Studio B - Nashville Outtakes 1961-1964
Label:
FTD [FTD 024] [82876 50411 2]
Format:
CD
Number of tracks:
23
Running time:
63:00
Type of album:
Recording session
Linked to:
FTD discoigraphy
Year:
2003
Recording date:
June 25, 1961 - January 12, 1964
Release date:
April 2003
Singles:
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- 2. That's Someone You Never Forget (Take 5): The second song recorded in the aforementioned session, this take of the song that would close "Pot Luck with Elvis" is full of pure emotion.
- 3. I'm Yours (Takes 4 & 1): The following day, the collection of romantic songs that would be released alongside rock ballads over the next two years began to take shape.
- 4. (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame (Rehearsal, Take 2): With D.J. and Boots Randolph still working on their parts, Elvis sings calmly during the rehearsal.
- 5. Little Sister (Takes 1, 2 & 3): "We've got a classic here," announces sound engineer Bill Porter.
- 7. Anything That's Part of You (Takes 4 & 5): Elvis' perfectionism shows itself again and take 4 is aborted right at the beginning.
- 8. I Met Her Today (Takes 8 & 9): Right at the beginning of take 8, the song is interrupted by Elvis' hoarseness. Bill Porter announces "let's clear our throats and try again", obviously referring to Elvis, who does so and laughs.
- 9. Something Blue (Takes 3 & 4): The next seven takes are the result of a single night's work, from March 18 to 19, 1962, although the work omits the main objective of the session - the Masters of "She's Not You" and "Good Luck Charm".
- 10. Gonna Get Back Home Somehow (Take 1): For a first take, this sounds more perfect than the Master itself (Take 7) which was softened to match the tone of "Pot Luck with Elvis".
- 11. (Such An) Easy Question (Take 3): Although it offers no new features in relation to the already released takes and the Master (Take 5), it features Elvis in his perfectionism correcting the song's tempo for the band.
- 12. Fountain of Love (Takes 1 & 2): "There's a guitar break in here too", Elvis tells his band as take 1 falls apart. This version is very different from the Master (Take 10) and almost sounds like another song with Boots Randolph's increased presence, the acoustic guitar fills and the backing vocals using a lighter intonation.
- 13. Just For Old Times Sake (Takes 3 & 4): Nothing new here, as the version sounds exactly like the Master (Take 5).
- 14. Night Rider (Takes 2 & 3): We enter the session as the band is in the middle of a lively jam that makes us wish the tape had been recording earlier.
- 15. You'll Be Gone (Take 1): Another song written by Elvis and Red West, with help from Charlie Hodge, sounds much more passionate on this first take than on the Master (Take 3) and would have most likely been a hit if it had been released as a single at the time. Unfortunately, the song would only be sold as the B-side of the "Do the Clam" single in 1965, losing its potential.
- 16. I Feel That I've Known You Forever (Take 1): Nothing new here, as the version sounds exactly like the Master (Take 5).
- 17. Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello (Take 2): The slower tempo and the mix that highlights Elvis' voice are the real gems of this take.
- 19. Please Don't Drag That String Around (Take 2): B-side to the 1963 single "(You're the) Devil in Disguise", it has an excellent mix that prioritizes Elvis' voice and makes the instruments sound perfect individually. The Master (Take 6) is somewhat different and has a slower tempo.
- 20. Love Me Tonight (Takes 3 & 4): A delightful ballad, sung almost a cappella by Elvis, who is accompanied only by piano and backing vocals. When we listen to the Master (Take 8) on the LP "Fun in Acapulco" (1963), we almost don't realize that it is the same song.
- 21. Western Union (Take 3): Sounding like a rip-off of "Return to Sender", the song was probably neglected for years for this reason.
- 22. Memphis Tennessee (Take 1): Elvis only worked on three non-soundtrack songs in 1964, and two of them were remake attempts of May 1963 recordings—this one and "Ask Me".
- 23. Ask Me (Takes 8 & 9): It's the early morning of January 12, 1964, and Elvis is about to wrap up his last non-soundtrack session for the next two years (after this one, Elvis only ended the session with quick takes of "It Hurts Me").
Studio B - Nashville Outtakes 1961-1964 is the twenty-fourth album by FTD. It contains 23 alternative tracks recorded between June 25, 1961 and January 12, 1964 at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, which would be the only ones that Elvis would record outside of his soundtracks during that period. The CD is currently out of print on the label.
Nashville has always been the stage for Elvis's best recordings and it was there, in the capital of Tennessee, that the King of Rock created most of the songs and records that became immediate hits and broke sales records.
