Roustabout (LP - RCA, 1964)

Title:

Roustabout

Label:

RCA Victor [LPM/LSP 2999]

Format:

LP

Number of tracks:

11

Running time:

20:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack

Linked to:

Official discography; Roustabout, 1964

Year:

1964

Recording date:

March 2 - April 29, 1964

Release date:

September 21, 1964

Singles:

---

Roustabout is Elvis' sixteenth soundtrack album, his 21st LP for RCA and 42nd audiophonic work (including singles and EPs). It covers the songs heard in the 1964 film of the same name, recorded at Radio Recorders between March 2 and April 29 of that year, in almost their entirety.

In 1964, Parker had made Elvis his safe (a nickname he would call him in moments of anger in the future) and the idea was working: the singer received up to US$1 million per film, half the production budget in some cases, and 50% of the profits from both the film and the soundtrack. But not everything was going so well and the music used in the films began to become repetitive or simply uninteresting to the public, in addition to the fact that the plots of the productions were also generic, leading a disgruntled MGM employee to declare that "[the films ] don't even need titles, just number them."

For Elvis, his songwriters and musicians, some things were obviously problematic in the process. His films were being shot in a mere three weeks, when the minimum time for any respectable production was two to three months, and his soundtracks were recorded, when they were late, in a maximum of two weeks. To Freddy Bienstock, the Colonel's assistant, it seemed that Parker made such demands not only to save time, but to save money as well, since the portion of the budget that was not used usually fell into his hands.

This brought great physical and mental stress to the singer and his co-workers, as well as to the composers as well. With increasing demands for songs and decreasing time to deliver them, great lyricists like Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman, Don Robertson, Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott lost interest in their work and disbanded. The last two gave up definitively after composing the first version of the opening track, entitled "I'm a Roustabout", and being refuted by the Colonel and the "great experts" from Hill & Range. RCA, at least, made up for its mistake and released the song on the 2003 CD "2nd to None".

Despite the hardships, Elvis and his band managed to produce excellent material while overcoming all obstacles as true professionals committed to music and its quality. 13 songs were recorded over three days and only two were not used on the soundtrack, this being one of the only works that used practically all of the musical content produced.

The end result could not be different: "Roustabout" would be the first LP to reach number 1 on the charts since "Blue Hawaii" in 1961 and the last until "Aloha From Hawaii: Via Satellite" in 1973.

In 1993, RCA re-released the album remastered and on CD for the first time, within the "Double Features" collection. The solo version on CD would only come in 1997. "Roustabout" was one of the last soundtracks to be worked on by FTD, being released on CD and LP in July and November 2017, respectively.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

RECORDING SESSIONS

Date:

March 2 - April 29, 1964

Studio:

Radio Recorders

Location:

Hollywood, California

Musicians:

Voice: Elvis Presley
Electric guitar: Scotty Moore, Billy Strange, Hilmer J 'Tiny' Timbrell, Barney Kessel
Bass: Bob Moore, Ray Siegal
Drums: DJ Fontana, Murray 'Buddy' Harman, Hal Blaine, Bernie Mattinson
Piano: Floyd Cramer, Dudley Brooks
Saxophone: Homer 'Boots' Randolph
Backing Vocals: The Jordanaires, The Mello Men (Roustabout)

Sound engineer / Recording engineer:

Dave Wiechman

MARCH 2, 1964
                                  Little Egypt RPA3 5270-15

                                  Poison Ivy League RPA3 5272-07
                                  Hard Knocks RPA3 5267-11
                                  It's A Wonderful World RPA3 5268-13

MARCH 3, 1964
                                 Big Love Big Heartache RPA3 5265-17
                                 One Track Heart RPA3 5271-05
                                 Roustabout (I'm A Roustabout) (Not Used)
                                 It's Carnival Time (Track)
                                 It's Carnival Time (Vocal Overdub - Movie Version)
                                 It's Carnival Time (Vocal Overdub - Record Version) RPA3 5269-09
                                 Carny Town RPA3 5266-09
                                 There's A Brand New Day On The Horizon RPA3 5274-05
                                 Wheels On My Heels RPA3 5275-07
                                 Shout It Out (Not Used)
                                 Little Egypt (Remake) WPA5 2553-21
                                 Little Egypt (Movie Version - Composite)

APRIL 29, 1964
                                Roustabout (Track)

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SESSION LOGS

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

LP TRACKS (RCA, 1964)

ROUSTABOUT (LP)

September 21, 1964

1. Roustabout

2. Little Egypt

3. Poison Ivy League

4. Hard Knocks

5. It's a Wonderful World

6. Big Love, Big Heartache

7. One Track Heart

8. It's Carnival Time

9. Carny Town

10. There's a Brand New Day On the Horizon

11. Wheels On My Heels

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

FTD VERSIONS

Title:

Roustabout

Label:

FTD [FTD 164] [506020 975108 5]

Format:

CD

Number of tracks:

33

Running time:

77:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack / Recording session

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2017

Recording date:

March 2 - April 29, 1964

Release date:

July 2017

Singles:

---

After 18 years of working on much less notable soundtracks, FTD finally releases their classic album version of "Roustabout". The wait had good reason: the record company wanted to make sure it could get its hands on any alternative or rare takes from the recording sessions after tapes discovered in 2000 revealed the first version of the title song, "I'm a Roustabout" by talented composers Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott.

