I agree with Memories of Elvis. The concept was interesting on paper, but the execution was indeed sloppy and uneven.
I first got “Mahalo from Elvis” when I was a kid. I loved the post Aloha performances but I rarely played the second side with the movie songs.
Blue Hawaii Written By : Leo Robin & Ralph Rainger Recorded : Radio Recorders, Hollywood, March 21-23, 1961: March 22, 1961. Live Honolulu International Centre, Honolulu, Hawaii, January 14, 1973 I have always liked this song, and I can't really put my finger on exactly why, it doesn't sit with my general favourite tracks. Something about this song grabs me. This is an excellent version, and Elvis gives us a relaxed and virtually flawless run through of it.
Early Morning Rain Written By : Gordon Lightfoot Recorded : RCA's Studio B, Nashville, March 15-16, 1971 : March 15, 1971. Honolulu International Centre, Honolulu, Hawaii, January 14, 1973 As you know, I really love this song. I think Elvis does a great job of it here. These tracks recorded after the Aloha concert seem to come across really well, and this is no exception.
These are both vast improvements over their studio versions, imvho. I've always found the master of Blue Hawaii to be a bit dreary, but the post-Aloha performance is enjoyable enough, with Elvis seeming more invested than he did on the original. The more sympathetic arrangement (including the absence of the Jordanaires) helps as well. This version of Early Morning Rain is absolutely lovely, and I would place it as one of my very favourite Elvis performances. It's not "great" or particularly transcendent or anything like that...I just love listening to it, from the improved arrangement (no harmonica...yay!) to the tone of Elvis' voice. It's one of those songs that I know I've heard hundreds of times (the repeat function on CD players is a wonderful thing), and I've never once felt tired of it.
One of my all-time favorite performances by Elvis. For being so tired, he gives such an understated reading of this song. I also like it more than the original version from '71, though that's good as well
Makes you wonder how they aimed to market 'Mahalo From Elvis'. Nowhere does it state these are from the US 'Aloha From Hawaii' TV show and that they were (mostly?) unreleased by that time. As some have mentioned, one quick look at this and one would be forgiven for thinking it's just another semi hodge podge movie compilation that could be given a wide berth with absolutely no intrinsic value at all to the fan. A promo sticker or something could've probably increased a few sales had it suggested there were unreleased performances on the album or am I missing something...
These post concert tracks are well done considering Elvis was tired, not in the best of mood, and wanted to get out of there.
Agree totally mate. It looks and sounds like a bootleg name and cover. If someone saw the songs and the movie tracks, they probably figured it was a compile of some kind of weird distinction. I can't fathom the incompetence of RCA and/or Elvis' management. The deeper we look, the more amazing it is that he sold anything, never mind being among the biggest selling artists of all time ..... If I shook my head in a manner that rivaled the incompetence ... it would fall off
I think Mahalo was a mistake on the executives part. But, the engineer(s) must have known this was not the material of the original soundtrack. But then again, pre 1973 buyout? Also mistakes were made since 1956 with songs. "Old Shep"....
Considering that Mahalo was originally scheduled for release in November, 1973, nine months after the release of Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite, it's possible there might have been some tie-in with the TV special.
Again, we know the tracks were specifically selected by Joan Deary in September 1973. The movie tracks were all pulled from deleted soundtrack albums. Image from keithflynn.com
Would've made more sense had the album been released in 1973 and there was a tie-in but five years later and there is no mention of the unreleased performances or anything. Chalk it down to typical RCA, I guess...
Mahalo was released four months after He Walks Beside Me. It's possible Joan Deary knew she had Mahalo compiled, mastered, and in the can, and could get it out quickly to satisfy demand for "new" Elvis product.
I prefer Take 4 to the master, the vocal is definitely more edgy & soulful. One reason it probably wasn't used as the master is because Elvis made a slight mistake with the lyrics - on the end of the 2nd verse he sings "Tell me why, oh why, oh why can't my dream come true" instead of "Tell me why, oh why, oh why won't that sun appear" (which appears on the master take). On Take 4 the backing vocals don't appear until after the bridge, whereas on the master they start at the end of the 1st verse. Elvis also hits a higher note on the last line of Take 4 but plays it safe in the same place on the master. Here is the stereo version of Take 4 (the previous link was in mono). This is the version from the German CD - The Collection Volume 4:
No way: in 1961, Elvis' vocals on BLUE HAWAII are absolute perfection: at the time, he was the greatest living vocalist.
On a side note, Joan Deary had what for me would be an absolute dream job - compiling Elvis albums etc., how cool that would have been!
The Aftershow recordings sound great. Nice subtle performances, in many ways BETTER than the actual concert! (no drama, no bombast) even though Elvis HATED being there doing this. But they still do not compare favorably to their studio versions. Elvis' vocals on the Blue Hawaii album are sublime. And his studio recording of Early Morning Rain is one of the highlights of his post 1970 recordings
