Always on my mind - why not played live?

[President Presley]

Does anyone know why "Always on my mind" was never played live on stage?
It was a big hit, to please his fans he could have played it live I think.

[Raised on Rock]

Yeah I have always thought about that, its funny he did played lesser succesfull singles in '72 like "Until its Time For You To Go" and even played "For the Good Times" a lot, a song from the same sessions of "Always in My Mind" that wasn?t even released.

On the other hand we must remeber that "Always in My Mind" was released as a B side for "Seperate Ways" and did not chart the Billboard Top 40, its one of those songs that somehow became favourites in time, but passed unnoticed when first released. I personaly think it was big mistake to used it as a B side, it must have been his first A side early April '72, that way it could have been a top 20, and so we may have seen Elvis doing it by the time of the Aloha concerts.

P.S. Maybe the song just bring sad memories to Elvis and he didn?t feel like going through that once again by doing it live.

[President Presley]

That's my idea too, that it was bringing bad memories to him.
Shame, I really would have love to hear Elvis sing that song live.

[EP75]

The song was too personal and too emotional for EP to do live. He did however rehearse it for the NY shows in 1972, but dropped it come show time. He attempted to do it live in Vegas one night but stopped the band and told them "let's do something else".

[King_Creole]

When did Elvis ever try and attempt this song "live" in Vegas and then suddenly abort it ???

[Elvis131]

The song was too personal and too emotional for EP to do live. He did however rehearse it for the NY shows in 1972, but dropped it come show time. He attempted to do it live in Vegas one night but stopped the band and told them "let's do something else".

Really!
When was this???

[rickb]

a classic Elvis track that definitely should have been the A-side and a top 10 hit
rick

[EP75]

Really!
When was this???

Summer 1972 in Las Vegas. It was either Always On My Mind or Separate Ways that he started to sing but decided not to. But I believe it was Always On My Mind. One of the guys, either Burton or Scheff was asked this question a while back and told the story. I can't remember who it was though.

[King_Creole]

Uh huh ...

Just as I thought ...

[elvis himselvis]

There was a thread about the same question before,and on that thread,there was said he did snag it live on stage,but not the whole song,he did 3 couplets or something....
EP75,do you know the exact date ?

[nashville cat]

This is strictly an opinion here, but I think there were a number of songs recorded by EP in the 70's that he probably felt wouldn't translate well on stage. I'm talking about quieter, more instrospective songs like "Seperate Ways", and "Always On My Mind". These didn't feature a big orchestra or big vocal arrangement like "Hurt" or "My Boy". Those were the type of numbers that got a big response from the crowd, not the quieter tunes, and maybe that's why they were not staged as much.

That being said, a few songs like "For the Good Times" and "Until It's Time For You To Go" were used quite a bit, but these were songs that had already been established by other artists, and more familiar to the audience.

[Leroy]

I think Nashville Cat is right. It was pure a musical choice. Remember Elvis was a professional. He would not run away for singing a song that has a personal emotional message. Het did sing other songs that were connected to the period of his divorce.

[elvis himselvis]

that's true,but did he sang a short version,or did he not perform the song???

[The King's Queen]

I think Nashville Cat is right. It was pure a musical choice. Remember Elvis was a professional. He would not run away for singing a song that has a personal emotional message. Het did sing other songs that were connected to the period of his divorce.

I think you are right! I seriously doubt that Elvis would have backed away from a song, or songs, because of the emotional content and the connection to what was going on his life at that time. I agree...100%...it was a musical choice. Nothing more.

[ksimms2]

this is interesting, you know, I never he knew he didn't sing it live. I thought he did - what song did he dedicate to Priscilla? I can't remember?

[Erhan]

The song was too personal and too emotional for EP to do live. He did however rehearse it for the NY shows in 1972, but dropped it come show time. He attempted to do it live in Vegas one night but stopped the band and told them "let's do something else".

What Do you think "Gave Me A Mountain" was not too personal and emotional?

[Tony Trout]

As someone said earlier, it was purely a musical choice...it wouldn't have worked well onstage....there are certain songs that flow better in the studio than in concert and this was one of those songs. "Separate Ways" was probably also another song that wouldn't have worked well onstage, either. Frankly, I'm glad we have the studio recordings.

[cibetty]

Summer 1972 in Las Vegas. It was either Always On My Mind or Separate Ways that he started to sing but decided not to. But I believe it was Always On My Mind. One of the guys, either Burton or Scheff was asked this question a while back and told the story. I can't remember who it was though.

He really tried to sing it in live? I didn't know this. Thanks for sharing this info!!

[cibetty]

The song was too personal and too emotional for EP to do live. He did however rehearse it for the NY shows in 1972, but dropped it come show time. He attempted to do it live in Vegas one night but stopped the band and told them "let's do something else".

I think the same, maybe it was too personal and too emotional for him. I know there were some other songs what he did not sing in live, but I'm sure this song was very very special to him, I feel this when I hear him singing it.