Ral Donner - You Don't Know What You've Got

[gloheart1]

This is one of the best oldies!

He had a fantastic voice!

Truer words were never spoken.

*****stars and thumbs up

[bradleyu81]

THAT'S HIS VOICE HE HAPPENED TO SOUND LIKE ELVIS. MAN HAD HIS OWN STYLE

[crazyromanian1]

Great Elvis knock off.

[damanfrom808]

i'm sorry, i didn't mean to make this an Elvis coment session. i love Ral too.

[tommieparch]

@damanfrom808 you not need to say sorry! we all loved Ral too...Lets not cry in the chapel over a comment.....Tommy

[damanfrom808]

@tommieparch now that's an Elvis comment again.

[tommieparch]

@damanfrom808 your right...lol

[strato46]

I played behind Ral In Dundee Il. in the 60's. I remember him to be extremely easy to work for and a genuinely nice person. Too bad he went so young.

[CBSEye]

Half the country thought this was a new Elvis song under another name. This guy used so many mannerisms that the record shot to Top Ten. Don't forget in the '60s there was no such thing as an ETA. Today, he's the only of the few soundalike I can listen to. God bless you, Ral. - JG

[valentine0591]

One of my favorite oldies. It was one of the first 45's I bought as a kid. Too bad Ral didn't have better promoters ... he had such a great voice. I don't remember ever seeing him on TV. Thanks for putting this great tune on You Tube.

[babygrlprincessdchdj]

very good song ha ha imn only 20 fuck rap this is the shit

[june2581]

Love this song - first time I have heard of Ral Donner. Thanks to you and You Tube. The oldies were the best.

[damanfrom808]

awesoome!!! when i first heard Ral, i thought it was Elvis, he sounds more like Elvis than Elvis.

[Alikah1]

@damanfrom808 Yes but Elvis sounds more like Ral!

[damanfrom808]

good one! and then you got Terry Stafford with Suspicion, and Conway Twitty with Make Believe. those guys sound like Elvis too. 

[MrBmoore9]

@damanfrom808 I actually think they were all better than Elvis but they only had one big hit each except Conway Twitty

[damanfrom808]

@MrBmoore9 now why do you think Elvis had so much more hits than Ral, Conway and Terry?

[tommieparch]

@damanfrom808 Elvis was so much better lookin & these guys were trying to sound like him... as for Conway,he was smart & went country..listen to early Charlie Rich stuff, he was mimicking Elvis also...

[damanfrom808]

@tommieparch yep, Elvis, wow! he had the whole package. looks, voice, dance, charisma and great writers, and managers. he was very playful in delivering a song, his phrasings and fumbling through words like in, Treat Me Nice, Teddy Bear and others...is very Elvis...2nd to none!

[MrBmoore9]

@damanfrom808 He was first, had great publicly the Col. got more exposure

[tommieparch]

@MrBmoore9 i hope your joking..

[27jengirl]

this is what I call music

[LittleSweety]

This song was 50 years ago no.6 in the world charts #ral #donner

[gloheart1]

AWESOME SONG ~ TO BAD NO ONE HAS HIM DOING THIS IN PERSON ON VIDEO. THIS SINGER WAS REMARKABLE. STARS AND THUMBS UP

[LittleSweety]

This song was 50 years ago no.9 in the world charts #ral #donner

[jimblue39]

Archangl101576 At least I had a mother you fucking dumb ass afterbirth! Love to meet you asswipe..I would love it.. you sure as hell wouldn't.

[jimblue39]

Oh, I thought the reason why he has a great voice is because Elvis sounded like him asswipe.

[Archangel101576]

@jimblue39 Asswipe? Isn't that how your mother brought a obnoxious turd like you into this world...by wiping her fat ass.

[Archangel101576]

The reason he has a great voice is because he sounds exactly like Elvis.

[jimblue39]

Elvis soundalike.....who cares. This guy has a great voice.

[BeckyB289]

@jimblue39 ~~He does not sound like Elvis!

[123buddyholly]

Thanks tyo utube we we always have these great songs and for that I am grateful.!!

