Elvis Presley - The Albums and Singles Thread pt3 The Seventies

ELVIS AS RECORDED AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN (LP)
(US) RCA LSP 4776
Released: June 1972


Elvis: As Recorded at Madison Square Garden is a live album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released in June 1972 by RCA Records. It peaked at No. 11 on the Top 200 US Billboard albums chart on August 26, 1972.[citation needed] Recorded at the Madison Square Garden arena in New York City on Saturday June 10, 1972,[citation needed] the concert, and the subsequent album, were promoted as being Presley's first live concerts in the Big Apple since the 1950s.

The album was certified Gold on August 4, 1972, Platinum on May 20, 1988, 2x Platinum on March 27, 1992 and 3x Platinum on July 15, 1999 by the RIAA.[6] Along with Aloha from Hawaii: Via Satellite it ranked as the top 1970's RCA live album by Elvis Presley.

Despite the lengthy track listing, the release was only a single disc, and the record was released only a week after the concert itself. Elvis' very next album would also be a live recording featuring many of the same songs: Aloha from Hawaii: Via Satellite.

The concert included on this album was the evening show. An afternoon performance was also recorded, but except for a performance of "I Can't Stop Loving You" which appeared in the 1977 compilation, Welcome to My World, it remained unreleased until the 1990s when it was issued as An Afternoon in the Garden.

Drummer Ronnie Tutt claimed in an interview in 2009 for the BBC documentary Elvis in Vegas that Colonel Tom Parkersped up the mixes so that more tracks could be on the album, increasing his publishing royalties. Tutt's account has never been proven as factual. It's possible that Tutt was referring to the tempo at which the songs were performed, as many of the songs were played at a faster tempo than the original studio recordings.[7]

• James Burton – lead guitar
• John Wilkinson – rhythm guitar
• Ronnie Tutt – drums
• Jerry Scheff – bass
• Glen D. Hardin – piano
• The Sweet Inspirations (Estelle Brown, Sylvia Shemwell, Myrna Smith) – background vocals
• Kathy Westmoreland – background vocals
• J.D. Sumner & The Stamps (Ed Enoch, Bill Baize, Richard Sterban, Donnie Sumner) – background vocals
• Joe Guercio – conductor
• The Joe Malin Orchestra
• A&R/Producers: Harry Jenkins, Joan Deary, Felton Jarvis
• Al Pachuki and Dick Baxter – recording engineers
• Dick Baxter and Larry Schnapf – mastering and supervision

Side one
1. "Also Sprach Zarathustra" (introduction; theme from 2001: A Space Odyssey) Richard Strauss 1:06
2. "That's All Right" Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup 2:14
3. "Proud Mary" John Fogerty 2:35
4. "Never Been to Spain" Hoyt Axton 3:36
5. "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" Pino Donaggio, Simon Napier-Bell, Vito Pallavicini, Vicki Wickham 2:03
6. "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" Barry Mann, Phil Spector, Cynthia Weil 4:11
7. "Polk Salad Annie" Tony Joe White 2:57
8. "Love Me" Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller 1:38
9. "All Shook Up" Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley 1:04
10. "Heartbreak Hotel" Mae Boren Axton, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley 1:44
11. "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" / "Don't Be Cruel" (medley) Kal Mann, Bernie Lowe / Otis Blackwell 1:50
12. "Love Me Tender" Vera Matson, Elvis Presley 1:38
Side two
1. "The Impossible Dream" Joe Darion, Mitch Leigh 2:35
2. "Introductions by Elvis" — 1:27
3. "Hound Dog" Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller 1:55
4. "Suspicious Minds" Mark James 4:23
5. "For the Good Times" Kris Kristofferson 3:03
6. "An American Trilogy" Mickey Newbury 4:28
7. "Funny How Time Slips Away" Willie Nelson 2:41
8. "I Can't Stop Loving You" Don Gibson 2:37
9. "Can't Help Falling in Love" Luigi Creatore, Hugo Peretti, George David Weiss 2:34
10. "End Theme" — 0:55
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I really like this album. This album lays in the middle ground between Elvis being totally focused and serious, and Elvis goofing around and having fun. It ends up being a nice balance, and for me it works.
The track list is good, but obviously I can think of a lot of songs I would have liked to see on here, especially seeing as though we can be pretty sure they knew they were going to do the Aloha album also at the stage, with announcements and press conferences having already been held, I believe.

