The Next Step Is Love by Elvis Presley

Album: That's The Way It Is (1970)

Charted: 32

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Released as a single with "I've Lost You," this was the last song Paul Evans wrote for Elvis (he co-wrote it with Paul Parnes). Evans is a prolific songwriter who had novelty hits as an artist with "Seven Little Girls (Sitting In The Back Seat)" and "Happy-Go-Lucky Me." When writing for Elvis, Evans points out that he had to be very careful with the demos because Elvis' producers would often use the whole arrangement, not just the song. In this song, he used piccolo trumpets on the demo, which made it to the record.

He told Songfacts: "Who knows? If we had put a tuba on it and they liked it, they would have put a tuba on it. Or if they didn't like it, they wouldn't have done the song. They had to like the package, the ambiance of the demo, so we would have to do our best to give them our interpretation of what they would do, with a smaller group of people." (Check out our interview with Paul Evans.)

Comments: 7

Manuel. from Lima, Perú. This should´ve been the A Side and it is a number one hit in my heart. Blessed be God for Anne Marguerite the beautiful girl from Nashville, Tennessee who refused NOT to be my girlfriend at the Catholic University in Lima. "The Next Step is Love" was recorded in Nashville, where Anne was born and she told me 3 times "I am not telling you that I do not want to be your girlfriend, let´s go out first to know each other first..." so the Next Step was Love...and I was so afraid to be rejected that I never went out with her and then Flavia Stock laid her beautiful blue eyes on this Latino guy and she had me. Her husband died the same day Priscilla Presley was born , May 24 and Anne died on May 31. Yes, now and then there is a fool such as I: she died single and I never had a girlfriend in my whole life. Flavia Stock, my heart longs for you every day.
G K Lewis from Kuching, Sarawak, MalaysiaHv been hearing, appreciating n singing the songs that Elvis sang n performed on, since 1970. And I never tire of doing the same until now. I m in my late 60's. Hv tried other singerstoo. Only Engelbert Humperdinck, Neil Daimond can also draw my likings. But still quite way behind, with the number of songs i can like. For Elvis, its almost all his songs.
Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn August 1st 1970, "The Next Step Is Love" b/w "I've Lost You" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #85; and on August 23rd, 1970 it peaked at #32 (for 2 weeks) and spent 9 weeks on the Top 100...
The week it entered the Top 100 his preceding release, "The Wonder of You", was at #24 on the chart, five weeks earlier on June 21st, 1970 it had peaked at #9 (for 3 weeks).
Nancy from Chester, GaI love this song. Elvis is the best singer there is (or was) in my eyes. I understand not everyone loves or likes his music, but in the late 60's early 70's he was King for sure. Just love him and all he sings.
Chris from Cleveland, OhDespite the cheesy lyrics, it's a very catchy and underrated Elvis song.
George from Belleville, Nji sent this second message to clear up a mistake i made in the spelling of the word voice.i put a v in there by mistake.it's Elvis' voice.i just wanted to correct that so anyone reading this will know what i was trying to say.
George from Belleville, Njthis is a great ballad,a great pop song.the lyrics and music blend together beautifully.at this point in his career.Elvis' voive was becoming more powerful,more experienced and it shows in the singing of it.another classic performance by the one and only Elvis.

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