The Elvis Australia website was my main go to for Elvis information. They even used my quotes one time on the Elvis Aloha giant hardcover book. They sometimes got breaking news about upcoming releases before anybody. I think they might have had the early word on the Elvis That's The Way It Is 8 CD Deluxe Box set as I recall. In fact, some people doubted it was coming at all at the time as I seem to recall.
Well, this is one of the most astute and intelligent things ever written on this board that counters the often ridiculous view that Elvis was not a true creative musician because he did not write his own material. I will be making a copy of this fantastic post by SKATTERBRANE and keeping it close by with my favorite books on Elvis. I endorse every word of your statement, especially the part about being "thankful that Elvis was not part of the counter-culture 'rock era'." I also love your very blunt, but very accurate observation that "rock n roll was not his main passion. In fact I doubt if it EVER was." Wow, I know that I love some of Elvis's great rock n roll records, but this last quote of yours is quite simply a fact. Elvis's very favorite songs were pop ballads, country ballads, rhythm & blues, and gospel music, judging both by the effort he put into those performances and the frequency in which he recorded songs from those genres in the studio as well as live in concert. Thanks for this splendid post!
Some information from Don Robertson's website: In 1955, Robertson had written a country song entitled 'I'm Counting on You,' and the Aberbachs, a NY publishing firm, were enthusiastic. “They promised they could get a big star to record it,” Robertson says. “Well, a few months later they said they were giving it to this new up-and-coming singer named Elvis Presley. I was thoroughly disappointed. I had never heard of Elvis Presley, and after all, they had promised me a big star.” The original demo was sung by Robertson's wife at the time, Lou Dinning. She has a very sweet, plaintive voice: I highly recommend the CD And Then I Wrote Songs for Elvis, which collects this and Robertson's other demos.
I've mentioned here before that my preferred way to listen to Elvis is by session, rather than by album. The albums are often haphazard in compilation and sequence, whereas every Elvis session has its own unique style and feel, and the best of them feel like coherent artistic statements in and of themselves. I like the Elvis Presley album all right, but to me the Sun outtakes don't fit exceptionally well with the early 1956 recordings. And the stuff Elvis did in early 1956 is among my all-time favorite of his career. The addition of DJ kicks things into a new gear, and this stuff just plain rocks harder than he ever had before. Yet some of the rawness and newness of the Sun stuff is still present too, in a way that would diminish as the 50s went on. To me, the recordings from the first half of 1956 capture the peak of his 50s output. I discovered an import copy of the album below in the late 80s, and was knocked out by how great this stuff sounds in sequence, with the singles and album tracks all together: 1. I Got A Sweetie (sic) 2. Heartbreak Hotel 3. Money Honey 4. I'm Counting On You 5. I Was The One 6. Blue Suede Shoes 7. My Baby Left Me 8. One-Sided Love Affair 9. So Glad You're Mine 10. I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You 11. Tutti Frutti 12. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy 13. Shake, Rattle And Roll 14. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You 15. Hound Dog 16. Don't Be Cruel Compiled together like this, this one is a strong contender for best Elvis album of all time.
Absolutely. I didn't say that Elvis was bad at what he did. He excelled at it. He was a very competent middle of the road, variety singer. As was Petula Clark, Tom Jones, Glen Campbell, Nana Mouskouri,...
I Love You Because "I Love You Because" is a 1949 hit song written and originally recorded by Leon Payne. The song has been covered by several artists throughout the years, including hit cover versions by Al Martino in 1963 and Jim Reeves in 1964. "I Love You Because" Single by Elvis Presley from the album Elvis Presley (album) Released March 23, 1956 Recorded July 4th-July 5th, 1954 Songwriter(s) Leon Payne Producer(s) Sam Phillips Recorded during early Sun sessions "I Love You Because" was first recorded by on July 4th and 5th, 1954 at SUN Studio. The session started on the 4th and ended early on the morning of the 5th in Memphis, Tenn., the same day he recorded "That's All Right." Producer Sam Phillips did not think "I Love You Because" was the right song for Elvis' first single, so it eventually found its way to his first album released in 1956. --------------------------------------- One of my favourite of Elvis' early love songs. I find the delivery perfect and its stripped back simplicity works for it also.
Just Because "Just Because" is a song written by Joe Shelton, Sydney Robin and Bob Shelton and originally recorded by Nelstone's Hawaiians (Hubert Nelson and James D. Touchstone) in 1929 and later recorded by The Shelton Brothers in 1933.[1][2] Some sources[which?] say that Sydney Robin wrote the song alone and the Sheltons added their name when they recorded it. Elvis Presley recorded the song on September 10, 1954 at the Sun Studios; while it was never released on Sun, it was included on Elvis's first album, Elvis Presleyafter he signed to RCA. Paul McCartney later recorded the song in a style that was similar to that of Presley's version on his CHOBA B CCCP album. ---------------------------------- Some folks seem to have a problem with the Sun recordings on this album. I personally think they work fine. I personally don't find the album disjointed, but I am so used to the songs these days, perhaps I am blinkered.
That is one helluva recording. My favourite Sun recording together with That´s all right, Mystery train and Trying to get to you.
You're right - a brilliant middle of the road, variety singer. I don't mean "middle of the road" or "variety" in a derogatory sense, just his position in relation to the market he was addressing.
"Have a problem with" would be an overstatement of how I feel. I don't dislike the Sun outtakes, but I think they do not fit well stylistically with the January 1956 recordings. It's worth noting all but one of the Sun outtakes on the first album date from 1954, so they are (with that one exception) over a year older than the RCA recordings on the album. Elvis progressed exponentially over 1955, and the 1954 recordings reflect a guy tentatively trying to find his sound more than the confident artist he quickly became. With the exception of the one 1955 track (Tryin' to Get to You) the Sun recordings on the first album were deservedly outtakes. They are interesting to hear now from a historical perspective, but they are clearly inferior to the Sun material that was chosen to be released by Sun.
i can see that, and there are more sun tracks spread over the next few albums. and i should have worded that better "the sun recordings being on this album", would have been a better way to word it ... i wasn't suggesting folks don't like the songs
Elvis did not move to MOR until the 70s. I would not characterize his music as MOR or "variety" in the 60s through early 70s.
Oh Indeed. Those middle to late 70's recordings can really divide the Elvis fandom in a hurry, but I also so think that there has been a worthy reappraisal of that period by critics and fans alike that gives that material a fairer and independent analysis than what occurred when Elvis was alive or even for the first couple of decades later after his death.