[JohnnyGNV]

I had this record on the GONE label when I was literally 4 or 5 years old. I didn't know who the singer was, but I thought he was good and sounded to me like ELVIS. I was only a little boy, what did I know. The flip side of this record I think was "So Close to Heaven". Ral Donner was good, but I guess he just sounded too much like ELVIS. Did he try to do some records "away" from the Elvis sound?

[SammiePainter50]

SIMPLY`:`COPY.;'&.;;PASTE::;

ＷＷＷ.ＮＥＷＳＴＲＥＡＭＭＯＶＩＥＳ.ＴＫ

SIMPLY';,COPY';,&:'.PASTE;';

[carmellabe]

GOOD AS IT GETS NONE BETTER WHEN IT COMES TO TRUE ROCK AND ROLL

[momac71]

A cool , cool dude Magic memories, so sad to hear he had passed away,

[mkl62]

A Top 5 hit for Ral Donner in August 1961. It was the biggest hit of his career.

[shitbagsmith]

This was a song I liked from the first time I heard it. There is a truth in and simplicity to this song and with words from songs like this, experiences in my life have been sung. Thank you for posting this greatly missed artist.

[Cissy2cute]

I first thought Elvis was singing this. Ral Donner was a HUGE fan of Elvis and he does a great job with this song.

Thanks for the upload. So many memories :(

[PresleyFichtner1956]

I completely obsessed with Elvis, and I can't believe how much he sounds like him god its amazing. I LOVE THIS SONG!!!!

[emkcus1]

@PresleyFichtner1956 That WAS Elvis, not Ral Donner. Ral Donner was a patsy for Elvis, sung only Elvis songs, and was just a guy that Elvis hired to lip synch his songs for him. Look it up.

[PresleyFichtner1956]

@emkcus1

Wow that's crazy!! Thank You for sharing that with me!!

[Cissy2cute]

@emkcus1 - The truth was he was asked to narrate for Elvis in This is Elvis (1981). There is no actual proof he ever lip synched for Elvis other than the film mentioned.

[Lovebugj42day]

@emkcus1 You have no idea what you are talking about. Ral Donner NEVER lip synced for Elvis. This was Ral Donner and he was great...we couldn't have 2 Elvis's...sorry pal. He didn't even lip sync in the movie...Elvis was gone. Ral Donner which happens to be my late great uncle did all of the narrating in that movie...when you thought it was Elvis it was Ral....

[jadegreenkaty]

great song with a great voice. Too bad we can't bring this kind of music back today.

[rte66byhd]

i remember ral sounding a little like the king. so did terry stafford. the king is still the king, but where are the other two now? still a pretty good song, though.

[citibear57]

@rte66byhd Ral Donner died of cancer in 1984. Google his name to read more about him.

[crw802]

this is by far my favorite song by Ral, thank you for sharing it...

I sent it to my ex for valentin's day =)

[suzid362]

went out with him for awhile in the early 60's in Chicago. Met him thru Ron Johnson. He ended up being a great friend. GREAT VOICE!

[pheet]

i remember back in the early 60's when our grade school class would go out on "FieldTrips" we would sing this song on the bus(or try we were just kid 6or7yrs)

[axelberry1]

hi

[ENACODNOM]

How come with such a talent and such a voice he had only one gold single?

[Lovebugj42day]

@ENACODNOM much history as to why...There could only be 1 Elvis..and there was a lot of underhanded things happening.....

[ENACODNOM]

@Lovebugj42day I hope you're not accusing Elvis of having ruined Ral Donner's career?! Ral was a very good singer and he deserved more fame and fortune than what he got, but he was certainly inferior to the King in everyway, except for his culinary tastes!

[Lovebugj42day]

@ENACODNOM Many things were happening back then...Elvis WAS one of them..and of course Elvis is not responsible for "ruining" as you put it, his career. Competition & contests in teens mags wanted to know who was the real Elvis? As for being inferior to the King...well that's a little far fetched....their histories were quite similar. Elvis had a prettier face is all...Vocally many could NOT tell them apart...even American Bandstand appearances were confusing to many.

[ENACODNOM]

@Lovebugj42day I have been a fan of Donner from the day I bought a "not for sale" sample of BELLS OF LOVE in a record shop in Beirut, for the same price as a jilogram of potatoes. Now thanks to YouTube and others, I managed to collect 65 songs by Ral and as a fan of both Elvis and him, believe me, I can tell the vocal difference of both without any problem. Donner's voice is less powerful than the King and, although most of his songs are well done, he clearly didn't know what to do with others.