For interest sake experts. Was this Elvis' first show outside Vegas? ... or one of his first shows outside of Vegas? It seems with there being a press conference about it, that there must have been some sort of significance at the time.

Anyway.
What are your thoughts on the album?
Let us know what you think about this album and we'll hit the first couple of songs tomorrow.

Cheers
Mark

 

Out of order again? I was expecting Hits From His Movies. Heck this album is even featured on the back cover as already in the catalog. Your source has been making these mistakes consistently anyway.

MSG main issue is by now Elvis was speeding up most of his songs. I guess he was trying to fit as many songs in an hour's time. The album sounds rushed. More and more finesse is being wrung out of his performances (what little they had on stage in the 70s anyway).

 

This LP holds a sentimental place for me, as it's the first Elvis album I truly owned (my father had given me Golden Records 1, Loving You and King Creole previously, but those were his before - this is the first non-kiddie LP that I got to tear the shrink wrap off haha). Guessing I was 5 or 6? Anyway, I played this thing to death, and I still give it quite a bit of rotation. Especially if I'm practicing drums, guitar or bass - this disc is a blast to play along with / practice. The first 7 songs in particular have a great flow to them. Didn't Jerry Scheff say something like this was lounge music on speed?

And to answer Mark's question, yes Elvis had played quite a lot outside of Vegas to this point. Here's a site that lists the various tours / tour stops:

Elvis Presley In Concert

But Elvis playing The Garden? Fugetaboutit!

They also issued a two-LP promo version of this album that was banded for radio play:

 

Yeah, I'll plug ElvisRecords.com again as it's a great (if not the best) source for all US Elvis viynl releases, including the release order.

These lesser Camden albums may be horrible, but I think it's important to put them in historically so as to see the bizaree, perhaps contemptible, way Elvis and his music were treated when he was still with us.

 

ELVIS SINGS HITS FROM HIS MOVIES, VOLUME 1 (LP)
(US) RCA Camden CAS 2567
Released: June 1972



Elvis Sings Hits from His Movies, Volume 1 is a compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, featuring tracks from four of his movies plus two non-movie tracks. The album was released in June 1972. It was certified Gold and Platinum on January 6, 2004 by the RIAA.

Side one
1. "Down by the Riverside" / "When the Saints Go Marching In" (from Frankie and Johnny) 1:55
2. "They Remind Me Too Much Of You" (from It Happened at the World's Fair) 2:30
3. "Confidence" (from Clambake) 2:31
4. "Frankie and Johnny" (from Frankie and Johnny) 2:33
5. "Guitar Man" (non-movie bonus track from the Clambake soundtrack album) 2:20
Side two
1. "Long Legged Girl (With The Short Dress On)" (from Double Trouble) 1:27
2. "You Don't Know Me" (from Clambake) 2:31
3. "How Would You Like To Be" (from It Happened at the World's Fair) 3:26
4. "Big Boss Man" (non-movie bonus track from the Clambake soundtrack album) 2:53
5. "Old MacDonald" (from Double Trouble) 2:04
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Again we get a weird Camden release that is a 60's soundtrack compilation. Some excellent songs, but hardly a best of. The album seems like product for the sake of product to me, to be honest.

 

The Camdens featured songs never before on LP, songs from discontinued LPs and unreleased leftovers-like Elvis For Everyone did. So this album had a practical purpose. It featured only songs from LPs that had been discontinued. If only RCA had continued with that purpose to complete the idea. (RCA/BMG/Sony never completes anything as it comes to Elvis' catalog).

Back in 1969 all Elvis' Extended Plays and the following soundtrack LPs were discontinued:
It Happened At The World's Fair
Harum Scarum
Frankie And Johnny
Spinout
Double Trouble
Clambake
As well as the original Christmas Album.


This first volume of Hits From His Movies contained ONLY songs from some of these Soundtrack LPs. It would have made good sense to use that criteria for future Camdens. But the very next one, Burning Love and Hits From His Movies broke away from that as they included songs from LPs that were still in print. Too bad.

