I was just yanking your chain. In all seriousness though, there have been studies linking ERS to baldness and psoriasis...
T-R-O-U-B-L-E * Mr Songman (US) RCA PB 10278 Released: April 22, 1975 * Recorded: RCA Studio C, Hollywood, March 12, 1975 B-side "Mr. Songman"[1] Released April 22, 1975 Format 45 rpm Recorded March 11, 1975 Genre Rock and roll Length 3:02 Label RCA Victor Songwriter(s) Jerry Chesnut Producer(s) Felton Jarvis "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" is a song written by Jerry Chesnut and recorded by Elvis Presley in March 1975. It was released as a single, as the A-side, with the B-side "Mr. Songman", through RCA Victor that was taken from his album Today. It is not to be confused with the Leiber and Stoller song "Trouble", that Presley first recorded in July 1958, and which was subsequently recorded by numerous other artists. Jerry Chesnut wrote the song in 1975, taking inspiration from a singer and pianist named Little David Wilkins. He said that, when writing the title, he thought of a woman walking through the door and causing trouble; he added that he spelled out the word "trouble", then the words "alone" and "looking", and found that they rhymed when spelled out.[2] Sam Bacco – tambourine, percussion Mike Brignardello – bass guitar Larry Byrom – acoustic guitar, slide guitar John Cowan – backing vocals Jack Holder – electric guitar John Jorgenson – electric guitar Billy Livsey – Hammond organ, clavinet Dana McVicker – backing vocals Hargus "Pig" Robbins – piano Jimmy Joe Ruggiere – harmonica Travis Tritt – vocals Steve Turner – drums Billy Joe Walker Jr. – electric guitar Reggie Young – electric guitar ------------------------------------------------------- It is interesting that they started putting the a-side from the new album and the b-side from the last album out, and it really seems to be a case of trying to promote both albums. One would assume that they could have picked a better song from Promised Land to be the b-side and make that album more appealing to those that didn't already have it, but such is the strange world of Elvis releases. Anyhow we'll go through T R O U B L E very soon as it is the first track off the next album.
ELVIS TODAY (LP) (US) RCA APL1 1039 Released: May 1975 Released May 7, 1975 Recorded March 10–12, 1975 Studio RCA Studio C, Hollywood, California Genre Country rock, rock and roll Length 34:15 Label RCA Records Producer Felton Jarvis Today is the twenty-second studio album by American singer Elvis Presley, released on May 7, 1975 by RCA Records. The album featured a new rock song, "T-R-O-U-B-L-E", which was released as its first single and went Top 40 in the US. "Bringin' It Back" was its second single in the US. The album also features covers of songs by Perry Como, Tom Jones, The Pointer Sisters, Billy Swan, Faye Adams, The Statler Brothers and Charlie Rich. The Today sessions were held in RCA's Studio C, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, March 10–12, 1975, and marked the last time Presley would record in a studio. He last recorded at Studio C, Hollywood in 1972 where he recorded the gold records "Burning Love" and "Separate Ways". At this time, Elvis was 40 years old. He was accompanied by his then-current girlfriend, Sheila Ryan. In the 2005 FTD TODAY release from these sessions, Presley asked her to "step up here Sheila, let me sing to ya baby" on Take 1 of Don McLean's "And I Love You So". He continued to make "And I Love You So" and "Fairytale" a part of his live concerts until his death. On stage, he often referred to "Fairytale" as the story of his life. "Green, Green Grass of Home" was released as a single in the UK, where it went Top 30, and also received US airplay. Presley first heard the song in 1967 while driving his bus back to Memphis after making another movie, and heard Tom Jones' new single "Green Green Grass of Home" for the first time and loved it. He had the Memphis Mafia call the local AM station to make them replay it over and over again.[citation needed] Eight years later, he cut his own version. Elvis Presley – lead vocals James Burton – lead guitar John Wilkinson — rhythm guitar Charlie Hodge — harmony and backing vocals, rhythm guitar Duke Bardwell — bass guitar on "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" Glen Hardin — piano except “Bringin’ It Back” Tony Brown – piano on "Bringin' It Back" Ron Tutt — drums David Briggs – clavinet except “Bringin’ It Back” Greg Gordon – clavinet on "Bringin' It Back" Technical Al Pachucki, Mike Shockley, Rick Ruggieri - engineer Overdubbed Buddy Spicher – fiddle on “Fairytale” Chip Young – guitar on “Shake A Hand” and “Fairytale,” additional lead guitar on “I Can Help” Johnny Christopher – guitar Millie Kirkham – background vocals Weldon Myrick – steel guitar on “Fairytale” Norbert Putnam – bass guitar except "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" and "Shake A Hand" Mike Leech – bass guitar on "Shake A Hand" Mary Holladay – background