Elvis Presley... where should I go next?

[Jim V.]

Hey there everybody. I'm a relatively serious Elvis Presley fan, but by no means am I anywhere close to being the kinda fan that owns lots of his material. Right now, my Elvis collection consists of Elvis at Sun, Elvis Presley (his debut album), Elvis' Golden Records and From Elvis In Memphis. That's where I've stood with his stuff for a while now, and while I'm considering diving further into the world of Elvis, I'm really unsure of where to go, if anywhere at all.

I know that the world of '60s soundtracks is probably a big no-no from what I hear, and it seems like the work he was doing from like '71 to '77 isn't exactly what gets many people excited. So I'd like to hear from you Elvis fans and experts (if there are any of you on the board). Let me know where you think I should head next!

[Rocker]

"Elvis is back!" - must have, great album, get it!

Where are your interests? Do you wanna hear more of the Rock'n'Roll stuff or ballads, more country, little soul, gospel? All periodes - even the movie soundtracks - have some fantastic stuff, some more, some less. How about one of the live albums? After all, Presley was one of the best live performers in 20th music history.


And do you have Mike Eder's "FAQ" book on Elvis? It talks about every "real" album released during his lifetime and although opinions do differ you get a look onto what you can expect from what album.

[Justin]

... and it seems like the work he was doing from like '71 to '77 isn't exactly what gets many people excited.

That certainly is changing.  The recent release of the set "Elvis At Stax" a few months ago garnered rave reviews across the board with critics.  Many people who for the most part dismissed Elvis' work during the seventies were mightily impressed with what they found here (more about this below).  Elvis didn't completely check out during the seventies much like The Beach Boys didn't completely check out after Pet Sounds. 

My first recommendation is to try to re-approach the seventies works because while the seventies are generally written off, anyone who takes the time to actually go through it always comes out pleasantly surprised and often times--impressed---for what they find.  The seventies were tumultuous time for Presley; his career and personal ups and downs are reflected in the music he created.  He lost a little bit of his path during this time but nevertheless he did put out some very meaningful music along the way.  As a fan of all eras, I will say that the seventies is consistently inconsistent but when you do find the good stuff---it's fantastic.  This is no different than the casual Beach Boys fans venturing to explore their post Pet Sounds catalog.  There are some misses but some significant hits.  Here are few recommendations on titles you should seriously consider looking into and key tracks to note:


A huge, pinnacle album for Elvis.  For a guy who was already in the business 13 years by 1969 and to release something like this: so contemporary, fresh and modern is worthy of kudos.  His vocals are drop dread perfect...jaw droppingly breathtaking at times.  To think this was the same dude who sang "Jailhouse Rock" is quite unbelievable.  It's one of the best white soul albums ever put to tape.







Both these 1970 albums above contain some of Elvis' final true creative burst before things started to get consistently patchy.  There's a significant amount of good stuff in these.




This 1999 compilation release compiles most of the material from 1970 to 1972. 




There are 2 versions of this release avaialble, the 2CD version or the big 3 Cd box version.  I have the box set so depending on how much more material you want from these sessions--it's up to you. This release compiles all the music Elvis recorded at Stax Records in Memphis in 1973.  The material recorded during these sessions were spread over 2 albums.  Usually this fracturing of music created very uneven albums with softer than usual results.  Here is all the material in one package...wonderfully mixed and brilliantly sequenced.  Some of it is over the top middle of the road stuff but a lot of it is worthy of a listen.  Key tracks include "I've Got A Feelin' In My Body" "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues"  "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" "For Ol' Times Sake" (both tunes written by the great Tony Joe White). 






Like the Stax release above, these 2 releases contain recordings made during a few sessions in the Jungle Room at Graceland.  This was Elvis' final recording sessions.  He couldn't be bothered to go to any studios to record so they brought the studio to him.  You might have to sift through a bit more crap on these two albums but there are a few gems on these albums:  "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" "Hurt" "Moody Blue" "Danny Boy" .  I believe the "Moody Blue" release combines the songs from "From Elvis Presley Boulevard" into one package.  Not bad for $8 on Amazon.



Another option would also be to consider taking a general overview tour of Elvis' entire career by route of a best of box compilation.  By far the best one they've released to date is this one from a couple years ago: 





You haven't mentioned anything about any live releases.  Any serious Elvis fan must have a live recording in their collections.  Here are a couple must-haves:






Considering you are unfamiliar with the seventies works I would probably suggest to approach gingerly.  Find out which songs you like.  You may not want to buy each of these albums but you might find a few key tracks to be enjoyable...that's fine too.  There is enough material there for any fan to find something they like. If you are interested enough and you want to delve into it---there's a lot there to appreciate.

[Andrew G. Doe]

Spotify is your friend - check out the albums there, then decide.

[Pinder's Gone To Kokomo And Back Again]

... and it seems like the work he was doing from like '71 to '77 isn't exactly what gets many people excited.

That certainly is changing.  The recent release of the set "Elvis At Stax" a few months ago garnered rave reviews across the board with critics.  Many people who for the most part dismissed Elvis' work during the seventies were mightily impressed with what they found here (more about this below).  Elvis didn't completely check out during the seventies much like The Beach Boys didn't completely check out after Pet Sounds. 

