Easter Special
Label:
FTD [FTD 010] [74321 84215 2]
Format:
CD
Number of tracks:
20
Running time:
61:00
Type of album:
Recording session
Linked to:
FTD discography
Year:
2001
Recording date:
January 19, 1957 - December 16, 1973
Release date:
April 1, 2001
Singles:
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- 3. He Knows Just What I Need (Take 1) [October 30, 1960]: More than three years later and with the "Elvis' Christmas Album" LP still in high popular demand, Elvis decides to record his first true Gospel album from start to finish - "His Hand in Mine".
- 4. Mansion Over the Hilltop (Take 1) [October 30, 1960]: Although it came out perfect and could very well have been the Master, this take ended up being rejected by RCA probably because of the crackles heard in the microphone during the first verse. The Master (Take 3) is just as good.
- 5. Joshua Fit the Battle (Take 1) [October 31, 1960]: First takes are always something special, and this one is no exception.
- 6. I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs (Takes 2 & 3) [October 31, 1960]: Recorded right after the Master (Take 1), it sounds lighter and has the Jordanaires way up front in the mix. Another difference is that the drums of D. J. Fontana and Murrey 'Buddy' Harman are more present than in the Master.
- 7. Known Only to Him (Takes 1 & 2) [October 31, 1960]: It was 6 am and Elvis had already recorded 11 more songs, including the #1 single "Surrender".
- 8. Run On (Take 2) [May 25, 1966]: Almost six years later, Elvis is recording his second Gospel album - "How Great Thou Art".
- 9. Stand By Me (Take 7 - misinformed as Take 2) [May 26, 1966]: The stories tell that Elvis asked that the studio lights be turned off so he could get in the right mood for the song. Whether it's true or not, whatever technique was used worked.
- 10. So High (Takes 2 & 3) [May 27, 1966]: If "Run On" was one of Elvis' favorites, this was "the" favorite. The singer uses all his voice to run from bass to highs while the harmony is much more carried away by the clapping of the backing vocals than in Master (Take 4), where Murrey 'Buddy' Harman's drums predominate.
- 11. Somebody Biggert Than You and I (Take 12) [May 27, 1966]: Here Elvis demonstrates all his technique by using his deep voice. It's a shame we still don't have access to the earlier takes, where he tried to emulate the extremely serious voice of the original singer, Jimmy Jones, but without managing to keep the notes for the right time.
- 12. We Call On Him (Takes 4 & 5) [September 11, 1967]: Recorded during a single session between works for "Clambake", the same one that brought classics like "Guitar Man" and "Hi-Heel Sneakers", this song ended up being released only on March 26, 1968 as the title track of a single which featured "You'll Never Walk Alone", from the same session, on the B-side.
- 13. Saved (Take 1) [June 22, 1968]: Used to compose the Master of the Gospel medley heard on the "'68 Comeback Special" and the 1968 LP "ELVIS", it features Elvis trying to reach the perfect point of raspy and soulful voice.
- 14. An Evening Prayer (Take 2) [May 19, 1971]: Fast forward to 1971 and we come to the sessions for Elvis' third and final Gospel album - "He Touched Me". Still in the spirit of the 1970 Nashville Marathon, he is recording numerous tracks to ensure the continued release of new material in the coming months.
- 15. Seeing is Believing (Take 4) [May 20, 1971]: A Charlie Hodge composition, it was being finished even during the recording process. This is very evident in this take because it has a more funky guitar and the song has a definitive end instead of the fade placed in the Master (Take 14).
- 16. There is No God But God (Takes 1 & 2) [June 9, 1971]: While still working on tracks that would be released over the next two years, Elvis returns to his Gospel album to record one more song. The next day, he would create his studio version of the iconic "My Way", released only in 1995.
- 17. He is My Everything (Takes 1 & 2) [June 9, 1971]: Based on the country song "There Goes My Everything", which Elvis had recorded exactly one year before for the "Elvis Country" LP, this Gospel version written by Dallas Frazier also reached the public on the album "He Touched Me".
- 18. Bosom of Abraham (Take 7) [June 10, 1971]: Another unreleased classic, this is the last version proposed by Elvis, obtained shortly after the Master (Take 6) and therefore very similar to the same.
- 19. I Got a Feeling in My Body (Takes 6 & 7) [December 10, 1973]: During his last recording session before March 1975, Elvis recorded a few songs of his liking for albums that would be released from then until 1976.
