"Love Letters LP discouraging" (RollingStones review 1971)

[KPM]

As I mentioned dont forget why that last session is dubbed the jungle room sessions.He did manage some good tracks,but we know his heart just wasnt into it.I believe Elvis was late coming down to record and it just wasnt a lighthearted time for Elvis.When Elvis had some decent material in front of him he could still pull it off obviously.He had far to much talent for it to be completely suppressed.When you listen to the memphis sessions you are hearing Elvis at his best.He is consumed with passion and the desire to perform.The guy was on fire and it shows.The jungle room sessions show Elvis at the end of his rope.Bored and listless so much of the time and basically somber.The Elvis that cut Suspicous Minds in 69 is nowhere to be found on that last sesion.

IMO The more personal the material was to him-the more he cared about how the song came out. I want to think if he had lived-that down the road he would have finally got the fire back. He would have got out of the slump. In the 60s he started out strong and then had about 5years of movies and little musical fire. Perhaps if he had lived in 79 or 80 he would have regrouped and once again got the fever.

[Jungleroom76]

IMO The more personal the material was to him-the more he cared about how the song came out.

THAT is an excellent point KPM!!!

A perfect example of this is the fact that while it only took Elvis around 6 takes to come up with a satisfactory master for BURNING LOVE, it took him more than 20 takes to finish SEPARATE WAYS!!!

This, in my opinion, CLEARLY demonstrates just what you said above...the more personal the song to Elvis, the more he put into it to come up with the perfect recording!

TCB!
Mike

[ehollier]

THAT is an excellent point KPM!!!

A perfect example of this is the fact that while it only took Elvis around 6 takes to come up with a satisfactory master for BURNING LOVE, it took him more than 20 takes to finish SEPARATE WAYS!!!

This, in my opinion, CLEARLY demonstrates just what you said above...the more personal the song to Elvis, the more he put into it to come up with the perfect recording!

TCB!
Mike

You seem to pretty well understand Elvis' mentalality after reading some of your posts.

[jak]

No doubt that Elvis was peaked when he recorded with Chips in 1969 and he was very much wanting to come back, wanting a hit song, wanting to sing good material again; however, it is very difficult to sustain that sort of peak for any length of time. He did however continue to have sparks of creativity and could still move a crowd when he had the right song. And some will argue also that it is all about timing, too. He has said that timing played a part in his music in the 50's. The time was right when he recorded with Chips, because Chips was on a roll, too. He came to Vegas at the right time; the International was the latest thing in entertainment. But timing was not on his side when his personal life fell apart, timing was not on his side when other musicians came on the scene and the whole scene changed while he was becoming more and more addicted to drugs. Some argue that he could have dug his way out, but drugs are bad - whether prescribed or not - they will ruin your life and steal your soul. I think that was what happened to Elvis. But because he has sustained such a large fan base over 30 years, he life has been examed with a fine-tooth comb and we can look at each release as it relates to his life - personally and professionally. Elvis always wanted his "Becket" and I have always believed he got it!!

This is a good post.Youre right about the drugs.After Aloha he should have been able to gain some momentum but that wasnt the case.The drugs just robbed him of any chance.After Aloha it was just the same Vegas stints with a multitude of one nighter's in the same venue's over and over.His record sales dropped and he was absent from the charts that he ruled for so long.I think many people forget or ignore where his career was at when he died.

[ehollier]

This is a good post.Youre right about the drugs.After Aloha he should have been able to gain some momentum but that wasnt the case.The drugs just robbed him of any chance.After Aloha it was just the same Vegas stints with a multitude of one nighter's in the same venue's over and over.His record sales dropped and he was absent from the charts that he ruled for so long.I think many people forget or ignore where his career was at when he died.

Thank you.

[utmom2008]

This is a good post.Youre right about the drugs.After Aloha he should have been able to gain some momentum but that wasnt the case.I think many people forget or ignore where his career was at when he died.

I kind of hope that they forget where he was career wise when he died. Then you have these hideous commercials like the Heinz 57 one that is making the youtube rounds. Those that have cared enough to learn the what the real Elvis was like are to be applauded...like some of the younger fans on this board. Regretably, those that haven't really looked into his career just tend to think of Elvis as the fat guy in a jumpsuit with big sunglasses on with gigantic sideburns. What a shame....

