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Marie-Mai and Elvis'Duet in the medias

Interview published in Le Journal de Montréal - Oct. the 5th

MARIE-MAI SINGS WITH THE KING

By Dany Bouchard

Marie-Mai could not have hoped for a more exceptional collaboration; the singer, 26, just recorded a duo to the song Love Me Tender with Elvis Presley, for the album Viva Elvis, coming out next month.
"It's incredible. Who would have thought?" comments the young woman, undeniably ecstatic.
On November 9th, Sony will be launching a new album, starring the King's greatest hits. Viva Elvis, one of the most anticipated releases this fall, features Elvis's classics in addition to new arrangements incorporated in a new show by the same name, created by the Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas.    
In a dozen countries across the world, Sony has invited various artists to join voices with the King, for a track on the album. To represent Canada, the music production company chose Marie-Mai.
"The fact that I performed at the Olympics probably gave me a considerable advantage, she speculates. So many people in Anglophone parts of Canada had no idea who I was, and got to know me thanks to this opportunity. It all happened very quickly (...), I would say maybe three weeks ago," explains the singer.
Rearranged like the other pieces on the album, Love Me Tender has proved to be the ideal song to unite Elvis and Marie-Mai's voice to.
"The first time I heard the tune, I literally had tears in my eyes. It's very dramatic, reminded me of a movie soundtrack. (...) There are no big take-offs; it's very soft. They've preserved Elvis's voice extremely well. The voice resonates perfectly; I had it in my ears and I felt like he was standing next to me."
An epitome of the Love Song genre, Love Me Tender was popularized by the King during the fall of 1956.

A Technical Challenge

Sony provided Marie-Mai with two different versions of the song: an instrumental version, and another with Elvis's voice, only with certain areas erased for the singer to fill in the blanks.
"We recorded it in our studio at home. I really wanted to find my voice and indentify with it. I did a large amount of research and listened to a lot of his songs, she explains.
It was a very natural process. The hardest part was fusing my voice with his during the sections in which we sang simultaneously. There's a very peculiar timing involved. Back then, it was very much about the feeling, it was very improvised."
Marie-Mai was not yet born when Elvis passed away, in 1977, which makes it difficult for her to really associate with the personality, and his repertoire.
"When I was little, I was fascinated with Elvis. I watched all of his movies. Obviously I found him attractive, she laughs, and I found his voice really beautiful."

"It can't hurt"

Marie-Mai has never denied wanting to assert herself within the Anglophone market, both in Canada and the United States. Her duo with Elvis Presley could, therefore, certainly have a really positive impact on the process of getting herself known more rapidly.
"It can't hurt, she agrees. Still I don't know the extent to which it will help open doors for me; in some ways, it is very far from what I normally do," speaking of the King's music, who would have celebrated his 75th birthday this year.
Amongst her entourage, the news of this collaboration has generated much excitement.
"My boyfriend (musician Fred St-Gelais) is really touched. He is in even bigger choc than I am, My Grandmother...Oh my God! I had her come over with my parents to make them listen to the song. They found it very beautiful. They really like to hear me sing ballads she laughs. He is really proud of me.."
Marie-Mai has been on tour for a few months already, promoting her album Version 3.0. On November 19th, she will once again be performing on the stage of the Bell Center. When asked about the possibility of integrating Love Me Tender to the show, she says, "I would love that. We'll get to see how the public reacts; we'll go with the flow."