Favorite Elvis period

[MBE]

Thanks Rocker you have it correct! BTW Lennon didn't get to go to Madison Square though he was reported to. I have a 1975 interview where he says he would love to see Elvis live but hadn't had a chance. Elvis certainly didn't call Lennon a druggie or even bring his name up specifically.I have the transcripts of the meeting. Elvis simply said he didn't like songs like Lucy In The Sky or Magical Mystery Tour. I spoke at a Beatles fest convention as an expert on the relationship between Presley and the Beatles and helped co-write a book on their 1965 US tour that focuses on their meetings. I have no need to prove myself beyond that, but it is sad the the tabloid writings of Chris Hutchens, and consipracy nuts like Fenton Brezler drummed up smoke when there was no fire.

[pixletwin]

Fair enough laddies. DRINKS ON ME!!!!   

I was going mostly by what Ringo Starr said in an interview for the Beatles Anthology project... But his sources may have been the same as you were referring to.

In any case, Elvis rocks, so did the Beatles.

[MBE]

No hard feelings and thanks for reading what I had to say.  I saw that too, if I could of told Ringo myself I would. I feel so bad he was misinformed. Yes and they both do rock.

[Rocker]

This just from elvisnews:

In an interview, the CEO of Stax Studios in Memphis, Deanie Parker, mentions a special gesture from Elvis. The story spread around town that the Beatles would come to Stax in Memphis – home of their heroes – to record a new studio album. When Elvis picked up the rumour, he invited the Fab Four to stay in Graceland. “I was so excited about it,” says Deanie Parker, “I was seeing dollar signs. I talked to Jim Stewart and said, 'If the Beatles do come here, will you give me permission to take the carpet up, cut it into squares, and sell it?'

Everyone else was worrying about the logistics — how were we gonna get them from the airport," Keyes says. "We were gonna put them up at the Holiday Inn Rivermont, but Elvis Presley said it would be better if they stayed at Graceland”. The session however, never happened.

[MBE]

Very cool story and very much like Elvis to offer that. Rocker sorry I had missed a question from you earlier. I think the FEPB are Moody Blue two good examples of how Elvis wanted the albums to go. On the first one he even wrote a special message on the back, and it was he who decided that it would be a concept album of sorts about loss in general. He saved up most of the up-tempo or lighter stuff for Moody Blue, and put some most of the ballads on FEPB. Now that's not to say their weren't rockers on the first or ballads on the second but they both achieve different moods. Incidentally he wanted to call Moody Blue "Unchained Melody" and Felton tried to buy some photos from Sean Shaver of Elvis at the piano for the cover. The Colonel insisted on using Ed Bonja's picture instread. Elvis didn't know the title was changed until 6-26-77 when he was presented a framed early copy as an award from a pressing plant. It was also Elvis' idea to mix the live and studio sides feeling it would give the LP a better flavor. He had been planning that since late 1975 but didn't actually get around to doing it until Moody Blue.  BTW Ernst is wrong it was Elvis' idea to do this.

[Rocker]

Very cool story and very much like Elvis to offer that. Rocker sorry I had missed a question from you earlier. I think the FEPB are Moody Blue two good examples of how Elvis wanted the albums to go. On the first one he even wrote a special message on the back, and it was he who decided that it would be a concept album of sorts about loss in general. He saved up most of the up-tempo or lighter stuff for Moody Blue, and put some most of the ballads on FEPB. Now that's not to say their weren't rockers on the first or ballads on the second but they both achieve different moods. Incidentally he wanted to call Moody Blue "Unchained Melody" and Felton tried to buy some photos from Sean Shaver of Elvis at the piano for the cover. The Colonel insisted on using Ed Bonja's picture instread. Elvis didn't know the title was changed until 6-26-77 when he was presented a framed early copy as an award from a pressing plant. It was also Elvis' idea to mix the live and studio sides feeling it would give the LP a better flavor. He had been planning that since late 1975 but didn't actually get around to doing it until Moody Blue. 

No problem. It's very interesting. Are these infos in "Sessions III" ? I still don't have that book. 
I like the song selection on "Boulevard" but can't stand the overdubs. Haven't got the Jungle room-FTD but I guess I'll like that one better. I also don't like mixes between studio- and liverecordings, which is not to say that the live cuts are bad (well, "Little darlin"... wtf). Do you know who's idea it was to overdub "Unchained melody"? And why wasn't the name Elvis wanted used? He was the artist and had the last word on it. It's strange that they used something he didn't want.

BTW Ernst is wrong it was Elvis' idea to do this.

I guess you're talking about the mix of live and studio?

[shelter]

Elvis always was an artist.

He never wrote a song in his life... He did get some writing credits here and there, but from what I've read, that was all just politics. There's no doubt that he was an extremely talented and gifted singer and entertainer, but I have a hard time seeing him as a serious creative artist as he never wrote or produced his own material.

