Demos for Elvis

[Harty]

I lost the overview . Which songs were originally planned for the movie King Creole ?

[colonel snow]

Harty, by your request:

Song selection 8 january 1958:
scene 1 – Turtles, berries and gumbo
scene 2 – Crawfish
scene 4 – Steadfast loyal and true / alternate As long as I have you
scene 26 – Lover doll
scene 43 – I’m evil = Trouble
scene 78 –- Banana song
scene 80 – Dixieland rock / alternate Hard heard woman
scene 105 – New Orleans / alternate Dixie land rock
scene 130 till 132 – start with New Orleans (half chorus) / Hard headed woman / after dialogue into King Creole
scene 138 – As long as I have you
scene 148 – Don't ask me why
scene 198 – As long as I have you

The song “As long as I have you” was recorded 10 january 1958 by The Modernaires (Coral 61949)

Songs in the movie:
01 - Turtles, berries and gumbo
02 - Crawfish
03 - Steadfast loyal and true.
04 - Lover doll
05 - Trouble
06 - Banana
07 - Dixieland rock
08 - Young dreams
09 - New Orleans
10 - Danny – not used
11 - Hard headed woman - not used
12 - King Creole
As long as I have you – movie version sung by Ronnie
13 - Don't ask me why
14 - As long as I have you
Paramount - soundstage
15 - Muskrat ramble

Trouble (Leiber-Stoller)
The song Trouble is written by Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller on the tune from Riot in cell block no 9 as recorded around 1953 by The Robins (Spark 103).

Rejected songs
A – Stop me (from loving you)
B – Hoping you were gone
C – Living high
D – As long as I have you
E– Dirty dirty feeling
F – Down on Bourbon street

colonel snow

[Harty]

thanks a lot

[colonel snow]

Songwriter Les Reed submitted for the recording sessions in june 1970

1 – My little princess (Stephens-Reed) – rejected.
The demo version is sung by Jesse Ray.

Already discussed here in this topic:
https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=1869858#p1869858

2 – Sophia (Reed-Stephens) – rejected; the song is registered at ASCAP.
The song was recorded in early 1971 by Les Reed & his Orchestra (Chapter1 CH 142) = instrumental version.

3 – Sylvia (Stephens-Reed) – recorded 8 june 1970;

4 – This is our dance (Reed-Stephens) – recorded 6 june 1970

It's a pity there's not much known about the song selection / demos for this recording session.


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Originally 55 demo acetates were send in between march – august 1966 for the movie Easy come easy go.
Final selection made on 12 september 1966 with 12 songs for various song spots.

Rejected in the first pre-selections:
He done her wrong (Wayne-Weisman).
Publisher: Holly-Hill Music; copyright 11-05-67. No other information known.



colonel snow

[colonel snow]

And the grass won’t pay no mind
The story goes a recording session by Neil Diamond was planned around january 1969; if Elvis recorded one of his songs (And the grass won’t pay no mind) he agreed to record later on another time. Neil Diamond recorded the song on 8 january 1969 (Uni 55224).

Elvis recorded the song on 18 february 1969.


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Sacred melody
On the backside of the double sided demo is Bonnie B.
The songs are written by Charles Underwood. The demo is offered to Elvis in 1959.

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Mississippi
According to an unconfirmed story Elvis heard around april 1970 a demo from this song by John Phillips (Mamas and the Papas). Elvis was not allowed to record the song in order by Colonel Parker.
John Phillips recorded the song in early 1970 for his album “John the wolfking of LA” (Dunhill DS 50077).


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

All in vain - Hey miss Molly - I’m what you make me - Let’s give Adam and Eve another chance -
Loneliness is a friend of mine - Separate ways - Wondering why .

These songs were written by Red West & Richard Mainegra. Registered for copyright 10 february 1970. Publisher Press Music.

Separate ways was selected by Elvis for recording on 27 march 1972. The song was recorded for the movie on Tour on 29 march 1972.
I’ve no information about the other (demo) recordings.
It’s known Red West – John Christopher - Richard Mainegra (sometimes with others) wrote lot of songs around these years. I don’t know Elvis got demo versions from all these songs (publisher Press Music).



colonel snow

[merry77]

Listen to: "Let's give Adam and Eve another chance" from Gary Pucket and the Union Gap.
It was written by Red West in 1970. Makes you wonder if Red had Elvis in his mind or not.

[colonel snow]

Thanks Merry77 for the addition. A lot of songs written by Red West (with other songwriters / composers) are known from those years.
The important question is: Did Elvis ever saw all these demo’s from Red West as the publisher is not his own publishing company nor a linked company like Hill and Range – Aberbach etc.


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Due to the recent topic “Let us pray - rare version” I started looking for demo versions for this movie; I found some demo versions:

Change of habit (Kaye-Weisman) – demo sung by Ray Peterson;
Let us pray (Kaye-Weisman) – demo sung by Ray Peterson;
Rubberneckin’ (Dory Jones & Bunny Warren aka Ben Weisman) – demo sung by Billy Vera. Copyright 22-12-69.

According to an interview with songwriter Randy Starr he submitted the next demos for the movie Change of habit:
Change of habit - Love is the name of the game - People in love - We can see Him everywhere.
No more information known. All these versions were rejected.



colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Request for songs

In the past Mel Glazer & Stephan Schlaks wrote the song Speedway for the movie / soundtrack.
On 24 march 1970 Gladys Music Inc. asked Stephan Schlaks if he could submit 2 songs for the next recording session (june 1970).