vocals Ginger Holladay – background vocals Jimmy Gordon – keyboards Lea Berinati – background vocals Side A 1. "T-R-O-U-B-L-E" Jerry Chesnut March 11, 1975 3:06 2. "And I Love You So" Don McLean March 10, 1975 3:41 3. "Susan When She Tried" Don Reid March 11, 1975 2:20 4. "Woman Without Love" Jerry Chesnut March 11, 1975 3:37 5. "Shake a Hand" Joe Morris March 11, 1975 3:52 Side B 1. "Pieces of My Life" Troy Seals March 12, 1975 4:07 2. "Fairytale" Bonnie Pointer, Anita Pointer March 10, 1975 2:47 3. "I Can Help" Billy Swan March 10, 1975 4:08 4. "Bringin' It Back" Greg Gordon March 12, 1975 3:04 5. "Green, Green Grass of Home" Curly Putman March 10, 1975 3:39 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Again I like this album. I think the early-mid seventies lull, which for me wasn't that bad, is long gone and from Good Times to this album we have some good strong albums, but they are in a style that many Elvis fans weren't altogether happy with. The leaning towards Country styling really didn't sit well with some folks, and others were completely oblivious to it, because it was Elvis and they love him. I personally don't have any problem with the country flavour, and in reality most of my favourite fifties rock and rollers seemed to move over into country styles and sounds in the late sixties early seventies, so it just seems like a form a natural progression, or perhaps merely an act of survival. The sixtires rock bands had changed the landscape considerably, and most of the sixties rock and rollers seemed unable to be comfortable in the psychedelic, heavy and trippy styles that took over the steering wheel during that time. When the seventies came about, they would be even more uncomfortable with the heavy rock (metalish) and progressive movements. It just wasn't in there style and natural direction. Rock and roll in its original form was pretty much dead on the road, and the new variations were taking the general public by storm. It is a case of adapt or retire ... Sure it would have been interesting hearing Elvis do an album with a ten minute sci-fi story that was based on a classical structure with some heavy guitar, distorted hammond organ and technically structured instrumental section, but it just wasn't what Elvis was about, so he naturally moved into a style that suited his particular thing more, ballads. He was always a ballad man that sang "all kinds", rock and roll being one of those kinds, and in the cut throat world of music, I am just pleased that he recorded some songs. I enjoy them, as many do, but I do understand why some are disappointed. So anyway, another good album, with some different flavours, that I like. What do you guys reckon. Feed us your knowledge, and heart on this album, and we'll hit the first two songs in the morning. Cheers Mark
Whether it was intentional or not, Today is one of relatively few Elvis albums that actually feels like an "album." It has a consistent tone; it hangs together. The problem for me is that it contains a few songs that I personally find almost unlistenable. On the bright side, the remaining performances are all wonderful. I probably listen to Today more than any post-Fool album, even if it doesn't reach the emotional heights of the very best Stax/Jungle Room moments.
Those weren't the original RCA rechanneled tapes with the cavernous reverb. More of a mild bass/treble rechanneling on the CD's.
That happens only to narrow minded audiophiles. Audio hillbillies like me have healthy skin and Fabio hair.
Well my opinion of ERS has been expressed. But if someone else likes it, it does not affect me other than creates confusion and a feeling I am living in some bizarro world. As it comes to mono versions of stereo recordings, I do not get that either. Having said that, I would like to see an accurate reissue of WWGAH V1 and V2. But any desire to want the Bill Porter stereo recordings in mono really confuses me for two reasons: 1. These were simply folddowns from the stereo masters, so all you need is a mono switch on your preamp to hear the exact same thing as if you had the mono LP. 2. Porter's stereo mixes were so damned good, why would you even want to do this? Now there are SOME cases where the LP mono mix and the single mono mix on some 60s soundtrack material actually are different from each other too. I understand the Frankie And Johnny single differs from the mono LP mix. I do not know as I have never owned either. (I have never owned a mono record where a true stereo record was available). On the other hand I DID own all the ERS Elvis albums and once I got the 50s LPs in mono, I sold the ERS LPs off as quickly as I could!
Another great single that I loved as a kid. Elvis wasn't just an entertainer to me but was a also my private spelling coach. This is another word that I never misspelled. Only problem is that I'd start dancing in my seat at school during spelling tests. I'm glad it was in the 1970s or they probably would have tried to put me on medication.
