert Cameron, Phil Anderson, Mike Schrimpf – who played for Conway Twitty and Loretta Lynn – and there's George Jones on harmonica. It was mastered in Nashville and I'm delighted the song is out there on the Pan Records label as well."
Merry Christmas Elvis is available in MP3 format to download and more information about Brandon can be found at: www.brandonmcphee.com
Brandon was the only entry from outside the USA to be in the Top 30 of the UK Country iTunes chart and shares the accolade with the likes of Taylor Swift, Luke Combs and Chris Stapleton.
And the Caithness musician can claim he has good connections with another king as well – Brandon is regularly invited to play for King Charles III when he visits the Castle of Mey during his annual holiday to the county.
