Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt2 The Sixties

Even a decade later, the question asked of the Beatles at every 1963 and 1964 press conference was “what are you going to do when the bubble bursts?” Brian Epstein licensed tacky Beatle wigs, dolls, bedsheets, etc. - and drove a pitiful bargain for them - trying to cash in before the fad was over. At some point, maybe after Elvis successfully came back from the Army with the Frank Sinatra special and “Stuck On You,” Parker should have realized that there was a long-term career to plan for as you mention, but it wasn’t until the late 60s and the formation of supergroups such as CSNY and Led Zeppelin that you really start to see rock managers fully get it and to drive the hard bargains that their clients deserved.

 

You’re right about the psychobabble, but I agree with your basic point.

 

Again, I think @SKATTERBRANE's quote from a psychological perspective explains Elvis's behavior, both with regard to his generosity and probably the way he spent money or even his eating issues. I know that my aunt, who lived through the Great Depression as a child and would become a self made muti-millionaire by the time she was in her late 20's, never got over living through that time. By sheer coincidence, my brother was just reminding me the other day that she had storage rooms full of toilet paper before she died, because the had lived through that terrible time and she knew how everyday things could become scarce overnight. Elvis's object poverty had to effect him in some very profound ways and the fact that you are suddenly rich does not block out those bad memories or circumstances that you grew up with for so long.

 

That's the real shame about Col. Parker handling Elvis' movie career. A great manager would have focused on quality roles for the client once it was determined that Elvis wanted to be a serious actor. Management would turn down big paying fluff lead roles in favor of lower paying but very good starring and supporting roles. The long term strategy would be to build a reputation and brand in Hollywood (He ended up doing that for Elvis but not in a good way).

 

It is true that rock-and-roll was perceived as a fad, but Parker's cheapness and gimmick-driven "money over quality" approach went beyond that. Part of the reason Elvis was making movies was theoretically to give him a career to fall back upon when the rock and roll bubble burst, but Parker's handling of Elvis' movie career exemplified the same sort of cheap, gimmicky, quick cash-in approach as his handling of the music. Parker's choices torpedoed any hope Elvis might have had of developing as an actor or having a long-term career as one. Either he didn't think Elvis had the talent to be a serious actor, or he simply did not know how to manage a serious actor, but it's not unreasonable to expect competent management in that area, nor unrealistic to judge Parker harshly for his failure there.

 

I'm sure we can bring up occasions when Elvis spent money on questionable stuff plenty of times, but I'd say the Circle G Ranch was the one that Vernon missed how good it was for Elvis...

Elvis loved horses, got his creative juices flowing and was outside enjoying himself. I'd say that is a good investment imo.

 

I Love Only One Girl
Written By :
Roy C. Bennett & Sid Tepper

Recorded :
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, June 28-30, 1966 and MGM Studios: June 29, 1966. take 2
For some reason this track makes me think of the Canadian Mounties, perhaps it's the oom pah pah thing.
This isn't a terrible track but following the opening four gives it the place it kind of deserves. It's a little better than Old Macdonald, but not by s long way.

 

There's So Much World To See
Written By :
Ben Weisman & Sid Tepper

Recorded :
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, June 28-30, 1966 and MGM Studios: June 28, 1966. take 1

This track has a faux blues kind of thing going on. This track raises the bar again after the last two songs. Not a bad song.

 

Funny you brought up how I Love Only One Girl made you think of the Canadian Mounties, because I thought the same as well.

There's So Much World To See is another song hearing Elvis trying to make the best out of it.

 

To my ears, I Love Only One Girl sounds like Elvis singing over an incidental/background music track on the TV show Green Acres.

 

The article about the Circle G Ranch I quoted from above features several testimonials from people in Elvis’s circle that the ranch was good for him and created a family environment for him and Priscilla that they rarely experienced elsewhere. The sad thing about it was how Elvis got bored with it so quickly, as he did with many other fads that caught his interest, and flipped it shortly after sinking a small fortune into it. The one thing that might have saved him from the downward spiral of the 70s would have been a stable home and the financial freedom to tour or work only when he chose to tour or work, instead of having to tour and work constantly to stay one step ahead of his lavish lifestyle.

 

Not sure about the boring part, but Elvis got tired of hearing how much the MM guys didn't care for it and hearing from Vernon, how much money was being spent. Joe Esposito talked about the Circle G Ranch when he was on the Larry King Show... Joe said, "Except for Priscilla, they "all" missed how much Elvis loved the Circle G Ranch and Elvis should've kept it."

Elvis with June Kelly...

 

I Love Only One Girl has one of the best hooks on the album, imo; not surprising, since the melody is directly lifted from Auprès de Ma Blonde. It wouldn't be an Elvis soundtrack album if we didn't have the requisite song about refusing to settle down, and Elvis sings it well, but the arrangement does grate at times.

There Is So Much World To See is decent enough, but it's also the kind of song that I only remember when I spin the album...and then I promptly forget about it.

 

There's So Much In The World To See sounds like it would have been a good candidate for Frank Sinatra to sing.

 

I Love Only One Girl is a very pedestrian recording all around. There is not much Elvis could do with the simple melody or rudimentary lyrics

Yes indeed, Frank might have enjoyed giving a run at either There Is So Much World To See or City By Night for that matter. Obviously the latter song is the superior one, but it is still nice to hear Elvis take another crack at a light bluesy lounge song.

 

Agreed.

 

I think that for awhile this might have been one of Elvis's most happiest times in his life outside of the limelight of the music business. Yes, he definitely overdid it as usual, but I think it did give him some great solace and diversion from the glare of fame.

 

It is strange they took the melody from this old french military march from the 18th century :

 

We can speculate, but I don't think anything aside from comprehensive substance abuse treatment could have saved him from his downward spiral. If Elvis had more money and consequently didn't have to tour so much, that wouldn't mean he would have curtailed his substance use. From what I've read, it was equally bad whether he was on or off the road. It wasn't overwork that killed him.

 

Very nice performance! (Mamma's Got A Squeeze Box).

 

It Won't Be Long
Written By :
Ben Weisman & Sid Wayne

Recorded :
Radio Recorders, Hollywood, June 28-30, 1966 and MGM Studios: June 29, 1966. take 3

This song isn't bad. It isn't the best, it isn't the worst. Elvis sounds a little disinterested here to me, but I could be wrong.

 

Never Ending
Written By :
Buddy Kaye & Philip Springer

Recorded :
RCA's Studio B, Nashville, May 26-28, 1963: May 26, 1963. take 3
This is one of those Latin American flavoured moderate tempo ballads, and it is a better song and performance than It Won't Be Long. I get the impression that to some extent with these soundtracks, that even the songs hat are kind of ok, Elvis is just fed up with the situation he was in.

 

That pretty much sums it up for me. It's a bit more memorable than There Is So Much World To See, but not by much.

Conversely, I absolutely adore Never Ending. It's extremely simple-sounding, but also quite beautiful. It's one of Elvis' more vivid songs; you can see the beach at sunset, the endless ocean, etc. Ironically, it may well have fit into a handful of Elvis movies better than some of the actual soundtrack cuts. It's not hard to imagine Elvis singing the song to his reluctant leading lady (with the obligatory acoustic guitar, of course, never mind that the song is dominated by piano...).

 

Never Ending is a very good song and performance. I actually like all of side 2 of this album.