His first LP as a nationally recognized artist, "Elvis Presley", from 1956, and the singles "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" and "Hound Dog" were the main samples of what Elvis could create in the city. But it was upon returning from Germany, in 1960, that he chose Nashville to give his fans the LPs "Elvis is Back!" and "His Hand in Mine", as well as the singles "Stuck On You", "Fame and Fortune", "It's Now or Never" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight".
This turned the capital into a kind of sanctuary for the creation of pure magic that would bring to our ears classics such as "Kiss Me Quick" and "Little Sister", as well as the famous session for the "lost album" of 1963 and the less celebrated, but equally important, "Memphis, Tennessee", from 1964.
In this work, FTD prioritized unreleased tracks from the sessions between 1961 and 1964 at RCA Studio B, continuing what they began with "Long Lonely Highway - Nashville 1960-1968" in 2000 and being a direct sequel to "Fame and Fortune", from 2002.
Below is a review of the content available on the CD.
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- 1. Kiss Me Quick (Take 1): The opening track of the LP "Pot Luck with Elvis" (1962) begins the album as it did the June 25, 1961 session, the first one analyzed in this work.
- 1. Kiss Me Quick (Take 1): The opening track of the LP "Pot Luck with Elvis" (1962) begins the album as it did the June 25, 1961 session, the first one analyzed in this work.
Elvis is in a good mood and his voice sounds smooth and controlled. It is only the first take and there is a lot to fix, but it is refreshing to hear this song performed a little differently than on the Master (Take 12), which had its ending cut in the LP edition, although the lack of Ray Walker's vocal fills is felt.
- 2. That's Someone You Never Forget (Take 5): The second song recorded in the aforementioned session, this take of the song that would close "Pot Luck with Elvis" is full of pure emotion.
Very different from take 1, which is almost an acoustic version of the song, this one is softer and has one of the best vocal samples of Elvis from that period.
Red West's lyrics, with suggestions from Elvis himself, sound perfect with the brilliant accompaniment of D.J. Fontana's subtle brushes on the drums. To a certain extent, not even the Master (Take 8) came out as perfect.
- 3. I'm Yours (Takes 4 & 1): The following day, the collection of romantic songs that would be released alongside rock ballads over the next two years began to take shape.
Closing the A-side of "Pot Luck with Elvis", this song offers little to note, although it is a completely new take.
While RCA used takes 1, 5, and 6 to create the Master's composite, FTD made their own version, composed of the instrumental from take 4 and the vocals from take 1.
- 4. (Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame (Rehearsal, Take 2): With D.J. and Boots Randolph still working on their parts, Elvis sings calmly during the rehearsal.
The singer's obsession with perfection was so great and so productive at this time that his insistence on correcting small details that would not even be noticed by most listeners ended up creating magical moments. And here it is no different, since take 2 already has the same feel as the Master (Take 8), even though the correct beat is still being worked on.
- 5. Little Sister (Takes 1, 2 & 3): "We've got a classic here," announces sound engineer Bill Porter.
It's four in the morning and Elvis and his band are at their creative peak. Scotty plays his guitar through the song on take 2, while Hank Garland plays along without missing a beat. Take 3 is interrupted, making take 4 the Master, but Elvis would still insist on improving his performance for seven more takes.
It's no wonder that "Little Sister/"(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" would become one of the highest-grossing singles of 1961.
- 6. For the Millionth and the Last Time (Take 1): On October 15, 1961, Elvis returned to Nashville for more magical moments.
A much more contemporary version than the Master (Take 12) heard on the LP "Elvis For Everyone!" (1965), it has a delicious electric guitar accompaniment (dropped from take 3 onwards) and the percussion and Elvis' vocals sound crystal clear. The addition of the accordion in the Master's overdubs seems to detract from the song when we hear it here.
- 7. Anything That's Part of You (Takes 4 & 5): Elvis' perfectionism shows itself again and take 4 is aborted right at the beginning.
Without a doubt, take 8 from "Long Lonely Highway" is a gem and take 9 is the rarest and most famous of all, being more remembered than the Master itself (Take 10) from the 1962 single and the LP "Elvis Golden Records, Volume 3" (1963), but the mix of this fifth take allows us to hear every breath Elvis takes, revealing his vocal work and making him sound more lonely than ever.
- 8. I Met Her Today (Takes 8 & 9): Right at the beginning of take 8, the song is interrupted by Elvis' hoarseness. Bill Porter announces "let's clear our throats and try again", obviously referring to Elvis, who does so and laughs.
The real gem is take 1, unfortunately absent from this work, since at this point we can already hear a version very similar to the Master's (Take 18) present in "Elvis For Everyone!".
