Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Okay, thanks a lot to both Claus and Pelvis for posting that Delbert McClinton version of Pledging My Love. It actually helps me solve a couple of mysteries in my mind that I had speculated about for a long time. Although we know Elvis was obviously familiar with Johnny Ace's original hit version from 1955 as Elvis had suggested it for his 67 or 68 recording sessions, his own version from the Jungle Room sessions was more directly inspired by the McClinton version that Chip Young had played for Elvis at Graceland. Wow, I love those Memphis styled horn arrangements that would have sounded a lot better to my ears than that Kazoo sounding guitar figure that @DirkM mentions in his fine post.

What this tells me, and this is sheer speculation on my part, but I am fully convinced that I am right about it, is that both Elvis and Felton Jarvis would have wanted to replicate those great horns on McClinton's version of Pledging My Love, just like they did on Polk Salad Annie many years before. That brass part was a signature part of the production on McClinton's fine take of Pledging My Love. I have also speculated in the past that a string and horn arrangement should have been used on Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's It's Easy For You, which Elvis cut during the same October sessions at Graceland. There was extensive overdubbing in January 1977 by the rhythm section and that cheesy Moog synthesizer was used by Shane Keister to try to replicate the string section that should have been used on the song. I do not know why Felton did not go the extra step (and expense) of asking arranger Bergen White to do a horn chart for Pledging My Love and a full orchestra chart on It's Easy For You, perhaps he was running out of time and RCA was pushing him to get product out on Elvis, after all, we know Felton had to resort to using one recycled live song for the Moody Blue album and at least one questionable live cut for the project as well. Just knowing how much Elvis liked the horn section on Tony Joe White's original version of Polk Salad Annie (enough that he personally asked Jarvis to get the original arranger of the song, Bergen White, to write him a new chart that closely followed the original arrangement on Polk Salad), it seems more than likely that Elvis would of wanted Jarvis to mimic McClinton's fine horn chart as well for Pledging My Love.

As for Moody Blue, which ironically is from the original February Jungle Room sessions, where Bergen White was called into score a fine string chart that really helps to move Moody Blue along with its percolating disco like rhythm and Ronnie Tutt's fine drumming, the whole overdubbing is spot on, right down to that fine opening where the strings cascade in right on top of the great rhythm section. How appropriate that the songwriter of Suspicious Minds (Mark James) would be back with one of his finest songs for Elvis's very last studio album. I certainly have had my share of Moody Blue's, so I love the lyrics as well as the fine melody of the song a whole lot. Writer Mark Duffett says it reminds him sonically of Dr. Hook's "disco friendly" hit, When You're In Love With A Beautiful Woman, "slick and smooth, more Malibu than Memphis," as he describes it so well in his fine book, Counting Down Elvis, His 100 Finest Songs.

 

Apologies for the totally unrelated question but does the 50 worldwide golden hits compilations contain any rarities or different mixes etc?

 

I've had the album for several years and I never caught that was a synth string part. I can hear the synth horns clearly though.

 

The vinyl box is all mono. Most of the songs from the sixites are hard to find in mono on cd.

 

Yeah, I know we will get a chance to review It's Easy For You in a couple songs, but if any song ever required a full string and horn arrangement, with perhaps some French horns and some gentle cellos to bring out the sadness of the song, it's a Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice song. I love the great rhythm playing by the TCB band, but what a disappointment that Felton was unable or unwilling to get the right arranger involved in the final overdubbing of a really gorgeous song. Yeah, I am probably an outlier on that final verdict, but I stand by it one hundred percent.

 

I agree, and to me that's the one small criticism I'd have of the song. Like the Lennon album, the backing track is a bit too slick and 70's-sounding to my ears. The TCB guys were great, but they don't seem to have an affinity for older R&B. The backing track is solidly professional, but it's missing an essential grit and feel, something I can't quite put my finger on. Something that would have been present if Scotty and DJ had done the track, or even the old A-Team guys. I had the same reaction to Shake a Hand. "Cliched-sounding" is a good description of what they do. Still a fine song, though. And I definitely agree that it would have benefited from copying the horns on the McClinton version, because that would have covered over some of the bland professionalism of the track.

Moody Blue is a standout from late-period Elvis. Out of the best Jungle Room tracks, Moody Blue is the only one where I don't sometimes find myself fantasizing about how it would have sounded if Elvis had done it six years earlier. It's well-suited to his diminished 1977 voice, and a great song/arrangement that works really well. It's quite appropriate that Mark James (who returned Elvis to #1 on the pop charts after a 7-year absence with Suspicious Minds) here managed to return him to #1 on the country charts after a 19-year gap.

