Suspicious Minds in Aloha

[drjohncarpenter]

Why should Elvis have stayed away from that material? You just want him to be one of those singers that never reinvents themselves and just sings the same songs all their lives?

If you honestly believe that covering "My Way," one of Frank Sinatra's signature songs and recorded by hundreds of lesser acts, is how Elvis reinvented himself, I am speechless. Musical reinvention involves a lot more than doing someone else's standard. The same applies to Presley's desire to sing material like "Something" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water." No one today who is familiar with these classics thinks to themselves, "Elvis."

[r&b]

Why should Elvis have stayed away from that material? You just want him to be one of those singers that never reinvents themselves and just sings the same songs all their lives?

If you honestly believe that covering "My Way," one of Frank Sinatra's signature songs and recorded by hundreds of lesser acts, is how Elvis reinvented himself, I am speechless. Musical reinvention involves a lot more than doing someone else's standard. The same applies to Presley's desire to sing material like "Something" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water." No one today who is familiar with these classics thinks to themselves, "Elvis."

Thanks. I really dont get why its so hard for folks to understand this. Elvis stopped reinventing himself after 1969 IMO. Everything about 1969 was new, fresh, and exciting. Even the movies songs! I cant say I felt much of that afterwards, especially when he covered songs so many others also did (Jim Nabors anyone?). Thats not expanding as a singer IMO thats more like walking the Vegas strip. The rare exception was Elvis Country, a themed album (maybe by accident?) but a good one. Like The Everly Bros. 'Roots', it had merit.

[GERRY]

That's our Elvis, it's impossible 1971 but even at the height of Rock and Roll Elvis chose Old shep and I believe, lo esome cowboy, etc. It was the way he was

[drjohncarpenter]

That's our Elvis, it's impossible 1971 but even at the height of Rock and Roll Elvis chose Old shep and I believe, lo esome cowboy, etc. It was the way he was

First of all, the fall of 1956 was not "the height of Rock and Roll." Secondly, "Old Shep" had just a few cover versions in the twenty years since Red Foley's release. In other words, it was not a standard cut by hundreds of hack singers. Further, Elvis had not only sung "Old Shep" at a Tupelo talent contest when he was ten, but also cut country material since his start in the business. Most importantly, his brilliant, personal 1956 rendition of "Old Shep" towers over his by-the-numbers, live cover of the MOR Perry Como hit "It's Impossible" sixteen years later. That's our Elvis.

[drjohncarpenter]

Why should Elvis have stayed away from that material? You just want him to be one of those singers that never reinvents themselves and just sings the same songs all their lives?

If you honestly believe that covering "My Way," one of Frank Sinatra's signature songs and recorded by hundreds of lesser acts, is how Elvis reinvented himself, I am speechless. Musical reinvention involves a lot more than doing someone else's standard. The same applies to Presley's desire to sing material like "Something" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water." No one today who is familiar with these classics thinks to themselves, "Elvis."

I wasn't referring to My Way in that context.

I was referring to some people's wish that Elvis had stayed purely a rock n' roll act.

That's not the wish. The hope was that Presley would stay committed to great performances of terrific, unique material, as he did in the 1950s. As he promised Steve Binder in 1968. It didn't happen.

[poormadpeter2]

"it's not one of my songs, but I'd like to sing it for you...My Way"....

Yes and Elvis duly and rightfully noted it was still Frank Sinatra's song before he sang it in 1977, 4 full years after Aloha. Further he needed the lyric sheet. So much for it being 'his song'. As for me, I wish he never went near this song, and others like it. In his book, Tom Jones said Elvis told him to stay away from MOR songs like this, let SInatra & and his type sing them. Once again, false words.

No he he didn't say MOR songs, he said "The Standards"

Yeah and My Way had sort of fallen into that category. Also Impossible Dream, Its Impossible, etc. Semantics. Basically all the same type of songs. They had become or were becoming American standards mostly sung by the Sinatras, Comos, Andy Williams , Jack Jones and gasp! Jim Nabors of the world. Elvis should have steered clear of them. Not only did it make many people look at him as now, just another Vegas cover singer, there were so many great songs in the pop world he could have done instead. We wont get into that.