[Rocker]

Elvis always was an artist.

He never wrote a song in his life... He did get some writing credits here and there, but from what I've read, that was all just politics. There's no doubt that he was an extremely talented and gifted singer and entertainer, but I have a hard time seeing him as a serious creative artist as he never wrote or produced his own material.

He did produce his material. He was also the one who decided which  take was released, which song would become the single, etc.
People easily overlook that the role of the "official" producer of Elvis is very different to the one of, let's say, the Beach Boys' or Spector. In fact, alot of times there wasn't even a production-credit on Elvis' records, because the guys in the room (Steve Sholes, etc) didn't do anything but announce which take was next. The only times Elvis worked with a real producer was with Sam Phillips and with Chips Moman. And he had his own thing goin' on there too.

As for writing: If you find that you aren't able to write songs good enough for you, then I think it's the right thing to pick songs which reflect your feelings. It's harder to make someone else's songs your own, than the one you wrote.
BTW Elvis did co-write "You'll be gone". People make too much out of writing songs. A great actor mostly doesn't write his movies too, so if you got great material, why go and try to write something similar which might come out worse?

[MBE]

Well said Rocker about songwriting. Jerry Lee didn't write, Everly Brothers didn't compose  their best known stuff, Brian Jones did not write, so many people who are artists music did not write. Mike Love wrote most of the Summer In Paradise album, does that alone make it real art in a way that Elvis's best music wasn't? Someone is an artist because of how they express the music not only the song itself. Witness Brian's terrible version of Do You Have Any Regrets and Darian's wonderful cover version.

Sessions III does not have many stories mostly facts. What is there is good though (and not just because I wrote the session facts parts).  The info I have on it is just from having studied the sessions and read many interviews with Felton, the musicians etc. The title was announced by Elvis on stage just days before he was presented the award. It must of been a last minute thing, but I agree not respectful to Elvis.  Jungle room is OK but some of the bite is gone. It's a little dry but you may perfer it that way. Little Darlin was OK by me but the reuse of Let Me Be There was kind of cheap. I think it was used because of the other ONJ song on there. Unchained was overdubbed because that's how it was often played live. The original must not have picked up the band to Elvis and Felton's liking. If you see the undoctered CBS tapes, the band joins in on the second half. Elvis arranged it that way and only the remix on Great Performances has led people to believe it was always done solo.

You are right about Chet Atkins and Steve Sholes, they just acting as coordinators. Felton co produced the 66-76 sessions even the ones in Memphis. Elvis had final say during those sessions as well Moman didn't agree with some of Elvis and Felton's choices. Sam Phillips really was the only one who didn't have Elvis in the booth. He learned a lot from Sam very quickly because by 1956 he was a master in the studio.

[Rocker]

Unchained was overdubbed because that's how it was often played live. The original must not have picked up the band to Elvis and Felton's liking. If you see the undoctered CBS tapes, the band joins in on the second half. Elvis arranged it that way and only the remix on Great Performances has led people to believe it was always done solo.

Yeah, I know a lot of live versions of "Unchained melody" and the original undubbed "Moody Blue"-version is available on the FTD-Spring Tour '77. And it's true that some of the band come in in the later part but no orchestra as it is on "Moody blue". It sounds awesome and blows away the undubbed performance imo but I wonder who decided this or who made the suggestion.


You oghta write a book about this stuff that you got. Even if it's something already published, we need to have it compiled in one book. I would buy one as soon as it's out. Guess I'm gonna search for Session III now.


I will get the "Elvis is back"-FTD for my birthday and I guess that one will open up new horizons, even if I know all the songs. The sessions in there are what I can't wait to explore.

BTW I love Brian's "Do you have any regrets" but I don't know Darian's version of it.

[MBE]

I will do something on Elvis one day but in the meantime Darrien Lee's Desert Storm book will do a lot to show the artist Elvis was in the seventies. I also suggest you track down interviews with Felton Jarvis, and Elvis' band members. Darian does it as a classic BW production circa 1965.

[Rocker]

I also suggest you track down interviews with Felton Jarvis, and Elvis' band members.

Where can one get that stuff ?


BTW,

I will do something on Elvis one day

I look forward to that. i think we really need one essential book that shows what kind of artist he was and even more important that he in fact was an artist at all. As we can see, many people don't realize that and I can't blame them because EPE and BMG are not doing very much to change that.

[MBE]

Try looking for a book called Talking Elvis and another called Elvis Presley the Power and the Persecution. They will give you a good start. Elvis Up Close isn't bad either. Enter Felton's name on Ebay too he did quite a few interviews from 1977-81.

