Elvis Blues - Extended

Yes, I know Elvis week is over. But indulge me for ONE extra day.

I had an email from someone tell me that they weren't familiar with Elvis' Reconsider Baby - the great raw, pure blues performance. I found that unacceptable.

If you like the blues, it is unforgivable for you not to have heard Elvis singing Reconsider Baby.

So, here goes ...

1. Elvis Presley - Reconsider Baby (3.44 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Don't Cry Daddy

My bonus post here to end Elvis week on this blog is a little self-serving.

Several years ago, I took a class at NYU on digital video film making. I have always been an audio and video enthusiast and since I had the time and money, I decided to take this intensive class. On the first day of class, I was surprised to find that we had to develop a screenplay, define a storyboard, and film the script. I had no idea where to even start.

I asked the instructor if it would be okay if I made my own music video (thus saving me the trouble of writing a script). He agreed. I had always considered Elvis Presley's Don't Cry Daddy to be a perfect "story song." I had also watched Toy Story 2 recently and there's this "music video" right in the middle of the movie as the cowgirl tells of her story and how she was forgotten as the kid grew up. If you haven't seen it, it's hard to explain, but it leaves a lump in your throat. I was amazed at the incredible use of video to manipulate emptions and wanted to see whether I could do that too.

So, I managed to find a couple of friends who agreed to act, recruited my son (who was all of seven years old then), and even found a cameo role for my wife (who agreed very reluctantly). We then stole into a local graveyard to film some scenes and then headed to our home in Highland, NY to finish the indoor scenes. The next two days were spent editing this video.

I was very proud of the finished product - as a first attempt from a complete amateur director (me!) It was a single camera shoot. So EVERY scene change required a different take that then had to be edited together so it didn't look like different takes. This is a lot trickier than it sounds. If you don't get the cuts exactly right, there is a tiny little "jerk" that makes the motion appear unnatural (e.g., the guy swigging the whiskey from the coffee cup and setting it down on the counter are two completely separate takes; the guy sitting on the edge of the bed and rubbing his forehead and then getting up to leave the bedroom are two separate takes that need to appear like one fluid motion). Frankly, I thought my editing job was one of the best in the class. All in all, it was a busy, intense, but extremely enjoyable week in that class.

So, in honor of Elvis week here, I'm presenting the result of that film making class. You can find the video directly on YouTube here. Or just click on the image below to have it play right within this blog post. Feel free to post a comment either here on this blog or on YouTube.

Elvis Variety (Country, Hip Hop, Rock)

I don't think I've managed to exactly put my finger (yet) on what makes Elvis' legacy so enduring. I mean, we usually evaluate musical talent in terms of stunning ability to play an instrument or the ability to write songs or melodies that touch people. Elvis was never considered a prodigy when it cames to any instrument. Nor is he considered to be a genius in writing music or lyrics. Sure he had an amazing voice, but so do thousands of other people. There are so many people with astonishingly good voices who haven't had close to the staying power of Elvis.

Some people say Elvis' success could be attributed to timing. He came along at just the right time and exploded on the stage at a time when the nation was in transition. But that sounds much more like a fad and not something that would lead to a phenomenon where thousands of people gather at his home thirty years after his death. There are all these "Tribute Albums" that highlight Elvis' music (even though most of them were just covers of other peoples' songs). Why is it that thousands of musicians a lot more talented than Elvis are willing to contribute to these tribute albums, singing songs that someone else wrote and Elvis just sang during his career.

He certainly had charisma. But attributing his musical legacy and astonishing staying power to just his charisma seems unsatisfying. So, he didn't write great music, never wrote a profound lyric, and was never a social activist in a public sense. Yet, here we are , THIRTY YEARS after his death still talking about him, listening to his music, watching his movies, and buying new tribute albums of "his" music. Strange.

Here is just a small sampling of the range of Elvis versions out there. From pure country (Faith Hill's version of Trying To Get To You from the It's Now Or Never tribute album) to hard rock (Robert Plant's version of Let's Have a Party from The Last Temptation of Elvis collection which includes Bruce Springsteen and Paul McCartney) and even a House/Hip Hop (no idea what the difference is between the two) remix of All Shook Up by Rick Lenzi from an album called Love Me Tender: 21 House & Hip Hop Remixes.

