Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt2 The Sixties

The best sounding material for Viva Las Vegas soundtrack did not come out until around 2009. The first FTD didn't sound that great either. But the new FTD is the good stuff as is the 2009 Sony CD.

 

That sounds like the mix used on Double Features with its added digital reverb.

 

The live '69 versions are somewhat rushed then the instrumental ending lasts forever. The single version is almost too clinical, sanitised and sterilised and the backing singers are annoying! However I do like the laid back jam version in 'That's the Way It Is'. Just my three cents...

 

You could always do The Shift...

 

Well then you missed the most obvious one - 'Have A Happy'

 

It's possible that the mix is solely to blame, though the fact that the mono mix still isn't much of an improvement on the (absolutely terrible) stereo mix makes me think that the problem was mainly the half-baked arrangement. There's virtually no bass, the drums are anemic, and the scratchy guitar just isn't muscular enough to carry the song on its own. Elvis' vocal is about the only saving grace...but luckily, it's fantastic.

 

Huh, I've never thought VLV should be a "storming rocker." It's mining the same Latin groove as Bossa Nova Baby, and I think it works well at that. I wouldn't want to see it rocked up.

 

Does this mix appear on any CD? Both VLV FTDs and the Complete Masters have the remix.

 

It is in The Album Collection.

 

Thanks so much for all your comments. It's really nice to have such informed and easy going folk on this thread.
It has been really helpful to me and I am learning a lot.
So thank you again!

 

Viva Las Vegas

EP by
Elvis Presley
Released May 1964
Recorded July 1963
Genre Pop
Length 10:31
31:31 (2010 Re-release)
Label RCA Victor
Producer George Stoll

Viva Las Vegas is an EP by American singer Elvis Presley, containing four songs from the 1964 motion picture, Viva Las Vegas. It was released by RCA Victor in May 1964 to coincide with the film's premiere. The soundtrack EP made the Billboard Hot 100 at #92, the lowest-charting release of Presley's career to this point.[1] RCA had not released a Presley EP single in two years; given that it was a dying format, and given the disappointing chart performance of Viva Las Vegas, the company would only issue two more for the remainder of Presley's career.[2]

Recording sessions took place on July 9, 10 and 11, 1963, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. By then, film and soundtrack obligations were starting to back up on each other, and six weeks after the aborted "lost album" sessions of May 1963, the stable of Presley songwriters was required to come up with another dozen songs for yet another new picture.[3] Song quality took a back seat to the need for quantity, and Presley's filming schedule made it difficult for song publishers to live up to obligations.[4] Memphis Mafia pal Red West had written a "Ray Charles-styled" number, but so little good material had surfaced that an extra session was scheduled on August 30 for a Ray Charles song, "What'd I Say", later released as a single to promote the film with its title song.[4]

Fifteen songs were recorded of which nine were used in the film, but only six were issued on records. The idea of a full-length soundtrack long-playing album was not considered, which has attracted much criticism from various accounts, including Elvis: The Illustrated Record.[citation needed] "Night Life", "Do the Vega" (neither of which were used in the film) and a medley "The Yellow Rose of Texas/The Eyes of Texas" were released on Elvis Sings Flaming Star in 1969, as the Neapolitan song "Santa Lucia" was placed on Elvis for Everyone in 1965.[5]"The Lady Loves Me" would be issued on Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 4 in 1983, and the duet between Presley and Ann-Margret "You're the Boss" (cut from the film) on Elvis Sings Leiber & Stoller in 1991.[3]An additional duet between Presley and Ann-Margret, "Today, Tomorrow and Forever", along with Ann-Margret's solo numbers, would wait until later retrospectives to appear on record (the version of "Today, Tomorrow and Forever" released on the soundtrack was a solo performance by Presley). One track, a rhythm and blues dance number called "The Climb", performed by an ensemble vocal group that included Presley on backing vocals, as of 2014 has never been officially released by RCA.

Two songs were released as a single, catalogue 47-8360 on April 28, a cover of the Ray Charles rhythm and blues classic from 1959, "What'd I Say", with the film title song "Viva Las Vegas" by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman on the b-side. The strength of both sides caused it to split the difference on the chart, with "What'd I Say" peaking at disappointing #21 and "Viva Las Vegas" faring even worse at #29.

Released during Beatlemania and the beginning of the British invasion, none of the music made an impact on the new direction in which popular music was moving. Even the most jazzed-infused song of Presley's illustrious career, "I Need Somebody to Lean On", went practically unnoticed. North American box office receipts of $9,442,967 were markedly lower than The Beatles' first motion picture, A Hard Day's Night, which was released two months later worldwide, earning $12,300,000 in North America (£5,125,000 U.K).

In 1993, Viva Las Vegas was released as part of the RCA 'Double Feautes' remastered collection. This edition had all the twelve songs and 11 of the Roustaboutsoundtrack.