[ehollier]

I kind of hope that they forget where he was career wise when he died. Then you have these hideous commercials like the Heinz 57 one that is making the youtube rounds. Those that have cared enough to learn the what the real Elvis was like are to be applauded...like some of the younger fans on this board. Regretably, those that haven't really looked into his career just tend to think of Elvis as the fat guy in a jumpsuit with big sunglasses on with gigantic sideburns. What a shame....

I do believe that fans have not only forgotten where he was career wise when he died, but also have oodles more of respect for him today -- hence his immence popularity and longevity!!! I believe that you will always have those who tend to remember those last years, but look at the fans around the world who never got to see him or even more mind-boggling -- can't even readily get his material (pictures, cds, dvds), fans who weren't born or lived during his lifetime!!! Its absolutely incredible!!!!!!! I am amazed at this worldwide love affair with him. Living here in the South, I just took Elvis for granted and never really wondered outside of my own little realm. He is part of our pop culture -- heck he re-wrote our pop culture. Every day, I find new fans on this site and others from all over the world. I don't think Elvis could have forseen what would have become of his memory nor could he have comprehended it either.

[Getlo]

Regretably, those that haven't really looked into his career just tend to think of Elvis as the fat guy in a jumpsuit with big sunglasses on with gigantic sideburns.

And that is 99.9% due to Elvis impersonators!

[utmom2008]

look at the fans around the world who never got to see him or even more mind-boggling -- can't even readily get his material (pictures, cds, dvds), fans who weren't born or lived during his lifetime!!! Its absolutely incredible!!!!!!! I am amazed at this worldwide love affair with him.

I have always been amazed at the world wide love affair with him. When I was in Vegas in August of 71 there was also a BIG group of fans from Japan. They all belonged to his Japanese fan club and had chartered a plane to get to Vegas. I remember a big chartered Grey Hound that brought them from the airport to the Hilton...they got off the bus and came in and didn't appear to speak a word of English. Elvis introduced them that night at the dinner show. It was fascinating to watch a group of people have such obvious love for a man...and not understand a word he was saying.

[cameron]

And that is 99.9% due to Elvis impersonators!

Bad impersonators .
And the stories and jokes we allow to go around without speaking up.

[MojoElvis]

And that is 99.9% due to Elvis impersonators!

Right fully so, a lot theses Impersonators do set a negative tone to the image of Elvis. But I thought that this Elvis image was the fault of what the media was saying about Elvis since he had turned 40 and due to the 1977 CBS Special?
That show never should have aired. The poor guy needed a few years off to just get his act together.
Even though cause I'm a fan I can watch it and love every minute of it, to a person who's not a fan it leaves a lot of room for insults. To me it didn't matter. I love the human being, Elvis, as I'm sure you and most people on here do, but to the non-die hard fan it was a big mistake.

[utmom2008]

But I thought that this Elvis image was the fault of what the media was saying about Elvis since he had turned 40 and due to the 1977 CBS Special?
To a person who's not a fan it leaves a lot of room for insults.

I don't know any other way to say this, but, items such as the candy bar that you use as a signature also play right into the hands of the very people who like to ridicule Elvis. His likeness on a CANDY BAR set him up for soooooo much ridicule. There is NO dignity in finding your face on a peanut butter/banana candy bar.

[Getlo]

Bad impersonators .And the stories and jokes we allow to go around without speaking up.

Bad impersonator = any impersonator, IMO.

I don't know any other way to say this, but, items such as the candy bar that you use as a signature also play right into the hands of the very people who like to ridicule Elvis. His likeness on a CANDY BAR set him up for soooooo much ridicule. There is NO dignity in finding your face on a peanut butter/banana candy bar.

Accurately ... and politely ... stated. It is more than undignified to have Elvis (who, let's face it, was a junk food addict) on a candy bar.

Does EPE even see the ridiculous and barbed irony of that?? Does MojoElvis??!

It's one step away from having a line of Presley sleeping pills, or diet pills!