No, this was not the type of music Jones was referring to. Jones was referring to the fact that he had recorded a number of actual standards from the Great American Songbook for his 1966 album From the Heart. The album in question contained Begin the Beguine, My Foolish Heart, It's Magic, Hello Young Lovers, When I Fall in Love, That Old Black Magic. Jones's album of standards was released three years before My Way, and at a time when Sinatra was still concentrating on standards himself. Jones has said that, at the time, Sinatra was encouraging him to record that kind of material, while Elvis told him not to - Jones did it anyway. From the Heart was not release in its original form in America, but most of the tracks from it were used on the American release of Green Green Grass of Home LP (which was totally different to the UK version).

From the Heart (UK album):

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/From_the_Heart_(Tom_Jones_album)

Green Green Grass of Home (US album)

https://www.discogs.com/Tom-Jones-Green-Green-Grass-Of-Home/release/2868647

MOR and "standards" (ie. the American Songbook) are NOT one and the same, and never have been. Quite why people can't tell the difference between The Carpenters and the following is something I shall never work out.

..

..

[drjohncarpenter]

MOR and "standards" (ie. the American Songbook) are NOT one and the same ...

But this is exactly what Tom Jones meant when he gave this advice to his friend. And that's a fact.

[poormadpeter2]

MOR and "standards" (ie. the American Songbook) are NOT one and the same ...

But this is exactly what Tom Jones meant when he gave this advice to his friend. And that's a fact.

No, it's not. And that's a FACT. He's been on enough talk shows chatting about it. The advice from both Sinatra (to record them) and from Elvis (not to record them) came in 1965/early 1966 and referred to the Great American songbook. He has been very explicit about that. And always the comments are made about the "album of standards" I have referred to (From the Heart/Green Green Grass of Home, depending where you live)

Sir Tom’s new memoir “Over the Top and Back” charts his journey to stardom.

Speaking ahead of the US release of the book to CBS News, he said that after the release of an early album, the King wasn’t shy in telling him to stay away from jazz.

Sinatra complimented him on his jazz voice

“He [Elvis] said, ‘Tom, we don’t go there,’” said Sir Tom. “He said, ‘We leave that to Frank.’ Right?’ But he said ‘we’. So that was a big compliment to me.”

But he admitted that during a bar chat with Sinatra, he instead complimented his “jazz voice”.

“And then I’d be talking to Frank Sinatra at the Galleria Bar havin’ a few, you know, in Caesar’s Palace. And he’d say, ‘You know you’ve got a great jazz voice, Tom. You know, leave that pop stuff alone. You know, you gotta come with me.’ And I said, ‘Frank, I love it all. I do.’”

http://www.walesonline.co.uk/lifestyle/showbiz/sinatra-elvis-sir-tom-jones-10680225

There is even Jones on video saying that Sinatra and Elvis was talking about his "jazz voice" at the following link. (starts at 3.25)

At one point, Jones got opposite advice from Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley. Presley listened to Jones' records but didn't like an album of standards he released.

"He said, 'Tom, we don't go there,'" Jones said. "He said, 'We leave that to Frank.'
http://www.cbsnews.com/news/singer-sir-tom-jones-memoir-over-the-top-and-back-career/

Not only do we have Jones being explicit about his meaning, but also common sense - Elvis wouldn't say "we leave that to Frank" at the very time when he was recording what YOU think he meant himself.

One more:

Jones tells radio station Magic 105.4, "I knew Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley very well. I did an album of Frank Sinatra type things and Elvis listened and said, 'Tom I heard that thing' and I said... 'Yeah and?' Elvis said, 'We leave that to Frank Sinatra, we don't go there'."
http://www.express.co.uk/celebrity-news/452957/Elvis-Presley-warned-Tom-Jones-not-to-cover-Frank-Sinatra-s-songs

The ONLY album of Sinatra-type things Jones made was the one of old standards - not MOR.

So much, once again, for facts.