The CD contains the following tracks:

ORIGINAL ALBUM

1. Roustabout

2. Little Egypt

3. Poison Ivy League

4. Hard Knocks

5. it’s a Wonderful World

6. Big Love Big Heartache

7. One Track Heart

8. It’s Carnival Time

9. Carny Town

10. There’s a Brand New Day On the Horizon

11. Wheels On My Heels

BONUS

12. I’m a Roustabout

OUTTAKES AND REMIXED MASTERS

13. Little Egypt (AO Take 15 - Record Version Master) 

14. Little Egypt (AO Take 21 - Part Used For Movie Version)

15. Poison Ivy League (BO Take 7 - Master) 

16. Hard Knocks (CO Take 11 - Record Version Master)

17. Hard Knocks (COV Take 4 - Movie Version)* 

18. Its A Wonderful World (DO Take 13 - Master) 

19. Its A Wonderful World (DO Take 17, Instrumental)* 

20. Big Love Big Heartache (EO Take 17 - Master) 

21. One Track Heart (FO Take 5 - Master)

22. It’s Carnival Time (HO Take 2 / HOV Take 9 - Record Version Master) 

23. It’s Carnival Time (/HOV Take 12 - Movie Version)* 

24. Carny Town (JO Take 9 - Master) 

25. There’s a Brand New Day On the Horizon (KO Take 5 - Master) 

26. Wheels On My Heels (LO Take 7 - Master)

27. Roustabout (NOV Takes 1-5* & 6) 

28. Roustabout (NOV Takes 7* & 8) 

29. Roustabout (NOV Take 9 - Movie Version)* 

30. Roustabout (NOV Takes 10-12)* 

31. Roustabout (NOV Take 13)* 

32. Roustabout (NOV Takes 14-16)* 

33. Roustabout (NOV Take 17 - Record Version Master)

* previously unreleased takes

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Title:

Roustabout

Label:

FTD [FTD 317] [506020 975114]

Format:

2x LP

Number of tracks:

33

Running time:

76:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack / Recording session

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2017

Recording date:

March 2 - April 29, 1964

Release date:

November 27, 2017

Singles:

---

The usual FTD double LP came 4 months later. Unfortunately, due to limited studio material, there is no news on this release.

The work includes the following tracks:

LP 1

SIDE A

1. Roustabout (NOV Take 9 - Movie Version Master)

2. Little Egypt (AO Take 15 - Record Version Master)

3. Poison Ivy League (BO Take 7 - Master)

4. Hard Knocks (CO Take 11 - Record Version Master)

5. It's a Wonderful World (DO Take 13 - Master)

6. Big Love, Big Heartache (EO Take 17 - Master)

7. Roustabout (NOV Takes 14-16)

8. Roustabout (NOV Take 17 - Record Version Master)

SIDE B

9. One Track Heart (FO Take 5 - Master)

10. It's Carnival Time (HO Take 2 / HOV Take 9 - Record Version Master)

11. Carny Town (JO Take 9 - Master)

12. There's a Brand New Day On the Horizon (KO Take 5 - Master)

13. Wheels On My Heels (LO Take 7 - Master)

14. Roustabout (NOV Takes 1-5, 6)

15. It's a Wonderful World (DO Take 17 - Instrumental)

LP 2

SIDE A

1. I'm a Roustabout (Master)

2. Hard Knocks (COV Take 4 - Movie Version Master)

3. Roustabout (NOV Takes 7, 8)

4. Little Egypt (Revised, AO Take 21 - Part Used For Movie Version)

5. It's Carnival Time (HO Take 2/HOV Take 12 - Movie Version Master)

6. Roustabout (NOV Takes 10-12

7. Roustabout (NOV Take 13)

SIDE B

ORIGINAL ALBUM IN MONO

8. Roustabout (Master)

9. Little Egypt (Master)

10. Poison Ivy League (Master)

11. Hard Knocks (Master)

12. It's a Wonderful World (Master)

13. Big Love, Big Heartache (Master)

14. One Track Heart (Master)

15. It's Carnival Time (Master)

16. Carny Town (Master)

17. There's a Brand New Day On the Horizon (Master)

18. Wheels On My Heels (Master)