This question came up in another thread about another topic:
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=93029#p1488781
Looking at the amount of replies and the arguments used in the discussion, It deserves it's own thread imo. I am not a native English speaker, so I really can't say for 100% Elvis talked about the TV-show (which I always thought) or only about the song Memories.
To prevent parts of the discussion being lost (they are all off topic in the other thread), I've copied them to this one:
Mike From Holland: Agreed. It's possible Elvis thought he nailed it though. Like he said about the '68 TV-show: you can't win them all.
drjohncarpenter: That statement wasn't made about the 1968 TV Special, nor was the actual comment serious.
MikeFromHolland: Always thought that. Never too old to learn. What show did he do mean?
drjohncarpenter: He made the comment very specifically introducing the song "Memories," a recent RCA single and featured in the December 1968 TV Special. It was a self-depreciating joke, and very typical of Elvis' usual stage banter, from as far back as 1956. Why he knocked it may be due to Sam Phillips' criticism after seeing the opening night that it ruined the pacing of the performance.
Here are two examples released by RCA/FTD:
8-21-1969 MS - "I'd like to do a song I just did from my recent TV show, which wasn't very good but ..."
8-26-1969 DS - "A song that I just did on my recent TV show, which wasn't too good, but, you know, you can't win 'em all, man ..."
ICanHelp: The "not very good" remark qualifies the 68 special and not the song Memories. MH was correct.
poormadpeter2: Indeed. Elvis may still have been joking about it not being very good (although we should remember reviews at the time were mixed) - but he's definitely talking about the show.
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ICanHelp: The "not very good" remark qualifies the 68 special and not the song Memories. MH was correct.
drjohncarpenter: That's your interpretation of the statement, and we already know you have trouble parsing sentences. Since you choose to be declarative I'll do the same: you're wrong.
The NBC-TV program was a huge ratings success and propelled Elvis into 1969 on very strong footing. There would be no reason to put down his transcendent network appearance. Furthermore, it had just been re-run and garnered more attention. It seems far more plausible he felt uncomfortable doing "Memories" after his early mentor shot it down, and so the "jokes" began. If he felt like denigrating the event he could have made the comment before any number of songs that were screened on NBC the previous winter which were also in the set. But he did not.
The tongue-in-cheek intro is only known before "Memories." It is a reactive, subtle act by the singer. Feel free to do some of your own research on this and share with us what you discover. In the meantime, I'll remain rooted in the facts, and common sense reasoning, that I have now shared on two consecutive replies.
poormadpeter2: The only one having interpretation problems is yourself. Quite clearly, Elvis is joking about the show and not the song. The sentence structure also makes this clear. If he was talking about the song not being good, then the comment about show and song would have been juxtaposed:
"I recently did a TV show, and in it was a song which wasn't very good, but you can't win 'em all." There, he would have been talking about the song not being good, but that is not what is implied when he switches the song and TV show around in the sentence, not once, not twice, but three times - he says the same thing is said on the Collector's Gold version: "A song from my recent TV show, which was pretty bad, but you can't win 'em all."
Perhaps this inability to understand simple grammatical structures is why you feel so many people have problems understanding your posts. Would you like lessons, dear?
drjohncarpenter: Elvis did not take elocution lessons prior to his stage return in the summer of 1969. He never spoke in such fashion on stage. The concert tapes provide ample proof of this. Perhaps you need to devote some time to listening to the man and his music, instead of constantly putting people down on an Elvis forum. That might be a wise move.
poormadpeter2: So your argument for your case of him talking about the song is "I don't believe Elvis could put a sentence together."
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ICanHelp: The "not very good" remark qualifies the 68 special and not the song Memories. MH was correct.
Juan Luis: That is very clearly heard and understood. Self-deprecating but still about the show not the song. Some have no excuse for misinterpreting plain English.
goldbelt: The comments of course related to the TV Special as a whole, not the song Memories.
Typical of Elvis' self deprecating humour and the tailor made place to reference the Comeback Special
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Mike From Holland: Agreed. It's possible Elvis thought he nailed it though. Like he said about the '68 TV-show: you can't win them all.
Davelee: Nope. The 68 TV Show was a huge success (I hope you don't disagree with that) and Elvis knew it. In fact, it was what put him back where he belonged, the top, and it was one of the highest rated TV Shows of the year.
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ICanHelp: The "not very good" remark qualifies the 68 special and not the song Memories. MH was correct.
Davelee: Wrong!! Let's look at what Elvis said: "i'd like to do a song I just did from my recent TV Show, which wasn't Very good. How can you interpret this him talking about the TV Show when clearly he's talking about the song
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poormadpeter2: The only one having interpretation problems is yourself. Quite clearly, Elvis is joking about the show and not the song. The sentence structure also makes this clear. If he was talking about the song not being good, then the comment about show and song would have been juxtaposed:
"I recently did a TV show, and in it was a song which wasn't very good, but you can't win 'em all." There, he would have been talking about the song not being good, but that is not what is implied when he switches the song and TV show around in the sentence, not once, not twice, but three times - he says the same thing is said on the Collector's Gold version: "A song from my recent TV show, which was pretty bad, but you can't win 'em all."
Perhaps this inability to understand simple grammatical structures is why you feel so many people have problems understanding your posts. Would you like lessons, dear?
Davelee: This is the most ridiculous thing i've read - the misinterpretation is puzzling. Why have you switched about a sentence Elvis did not say?I've already commented on this so I'll do it again, here's what Elvis actually said: "i'd like to do a song I just did from my recent TV show, which wasn't very good". Now, he is clearly talking about the song from his recent TV show and not discrediting his TV show. Anyone can see that.
What is your opinion? Please, share...
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