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TL;DR:

  • According to its co-writer, Elvis Presley’s “Bossa Nova Baby” wasn’t an authentic example of a genre.
  • The songwriter preferred a different version of “Bossa Nova Baby.”
  • “Bossa Nova Baby” was a hit and it became part of a mashup with a Backstreet Boys song.

Elvis Presley had a habit of covering songs and throwing the originals in the dustbin of history. Elvis’ “Bossa Nova Baby” was initially by a famous 1960s band. One of the song’s writers preferred the original version of the song. In addition, he revealed what he thought of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll‘s covers in general. 

Elvis Presley’s ‘Bossa Nova Baby’ was originally by Tippie and The Clovers

Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller co-wrote many of the singer’s biggest songs, including “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog,” and “She’s Not You.” Some of those songs were meant for him, while others were covers. During a 2020 interview with Elvis Australia, Stoller was asked if the singer did a better job on the tunes that were written specifically for him.

“That’s hard to say,” Stoller replied. “I think Elvis’ performance of the songs that we wrote for him were generally better than those that were written for someone else. ‘Love Me’ is an exception. It was a great performance. 

“I like the original version of ‘Bossa Nova Baby’ done by Tippie and The Clovers better than Elvis’ version,” he added. “It’s got a Latin feel and it had certain elements of bossa nova, but it wasn’t the real thing. The Clovers’ version was much cooler than Elvis’ version, which was in the film Fun in Acapulco.”

Mike Stoller said he was 1 of Elvis Presley’s ‘good luck charms’

Stoller was asked if the songs he wrote with Leiber struck a chord with Elvis. “It’s hard for me to say I know that he liked what we wrote,” he said. “He respected us. We came to know what a great talent he was very quickly after starting to work with him. 

“The other thing is there was a creative rapport, and we were told numerous times after Jailhouse Rock that he considered us his good luck charms,” he added. “He always wanted us in the studio.” Stoller’s comment might be a reference to the song “Good Luck Charm.”

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How ‘Bossa Nova Baby’ performed in the United States and impacted a recent film

“Bossa Nova Baby” became a modest hit in the United States. The track climbed to No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100, staying on the chart for 10 weeks. The tune appeared on the album Elvis: 2nd to None. That record reached No. 3 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 16 weeks. 

“Bossa Nova Baby” also played a unique role in Baz Luhrmann’s film Elvis. In that movie, it’s featured in a mashup with the Backstreet Boys’ “Everybody (Backstreet’s Back).” The sequence seems to imply that Elvis went from being a rock ‘n’ roller in the 1950s to a pop singer akin to the Backstreet Boys in the 1960s.

“Bossa Nova Baby” is a classic song even if Stoller preferred Tippie and The Clovers’ take on the track.

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