CD: TCB Band Recording With Elvis (modern day)

[U.S. Male]

I'd like to pose this question to you all.

Would you like to see BMG produce a cd that contains Elvis' original vocal track, along with the remaining members of the TCB Band, and with other people who recorded with Elvis (Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, Jery Reed, et..) ????

Would you all like to have a product like this?

[goodelvisgirl]

mmm not sure on that one

[my boy]

I would prefer the original recordings because I don't think they can be improved on!

[rocknroll]

I would prefer the original recordings because I don't think they can be improved on!

I concur.

[keke23]

No. They need to go with some younger producers and musicians.

Make it hip, but keep the originality, like with ALLC.

Give his music a modern sound.

[KPM]

I'd like to pose this question to you all.

Would you like to see BMG produce a cd that contains Elvis' original vocal track, along with the remaining members of the TCB Band, and with other people who recorded with Elvis (Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, Jery Reed, et..) ????

Would you all like to have a product like this?

Well the Elvis of 1955 did not have a sound of the Elvis in 1970, or 60, or 65 etc.. I would not mind hearing these guys update the backing tracks at least they did play with Elvis.

[KPM]

No. They need to go with some younger producers and musicians.

Make it hip, but keep the originality, like with ALLC.
Give his music a modern sound.

IMO that was a special case. It already sounded like a rap to start with so it was easy to build a new arrangement around the original beat. Not many Elvis
songs are going to be like that.

[LORRIELOVESELVIS]

I would prefer the original recordings because I don't think they can be improved on!

Thats what you call----ELVIS TCB!!

[utmom2008]

I concur.

I concur with rocknroll.

[beckyelvis1]

I think it would be interesting to hear something like that, I'd be open to the idea, yes

[KPM]

I concur with rocknroll.

Well you probably can never make them better than the originals-but its always nice to hear a little something different. ALLC grew on me after I heard it on the radio a few times. Rubbernickin just did not seem as good to me.
The song and who is involved are very very important. Some think every song is ripe for a remix or revamp and its just not true. ALLC was a little known track to most people (even some less informed or newer fans) so it was almost like new to them. But you can't remix Hound Dog or Don't Be Cruel etc....IMO But I'm open to the idea of remixes. The originals will never go away.

[U.S. Male]

Well nothing could ever beat the original sound found on all the albums.

I was just thinking that it might be interesting to hear a studio version of Elvis' hits while being backed up by the guys (and ladies) that worked with him in the past.

Have sort of a "modern" sound to it, but using the same style & arrangements as used on the original versions.

Perhaps something like this would get more people interested in him..you think?

[EP75]

I'd like to pose this question to you all.

Would you like to see BMG produce a cd that contains Elvis' original vocal track, along with the remaining members of the TCB Band, and with other people who recorded with Elvis (Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, Jery Reed, et..) ????

Would you all like to have a product like this?

After seeing and hearing them perform on the 25th Anniversary show that is now on DVD, their sound is more aged than the original sound has. Listen to James guitar solo on Burning Love from 1973 and then listen to the 2002 (or 2997) version. It's like comparing apples to oranges. I do agree that not all EP songs can work in a remix. I don't want them to do a full album of dance remixes. That would be short lived and would be only popular to dance clubs. You would never be able to get those songs on main stream radio..

However, there's enough (out of 1,000 or so) recordings by EP that could work and that would be enough to fill an entire CD of "new" songs. You could take unknown hidden gems like You'll Think Of Me, Long Black Limousine, Any Day Now, True Love Travels On A Gravel Road, Mary In The Morning, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Just Pretend, I'm Leavin', Always On My Mind, Pieces Of My Life, Bringing It Back, etc, etc and create a whole new arrangment and sound. Think American Idol contestants today taking those same songs and putting their own spin on them. It would be considered "new" to a modern day audience and would sell big. Now imagine if they took those same songs into the studio, stripped the backing tracks, and laid down bran new modern contemporary pop sounding tracks with EP's legendary vocals more up front as if he were doing it in modern day time?

And please nobody bring up the outdated Guitar Man LP from 27 years ago that it's already been done once. This would be completely different from how Jarvis did it back then.

[Jungleroom76]

Definitely an interesting idea....I'd be interested in hearing it!!

TCB!
Mike

[TCBnAflash]

No. They need to go with some younger producers and musicians.

Make it hip, but keep the originality, like with ALLC.

Give his music a modern sound.

I feel the same way.

[KPM]

After seeing and hearing them perform on the 25th Anniversary show that is now on DVD, their sound is more aged than the original sound has. Listen to James guitar solo on Burning Love from 1973 and then listen to the 2002 (or 2997) version. It's like comparing apples to oranges. I do agree that not all EP songs can work in a remix. I don't want them to do a full album of dance remixes. That would be short lived and would be only popular to dance clubs. You would never be able to get those songs on main stream radio..

However, there's enough (out of 1,000 or so) recordings by EP that could work and that would be enough to fill an entire CD of "new" songs. You could take unknown hidden gems like [B]You'll Think Of Me, Long Black Limousine, Any Day Now, True Love Travels On A Gravel Road, Mary In The Morning, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Just Pretend, I'm Leavin', Always On My Mind, Pieces Of My Life, Bringing It Back[/B], etc, etc and create a whole new arrangment and sound. Think American Idol contestants today taking those same songs and putting their own spin on them. It would be considered "new" to a modern day audience and would sell big. Now imagine if they took those same songs into the studio, stripped the backing tracks, and laid down bran new modern contemporary pop sounding tracks with EP's legendary vocals more up front as if he were doing it in modern day time?

