The Beatles were huge Elvis fans, and one of the biggest inspirations for them starting their band in the first place. However, it’s said that The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll was sometimes dismissive of The Fab Four, possibly because he felt threatened by their massive success.
It seems that Paul McCartney remains a huge fan, though, to the extent that when he met Austin Butler – the man who played Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s 2022 film – he couldn’t resist the chance to sing an Elvis song with him.
It was Luhrmann who told this rather unlikely tale to Julia Cunningham on her SiriusXM show. When it was put to him by the host that there was ‘beef’ between Elvis and The Beatles, he recalled the time that McCartney and Butler found themselves on a train together.
“Well, I won't go into all of it, but what [McCartney] did say was, you know, ‘Oh, we sort of remember it differently, you know,’” said Luhrmann, referring to the alleged rift between The Beatles and Elvis.
According to Luhrmann. McCartney then told Butler about the time that he, John Lennon, George Harrison and Ringo Starr went to see Elvis – presumably the initially awkward meeting on 27 August 1965, at The King’s Beverly Hills mansion, which is set to have become more relaxed when it turned into an impromptu jam session.
“What he said to Austin was, Elvis sang this song. I can't remember what it is, and then Sir Paul, when they’re on the train, gets the song. He says, ‘Well, I've got it here,’ and he plays it. I think he gets Austin to sing it with him, so Austin and Sir Paul are doing an Elvis duet.”
So, if we’ve got this right, that’s Paul McCartney on a train with the man who played Elvis, duetting on an Elvis song that McCartney heard the real Elvis sing. We hope for their sakes that they weren’t in the designated quiet carriage.
Luhrmann is currently on the promotional trail for his latest Elvis project, a documentary/concert film that features previously unseen footage. After premiering in IMAX theatres, EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert will be released in conventional cinemas on Friday 27 February.
McCartney, meanwhile, is soon to be immortalised on screen himself, with Irish actor Paul Mescal set to play him in Sam Mendes’ upcoming series of Beatles biopics, which will be released in 2028.
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