Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

Well said. One gets the sense that RCA never fully abandoned the 1950s mentality that rock and roll was a teen fad and you’d better make your money on it before something else took its place.

 

I don't think RCA's release philosophy had anything to do with the genre and/or fads, rather, it was more about following an established Elvis Presley release strategy that the label would not deviate from. There were years of an established practice that made money and Tom Parker exerted a significant amount of control over the label.

 

In Australia at least, Elvis Now was released today as a Ltd 180gm yellow vinyl! The sales pitch from the retailer (JB HiFi) shows what a thrown together album it was:

• The legend Elvis Presley recorded his sixteenth album Elvis Now during different sessions between 1969 and 1971. The single “Until It’s Time for You to Go” / “We Can Make The Morning” reached the charts in the US and UK, while “Sylvia” became a hit for Elvis in Brazil. His cover of the Beatles hit “Hey Jude” was a leftover from recording session in Memphis in early 1969. It’s a mix of rockers, ballads, and gospel songs. It’s a mix of the different music styles which Presley performed during his lifetime.

 

That's always been my theory about the marathon, multi-album studio sessions--the January-February 1969 sessions were so successful, probably beyond most expectations, that this became the norm for the next several years. Plus recording two or three albums worth of material over the course of a couple of weeks freed up more time for touring and Vegas stands.

 

The problem is that the marathon sessions would always yield great work, second rate work, and chaff. After almost becoming irrelevant in the 1960s, I would think the label, Parker,Jarvis, or Elvis would have been very mindful of Elvis' reputation as an artist. Not every song is a winner. After the top and next tier songs were used, that should have been an indication that the rest would need more work or to be put back indefinitely. The fact that Hey Jude was used on this album (not even a Camden album) should be a red flag that no one was minding quality. We know that Parker didn't care as long as there was a buck to be had but it's incompetence on Elvis', Jarvis',and RCA's part too.

 

It's worse than that. "Put Your Hand in the Hand" was recorded during the same sessions that yielded the songs for He Touched Me. Why it wasn't included on that album is a mystery. Many people have claimed Elvis's recording was a copy of the hit version by Ocean, but this almost certainly isn't the case, because Ocean's recording has slightly different lyrics in the "My momma taught me how to pray" verse. Elvis more likely was copying the very first recording of the song, by Anne Murray, whose lyrics and arrangements are closest to his version. "Put Your Hand" was written by the same guy (Gene MacLellan) who wrote "Snowbird," another Anne Murray hit covered by Elvis.

Elvis's recording has a harder instrumental edge than any other version I've heard, but it does have a major flaw--it leaves out the most interesting verse:

Every time I look into the holy book I wanna tremble
When I read about the part where the carpenter cleared the temple.
For the buyers and the sellers were no different fellers than what I profess to be
And it causes me shame to know I'm not the guy that I should be.

 

Rather poignant verse to omit. Interesting

 

Until It's Time For You To Go
Written By :
Buffy Sainte-Marie

Recorded :
RCA's Studio B, Nashville, May 15-21, 1971: May 17, 1971. take 8

This track appeals to me more than most so far on here. I really like the chord progression, and the change is really good.
I think Elvis vocal on here is very good, I suppose some may dislike the vibrato, but I have no issue with the it at all.
I find the dreamlike quality that the song has really draws me into it.
Very good song.

 

We Can Make The Morning
Written By :
Jay Ramsey

Recorded :
RCA's Studio B, Nashville, May 15-21, 1971: May 20, 1971

This song is pretty good too. I think the backing vocals are a bit uneven, or out of balance with the song. It isn't that they are bad, they are just a little ... Instead of a smooth even group of voices, some voices are jumping out, and interfering with the lead vocal.
I like the song. The verses are certainly decent, and I really like the chorus.
Another good song, but a poor mix in my opinion, those backing vocals.

 

Here is the remake recorded a few weeks after the released version. It's available on Essential Elvis Vol. 4 and the Elvis (Fool) FTD.

 

I don't like this track very much. The studio version has the old-Elvis-voice singing (vibrato included) and I find the song both boring and depressing. Live, it is even worse as it kills the electricity and the excitement like in the second MSG concert. So, with all those credentials, it's tough for me to understand why they chosed that recording for A-single release. Although you can easily say there was not much to chose from... Not a highlight IMO.

 

... I'm actually not sure there is much on this album that I would consider single-worthy.
I like the song, but understand why many don't.

