Any love for "Kismet"?

[dansmithjr]

The movie is terrible. The soundtrack is very good and sound quality excellent on the early 90s Double Features CD. It was recorded with the A Team in Nashville unlike every other movie soundtrack recorded in Los Angeles. I like the flutes an oboes too.

[drjohncarpenter]

Nah, I was done the first time, I just added a URL for the definition of kismet, to help you out. But if it makes you feel good to continue putting me down, you just go right ahead. It does you no favors. You clearly know a lot about Bob Dylan, and display the same level of knowledge about Elvis, nuance, and just about everything else.

Carry on.

Since ...

And I knew you would.

[Juan Luis]

The movie is terrible. The soundtrack is very good and sound quality excellent on the early 90s Double Features CD. It was recorded with the A Team in Nashville unlike every other movie soundtrack recorded in Los Angeles. I like the flutes an oboes too.

Yes! Grady Martin, Kenneth Buttrey, Charlie McCoy, Rufus Long (flute) and more.

[drjohncarpenter]

The movie is terrible. The soundtrack is very good and sound quality excellent on the early 90s Double Features CD. It was recorded with the A Team in Nashville unlike every other movie soundtrack recorded in Los Angeles. I like the flutes an oboes too.

No matter where it was taped, the session is really not worth much. The songs are so bad. The way it was produced was odd, a very tinny sound unlike how it came off in Presley's golden session work of 1960-1962.

Also note that the July 1961 "Follow That Dream" soundtrack was also cut at RCA's Studio B, with some of the same musicians and the legendary Bill Porter doing the engineering. In this example there were less songs and several were of a high standard, like "Angel" and the title track. So for these reasons, I really like that session. The rhythm tracks for "Kissin' Cousins" were also cut there, but it's another batch of horrible songs, save maybe the title track. Finally, "Clambake" and "Stay Away, Joe" also were done there, with slightly better results.

[Juan Luis]

....

[charro1971]

Kismet and Mirage are two songs from Harum Scarum that I really like. The Girl Happy and Paradise Hawaiian Style soundtracks seem far worse to me.

[r&b]

Tepper and Bennett are hack writers, and Kismet is a hack tune on a bad album. Im sure Dylan was happy his song didnt appear on that soundtrack album. I couldnt believe my ears in 1965, that this was now Elvis Presley I was listening to. Elvis Presley!!

[r&b]

Tepper and Bennett are hack writers, and Kismet is a hack tune on a bad album. Elevator music is too high a compliment. Im sure Dylan was happy his song didnt appear on that soundtrack album. I couldnt believe my ears in 1965, that this was Elvis Presley I was listening to. Elvis Presley!!

[Juan Luis]

Tepper and Bennett are hack writers, and Kismet is a hack tune on a bad album. Im sure Dylan was happy his song didnt appear on that soundtrack album. I couldnt believe my ears in 1965, that this was now Elvis Presley I was listening to. Elvis Presley!!

Well believe it! After 50 years. Some of us love it!

[r&b]

Tepper and Bennett are hack writers, and Kismet is a hack tune on a bad album. Im sure Dylan was happy his song didnt appear on that soundtrack album. I couldnt believe my ears in 1965, that this was now Elvis Presley I was listening to. Elvis Presley!!

Well believe it! After 50 years. Some of us love it!

I do believe it. Seems the ones that celebrate mediocrity always do love such things. You do realize that this film and soundtrack represented the low point in Elvis' career at the time of its release. To make matters worse, it was released in a year pop music really moved forward in many areas, 1965. It was tough man trying to find a silver lining in such a release. Sorry but Kismet was not one of them. I do like Wisdom of the Ages however

[fn2drive]

You have almost a fetish in higlighting the most appalling recordings and labeling them underrated. This soundtrack is utter garbage and the nadir of Elvis soundtrack recordings. We get it-Elvis cut it so it is fantastic. I'm sure you must deep down believe that Elvis version of Old MacDonald brings something to the table-that ending mulligan stew how cool is that? As i noted in your thread of the pedestrian Girls Girls Girls title track, no one objects to you loving the most mediocre and poorest recordings of Elvis career. There are many i love. I just never pretend these are legacy recordings-they arent.

[fn2drive]

The movie is terrible. The soundtrack is very good and sound quality excellent on the early 90s Double Features CD. It was recorded with the A Team in Nashville unlike every other movie soundtrack recorded in Los Angeles. I like the flutes an oboes too.

No matter where it was taped, the session is really not worth much. The songs are so bad. The way it was produced was odd, a very tinny sound unlike how it came off in Presley's golden session work of 1960-1962.