[Stvimpe]

General thought: Ultimately, Elvis recorded what he recorded. We may agree or disagree with some of his choices, but why keep moaning that he should have done this, or shouldn't have done that? Elvis did what he did. We can't change that. And whilst I don't like all of his choices, overall I'm rather fine with with musical eclecticism. He brought me tremendous joy with his rockers, r&b songs, country songs, pop songs, gospel songs, ballads - even with some of the schmalzy ones. Sure, some things he could have done better, but that's an endless debate.

I read and hear people say Elvis should have done more with his talent. And to a certain extent, I understand that criticism. But Elvis was Elvis, with great talents and with human 'flaws', which together with a variety of circumstances and perhaps wrong choices molded the career he made. Nothing can be done to change that. And maybe he set the bar so high that we expect too much from him. In any case, it is what it is. And of course, it's allright to say this or that was a stronger or weaker performance, though there will always be a subjective aspect in musical appreciation. So, rather than moaning about missed opportunities, I'd like to focus on the man and the music that brought me so much joy in my life, even when he recorded some songs I really can't stand, but I won't be grumpy about that.

Cheers!

[drjohncarpenter]

MOR and "standards" (ie. the American Songbook) are NOT one and the same ...

But this is exactly what Tom Jones meant when he gave this advice to his friend. And that's a fact.

No, it's not. And that's a FACT. He's been on enough talk shows chatting about it. The advice from both Sinatra (to record them) and from Elvis (not to record them) came in 1965/early 1966 and referred to the Great American songbook. He has been very explicit about that. And always the comments are made about the "album of standards" I have referred to (From the Heart/Green Green Grass of Home, depending where you live)

The "album of standards" Tom Jones was referring to was From The Heart (Decca LK 4814, August 1966), period.

However, since I well knew both the LP and its contents, I also understood how Jones might conflate the meanings you continue to hysterically debate. Why? Because the release did not exclusively feature material from the "Great American songbook."

I have provided a scan of this LP, so you can see for yourself how Jones, for example, delivers songs by both Cole Porter AND Leiber and Stoller, songs that were easy-listening hits for Ray Charles, the Platters, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass AND Frank Sinatra. It was a mix, just as I noted.

And the songs were extremely covered by many artists, which was why Jones referred to it as a mistake. What we may conclude from this additional series of FACTS is I am correct about this latest sub-discussion, one you are trying to inflame.

Also, the friendly Elvis and Tom discussion about Jones' LP did not happen "in 1965/early 1966," either. The album did not come out until the summer of 1966, as I note. Further, the singers met just briefly in the summer of 1965 at Paramount, again so in the spring of 1968 in Las Vegas. It was only later they spent serious time together where such a chat might have come up, and given the type of sets Elvis was delivering in the "Aloha" era, this would be a likely time-frame.

Live and learn.

660816_Decca ‎LK 4814_01.jpg

660816_Decca ‎LK 4814_02.jpg

[Juan Luis]

Why should Elvis have stayed away from that material? You just want him to be one of those singers that never reinvents themselves and just sings the same songs all their lives?

If you honestly believe that covering "My Way," one of Frank Sinatra's signature songs and recorded by hundreds of lesser acts, is how Elvis reinvented himself, I am speechless. Musical reinvention involves a lot more than doing someone else's standard. The same applies to Presley's desire to sing material like "Something" or "Bridge Over Troubled Water." No one today who is familiar with these classics thinks to themselves, "Elvis."

Thanks. I really dont get why its so hard for folks to understand this. Elvis stopped reinventing himself after 1969 IMO. Everything about 1969 was new, fresh, and exciting. Even the movies songs! I cant say I felt much of that afterwards, especially when he covered songs so many others also did (Jim Nabors anyone?). Thats not expanding as a singer IMO thats more like walking the Vegas strip. The rare exception was Elvis Country, a themed album (maybe by accident?) but a good one. Like The Everly Bros. 'Roots', it had merit.

.[/youtube]Cute!

[poormadpeter2]

MOR and "standards" (ie. the American Songbook) are NOT one and the same ...

But this is exactly what Tom Jones meant when he gave this advice to his friend. And that's a fact.

