Wanda Jackson - "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" (2006 Goldenlane Records)
w Charlie Feathers, Stan Kesler; from I Remember Elvis, Goldenlane Records – CLP 1568 2
This first record is a cover of an early Elvis Sun Records release from 1955, and indeed comes to us from Country and Rockabilly performer Wanda Jackson's 2006 album I Remember Elvis. "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" is probably the closest to straight Country of all Elvis' records (the title especially is Country as hell), but it's squarely in a Rockabilly vein with its sparse instrumentation and has a distinct, jumpy beat:
Wanda Jackson is a living legend (at the time of this writing), called the Queen of Rockabilly, who started her career while still in high school in the early '50s and recorded her supposedly final album in 2021 (Encore, produced by and featuring Joan Jett and additionally featuring Elle King - also check out "Two Shots" from that album). Her cover is a pretty close approximation of Elvis' recording, but drops the guitar solo and adds a second verse Elvis didn't record - you can hear her say a little bit about the change in this live performance from 2006:
It's really the second verse that makes the song, respectfully...but don't miss the Elvis original either. The guitar solo is a classic.
There's too many good records from Wanda and my all-time favorite, Elvis, not to mention this song's co-writer Charlie Feathers...expect some to appear in future posts, but briefly:
Also Check Out:
By Wanda Jackson:
"Sparkling Brown Eyes": YouTube | Spotify
"Two Shots" (ft. Joan Jett, Elle King): YouTube | Spotify
By Elvis Presley:
"I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone": YouTube | Spotify
By Charlie Feathers:
