Viva Las Vegas (song)

This article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources:  –  ·  ·  · scholar · JSTOR (June 2021) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

"Viva Las Vegas"
Single by Elvis Presley
B-side	"What'd I Say"
Released	April 28, 1964
Recorded	July 10, 1963
Studio	Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre	Rock and roll, Pop
Length	2:24
Label	RCA
Songwriter(s)	Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Kissin' Cousins" / "It Hurts Me" (1964) "Viva Las Vegas" / "What'd I Say" (1964) "Such a Night" / "Never Ending" (1964)

"Viva Las Vegas" is a 1964 song recorded by Elvis Presley written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman^[1] for his film Viva Las Vegas, which along with the song was set for general release the year after. Although Elvis Presley never sang the song live, it has since become widely known and often performed by others. The RIAA certified it gold on March 27, 1992 having sold 500,000 copies in the United States.

History[]

The song was recorded on July 10, 1963. Released as a single in 1964 with the B-side "What'd I Say" from the same film, "Viva Las Vegas" charted separately from its B-side, reaching No. 29 on the Billboard Hot 100 pop singles chart.^[2] The Elvis version of "What'd I Say" peaked at No. 21, the two sides having equivalent appeal in the marketplace. "Viva Las Vegas" reached No. 17 on the UK Singles Chart, improving to No. 15 after a reissue in 2007. The single reached No. 20 on the Record World chart in the U.S. and No. 14 in Canada.^[3]

The song was published by Elvis Presley Music, Inc.

In the years since its first release, the song has become one of Presley's most recognized numbers. In the 1990s and 2000s, the song appeared in countless movies and TV sitcoms, either as a reference to the city of Las Vegas, or simply as an expression of joy or bewilderment in related comedic situations.

In 2002, the city of Las Vegas requested Elvis Presley Enterprises, the company that handles a portion of Elvis's legacy and all Elvis-related music rights, to allow it to be the official song of the city. Negotiations stalled over the price requested by EPE, notwithstanding that EPE had not controlled the copyright to the song since 1993, at which time it became the property of the families of the songwriters Doc Pomus^[4] and Mort Shuman. Since EPE no longer owns the copyright to the song, it essentially means that EPE does not have the authority or right to negotiate the use of the song "Viva Las Vegas" within the United States, its territories and possessions, although EPE may be able to negotiate the use of the actual Elvis recording of the song.

Appearances in other media[]

• The song is featured in Looney Tunes: Back in Action where Bugs Bunny sings the song.
• The song is featured in the TV show Friends when Ross and Rachel get married in a Las Vegas chapel.
• Tim’s band performs the song at Battle of the Bands in the Not Going Out episode Band.
• The song has been adopted as the victory theme for the National Hockey League (NHL)'s Vegas Golden Knights when they win games at T-Mobile Arena.^[5]
• The song is featured in The Boss Baby where Tim and Boss Baby disguise themselves in an Elvis costume to join the Elvis impersonators in the plane en route to Las Vegas.

Cover versions[]

This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (December 2020) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

• Punk band Dead Kennedys recorded a version of "Viva Las Vegas" on their debut album Fresh Fruit for Rotting Vegetables (1980). The song had been a part of their live set almost since the band's inception. Their version strips the musical arrangement down to guitar, bass and drums, and uses a slightly faster tempo, yet maintains the song's melodic structure. It also features satirical lyric changes by lead singer Jello Biafra in the second and third verses, referencing a gambler using speed and cocaine in order not to "sleep a minute away". This version can also be found in Terry Gilliam's film adaptation of Hunter S. Thompson's Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (1998).
• ZZ Top recorded a version of "Viva Las Vegas" as one of two new tracks on their Greatest Hits album (1992), which reached the Top 10 in both the UK (No. 10) and Ireland (No. 8).^[6][7] This version appeared in a 1993 episode of Beavis and Butt-head^[8] and the 1998 film The Big Lebowski. They used some sound elements from Michael Jackson's "Jam" in the track.
• Ann-Margret, who appeared in the original film, recorded a version of the song for the 2000 film The Flintstones in Viva Rock Vegas (itself a reference to the original song and film) under the title "Viva Rock Vegas". Keeping with The Flintstones' stone age theme, she was credited as "Ann-Margrock".
• The song is featured in the film The Big Lebowski (1998). Shawn Colvin performs it as a folk ballad during the closing credits. A rock version in the film is credited to a band called Big Johnson, and is styled after the ZZ Top version. The Colvin version was recorded originally for the Rhino/Forward release, Til the Night is Gone: A Tribute to Songwriter Doc Pomus (1995), and is also featured prominently in Episode 11 of Twin Peaks.
• The Scooby-Doo movie Scooby-Doo! and the Monster of Mexico (2003) featured a variation of the song entitled "Viva Mexico", done in a Latin beat.
• The song is a part of Bruce Springsteen's live act, and was included in The Last Temptation of Elvis, a commemorative album of renditions by singers, and rock groups, of songs made famous by Presley. Springsteen's studio version of "Viva Las Vegas" was also included in the soundtrack of the film Honeymoon in Vegas (1992), and in his compilation The Essential Bruce Springsteen (2003).
• The Thrills performed "Viva Las Vegas" with James Burton at Elvis' induction to the UK Music Hall of Fame in 2004. The song was recorded live and later released as a B-side to The Irish Keep Gate-crashing.
• The Dread Zeppelin version of "Viva Las Vegas" was used as the theme to the Travel Channel reality series American Casino.
• The song was recorded for a Viagra commercial with lyrics changed to "Viva Viagra".
• The song served as the theme tune for NBC's short-lived animation series Father of the Pride.
• Allison Crowe and Richard Cheese perform a duet of "Viva Las Vegas" that plays throughout the title sequence of Army of the Dead, a zombie heist movie from director Zack Snyder released on May 14, 2021.

Charts[]

Elvis Presley's original version[]

ZZ Top cover[]

References[]

External links[]

• Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics
• Elvis Presley – Viva Las Vegas on YouTube
• ZZ Top – Viva Las Vegas on YouTube