Also note that the July 1961 "Follow That Dream" soundtrack was also cut at RCA's Studio B, with some of the same musicians and the legendary Bill Porter doing the engineering. In this example there were less songs and several were of a high standard, like "Angel" and the title track. So for these reasons, I really like that session. The rhythm tracks for "Kissin' Cousins" were also cut there, but it's another batch of horrible songs, save maybe the title track. Finally, "Clambake" and "Stay Away, Joe" also were done there, with slightly better results.

Excellent post and recap. From a personal pov it's hard to diasagree that Clamback and SAJ were improvements but Clamback is still a big disappointed. Calling it better than Harem Scarum is damning with faint praise.

[Juan Luis]

Tepper and Bennett are hack writers, and Kismet is a hack tune on a bad album. Im sure Dylan was happy his song didnt appear on that soundtrack album. I couldnt believe my ears in 1965, that this was now Elvis Presley I was listening to. Elvis Presley!!

Well believe it! After 50 years. Some of us love it!

I do believe it. Seems the ones that celebrate mediocrity always do love such things. You do realize that this film and soundtrack represented the low point in Elvis' career at the time of its release. To make matters worse, it was released in a year pop music really moved forward in many areas, 1965. It was tough man trying to find a silver lining in such a release. Sorry but Kismet was not one of them. I do like Wisdom of the Ages however

People that continuously use the words mediocre and hack are suspect!

[Davelee]

A rubbish song from a rubbish film during Elvis' rubbish Hollywood career. There is nothing good about "Kismet" it's utter sh*t. Period.

[Davelee]

Tepper and Bennett are hack writers, and Kismet is a hack tune on a bad album. Im sure Dylan was happy his song didnt appear on that soundtrack album. I couldnt believe my ears in 1965, that this was now Elvis Presley I was listening to. Elvis Presley!!

Well believe it! After 50 years. Some of us love it!

I do believe it. Seems the ones that celebrate mediocrity always do love such things. You do realize that this film and soundtrack represented the low point in Elvis' career at the time of its release. To make matters worse, it was released in a year pop music really moved forward in many areas, 1965. It was tough man trying to find a silver lining in such a release. Sorry but Kismet was not one of them. I do like Wisdom of the Ages however

People that continuously use the words mediocre and hack are suspect!

No. It's a fact what r&b says.

People who continuously start up threads about the poorest of Elvis' work is more suspect then most. I think you deliberately start these threads just to rile people and then make childish remarks if someone posts a few facts that you don't like. You seriously need to grow up.

[bajo]

I have nothing against the song! For those who never got hold of the Double Feature release of this soundtrack should track it down. The remix done to the HS album and F&J really make those two albums come to life. Those are the ones I play when I listen to those two. I actually made CDR's of them adding the outtakes from the FTD's. That's the way I would have done them! Pity they didn't use those mixes on the CM masters set!

[Davelee]

You have almost a fetish in higlighting the most appalling recordings and labeling them underrated. This soundtrack is utter garbage and the nadir of Elvis soundtrack recordings. We get it-Elvis cut it so it is fantastic. I'm sure you must deep down believe that Elvis version of Old MacDonald brings something to the table-that ending mulligan stew how cool is that? As i noted in your thread of the pedestrian Girls Girls Girls title track, no one objects to you loving the most mediocre and poorest recordings of Elvis career. There are many i love. I just never pretend these are legacy recordings-they arent.

But in introducing language like "You have almost a fetish in highlighting the most appalling recordings" into the conversation to describe him, aren't you precisely "objecting" to his personal preferences?

I went back to re-read the original post to be sure, but nowhere does Juan Luis state (in that post, at least) that he thinks Kismet is a "legacy recording" or even a "classic." Simply just sharing that he's been listening to it and finds some value and enjoyment in the performance of it.

You and a few others here seem more interested in tearing people down for simply the crime of stating they enjoyed something. Why such sour attitudes about what's been spinning on total strangers' playlists - it in no way affects you, and a forum post on one of tens of thousands of internet forums certainly will never affect the way these songs are remembered by the general public.

Nope. His track record on this forum, in the last few months, shows that the majority of his threads are usually about Elvis' mediocre work, which would make one think "Why is he choosing all these mediocre songs?" If he likes them that's up to him but if someone comes along and disagrees with what he says or has facts put to him, he's got to expect or except that other people are going to think differently about Elvis' mediocre work. It certainly makes one wonder. Some of his replies to other people's posts are quite childish.