No, it's not. And that's a FACT. He's been on enough talk shows chatting about it. The advice from both Sinatra (to record them) and from Elvis (not to record them) came in 1965/early 1966 and referred to the Great American songbook. He has been very explicit about that. And always the comments are made about the "album of standards" I have referred to (From the Heart/Green Green Grass of Home, depending where you live)

The "album of standards" Tom Jones was referring to was From The Heart (Decca LK 4814, August 1966), period.

However, since I well knew both the LP and its contents, I also understood how Jones might conflate the meanings you continue to hysterically debate. Why? Because the release did not exclusively feature material from the "Great American songbook."

I have provided a scan of this LP, so you can see for yourself how Jones, for example, delivers songs by both Cole Porter AND Leiber and Stoller, songs that were easy-listening hits for Ray Charles, the Platters, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass AND Frank Sinatra. It was a mix, just as I noted.

And the songs were extremely covered by many artists, which was why Jones referred to it as a mistake. What we may conclude from this additional series of FACTS is I am correct about this latest sub-discussion, one you are trying to inflame.

Also, the friendly Elvis and Tom discussion about Jones' LP did not happen "in 1965/early 1966," either. The album did not come out until the summer of 1966, as I note. Further, the singers met just briefly in the summer of 1965 at Paramount, again so in the spring of 1968 in Las Vegas. It was only later they spent serious time together where such a chat might have come up, and given the type of sets Elvis was delivering in the "Aloha" era, this would be a likely time-frame.

Live and learn.

660816_Decca ‎LK 4814_01.jpg

660816_Decca ‎LK 4814_02.jpg

Well, you tried. What you clearly fail to understand is that a song such as Kansas City had been associated with jazz and Sinatra-style singers for years, not least thanks to the superb performances by Peggy Lee and Sammy Davis Jr that took the song and firmly placed it in that domain. Even so, Kansas City is the ONLY "non-standard" (if you insist) on the entire album. And before you add "My Prayer" to that list, you need to be reminded that it dates back to the 1920s. Who the songs were covered by previously is completely unimportant - it's their ORIGINS that count - and all of them have origins in jazz standards or blues standards. A scan was not required, I have the album, and already provided a link the track listings of the UK and the US versions. Clearly you have never heard it, nor are you remotely able to accept three versions of the same story from the man at the centre of them. It's a shame that, once again, you cannot admit that you were wrong and, instead, have to come up with some bloated post that ultimately saying not a lot about anything other than the fact your fingers are in your ears and your head is in the sand.

[Ryan73]

I just wished Elvis would have stuck to singing more Elvis. He had such a huge wealth of hit material that other lounge singers or one hit wonders would have killed for. Some people point to the 68 Special as a moment where Elvis "reinvented' himself. Which he did, by singing 'his' older songs rather than a lot of soundtrack fillers.

[poormadpeter2]

I just wished Elvis would have stuck to singing more Elvis. He had such a huge wealth of hit material that other lounge singers or one hit wonders would have killed for. Some people point to the 68 Special as a moment where Elvis "reinvented' himself. Which he did, by singing 'his' older songs rather than a lot of soundtrack fillers.

Yes, but a number of the songs in the 68 comeback had not been major hits for Elvis, and many were not his songs originally either. We need to remember that the likes of Big Boss Man and Guitar Man were not hits (#38 and #43 respectively) - we associate them with Elvis now, but they were hardly the hits of his back catalogue we make them out to be, and not viewed as such in 1968. Let Yourself Go and Little Egypt were, indeed, from soundtracks and had not been hits. Tiger Man, Up Above My Head, Saved, Baby What You Want Me To Do were also all covers not associated with Elvis. Lawdy Miss Clawdy had been recorded by Elvis, but wasn't associated with him.

[Ryan73]

I suppose so. However looking at the song list on the original program I see Heartbreak Hotel, All shook up, can't help falling in love, jailhouse rock, love me tender, are you lonesome tonight, blue Christmas, and one night. All pretty big Elvis songs. In addition he sings perhaps lesser hits that I'd still consider his own like Trouble, Guitarman etc. Again, i'd have had no problem with our man throwing in an occasional bridge over troubled water or unchained melody but I found many of his 70s concerts to feature an abundance of others' standards. I'm sure someone else can correct me with numbers, but we're talking about a guy that had about 38 top ten hits. Wayne Newton or even ole rockin Jerry Lee probably would have salivated to have such a plethora of hits to choose from. And yet, rather than dig deep into that catalogue, he chose to out 'vegas' other acts and beat them at their own game.