My first recommendation is to try to re-approach the seventies works because while the seventies are generally written off, anyone who takes the time to actually go through it always comes out pleasantly surprised and often times--impressed---for what they find.  The seventies were tumultuous time for Presley; his career and personal ups and downs are reflected in the music he created.  He lost a little bit of his path during this time but nevertheless he did put out some very meaningful music along the way.  As a fan of all eras, I will say that the seventies is consistently inconsistent but when you do find the good stuff---it's fantastic.  This is no different than the casual Beach Boys fans venturing to explore their post Pet Sounds catalog.  There are some misses but some significant hits.  Here are few recommendations on titles you should seriously consider looking into and key tracks to note:


A huge, pinnacle album for Elvis.  For a guy who was already in the business 13 years by 1969 and to release something like this: so contemporary, fresh and modern is worthy of kudos.  His vocals are drop dread perfect...jaw droppingly breathtaking at times.  To think this was the same dude who sang "Jailhouse Rock" is quite unbelievable.  It's one of the best white soul albums ever put to tape.







Both these 1970 albums above contain some of Elvis' final true creative burst before things started to get consistently patchy.  There's a significant amount of good stuff in these.




This 1999 compilation release compiles most of the material from 1970 to 1972. 




There are 2 versions of this release avaialble, the 2CD version or the big 3 Cd box version.  I have the box set so depending on how much more material you want from these sessions--it's up to you. This release compiles all the music Elvis recorded at Stax Records in Memphis in 1973.  The material recorded during these sessions were spread over 2 albums.  Usually this fracturing of music created very uneven albums with softer than usual results.  Here is all the material in one package...wonderfully mixed and brilliantly sequenced.  Some of it is over the top middle of the road stuff but a lot of it is worthy of a listen.  Key tracks include "I've Got A Feelin' In My Body" "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues"  "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" "For Ol' Times Sake" (both tunes written by the great Tony Joe White). 






Like the Stax release above, these 2 releases contain recordings made during a few sessions in the Jungle Room at Graceland.  This was Elvis' final recording sessions.  He couldn't be bothered to go to any studios to record so they brought the studio to him.  You might have to sift through a bit more crap on these two albums but there are a few gems on these albums:  "Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain" "Hurt" "Moody Blue" "Danny Boy" .  I believe the "Moody Blue" release combines the songs from "From Elvis Presley Boulevard" into one package.  Not bad for $8 on Amazon.



Another option would also be to consider taking a general overview tour of Elvis' entire career by route of a best of box compilation.  By far the best one they've released to date is this one from a couple years ago: 





You haven't mentioned anything about any live releases.  Any serious Elvis fan must have a live recording in their collections.  Here are a couple must-haves:






Considering you are unfamiliar with the seventies works I would probably suggest to approach gingerly.  Find out which songs you like.  You may not want to buy each of these albums but you might find a few key tracks to be enjoyable...that's fine too.  There is enough material there for any fan to find something they like. If you are interested enough and you want to delve into it---there's a lot there to appreciate.

Great post!

I'd throw "Back In Memphis" in there as well though!

Also, "Something For Everyone" is great too with it's side of rockers/side of ballads format.

Also, "A Date With Elvis" rocks too.

[Jason]

I agree with Justin's recommendations; I'd also add How Great Thou Art, Elvis (NBC TV Special), and On Stage to the shortlist of essential Elvis LPs. Also consider the Tomorrow Is A Long Time compilation - this one has all of the non-soundtrack, non-gospel recordings Elvis made from 1966-68 after a period of endless soundtracks.

As it is the holidays, you can't go wrong with his first Christmas album.

[Rocker]

I'd throw "Back In Memphis" in there as well though!

That album works the best for me in it's original format which is being the studio half of the double album "From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis". The first half later got released as "In person" which imo is probably the best rock and roll live album ever.


As mentioned above, "Elvis is back" is one of the very first Presley albums one should have imo.
And "King Creole" is also a must have if there ever was one.

[Bean Bag]

Elvis Is Back.
You cannot go wrong with that.  His best album, save for From E to Memphis.




I'm a big, big fan of Elvis' lean years.  Meaning the later 70s, when he was not recording much.  When was ironically not "lean."     And they literally had to bring the studio to him, cuz he was in bad shape.  I guess it's similar to Brian's more tortured years: Love You, et al.  There's something appealing to me when the shine is off the apple.

Promised Land.  Today.  From EP Boulevard.  Good Times.  Moody Blue.





Lastly... if you care about your wallet -- do not go to the FTD (Follow that Dream) website.  Ever!  You will soon be broke.   



FTD in not affiliated wit the flower company -- nor is their logo an endorsement of Obama! 

[Gabo]

And do you have Mike Eder's "FAQ" book on Elvis? It talks about every "real" album released during his lifetime and although opinions do differ you get a look onto what you can expect from what album.

It's a trash book. Don't bother.

It's badly written, filled with historical inaccuracies, and is strangely complimentary to Elvis impersonators. You can do A LOT better if you want an Elvis book.

The negative reviews on Amazon, as well as the author's desperate rebuttals (in the guise of "Dr. Stock") are absolutely hilarious, though. 



I really don't think Elvis is an artist that requires a lot of analysis, anyway. He simply sang the songs in the studio he wanted to sing. His "albums" are compilations in all but name. I would just Spotify Elvis and find some tracks you like, and buy 'em.

[Rocker]

And do you have Mike Eder's "FAQ" book on Elvis? It talks about every "real" album released during his lifetime and although opinions do differ you get a look onto what you can expect from what album.

It's a trash book. Don't bother.

It's badly written, filled with historical inaccuracies, and is strangely complimentary to Elvis impersonators. You can do A LOT better if you want an Elvis book.

I couldn't disagree with this any more.
There are opinions about songs you don't have to share. In fact I disagree with a lot judgements about certain songs given in the book. But since the author makes it clear that it is just his opinon and that everyone should listen for himself, I'm fine with it. Plus this is thought of just as a start into Elvis, just like Jon Stebbins' Beach Boys book is also just for the newbie and not the die hard. And therefor it gets it's job done imo. I can easily recommend it. There aren't too many good books on the music out anyway.

