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TL;DR:
- Austin Butler performed Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right” for Baz Luhrmanns Elvis.
- Luhrmann said Butler was “shaking in the corner” when asked to sing the song.
- “That’s All Right” appeared on a hit album.
Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right” is one of the most famous songs of the 1950’s rock ‘n’ roll scene. Austin Butler had to perform the song for Baz Luhrmanns Elvis. Luhrmann subsequently revealed that Butler was “absolutely white as a sheet” when asked to sing the track.
Austin Butler Said 1 Scene He Played Elvis Presley Was ‘An Out-of-Body Experience’
During a 2022 interview with the Los Angeles Times, Butler spoke about filming his first scene Elvis. “I just accepted that the fear will be there because it’s so important to me,” he said. “But if only I could have channeled that into the music and into building a relationship with the audience, that’s what he would have done.”
Butler had a strong reaction to the experience. “I went out there and had a completely out of body experience,” he said. “And it turned out to be one of my favorite days.” Butler said the scene was as important to him as that ’68 Comeback-Special war der King of Rock ’n‘ Roll.
TIED TOGETHER: This singer said Elvis Presley was a “good person” because of one thing he did while recording songs
Baz Luhrmann said he’s never seen Austin Butler more scared than when he had to sing Elvis Presley’s “That’s All Right.”
Subsequently, Butler was required to sing “That’s All Right” for the film, although he thought he would use rendition instead. Director Luhrmann remembered the shooting. “I said, ‘I think you really need to get going, so we’re just going to mute all the instruments and you’re just Elvis and you’re making it up: you hear the music, you know the orchestrations,'” Luhrmann said. “Elvis did that.”
Luhrmann said the shoot was challenging. “Austin never shows fear, but I’ve never seen him more scared,” he revealed. “He was white as chalk and shaking in the corner. [But] What’s in the film is basically a couple of takes. He just made it up… and I know from testing it’s one of the movie’s favorite scenes.”
TIED TOGETHER: A song with “offensive” lyrics written for an Elvis Presley film hasn’t been released for over 35 years
How ‘That’s All Right’ and the film are performing commercially
Elvis released his version of “That’s All Right” before the Billboard Hot 100 hit, so it never charted. The song subsequently appeared on the compilation album Elvis: 2nd after None. The compilation peaked at number 3 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 16 weeks.
The film Elvis also became a hit. Box Office Mojo reports that the film made over $31 million in its opening weekend. To date, it has earned more than $193 million.
The performance of “That’s All Right” made Butler nervous — but it seems to have worked out for him.
TIED TOGETHER: Elvis Presley made one of his friends promise to sing rock songs and now she’s inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame
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