Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972 !

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Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972 !

#1161286

Post by drjohncarpenter »

It's Saturday, November 11, 1972.

Elvis is rocking the house at the Oakland Coliseum, and even esteemed rock critic Greil Marcus, seeing him for the first time, finds something to like about the show ("How Great Thou Art").

If you're an unabashed Elvis Presley fan, you're rejoicing even more because he is, once again, #1 on the charts with another song in his set that evening:

"Burning Love"!


Image

Cashbox Top 20 - For week ending November 11, 1972


F-yeah! "Ah," you think -- "all those naysayers can stuff their junk in a sack now! Elvis is BACK!"

The same week, a whole slew of new LPs are on the market -- including one from RCA's #1 man, Elvis.

You peek in Billboard and note all kinds of interesting and groovy releases. Then you see RCA's contribution.


Image

Billboard - November 11, 1972


Talk about strange bedfellows! Elvis' album might as well be from outer space.

Suddenly, in a nutshell, the failure of RCA and management in the 1970s hits like a ton of bricks.

Oh well, at least Elvis Sings Burning Love and Hits From His Movies gets a decent review.


Side note: almost all the albums have an Elvis connection. Elvis let Voice do Bread's "Aubrey" on stage in 1974, and member Larry Knechtel recorded with Elvis in 1968 , Bowie was an RCA artist and admirer also born on January 8, Streisand played the International in '69 just before Elvis and would offer him a plum movie role in 1975, and Townshend was a fan from way back, who would later write a song in tribute to Elvis.
Last edited by drjohncarpenter on Fri Oct 15, 2010 8:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.


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Rob

Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161287

Post by Rob »

That album has always depressed me. That is poor management at its best.

By the way, Elvis would have torn that #10 song up!



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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161288

Post by Frankie Teardrop »

How in the world could Burning Love have been at #15 in Billboard and #1 in Cashbox the same week? Were their collating methods that different?


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161289

Post by EPA4368 »

The first release of Burning Love and Hits From His Movies contained an 8x10 insert, there is a yellow starburst printed on the cover to indicate this. A later release will remove the starburst from the cover.
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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161290

Post by drjohncarpenter »

EPA4368 wrote:The first release of Burning Love and Hits From His Movies contained an 8x10 insert ...
This must have been one of the only highlights for those who bought the LP in November 1972.


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kevinstevenage

Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161291

Post by kevinstevenage »

just a small addition to the sidenote..........David Bowie shares Elvis' birthday



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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161292

Post by drjohncarpenter »

kevinstevenage wrote:just a small addition to the sidenote..........David Bowie shares Elvis' birthday
True! He was born on January 8, 1947.


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161293

Post by Rocker »

Rob wrote:That album has always depressed me. That is poor management at its best.

Indeed, but on the other hand, Elvis could've always vetoed the release and put "Burning love" on a proper album but he didn't or didn't care. It's really disappointing to think that he had the biggest record in years and a good new album could've sold extremely well with BL as the lead-single. '72 was a very succesful year for Elvis, but it would be even more with that. And then the Aloha-succes. Maybe, just maybe, it would have given him a push and new interest in making music


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161294

Post by luckyjackson1 »

This must have been one of the only highlights for those who bought the LP in November 1972.
Correct - and the other one having "Guadalajara" included... :D

Honestly, a very nice picture! Thank you for that, EPA4368!

And thanks Doc for the re-print of the Cashbox Top 20 - I love those old chart-listings! :wink:

Unfortunately, Larry Knechtel passed away recently on August 20, 2009, shortly after his 69th birthday.


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161295

Post by Blue-Gypsy »

EPA4368 wrote:The first release of Burning Love and Hits From His Movies contained an 8x10 insert, there is a yellow starburst printed on the cover to indicate this. A later release will remove the starburst from the cover.
Strangely the cover for Volume One contains a picture from the very same concert as the insert. The connection are chilling!

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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161296

Post by Bobc »

Rob wrote:That album has always depressed me. That is poor management at its best.

By the way, Elvis would have torn that #10 song up!

LOL.

Really though, I could see Elvis doing # 4 and # 8.




HoneyTalkNelson

Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161297

Post by HoneyTalkNelson »

I remember one of my friends at school buying that album as a result of hearing the single on the radio. He played it once and put it away. Apparently, the movie songs didn't do much for him and he didn't buy any more Elvis albums after that.

I wonder how many other new fans had the same reaction?