[r&b]

I suppose so. However looking at the song list on the original program I see Heartbreak Hotel, All shook up, can't help falling in love, jailhouse rock, love me tender, are you lonesome tonight, blue Christmas, and one night. All pretty big Elvis songs. In addition he sings perhaps lesser hits that I'd still consider his own like Trouble, Guitarman etc. Again, i'd have had no problem with our man throwing in an occasional bridge over troubled water or unchained melody but I found many of his 70s concerts to feature an abundance of others' standards. I'm sure someone else can correct me with numbers, but we're talking about a guy that had about 38 top ten hits. Wayne Newton or even ole rockin Jerry Lee probably would have salivated to have such a plethora of hits to choose from. And yet, rather than dig deep into that catalogue, he chose to out 'vegas' other acts and beat them at their own game.

I always felt Elvis included Big Boss Man and Guitar Man because they were recently recorded by him, hits or not. Otherwise the show would have been stricly about the oldies except for the 2 new songs and gospel . He had to show he was currently still making music, and with the genius of Binder, a whole story segment was written around Guitar Man and a major part of the special.

[Hard Rocker]

Right from the get-go Elvis did cover versions. Nothing unusual about that. He usually improved them and quite a number of them he made his own.

[Jamie]

I’ve always appreciated Aloha as being a solid professional performance if somewhat restrained. It could and should have been so much better. Having said that the general public and music industry seem to treat it with respect. To me Elvis seems hamstrung by the need to stick to a very tight schedule for the satellite window. There was no flexibility to ad lib. Equally, he seems uncomfortable with the lights up, he seems self-conscious and not relaxed in his own body movements. Only occasionally does he seem to get lost in the moment e.g. Trilogy. I know by that point in time the energy levels in terms of body movements had reduced from the great physical performances of 69/70 but 72 showed Elvis would still invest energy in the endings to songs and some big hitters like Proud Mary and PSA. We Could have expected a more energetic performance I feel. But as I say he seems restrained for the above reasons. I don’t think drugs played apart as someone alluded earlier. He looks great and lucid to me.
I wish Elvis management, RCA and the producer had insisted to Elvis that as this would be the first time millions of worldwide fans would see him that he should give them songs from his own catalogue and not so many covers. I wish the show had been given to Binder and Howe – things may have been very different. Every artist does some covers but Aloha is just overloaded. I would like to have seen a line up similar to this;

That’s All Right (instead of CC Rider)
Burning Love
Just Pretend (instead of Something)
You Gave Me A Mountain
Reconsider Baby (instead of Steamroller)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (instead of My Way – still a cover I know but EP had recorded it on an album)
Love Me
Little Sister (don’t need any Chuck Berry covers as good as they are and cuts out any crap of dealing with him over rights)
I’m Leaving (instead of It’s Over)
Lawdy Miss Clawdy (to replace Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes – he seemed to commit to LMC far more than the other two throw a ways)
Always on My Mind (why sing I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry when he had just cut AOMM)
Kentucky Rain (rather than I Can’t Stop Loving You)
How Great Thou Art (instead of What Now My Love)
Fever
Wonder of You (instead of Welcome to My World)
Suspicious Minds
I’ll Remember You
Mystery Train/Tiger Man (instead of Long Tall Sally)
An American Trilogy
Big Hunk Of Love
Can’t Help Falling In Love

Obviously, we would all pick different songs from the catalogue but you get my drift on what it might have been. I’ve not timed it so it’s possible it’s now longer in which case I’d probably drop Wonder Of You. We then have the after show songs and this is where I feel they all missed a huge trick. I mean why come back 2 hours later when everyone’s adrenalin has gone, they are clearly tired and emotionally drained. Why on earth didn’t they do the five songs as an encore? Elvis could have gone off for ten minutes to towel down and change perhaps into one of the two piece outfits from the summer. They could all then have come back on in front of a live audience with no time restriction and with adrenalin and excitement still pumping. In fact at this point I would have dropped the lights and let EP relax. The crowd too would be absolutely buzzing. I would have again made the most of Elvis catalogue and not just from Blue Hawaii. You can make you own minds up but for me I would have done something like;

Blue Hawaii
Polk Salad Annie
Run On (plenty of other Gospel choices but this is one of my favourites)
In The Ghetto
If I Can Dream – need to finish on a high again so why not his biggest message song.

