Elvis Presley: Memphis (Box Set)

[pmp]

If the song was indeed recorded to be part of released tracks, a lyric sheet would have been made available well in advance.

Such lack of planning suggests a spontaneous performance, which was nonetheless overdubbed later because it was Elvis singing Hey Jude.

That is not true. There are numerous examples where Elvis simply used the words that he remembered and nobody went to find a lyric sheet - including I'll Be There from these very same sessions. Elvis doesn't include the 2nd verse:

I'll miss you
And in my dreams I'll kiss you
And wish you luck on your new affair
So baby, if you need me
All you have to do is call me
And don't you worry, darling
I'll be there

What you also miss here that much of what Elvis recoreded was through a spontaneous performance of something that just came into his mind. This was nothing unusual, and most of those recordings were released as a master - as was intended.

Other examples include Blue Christmas, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again, Little Cabin on the Hill, Spanish Eyes, and The Wonder of You. Maybe Blue Moon, too, although it's possible he knew the other lyrics and chose not to include them, given that his version is so unlike any other.

[Johnny2523]

A fun video i made to promote the set

[Mike C]

Looking at the timing notations on the Qobuz site, it appears that the set contains the Chips Moman original length master of Suspicious Minds. We first heard that on 1987's The Memphis Record.

[elvis-fan]

A fun video i made to promote the set

Very cool... nice sync work. I loved how you worked in the James and Ronnie footage during the bass lead section... it was right on the money!!

[Igotstung]

If the song was indeed recorded to be part of released tracks, a lyric sheet would have been made available well in advance.

Such lack of planning suggests a spontaneous performance, which was nonetheless overdubbed later because it was Elvis singing Hey Jude.

That is not true. There are numerous examples where Elvis simply used the words that he remembered and nobody went to find a lyric sheet - including I'll Be There from these very same sessions. Elvis doesn't include the 2nd verse:

I'll miss you
And in my dreams I'll kiss you
And wish you luck on your new affair
So baby, if you need me
All you have to do is call me
And don't you worry, darling
I'll be there

What you also miss here that much of what Elvis recoreded was through a spontaneous performance of something that just came into his mind. This was nothing unusual, and most of those recordings were released as a master - as was intended.

Other examples include Blue Christmas, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again, Little Cabin on the Hill, Spanish Eyes, and The Wonder of You. Maybe Blue Moon, too, although it's possible he knew the other lyrics and chose not to include them, given that his version is so unlike any other.

Context is important here.
1. We have a fully committed Elvis rearing to go after the successful comeback. But the performance of this song has a loose, jam- like, not -entirely- devoted quality to it that is utterly different from all other recordings of these sessions.
2. We have a producer in control of creative vision with a penchant for perfection.
3. This here is a recent monster hit song by Beatles, that is lyrically dense.

All these factor combined together distinguish this situation, from examples you have listed.

Any serious plans of making this song into master would have required serious committment in this context, spontaneous or not.

[Wayne]

I agree. The fact that it was tried for six takes, including a rehearsal, before completing a master take, suggests to me it was being recorded for release. It was allocated a matrix number and annotated Track Only in the session logs, per Keith Flynn's site.

You should refer to my previous post.

But here are some additional facts about "Hey Jude" discussed here many times:

• the session was slated for vocal overdubs

• "Hey Jude" was run down on piano by Elvis, only 2 takes considered complete

• the entire time spent on the song was likely about 20 minutes

• the remainder of the session was nothing but vocal overdubs until the end of the night

• at the end of the night, Elvis banged out a cover of "From A Jack To A King" to please his father

• as with "Hey Jude" only 2 takes considered complete

• both were allocated matrix numbers because ELVIS PRESLEY recorded them at a professional studio

This is not rocket science.

Not quite. The matrix number allocated to Hey Jude was "Track Only". That means there's no vocals. It's not rocket science, just common-sense.

[Billy Easter]

If the song was indeed recorded to be part of released tracks, a lyric sheet would have been made available well in advance.

Such lack of planning suggests a spontaneous performance, which was nonetheless overdubbed later because it was Elvis singing Hey Jude.

That is not true. There are numerous examples where Elvis simply used the words that he remembered and nobody went to find a lyric sheet - including I'll Be There from these very same sessions. Elvis doesn't include the 2nd verse:

I'll miss you
And in my dreams I'll kiss you
And wish you luck on your new affair
So baby, if you need me
All you have to do is call me
And don't you worry, darling
I'll be there

What you also miss here that much of what Elvis recoreded was through a spontaneous performance of something that just came into his mind. This was nothing unusual, and most of those recordings were released as a master - as was intended.