Question: Anything know about these demos?


colonel snow

[colonel snow]

May 1968: Hill and Range / Tom Diskin offered for the NBC TV Special:

Jinglebell rock (Joe Beal-Jim Boothe)
The original version was recorded on 29 october 1957 by Bobby Helms (Decca 30513);

Little stranger (in a manger)
The song is written by Tommie Connor.
The original version was recorded around september 1964 by The Lennon Sisters (Dot 16681).
Other versions recorded:
23-05-66 – Hank Snow (LP);
00-07-67 – Marty Robbins (LP).

A voice in the choir (Gene Autry-Leroy Carr)
The song was recorded on 29 october 1953 by Gene Autry (Columbia 4-21229)

Merry Christmas baby (Baxter-Moore)
Recorded later on 15 may 1971.

It’s unknown Elvis got demo acetates from these songs but none of these selections were used for the TV Special.
(source: A life in music – page 245)

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Ain’t funny
The song was written by Joy Byers in 1962; the demo version was rejected by Hill and Range.
The song was recorded later on november 1962 by Gerri Granger (Big bop 45-3128). For the other side of this single she recorded “Don’t want your letters” = Return the sender with different lyrics.

colonel snow

[pmp]

Colonel, not relating to Elvis in particular, do you happen to know what the copyright situation is on songwriter demos such as these? Were the recordings copyrighted in the US in the normal way, or were they seen as public domain because they were intended to promote the material on them (in the same way that old publicity photos are generally classed as public domain)? If anyone knows the answer, it's probably you!

[colonel snow]

I don’t know who owns the copyrights. I presume the songwriter but when he offers the song to the music publisher it’s the possession of the music publisher when accepted for the catalog. The songwriter get a royalty.
When there’s a competition between songwriters to get as much as possible songs into a soundtrack I think the movie company is the “owner” from all (unused) demos.

Sometimes you’ll find (rejected) demos in the catalog of copyright entries while other demos from the same songwriting team for the same movie are not included. I’ve no idea about the reason(s).
It’s a difficult chapter.

Songs to be found in ASCAP / BMI – Songview register are often not included in catalog of copyright entries. It didn’t match for some reason.


colonel snow

[pmp]

I don’t know who owns the copyrights. I presume the songwriter but when he offers the song to the music publisher it’s the possession of the music publisher when accepted for the catalog. The songwriter get a royalty.
When there’s a competition between songwriters to get as much as possible songs into a soundtrack I think the movie company is the “owner” from all (unused) demos.

Sometimes you’ll find (rejected) demos in the catalog of copyright entries while other demos from the same songwriting team for the same movie are not included. I’ve no idea about the reason(s).
It’s a difficult chapter.

Songs to be found in ASCAP / BMI – Songview register are often not included in catalog of copyright entries. It didn’t match for some reason.


colonel snow

Thank you.

[colonel snow]

(That’s) The only way to love
Written by Dolores Fuller & Mark Barkan (Trousdale Music Inc.) – copyright 27 august 1964
Originally a demo for the movie Girl happy. It was the working title for the first movie scripts (1963 -1964) before the title was changed into Girl happy on 4 february 1964.

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

The hunch
Written by Dolores Fuller - Mark Barkan & J. Lanza (Trousdale Music Inc) – copyright 27 august 1964.
Probably a demo for Shelley Fabares in the movie Girl happy; I’ve no more information.




colonel snow

[colonel snow]

New CD by P J Proby announced with demo acetates for Elvis' recording sessions.
(Thanks Mr Moon from Phoenix forum for the link)

https://www.bear-family.com/detail/index/sArticle/567803

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Addition to the list on Bear Family site:
The tracks 3 till 21 are written by Sid Wayne & Ben Weisman

01 Because of love (Batchelor - Roberts) >>Girls girls girls

02 Cotton candy land (Batchelor-Roberts) >> IHATWF **

03 Take me to the fair >> IHATWF **

04 Fun in Acapulco >> Fun in Acapulco

05 Me and mi amigo >> Fun in Acapulco - rejected

06 Margarita >> Fun in Acapulco - rejected

07 'Til love comes to you – Fun in Acapulco - rejected

08 Which way do I turn >> Fun in Acapulco - rejected

09 Slowly but surely >> Fun in Acapulco - rejected

10 It's carnival time >> Roustabout

11 Happy go lucky me >> Roustabout - rejected

12 Carnival of dreams >> Roustabout - rejected

13 I'll keep your secret >> Roustabout - rejected

14 Everything I need >> Roustabout - rejected

15 The greatest show >> Roustabout - rejected

16 A fool to wander >> Roustabout - rejected

17 Come and get it - unknown

18 Where is pappy? >> Kissin’ cousins - rejected **

19 Snap to! >> Kissin’ cousins - rejected

20 Whatta they know >> Kissin’ cousins - rejected

21 In my dreams – released in the past (2011??) on PJ Proby fanclub CD

** more information in the next posts

A handful from these demos are circulating already.

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

One of the demos sung by P J Proby to be included in this Bear Family CD release.


colonel snow

[merry77]

interesting cd. I really like the demo acetates.
Let's wait until April 17th when it comes out.

[colonel snow]

CD P J Proby see previous post(s)
Take me to the fair was written by Fred Wise – Ben Weisman.
Most of the times P J Proby was used by Ben Weisman for cutting demo acetates.

According to Kevan Budd another version was written by Ruth Batchelor-Bob Roberts (demo with vocal P.J. Proby).
This version starts with the lyrics and can be found on the MGM acetate sc 2480-1 dated 24 august 1962:
"Potato Chips, Rocket Ships, Pony Tails and Mono Rails
Folks are just from everywhere
Oh Take Me, Take Me To The Fair”……………..

Both versions were rejected.
Elvis recorded on 22 september 1962 the version written by Tepper - Bennett 1962 titled “Take me to the fair # 2”.

When the CD is released we’ll know which version is included.


colonel snow