So that’s what I wish it had been rather than the song line up chosen with all of the covers. It should have been an Elvis concert for Elvis fans with Elvis songs. Ah well, if only…….

Cheers Jamie

[poormadpeter2]

I’ve always appreciated Aloha as being a solid professional performance if somewhat restrained. It could and should have been so much better. Having said that the general public and music industry seem to treat it with respect. To me Elvis seems hamstrung by the need to stick to a very tight schedule for the satellite window. There was no flexibility to ad lib. Equally, he seems uncomfortable with the lights up, he seems self-conscious and not relaxed in his own body movements. Only occasionally does he seem to get lost in the moment e.g. Trilogy. I know by that point in time the energy levels in terms of body movements had reduced from the great physical performances of 69/70 but 72 showed Elvis would still invest energy in the endings to songs and some big hitters like Proud Mary and PSA. We Could have expected a more energetic performance I feel. But as I say he seems restrained for the above reasons. I don’t think drugs played apart as someone alluded earlier. He looks great and lucid to me.
I wish Elvis management, RCA and the producer had insisted to Elvis that as this would be the first time millions of worldwide fans would see him that he should give them songs from his own catalogue and not so many covers. I wish the show had been given to Binder and Howe – things may have been very different. Every artist does some covers but Aloha is just overloaded. I would like to have seen a line up similar to this;

That’s All Right (instead of CC Rider)
Burning Love
Just Pretend (instead of Something)
You Gave Me A Mountain
Reconsider Baby (instead of Steamroller)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (instead of My Way – still a cover I know but EP had recorded it on an album)
Love Me
Little Sister (don’t need any Chuck Berry covers as good as they are and cuts out any crap of dealing with him over rights)
I’m Leaving (instead of It’s Over)
Lawdy Miss Clawdy (to replace Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes – he seemed to commit to LMC far more than the other two throw a ways)
Always on My Mind (why sing I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry when he had just cut AOMM)
Kentucky Rain (rather than I Can’t Stop Loving You)
How Great Thou Art (instead of What Now My Love)
Fever
Wonder of You (instead of Welcome to My World)
Suspicious Minds
I’ll Remember You
Mystery Train/Tiger Man (instead of Long Tall Sally)
An American Trilogy
Big Hunk Of Love
Can’t Help Falling In Love

Obviously, we would all pick different songs from the catalogue but you get my drift on what it might have been. I’ve not timed it so it’s possible it’s now longer in which case I’d probably drop Wonder Of You. We then have the after show songs and this is where I feel they all missed a huge trick. I mean why come back 2 hours later when everyone’s adrenalin has gone, they are clearly tired and emotionally drained. Why on earth didn’t they do the five songs as an encore? Elvis could have gone off for ten minutes to towel down and change perhaps into one of the two piece outfits from the summer. They could all then have come back on in front of a live audience with no time restriction and with adrenalin and excitement still pumping. In fact at this point I would have dropped the lights and let EP relax. The crowd too would be absolutely buzzing. I would have again made the most of Elvis catalogue and not just from Blue Hawaii. You can make you own minds up but for me I would have done something like;

Blue Hawaii
Polk Salad Annie
Run On (plenty of other Gospel choices but this is one of my favourites)
In The Ghetto
If I Can Dream – need to finish on a high again so why not his biggest message song.

So that’s what I wish it had been rather than the song line up chosen with all of the covers. It should have been an Elvis concert for Elvis fans with Elvis songs. Ah well, if only…….

Cheers Jamie

You forget the demands of rca to include songs not previously recorded by Elvis.

