Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Uncut Bad Nauheim Tapes
Label:
VIK [VIKCD 19582018]
Format:
Triple CD
Number of tracks:
94
Running time:
187:00
Type of album:
Home recording
Linked to:
Unofficial discography
Year:
2018
Recorded:
December 21-31, 1958 & April 1959
Released:
June 12, 2018
Singles:
---
Are You Lonesome Tonight? - The Uncut Bad Nauheim Tapes is one of the most complete compilations of amateur tapes recorded by the King of Rock in December 1958 and April 1959 at his home in Bad Nauheim while serving in the US Army in Germany.
Rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley spent less than 18 months in Germany, but his presence left an indelible mark on the small town of Hesse, where he served in the US Army.
On October 1, 1958, Elvis docked at the port of Bremerhaven aboard the USS Randall and from there traveled by train to the American base in Friedberg, near Frankfurt, where fans and the press warmly welcomed him. With more than 50 million records sold, the singer was already an internationally acclaimed star.
The next day he moved to Ray Barracks in Friedberg to fulfill his 18 months of military service in an armored tank unit. Thanks to his superiors, however, Private Presley enjoyed some advantages and had limited functions. Part of these "perks" meant that he was able to live outside the barracks in a short time, staying at the Grunewald Hotel in the nearby town of Bad Nauheim.
There, he was surrounded by his grandmother Minnie Mae, his father Vernon and two bodyguards. Elvis' only refuge was his room, as he was often harassed by fans, but patiently signed autographs and said a few kind words to everyone when he had to come and go from duty. His fun was playing an old piano and singing a few songs some nights, moments he really loved.
When Bill Haley launched his European tour in Frankfurt at the end of that October 1958, Elvis visited him in his dressing room and it got him very excited about the idea of making music again.
When his battalion gained Christmas leave on December 20, 1958, Elvis went straight to a BMW dealership and bought a Model 507. The next day, he made a point of showing the car to family members and some friends who had arrived for the holiday parties, among which was a newfound acquaintance named Charlie Hodge. There were also one of his guests, Elisabeth Stefaniak, musician Cliff Gleaves and Lamar Fike, among other members of the Memphis Mafia.
Sometime around December 25th, Elvis and his friends sat in the living room with a guitar in hand and Charlie turned on his personal recorder. There, they feasted and enjoyed themselves for an hour playing and singing the songs that came to their minds that could be recorded for RCA. Around the same time, another one-hour tape saw the boys having fun with a few more songs, this time with Elvis playing the piano.
As 1959 enters its fourth month, Elvis iwas already living in a house at 14 Goethestrasse in Bad Nauheim, after being practically kicked out of the Grunewald due to the constant noise coming from his room and the uproar that fans caused in front of the building. On the part of RCA, earlier that year there was concern about the possible lack of material until Elvis returned to the US in 1960, and the record company pressured Colonel Parker to ask his protege for new recordings.
The agent, however, limited himself to sending a microphone and a professional recorder along with a letter that said, among other things: "Just Elvis singing at the piano should be enough to please the fans."
And that's what happened on the third and final tape. Elvis is committed, which is shown with 10 incredible takes of "He Knows Just What I Need" and another four of "His Hand in Mine", the latter famous for giving the title to his 1960 Gospel LP. Highlights in the tape feature the renditions of "Cool Water", "Stand By Me" and "Oh, Lonesome Me", as well as "Like a Baby" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", both officially recorded in 1960. In the extras, "The Fool", which Elvis would record in 1969, is a great must have.
Needless to say, these tapes were never officially released and ended up being forgotten in time. Some excerpts were made available sporadically, as was the case with Memphis Recording Service (MRS)'s "Off-Duty with Private Presley" in 2009 (although that release only featured a May 1958 recording in Waco, Texas, and part of a second recording of April 1959), but it was not until sixty years later that the complete recordings were rediscovered in Germany.
Through the VIK label, they reached the public in a deluxe edition on CD in hardcover book format and without any cuts, even in the parts where the audio is distorted or absent. The success of the work led other labels to be interested in releasing the complete material, including MRS, which would produce its own version under the title "The Complete Private Recordings" in 2019, which would bring the remastered and recovered audio in a quadruple CD.