I have to say, if they had done the right thing and used the FAR superior alternate arrangement of She Thinks I Still Care on this record, then I would consider side 2 of Moody Blue to be Elvis' best LP side since side 2 of Good Times.

 

It is a quality late-period recording, and while it may among Jarvis’ best work in his role of producer, Elvis is the weak link here, especially on the chorus. Like with the majority of other Jungle Room recordings, the diminished state of Elvis’ vocals is very noticeable.

 

The CD version has some interesting oddities:

Where Do You Come From?, Return To Sender, One Broken Heart For Sale, (You're The Devil) In Disguise, Viva Las Vegas, If I Can Dream, and Don't Cry Daddy are all in mono.

Little Sister and Kentucky Rain are the 80s remixes.

Anything That's Part Of You is take 9.

Suspicious Minds is the stereo mix without the false fade.

 

I thought I remembered that from somewhere!!

 

Credit goes to @czeskleba for pointing it out to me on one of these threads; before that, I just assumed that it was a mix I already had and skipped over it!

 

That was my first CD so that version kinda stuck with me. Learning about the fade later was fun

 

Jason, thanks for backing me up on the idea that the addition of horns would have definitely made it a better track. I should have added that I actually like Elvis's vocal on Pledging My Love as I think it is the best sounding one from the October sessions. Elvis seems to have some verve and vigor behind his vocal. I still have an issue with the engineering on the October vs. the February Jungle Room sessions. I notice that there were two different engineers handling the production duties as well for each session. Brian Christian was on the February sessions and Mike Moran took over for the final October sessions. I prefer the overall sound on the February sessions, especially with regard to the warmth and fullness on Elvis's actual voice, but I don't like the rather metallic sound on the instruments either, particularly on He'll Have To Go, during the October sessions. I know Elvis's own vocal issues might have had some roll in the diminishing sound as well, but I don't think it explains everything I am hearing.

 

Although I enjoy many of the RPO recordings for what they are, it could be pretty cool if the next "Elvis-reimagined" project involved doing things like dubbing horns over the unedited master of Pledging My Love. Heresy, I know, but there are probably some other undubbed masters that could also have decent results with some sympathetic modern overdubs (no, not backing vocals or out-of-place strings!).

 

The last Elvis reimagined product featured new backing to some of the gospel recordings (omitting the Jordanaires or the Stamps in many cases) so, uh, keep dreaming. The only highlight of that was the Lisa Marie duet, which actually benefited from the new backing.



yes we're out of order but sorry mark, don't care, this was an amazing treat and I gotta put it somewhere

 

It's funny that you mention that as I usually hate it when they muck around with Elvis's original recordings, but I would love to see Bergen White called in to add a horn arrangement to Pledging My Love and a full orchestral arrangement on It's Easy For You. It does not have to be symphonic or 60 pieces, but just a gentle full orchestral backing that could bring out the bitter and sad nature of the latter song. The funny thing is that Bergen White is still active after 50 plus years of arranging and just did a horn chart for a Toby Keith record this year. I think he would be more than available, if asked.

 

Oh, this listener doesn't need a new orchestral dub for bitter and sad feelings to come out about It's Easy For You!

 

I know that when no one else is looking, you put on Its Easy For You on the stereo and crank it at full volume.

 

It is a clunker, no doubt about it.

 

I wash it down with a Padre and Life and then thank my lucky stars when I'm still around in the morning.

 

I take it you two are firmly in the Roger Waters camp when it comes to Webber?

 

"And now you tell me, you dare to tell me, I should go back to them, what do you think, WHAT ON EARTH DO YOU THINK I SHOULD SAY?!"

 

That wasn't Webber. That was Tim Rice.

 

Thank you both!

 

She Thinks I Still Care
Written By :
Dickey Lee

Recorded :
Jungle Room, Graceland, Memphis, February 2-9, 1976 : February 2, 1976. take 17

This is one of my dad's favourite songs, for a UK born and bred follow, he loved Country music. I assume he liked the George Jones version, but I am not really sure. I very much like Mike Nesmith's version on his 72 album Tantamount To Treason.
I think this is a good version from Elvis, and yes I can here the shortcomings of his 76 vocals, but I don't find them to be too bad, and in fact perhaps suit the styling of the song. Another song on here that gets a clear pass from me.

 

It's Easy For You
Written By :
Andrew Lloyd Webber & Tim Rice

Recorded :
Jungle Room, Graceland, Memphis, October 29-31, 1976 : October 29, 1976. take 2

I don't dislike this song, which is really unusual for me, because I generally really dislike Andrew-Lloyd Webber. Certainly not a favourite track, but it is a passable song that Elvis does a decent job of it. It isn't the song I am going to pick to play for someone that wants to hear an Elvis song, but in the context of listening to this album, I have no issue with it.