Any Elvis soundtracks "no go" areas?

Discussion in 'Music Corner' started by SteveM, Jan 23, 2015.

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  1. ClausH

    ClausH Senior Member

    Location:
    Denmark
    Four of the six songs from the movie only exist in mono. The multi track tapes are lost and stereo mixes weren't created at the time. The only reason why Angel exists in stereo is because it was prepared and included on the infamous Ekvis Sings For Children album in 1978.
     
  2. SteveM

    SteveM Forum Resident Thread Starter

    So are all six in mono of the FTD CD within the box then?
     
  3. ClausH

    ClausH Senior Member

    Location:
    Denmark
    I don't have the box but if the 2007 masters were used, Angel is stereo and the others mono. A Whistling Tune is listed on the cover but not included. Only the version from Kid Galahad is there.
     
  4. Rick H.

    Rick H. Raised on AM Radio

    I have the box and what ClausH stated is correct. Of the 5 songs from Follow That Dream the song Angel is the only one that is in stereo. The rest are Mono.
     
  5. PepiJean

    PepiJean Forum Resident

    "It happened at the world's fair" is not very exciting; with the exception of THEY REMIND ME TOO MUCH OF YOU, it's lowdown stuff with terrible sound quality. Even the single ONE BROKEN HEART FOR SALE wasn't that great. Disappointing all the way through.

    "Fun in Acapulco" is better maybe but by no mean BETTER THAN "Blue Hawaii". Elvis hawaiian accent is nice and the whole thing is charming, enjoyable. In "FIA" the spanish accent is plain HORRIBLE and several tracks are shameful (THERE'S NO ROOM TO RUMBA IN A SPORTCAR..........) The only saving grace from that LP is BOSSA NOVA BABY.

    My 2 cents anyway.
     
  6. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    It's been a long time since I listened to that record, but my recollection is that the version of "US Male" on there is an outtake in which Elvis screws up and then swears, and that's why it's included. That's definitely the case with "Can't Help Falling in Love"... it's a breakdown which ends with Elvis saying "aw, shiiiit." And "Are You Lonesome Tonight is the infamous Elvis in Concert version.
     
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  7. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    It's interesting some of us disagree so widely. I like World's Fair. It's got the same mixture of a couple very good songs, a few okay songs, and a couple silly/dopey songs, just like all his 1960-63 soundtracks. I don't see how it's any worse songwise than GI Blues, which some folks have singled out as one of the better soundtracks. I think all the 1960-63 soundtracks are pretty close to the same level in terms of both material and performance. Blue Hawaii, Girls Girls Girls and Viva Las Vegas are a slight cut above because their very best tracks are exceptionally good. But I'd rank the others from that period all around the same level.
     
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  8. PepiJean

    PepiJean Forum Resident

    I´m no big fan of "GI Blues" but, at least, the sound on that one is pretty good. "It happened over there" must be one of the worst sounding soundtrack ever. That coupled with an awful collection of "kiddy" songs. Definitely, not a highlight for me. On the other hand, I agree about the better results on "Blue Hawaii", "Girls Girls, Girls" and "Viva Las Vegas".
     
  9. ClausH

    ClausH Senior Member

    Location:
    Denmark
    All the soundtracks are more or less ok until Kissin' Cousins, imo. Then it starts to go downhill really fast and if it hadn't been for the bonus tracks which do save a few of the albums, everything from Kissin' Cousins to Clambake is totally worthless, imo.
     
  10. guidedbyvoices

    guidedbyvoices Old Dan's Records

    Location:
    Alpine, TX
    the "hot damn tamale" version :D for whatever reason I actually like that comp, it cracks me up, and something silly like Ft Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce is at least catchy. I mean if you want really bad, Barefoot Ballad is awful as is almost all of Kissin' Cousins. Harum Scarum, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Spinout, Double Trouble, Easy Come Easy Go - that was a rough patch where there's not even a lot of guilty pleasures in there
     
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  11. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    Huh, I'll have to go back and listen. I don't recall the sound as being that terrible. I sure wouldn't rank it as one of the worst, not with all the horribly-engineered and badly mixed 1965-67 soundtracks out there.

    I do admit perhaps part of the reason I've a soft spot for World's Fair is its setting...
     
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  12. Ken K

    Ken K Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sayreville, NJ USA
    The "It Happened at the World's Fair" soundtrack isn't one of the best sounding, but it isn't the worst either. To me, it sounds like that one is a bit too mid-rangey and there is very little bass (recording EQ perhaps). With a little tweak of the graphic equalizer, it doesn't sound too bad although it is a bit flat sounding.
     