I really don't think Elvis is an artist that requires a lot of analysis, anyway. He simply sang the songs in the studio he wanted to sing.

Doesn't make sense. If he just ang the songs he liked then an analysis would be even more needed than if he would've been just told what to sing.
And surely Elvis wasn't an album artist but a single artist. Nothing wrong with that. I don't see why a song should be less important than an album though.

[Jim V.]

Wow, thanks for all the recommendations guys! Especially Justin and Bean Bag. Exactly the kind of in depth analysis that I was hopin' for!

So anyways, it seems like Elvis is Back! gets quite a bit of kudos, both on here and in the reviews I've seen. So I'm definitely thinking about that one. The Legacy Edition seems to be a probable buy for me as it also has "Little Sister" on it, and in my opinion that's probably one of his rockingest songs.

I'd been reading quite a bit about the album culled from the NBC special, entitled simply Elvis, and I'm thinking about making that one of my next Elvis purchases. I also saw that The Real Beach Boy suggested that one. So I'm leaning towards that. I've seen that there's the Memories collection and then the Tiger Man collection, but I thinkin' that's a lot of material, so I'm gonna go with the Elvis set inside.

And by the way Bean Bag, I went and checked out the "Follow That Dream" stuff on the official Elvis website, and I gotta say, some of that stuff looks super tempting to me. However, the thing that I really want I see is already out of print. That being the set A Boy from Tupelo. Right now the Sun material has really got me goin' and I'd love to have this set, what with the all the awesome live stuff, along with the super rare true Sun versions of "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky". I'm really hoping I can find it somewhere online for a relatively better price than I'm seeing now.

And lastly, to Justin and Bean Bag, I actually am feeling the pull of the later '70s work. I don't know why, but it just seems so interesting to me. So I'm already considering getting the FTD release of Moody Blue. That album in particular fascinates me because it's his last. And what I've heard from it I actually really like, despite that the fact that it's not really close to the Elvis material I already have.

Anyways, hope to hear back from you guys, and your thoughts.
 

[Rocker]

Wow, thanks for all the recommendations guys! Especially Justin and Bean Bag. Exactly the kind of in depth analysis that I was hopin' for!

So anyways, it seems like Elvis is Back! gets quite a bit of kudos, both on here and in the reviews I've seen. So I'm definitely thinking about that one. The Legacy Edition seems to be a probable buy for me as it also has "Little Sister" on it, and in my opinion that's probably one of his rockingest songs.


 

IIRC the Legacy edition of "Elvis is back" features on disc 2 the complete "Something for everybody" album. I guess you'll be blown away by that release.


I personally love to first go with the original albums but not everything was released back then of course.

I'd been reading quite a bit about the album culled from the NBC special, entitled simply Elvis, and I'm thinking about making that one of my next Elvis purchases. I also saw that The Real Beach Boy suggested that one. So I'm leaning towards that. I've seen that there's the Memories collection and then the Tiger Man collection, but I thinkin' that's a lot of material, so I'm gonna go with the Elvis set inside.

The "Tiger man" CD is awesome. It features the complete second sit down show (here's a video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5ZgG74kIBMI ). The "Memories" CD features on disc 1 the production numbers of the special plus some bonus songs. Disc 2 has the complete first sit down show.

[Justin]

Wow, thanks for all the recommendations guys! Especially Justin and Bean Bag. Exactly the kind of in depth analysis that I was hopin' for!

So anyways, it seems like Elvis is Back! gets quite a bit of kudos, both on here and in the reviews I've seen. So I'm definitely thinking about that one. The Legacy Edition seems to be a probable buy for me as it also has "Little Sister" on it, and in my opinion that's probably one of his rockingest songs.

I'd been reading quite a bit about the album culled from the NBC special, entitled simply Elvis, and I'm thinking about making that one of my next Elvis purchases. I also saw that The Real Beach Boy suggested that one. So I'm leaning towards that. I've seen that there's the Memories collection and then the Tiger Man collection, but I thinkin' that's a lot of material, so I'm gonna go with the Elvis set inside.

And by the way Bean Bag, I went and checked out the "Follow That Dream" stuff on the official Elvis website, and I gotta say, some of that stuff looks super tempting to me. However, the thing that I really want I see is already out of print. That being the set A Boy from Tupelo. Right now the Sun material has really got me goin' and I'd love to have this set, what with the all the awesome live stuff, along with the super rare true Sun versions of "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky". I'm really hoping I can find it somewhere online for a relatively better price than I'm seeing now.

And lastly, to Justin and Bean Bag, I actually am feeling the pull of the later '70s work. I don't know why, but it just seems so interesting to me. So I'm already considering getting the FTD release of Moody Blue. That album in particular fascinates me because it's his last. And what I've heard from it I actually really like, despite that the fact that it's not really close to the Elvis material I already have.

Anyways, hope to hear back from you guys, and your thoughts.
 

Absolutely my pleasure!  I rarely get to use my Elvis knowledge so I'm happy to help out when needed!

"Elvis is Back" is certainly a great album and a  perfect way to progress forward into Elvis' canon especially moving out of the fifties.  If you're also going to get "Moody Blue" maybe you'll make your way backwards too and then meet in the middle?  Wouldn't be such a bad route!

