Best track on "Fun in Acapulco" LP 1963

Post by **dreambear** » Thu May 10, 2007 1:11 pm

This movie is actually quite ok and so are the soundtrack. Ok, some of the songs aren´t that great, but Elvis´ singing is far more convincing than on the last soundtrack album. He seems to enjoy singing most of those mexican flavoured songs. But three has to go. ""There´s no room to rhumba..." has ok music and is fun in the movie....but the lyrics with just audio.. No! No! "Vino, Dinero y Amor" is a bit irritating. Don´t ask me why. The last track to go ain´t easy but I don´t care for "The Bullfighter Was a Lady". Now the positive side: The title track has a nice holiday feeling over it. "Mexico" was actually a hit single in Scandinavia and is defenitely catchy. "Guadalajara" isn´t a classic, but Elvis´ is in terrific voice on this number and the final note is his most convincing ending since the days of "Surrender" and "There´s always me". For the first time we have "Bonus tracks". "Slowly..." must be the first song by Elvis using Fuzz box. Good rocker but Elvis doesn´t sound 100% motivated (as on a few other may ´63 numbers like "Blue river"). Motivated is the right word for "Love me tonight" (If Elvis ever did a lousy performance of a Don Robertson song, please let me know). But my favourite must be "Bossa nova baby". What a party song, especially the brass/guitar solo when the drummer hits the snare real hard! It´s my favourite from one of the better soundtrack albums.

Please, vote on!

Regards//Björn

Post by **Narek** » Thu May 10, 2007 4:29 pm

Often criticized this album is not bad at all in my opinion, i'd even say it's quite good. I did not vote for the obvious jewel Bossa Nova Baby. I always kinda liked the story in El Toro.

Post by **jetblack** » Thu May 10, 2007 7:31 pm

'I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here' gets my vote - it's a great vocal even though I much prefer the 'Silver Screen Stereo' alternate master.

Andy

thekingisalive · Post by **thekingisalive** » Thu May 10, 2007 8:06 pm

I voted for "El Toro", although there are several great tracks here.

This is a soundtrack album, Bjørn. "Love Me Tonight" and "Slowly but Surely" are just bonus songs from some regular studio session and should have been the first tracks to go. They really don’t belong there.

Per

Torben · Post by **Torben** » Thu May 10, 2007 9:32 pm

I disagree, Per.

This is the album not the soundtrack, the bonus tracks are an important part of it.

I voted for "Love Me Tonight".

Post by **jeanno** » Fri May 11, 2007 9:26 am

Torben

This is the album not the soundtrack, the bonus tracks are an important part of it.

I voted for "Love Me Tonight".

I did too: what a beautiful song!

JerryNodak · Post by **JerryNodak** » Fri May 11, 2007 2:11 pm

My vote went to Marguerita. Next on my list would be El Toro. I love this soundtrack.

Post by **Keith Richards, Jr.** » Fri May 11, 2007 2:20 pm

Well I voted for Mexico. I agree with Jerry Nodak, Fun In Acapulco is a great soundtrack, and it's very well recorded, too. Fun, fun, fun!

Keith Richards, Jr.

Post by **dreambear** » Mon May 14, 2007 3:44 pm

thekingisalive wrote:I voted for "El Toro", although there are several great tracks here.

This is a soundtrack album, Bjørn. "Love Me Tonight" and "Slowly but Surely" are just bonus songs from some regular studio session and should have been the first tracks to go. They really don’t belong there.

Per

Hello! See Torbens answer. I grew up with the LP´s and those tracks were a part of the album. How should I do with albums like "Elvis Now"? Those tracks is recorded between 69-71, but they belongs to the album.

By the way. "El Toro" is a bit of surprise to me here. What a success!//Björn

Regards//Björn

Post by **minkahed** » Wed May 16, 2007 5:30 am

Not only is the "Fun In Acapulco" soundtrack way above average, IMHO, but Elvis' vocals are sublime and the sonic quality of the recordings are definitely way above most of all the other Elvis soundtracks of the entire decade of the 60's ...

Post by **Suspicious Minds** » Wed May 16, 2007 12:15 pm

One of my favourite albums. I voted for Fun In Acapulco. A ballad that cheers me up anyway. Especially when the weather is dull. I also like Love Me Tonight but it's not a soundtrack song. One of my favourite ballads.

Post by **dreambear** » Wed May 16, 2007 2:01 pm

shanebrown wrote:Ah, but Elvis Now only has ten tracks!

I see a point here

//Björn

Post by **dreambear** » Tue Jun 12, 2007 10:49 am

Bossa nova baby won the game here and that wasn´t any surprise. A super track on a nice soundtrack album. Interresting that "Slowly but surely", a regular recording, didn´t get any votes.

Thanks for voting!

//Björn

Post by **Mike Eder** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:58 am

Gosh I never liked this one. Bossa Nova is great fun and I like Slowly myself, but I am just taken aback by how much you guys like it. No offense meant because I love some albums people hate.

Post by **Cryogenic** » Thu Aug 02, 2007 7:36 pm

"Mexico" is great fun, but woefully lacks next to "New Orleans" and "Viva Las Vegas". "The Bullfighter Was a Lady" has a great punchline, but seems a little trite. It pains me to say that as I enjoy both tremendously, but them's the chips (IMO).

I think the best track on the "Fun in Acapulco" album is caught up in three horse race:

- "Marguerita": A sumptuous ballad. Elvis sings the ass off this one. The sudden quasi-operatic flourishes, contrasted with the sweet verses, do give this song a grace and power fitting of EP's best songs, even if the melody and lyrics can't compare.

- "Love Me Tonight": A delicate piano accompaniment gives this song an elegiac edge. This song might also contain one of EP's all-time finest vocals. WTF? No, really. Listen as his voice cracks ever so slightly on the word "stars" suggesting the fragility of love. That's a thing of utter beauty. When people talk about phrasing and what separates great singers from good ones, these are the details that count.*

- "Bossa Nova, Baby": "Chevy Nova?" (Kudos to ANYONE that gets that). This song is probably the most "legitimate" of all the FiA tracks. It has a great feel. But I must throw my hands into the air and admit defeat: I don't see the big attraction. I list it more because I feel obliged to do so.

*Given that "Love Me Tonight" wasn't specifically recorded for the movie soundtrack, it's more of a two horse race, and because of my confusion over "Bossa Nova, Baby", I give my vote to "Marguerita".

I must also give an honourable mention to "El Toro". This reveals what a great storyteller Elvis could be. The timbre and inflection of his vocals shade the song a million different ways. Elvis had a very unusual voice in this year -- not quite as light as the preceding years, not quite as gruff and masculine as the following. That enchanting quality works perfectly here.

Post by **GIRL HAPPY BOY** » Fri Aug 03, 2007 12:09 am

The best vocal soundtrack of the king !
i love this LP very fun, holiday feeling , happy

i vote for ...im the first for this: YOU CANT SAY NO IN ACAPULCO
always liked this beauty...
EL-TORO , MARGUERITA, GUADALAJARA ...what a voice...clear & powerfull
sincerely
LIOR

Post by **eric c** » Tue Aug 17, 2021 1:47 am

bosa nova baby.
great song.
great scene.
very good movie and a good album.

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