Demos for Elvis

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Don Robertson has send in 10 songs for the movie IHATWF; we know 7 songs were rejected / 2 songs were recorded

Question: Any idea what the tenth song was?


It happened at the world’s fair
Rejects
1 – Take me to the fair (Robertson-Blair)

2 – The bright new world of tomorrow (Robertson-Blair)

3 – Ballad of the bush pilot (Robertson-Blair)

4 – The ballad of Sue Lin aka Lullaby for Sue Lin (Robertson-Blair)

5 – It happened at the world’s fair
According to ASCAP the song was written by Don Robertson.

6 – Mine all mine (Robertson)

7 – Someone to come home to (Robertson)

Recorded:
8 – I’m falling in love tonight (Robertson)

9 – They remind me too much of you (Robertson)

10 – ??????


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See page 31 – post dated 24-02-23:

Kevan Budd mentioned 3 (demo) songs written by Ruth Batchelor:

- Sweet lady love
- Love is all I need
- That’s the way it goes

Question:
- For which recording session / movie session these demos were submitted?


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[kevanbudd]

See page 31 – post dated 24-02-23:

Kevan Budd mentioned 3 (demo) songs written by Ruth Batchelor:

- Sweet lady love
- Love is all I need
- That’s the way it goes

Question:
- For which recording session / movie session these demos were submitted?


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I have No further info at this time.

Kevan Budd.

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Thanks Kevan; it's a pity no more information is availabe.
Demos for Elvis stay a difficult chapter after all those years.


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The story goes Ruth Batchelor (with Bob Roberts) wrote in the early 60’s the next songs for Elvis:

- The best man cried;
- The hermit of the misty mountain.

Anything known for wich movie and / or recording session these songs were submitted?

The tracks were recorded later on by other artists.
The best man cried
The original version was recorded early 1962 by Skip Cunningham (Kapp K 455X).
copyright 17-04-62.

The hermit of the misty mountain (Batchelor-Roberts)
The original version was recorded early 1962 by Ben E. King (Atco 45-6222).
copyright 21-03-62.

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True love (Batchelor-Roberts)
The song was written early in 1962 for a recording session by Elvis but not used. Demo sung by PJ Proby.
(source Kevan Budd)
The song was recorded in the beginning of 1962 by April Stevens & Nino Tempo (Atco 6224). Copyright 18-04-62.

Maybe more of unknown songs written by Ruth Batchelor around 1962/63 come to daylight?

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By request an updated list with rejected songs for the movie Viva Las Vegas

Rejected songs in the pre-selections:

A man had a dream (letter 28 june 1963)
The song is written by Bernie Wayne.

Beat the bongo - acetate – simular sound like Do the Vega.

Better to have loved (letter 24 june 1963)
No information.

Classy chassis (Dolores Fuller-Lee Morris) * (letter 3 july 1963)
Originally selected for scene 26 but not used.
* on CD Silver screen treasures vol. 1 selected for Spinout

Here comes a sucker (letter 27 june 1963)
The song is written by Paul Bertuccini jr-Jerry Leiber-Mike Stoller. No other information.

I can’t say no (to you) (letter 27 june 1963)
No information.

I’d only love your more (Leiber-Stoller) (BMI) (letter 18 june 1963)

I just want some (letter 18 june 1963)
No information.

I’ll remember you (letter 27 june 1963)
No information.

I’m not buying (letter 25 june 1963)
No information.

I wanna be loved tonight (letter 19 june 1963)
No information.

I want a date with you baby
According to the script from 3 june 1963 (scene 64) the song “I want a date with you baby” was selected.
The song is not a real song but a creation by the writer of the script. According to the script from 3 july 1963 (page 29) for this scene 64X4 was used: The lady loves me (duet version track 2010).

Jealous fool (Bob Saffer) (letter 12 june 1963)
In june 1963 recorded by Jimmy Breedlove (Diamond D 144).

Note: The original version was recorded in january 1959 by Bobby Comstock & The Counts (Triumph 45-602)

Just like me (letter 14 june 1963)
For pool or cabana scene.
There’s no information known

Las Vegas
The song was written by Doc Pomus-Mort Shuman .
It’s known the songwriting team Pomus-Shuman wrote Viva Las Vegas but I think this is another song.

Lucky in Las Vegas
Written by Tepper-Bennett.

Meet me half way (letter 18 june 1963)
No information.

Nobody loves me (letter 25 june 1963)
No information.

Ode to a load (letter 28 june 1963)
No information.