The 68 Comeback Special is a landmark performance.  Any one of the releases is a must (I actually prefer the visual document vs the audio...the performances are absolutely electrifying and even more exciting on DVD)--this is Elvis probably at his zenith.  The original album "Elvis" is a direct compilation/soundtrack to the special so it's a mix of live recordings and studio cuts which were used during the musical performance sections of the show.  I don't have this in my collection because I went with the full performances found on "Memories" "Tiger Man" and the FTD "Burbank 68"  I have a feeling you'll probably be going that route too so I would probably think ahead a little bit and consider skipping to them now.  There is also a 4 CD box set of all this stuff put together for like $20 on Amazon. 

I'm glad you got to check out the FTD label.  It's extremely popular among Elvis fans.  They will definitely cause friction with your wallet though once you start!  "Moody Blue" is a fascinating album because it's quite a mix bag.   I don't have the FTD version of it so I can't comment on that.  I do have the FTD "The Jungle Room Sessions" which was one of the first FTD's ever released and is still rated one of THE best (either first or second in the list) FTD's ever released.  Premium sound quality and good selections from the songs recorded during those sessions that would eventually be used for both "Moody Blue" and "From Elvis Presley Boulevard."  Getting "Moody Blue" by itself would I think only be getting half the material.  I always see these two albums as one because they were both recorded at the same time.  Elvis was at a very bad place during this time so that definitely adds another layer of mystique to the music.  It all comes through in his voice.  The music by this point becomes less rock and roll and very heavy on pop vocals, ballads, country and middle of the road adult contemporary.  So it will be a signifcant departure from the rebel from Tupelo stuff during the early days! Nevertheless, Elvis' talent comes through on many tracks.

You have a long and winding road ahead of you---it's very exciting!  Be sure to drive slowly and take frequent pit stops...there's a lot to see on this journey!  Any more questions---please do ask!

[Justin]

Happen to see that Amazon is running a huge blowout Elvis sale today only (Dec 14) and many of the titles discussed here are on sale for dirt cheap.  The deluxe MSG '72 shows with DVD is going for $10!  Loads of stuff for anyone wanting to fill out their collection:

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_hsb_MusicDec14_s0?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&node=7817088011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=1NKCAGGZ1R24TZBR1CBQ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688025282&pf_rd_i=5174

[Bean Bag]

Wow, thanks for all the recommendations guys! Especially Justin and Bean Bag. Exactly the kind of in depth analysis that I was hopin' for!

So anyways, it seems like Elvis is Back! gets quite a bit of kudos, both on here and in the reviews I've seen. So I'm definitely thinking about that one. The Legacy Edition seems to be a probable buy for me as it also has "Little Sister" on it, and in my opinion that's probably one of his rockingest songs.

I'd been reading quite a bit about the album culled from the NBC special, entitled simply Elvis, and I'm thinking about making that one of my next Elvis purchases. I also saw that The Real Beach Boy suggested that one. So I'm leaning towards that. I've seen that there's the Memories collection and then the Tiger Man collection, but I thinkin' that's a lot of material, so I'm gonna go with the Elvis set inside.

And by the way Bean Bag, I went and checked out the "Follow That Dream" stuff on the official Elvis website, and I gotta say, some of that stuff looks super tempting to me. However, the thing that I really want I see is already out of print. That being the set A Boy from Tupelo. Right now the Sun material has really got me goin' and I'd love to have this set, what with the all the awesome live stuff, along with the super rare true Sun versions of "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon of Kentucky". I'm really hoping I can find it somewhere online for a relatively better price than I'm seeing now.

And lastly, to Justin and Bean Bag, I actually am feeling the pull of the later '70s work. I don't know why, but it just seems so interesting to me. So I'm already considering getting the FTD release of Moody Blue. That album in particular fascinates me because it's his last. And what I've heard from it I actually really like, despite that the fact that it's not really close to the Elvis material I already have.

Anyways, hope to hear back from you guys, and your thoughts.
 

So you went to the FTD site.  Didn't I tell you not to go there!   

Actually, I'm glad you did.  I didn't know Moody Blue was coming out!  Pre-order in.  Along with a stack of other things!!!    I really can't go there.  I need a website restraining order.  I always make a fool of myself.  A few too many drinks, some sweet nothings get said... and BING BANG BOOM.  Thank heavens there's not a Beach Boy equivalent.

Yes... Boy from Tupelo.  Amazing set.  Wish I had it too.  While I was on the FTD site, I was thinking you would really dig Hits of the 70s.  I've been toying with ordering it myself -- if there was room for one more, I would have.  It's a fantastic collection and would really give you a massive heap of the best of his post-comeback stuff.

[Justin]

I really can't go there.  I need a website restraining order.  I always make a fool of myself.  A few too many drinks, some sweet nothings get said... and BING BANG BOOM.  Thank heavens there's not a Beach Boy equivalent.

Hilarious...because I know I've been there with FTDs

[Jim V.]

Happen to see that Amazon is running a huge blowout Elvis sale today only (Dec 14) and many of the titles discussed here are on sale for dirt cheap.  The deluxe MSG '72 shows with DVD is going for $10!  Loads of stuff for anyone wanting to fill out their collection:

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_hsb_MusicDec14_s0?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&node=7817088011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=1NKCAGGZ1R24TZBR1CBQ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688025282&pf_rd_i=5174

Hey Justin, so I really didn't wanna be spending any money, but I did order the Elvis Is Back legacy edition (which includes both Elvis Is Back! and Something For Everybody) and then also the Elvis NBC special album. So I'm looking forward to hearing some new Elvis stuff soon.

And I hope in the near future I'm gonna pick up that Moody Blue FTD.

So you went to the FTD site.  Didn't I tell you not to go there!   

