The "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" that should have been in the 2001 TTWII

[leon410]

Bearing in mind that MGM filmed almost six hours of footage over the first six shows of Elvis' August 1970 Las Vegas engagement for "That's The Way It Is", even with two incarnations of the movie, it is impossible to fit everything in. As a result there have been endless debates about what should or should not have been included in the concert segments of the movies.

Two versions of "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" were filmed in their entirety, on opening night and during 12 August dinner show and for the re-edited version of the movie the producers decided on the latter version. As good as both versions are, it is perhaps surprising that the first version was not chosen, firstly because Elvis does not momentarily forget the words as he does on the latter version and secondly because it contains some wonderful interaction with Sammy Davis Jnr. who is in attendance at that opening night show.

MGM began filming the live segments of TTWII at the opening show on 10 August 1970. A year earlier Elvis had made a triumphant return to live performing at the same venue with all 57 venues sold out. A return to Vegas in January/February gave Elvis the chance to try a more contemporary setlist which fused some of his own hits together with some covers of popular hits of the time such as Sweet Caroline and Proud Mary.

The success of these two engagement coupled with six sold out shows at The Houston Astrodome from 27 February to 1 March gave Col. Parker the idea of getting the Vegas show out to the public. His initial idea was to have the shows filmed and through a type of CCTV have it piped into selected cinemas but ever seeing the dollar signs he negotiated a lucrative movie deal with MGM to make a documentary chronicling the Elvis Presley Las Vegas show.

After filming rehearsals in MGM's Culver City studios on 14, 15, 20 and 29 July as well as others in the conference room of the International Hotel on 4 August and a stage rehearsal on 10 August. After these rehearsal filmings director Denis Sanders and his crew set up in the main showroom of the International Hotel where they would film the first six shows from which they would make selections for the movie. Some filming did take place after the sixth show but this was almost entirely audience reaction, rear or distance shots to be inserted into the movie during post production.

For this movie project Elvis and his band rehearsed the most diverse and expansive setlist that he would ever select. It ranged from country, pop, recent contemporary music to his own rock 'n' roll hits. Many of the new songs would be selected from his recent recording session in Nashville in June which together with some songs recorded during this engagement would create two of the most critically acclaimed albums of his career.

One of the songs recorded on 6 June and selected for the setlist was 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' and this is the performance on opening night which naturally is also the first live performance of the song.

It would continue to be an integral part of his setlist for the next two and a half years but would still make sporadic appearances in the show until it's final live appearance on 22 July 1975 in Asheville.

[Mike C]

I agree with your choice. It is amazing a live version of the song is not in the original movie.

[Rob]

It's a good song that I've always thought fit Elvis' style well. I am just damned tired of it because every time I turn over to Elvis Radio on Sirius/XM, that song is playing. I listen to the channel rarely because it seems that they have a limited playlist from a man with such a huge musical catalogue.

But, yes, this is a great live version.

[LSP-4445]

I have never cared for any of the live versions myself,they are just too fast (short,way underr 2 minutes)
My favorite is still the master with the composite one from TTWII classic FTD album as a close 2nd.

[James27]

I am still amazed at how much at ease Elvis was on that stage, so much confidence. Never afraid to show himself to the public, vocally/moving around, everybody watching you from each possible side.

And he never had a dance teacher or choreographer for these Vegas (or 50s shows), shows, right ... ? Not like today’s singers, who move around on stage. I always wondered where Elvis got his moves from, not just in Polk Salad Annie and Suspicious Minds, or Patch It Up, but in for ex Sweet Caroline, and so many gestures in his songs, even his power ballads.

James Brown supposedly learned it on the streets (True?) and by watching other performers (who and where, how? Does anybody know?), but I don’t know where Elvis learned how to move. James Brown certainly had no dance teachers and he was probably the greatest of them all in that regard, along with Michael Jackson.

I don’t mean choreographed scenes like in Jailhouse Rock or Viva Las Vegas, but Elvis’ natural moves. And they were different throughout his career. But after 1970 I think he didn’t add more diversity to his moves, but rather performed them more restrained, calculated, not that intense anymore ?

Naturally, when you get a little older and have so many shows on your schedule. And your medical and weight problems start impacting you. And preferring to not end up each show, more or less exhausted and out-of-breath, like we see in the TTWII shows.

Always keeping it interesting, playing off the crowd and the band. Night after night. You can’t perform like that without having loads of fun with it and it being a complete passion. And for such a soft-spoken, even shy person, when he was not performing, by most accounts. Then again, I know really shy people, and I’ve seen Elvis in press conferences, sometimes quite shy, but sometimes, not so and even exuberant. So ...

But that’s not new either. People like Jimi Hendrix supposedly were shy too, and he also was an absolute monster on stage.

Thanks for the post, Leon !