"Are You Lonesome Tonight? - The Uncut Bad Nauheim Tapes" features the following tracks:
CD 1
"GUITAR TAPE" (GRUNEWALD HOTEL, DECEMBER 1958)
1. Conversation
2. I'm Beginning to Forget You #1
3. I Can't Help it (If I'm Still in Love With You) (End)
4. Mona Lisa
5. I Can't Help it (If I'm Still in Love With You)**
6. Guitar Jam
7. Danny Boy #1
8. Danny Boy #2*
9. Loving You*
10. Unknown Jam
11. I'm Beginning to Forget You (Cliff Gleaves)
12. Clowning around / WHBQ advertisement
13. Chubby “Lamar” Fike take the mike
14. I'm Beginning to Forget You
15. Elvis does a MGM commercial
16. Talking / I'm Beginning to Forget You
17. Santa Claus Is Back In Town / funny talk
18. Loving You (Elisabeth Stefaniak)
19. Clowning around
20. Loving You (not Elvis)
21. Clowning around
22. Lamar Fike - reading the news for WHBQ
23. I'm Beginning to Forget You (few seconds only)
24. Lamar Fike - reading the news for WHBQ
25. I'm Beginning to Forget You (Cliff Gleaves)
26. I'm Beginning to Forget You (Cliff Gleaves)
27. I'm Beginning to Forget You (few attemps + complete)
28. I'm Beginning to Forget You (few attempts till tape runs out)
CD 2
"PIANO TAPE" (GRUNEWALD HOTEL, DECEMBER 1958)
1. I Asked the Lord #1*
2. I Asked the Lord #2*
3. Apron Strings #1
4. Soldier Boy #1
5. Such a Night (few lines)
6. Soldier Boy #2
7. I Asked the Lord #3 (incomplete)
8. I Asked the Lord #4
9. I Asked the Lord (rehearsal of the ending)
10. I Asked the Lord #5
11. I Asked the Lord (rehearsal of the ending)
12. Piano Solo – Jingle Bells
13. Earth Angel #1
14. Earth Angel (rehearsal of the ending)
15. I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen #1 (fast)
16. Que Será, Será / Hound Dog*
17. At the Hop*
18. I'll Take You Home Kathleen #2 (slow)
19. Apron Strings #2*
20. It's Been So Long, Darling*
21. Earth Angel (intro) / I Will Be True
22. There's No Tomorrow
23. I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (slow #2)
24. Que Será Será / Hound Dog*
25. I Asked the Lord #6 (+ ending reprise)
26. I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (fast #2)
27. Apron Strings #3
28. The Titles Will Tell
29. At the Hop / Give Me My Oil Lamp
30. Que Será Será / Hound Dog / Piano Solo
31. Send Me Some Lovin' #1*
32. Send Me Some Lovin' #2*
CD 3
"GUITAR TAPE" (14 GOETHESTRASSE, APRIL 1959)
1. Dialogue
2. He Knows Just What I Need #1 / Working On the Building
3. He Knows Just What I Need #2
4. He Knows Just What I Need #3
5. He Knows Just What I Need #4
6. He Knows Just What I Need #5
7. He Knows Just What I Need #6
8. He Knows Just What I Need #7
9. Funny news reading
10. He Knows Just What I Need #8**
11. He Knows Just What I Need #9
12. He Knows Just What I Need #10
13. Cool Water
Like a Baby*
15. His Hand in Mine
16. Young Love (Red West)
17. His Hand in Mine (few attempts)
18. Return to Me
19. His Hand in Mine (few attempts + complete)
20. His Hand in Mine
21. His Hand in Mine (ending taped over)**
22. Bits & Pieces
23. Just a Closer Walk With Thee (part)
24. If I Didn't Care For You (part)
25. Are You Sincere (part)
26. Are You Lonesome Tonight? / We Had a Rendezvous (one line)
27. Stand By Me #1 (& rehearsal of ending)
28. Stand By Me #2* **
29. Stand By Me #3
30. Just a Closer Walk With Thee*
31. Take My Hand, Precious Lord* **
32. Oh, Lonesome Me
BONUS
33. The Fool (takes 1-4)
34. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (repaired)
*distorted sound ** damaged tape
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
OTHER VERSIONS
Greetings From Germany
Label:
VIK [CD 1058]
Format:
CD
Number of tracks:
26
Running time:
56:00
Type of album:
Home recording
Linked ti:
Unofficial discography
Year:
1998
Recorded:
April 1959
Released:
1998
Singles:
---
Greetings From Germany was VIK's first attempt to release 1959 material in Germany with many new features and improved sound.
Although the audio still had a lot of damage and the content appeared with many cuts, the work brought unreleased tracks from that year, a period not yet covered by the major labels. The must have of this record is its folding cover with 6 photos (4 in color) and hitherto unpublished of Elvis in 1958/59.
The CD contains the following tracks:
BAD NAUHEIM, APRIL 1959
1. At the Hop (Piano Solo)
2. I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (Slow Version)
3. Apron Strings
4. It's Been So Long, Darling
5. Earth Angel (Intro)
6. There's No Tomorrow
7. I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (Slow Version)
8. Que Será, Será / Hound Dog
9. I asked the Lord
10. I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (Fast Version)
11. Apron Strings
12. Number Eight (on the jukebox)
13. At the Hop (2 Lines Only)
14. Que Será, Será / Hound Dog
15. Piano Solo
16. Send Me Some Lovin'
17. Soldier Boy
18. Earth Angel
19. Danny Boy
20. The Fool
21. I'm Beginning to Forget You
22. I asked the Lord
23. Mona Lisa
24. I'm Beginning to Forget You
25. I Can't Help it (If I'm still in Love With You)
26. Every Effort Has Been Made... (Unmastered/Mastered)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
VINYL VERSION
From the Army Reels
Label:
VIK [EPB 1959]
Format:
Quintuple EP
Number of tracks:
16
Running time:
43:00
Type of album:
Home recording
Linked to:
Unofficial discography
Year:
2018
Recorded:
December 21-31, 1958 & April 1959
Released:
2018
Singles:
---
From the Army Reels was released by VIK shortly after the CD box set. The deluxe limited edition featured five EPs with the best tracks recorded in Germany in 1958 and 1959 in a stylized box with booklet.