Actually, I'm glad you did.  I didn't know Moody Blue was coming out!  Pre-order in.  Along with a stack of other things!!!    I really can't go there.  I need a website restraining order.  I always make a fool of myself.  A few too many drinks, some sweet nothings get said... and BING BANG BOOM.  Thank heavens there's not a Beach Boy equivalent.

Yes... Boy from Tupelo.  Amazing set.  Wish I had it too.  While I was on the FTD site, I was thinking you would really dig Hits of the 70s.  I've been toying with ordering it myself -- if there was room for one more, I would have.  It's a fantastic collection and would really give you a massive heap of the best of his post-comeback stuff.

Interesting that you brought up Hits of the 70's. That one piqued my interest. And it definitely would give me a chance, as you said, to get a lot of his best post-'70s stuff.

[Rocker]

So you went to the FTD site.  Didn't I tell you not to go there!  

Actually, I'm glad you did.  I didn't know Moody Blue was coming out!  Pre-order in.  Along with a stack of other things!!!    I really can't go there.  I need a website restraining order.  I always make a fool of myself.  A few too many drinks, some sweet nothings get said... and BING BANG BOOM.  Thank heavens there's not a Beach Boy equivalent.

Yes... Boy from Tupelo.  Amazing set.  Wish I had it too.  While I was on the FTD site, I was thinking you would really dig Hits of the 70s.  I've been toying with ordering it myself -- if there was room for one more, I would have.  It's a fantastic collection and would really give you a massive heap of the best of his post-comeback stuff.

Interesting that you brought up Hits of the 70's. That one piqued my interest. And it definitely would give me a chance, as you said, to get a lot of his best post-'70s stuff.

That's a fine compilation. Some of the single versions ("Patch it up""I've lost you") are not very easy to get otherwise.














EDIT:

BTW I just saw this on the FECC-Forum. Thought I'd post it here:


www.mixonline.com/classic-tracks/classic...resley_burning_love/


Classic Track: Elvis Presley, 'Burning Love'


By the 1970s, the deal had been sealed on many aspects of Elvis Presley’s brilliant career. His formative Sun years were behind him, as were his days as a teen idol. Though he was still revered by legions of fans and fellow musicians, one had a sense that the King was considered past his prime. Case in point: NARAS presented him with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1971, when Presley was only 36 years old.

However, Presley was far from done in 1971. He continued to perform for adoring fans and scored pop, country and gospel hits almost right up until his light went out in ’77. Those hits came in spite of the fact that the people who traded on Presley’s talent—his label and management—limited the artist’s access to quality material. At the height of Presley’s popularity, they’d instituted a policy that the artist would not record new songs that didn’t come complete with most, if not all, publishing rights. Not many successful composers would agree to what some referred to as the “Elvis Tax.”

What helped Presley keep making popular records was to sing lots of covers, as the reins were apparently looser on songs that had already been cut. Dennis Linde’s rocker “Burning Love” was such a song; it had been released early in 1972—the same year Presley recorded it—by the great country-soul singer Arthur Alexander with a somewhat retro Stax-style arrangement. Alexander had little success with “Burning Love,” but Presley’s handlers saw that it could be a fit for the King.

In late March of ’72, producer Felton Jarvis brought the song, and several others, to recording sessions in RCA’s Hollywood Studios, where Presley often rehearsed or tracked with engineer Rick Ruggieri, an RCA staffer who had come up through the ranks at the facility.

“I started with Elvis in ’69 when he was getting ready to do his first Vegas shows,” Ruggieri says. “The first thing he needed to do was to find a band, so they called RCA and said they needed to rent a studio to try out musicians. At the time, RCA was leasing a studio from ABC-TV on Vine Street, a few blocks away from the RCA building on Sunset. I ran a vocal mic—no recording whatsoever, but he would sing and musicians would come in and he would try them all out.”

Some of those same musicians were still touring with Presley and played on the “Burning Love” sessions: guitarists James Burton, John Wilkinson and Charlie Hodge, and drummer Ronnie Tutt. Pianist Glen D. Hardin had joined the group six months after those original auditions, and bassist Emory Gordy was new to the band when tracking started in RCA Studio C on March 27, 1972.

“Every year after ’69, Elvis would come into Studio C with those same musicians and rehearse for their next run of Vegas shows, and that’s how Elvis got comfortable with that room,” Ruggieri says. “During those rehearsals, I was privileged to see some of the best concerts you could ever hope to see. Once they had the material down, they’d run through the entire concert front to back two times a night. It was like being an audience of one for the Vegas show.”

The C room was the smallest of the label’s three Hollywood studios, but Ruggieri says, “Elvis liked a smaller, more intimate room, and most of the time we were just cutting the rhythm section and him: Drums, bass, guitars and a piano.”

Ruggieri says Presley always preferred to sing live in the studio with the musicians, whether he was rehearsing or recording. “Most every vocal you ever hear, he actually sang live,” he says. “Some things were added later, but Elvis always sang with the band. There was not a whole lot of isolation possible because it was a small room. You would just put a couple of baffles around a guitar amp, and a blanket over the piano. Elvis always stood in front of the drums.”

Having made dozens of albums in RCA Studio C, Ruggieri knew the studio’s assets and shortcomings. The former included a fantastic collection of Neumann tube microphones—models that were already “vintage” in ’72 but weren’t necessarily favored back then.

“They were probably all bought in the ’60s,” Ruggieri says. “Not a lot of the guys there used them because they were a pain in the neck. You had to hook up the power supply, and one day it would work and the next day it would hum, but I loved them and I used tube mics on everything I did: KM 56s and KM 54s, 49s, 47s, that kind of thing.”