Please be mine tonight (Bernie Wayne-Marvin Moore) (letter 27 june 1963)
(ballad)

Sure I love you (Buddy Kaye-Philip Springer) (letter 25 june 1963)
for western cookout.
(not written by Buddy Kaye-Philip Springer according to Philip Springer’s daughter / according to Kevan Budd these names are on the added sheet-music – lyrics)

That’s how you looked at me (Rick Ward- Sid Feller) (letter 21 june 1963)
(duet comedy version like The lady loves me)

The big wheel (Pomus-Shuman) (letter 12 june 1963)
Originally selected for scene 77: dancing in the gym (not used)
Replaced by: C’mon everybody

The city’s awake (Giant-Baum-Kaye).
Originally selected for the movie Viva Las Vegas (?).
Later on selected for the movie Double trouble but rejected.
We know the song with re-written lyrics as City by night.
(source: Kevan Budd)

The climb / The slime (Leiber-Stoller)
The song was originally recorded by The Coasters with the title "The slime" but for some reason the lyrics were changed; the song was re-recorded on 31 july 1962 with the title The climb (Atco 6234).

The desert has a lover (letter 21 june 1963)
A ballad to Ann Margret at western cookout.

The duck the cat and me (Tepper-Bennett) (letter 25 june 1963 - letter 28 june 1963)

The gal who broke the guy who broke the bank (Tepper-Bennett) (letter 25 june 1963 - letter 28 june 1963)
demo by Ann Margret

The most wonderful day of my life
According to the script from 3 june 1963 (scene 101X2) the song “The most wonderful day of my life” was selected.
The song "The most wonderful day of my life" is not a real song but a creation by the writer of the script. According to the script from 3 july 1963 (page 47) for this scene was used: Today tomorrow and forever (duet version track 2012).

The Vega (Joy Byers) (letter 19 june 1963)
According to the script from 3 july 1963 (page 49-scene 106X4) this number is replaced by “Night life”.
(Later on Night life was replaced by What ‘d I say)

The Vega # 1 (Joy Byers) (letter 28 june 1963)

The Vega # 2 (Joy Byers) (letter 28 june 1963)

The vega dance of chance (Tepper-Bennett)

Viva Las Vegas – alt. version by Giant-Baum-Kaye (?)

Viva Las Vegas
Another rejected version was written by Luigi Creatore and Hugo Peretti.
This version is registered at ASCAP.

Viva Las Vegas (Tepper-Bennett) – demo acetate with rejected version for the movie.

Viva Las Vegas
Another rejected version was written by Randy Starr and Fred Wise; the demo version is sung by Malcolm Dodd.

What’cha got to hide? You’re wasting your time (letter 25 june 1963)
(Girls answer) / no information.

What a day - demo version written by Don Robertson.
The song was selected for scene 103-106 but rejected and replaced by Today tomorrow and forever (duet version track 2012).
The recording by Don Robertson (recorded may 1963) was released in november 1963 on RCA 47-8269.

You’re for me (letter 25 june 1963)
No information.

From CD Silver screen treasures 1962/65
Don’t fool a fool in love (unused demo) = Paradise Hawaiian style
Sweet dreams baby (unused demo) = Paradise Hawaiian style
This way to paradise (unused demo) = Paradise Hawaiian style

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Some documentation for song selection (see previous post).


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[kevanbudd]

Some documentation for song selection (see previous post).

Meet me half way (letter 18 june 1963)
No information.

Nobody loves me (letter 25 june 1963)
No information.

Ode to a load (letter 28 june 1963)
No information.

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1. Meet me halfway (Ben Raleigh and Mark Barkan)
2. Nobody loves me (Irving Fields, Lee Morris and Michael Bruno) (for MGM.)
3. Ode to a load (Tepper and Bennet)

Kevan Budd.

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Thanks Kevan for the additions.


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See previous post:

Demos with: Beat the bongo (78 rpm) – Las Vegas – Viva Las Vegas.



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LITTLE WHITE DONKEY (Tepper–Bennett) - written for aborted 1966 Xmas album.


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Turn me loose
Written by Pomus - Shuman

It's not confirmed but the song was offered in 1958/1959 to Elvis; because Elvis was in the army he wasn't able to record the song.
Fabian recorded his version in early 1959 (Chancellor C 1033); Mort Shuman recorded the song late 1959 (Decca 11184).


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Shifting sands
(Giant-Baum-Kaye) (Elvis Presley Music - ASCAP)
The song is rejected in the pre-selection for the movie PHS and replaced by A house of sand. The demo version is sung by Bill Giant.


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