Lol, me too. I was like a little sound box in my youth. My dad said to me one day as I wandered around making guitar and drum sounds... "they're going to lock you away one day my son" lol
I agree with your analysis pretty much, although I think Elvis returning to his country roots was a natural move, I do think he still could have fit it a blues album or more of a soul album from time to time. I think it was inevitable though, especially given Charlie Rich's huge country-pop success at radio, that Elvis was going to pretty much stay in this lane for awhile as it was a very natural fit for his voice. In fact, Elvis's Today album was my first regular studio album from Elvis that I can remember purchasing for myself. Being a huge Charlie Rich fan at the time, I really enjoyed the Today album on its own, but for me it was no match for Rich's best albums like Behind Closed Doors or Very Special Love Songs. I was very familiar with the great hit single, T-R-O-U-B-L-E , Green, Green Grass Of Home, and of course Susan When She Tried had just been a huge hit for the Statler Brothers. I also dug Elvis's stellar cover versions of I Can Help and Perry Como's And I Love You So. The album really made me take notice of Elvis as a great singer of country music, but I was still infatuated with Charlie Rich at the time. It would take Elvis's next studio album, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, in order to totally convert me from Charlie to Elvis being my favorite singer. I still love them both to this day, but Elvis the entertainer blows Rich away in that category as Charlie was one of the shyest and most reserved stage performers that I have ever seen in person. A fantastic musician and singer though as well as one of my top five vocalists of all time.
A nice country rocker and a pleasant departure from the bombastic schmaltz of tracks like It’s Midnight and My Boy, but still not among Elvis’ best work. Just because it is somewhat inspired and has some drive doesn’t automatically elevate it to a great track. I suspect the recycling of Mr. Songman was due to a lack of overall recordings available, rather than a strategy of marketing prior albums, but it is certainly a possibility that RCA was trying to cross-promote under the circumstances.
Straight up question ... would Elvis have been familiar with Don Mclean? He wrote and also recorded it. Did Como have the hit with it?
Now another very unfortunate thing about the Sun material, RCA made a master tape back in the 50s that added reverb and compression to all the songs from which they made their records. Of course several of the Sun sides RCA never got any tapes from Sun so they had to make master tapes using Sun singles. But that did not mean they HAD to compress and add reverb! This obliterated the light and dynamic sonics of the originals. That has been rectified by Kevan Budd's releases of this material and also ABFT release (although ABFT adds its own compression, sadly). This reverb, frequency limiting and compression was brought back in The Album Collection's For LP Fans Only and A Date With Elvis, erasing the fine efforts that went to restoring and improving this masters by Kevan Budd. In general the Sun material on RCA singles and EPs were not as bad as the EXTRA compression and reverb used on the LP versions. What I am trying to say is the Sun material masterings used on For LP Fans Only and A Date With Elvis are the WORST sounding available back in the day. And ironically those are the versions MOST people heard for the first time. RCA's added reverb and compression obliterated the subtle and natural sounding slap-back used by Sam Phillips (which was not even present on the Sun recording of That's All Right, which was dry as a bone). Then take that compression and reverb on these two albums and then put them out in ERS on top of that, you get a cacophony of crap assaulting your ears and peace of mind. And should have earned prison sentences to those responsible.
I can see your points. I have to say that my mono mix promo copy of Promised Land/It's Midnight by Elvis sounds fantastic. I like both the stereo and mono mixes. FTD and Sony are always looking for a way to repackage Elvis' music and yet they overlook the ERS and certain Mono mixes that a fan like me would buy to round out my Elvis CD collection.
I am sure Elvis had to be aware of Don McClean, if nothing else than because of American Pie, and of course Don wrote and recorded And I Love You So first, but Mr. Como had the big hit single, 29 on the Hot 100 and number one on the easy listening charts in 1973, so given that Elvis had already covered one Perry Como song in Las Vegas in 1972, It's Impossible, I am pretty sure thats the version Elvis heard first. Perry also recorded his version in Nashville with some of the same musicians that Elvis used on his sessions and Perry remarked many years later that they were among the finest musicians that he had ever worked with in a studio setting. 3:23NOW PLAYING
"T-R-O-U-B-L-E" was for me a great album opener, and the first Elvis album I purchased as a kid that was completely new by him. I had to take back the album to the record store a few times, cause the needle of my record player skipped at the beginning when the drums and bass kicked in!
I agree that it would be great to put out mono and ERS collections for collectors. I would not want to ever deprive others. This controversy is often brought up as it comes to Beatle remixes. I like them. And they cause no harm as the original mixes are still available. And I MUCH prefer the UK versions of the albums both content and sonically speaking. But some people prefer the US versions for nostalgic reasons. (and some prefer the added reverb and compression put on the US masters, though I do not understand why)