Ruggieri used tube mics on drums and other acoustic instruments, and KM 84s on guitar amps. He might have liked using a Neumann on vocals, but Presley had little interest in standing still. “He would only use a handheld mic,” Ruggieri says. “For a while we were using an [Electro-Voice] RE16, and I might have used a little LA-2A on him, but that’s about it.



“A couple of times, on other sessions when he had to redo a vocal, I would set up an M 49 on a big stand, which he wasn’t thrilled about, but I asked him if he could try it to see what the difference would be in the quality of his voice. The interesting thing was, he could actually sing through almost anything and it wouldn’t make any difference. It sounds strange, I know, but using a cheap handheld mic wasn’t really a sacrifice. The quality of his voice worked with anything.”

The mic pre’s used on these sessions were the ones in the custom RCA console, which Ruggieri considered one of the studio’s shortcomings: “RCA had a laboratory in Princeton, N.J., where they built speakers and consoles,” Ruggieri says. “It was not the greatest thing in the world. Later, RCA bought two matching Neve consoles and put those in A and B, but they never replaced the one in C in my RCA ‘lifetime.’”

Three nights of sessions were captured to an Ampex 16-track machine, and the songs that were cut on night one were Red West and Richard Mainegra’s “Separate Ways,” Kris Kristofferson’s “For the Good Times,” and Paul Williams’ “Where Do I Go From Here.”

Ernst Jorgensen, a Presley scholar and the producer of the King’s recent catalog releases on RCA/Legacy, wrote the book on Presley’s recording sessions: Elvis Presley: A Life in Music—The Complete Recording Sessions. In his section on these sessions, he writes that the dates were notable because it was the first time that this incarnation of Presley’s live band recorded together in the studio.

“Elvis always pushed himself to excel whenever he was recording with new players, and despite the fact that he’d played countless live shows with them, it was a whole different ball game working with his road band in the studio,” Jorgenson writes. “Here was an opportunity to create something more permanent together, and everyone was taking pride in the process.”

However, Jorgenson says that though day one had gone well, on day two, “It took almost everyone in the room to persuade Elvis to commit himself to ‘Burning Love.’” The artist didn’t have confidence in the quality of the song.

“Truthfully, he didn’t care for most of the things he sang,” Ruggieri observes. “One time, they flew me to Memphis to do some recording, and there were two or three songs that were so bad, the musicians refused to play them.”

But in this case, everyone else felt sure that “Burning Love” was worth the effort, and they were able to persuade Presley to put some muscle into it. Of the recordings they made during those few days, “Burning Love” was a standout, in part because it was a rocker during a phase when Presley focused mainly on ballads. The song seemed like a return to form, especially with the awesome “Hunk-a hunk-a burning love” parts added at the end—a departure from the Arthur Alexander arrangement, which fades out on the previous line.

Once basic tracking was done, a film crew moved in to tape Presley and band as they rehearsed for their next series of live dates. The “Burning Love” session tapes were transported to Studio B at RCA Nashville, where another of Presley’s longtime engineers, Al Pachucki, tracked overdubs, including songwriter/musician Dennis Linde’s guitar riffs and intro. Also added in Nashville were vocals by the gospel quartet J. D. Sumner & The Stamps, Presley’s then-favorite backing group.

Ruggieri says he doesn’t recall whether he or Pachucki ended up mixing “Burning Love.” Sometimes projects would stay in Nashville with Pachucki, while others returned to Hollywood to be mixed. If the tracks did come back, Ruggieri would have mixed on the RCA board in Studio C, and made use of the best of the facility’s 18 EMT 140 plate reverbs. “We had 18, but only four or five of them were very good,” he says. “I would have tried to use plate four on Elvis and six and eight on the instruments.”

“Burning Love” was released as a single in August of ’72 with the B-side “It’s a Matter of Time,” a song from day three of the session. “Burning Love” entered the Top 40 and rose steadily until it peaked at Number Two in the last two weeks of October. In November, RCA re-released the song as part of the misleading budget-priced album Elvis: Burning Love and Hits From His Movies, Volume 2. “Burning Love” was the only hit on this record, which otherwise comprised not very popular film tracks.

“Burning Love” also became a favorite in Presley’s live sets, including a killer performance in the groundbreaking satellite TV/radio concert Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii (1973), for which Ruggieri mixed the radio broadcast. The engineer continued working with Presley for a couple more years, through the Today album (1975). He left RCA and went independent that same year, going on to engineer albums for Joan Baez, Neil Diamond, Al Jarreau, Kenny Rogers and many others. He remained an in-demand recording/mixing engineer through the 1990s, but these days he’s more focused on music for films, such as The Muppets (2011) and a sequel that’s expected later this year.

Presley, of course, died at home in Graceland, after suffering cruelly from a variety of physical ailments that had been aggravated—if not caused—by chronic drug abuse. But Ruggieri remembers Presley as he was in the early ’70s—not necessarily at the top of his game, but still a truly great artist with undeniable magnetism. “Let’s put it this way: When the man walked in the room, even if you weren’t looking, you knew he was there,” Ruggieri says. “He had that presence, something no one can describe.”

Online bonus: Engineer Rick Ruggieri tells more about what it was like working with the King, and what Presley wanted from his later recordings:

"It was pretty tough to get into the inner circle. I never actually did in all the years I worked with him. The band and his entourage, and even some of the engineers that worked with him in Nashville and Memphis did, but he was not an easy guy to get next to. That said, we'd sit and chat and he'd ask me questions about recording. Interestingly enough, given all the years he'd been in the business making all these great records, he knew very little about the recording process from a technical standpoint.