1. Faith Hill - Trying To Get To You (2.12MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Robert Plant - Let's Have a Party (3.39MB; 128kbps MP3)
3. Rick Lenzi - All Shook Up (Candy Remix Edit) (3.5MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Elvis Gospel

When I initially became an Elvis fan (growing up in India), I wasn't even sure what gospel music was. I knew Elvis as a Rock n' Roll star and the first few gospel songs I heard did nothing to dispel that image. I'm not sure I even recognized them as "gospel" songs. I figured all Americans sang about Jesus no matter what their genre of music.

As a result, I became a fan of Elvis' gospel works. He had this great ability to turn these gospel songs into raucous, rocking, wildly enthusiastic songs that conveyed joy and happiness without appearing (to me) to be preachy. I'm not sure if I set people wondering about me in India as I walked around the house singing (in a loud voice), "I'm gonna walk, walk dem golden stairs, 'cause I know my Jesus, answers all my prayers ..." I also loved the great contributions of the Jordanaires in the background that made these almost seem like doowop songs. Great harmonies!

Here are two examples of what I mean - Swing Down Sweet Chariot and I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs. You don't have to be religious or a gospel fan to enjoy these songs. Just snap your fingers and smile as you listen to these.

If you're interested in Elvis gospel singing, I would strongly recommend this set Amazing Grace (buy the album here). It has been beautifully remastered and contains gospel songs to suit all tastes in music (okay, maybe not punk, rap, or heavy metal). There is also a newer compilation (which I don't own) which packs a single disc, called Elvis - Ultimate Gospel (available cheap here). Interestingly, both these songs are from his famous His Hand In Mine album, which was my first Elvis gospel album. You can buy this "rockin'" album here. Find other Elvis gospel albums with this link.

RIP, Elvis.

1. Elvis Presley - Swing Down Sweet Chariot (2.35MB; 128kbps)
2. Elvis Presley - I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs (1.71MB; 128kbps)

Elvis Pop

This blog has been overwhelmingly favoring catchy pop music. I would be remiss if I didn't focus on Elvis' fantastic pop repertoire.

Here are a couple of fantastic examples. Nothing profound in the lyrics ("You say you wanna hold me and stick to me like glue ...") but a great rhythm, simple and entertaining lyrics, fun backing vocals, and a catchy tune. That's all there is to it. Less than two minutes of foot tapping that'll put a smile on your face.

Both these selections are coincidentally from the same album Elvis Is Back! The lyrics to both these songs are by songwriting legends (Otis Blackwell & Leiber/Stoller). Dirty, Dirty, Feeling showcases Elvis' great voice and ability to actually infuse his voice with the "fun" that the song is supposed to convey. Make Me Know It is another great fun "throwaway" ditty that while not profound is a lot of fun and great excuse to get off your feet. I'm also going to throw in another song from these same sessions that is in exactly the same vein. I Gotta Know follows the same formula. There's something simple, beautiful, and naive about these songs. The recording sessions took place in early 1960 and we seem to be caught on the edge the musical drift from the innocent Ricky Nelson days (e.g., Lonesome Town) which is reflected in these recordings to the harder revolutionary music that was to come a few years later.

I have also selected to highlight Take 1 from the recording sessions. If you have any knowledge and experience with recording sessions, you may recognize how astonishing it is to have the artist run off relatively polished and complete versions of new songs on the first take. Elvis biographers have often commented about Elvis' incredible level of preparation at recording sessions and his uncanny ability to listen to a song once or twice and then sing it almost perfectly immediately. Now, you don't have to take biographers' word for this and experience Elvis' fantastic ability to record fantastic versions of songs on the first take. Do you believe that the final master used in the released version of I Gotta Know is Take 2 (included here along with Take 1)?

Both these selections were taken from the FTD release of Elvis Is Back! As I mentioned in yesterday's post, this is BMG's collector's label that legally releases studio outtakes and live recordings. I'll say it again, if you're even minimally interested in Elvis's recording career and "behind the scenes" views of Elvis in the studio, these collections are incredible. I personally prefer the studio outtakes to the live shows as Elvis seemed to have a pretty standard concert repertoire that didn't vary a great deal. FTD also has been re-releasing some classic Elvis albums in their unique style. For example, the Elvis Is Back! album was released in this 2-CD version that includes the complete album (beautifully remastered) as well as numerous outtakes from the album's recording sessions. Well worth the money. This album is available for a high price on Amazon here. Other FTD albums are available cheaper on http://www.shopelvis.com/. If you're looking for other FTD releases that are not available on ShopElvis, try this link to Amazon.