Other examples include Blue Christmas, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again, Little Cabin on the Hill, Spanish Eyes, and The Wonder of You. Maybe Blue Moon, too, although it's possible he knew the other lyrics and chose not to include them, given that his version is so unlike any other.

Context is important here.
1. We have a fully committed Elvis rearing to go after the successful comeback. But the performance of this song has a loose, jam- like, not -entirely- devoted quality to it that is utterly different from all other recordings of these sessions.
2. We have a producer in control of creative vision with a penchant for perfection.
3. This here is a recent monster hit song by Beatles, that is lyrically dense.

All these factor combined together distinguish this situation, from examples you have listed.

Any serious plans of making this song into master would have required serious committment in this context, spontaneous or not.

The session logs don't lie. Hey Jude is *TRACK ONLY just like Come Out, Come Out and Poor Man's Gold. All three required a vocal overdub. Elvis's half-hearted singing on Hey Jude is merely a guide vocal.

Logs.jpg

[Igotstung]

If the song was indeed recorded to be part of released tracks, a lyric sheet would have been made available well in advance.

Such lack of planning suggests a spontaneous performance, which was nonetheless overdubbed later because it was Elvis singing Hey Jude.

That is not true. There are numerous examples where Elvis simply used the words that he remembered and nobody went to find a lyric sheet - including I'll Be There from these very same sessions. Elvis doesn't include the 2nd verse:

I'll miss you
And in my dreams I'll kiss you
And wish you luck on your new affair
So baby, if you need me
All you have to do is call me
And don't you worry, darling
I'll be there

What you also miss here that much of what Elvis recoreded was through a spontaneous performance of something that just came into his mind. This was nothing unusual, and most of those recordings were released as a master - as was intended.

Other examples include Blue Christmas, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again, Little Cabin on the Hill, Spanish Eyes, and The Wonder of You. Maybe Blue Moon, too, although it's possible he knew the other lyrics and chose not to include them, given that his version is so unlike any other.

Context is important here.
1. We have a fully committed Elvis rearing to go after the successful comeback. But the performance of this song has a loose, jam- like, not -entirely- devoted quality to it that is utterly different from all other recordings of these sessions.
2. We have a producer in control of creative vision with a penchant for perfection.
3. This here is a recent monster hit song by Beatles, that is lyrically dense.

All these factor combined together distinguish this situation, from examples you have listed.

Any serious plans of making this song into master would have required serious committment in this context, spontaneous or not.

The session logs don't lie. Hey Jude is *TRACK ONLY just like Come Out, Come Out and Poor Man's Gold. All three required a vocal overdub. Elvis's half-hearted singing on Hey Jude is merely a guide vocal.


Logs.jpg

We are going in circles here.

Nobody is saying that session logs are lying!!

In your earlier post you proposed that since there was a rehearsal and a master take, it was being recorded for release from the very start. Now you are saying that Elvis' "half hearted' singing was just a guide vocal.

The fact is that there were no actual committed master vocals added by Elvis if indeed this monster hit of a song was seriously planned to be released as a master.

I don't have anything more to say on this I am afraid.

[alfredotcb]

Great box

[dsiciliano]

A fun video i made to promote the set

Very cool... nice sync work. I loved how you worked in the James and Ronnie footage during the bass led section... it was right on the money!!

Man, I LOVE the '74 version of Polk Salad from the Memphis show! What a wild performance. I have always thought of this show as one of his best live albums, especially with the FTD remix. I know its not a perfect mix, but far better than the original. I wonder what it sounded like in Quad! Anyway, great job, it is now in my favorites! Thank you again for the work...excellent!!!!

I hope one day, they mix it with the audience more of a part of the mix. They really made a big deal on how they mic'd the arena, but I have yet to hear a mix that reflects the effort with the live ambience they were going after. To me, the best part of a live recording is hearing the audience feedback in its frenzy! It adds so much excitement to the mix. Maybe I'm in the minority on this, but I prefer that. In a risk of turning some of you off, I'm gonna post a video of another of my favorite singers, Engelbert Humperdink, from A live performance in 2018 in Hawaii . listen to how this was mixed, with heavy emphasis on the audience....I love it! it just adds a level of excitement to the recording..(ok, no wisecracks please). Keep in mind he is like 81 years old here, and still sounds superb! Enjoy:

[Johnny2523]

A fun video i made to promote the set

Very cool... nice sync work. I loved how you worked in the James and Ronnie footage during the bass led section... it was right on the money!!

