ANOTHER BRITISH SONG RECORDED BY THE KING
You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me (RCA)
WITH “I’ve Lost You” still selling well, I fail to understand what motivated RCA to rush-release this single immediately before Christmas. Still, I don’t suppose they have any cause to worry, because it’s bound to be a hit. You know the song, of course – it was penned by Vicki Wickham and Simon Napier-Bell, and was originally a smash hit for Dusty Springfield. Which means we have the intriguing situation of Elvis releasing two successive British compositions.
Obviously, it’s a must have for his fans, with the famous emotive quiver given full range, supported by mellow horns and lush strings.
But for all that, I don’t think it’s such a good record as his last two, because it seems rather mechanical ... and ... uninspired. Nevertheless, even though I still prefer Dusty’s disc, there will be thousands who disagree with me. A whopper, methinks!
New Musical Express, December 1970