We Cast Music: Summer Kisses Winter Tears

Song: Summer Kisses Winter Tears
Artist: Elvis Presley
Album: Elvis By Request

This one is a little random.

I first heard this song as part of the Soundtrack to the 1991 Wim Wenders film "Until the End of the World." In the film it is sung by Julee Cruise, best known for her work with composer Angelo Badalamenti and Director David Lynch. In the film the protagonist, Claire (played by the enigmatic Solveig Donmartin,) sings along to Cruise's version as the film opens and she is driving, fleeing the city, because a rogue satellite threatens to crash and kill all electricity on the planet on the dawn of the new millennium in 2000. Despite that being only a minor point to the kooky plot, I highly recommend the movie.

So anyhow, yesterday Julee Cruise came up for another reason... but it led me back to "Summer Kisses Winter Tears," which I knew was originally recorded by Elvis, but knew nothing else. Well, it turns out that there is very little info on the song itself, though I did find it and find it as surprisingly mysterious as Cruise's version... and somehow seemed to fit in this odd Is it Winter/Is is Spring? thing we have going on in NYC.

The song was recorded in 1960 and was written by Ben Weisman, Fred Wise, & Jack Lloyd." It was intended for the Elvis film "Flaming Star," and was one of four songs recorded but was cut from the film. It subsequently was put on the E.P. "Soundtrack" entitled "Elvis By Request" which included the title track to the film, but dropped the second song that made it into the film, ("A Cane and a High Starched Collar") and added Elvis hits; "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" and "It's Now or Never."

I've always liked this song, love the melancholy, and again the mysteriousness of it. Cruise got both down perfect, but so does Elvis... whom I can't say I'm a huge fan of. Don't dislike, just never got into his music. But this is a great song, check it out.

Enjoy.

Odd, the Julee Cruise version isn't on YouTube or any linkable site. You're only getting the King...

Summer Kisses Winter Tears - Elvis