Man, I LOVE the '74 version of Polk Salad from the Memphis show! What a wild performance. I have always thought of this show as one of his best live albums, especially with the FTD remix. I know its not a perfect mix, but far better than the original. I wonder what it sounded like in Quad! Anyway, great job, it is now in my favorites! Thank you again for the work...excellent!!!!

I hope one day, they mix it with the audience more of a part of the mix. They really made a big deal on how they mic'd the arena, but I have yet to hear a mix that reflects the effort with the live ambience they were going after. To me, the best part of a live recording is hearing the audience feedback in its frenzy! It adds so much excitement to the mix. Maybe I'm in the minority on this, but I prefer that. In a risk of turning some of you off, I'm gonna post a video of another of my favorite singers, Engelbert Humperdink, from A live performance in 2018 in Hawaii . listen to how this was mixed, with heavy emphasis on the audience....I love it! it just adds a level of excitement to the recording..(ok, no wisecracks please). Keep in mind he is like 81 years old here, and still sounds superb! Enjoy:

Great to hear! Engelbert also payed homage to Elvis during that show singing i'll remember you

[jeremylr]

Elvis plays rhythm acoustic guitar on both "Hey Jude" and "From a Jack to a King," off-the-cuff performances recorded the same evening. Reggie Young is on electric guitar. Extremely unusual after the '50s for only one credited guitarist to be on an Elvis session. I hear Elvis' guitar on these 8 songs from American Sound in 1969:

1. "I'm Movin' On"
2. "Hey Jude"
3. "From a Jack to a King"
4. "I'll Be There"
5. "Stranger in My Own Home Town"
6. "It's My Way" / "This Time" / "I Can't Stop Loving You" [outtake]
7. "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road"
8. "If I'm a Fool for Loving You"

[drjohncarpenter]

Not quite. The matrix number allocated to Hey Jude was "Track Only". That means there's no vocals. It's not rocket science, just common-sense.

There were clearly vocals taped on that January 1969 evening, and they sound amazingly like the artist being recorded at American Sound by producer/owner Chips Moman, the tune was not "TRACK ONLY."

The notation was intended to convey that the recording wasn't considered salable as-is. If it were to be worthy of release, more would be needed on the vocals. It couldn't begin with being assigned a matrix number. That work was not done, even though the track received additional instrumental overdubs. But years later Felton Jarvis put the thing out on an RCA LP anyway, because by 1972, only commerce mattered, not artistry.

Have a sweet day, Wayne.

[drjohncarpenter]

That is not true. There are numerous examples where Elvis simply used the words that he remembered and nobody went to find a lyric sheet - including I'll Be There from these very same sessions. Elvis doesn't include the 2nd verse:

I'll miss you
And in my dreams I'll kiss you
And wish you luck on your new affair
So baby, if you need me
All you have to do is call me
And don't you worry, darling
I'll be there

What you also miss here that much of what Elvis recoreded was through a spontaneous performance of something that just came into his mind. This was nothing unusual, and most of those recordings were released as a master - as was intended.

Other examples include Blue Christmas, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again, Little Cabin on the Hill, Spanish Eyes, and The Wonder of You. Maybe Blue Moon, too, although it's possible he knew the other lyrics and chose not to include them, given that his version is so unlike any other.

Context is important here.
1. We have a fully committed Elvis rearing to go after the successful comeback. But the performance of this song has a loose, jam- like, not -entirely- devoted quality to it that is utterly different from all other recordings of these sessions.
2. We have a producer in control of creative vision with a penchant for perfection.
3. This here is a recent monster hit song by Beatles, that is lyrically dense.

All these factor combined together distinguish this situation, from examples you have listed.

Any serious plans of making this song into master would have required serious comittment in this context, spontaneous or not.

Spot-on.

Some folks here don't consider context, they just want to argue.

It's the internet, in all its glory.

[skabillyrebels]

Engelbert Humperdinck In Hawaii 2018 - Welcome to My World

[drjohncarpenter]

The session logs don't lie. Hey Jude is *TRACK ONLY just like Come Out, Come Out and Poor Man's Gold. All three required a vocal overdub. Elvis's half-hearted singing on Hey Jude is merely a guide vocal.

Last time for me with you, it's getting exhausting.

Session logs frequently have inaccuracies, for reasons accidental and intended. But I'm not going to devote pages to that now. Do some homework, you'll understand better.

Your three examples are all very different:

• "Hey Jude" is a complete run-through with vocals

• "Come Out, Come Out (Wherever You Are)" has no Elvis vocal

• "Poor Man's Gold" has Elvis' vocal for one verse

The first was the only to receive overdubs because it was ELVIS PRESLEY singing a BEATLES song, the #1 SINGLE OF 1968.