In 2003 the complete soundtrack was reissued on the Follow That Dream collectors label in a special edition that contained the original album tracks along with a selection of alternate takes.

In January 2010, as part of the 75th anniversary of Presley's birth, Sony Music finally released an official almost-complete soundtrack album which included all twelve songs recorded for the film. The front cover of the CD insert reproduces the images used for the original EP release, and also adds the words "...AND MORE" as part of the text. The release was not a complete soundtrack, as it omitted the film version of "C'mon Everybody", the duet version of "Today, Tomorrow and Forever" and "The Climb" featuring Presley on backing vocals. It also excludes the songs with Ann-Margret on lead vocals, "My Rival" and "Appreciation".

In August 2018 the Follow That Dream label released The Viva Las Vegas Sessions as a Special 3–CD Deluxe Edition.

Original release side one
1. "If You Think I Don't Need You" (recorded July 9, 1963) Red West, Joe Cooper 2:07
2. "I Need Somebody to Lean On" (recorded July 10, 1963) Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman 3:03
Original release side two
1. "C'mon Everybody" (recorded July 9, 1963) Joy Byers 2:21
2. "Today, Tomorrow and Forever" (recorded July 11, 1963) Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye 3:27
2010 expanded reissue
1. "Viva Las Vegas" Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman 2:27
2. "What'd I Say" Ray Charles 3:06
3. "If You Think I Don't Need You" Red West, Joe Cooper 2:07
4. "I Need Somebody to Lean On" Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman 3:03
5. "C'mon Everybody" Joy Byers 2:21
6. "Today, Tomorrow and Forever" Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye 3:27
7. "Night Life" Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye 1:52
8. "Santa Lucia" Traditional 1:14
9. "Do The Vega" Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye 2:26
10. "You're the Boss" (with Ann-Margret) Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller 2:47
11. "The Yellow Rose Of Texas" / "The Eyes of Texas" Fred Wise, Randy Starr, John Sinclair 2:58
12. "The Lady Loves Me" (with Ann-Margret) Sid Tepper, Roy C. Bennett 3:43

Disc 1:
Soundtrack

1. Viva Las Vegas 2:27
2. Yellow Rose Of Texas / The Eyes Of Texas 2:57
3. The Lady Loves Me 3:46
4. C'mon Everybody 2:21
5. Today, Tomorrow And Forever 3:28
6. The Climb (planned record version - take 3) 2:44
7. What'd I Say 3:06
8. Santa Lucia 1:15
9. If You Think I Don't Need You 2:07
10. I Need Somebody To Lean On 3:05
    
    Bonus Songs
    
11. Night Life 1:52
12. Do The Vega 2:25
13. You're The Boss 2:49
    
    First Takes
    
14. Viva Las Vegas (take 1) 1:48
15. Yellow Rose Of Texas / The Eyes Of Texas
16. The Lady Loves Me (takes 1-2) 4:14
17. C'mon Everybody (take 3) 2:48
18. Today, Tomorrow And Forever (takes 1-3, 5 & 4) 5:46
19. What'd I Say (takes 1-2) 4:00
20. Santa Lucia (vo take 1) 1:23
21. If You Think I Don't Need You (takes 1-2) 3:16
22. I Need Somebody To Lean On (takes 1-2) 3:30
23. Night Life (take 2) 2:08
24. Do The Vega (take 1) 2:48
25. You're The Boss (takes 1-3) 3:34
26. Today, Tomorrow And Forever (2012 takes 1-2, duet) 5:45

Disc 2:
Outtakes

1. Night Life (takes 1 & 3) 4:09
2. Night Life (takes 4-8) 3:11
3. C'mon Everybody (takes 1-2 & 4-5 / M) 4:36
4. If You Think I Don't Need You (takes 3-7) 5:09
5. I Need Somebody To Lean On (takes 3-5) 3:58
6. I Need Somebody To Lean On (takes 6-8) 4:42
7. Do The Vega (take 2) 2:41
8. Santa Lucia (track, takes 1-2) 1:55
9. Viva Las Vegas (take 2) 2:50
10. The Climb (takes 1-2 & 4 -7) 6:43
11. Yellow Rose Of Texas / The Eyes Of Texas (takes 1-4) 3:58
12. Yellow Rose Of Texas / The Eyes Of Texas (takes 5-6 & 8-9 / M) 5 : 33
13. The Lady Loves Me (takes 3-6) 4:51
14. You're The Boss (takes 4-8) 4:42
15. You're The Boss (takes 9-10) 4:32
16. Today, Tomorrow And Forever (2012 take 6, instrumental) 3:34
17. Santa Lucia (vocal overdub, take 2) 1:20
18. Santa Lucia (vocal overdub, take 3) 1:20
19. Today, Tomorrow And Forever (movie version, vocal overdub 2016 take 8) 2:38
20. What'd I Say (takes 3-4 / M) 5:47