Easter Special is the tenth release from the Follow That Dream (FTD) label and their first bonus work, distributed in connection with the Easter 2001 celebration. It contains 19 hitherto unreleased alternate takes and a radio commercial from 1957 that was believed to be lost. The CD is currently out of print at the label.
If Elvis ever sought to outdo himself, it was without a doubt on his Gospel recordings. Since the pre-fame days, the singer exhibited a desire to sing praises, and whenever he did, he turned the occasion into a special one. It was no wonder that the EP "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me)", from April 1957, was so successful and leveraged the idea for the LP "Elvis' Christmas Album" at the end of that same year; Elvis' voice transcended and became angelic when he sang Gospel.
Aware of this and already giving a hint of the work to come, FTD created a special Easter edition with 19 Gospel songs that were released on several albums throughout Elvis' career, but with the novelty that each take was previously unreleased.
Below is a review of the material available on the CD.
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- 1. March of Dimes (1957): A historic find, this is a commercial made by Elvis for the vaccination campaign against polio.
- 2. It Is No Secret (What God Can Do) (Take 5 - misinformed as Take 12) [January 19, 1957]: Recorded for the EP "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me)", which would be Elvis' first Gospel work and at the same time a test for a future LP of the type, this was one of the favorite songs of the King of Rock among all from Stuart Hamblen's hymnbook.
- 1. March of Dimes (1957): A historic find, this is a commercial made by Elvis for the vaccination campaign against polio.
- 2. It Is No Secret (What God Can Do) (Take 5 - misinformed as Take 12) [January 19, 1957]: Recorded for the EP "(There'll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me)", which would be Elvis' first Gospel work and at the same time a test for a future LP of the type, this was one of the favorite songs of the King of Rock among all from Stuart Hamblen's hymnbook.
This version, much slower and more melodic than the Master (Take 13), sounds divine and clearly different from take 12, erroneously reported on the back cover of the CD.
- 3. He Knows Just What I Need (Take 1) [October 30, 1960]: More than three years later and with the "Elvis' Christmas Album" LP still in high popular demand, Elvis decides to record his first true Gospel album from start to finish - "His Hand in Mine".
Aided by The Jordanaires, by soprano Millie Kirkham and by Charlie Hodge on backing vocals, the singer recreates the main songs from the hymnals of his childhood and adolescence.
In this first take, Elvis' musical vision is already transparent, he felt that the instruments and backing vocals should be more present in the mix than his own voice. Unlike the Master (Take 10), this one has more pronounced piano and a boogie tone.
- 4. Mansion Over the Hilltop (Take 1) [October 30, 1960]: Although it came out perfect and could very well have been the Master, this take ended up being rejected by RCA probably because of the crackles heard in the microphone during the first verse. The Master (Take 3) is just as good.
- 5. Joshua Fit the Battle (Take 1) [October 31, 1960]: First takes are always something special, and this one is no exception.
Elvis has the microphone in his hands and ready to let the thing roll; Scotty is experimenting with his licks and the Jordanaires are still looking for the perfect harmony. The Master (Take 4) sounds much more "studio", but this take brings a different and more appreciable feeling, as if we were listening to Elvis and some other band sing and play in a true revival.
- 6. I'm Gonna Walk Dem Golden Stairs (Takes 2 & 3) [October 31, 1960]: Recorded right after the Master (Take 1), it sounds lighter and has the Jordanaires way up front in the mix. Another difference is that the drums of D. J. Fontana and Murrey 'Buddy' Harman are more present than in the Master.
- 7. Known Only to Him (Takes 1 & 2) [October 31, 1960]: It was 6 am and Elvis had already recorded 11 more songs, including the #1 single "Surrender".
Even so, the singer demonstrates his perfectionism and his genius in take 2 (take 1 is just a false start) commanding a more harmonious vocal mix than the one heard in the Master (Take 5).
- 8. Run On (Take 2) [May 25, 1966]: Almost six years later, Elvis is recording his second Gospel album - "How Great Thou Art".
This session is iconic for having Felton Jarvis as producer for the first time and for taking the singer off the dull soundtrack recordings of the past four years. This version is stronger and more funk-oriented than the Master (Take 7), which gives the work a great start - especially as it is one of Elvis' favorite songs.
- 9. Stand By Me (Take 7 - misinformed as Take 2) [May 26, 1966]: The stories tell that Elvis asked that the studio lights be turned off so he could get in the right mood for the song. Whether it's true or not, whatever technique was used worked.
When Felton Jarvis announces "take 7", erroneously stated on the back cover of the CD as take 2, what follows is two and a half minutes of pure magic. Elvis would still work on it until he got the Master in Take 11.