1. Elvis Presley - Dirty, Dirty Feeling, Take 1 (1.55 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Elvis Presley - Make Me Know It, Take 1 (2.41 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
3. Elvis Presley - I Gotta Know, Take 1+ (2.73 MB; 128kbps)

Elvis Does the Blues

Elvis actually was a great blues singer. In addition to the astonishing range of his voice, he could really get down and dirty with some powerful blues songs.

You've all probably heard his hit Reconsider Baby. Here are a couple of slightly lesser known blues numbers from the King. In 1969, Elvis went into the American Studios in Memphis with Chips Moman producing. The day Elvis showed up at the studio, he had a cold (that later worsened) and the rough early studio takes highlighted here definitely show the hoarseness in Elvis' voice. Still, these sessions were fantastic and yielded Elvis' first number one hot since the early sixties (Suspicious Minds)

The first song is Stranger In My Own Hometown a nice bluesy number. Here, I have featured the undubbed master which obviously sounds much rougher and unpolished than the final released version. The second is a beautiful country-blues number called Long Black Limousine with really nice "story" lyrics that end with a nice twist. This again, is an early take (Take 6) that shows Elvis having some trouble with his voice. Still, these sound fantastic. If you happen to be familiar with the released versions, you'll notice two problems. First, the artificially added echo (missing in the takes here) drowned out Elvis' powerful voice. Second, the addition of overdubs and strings changed the tone of some of the songs from raw blues to more syrupy ballads. Enjoy these rare gems here.

Both these outtakes are from the FTD release Memphis Sessions. If you are even slightly an Elvis collector, I very strongly recommend these releases. FTD (Follow That Dream) is a legal Elvis collector's label run by Sony/BMG. The contain rare and unreleased studio and live material that is meant for collectors. The CD runs tend to be smaller than commercial releases, but contain high quality, beautifully remastered rarities. I think this is a model for how music companies should treat fans. If you can provide fans with carefully researched, high quality rarities, why would I ever be interested in a bootleg?

You can find the album on Amazon here. Most of the other FTD releases are also available on Amazon here. Although Memphis Sessions is not available, you should also look for FTD releases on http://www.shopelvis.com/ as they're cheaper than Amazon.

1. Elvis Presley - Stranger In My Own Hometown (4.5 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Elvis Presley - Long Black Limousine (3.93 MB; 128 kbps MP3)

Blues for Elvis

Perhaps spending all weekend baking in the sun at the Bayfront Blues Festival has me in the mood for blues this week. Or, it could be that it has been an amazing 30 years since Elvis Presley died (no, I don't believe he's working at a Burger King in Kalamazoo!)

Let's start with a real Blues King doing Elvis. In 1970, blues legend Albert King released an album called blues for Elvis that contained bluesy versions of Elvis hots. I have always liked cover versions of songs that were different from the original and so I loved this album. It appears to be available on Amazon in two versions. The one here is the one I have and is really an excellent collection of blues covers of Elvis. The version here appears to contain the same album, but has a different cover and is half the price. Go figure!

Anyway, here is a great rendition of the Elvis classic, Hound Dog done in a style quite unlike Elvis' own. Tomorrow, I'll prove to you that Elvis was a pretty good blues singer in his own right. Wouldn''t it have been great to have him headlining the Bayfront Blues Festival?

1. Albert King - Hound Dog (3.7 MB; 128kbps MP3)

You CAN Mock This Music

Instead of making you wait until Monday for Elvis week to begin, I thought I'd do an unusual "Sunday Post" to kick off the week.

Mexican singing artist El Vez has released several albums in his zany "Weird Al Yankovic" style of music. The "Mexican Elvis" takes (for the most part) recognizable songs (everything from Elvis to David Bowie and BTO) and rewrites the lyrics to fit the Mexican-American experience. I really think "Mexican Weird Al" is a more appropriate moniker for him than "Mexican Elvis." But wikipedia will tell you more here.