"One night, we sat down and chatted for an hour-and-a-half, and he says, "You know what? I come into the studios in Nashville, and we record my music and everything sounds great, but when I hear the records after their made, somebody's jacked up my voice so loud and buried the band, and I hate that. How could somebody do that?" Those were the kinds of things he was asking. But the whole time I worked with him, he never came in the control room. If he wanted to listen to something, we'd play it for him out there in the studio. I found it very interesting, considering all the other artists I'd ever worked with were always interested in that end of it and made sure they heard [in the control room] what they'd been hearing [in the studio].

"The last record I did with him was the Today album, which I cut 99 percent of, and I took it to Doug Sax's studio [Mastering Lab in Hollywood], and had him master it. After Elvis was complaining that the record sounded so different [on the master from what he heard in the studio], I promised him that what he heard in the studio was what he would get when he got the record. So, I convinced the powers that be to let me go outside of RCA to master it, which was unheard of at that time, and when the thing was all done, I set up a playback session in a studio behind the Mastering Lab called the Producer's Workshop.

"I actually got Elvis to come over and listen to the final acetate over there, and I wanted to show him the studio because I wanted to cut the next record there. Producer's Workshop was probably the best-sounding tracking studio in L.A., if not anywhere, at that time. He really liked it, and we sat there—we must have played that thing over and over again for four hours. He loved the sound of the room and the speakers, and we wanted to cut the next record there, but it just never happened."

[Lonely Summer]

Thanks for sharing, this is the stuff about Elvis I love to read, the musician.

[Justin]

Happen to see that Amazon is running a huge blowout Elvis sale today only (Dec 14) and many of the titles discussed here are on sale for dirt cheap.  The deluxe MSG '72 shows with DVD is going for $10!  Loads of stuff for anyone wanting to fill out their collection:

http://www.amazon.com/b/ref=s9_acss_bw_hsb_MusicDec14_s0?_encoding=UTF8&ie=UTF8&node=7817088011&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=merchandised-search-3&pf_rd_r=1NKCAGGZ1R24TZBR1CBQ&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1688025282&pf_rd_i=5174

Hey Justin, so I really didn't wanna be spending any money, but I did order the Elvis Is Back legacy edition (which includes both Elvis Is Back! and Something For Everybody) and then also the Elvis NBC special album. So I'm looking forward to hearing some new Elvis stuff soon.

And I hope in the near future I'm gonna pick up that Moody Blue FTD.

So you went to the FTD site.  Didn't I tell you not to go there!   

Actually, I'm glad you did.  I didn't know Moody Blue was coming out!  Pre-order in.  Along with a stack of other things!!!    I really can't go there.  I need a website restraining order.  I always make a fool of myself.  A few too many drinks, some sweet nothings get said... and BING BANG BOOM.  Thank heavens there's not a Beach Boy equivalent.

Yes... Boy from Tupelo.  Amazing set.  Wish I had it too.  While I was on the FTD site, I was thinking you would really dig Hits of the 70s.  I've been toying with ordering it myself -- if there was room for one more, I would have.  It's a fantastic collection and would really give you a massive heap of the best of his post-comeback stuff.

Interesting that you brought up Hits of the 70's. That one piqued my interest. And it definitely would give me a chance, as you said, to get a lot of his best post-'70s stuff.

Very exciting--do come back with a review! 

[Jim V.]

There was also something I meant to ask that I haven't yet. What do you guys suggest as far as books about Elvis? The only one I have right now is Careless Love by Peter Guralnick, which is a great read, and highly informative, but really is more centered on Elvis the person rather than his music. I'm really looking for something that ties together the man and the music. I recently ordered Elvis Presley - A Life in Music by Ernst Jorgensen and that seems to be what I'm looking for, as far as covering the material he recorded and hopefully where it can be found, etc. It might be a bit to "hardcore fan-ish" for me at this point but we'll see. Anyways, anybody got any suggestions?

I actually did have Mike Eder's book on pre-order, but I ended up cancelling it for whatever reason, and I still haven't picked it up. Should I? I'm very excited about his Beach Boys book that's coming out, but I read some pretty bad reviews of his Elvis book on Amazon, along with some odd replies by a person named like "D. Stock" even though it was obvious it was Mike. Really weird. So that kinda turned me off on that. But if it's worth it I sure wanna get it. Soo...yeah. Anyways, hope to hear what you guys have to say.

Very exciting--do come back with a review! 

Definitely. I'll let you know what I think of the albums when I get them from Amazon.

[Rocker]

There was also something I meant to ask that I haven't yet. What do you guys suggest as far as books about Elvis? The only one I have right now is Careless Love by Peter Guralnick, which is a great read, and highly informative, but really is more centered on Elvis the person rather than his music. I'm really looking for something that ties together the man and the music. I recently ordered Elvis Presley - A Life in Music by Ernst Jorgensen and that seems to be what I'm looking for, as far as covering the material he recorded and hopefully where it can be found, etc. It might be a bit to "hardcore fan-ish" for me at this point but we'll see. Anyways, anybody got any suggestions?

I actually did have Mike Eder's book on pre-order, but I ended up cancelling it for whatever reason, and I still haven't picked it up. Should I? I'm very excited about his Beach Boys book that's coming out, but I read some pretty bad reviews of his Elvis book on Amazon, along with some odd replies by a person named like "D. Stock" even though it was obvious it was Mike. Really weird. So that kinda turned me off on that. But if it's worth it I sure wanna get it. Soo...yeah. Anyways, hope to hear what you guys have to say.