 

My first Elvis album! Hamburger medium rare.

It Happened At The World's Fair had an extremely rare pressing on the orange RCA label in 1968.

 

Yeah, and that title. Sheesh. With a concert pic on the cover, it implies Elvis is doing live versions of these 'hits'. Now while I'd pay good $ to have been to an Elvis concert with Confidence and Old MacDonald in the set list, I doubt anyone wanted these two 'hits' on this LP - there were better songs to choose from, from that list of out-of-print albums. Better still, they should have just re-released those soundtracks as budget-priced LPs (whether on Camden or not). Yeah, they tried that idea a few years later with Frankie & Johnny, but they changed the artwork and removed a few tracks (probably to reduce royalties, but still).

 

The afternoon show from the Garden, whether on the Afternoon In The Garden CD, or the Prince From Another Planet box, is one of my favorite 70s Elvis concerts. Elvis rises to the challenge with a very focused performance that even takes the 50s songs seriously. I like the concerts where Elvis goes off into monologues and jokes and tangents, but if you want a show where Elvis takes it all seriously, the MSG concerts are tough to beat.

 

I have a question for the Elvis experts here. What was the instrumental played during the band introductions? I'm thinking that they had to own publishing for that since it appears on albums and was used in soooooo many shows.

 

I always thought it was a slowed-down Hound Dog? But it's a common riff, also very similar to I'm A Man, and probably countless others.

 

I always figured they were just jamming

 

It does sound like some things but also generic. I'm thinking that the Colonel wouldn't miss a chance to have a freebie publishing royalty on the albums and shows.

 

"Comin' Home Baby" (Bob Dorough, Ben Tucker)

 

My apologies to the the Colonel.

 

The MSG album is a good one, but not a great one. The energy is thrilling and there are some commanding lead vocals, but it is also a concert that represents a well-oiled machine, with Elvis and the band going through the motions on a handful of tracks.

 

My first Elvis album! If a kid likes this one and plays it to death, you know that you're dealing with a lifelong Elvis fan.

 

Theoretically all these soundtracks that went OOP in 1969 could have had a orange label pressing in 1968. I would not be surprised if one or more of these titles are discovered with the orange label, as Double Trouble came out on the orange label too. Many of the EPs came out with the orange label.

 

At least RCA had the mercy to include Guitar Man and Big Boss Man as "bonus songs:.

 

The challenge was actually getting to those songs before taking the LP off the record player in frustration.

 

Having these soundtracks already in my collection this LP held no interest for me. Still doesn't.

I do not recall if I put two and two together that these songs were from OOP LPs back when I saw it in the store back in 1972. But a cursory look at the songs made me wonder "why""

 

My experience with listening to Elvis' live recordings in reverse order of release made this album stand out as having an unusually fast tempo on many of the songs. Kind of like Elvis was hurrying up to get out of there. The "Elvis has left the building" announcement at the end drove that impression home too. It reminded me of when Dino and Frank Sinatra would joke during duets on stage. "Dino: (whispering) "let's sneak out the back" Frank: (whispering) "I checked, the doors are locked"

 

I've never been all that wild about the MSG concerts. They're upbeat, we got the cool Reconsider Baby from the afternoon concert, and I have a guilty pleasure or two from the "oldies" segment, but that's about it. Plus, the sound on the original album is atrocious. The Prince From Another Planet mixes are far superior. Shame about the mastering. Still, that set is my preferred way to hear the shows.

Sings His From His Movies is such a bizarrely compiled/sequenced/titled release that I can't help but love it. It's like some of the more absurd juxtapositions I get when I put my .mp3 player on shuffle, except even shuffle doesn't end up having this kind of effect. It's like the only logic that they used to select/sequence the tracks was to make the most illogical choices imaginable. I mean, it segues from They Remind Me Too Much Of You into Confidence, and it goes from How Would You Like To Be? to Big Boss Man to Old MacDonald...and Old MacDonald is the big closing number! It's outrageous! From a surrealistic point of view, it ends up being almost brilliant.

(I guess it also helps that I like all of the songs to some degree, save for Confidence...and even then, I sort of enjoy Confidence in this nonsensical context.)