[MBE]

http://www.systemrecords.co.uk/milliondollarquartetthecompletesession2lp-p-927102.html

[Rocker]

Great, this is the "new" version with muh better sound than ever before, I have it on CD. They used a newly found tape of the session, from Elvis' private stuff, and therefor we get some never before heard songs and much chatter, as well as, like I already mentioned, a very great sound. If you have the old version, you should buy this as it almost sounds like another recording. Most of the distortion is gone and you can actually hear and understand the spoken parts. Jerry Lee's "That's my desire" even got a complete first verse and instrumental interplay, which was always edited out. Great stuff and one of the most historic recordings in Rock'n'Roll. Hearing this you'll understand what that music is all about.
MBE, do you have it on vinyl? Does it sound as great as the CD? Any further thoughts on this?

[MBE]

I will have it soon. Wish it wasn't a pic disc because the pressings are sometimes less clean but I am sure like every Sun recording it will be far better on vinyl.

[halblaineisgood]

 

[MBE]

Fifties music is great and overlooked by some. All the people that came out of Sun, artists like Little Richard, Chuck Berry, Bo Didley, The Everley's. Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens just a great period in American music. Elvis was undoubtably the best perofrmer of that era and always will be.
BTW if you like the first to make sure you pick up the terrific Loving You and King Creole LP's as well as For LP Fans Only one of his best comps. For newer selection pick up the Jailhouse Rock soundtrack and Elvis at Sun. I think everything he did through Elvis Is Back is utterly brilliant and much of what he did after is as well.

[Rocker]

1. My babe (live '69)
2. A mess of blues
3. Suspicion
4. Fever
5. Baby let's play house
6. Only the strong survive
7. Are you lonesome tonight ?
8. What now my love? (live '73)
9. You'll be gone (only song he ever had real input to as a songwriter, at least the only officially released one)
10. Ready teddy
11. Just pretend
12. Polk salad Annie (live '70)
13. Little sister
14. Love letters (60s Version)
15. I'll hold you in my heart
16. Surrender
17. It's midnight
18. Loving arms
19. Swing down sweet chariot
20. I can't stop loving you (live '70)
21. Power of my love
22. You don't have to say you love me
23. Crying in the chapel
24. Never been to spain (live '72)
25. It hurts me
26. That's someone you never forget (the idea and title of this song came from Elvis)
 

I just did a vol. 2 of this. Let me know what you think about it.
Compared to the first one, there are much more mono-stereo-changes, but I didn't wanna do it chronological, I wanted it to flow. Afterwards I think I would have changed from "Crawfish" to "Blue moon" to "Blue moon" to "Crawfish". Here's the tracklist:

1. We're comin' in loaded (one of the most exciting 1:30 tracks I have ever heard !)
2. Pocketful of rainbows
3. Don't be cruel
4. He'll have to go
5. Bridge over troubled water
6. Such a night
7. Hard headed woman
8. Heart of Rome
9. Crawfish
10. Blue moon
11. Hurt
12. Milkcow blues boogie
13. I've got a thing about you baby
14. Mary in the morning
15. I, John
16. A big hunk o' love
17. All I needed was the rain
18. Gonna get back home somehow
19. Like a baby
20. Reach out to Jesus
21. Tonight's allright for love (this is the european version)
22. Until it's time for you to go
23. I need your love tonight
24. Pledging my love
25. Make the world go away
26. I really don't want to know
27. For ol' times sake
28. Danny boy
29. Unchained melody (live '77 -> Moody Blue-albumversion)



I also just got the FTD-deluxe-edition of "Elvis is back" (one of the best and best sounding albums of all time) and it's awesome to hear the sessions and how Elvis worled. You shoul try to get it.

"Such a night": just wanted to add that I think this is a faboulus recording but probably would have caused a lot of trouble if it would've been released as a single in '60 because Elvis and his band imitate musically an orgasm at the end. Imo this sounds even "better" than Dennis' take on "All I want to do".


BTW: Soon there should be the '56 Tupelo-concert released on DVD (as much as possible at least)

Fifties music is great and overlooked by some

That's true. I guess it's because rockmusic-journalism really got serious in the 60s and everything before that isn't taken as very important today.

[pixletwin]

Not to mention Johnny Cash, who I believe came from Sun Records as well... The 50's represent an era to me of pure musicality without alot of issues like production and self conciousness to muddy it up. It was real and raw.

For those who may be interested, Sideshow Collectibles has an awesome 1:4 scale multi-media statue of Elvis up for preorder. Check it out: http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=71891

You can even still pick up the exlusive which includes his guitar. They also have a flex pay option here: http://www.sideshowtoy.com/cgi-bin/category.cgi?item=71891FLEX

 

[Ron]

Someone somewhere on this thread or another mentioned that Elvis was an artist, and that he had a hand in his own production.  I saw an interesting little comment on t.v. the other night about that.