- 10. So High (Takes 2 & 3) [May 27, 1966]: If "Run On" was one of Elvis' favorites, this was "the" favorite. The singer uses all his voice to run from bass to highs while the harmony is much more carried away by the clapping of the backing vocals than in Master (Take 4), where Murrey 'Buddy' Harman's drums predominate.
- 11. Somebody Biggert Than You and I (Take 12) [May 27, 1966]: Here Elvis demonstrates all his technique by using his deep voice. It's a shame we still don't have access to the earlier takes, where he tried to emulate the extremely serious voice of the original singer, Jimmy Jones, but without managing to keep the notes for the right time.
This version is very similar to the Master (Take 16), except that the piano sounds more prominent and there is no echo added in the overdubs section.
- 12. We Call On Him (Takes 4 & 5) [September 11, 1967]: Recorded during a single session between works for "Clambake", the same one that brought classics like "Guitar Man" and "Hi-Heel Sneakers", this song ended up being released only on March 26, 1968 as the title track of a single which featured "You'll Never Walk Alone", from the same session, on the B-side.
Elvis' dissatisfaction with the beginning of take 4 shows his perfectionism and brings a very adorable version very close to the Master (Take 9) in the sequence.
- 13. Saved (Take 1) [June 22, 1968]: Used to compose the Master of the Gospel medley heard on the "'68 Comeback Special" and the 1968 LP "ELVIS", it features Elvis trying to reach the perfect point of raspy and soulful voice.
While it lacks the brilliant "blues outro" heard on some newer versions of the special, it's still very much worth it.
- 14. An Evening Prayer (Take 2) [May 19, 1971]: Fast forward to 1971 and we come to the sessions for Elvis' third and final Gospel album - "He Touched Me". Still in the spirit of the 1970 Nashville Marathon, he is recording numerous tracks to ensure the continued release of new material in the coming months.
Although the tracks for the album were recorded together with the singer's second Christmas album, "Elvis Sings the Wonderful World of Christmas", which would hit stores in October of that same year, the Gospel LP would only reach the public in April 1972 and without much repercussion.
The version heard in this take is very similar to the Master (Take 10), but with a different mix for the band.
- 15. Seeing is Believing (Take 4) [May 20, 1971]: A Charlie Hodge composition, it was being finished even during the recording process. This is very evident in this take because it has a more funky guitar and the song has a definitive end instead of the fade placed in the Master (Take 14).
- 16. There is No God But God (Takes 1 & 2) [June 9, 1971]: While still working on tracks that would be released over the next two years, Elvis returns to his Gospel album to record one more song. The next day, he would create his studio version of the iconic "My Way", released only in 1995.
Unlike the Master (Take 5), which has a softer and more harmonic sound, number 2 (take 1 is a false start) is marked by the excessive presence of the organ.
- 17. He is My Everything (Takes 1 & 2) [June 9, 1971]: Based on the country song "There Goes My Everything", which Elvis had recorded exactly one year before for the "Elvis Country" LP, this Gospel version written by Dallas Frazier also reached the public on the album "He Touched Me".
Before doing a complete and quite serviceable, but unused take (the Master would have been Take 3 or 5, or even a splice of Takes 3 and 5 - there is no concrete information from RCA), Elvis jokes with the band and backing vocals and sings excerpts from "Farther Along", "Oh, Happy Day", and "Mean Woman Blues".
- 18. Bosom of Abraham (Take 7) [June 10, 1971]: Another unreleased classic, this is the last version proposed by Elvis, obtained shortly after the Master (Take 6) and therefore very similar to the same.
- 19. I Got a Feeling in My Body (Takes 6 & 7) [December 10, 1973]: During his last recording session before March 1975, Elvis recorded a few songs of his liking for albums that would be released from then until 1976.
This song was even placed among those that composed the LP "Good Times", sold from March 20, 1974, and did not get much attention for having religious lyrics. Despite this, its sound was modern and more funky on take 7 (take 6 is just a false start) than on Master (Take 3). Elvis' versatility is shown when we realize that on the same night he would still record "It's Midnight", with a completely different tone.
- 20. If That Isn't Love (Takes 2, 6 & 7) [December 16, 1973 - misinformed as October 1973]: The last day of recording before March 1975 finds Elvis in a good mood and wanting to show his best. He jokes around, starts and stops the song a few times, saying he's looking for "that something special" for the song.
However, take 7 (takes 2 and 6 are false starts) shows the last attempt to improve the song, but Take 4 was chosen as the Master.
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