Here are a couple of songs from his album G.I. Ay, Ay! Blues. The first is his version of Viva Las Vegas and the second is the Mexican remake of American Trilogy. A cheap used copy of this album can be found here. You'll find many more fun El Vez albums here. Even just the album cover art is worth pursuing.

1. El Vez - Viva La Raza (2.8 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. El Vez - Mexican-American Trilogy (3.52 MB; 128kbps MP3)

Merle on Elvis

Now here's a real rarity. There were numerous tributes to Elvis after he died but few that were really memorable. One country great to record a touching tribute to Elvis on his death was Merle Haggard. I purchased this album when I was in India and loved the opening song, From Graceland to Promised Land. The rest of the album consists of Merle covering several Elvis tunes and these are great too.

I was told that this album has long been out of print, but as usual, a search on Amazon turns up miracles. Apparently, MCA Special Products released this 1995 but kept me in the dark. Go figure! I've been treasuring this vinyl album for years and now I find I can just go out and get it on CD? What's that all about?

Anyway, now that I've saved you the trouble of hunting for it, buy the album here. If this puts you in the mood for more Merle, here are all his albums on Amazon's list. It really is a great album with heartfelt renderings of the songs. Here is the title tune as well as one of the covers. These are from my vinyl version. I just transferred them to the computer, but there's minimal crackle and hiss. Enjoy!

1. Merle Haggard - From Graceland to Promised Land (2.25 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Merle Haggard - That's Alright Mama (2.27 MB; 128kbps MP3)

On Popular Demand - Ananda Shankar Does Elvis

Completely unexpectedly, it looks like the links to the two Elvis songs from Ananda SHankar in my earlier post got the most response. Of course, that could be because the first place on the Internet where I posted any information about this blog was the forum on Vinyl Vulture - and that too in response to a post about this album. I'm already learning about the importance of targeting the promotion of this blog appropriately. I guess if I had the time, I could go all out and publicize the existence of this blog. But then it would be a commercial venture more than just a fun hobby.

So, by popular demand, here is a posting of the remaining two Ananda Shankar songs from the India Remembers Elvis EP. Please remember that I just got these off my EP without any cleaning or editing, so it does include some pops and crackle. I would welcome your comments on these and other recordings. Remember, you can find the Ananda Shankar catalog for purchase on Amazon here.

1. Ananda Shankar - Can't Help Falling In Love (2.74 MB; 128kbps MP3)
2. Ananda Shankar - How Would You Like To Be (2.94 MB; 128kbps MP3)

India Does Elvis

Ananda Shankar was a musician way ahead of his time. He was a nephew of Ravi Shankar and an extremely talented musician. In the sixties, he moved to California and was one of the first to create some exceptional fusion albums that blended Indian instruments and melodies with those from the West. After moving back to India, he and his wife (choreographer Tanusree Shankar) would tour with a large troupe performing these multimedia extravaganzas with a full orchestra and a large dance troupe. With great lighting effects, the audience would be treated to a great show of dances choreographed by Tanusree while Ananda conducted the orchestra. I attended a few of these concerts in my early days in India and thoroughly enjoyed them.

His famous 1975 album Ananda Shankar and his Music was re-released in 2005 and is available at Amazon.com. You can find other Ananda Shankar albums on Amazon here. His self-titled first album, highlighted his initial experiments with fusion by including the Rolling Stones' Jumping Jack Flash and The Doors' Light My Fire in his trademark sitar-tinged style.

When I was in Calcutta in the early 80s, I had seen a few of his shows and, as an Elvis fan, was delighted to see that he had produced a 4-song EP called India Remembers Elvis as a tribute to Elvis Presley on his death in 1977. The record store I bought it from had hosted Ananda Shankar some time ago and this EP was autographed by Mr. Shankar himself. It included four Elvis songs done with all the usual Indian instruments. It is my understanding that these songs have never been released since their original appearance on this E.P.

So, from my record collection, here is Ananda Shankar and his orchestra performing two of the Elvis songs from the India Remembers Elvis extended play record.

[NOTE: I have also added the other two songs from this EP in another post later]

1. Ananda Shankar - Teddy Bear (2.42 MB; 128 kbps MP3)
2. Ananda Shankar - His Latest Flame (2 MB; 128 kbps MP3)