Remembering Elvis on His 80th with a New CD

Discussion in 'Third Party Sales & Auctions' started by Larry Jordan, Jan 8, 2015.

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  1. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    What's "new and creative" is the addition of new instrumentation ranging from strings to sax, clarinet, flute, percussion, guitar lines, etc. to change the feel of the originals.

    The steel was played by Pat Severs, a current member of the Grand Ole Opry band in Nashville.

    The sax is not as intrusive as you might think. Remember audiophiles, you're listening to stuff that has been drastically downsampled to reduce file size and save on bandwidth. So what you're hearing online is not as good as what you would hear on the CD itself.
     
  2. Driver 8

    Driver 8 Senior Member

    If you want to do something new and different and creative, write your own songs and sing them yourself instead of hitching a ride on someone else's legacy and work.
     
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  3. It's documented that Elvis hated when his voice was put forward in the mix on his records yet here is a release that promotes doing so. Sad to read his music is being treated this way on January 8, of all days.
     
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  4. Driver 8

    Driver 8 Senior Member

    Why would you want to change the feel of the originals? What's the point?
     
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  5. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I'm smart enough to know I was entering a den of wolves when I posted here. I wasn't disappointed. The frothy frenzy I've stirred up is actually rather amusing because not only have I been attacked but a really talented bunch of pro musicians, engineers, orchestrators and others have all been denigrated, which frankly reveals a rather startling lack of insight into what this project entailed. This is not some half-assed, slapped together CD. It cost a helluva lot more to produce than a retread would have.
     
  6. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Elvis didn't want to be heard clearly on his records? Are you joking? He didn't even want Bill Porter to splice a new ending on a song and insisted on re-doing multiple "takes" until he got it right, because he was so proud of his vocal acumen. There are plenty of rehearsal videos available where he gave directions to musicians to tone it down so he could be heard.
     
  7. MRamble

    MRamble Forum Resident

    Projects like these are usually more fun for the people who've worked on them than it is for anyone outside that bubble. No doubt you and the musicians had a grand time putting this album together. But to me what you've done here is a bit self-indulgent. The arrangements are close enough to the originals that there is hardly a difference so while it was probably fun for the musicians to "back" Elvis Presley in the studio and then hear themselves "performing" with Elvis--it doesn't offer much of anything else for the listener like myself who has nothing to do with these recordings and can listen to the same songs performed in the same way with the CDs they already own. A new sax solo on a song really isn't enough of a selling point.

    With that said: I enjoyed "Fever." There were enough new elements to keep you listening. Wish you took more of a risk with the instrumentation on the other tunes.
     
    Last edited: Jan 8, 2015
  8. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Wouldn't you get tired of eating the same meal every day? Elvis's songs have been played over and over and over, and their various imperfections are also apparent. Why not use the tools of the digital aid to fix some of them, enhance them. Which is it? I thought we didn't change the feel of the originals enough and now I guess we changed them too much!
     
  9. Driver 8

    Driver 8 Senior Member

    No, I don't get tired of Elvis's music. You're free to come here and hawk your sad project, but the notion that you can improve on what Elvis, the Jordanaires, the original studio musicians, and the original RCA producers did is pretentious, narcissistic, and embarrassing.
     
  10. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    It wasn't self-indulgence to work on this CD. I could have bought a new car instead of working on this project and THAT would have been self indulgent. There are a lot of changes to these tracks that are not illustrated in the audio samples. This is not meant as a put-down, but I am also aware that some people have tin ears and are not able to discern differences in music. That's why you read of so-and-so sounds EXACTLY like Patsy Cline or EXACTLY like Elvis, et al -- when the truth is, these impersonators don't even come remotely close.
     
  11. revolution_vanderbilt

    revolution_vanderbilt Forum Resident

    Location:
    New York
    Keep going, you might be able to convince folks that they like it
     
  12. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Oh yes, the originals of anything are always perfection personified. Just like b&w TV. No need for high def.

    The original producers made many mistakes as did musicians, and the engineering was awful on some of the Elvis tracks. The Jordanaires sang off key so often it was hard to pick songs we could apply new music to. The people who have heard the entire CD don't find it "sad" -- they find it enervating and exciting. And talented musicians and arrangers didn't die with Elvis. There are still some around, and they have the creative abilities to produce good new music. I'm very proud of the team effort that created this product and I am sure it will do well.

    What is it about this that threatens you so. No one is knocking on your door and confiscating your Elvis originals. Why not let people enjoy hearing this great artist in an enhanced musical setting without trashing it before you've even heard all the tracks in their entirety?
     
  13. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    I'm not so sure about that, I wonder if it's allowed under the forum rules. This is not the Classifieds.
     
  14. milankey

    milankey Forum Resident

    Location:
    Kent, Ohio, USA
    On this, the 80th birthday of Elvis Presley, lets use tools of the digital age and lax European copyright laws to exploit his memory in the name of $$$.:thumbsdow
     
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  15. MRamble

    MRamble Forum Resident

    I don't doubt it cost you a pretty penny and a lot of work to put this together. The upside is the musicianship on these recordings is clearly of high quality as is the overall production. You captured the feel of the songs very well. Whether it was necessary to do--we won't see eye to eye on. I would've been up to seeking this out had it offered something significantly different than what I already own. Anyway, good luck to you with this release.
     
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  16. There is a difference about being heard clearly vs. putting someone's vocals too up front in the mix, as I'm sure you know. But don't believe me, go read what Elvis himself said.
     
  17. Also, shouldn't this thread go in to the Third Party Sales & Auctions?
     
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  18. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    What's your proof there is exploitation of his memory in the name of dollars? How do you know what this cost or if the investment will be amortized...when WE don't even know? And you don't seem to comprehend that all these people who participated in this project cost MONEY. But if you want to make a quick buck, throw some p.d. Elvis songs on a CD and put it out there and I guarantee you'll sell some for very little upfront cost.
     
  19. duggan

    duggan Senior Member

    Location:
    sydney
    Amazing to think that Elvis was only 10 years older than Rod and about 5 years older than Dylan.

    Just imagine if Elvis had performed concerts into his 70's.
     
  20. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Who said our mixes have him "too up front"? You're grasping at straws here. Just call me Frankenstein and a greedy profiteer who is exploiting the memory of this great artist for a quick buck. It's less work for you that way.
     
  21. J.A.W.

    J.A.W. Music Addict

    My point exactly, but doesn't the 30 days membership/50 posts rule apply?
     
  22. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    There's nothing "LAX" about European copyright laws. Where do you get this nonsense?
     
  23. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    I guess that means nobody should have ever sung "Can't Help Falling In Love" except Elvis, huh?
     
  24. Your original post and website clearly state 'His voice was brought forward'. Something Elvis himself stated he hated when RCA did to his recordings.
     
  25. Larry Jordan

    Larry Jordan Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Thank you for the compliment. It's refreshing. But may I ask you a question: you say you would have been interested in this CD if it offered "something significantly different." Can you please explain why so many retreads are in the marketplace and sell well when they do NOT offer anything at all significantly different -- just a reshuffling of the same deck of cards?
     
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