Very exciting--do come back with a review! 

Definitely. I'll let you know what I think of the albums when I get them from Amazon.

Guralnick's "Last train to Memphis" (the first volume of the biography) is a must if you're interested in the person.
Jorgensen's "A life in music" is great. That's one of the first books you should have.
Mike Eder's book is also good to have. I can post some thoughts about it if you want me to and if I have some time.

[Jim V.]

Guralnick's "Last train to Memphis" (the first volume of the biography) is a must if you're interested in the person.
Jorgensen's "A life in music" is great. That's one of the first books you should have.
Mike Eder's book is also good to have. I can post some thoughts about it if you want me to and if I have some time.

Thanks for the recommendation on the other Guralnick book. Sure I'll get that at some point soon. Also great to hear that the Jorgensen book seems to be something I'll be into.

And yeah, please do post some thoughts about Mike Eder's book if you are feeling up to it. I'm definitely interested in what you think.

[Justin]

There was also something I meant to ask that I haven't yet. What do you guys suggest as far as books about Elvis? The only one I have right now is Careless Love by Peter Guralnick, which is a great read, and highly informative, but really is more centered on Elvis the person rather than his music. I'm really looking for something that ties together the man and the music. I recently ordered Elvis Presley - A Life in Music by Ernst Jorgensen and that seems to be what I'm looking for, as far as covering the material he recorded and hopefully where it can be found, etc. It might be a bit to "hardcore fan-ish" for me at this point but we'll see. Anyways, anybody got any suggestions?

I actually did have Mike Eder's book on pre-order, but I ended up cancelling it for whatever reason, and I still haven't picked it up. Should I? I'm very excited about his Beach Boys book that's coming out, but I read some pretty bad reviews of his Elvis book on Amazon, along with some odd replies by a person named like "D. Stock" even though it was obvious it was Mike. Really weird. So that kinda turned me off on that. But if it's worth it I sure wanna get it. Soo...yeah. Anyways, hope to hear what you guys have to say.

As you can imagine, most of the Elvis books out there will focus on the person and his trials and tribulations (there are surely enough to write about!)  But really there is no better book that looks at both his personal life and his musical career as fairly and as academically as Jorgensen's book.  He weaves both sides of the story so masterfully that it's really all you need.  It's not that "inside baseball' as you imagine....he lists every single studio session, personnel and also gives some context as to what was going on in Elvis' life.  It's less about his personal life but seen through the scope of his professional life.  The two volume Guralnick works are also a must-have.  Yes, more on the biographical side of Presley but it's the most well-written out of all the books out there.  Guralnick is fair and also sympathetic---but not too sympathetic.  Just right.  You may not be interested in this now but another must-have book is Elvis and Memphis Mafia by Alanna Nash.  http://www.amazon.com/Elvis-Memphis-Mafia-Alanna-Nash/dp/1845131282/ref=tmm_pap_title_0?ie=UTF8&qid=1387494429&sr=1-29  It's an oral account from the Memphis Mafia.  It's a VERY detailed and sometimes tedious account of what life was like during those years.  They definitely created a bubble for themselves and isolated themselves from the real world---this book gives you a small insight into that.  Again, you may not be looking for this right now but maybe later down the road this will interest you.  The author, Alana Nash, also wrote an extensive biography focusing on just Colonel Tom Parker which is also excellent.  Scotty Moore also wrote a book about his days with Elvis...http://www.amazon.com/Scotty-Elvis-Aboard-Mystery-American-ebook/dp/B00D6B4CM2/ref=pd_sim_b_8  I haven't read it but I'd imagine it'd be a worthwhile especially if you're into the first few years of his career.  


Here's a useful thread from the FECC board...with a specific focus on one respected poster's comprehensive list of recommendations:

Best Elvis Books?
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=317310#p317310

[Rocker]

Some thoughts on Elvis Music FAQ:

This book is part of the FAQ- series which is thought of - and this is important to remember - as being an introduction to the work of the artist the book describes. Other releases include e.g. Jon Stebbins' book on The Beach Boys.
I said it is important to remember Elvis Music FAQ as being an introduction. So it wasn't written with the hardcore fan in mind but someone who might just begin to get into Presley. That is not to say that a die hard wouldn't have fun reading this. I certainly did and there were some nice advises for recordings of other artists to look for.
Mike Eder reviews each year of Elvis' career under certain topics. At the end of the decade (two times for the 60s) he focuses on the album and single releases of the decade. Between this there are chapters on different aspects like one on Elvis' Gospel recordings, one on the live albums, the Colonel etc.
A second very important thing to remember is - as Eder himself makes clear in the introduction to the book - that he gives his own subjective opinions on the songs/recordings. Your opinions very well might differ. For example the author seems to really dislike some of Elvis' latin influenced stuff. Personally I love it and think that those songs are some of his best ("Surrender""For the millionth and the last time"). The goal Eder wants to achieve is that Presley's music gets taken seriously and that people start to look into Elvis' work. He by no means tries to tell you that his opinion was the only legitimate.
The one problem I have with the book are the chapters on the Elvis-imitators. Of course these unfortunately are a part of the Elvis myth and therefor they probably have their place somewhere in this but I think two chapters about this topic (one on Orion and one on different Elvis-"soundalikes") is too much.
The pictures of Elvis that are used in the book all come from different releases (including bootlegs). I was a little doubtful of this at first but it works.
For the die-hards it probably isn't an essential book but for the starter it is a very good way to get into the music without being distracted by all the ridiculousnesses (often even from Elvis Presley Enterprises) that did - and still do - so much damage to Presley's legacy.