The work includes the following tracks:
EP 1 [47-1959/1]
SIDE A
1. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
SIDE B
2. Oh, Lonesome Me
EP 2 [47-1959/2]
SIDE A
1. Cool Water (Edit)
SIDE B
2. The Fool (Take 4)
EP 3 [EPB-1959/3]
SIDE A
1. I’m Beginning To Forget You
2. Mona Lisa
SIDE B
3. Danny Boy (Take 1)
4. Danny Boy (Take 2) / Soldier Boy (Take 2)
EP 4 [EPB-1959/4]
SIDE A
1. Earth Angel (Take 1)
2. It’s Been So Long, Darling
LADO B
3. Send Me Some Lovin’ (Take 2)
4. He Knows Just What I Need
EP 5 [EPB-1959/5]
SIDE A
1. Like A Baby
2. His Hand In Mine
SIDE B
3. Her Hand In Mine
4. Are You Sincere / Return To Me
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RECORDING SESSIONS
Dates:December 21-31, 1958; April 1959
Studio:
Room 10, Hotel Grunewald, Bad Nauheim
14 Goethestrasse, Bad Nauheim
Location:
Friedburg, Germany
Musicians:
Musicians:
December 1958 / April 1959
Voice: Elvis Presley, Vernon Presley, Red West, Lamar Fike, Charlie Hodge, Rex Mansfield, Al Fortas
Piano: Elvis Presley
Guitar: Elvis Presley, Charlie Hodge
Backing Vocals: Vernon Presley, Red West, Lamar Fike, Charlie Hodge, Rex Mansfield, Al Fortas
He Knows Just What I Need / Working On The Building
DECEMBER 21-31, 1958 (GUITAR TAPE)
I'm Beginning To Forget You
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
Reading the news (not Elvis)
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
He Knows Just What I Need
Cool Water
Like A Baby / talking
His Hand In Mine
Young Love (Red West)
Her Hand In Mine
Return To Me (part)
Her Hand In Mine
Her Hand In Mine
Her Hand In Mine
Her Hand In Mine
Just A Closer Walk With Thee (part) / If I Didn't Care (part)
Are You Sincere (part)
Are You Lonesome Tonight? / Once Upon A Time (1 line)
Stand By Me
Stand By Me
Stand By Me
Just A Closer Walk With Thee (part)
Take My Hand, Precious Lord (part)
Oh, Lonesome Me
DECEMBER 21-31, 1958 (GUITAR TAPE)
I'm Beginning To Forget You
I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
I Can't Help It (If I'm Still In Love With You)
Guitar Piece (unknown)
Danny Boy (Take 1)
Danny Boy (rehearsing a few lines)
Danny Boy (Take 2)
Loving You
I'm Beginning To Forget You (Vernon)
Dialogue / I'm Beginning To Forget You (Elvis)
Dialogue / Christmas / Santa Claus Is Back In Town / Loving You / dialogue
More dialogue / Loving You (not Elvis)
Lamar Fike recording radio commercials
I'm Beginning To Forget You (Vernon)
I'm Beginning To Forget You (Elvis)
I'm Beginning To Forget You (incomplete)
I'm Beginning To Forget You (incomplete)
I'm Beginning To Forget You (incomplete)
I'm Beginning To Forget You (complete)
APRIL 1959
I Asked the Lord #1
I Asked the Lord #2
Apron Strings #1
Soldier Boy #1
Such a Night (few lines)
Soldier Boy #2
I Asked the Lord #3 (incomplete)
I Asked the Lord #4
I Asked the Lord (rehearsal of the ending)
I Asked the Lord #5
I Asked the Lord (rehearsal of the ending)
Piano Solo – Jingle Bells
Earth Angel #1
Earth Angel (rehearsal of the ending)
I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen #1 (fast)
Que Será, Será / Hound Dog
At the Hop
I'll Take You Home Kathleen #2 (slow)
Apron Strings #2
It's Been So Long, Darling
Earth Angel (intro) / I Will Be True
There's No Tomorrow
I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (slow #2)
Que Será Será / Hound Dog
I Asked the Lord #6 (+ ending reprise)
I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (fast #2)
Apron Strings #3
The Titles Will Tell
At the Hop / Give Me My Oil Lamp
Que Será Será / Hound Dog / Piano Solo
Send Me Some Lovin' #1
Send Me Some Lovin' #2
The Fool (Take 1 - complete)
The Fool (Take 2 - LFS + FS)
The Fool (Take 3 - FS)
The Fool (Take 4 - complete)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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