Disc 3:
Movie Tracks

1. C'mon Everybody (movie version, take 7 with overdubs ) 2:30
2. Today, Tomorrow And Forever (movie version, vo take 10, edited) 1:25
3. The Climb (movie version - take 9, edited) 1:38
4. Santa Lucia (vo take 6 / M, movie version) 1:14
5. Appreciation (Ann-Margret, take 3 & pickup take 2) 4:37
6. My Rival (Ann-Margret) 2:11
   
   Outtakes
   
7. Night Life (takes 9-10) 2: 56
8. Night Life (take 11) 2:10
9. Night Life (takes 12-13) 2:46
10. If You Think I Don't Need You (takes 8-10) 4:22
11. If You Think I Don't Need You (takes 11-13 / M) 4:15
12. I Need Somebody To Lean On (takes 9-15) 7:16
13. I Need Somebody To Lean On (takes 16-19) 5:12
14. Do The Vega (takes 3-7 / M) 4:25
15. Viva Las Vegas (takes 3 -7 / M) 5:06
16. The Climb (take 8) 2:53
17. The Climb (take 9) 2:53
18. C'mon Everybody (takes 6-7 / M, movie version) 2:34
19. The Lady Loves Me (takes 7-9) 6:37
20. You're The Boss (takes 11-12) 3:23
21. You're The Boss (takes 13, 15 & 14) 4:09
22. Santa Lucia (vocal overdub, take 5) 1:26
23. Today, Tomorrow And Forever (movie version, 2016 vocal overdub take 10 / M) 2:46

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This album of course was released as an EP, and it still leaves me scratching my head as to why. It seems from talking with my informed friends on here that the major likelihood is the the Colonel didn't want another star on his stars album, and without the Ann Margret songs there wasn't enough for an album.
To me that seems like a misstep. I understand the Colonel's thinking, but Elvis was a big enough star to hold his own against/with anyone that could record with him.
I'm not altogether sure about the EP, because I have never listened to it as such, but the album is, to my ears, fantastic. So if it isn't something that is going to upset anyone on here, I am going to do this from the full album released by FTD.
I hope that anyone that hasn't got it can hear how good it is and grab themselves a copy before it runs out. It is a limited release in the three disc form to the best of my knowledge and they have done a really good job.
Although they did an album version in 2003, from what I read here from our my expert commentators, the sound isn't as good as it is on this three disc set, and it really does sound good. I probably won't go through the takes etc, but we will include all thirteen songs, because I really do think it is great.

So what does anyone else think of the EP or Album?
Do you have the EP? Were yo happy with it?
Did you get the 2003 LP? Were you happy with it?
Did you get the three disc set? Were you happy with it?

There is a lot to talk about with this one, so let us know your thoughts, and if we aren't in a hugs discussion I will start the first two songs in the morning.
Cheers,
Mark

 

Well from what I am hearing (and I could be wrong) All but one example I have of What'd I Say has instruments hard left, Elvis center and backing vocals hard right.
Double Features, Command Performances and Gold V4 expanded has the added reverb.

Gold V4 from The Album Collection, The Complete Masters, and from the Viva Las Vegas CD (stand alone and also from Original Album Classics and from the 20 Original Albums soundtrack CD box) and Elvis At The Movies do not have the added reverb. Some mastered better than others.

But the 2007 issue of Gold V4 has the instruments panned from hard left to center, Elvis in center and vocals hard right.

I cannot hear ANY example where it is almost mono with backing vocals hard right. But I no longer have the LP.

 

I loved the EP back in the day. And I love the 2009 CD issue featuring 12 songs. THAT should have been released as an LP in 1964! The four songs from the EP were subsequently released on the I Got Lucky and C'mon Everybody LPs.

 

The backup singers are bad. The toy horn or whatever it is, is horrid!
It would have been better to drop the background singers and make it another duet with Ann-Margaret.

 

Here are samples of What'd I Say.

1. Mono mix
2. Original stereo mix (not quite mono but definitely much narrower than the newer mixes)
3. Double Features mix (possibly already mixed in the early 80s on the UK EP Collection Vol. 2. The two mixes are similar)
4. New remix

Dropbox - Elvis - What'd I Say samples.flac

Edit: new link posted.

 

Your link requires that I put in my credit card to "join" before I can play or download.

 

What's most puzzling is that it's not true that there weren't enough songs for an album without the Ann-Margret songs. The movie has eight Elvis solo vocals, and there were two outtakes that had solo vocals. Both Girls Girls Girls and Kissin' Cousins had outtakes that didn't make the film on their respective soundtrack albums, so there was already precedent for doing that. Ten songs is the same amount that was on the World's Fair album, or if they'd felt that wasn't enough they could have added two For The Asking songs like they did on the Kissin' Cousins LP. So the "not enough songs" explanation doesn't hold water. It really is a puzzle why this film did not get a soundtrack album.

 

It doesn't do that for me. The download link directly show up. You might have some spyware on your computer.

 

I reckon it would have been huge