"Half-hearted" vocals? I don't think so. Try a recording like "The Love Machine" or any of the horrific soundtrack tunes from 1963-1967.

The other two did not receive overdubs or anything else because someone decided no more vocal work would be done.

As my friend Wayne might tell you, this is "common-sense."

[kanishknishar]

I don't see the point of these re-releases... Wasn't the point of FTD deluxe reissues that the songs were remixed and stripped down from their orchestral overdubs? I mean even within FTD some of these songs have been re-released twice (each time sounding better supposedly?)

Is there something new this time?

[drjohncarpenter]

I don't see the point of these re-releases... Wasn't the point of FTD deluxe reissues that the songs were remixed and stripped down from their orchestral overdubs? I mean even within FTD some of these songs have been re-released twice (each time sounding better supposedly?)

Is there something new this time?

For retail product of legacy artist, the company has to find a new wrinkle in order to sell the music. It doesn't matter if a great collection came out in 2014. Retail has a very short memory.

For the hardcore fans, that's why FTD is such a treat. Much more focused, interesting and sometimes "new" items may be part of the release.

In either case, it's a little tough. Elvis left us over 45 years ago . . . and counting.

[mmoie]

I do think that the live show should have been released on its own either a Legacy or a FTD release.
And it should include all the undubbed studio masters from 69, 73 and 76 and no live show.
I feel short changed that this was not done.
Its like the 70's box set cherry picking songs instead of including all the studio masters from the 70's.
I will buy it but feel let down by this release.

[drjohncarpenter]

I do think that the live show should have been released on its own either a Legacy or a FTD release.
And it should include all the undubbed studio masters from 69, 73 and 76 and no live show.
I feel short changed that this was not done.
Its like the 70's box set cherry picking songs instead of including all the studio masters from the 70's.
I will buy it but feel let down by this release.

Both of these things have already happened, FTD in 2004 and SONY LEGACY in 2014.

[mmoie]

I know I have both of them.
But not remixed by Matt.
Just I would liked all studio undubbed masters recorded in Memphis on one package.
And the live show as a separate entity on its own remixed in 7 inch packaging with booklet.

[kanishknishar]

I do think that the live show should have been released on its own either a Legacy or a FTD release.
And it should include all the undubbed studio masters from 69, 73 and 76 and no live show.
I feel short changed that this was not done.
Its like the 70's box set cherry picking songs instead of including all the studio masters from the 70's.
I will buy it but feel let down by this release.

We already have the undubbed studio masters no in the various FTDs and RCA releases?

[L Ray]

I do think that the live show should have been released on its own either a Legacy or a FTD release.
And it should include all the undubbed studio masters from 69, 73 and 76 and no live show.
I feel short changed that this was not done.
Its like the 70's box set cherry picking songs instead of including all the studio masters from the 70's.
I will buy it but feel let down by this release.

We already have the undubbed studio masters no in the various FTDs and RCA releases?

This new release is also remixed.

[Igotstung]

That is not true. There are numerous examples where Elvis simply used the words that he remembered and nobody went to find a lyric sheet - including I'll Be There from these very same sessions. Elvis doesn't include the 2nd verse:

I'll miss you
And in my dreams I'll kiss you
And wish you luck on your new affair
So baby, if you need me
All you have to do is call me
And don't you worry, darling
I'll be there

What you also miss here that much of what Elvis recoreded was through a spontaneous performance of something that just came into his mind. This was nothing unusual, and most of those recordings were released as a master - as was intended.

Other examples include Blue Christmas, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again, Little Cabin on the Hill, Spanish Eyes, and The Wonder of You. Maybe Blue Moon, too, although it's possible he knew the other lyrics and chose not to include them, given that his version is so unlike any other.

Context is important here.
1. We have a fully committed Elvis rearing to go after the successful comeback. But the performance of this song has a loose, jam- like, not -entirely- devoted quality to it that is utterly different from all other recordings of these sessions.
2. We have a producer in control of creative vision with a penchant for perfection.
3. This here is a recent monster hit song by Beatles, that is lyrically dense.

All these factor combined together distinguish this situation, from examples you have listed.

Any serious plans of making this song into master would have required serious comittment in this context, spontaneous or not.

Spot-on.

Some folks here don't consider context, they just want to argue.

It's the internet, in all its glory.

Thank you.

I don't know about just wanting to argue, but then I am new here!

The context is always important to make sense of facts/ evidence, and in this case, the combination of artist+ producer+ song is too critical.

[minkahed]

The whole Back In Memphis album should’ve been included, period.

I guess we’ll have to wait for another FTD session box to finally see this happen. And this time, hopefully, we’ll get the finished masters included.