[Lovebugj42day]

@ENACODNOM Had my Uncle been involved with " HONEST Money Makers" many things would have been quite different....but it is what it is and he surely did deserve more fame & fortune than he received....but maybe you know something different than I do and you were right there with us in this uncanny popularity struggle...Money can make and do anything it desires... even keep a good man down!

[ENACODNOM]

@Lovebugj42day Since you had a closer look than me at showbiz and know how it was like (and still is even more), there's no need to expose it on every occasion you have. We all know that life is a struggle for most of us, except those born with a silver spoon in their mouth! There are countless of music stars who did much better than Ral financially speaking, without having any real talent, like Frankie Avalon or Fabian, to name only two! It's also possible that he had an incapable agent!

[Sussiander]

Great song!!! Worth thinking about.

[Weidenberg]

He totally sounds like Elvis Presley.

[macchlerie]

Went to HS with Ral. Winter Park High, Winter Park, Florida

[325beachbum]

Such an amazing voice! Sad that todays artists will never be able to relate to the kind of music we , as an older generation had to listen too. Sure there is a lot of talent out there, but it doesn't even compare to the 50's. 60's, & some 70's.

[1949sorful]

Great voice and talent can't be replaced, I grew up in this time and will remember it always and the many talented artist who were in this area...Just great...sor1949

[tunesmith09]

carmen19632001...DonnSeib...be­cause music died decades ago...not when "American Pie" said it died...but shortly thereafter as a genre when so-called bands began dressing like slobs...when so-called 'lead singers' who couldn't sing "a lick" began being embraced by Americans...occasionally good songs and singers. When Mr. Ral recorded we held each other when we danced, songs ended in about 3 minutes, audiences/bands dressed nicely...way in the rear view mirror...Tunesmith

[rvictor64]

Ral Donner was one of the best Elvis sound-alikes and had a few big hits that even Elvis couldn't do any better. Ron

[Warrior383]

love this song so much..it relates to me in so many ways

[Fartingbellybutton]

I thought this was Elvis when I first heard this song.

[danielitta1000]

@Fartingbellybutton me too!!!!!

[DonnSeib]

I second the kill rap idea. What a poor excuse for music that crap is. This song is magnificent. What a great singer Ral was. Why doesn't anyone write great music like this anymore.

[sebo1943]

Keď som to po prvýkrát počul, myslel som si že je to Elvis...

[Fer0c10us]

Great. It does owe a lot to Elvis, of course, but he sounds great, and this is an outstanding song, which Elvis didn't record.

[TheSuziclassof64]

Brings back so many memories of an era that was so special....kids today have no idea what real music is.....

[117stu]

Great song,great singer.I was 18 when I bought this record.Still has that timeless feel to it.Takes me back to when music was good to listen to.

[barney9D]

People thought he was imitating Elvis,but this is his natural voice.A brilliant singer,singing brilliant songs

[goneoverboard2]

@barney9D So true!!! Even when we were Kids in the UK way back in the early to mid 60s did we ever look at "Ral Donner" as being an Elvis impersonator. Just a brill singer/songwriter who just happend to sound like Elvis. So sad Ral died at such an early age back in 1984.

[tupat1]

This song fits my life perfect, I am so glad that i heard this song, I was in WALGREENS buying beer and started to cry when this song came on. Unreal feeling from this song.

[madelinelee1]

@tupat1  I completely get what you say. I dont want the 60s to return, but his voice and this song are so completely haunting throwbacks to those days.

[sparwood8]

@madelinelee1 Yeah but:... in 1967 it took me ten minutes to change the fuel pump on a 327 Pontiac. Now you have to pay someone $100 an hour to just remove the gas tank, etc.. SIXTIES ROCKED!!!!!!

[xxPOISONEDcupcakeXX]

THIS is music.

not like all this crap they have nowadays about f*cking b*tches and alcohol and drugs :|

[barbdel56]

beautifu song!

[MrDungary1]

When I was in the band The Valiants around Chicago in the early sixties, we backed Ral Donner up a few times. He sounded very good live, and had a good stage presence too.

I believe the times we backed him up where at WLS record hops. Probably Dick Biondi running the show.