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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161298

Post by drjohncarpenter »

HoneyTalkNelson wrote:I remember one of my friends at school buying that album as a result of hearing the single on the radio. He played it once and put it away. Apparently, the movie songs didn't do much for him and he didn't buy any more Elvis albums after that.

I wonder how many other new fans had the same reaction?
Too many to think about.

Can you imagine if the March 1972 sessions had made up the bulk of that album?


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161299

Post by Christopher Brown »

As a big fan at the time, having enjoyed great releases early in the new decade, you cannot imagine how disappointing this release was. I remember Rocky Barra writing he was almost on the floor in tears.

What a lack of thought by RCA and the Colonel. IF you're going to package material using his most successful single of the 1970s, there were many great recordings you could choose from the movie catalogue.

I can hear them now, "throw that on ... it'll sell regardless ..." The harm done to Elvis and his career was likely monumental. I can hardly imagine the number of record buyers this turned off from ever bothering with him again (though Aloha's success and being #1 seems to conflict with that).

RCA and the Colonel MUST have thought they had it right with this release, as the next album sold a few million and hit #1.

What a waste of a golden opportunity.


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161300

Post by elvisjock »

I wonder how Elvis felt? Do you think it made him eager to dive into his next recording session, after seeing how management handled Burning Love?


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161301

Post by Frankie Teardrop »

Elvis was a singles guy.


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161302

Post by kevinstevenage »

This album peaked in the top thirty (22).........subsequently ONLY Aloha and Moody Blue charted higher (1 & 3 ) Elvis as recorded live on stage in Memphis parading a Grammy winning song peaked at number 33................check out the other chart positions of the 70's releases..........food for thought?



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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161303

Post by Frankie Teardrop »

Well, Love Letters and Now didn't do well before that. A Burning Love/SRO LP certainly had the potential to reverse the trend, but other than that, Elvis's fans just seemed to want live albums after the Country LP.


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161304

Post by George Smith »

On my iTunes, I have my LPs arranged in chronological order of original release (yes, OCD, I know) but it often makes for very interesting listening and it really helps to understand the context of Elvis' music when compared to other artsists from 1950s - 1970s.

Sometimes it's great: other times not so great

And sometimes you just think ... if only ...



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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161305

Post by TCB TED »

Doc, loved the build up referencing Elvis on top of the world, then the "fist to the gut"
listing of Billboard LP reviews.

Sitting just under Burning Love on the charts was Garden Party.
The irony is too much ... Elvis' 1950's rival charting his own comeback.

Nelson also lauched an album to take advantage of his hit.

Image


" Having just had a phenomenal return to the charts with a top 10 record, Nelson presents a fine LP sure to compete in the top 10 of the LP charts. With the Stone Canyon Band, he spotlights his hit "Garden Party," and others like "Nighttime Lady," "Palace Guard," "Are You Really Real?" and "So Long Mama," all Nelson originals. He also does "I Wanna Be With You" and Chuck Berry's "I'm Talking About You. "

- Billboard, 1973



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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161306

Post by drjohncarpenter »

Nice addition, Ted. "Garden Party" was a terrific single from Rick.


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161307

Post by Frankie Teardrop »

The Garden Party album is a killer too, exactly the type of LP Elvis should have made at that point. New songs, cover material, all well selected and woven together.


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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161309

Post by brian »

Burning love and hits from his movies was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA awhile ago.

That's more than Elvis is Back, Elvis Country, From Elvis in Memphis etc.

The movie songs do have an audience.



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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161310

Post by EPA4368 »

Lonely Summer wrote:RCA and the Colonel were obviously pleased with the sales of the "Burning Love" album - they followed it with the "Separate Ways" Camden album. If the Colonel had been Rick's manager in 1972, Decca would've released "Rick sings Garden Party and songs from the Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet".
Don't forget the 8x10 bonus photo.
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Re: Strange Bedfellows on a Saturday Night --> Nov 11, 1972

#1161311

Post by George Smith »

brian wrote:Burning love and hits from his movies was certified 2x platinum by the RIAA awhile ago.

That's more than Elvis is Back, Elvis Country, From Elvis in Memphis etc.

The movie songs do have an audience.
Thanks, Brian, nice point.

Maybe it's "Burning Love" more than the movie songs that people bought.

And perhaps the fact that the LP was so cheap influenced them too?

It's also worth considering that BLAHFHM was a very unusual Elvis LP in that it was actually named after a hit song.



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