- 9. Something Blue (Takes 3 & 4): The next seven takes are the result of a single night's work, from March 18 to 19, 1962, although the work omits the main objective of the session - the Masters of "She's Not You" and "Good Luck Charm".
A small error requires the beginning of a new take for the pleasure of the listener. Unlike the better known take 1 and the Master (Take 7) that opens side B of the album "Pot Luck with Elvis", here Elvis' voice sounds crystal clear and louder in the mix, accompanied by the piano and giving a different feel to the song.
- 10. Gonna Get Back Home Somehow (Take 1): For a first take, this sounds more perfect than the Master itself (Take 7) which was softened to match the tone of "Pot Luck with Elvis".
The explosive drum beat and Boots Randolph's saxophone create a feeling of returning to the "Elvis is Back!" sessions.
- 11. (Such An) Easy Question (Take 3): Although it offers no new features in relation to the already released takes and the Master (Take 5), it features Elvis in his perfectionism correcting the song's tempo for the band.
- 12. Fountain of Love (Takes 1 & 2): "There's a guitar break in here too", Elvis tells his band as take 1 falls apart. This version is very different from the Master (Take 10) and almost sounds like another song with Boots Randolph's increased presence, the acoustic guitar fills and the backing vocals using a lighter intonation.
Even after all his work, Elvis, knowing that this would not be the Master, says "okay, that's enough" just before the end of take 2.
- 13. Just For Old Times Sake (Takes 3 & 4): Nothing new here, as the version sounds exactly like the Master (Take 5).
- 14. Night Rider (Takes 2 & 3): We enter the session as the band is in the middle of a lively jam that makes us wish the tape had been recording earlier.
This is an attempt to remake the October 16, 1961 recording, but with no better results, the Master from this one (Take 5) was abandoned and replaced with the one originally chosen the previous year (Take 3) for "Pot Luck with Elvis".
- 15. You'll Be Gone (Take 1): Another song written by Elvis and Red West, with help from Charlie Hodge, sounds much more passionate on this first take than on the Master (Take 3) and would have most likely been a hit if it had been released as a single at the time. Unfortunately, the song would only be sold as the B-side of the "Do the Clam" single in 1965, losing its potential.
- 16. I Feel That I've Known You Forever (Take 1): Nothing new here, as the version sounds exactly like the Master (Take 5).
- 17. Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello (Take 2): The slower tempo and the mix that highlights Elvis' voice are the real gems of this take.
On the Master (Take 6), used on a 1962 single and re-released in 1968 on "Elvis' Gold Records, Volume 4", Elvis had already changed the tempo to something faster.
- 18. Echoes of Love (Takes 2 & 3): Having recorded four soundtracks in a mere 14 months, which highlights their lack of quality, this is the first song outside of the context of a film that Elvis would record in 1963, during the famous sessions for the "lost album".
Elvis still works at a faster tempo than the Master (Take 10), but would slow it down from the next take onwards. Unfortunately, the song was only used as the penultimate track on the "Kissin' Cousins" LP in 1964.
- 19. Please Don't Drag That String Around (Take 2): B-side to the 1963 single "(You're the) Devil in Disguise", it has an excellent mix that prioritizes Elvis' voice and makes the instruments sound perfect individually. The Master (Take 6) is somewhat different and has a slower tempo.
- 20. Love Me Tonight (Takes 3 & 4): A delightful ballad, sung almost a cappella by Elvis, who is accompanied only by piano and backing vocals. When we listen to the Master (Take 8) on the LP "Fun in Acapulco" (1963), we almost don't realize that it is the same song.
- 21. Western Union (Take 3): Sounding like a rip-off of "Return to Sender", the song was probably neglected for years for this reason.
Although it has some deliciously loud drums in the mix, it would not be released with a different Master (Take 4) until 1968 as one of the extras on the "Speedway" LP, which, after singles like "Guitar Man" and "U.S. Male", would have made it completely obsolete.
- 22. Memphis Tennessee (Take 1): Elvis only worked on three non-soundtrack songs in 1964, and two of them were remake attempts of May 1963 recordings—this one and "Ask Me".
Unlike the 1963 Master (Take 2), the famous "Jungle Version" that was never officially released, the Master used for "Elvis For Everyone!" is from this 1964 session (Take 6).
The highlight of this first take is the band's crystal-clear sound and the pure rock 'n' roll feel of the version, which continues to play even after Elvis says, "That's all I have in me."
- 23. Ask Me (Takes 8 & 9): It's the early morning of January 12, 1964, and Elvis is about to wrap up his last non-soundtrack session for the next two years (after this one, Elvis only ended the session with quick takes of "It Hurts Me").
This take is much more intimate than the Master (Take 11) and replaces the organ overflow with a more noticeable guitar presence.
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