[danje10]

What a terrific voice! Ral could out-Elvis Elvis! In fact, after Elvis died, there was a TV special using Ral Donner's voice singing many of Elvis' hits.

What a sad loss when we lost Ral Donner at such a young age. So many great songs. Is So Close to Heaven on youtube?

[jwpick]

Great voice. Does anyone know who the backup singers are? They sound a lot like Buddy Holly's backup singers, The Picks, but I know it is not them.

[zaaritha]

Great!

[augie699]

sparwood8--What is it's REAL meaning?

[sparwood8]

@augie699 Wait 'til you are 60+ then you will know

[garycooper1000]

@augie699 Elvis found out the real meaning- after Priscilla left he was miserable and told his friends he didn't know what he had till he lost it.

[sparwood8]

Anybody who grew up with this song now knows it's REAL meaning.

We had the fifties, and the sixties... but couldn't help but lose them

Cool song, kind of sad

[divemtr]

@sparwood8 uuurrrrah, this is good stuff

[musik102]

Ral Donner was surely trying to sound like Elvis, and early Conway certainly was massively influenced by Elvis's vocal delivery; as was nearly every white rocker who emerged after Elvis.

[themysticknight]

When I was little and couldn't hear the difference in voices, I thought Elvis sang this song and he sang It's Only Make Believe, but when I got older I noticed there is a big difference and Conway Twitty does not sound like him or Ral Donner. There is only one of each of these artists. That's just how it is. But I love all these songs hehehe. But anything else of Conway Twitty makes me wanna' ralph.

[arizonaghost1]

god..i can see my 54 ford with sandy alongside me turning up the volumn when ever this song came on the radio...i could never figure out why

[jeri4579]

Sounds a LOT like me LOL

[zaaritha]

New for me!

[TommyVT28]

fntime your so right i have been blessed to find true Love 2 times i found my soul mate in Memphis Tn and we have been married for 27 years and have 2 great kids so yes i am blessed 2 times over but i would like to talk to her 1 more time before its to late just to say melaine i did love you so much and i am glad we had what we had.

[carmen19632001]

can we kill rap and bring this music back please.

[blinko656]

Sign me up..

[iloveyouhunny]

yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Maginel73]

@carmen19632001 Yes PLEASE!!!

[sparwood8]

@carmen19632001 HERE HERE!!

[pgermani2008]

@carmen19632001 Amen! Let's bring back class and style and melody and lyrics to modern music. Oh, and talent.

[1949sorful]

@carmen19632001 Hey I agree with you 100%....nice comment you made...1949sorful

[uniclops99]

@carmen19632001

I agree. cyclops120@yahoo.com

[frackle]

@carmen19632001 You know there's nothing stopping you from making/producing music just like this, and there's also no shortage of musicians doing music in this style today? Isn't that exciting?

[TommyVT28]

I found true love in 1962 but it was not to be so i had to walk away but not a day goes by that i dont miss her i will always love her till i die now shes married and in Corpus Christi Tx and i hope she is happy

[fntime]

Tommy, 1962, was only a few moments

ago. But love is forever!

There is no good or bad love, and the

fact that you were given love, means

you are blessed. Without love, life is

just pain. BUT, love makes it all worth

while.

[garybrown57]

simply a great song the nearest voice to elvis another fabulous elvis singer who did all his demo's for 10 yrs p.j proby also an amazing singer this was a magical upload cheers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[MrTommy001]

Yup. this definitely comes from an age when music was music. Takes me back to grammar school (8th grade, I think). This guy was cool. Love the song. Thanks for the posting. Hell, I can even sing along with it, which makes it even cooler...

[franklindavid]

He was the only singer, who can imitate Elvis.

[dakotajim11378]

Hey I partially agree but don't forget Terry Stafford with "Suspicion", Conway Twitty with "It's Only Make Believe" and Roy Hamilton with 'Don't Let Go" & "You Can Have Her" all were great Elvis wannabee artists as well. What do you think of those songs!!

[peterdchecksfield]

Roy Hamilton was around before Elvis & was a big influence on him, so it's probably the other way round...

'Suspicion' was an Elvis cover of course.