[Hobbes]

For what it's worth I'm glad that songs like Big Boss Man, Let Yourself Go, It Hurts Me, and Guitar Man were featured in the 68 special. They weren't hits by Elvis but they were solid, even fantastic songs that found a home in those production numbers.

[Johnny2523]

I’ve always appreciated Aloha as being a solid professional performance if somewhat restrained. It could and should have been so much better. Having said that the general public and music industry seem to treat it with respect. To me Elvis seems hamstrung by the need to stick to a very tight schedule for the satellite window. There was no flexibility to ad lib. Equally, he seems uncomfortable with the lights up, he seems self-conscious and not relaxed in his own body movements. Only occasionally does he seem to get lost in the moment e.g. Trilogy. I know by that point in time the energy levels in terms of body movements had reduced from the great physical performances of 69/70 but 72 showed Elvis would still invest energy in the endings to songs and some big hitters like Proud Mary and PSA. We Could have expected a more energetic performance I feel. But as I say he seems restrained for the above reasons. I don’t think drugs played apart as someone alluded earlier. He looks great and lucid to me.
I wish Elvis management, RCA and the producer had insisted to Elvis that as this would be the first time millions of worldwide fans would see him that he should give them songs from his own catalogue and not so many covers. I wish the show had been given to Binder and Howe – things may have been very different. Every artist does some covers but Aloha is just overloaded. I would like to have seen a line up similar to this;

That’s All Right (instead of CC Rider)
Burning Love
Just Pretend (instead of Something)
You Gave Me A Mountain
Reconsider Baby (instead of Steamroller)
Bridge Over Troubled Water (instead of My Way – still a cover I know but EP had recorded it on an album)
Love Me
Little Sister (don’t need any Chuck Berry covers as good as they are and cuts out any crap of dealing with him over rights)
I’m Leaving (instead of It’s Over)
Lawdy Miss Clawdy (to replace Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes – he seemed to commit to LMC far more than the other two throw a ways)
Always on My Mind (why sing I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry when he had just cut AOMM)
Kentucky Rain (rather than I Can’t Stop Loving You)
How Great Thou Art (instead of What Now My Love)
Fever
Wonder of You (instead of Welcome to My World)
Suspicious Minds
I’ll Remember You
Mystery Train/Tiger Man (instead of Long Tall Sally)
An American Trilogy
Big Hunk Of Love
Can’t Help Falling In Love

Obviously, we would all pick different songs from the catalogue but you get my drift on what it might have been. I’ve not timed it so it’s possible it’s now longer in which case I’d probably drop Wonder Of You. We then have the after show songs and this is where I feel they all missed a huge trick. I mean why come back 2 hours later when everyone’s adrenalin has gone, they are clearly tired and emotionally drained. Why on earth didn’t they do the five songs as an encore? Elvis could have gone off for ten minutes to towel down and change perhaps into one of the two piece outfits from the summer. They could all then have come back on in front of a live audience with no time restriction and with adrenalin and excitement still pumping. In fact at this point I would have dropped the lights and let EP relax. The crowd too would be absolutely buzzing. I would have again made the most of Elvis catalogue and not just from Blue Hawaii. You can make you own minds up but for me I would have done something like;

Blue Hawaii
Polk Salad Annie
Run On (plenty of other Gospel choices but this is one of my favourites)
In The Ghetto
If I Can Dream – need to finish on a high again so why not his biggest message song.

So that’s what I wish it had been rather than the song line up chosen with all of the covers. It should have been an Elvis concert for Elvis fans with Elvis songs. Ah well, if only…….

Cheers Jamie

I enjoyed reading your post, but I have to disagree with your suggested song lineup with the exception of Always On My Mind replacing I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry.

Having a powerhouse like Just Pretend so early in the concert and immediately preceeding Mountain would be a mistake- 2 huge songs one after the other. Elvis used these big songs quite sparingly in his shows and you have also added another powerhouse in How Great Thou Art- this in addition to the already existing American Trilogy. That's too many powerhouses in one show! Have 2 at the most.

Also your set list is still ballad-heavy.

And why none of Elvis' immortals? Wouldn't it be wonderful to at least include Don't Be Cruel?