[MikeFromHolland]

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So glad that Jorgensen & Co released the Harum Scarum FTD. If it was up to some on this forum it might have never happened, for it was "full of sh*t" etc.

The mastering of the outtakes on the FTD is sublime. The Hey, Little Girl! outtake is one of my favorites from this session. It rocks. I enjoy listening to the whole cd now and than for it being so different with those eastern instruments and eastern "feel". A cross over style that would be copied later by many others.

Kismet just ease along. Lovely and unpretentious. Just the kind of approach a song like this needs. Elvis' voice sounds a bit like in his '56 recording of Love Me Tender here and there. Nice to hear that timbre is still there.

Because of this thread I gave it a listen again.

Thanks Juan Luis for finding those little enjoyable songs every time. I like your threads about these songs! Please never stop.



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[Deleted User 1099]

Harum Scarum is a soundtrack Ernst Jørgensen can sit back and enjoy listening to. He has said so in an interview.

The soundtrack falls into the category easy listening. I like it. Elvis sings in a beautiful voice. "Kismet" and "Mirage" are desert pearls. I'm not saying it's a great or memorable album, far from it, but I enjoy it for what it is. If you want nice, unchallenging music running in the background, Harum Scarum is a fine choice.

[charroman]

There is some nice vocal work on the ballads for H&S. On a pure vocal basis there is a lightness of touch that was missing from much of the other 65 movie soundtrack recordings. Kismet is in my opinion the best track which does not suffer from lame lyrics like "Persian rugs to enhance your floor" and I like how he handles the "This is my lucky Day" line.
I just find much of the soundtrack underwhelming and play it rarely. Perhaps an E.P release of the better songs at the time would have been an idea

[drjohncarpenter]

You have almost a fetish in higlighting the most appalling recordings and labeling them underrated. This soundtrack is utter garbage and the nadir of Elvis soundtrack recordings. We get it-Elvis cut it so it is fantastic. I'm sure you must deep down believe that Elvis version of Old MacDonald brings something to the table-that ending mulligan stew how cool is that? As i noted in your thread of the pedestrian Girls Girls Girls title track, no one objects to you loving the most mediocre and poorest recordings of Elvis career. There are many i love. I just never pretend these are legacy recordings-they arent.

And yet, he will, and attack anyone who disagrees.

Harum Scarum is a soundtrack Ernst Jørgensen can sit back and enjoy listening to. He has said so in an interview.

The soundtrack falls into the category easy listening. I like it. Elvis sings in a beautiful voice. "Kismet" and "Mirage" are desert pearls. I'm not saying it's a great or memorable album, far from it, but I enjoy it for what it is. If you want nice, unchallenging music running in the background, Harum Scarum is a fine choice.

Indeed. And it is extremely sad to consider that this was how low Elvis Presley ... ELVIS PRESLEY ... set the bar for his music in 1965, one of the greatest years in pop music history.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1965_in_music#Biggest_hit_singles
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billboard_Year-End_Hot_100_singles_of_1965

[dreambear]

My main problem with most of the 1965 recordings, is that Elvis sounds so bored that he almost seems to fall asleep, save for a couple of songs. Kismet isn´t the worst, but not the best either.

[charroman]

My main problem with most of the 1965 recordings, is that Elvis sounds so bored that he almost seems to fall asleep, save for a couple of songs. Kismet isn´t the worst, but not the best either.

Yes my thoughts exactly and probably why some of the earlier/1st takes seem better than the master by which time he really was bored.

[Scarre]

Tepper and Bennett are hack writers, and Kismet is a hack tune on a bad album. Elevator music is too high a compliment. Im sure Dylan was happy his song didnt appear on that soundtrack album. I couldnt believe my ears in 1965, that this was Elvis Presley I was listening to. Elvis Presley!!

Hack writers? That´s bull. They wrote some fine music. Just to mention a few: G.I. Blues, For The Millionth And The Last Time, Just For Old Time Sake.
Don´t care much for Kismet...

[MikeFromHolland]

Tepper and Bennett are hack writers, and Kismet is a hack tune on a bad album. Elevator music is too high a compliment. Im sure Dylan was happy his song didnt appear on that soundtrack album. I couldnt believe my ears in 1965, that this was Elvis Presley I was listening to. Elvis Presley!!

Hack writers? That´s bull. They wrote some fine music. Just to mention a few: G.I. Blues, For The Millionth And The Last Time, Just For Old Time Sake.

I'd bet r&b can do much better Where can we listen to his compositions?

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