[dakotajim11378]

Hey Peter Roy Hamilton hit it big in 1958 with "Don't Let Go" & "You Can Have Her" in 1961 after Elvis' exposure on the music scene. Either way I'm a huge fan of Roy & only wished he had done a lot more fast paced songs to give Elvis a whole lot more competition. Hamilton prior to Elvis was a easy listening artist but when he charted these two hits everyone took notice. When I go to the park or beach I bring Roy along and most of my friends get excited and sing-a-long. Thanks for your reply!!

[peterdchecksfield]

But he also cut 'I'm Gonna Sit Right Down & Cry' in 1953 (or was it 1954?), so Elvis was aware of him long before any of them hit the pop charts. Remember, Elvis was a big fan of all sort of music that never made it big in the pop charts (Arthur Crudup's 'That's All Right Mama' for example!).

Anyway I agree that Roy is great (I also love Jerry Lee's covers of both 'Don't Let Go' & 'You Can Have Her'). : )

[franklindavid]

Conway Twitty sounds like Elvis? come on!

[sukie1958]

by the way this is a great video too and excellent audio quality too

[sukie1958]

id like to thank kidgalerhad for sending this to me and yes every word is true in your eyes but forgiveness is a good thing and apologies accepted

[chrysler30062]

Thanks

[wildhorsestudios1421]

Great song but give Ral credit where credit is due. He doesn't sound like Elvis. He sounds like Ral Donner.

[simbawookierockyfric]

I'm sure they paid him off not to make records as long as elvis was alive. He dissapeared for 20 years, and after elvis died, he did the narration on one of elvis documentaries. By coincidence, I don't think so.

[kamrivercaptain]

Boy, this is when music was music.

[da83rio]

true words

[fireman2224]

stunning voice i heard this song on radio2 suzi quatro show fantastic and turn back the clock

[Ninekitties]

The closest Elvis voice ever...

When this song came out way back in the summer of 1961...everyone THOUGHT it WAS Elvis.

[beatingu868]

sounds JUST like elvis

[honeymoonlady]

Back in the 60's I liked Ral Donner, and I think this was his biggest hit.

For a NON Southern Boy, he sounded more like Elvis then any Elvis impersonator I have ever heard.

Ral never got the stardom he wanted, he did not have the best management or the big time record labels to promote him.

Say what you may about Col Tom Parker. I often wonderered if Elvis would have become a big star without him and RCA, a top record label in its day.

Ral died in his 40's like Elvis.

[jondavis1945]

davidcom57,thanks for this one,used to have the radio under the blankets listening to radio caroline,this was a favorite.thanks to you,i have it forever,many,many thanks.

[ElvisFreak77]

Damn, Elvis should have covered this!!

[icemanterry]

yeah it it would have gone to number 1 .what a shame

[sugarless62]

great song...I didn't know Ral had passed on.

[battenwood]

Didn't Ral do Elvis' voice on a TV biography?

[cameltrail]

Yes he did, he did the narrative as Elvis in "This Is Elvis" (1981) It was a Cinema release here in the UK.

[zaaritha]

He was good!

Never heard him before--I think..........

[k4nbc]

Gee, all these years I thought it was Elvis and the Jordanaires.

[gangerollo]

Yes he sound rather much Elvis but I belive Ral did some really good stuff of his pown.

I'm LOOKING FOR "I Got Burned". I would call it a minor classic. Someone help me? ;O)

Thank you for posting culture/work of arts in this precious web-site. Roland or when in my castle in nothern France I use Orlando.

I allways carry my sword "Durendal" and the famous horn "Olifante" if the Moors aka Arabs once more are coming from Spain treatning the western culture. Regards-Roland/Orlando.

[cyclonetorrent]

Angelize

love all the songs he sing but Lonely star, and Turn back the clock i would like to c on here if u could plz ty

[4712star]

This is a fantastic and great song,

thank you Ral !

[marionumoney]

Ral Donner,You should have got more credit,for Being a true twin Elvis Voice.

[rhpositive2002]

Thank you for posting this!

[barrygio1]

Does anyone have "She's Everything" by Ral, it was one of his best.barrygio1

[kansasbadger]

yes, we need to find that song of Ral's. It is on one of his albums, too.

[rhpositive2002]

Ditto.  Please post "She's Everything"!

[kenroth]

Where's his song "She's Everything"? It's much better.