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TL;DR:

  • A classic Frankie Avalon song played when Elvis Presley met Priscilla Presley during his time in the army.
  • A famous indie rock band is planning on covering Avalon’s song.
  • Avalon described the track as “Muzak.”

Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley met in Germany when a Frankie Avalon song was playing. Subsequently, a director announced Avalon’s song will play a major role in an upcoming movie about Elvis and Priscilla. Notably, Avalon said he’s not a big fan of the song in question.

Frankie Avalon’s song will be a theme song in a film about Elvis Presley and Priscilla Presley

The Hollywood Reporter says Elvis and Priscilla met when the former was stationed in Germany during his time in the U.S. Army. Avalon’s song “Venus” was playing when the two first crossed paths. Notably, Priscilla had the discernment not to tell anybody about their meeting after it happened.

“Venus” is going to become a big part of the couple’s story again. A cover of the tune by the indie rock band Phoenix will appear in Sofia Coppola’s biopic Priscilla. Notably, Coppola is married to Phoenix’s lead singer, Thomas Mars. The cover is set to serve as Priscilla’s musical theme in the movie. Due to rights issues, none of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s songs will appear in Priscilla.

While Elvis never covered “Venus,” it’s not that different from some of his ballads, especially after he started to make poppier music in the early 1960s. It’s a wonder he never recorded the song during his Las Vegas years! While the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll didn’t perform “Venus,” it could be a powerful song in Priscilla if it’s used in a creative way.

Frankie Avalon said his big songs were ‘middle of the road’ tracks that weren’t rock ‘n’ roll

Avalon doesn’t seem to be a big fan of the song. During a 2016 interview with The Arizona Republic, he was asked what he thought of his hits. “I recognize them for what they were,” he said. “‘DeDe Dinah,’ ‘Ginger Bread,’ come on.

“They’re fun things,” he added. “They’re middle of the road. It wasn’t really rock ‘n’ roll. I don’t know what it was, but it was something accepted and bought, and people still like them. When I reminisce on stage, people respond. They really like those songs.”

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Subsequently, Avalon was asked about his feelings toward “Venus.” “It’s one of those songs,” he said. “I guess if Muzak was still around today, you’d be hearing ‘Venus’ in elevators.”

Avalon discussed his exclusion from the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. “That’s always been an argument and a fight,” he said. “It doesn’t make any difference to me. But I look at some of the lists of the artists, and I don’t know who the hell they are or what they have contributed.”

Avalon isn’t the biggest fan of “Venus” but it was an important part of Elvis and Priscilla’s relationship.