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Interview
by SashaS
17-6-2002
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| Elvis vs J/unkie/XL |
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Pelvic attrAction
JXL & Elvis’s single outta that great Nike football ad
A wee forgotten gem by Elvis Presley, ‘A Little Less Conversation’, will return the undisputed King of Rock to the top of the charts almost 25 years after his premature passing. Presley, one of the most influential figures in American music and culture, is again on the verge of another career milestone, his 18th No.1 hit in Britain, which will elevate him above The Beatles’ tally.
This is not only a record-setting release but of historic importance as this is the first time that the Elvis Presley Estate has granted permission to re-mix a Presley song. The new version comes courtesy of a Dutch DJ/musician, Tom Holkenborg, better known as Junkie XL or, on this occasion, JXL.
‘A Little Less Conversation’ has masterfully soundtracked the Nike’s football commercial but it is a relatively unknown song that first appeared in one of Elvis’s 1960s movies (‘Live A Little, Love A Little’) and backed the 1968 single, ‘Almost In Love’. The song also appeared on the David Holmes-helmed soundtrack to a remake of ‘Ocean’s Eleven’ from the beginning of the year.
We catch up with Tom Holkenborg, the mastermind behind this catchy pop-dancey tune, as he’s packing (in Amsterdam) to come to London and tape the famed Top Of The Pops edition.
“It’ll be my first hit and the 18th Number One for Elvis, I just found out it would be a new record… (overtaking The Beatles) It is weird, it is brilliant, but I don’t want to exaggerated my role in all of this!” Holkenborg turns humble suddenly. “I did work on the track, I did re-mix it but the track is almost like the original. My role is little, it is still an Elvis’s track and that’s why it works, I think. My contribution is obvious, I made it work for the younger audience, but it is still the Elvis’s track.”
Perhaps that is the reason that the Presley estate agreed to grant permission for a song to be used.
“I suppose so; it all started with a guy working for Nike,” Holkenborg sounds casual, “who was a fan of Junkie XL albums and approached me to do this. That was two-and-half-years-ago and the idea was to work on this track because, a) it is an unknown track, b) there is a line ‘Little less conversation and a little more action’, which fits in nicely with the commercial. Once we did it we then had to worry about being able to use it.”
Intrinsic energy
“We sent the track to the Elvis’s office and they liked it,’ JXL enthuses, “we were delighted and immediately thought of doing a single version. But, when they were approving the track, they asked who remixed it and the answer was, ‘This guy from Holland and he’s called Junkie XL.’ They didn’t like it and asked me to shorten it out and I understand they reasoning; and, I had no problem working as JXL for one single.”
The fairly obscure track also contains a funky beat.
“It seems to people that they know everything about Elvis,” he explains, “but there are plenty of lesser known songs; this one was released back in 1968 but, I think, it’s been overlooked. The true Elvis fans would tell you about it but not the people who only know his ‘Greatest Hits’. So, when you are remixing an icon like Elvis, who was so important in the development of popular music in general, it is great to pick a track that is unknown to people and it can be released 25 years later and really surprise people.”
“The original is also available on the single and it is only 1:30 minutes long. For the difference of having to edit something usually when you are remixing, this time the problem was that there wasn’t enough of the original. Too short and I had to write an extra chorus to stretch it to three-and-half-minutes.”
An enchanted entrance
The creative and spiritual focus of Junkie XL is Tom Holkenborg, also known for his remix work with fellow Roadrunner bands like the recently disbanded Fear Factory (‘Remanufacture’) and Soulfly; along with rapper Rudeboy (of Urban Dance Sqaud fame) they became a lethal tag-team that few could match. Aside producing/remixing work, Junkie XL established itself as a techno-outfit creating music with an enormous rock feel over two albums: ‘Saturday Teenage Kick’ (1997) and ‘Big Sounds Of The Drags’ (’99).
Both albums were critically well received and became cultish successes but there were no hit singles; the Elvis’s hit will certainly appear on an album but it is very unlikely to be the Junkie XL’s; the most logical place will be on the forthcoming ‘ELV1S’, the first ever collection of all Presley’s Number One singles. Tom will go back to his fully-named alter-ego.
“Apart from working on Elvis, I co-produced Sasha’s album, due out in August, finished my album that features 4 tracks by Saffron from Republica and one with Gary Numan, and coming out in September. I’d love to have the Elvis song on my album but that’s very unlikely because I am with a different record company (Roadrunner/Universal) and you know how contracts work.”
The success of this track will certainly contribute to a greater recognition of the band’s third album.
“I hope so, because this is just one-off project and hasn’t got much to do with my career. I mean, it has in a way because it’s lead to my remixing Natalie Imbruglia’s single and suddenly opened so many doors. Things have just started happening and it is like that in the music business – a tide. I’m really shocked with everything that’s going around me but I love it!”
SashaS
17-6-2002
Elvis Vs JXL’s single ‘A Little Less Conversation’ is released 10 June 2002 on BMG
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