And please nobody bring up the outdated Guitar Man LP from 27 years ago that it's already been done once. This would be completely different from how Jarvis did it back then.

Being the Devils Advocate-what catagory of music would these fit in-even if remixed and updated. Easy Listening, Country? They would still never be main stream 2008 pop. Its just not so easy to remix-you have to have a goal for where you want this played and for an age group. Its much more complex than just saying it needs to be done. I think the most viable place to try to place new ELvis music would be country.

[waymore44]

The only kind of new backing tracks that I can see working against Elvis's vocals that could be isolated (late 60's - on) would basically be country. At least that's the only format that it would not sound contrived in. Today's country musicians can play anything. I agree that a lot of it can't be improved upon as far as the performance, but recording techniques are so much better now that the sound would be improved upon. Think about songs like "We Can Make The Morning". That recording sounds really bad but it's a great performance. If the sound were updated it could compete with anything on the radio today.

[EP75]

Being the Devils Advocate-what catagory of music would these fit in-even if remixed and updated. Easy Listening, Country? They would still never be main stream 2008 pop. Its just not so easy to remix-you have to have a goal for where you want this played and for an age group. Its much more complex than just saying it needs to be done. I think the most viable place to try to place new ELvis music would be country.

I'm not trying to start an argument here but you are obviously out of touch with today's music market. Country has a limited audience. Pop does not. Anything that is likable and fits in with the times is considered "Pop" music. Watch American idol. That is the sound of today and what kids are listening to and buying. 31 million tuned in last night to see those unknown singers put their own touch to classic 70's music. They made those songs sound fresh and alive without trying to make it "hip" or hip hop flavor or sound karaoke. It was done with a contemporary pop style. Those songs I listed could work in different fashions and styles of different musical genres. For instance-Any Day Now. That could be reworked to fit a Bono style of Rock tune. True Love Travels On A Gravel Road could be reworked to fit a modern day pop soul ballad for radio. Pieces of My Life could be a modern day #1 Country hit. Always On My Mind could be done with a slower tempo and be a modern day love song classic-all over again. C.C.Rider could even be reworked to fit a rock-dance remix. Not all songs can be reworked or remixed to appeal to today's standards. But a large majority of his back catalog could be reworked to an upgraded level. When Bob Sillerman was quoted last year as saying "new music IS coming in the next 5 years" I am 90% certain that he meant "new" as in new backings and new styles and arrangements. Not dance techno beat remixes. There's a limited audience for those types too. But there's no limit to modern day contemporary styles.

Now for aiming EP at just a Country audience would be a huge mistake. They did that in the 80's and 90's and look where it got them? EP didn't become "hip" or "cool" again or to the kids of today until the remix of A Little Less Conversation was playing on the radio and in the dance clubs. Aiming a new and fresh sounding EP to the American Idol audience would be the best and the ideal option for the future. Last year it was on American Idol that EP made his virtual TV appearance and topped the Itunes download charts the next day and had everybody talking about EP and asking "how did they do that?". Now if that had been on CMT or VH1, there's no way it would have garnered all of the positive publicity it got from that one show.

Bob Sillerman OWNS both EP and Idol. that's why it would make perfect sense to have this year's female finalists or the best of the past few years (Tamyra Gray, Kelly Clarkson, etc) to work as an all star backup group for a new sounding EP CD. Idol fans of those artists would flock to the stores to buy it since those stars are singing on it, and out of curiosity. It would be killer promotion just by having Idol tied in with a new EP CD and RCA wouldn't have to spend the money on it. Another thing that could work if money is an issue with the record company. Bob Sillerrman also owns the Idol label, 19 Entertainment. Since it is a branch of RCA, FXS could get a new EP CD released under 19 Entertainment in a deal with RCA as a "Special projects" release.

[EP75]

The only kind of new backing tracks that I can see working against Elvis's vocals that could be isolated (late 60's - on) would basically be country. At least that's the only format that it would not sound contrived in. Today's country musicians can play anything. I agree that a lot of it can't be improved upon as far as the performance, but recording techniques are so much better now that the sound would be improved upon. Think about songs like "We Can Make The Morning". That recording sounds really bad but it's a great performance. If the sound were updated it could compete with anything on the radio today.

We Can Make The Morning is NOT a Country song. Maybe you mean Early Morning Rain? Now that could work for Country radio.

[cameron]

I'd like to pose this question to you all.

Would you like to see BMG produce a cd that contains Elvis' original vocal track, along with the remaining members of the TCB Band, and with other people who recorded with Elvis (Scotty Moore, DJ Fontana, Jery Reed, et..) ????

Would you all like to have a product like this?

The TCB Band seems to be doing their own thing and welcomed throughout the world. They may be old to some. but there are still many that welcome them with open arms.
http://tcbfanclub.com/index.php

They've been busy .A friend of mine traveled with them to many places and sent pictures and reviews. They do alright.
Go have a listen.