Your'e The Boss. What happened?

[Raised on Rock]

Just one of those days, where you play an Elvis CD that you rarely play, this time for me was CD 1 from the old early 90's box set: Elvis: Collectors Gold, and the track that caught my ear this time was Elvis and Ann Margaret Duet on a song called: Your'e The Boss.

Never payed much attention to that one, but today I suddenly realize what great performance those two achieved on that track, then I went for the other almost identical take on the Double Features, and along with the two underrated ones: What'd I Say and If You Think I Don't Need You, Your'e The Boss stands well (and even superior) along Presley non soundtrack material from that period.

The thing is, while What's I Say was buried as a B side, and same thing happened with If You THink I Don't Need You by relegating it to an Extender Play B side, what the hell saw wrong with You're The Boss that wasn't even released.

Was actually a scene planed for that track? was actually filmed an later deleted from the final print? It definitively showcases Ann & Elvis chemistry and talent much more better that the awful The Lady Loves Me and the passable but forgettable Today Tomorrow and Forever, so what was wrong with that people letting Boss in the can until 1992!!!! A scene in the movie with that track could have easily melt the cinema, and instant classic.

At least as a bonus track along with another relegated track: Night Life, on the Viva Las Vegas LP that never was meant to be could have been a killer.

Anyhow, does anyone knows the story behind that track?

YouTube - You're the boss

[TotallyInsane]

That was the problem - it was TOO HOT for back in the day!!!

[Lonniebealestreet]

I don't know the answer but just wanted to chime in and say I have to agree with you: that track really sizzles! But then I am also quite fond of the duet they did of Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.

The answer may simply relate to the issue the Colonel had with all the attention Ann was getting from the director in how he shot the scenes and the typical philosophy with respect to publishing deals and all that. I would guess that in general, Elvis' participating in duets was largely frowned upon, both because of the splitting of royalties and the sharing of the spotlight.

But I am just speculating.

[Lonniebealestreet]

Well, that's a good point, Gail, and I may have been overlooking the simplest answer of all there because you're right -- it was definitely a scorcher.

[TCB4ELVIS]

I thought they recorded too many songs. They couldn't fit all of them. They went way over budget with VLV. Look at the way the movie ends. It cuts into the exit wedding scene and instead of filming a finale song, they closed the film with earlier song clips.
The next movie they filmed was a low budget and if I remember correctly they filmed it in barley a month, Kissin' Cousins. It was To make up for what they had spent on VLV.

[TCB4ELVIS]

Why they felt that movie had to be 90minutes long. They spent the money on filming it. I don't know what they are waiting for to release these out takes. That would be interesting to see. Or better yet, release an extended version of the movie.
I don't blame the Director and would love to see more of Ann Margret..lol

[Brian]

The answer may simply relate to the issue the Colonel had with all the attention Ann was getting from the director in how he shot the scenes and the typical philosophy with respect to publishing deals and all that. I would guess that in general, Elvis' participating in duets was largely frowned upon, both because of the splitting of royalties and the sharing of the spotlight.

But I am just speculating.

Actually that's spot on.

The sharing of the royalties.

[Brian]

I thought they recorded too many songs. They couldn't fit all of them. They went way over budget with VLV. Look at the way the movie ends. It cuts into the exit wedding scene and instead of filming a finale song, they closed the film with earlier song clips.
The next movie they filmed was a low budget and if I remember correctly they filmed it in barley a month, Kissin' Cousins. It was To make up for what they had spent on VLV.

Yes, I've heard they had planned on filming a scene for a duet of You're the Boss between Elvis and AM but for monetary reasons and time constraints it was not filmed.
I had heard the movie was originally suppose to be a little bit longer.

[Raised on Rock]

Does anybody think that there are somewhere any deleted scenes from Viva las Vegas, that may be usable for an extended version?

Personally I don't, but a... well, that would be cool.

A "You´re The Boss" duet clip after the Wedding scene to close the film would have been a killer. If only.

[TCB4ELVIS]

Does anybody think that there are somewhere any deleted scenes from Viva las Vegas, that may be usable for an extended version?

Personally I don't, but a... well, that would be cool.

A "You´re The Boss" duet clip after the Wedding scene to close the film would have been a killer. If only.

They do have a bunch of clips that didn't make the final cut in probably all his movies. Remember they took 3 one ton trucks of stuff The Colonel had in storage. I recently saw out takes of G.I. Blues that I have never seen before.
So there has to be Viva Las Vegas out takes. I'm sure the director took home some nice close ups of Ann Margret.lol

[Getlo]

what the hell saw wrong with You're The Boss that wasn't even released.

It's not a particularly good song, that's why.

It was meant as a novelty duet - nothing more - and was rightly shelved from the final film and subsequent soundtrack EPs.

[Raised on Rock]

It's not a particularly good song, that's why.

It was meant as a novelty duet - nothing more - and was rightly shelved from the final film and subsequent soundtrack EPs.

Its not Suspicious Minds or That's All Right Mama, it is a novelty duet, sure, but was The Lady Loves Me duet a better choice for the film than Boss?

Or for that matter, to release an LP full of lesser quality novelties called Kissin Cousins instead of a Viva LP was a much more rightly decision?