It was a documentary on Ronnie Milsap, and it mentioned that he played on Kentucky Rain.  Milsap said that when he got the demo of "Appalachian Rain", he turned it into "Smokey Mountain Rain" to pay homage to his part of the country... then when he was recording it, he thought it needed a little something, and remembered Elvis telling him "Ronnie, I need some more thunder on that left hand" and how Elvis had Ronnie bang out the bass on the piano to make it sound like thunder while he was recording Kentucky Rain.... so Ronnie said in the little interview "yeah, I thought 'Elvis, you're right'" and how he felt that it was Elvis inspiring him to make Smokey Mountain Rain a better song.  So according to Ronnie Elvis was a pretty creative dude.


-----------------

I guess I'll mention it here, not sure if I have before in the past, but I heard an interview (again) with Glen Campbell on XM radio last week.  It's about a year old but was a pretty interesting story.  He said that he once got boo'ed in Vegas because he was sitting in the audience watching an Elvis show, and Elvis mentioned him then said "I heard you're trying to do me here in Vegas" and Glen said (from the audience) "Well, If I really wanted to do you, I'd have to gain some weight" and the whole place went nuts.  He said Elvis was a great guy and he was lucky to get to sit and talk with him a few times in his suite in Vegas. 

[MBE]

The Kentucky Rain story is great and matches that all my reasearch has been telling me. Thanks for sharing that. I agree that fifties music is rock and roll in it's purest form. They wanted it to sound good and have energy but it was basically sheer fun.

[Rocker]

Someone somewhere on this thread or another mentioned that Elvis was an artist, and that he had a hand in his own production.  I saw an interesting little comment on t.v. the other night about that.

It was a documentary on Ronnie Milsap, and it mentioned that he played on Kentucky Rain.  Milsap said that when he got the demo of "Appalachian Rain", he turned it into "Smokey Mountain Rain" to pay homage to his part of the country... then when he was recording it, he thought it needed a little something, and remembered Elvis telling him "Ronnie, I need some more thunder on that left hand" and how Elvis had Ronnie bang out the bass on the piano to make it sound like thunder while he was recording Kentucky Rain.... so Ronnie said in the little interview "yeah, I thought 'Elvis, you're right'" and how he felt that it was Elvis inspiring him to make Smokey Mountain Rain a better song.  So according to Ronnie Elvis was a pretty creative dude.


-----------------

I guess I'll mention it here, not sure if I have before in the past, but I heard an interview (again) with Glen Campbell on XM radio last week.  It's about a year old but was a pretty interesting story.  He said that he once got boo'ed in Vegas because he was sitting in the audience watching an Elvis show, and Elvis mentioned him then said "I heard you're trying to do me here in Vegas" and Glen said (from the audience) "Well, If I really wanted to do you, I'd have to gain some weight" and the whole place went nuts.  He said Elvis was a great guy and he was lucky to get to sit and talk with him a few times in his suite in Vegas. 

Love these stories, both of 'em. Elvis and Campbell were pretty good friends. Glenn played on the "Viva Las Vegas"-Soundtrack. Not the only BBs-relation....

Re: "creative guy": I guess that's true. There are some really interesting stories about Elvis in the studio, but they all got overshadowed by the Elvis on the toilet-stories. For example, one of my very favorite stories is the one to "Baby I don't care" from the "Jailhouse Rock"-Soundtrack. The song begins with a bass figure and Elvis' bassist Bill Black, wasn't able to play it the way Elvis wanted it to sound (Bill probably couldn't handle the new electric bass), so Elvis, who wasn't a professional bassplayer or had very much practice on it, played it himself and overdubbed his voice later. So if you hear that song, you'll hear Elvis play the bass.

Not to mention Johnny Cash, who I believe came from Sun Records as well

Yeah, Cash, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, Charlie Rich, Elvis... they all started at Sun Records. Even BB King, Ike Turner and Rufus Thomas could be counted in on that list.

[MBE]

I still find it amazing how many great people were on Sun. Even some of the 70's Sun records by Orion and Sleepy Labeef were really good.

[Rocker]

The title was announced by Elvis on stage just days before he was presented the award. It must of been a last minute thing, but I agree not respectful to Elvis. 

I just re-watched the concert again where he mentioned an album called "Unchained melody". It was one of the concerts that were recorded for the CBS-special. To be honest, I think he was just trying to make a joke. He says:
This song is called "Unchained melody" from an album called "Unchained melody", does that make sense...? 
He also says that it will be soon released. As there is a discussion about the Jungle Room-sessions on another board I post on, could you give me some more infos (only if it's not asked too much of course). And if you remember where you got the infos from, that would be great too, so I could tell them people on the other board...