Your song choices make for quite a serious ALOHA setlist. What about a couple more fun songs? Return To Sender?

Also Kentucky Rain is a strange choice for a strict 1-hour worldwide concert. How many of the millions viewing want to hear Kentucky Rain? Again, it's not a fun song.Also

you suggest BRIDGE instead of MY WAY and you mention that Elvis had just put out BRIDGE on an album. Well this is exactly why My Way is the correct choice- it's a song not any album. BRIDGE had already been in That's The Way It Is on album and in the movie and of course it was used again in On Tour.

Thank you, i agree with this!.
Now let me make some adjustments to JR's tracklist

That’s All Right
Burning Love
Something
You Gave Me A Mountain
Love Me
Teddy Bear - Don't Be Cruel
Little Sister
Reconsider Baby
My Way
Fever
Its Over
The Wonder Of You
Heartbreak Hotel
Lawdy Miss Clawdy
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
Funny How Time Slips Away
Introductions
Suspicious Minds
What Now My Love
I’ll Remember You
Rock Medley (Ala 1974)
An American Trilogy
I'm Leavin'
Big Hunk Of Love
Can’t Help Falling In Love

[drjohncarpenter]

The "album of standards" Tom Jones was referring to was From The Heart (Decca LK 4814, August 1966), period.

However, since I well knew both the LP and its contents, I also understood how Jones might conflate the meanings you continue to hysterically debate. Why? Because the release did not exclusively feature material from the "Great American songbook."

I have provided a scan of this LP, so you can see for yourself how Jones, for example, delivers songs by both Cole Porter AND Leiber and Stoller, songs that were easy-listening hits for Ray Charles, the Platters, Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass AND Frank Sinatra. It was a mix, just as I noted.

And the songs were extremely covered by many artists, which was why Jones referred to it as a mistake. What we may conclude from this additional series of FACTS is I am correct about this latest sub-discussion, one you are trying to inflame.

Also, the friendly Elvis and Tom discussion about Jones' LP did not happen "in 1965/early 1966," either. The album did not come out until the summer of 1966, as I note. Further, the singers met just briefly in the summer of 1965 at Paramount, again so in the spring of 1968 in Las Vegas. It was only later they spent serious time together where such a chat might have come up, and given the type of sets Elvis was delivering in the "Aloha" era, this would be a likely time-frame.

Live and learn.

Well, you tried.

I did more than that. I supported the statement you challenged with even more facts, proved you didn't even know the content of the album you tried to present, and set in proper context the conversation the two singers enjoyed. It's time to move on now, this sub-discussion is finished.

[Hard Rocker]

Well, you tried. What you clearly fail to understand is that a song such as Kansas City had been associated with jazz and Sinatra-style singers for years, not least thanks to the superb performances by Peggy Lee and Sammy Davis Jr that took the song and firmly placed it in that domain. Even so, Kansas City is the ONLY "non-standard" (if you insist) on the entire album. And before you add "My Prayer" to that list, you need to be reminded that it dates back to the 1920s. Who the songs were covered by previously is completely unimportant - it's their ORIGINS that count - and all of them have origins in jazz standards or blues standards. A scan was not required, I have the album, and already provided a link the track listings of the UK and the US versions. Clearly you have never heard it, nor are you remotely able to accept three versions of the same story from the man at the centre of them. It's a shame that, once again, you cannot admit that you were wrong and, instead, have to come up with some bloated post that ultimately saying not a lot about anything other than the fact your fingers are in your ears and your head is in the sand.

Game, set, and match.

[drjohncarpenter]

For what it's worth I'm glad that songs like Big Boss Man, Let Yourself Go, It Hurts Me, and Guitar Man were featured in the 68 special. They weren't hits by Elvis but they were solid, even fantastic songs that found a home in those production numbers.

And it almost goes without saying that his dynamic vocal performance on each of these is absolutely thrilling, and generally surpass the studio recordings made in 1964 and 1967. In 1973, the singer did not set the bar as high, did he?

[Hard Rocker]

Few, if any, ever set the bar as high as Elvis Presley did in 1968... aside from Elvis himself.