Anyway, talking about rightly shelved stuff, maybe a half of each of his soundtrack L.P's after '62 should have been shelved, as is started happening with Stay Away Joe.

[Raised on Rock]

By the way, does anybody knows a picture of Ann and Elvis together, any year after Viva Las Vegas?

[Jungleroom76]

The answer may simply relate to the issue the Colonel had with all the attention Ann was getting from the director in how he shot the scenes and the typical philosophy with respect to publishing deals and all that. I would guess that in general, Elvis' participating in duets was largely frowned upon, both because of the splitting of royalties and the sharing of the spotlight.

But I am just speculating.

I am 99.9% sure that your speculation is correct pal!!! The Colonel certainly didn't want anyone to upstage Elvis, nor share in the royalties of the song if it were released on the EP or as a single! :angry:

Once again, just another example of The Colonel's greed and short-sightedness which was a detriment to Elvis' career!!! (n)

TCB!
Mike

[Jungleroom76]

Anyway, talking about rightly shelved stuff, maybe a half of each of his soundtrack L.P's after '62 should have been shelved, as is started happening with Stay Away Joe.

That is a good point ROR... (y)

TCB!
Mike

[GIORGIA]

I don't know the answer but just wanted to chime in and say I have to agree with you: that track really sizzles! But then I am also quite fond of the duet they did of Today, Tomorrow, and Forever.

The answer may simply relate to the issue the Colonel had with all the attention Ann was getting from the director in how he shot the scenes and the typical philosophy with respect to publishing deals and all that. I would guess that in general, Elvis' participating in duets was largely frowned upon, both because of the splitting of royalties and the sharing of the spotlight.

But I am just speculating.
I agree with you,maybe is this the answer.

[hexia]

I agree with the reason of sharing royalties and spotlight.
I always thought it was a great song. It may have been a novelty song, but I think it still holds today.
Dicte and Claus Hempler (2 Danish singers) performed the song at the celebration of the engagement between the Danish crown-prince and Mary Donaldson with great success.
By the way ROR, I made the YouTube video you imbedded in your post. I hope that means you like it?:P

[Raised on Rock]

I agree with the reason of sharing royalties and spotlight.
I always thought it was a great song. It may have been a novelty song, but I think it still holds today.
Dicte and Claus Hempler (2 Danish singers) performed the song at the celebration of the engagement between the Danish crown-prince and Mary Donaldson with great success.
By the way ROR, I made the YouTube video you imbedded in your post. I hope that means you like it?:P

Oh so was you? thanks, yes I did.

[Raised on Rock]

I am 99.9% sure that your speculation is correct pal!!! The Colonel certainly didn't want anyone to upstage Elvis, nor share in the royalties of the song if it were released on the EP or as a single! :angry:

Once again, just another example of The Colonel's greed and short-sightedness which was a detriment to Elvis' career!!! (n)

TCB!
Mike

Yes, I tend to think also that the issue of sharing royalties has much more to do about not being released than the quality of the song, lower quality stuff was released indeed.

Yes, it is a novelty, it is not Tomorrow is A Long Time, but in terms of novelty (which was the Elvis direction of choice in '64-'65) it is a high quality production and definitively an entertaining performance, not the same thing could be said of The Barefoot Ballad or other novelty stuff that it was released.

Roustabout was a novelty album, but it was high standard production, wrecking crew included, and in its class, easily hit the No1 spot. Similar effect could have resulted from a Viva LP.

Some say there wasn't enought songs, but bringing in unused stuff like Bosss, Night life, stuff from the may '63 sessions like Slowly But Surely as bonus tracks, a let's say, decent album could have been achieved, something far better from Kissin Cousins for sure, the one that would have been released as an EP with the 4 passable songs.

What I am saying is, either how good or bad you think Your'e the Boss is as a recording, there was other stuff to choose (more rationally) as no to be released. But I guess thinks were looked from a very different perspective at the time.

By the way, talking about the royalties issue, let's not forget that years latter, a duet and a non Elvis track appeared on the Speedway LP.

[TCB4ELVIS]

It's not a particularly good song, that's why.

It was meant as a novelty duet - nothing more - and was rightly shelved from the final film and subsequent soundtrack EPs.

I agree with you here. The original is a much better version. I don't have respect for the arrangement or the lyrics Elvis' writers added to it. It's a bit different.

Here is the original 1960 version, in my opinion the better one. Recorded 3 years before Elvis & Ann Margret did.

YouTube - LaVern Baker & Jimmy Ricks - You're The Boss

[Getlo]

Its not Suspicious Minds or That's All Right Mama, it is a novelty duet, sure, but was The Lady Loves Me duet a better choice for the film than Boss?

Yes, absolutely. It has a better pace to it.

And there was only room for one novelty duet in the film.

The inferior song was rejected.

[Getlo]

Here is the original 1960 version, in my opinion the better one. Recorded 3 years before Elvis & Ann Margret did.

Thanks. I didn't know there was an original prior to AM and EP.

[Brian]

Thanks. I didn't know there was an original prior to AM and EP.

The song is actually something of an R&B standard it's been covered by several people including B.B. King

[GIORGIA]

Beautiful Beautiful Song!