 

"For The Good Times"?

 

My thoughts exactly. I'm guessing they cut a second version later on because the first one was so lifeless...but it didn't make a difference, because the remake is just as dull.

The verses to We Can Make The Morning are all right, but the chorus is where the song really shines. Oh, and that guitar lick at the very beginning of the song is amazing. They should have figured out a way to do more with it!

 

I have little to say about Until It's Time For You To Go or We Can Make The Morning. The former is just OK, but not A-side material. The latter is forgettable/bland. Not a direction I like to see Elvis - of all perople - going in.

 

I'm going to be the odd one and say that this is one of my very favorite Elvis songs from the 1970's. Mark hits it right on the head when he describes the dreamy quality of the song. I first had this on the LP "A Canadian Tribute" when it came out. That is an interesting album as it has three songs from "Elvis Now". On "A Canadian Tribute" I liked the one two contrasting punch of UITFYTG and Early Morning Rain sequencing (kind of a dreamy tale then cold reality realization). I don't get the "lifeless" description that some say because Elvis is filled with restrained emotion here (not an easy task on a recording and almost forgotten by most recording artists today).

 

Don't forget the studio recording of For The Good Times, which is much better than the studio version of My Way. Even though For The Good Times was recorded well before the Stax sessions, why in the heck didn't they tag it on the Good Times LP? It is not like they never used an older recording on a new LP (Elvis Now being a great example).

 

Wow. Thank you--glad I asked. For the most part, I cut my teeth on the three "complete masters" boxes, so I tend to stumble across these little release anomalies.

Does anybody know why RCA never resurrected FTGT for, say, "Moody Blue"?

 

I think generally it seems the album construction side of Elvis career was a bit of a fiasco.
They probably forgot they had it lol

 

I am in 100% agreement with both Mark and Dave here on their take of Elvis's gorgeous version of Buffy Saint Marie's Until It's Time For You To Go. Elvis gets criticized occasionally for overpowering his way through songs like Padre, Rags To Riches, Hurt or even Bridge Over Troubled Water (I think Peter Guralnick implied that about Elvis's version of "Bridge," while at the same time praising it). I sometimes agree with the criticism and sometimes I do not (I think his singing on Padre is slightly over the top, but I still like it). Elvis gives a very sensitive reading of Until It's Time For You To Go, using the richness of his lower register and of course his singing here once again demonstrates that you cannot please all the people, all of the time.

I love every layer of this song, including the very gentle instrumental arrangement that just compliments Elvis's gorgeous voice so well. Norbert Putman's brilliant bass playings almost carries the song along, and David Briggs piano fills echo the voice lines of Elvis in the verses just beautifully. The drum work by Kenneth Buttery is like a butterfly and just gives the whole song a lilt that is just right for the gentle emotion that Elvis is trying to convey with his restrained vocals. I could careless about the hit potential of the song, although it did squeeze into the top ten of Billboard's Easy Listening Chart. This is a sheer slice of heaven and Elvis himself surely loved the song as he attempted it again a short time later in the studio and also included it in various live shows.

 

It is a bit of a mystery. Jarvis instead recycled Let Me Be There from a three year old live album. He was short on material and one would have thought he would have combed the vaults to find this finished recording, which stylistically would not have been out of place on Moody Blue.

 

I have never been able to warm up to We Can Make The Morning and God knows that I have certainly tried. Everyone here who has read any of my previous posts knows that I have a high tolerance for well done easy listening style songs and Elvis's over the top singing style, but this song seems particularly disjointed and perplexing to my ears, although James Burton does his best to try to save it with some great guitar licks throughout.

I really do like the chorus a lot, but the verses seem a little weak melodically, and Elvis's vocal effort is just a little underwhelming on most of it, although he too seems to step it up a notch during the chorus, but it is too little, too late for my ears. This song is probably better than a third of the songs on the mid 60's soundtrack recordings, but it is still a track I usually skip on this album, whenever I reach for it, which is not very often. Oh, Mark is right on about the dreadful backing vocals as well. This was the death nail for any potential that the song might have had for me.

 

Works great on stage, but not very good, imo in the studio.

 

I wonder if any potential record buyers saw the picture sleeve and assumed it was a live track:

 

I can see where the entire 1970's catalog could be confusing. Graceland appears on the cover of a live album. An album recorded at Graceland had a concert cover???? Don't even try to understand what was going on with the Camdens. Lol