  13. S. P. Honeybunch

    S. P. Honeybunch Presidente de Kokomo, Endless Mikelovemoney

    Maybe people would think highly of Elvis soundtracks if they could only hear the original MONO, eh? Eh? Eh? No?
     
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  14. chaz

    chaz Senior Member

    Location:
    Canada
    It was my favorite soundtrack growing up.
     
  15. sons of nothing

    sons of nothing Forum Resident

    Location:
    Illinois
    The soundtracks are generally better than the movies themselves. Is there an Elvis best of soundtracks comp out there???
     
  16. Ken K

    Ken K Forum Resident

    Location:
    Sayreville, NJ USA
    S.P. Honeybunch, the original mono mixes aren't much better than the original stereos because Elvis' voice is way too upfront on both. Mono would be the best option if mixed correctly as the soundtrack sessions had the 3-track layout as follows: Band on one track, Elvis on the second, and the backing vocals alone on the third (unless the song didn't have background vocals, then partial instrumentation would be on the 3rd track). A modern mono balanced re-mix would be the best option for the lesser sound quality soundtracks.
     
  17. czeskleba

    czeskleba Senior Member

    Location:
    Seattle
    There are many. This one is probably the best in terms of tracklisting, but it does omit a few very good songs (most notably "C'mon Everybody") and its policy of including the title song from every film (no matter how bad) means a few undeserving songs get included instead. But overall it's got almost all of the best stuff from the 60s soundtracks.
     
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  18. S. P. Honeybunch

    S. P. Honeybunch Presidente de Kokomo, Endless Mikelovemoney

    Have you heard the 90's remixes?
     
  19. Driver 8

    Driver 8 Senior Member

    Basically agree with that. And I agree with czeskleba that there's enough good stuff on most of the '60-'63 soundtracks to make them interesting to me, I have most of them on vinyl, and spin them occasionally. But, by Clambake, they're not totally worthless, because the bonus tracks do start to save them: any record with "Guitar Man," "Big Boss Man," and "Just Call Me Lonesome" on it is OK by me, even if the soundtrack songs are awful.
     
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  20. BlueSpeedway

    BlueSpeedway Curated Iconic Half-Speed Punk

    Location:
    England
    I'm generally not a basher of Elvis' movie songs because so what if we like some of the weird & thin ones, BUT.. I hate that song so much, with that farting noise and all. Urgh, it isn't even any use for a kid, like say Old MacDonald or Dominic. It's just a frantic mess of a racket.

    Spinout and Kid Galahad are my favourites of the "dodgy" soundtracks.
     
  21. Driver 8

    Driver 8 Senior Member

    Count me among those who find the movies from '60-'63 not bad at all, at least not on their own terms, and if you're a fan of Elvis. I'll watch them, and have watched something as trifling as Blue Hawaii many times. It's a fun movie for what it is.
     
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  22. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    What was that teen exploitation film where these Catholic school boys cut school to go to see Blue Hawaii and are totally disgusted with it?
     
  23. PacificOceanBlue

    PacificOceanBlue Senior Member

    Location:
    The Southwest
    Yes, it is interesting how the soundtrack material is viewed because while GI Blues was clearly a step down in quality from Elvis' non-soundtrack material from the era, I think it is significantly stronger than World's Fair. There are many examples of effectively and melodically constructed songs on GI Blues. To my ears, Worlds Fair is easily lumped in with Elvis' mediocre soundtrack work where it is difficult to find more than a couple of redeeming tracks. And while GI Blues is miles away from Elvis Is Back!, the overall quality is respectable. I don't hear anything on Worlds Fair that comes close to Tonight Is So Right From Love, GI Blues, Pocket Full Of Rainbows, Shoppin Around, Tonight Is Right For Love, and Frankfurt Special. Even lightweight tracks like Didja' Ever and Doin The Best I Can contain a semblance of relevant songwriting, the former fitting very well into the military theme. While I think there are a handful of post-Blue Hawaii soundtracks that have some strong songs that rival what is found on GI Blues, I don't think any of those soundtracks are as consistent. That is why I rate GI Blues and Blue Hawaii a step above the rest -- consistency.
     
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  24. Driver 8

    Driver 8 Senior Member

    I would agree that G.I. Blues and Blue Hawaii are a cut above the soundtracks that followed.
     
  25. Mylene

    Mylene Senior Member

    GI Blues is pretty bad. Elvis came out of the army and gave the mediocre material his all. If you hear the outtakes Elvis tries about ten different treatments of every song (Something he never did. He usually heard the demo and locked in exactly how he wanted to sing it). If Double Trouble was recorded in 1960 it'd be just as good.
     
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