Elvis' voice change between 69-71

[ph10579]

Doe's anyone know or have an idea why Elvis' singing voice changed so much between 1969-71,which is only two years. If you listen to his voice on the 69 sessions compared to the 71 sessions you could definitely tell a difference in his voice! Was he already bored of singing? His voice to me sounds alot more energized in 1969! What do you guys think?Thanks!

[hounddog]

I'm not sure if you mean to change in his tone, timbre. If that's what you mean then peoples voices naturally change with age.

Singers more so because they use them more. This is the case for every singer i know. You lose a couple of top notes but gain in timbre and strength and also get a couple of lower notes.

My own voice has dropped in tone and i can reach a few more lower notes than i used to when i was in my twentys.

Is that what you mean, his vocal range, timbre etc?

[Dino78]

One point is the change caused by aging of course. But on the other hand you have to see that he suffered a throat infection during the '69 sessions.

[epmoodyblue]

nah.....his voice simply changed ..its normal as the years go by voice changes.....but def in 68-69-70..were the years elvis sounded the best

[easyrider]

Yes change in his tone.

[SleepyJack]

I often wonder how different his voice might have been by 1969 if he had been touring all through the sixties.... I think it was inevitable that his voice changed once he got back to doing live shows.

[Cliff]

His voice did change after the Army. More mature. I found that his voice got more aggressive from '68 onward. But then ,I'm no expert.

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[renapap05]

nah.....his voice simply changed ..its normal as the years go by voice changes.....

[elvispresleytheking]

I think the most major change came in the mid-sixties, when his voice dropped a few octaves. VOices do naturally change, but 71 is still so much better than like 76 or 77.

[ehollier]

I think the most major change came in the mid-sixties, when his voice dropped a few octaves. VOices do naturally change, but 71 is still so much better than like 76 or 77.

Wasn't he also getting hormone shots to help make his voice deeper by the end?????

[IM4Elvis]

Obviously his voice changed from simply getting older, and the demands on his throat from the heavy recording schedule and the concerts in the time frame. Elvis certainly was not "bored" during this time period as was suggested above. He had some awesome releases during this time period. IMHO, Elvis voice was at its best in the 1968-1973 era.

IM

[john carpenter]

Wasn't he also getting hormone shots to help make his voice deeper by the end?????

First time i,ve heard that. With Elvis anythings possible!

[Raised on Rock]

Wasn't he also getting hormone shots to help make his voice deeper by the end?????

Never heard about that, I heard he got vitamin shots before going on stage to energize him for his performances.

Don´t see anything weird about his voice change, I mean it is understandable, its all about aging I guess, and the fact that going back into live performances gave some strain to his voice. Maybe both, aging and strain, made him look for different approaches into his singing, and so the big change both live and in the studio from '68 to 71. It also may be that he intentionally wanted to lower down his voice a bit, just as he intentionally polished his approach while in the army.

But yes. there is a little noticeable strain in his voice in a few songs from '71 and the '72 sessions, and definitively in the summer '73 Stax sessions. His singing was all energized again in all studio sessions from Dec '73 at Stax, until the Junlge Room sessions.

[hounddog]

"Wasn't he also getting hormone shots to help make his voice deeper by the end???
wow never heard that one before

[hounddog]

"Wasn't he also getting hormone shots to help make his voice deeper by the end???
wow never heard that one before

[Silenz]

Well Elvis voice was at its best around 68-71 BUT listen to How great thou art from Elvis in concert 77. I changed so it fitted better his spiritual songs in my opinion in the later years.

[Cryogenic]

It was probably a combination of physiology, drugs and mood. His voice of 1971 is markedly different to his voice of 1969. Put "You'll Think Of Me" on and follow it up with "We Can Make The Morning". It sounds like two different people. That's the power of Elvis!

[laura17]

his voice just got better.

[cbg84]

I think everyone one's voice changes a little with time and aware and tare. But Elvis still sounded great as ever all through his life.

[ehollier]

After re-reading the timeline of his life and giving me some serious thought, it seems that there was a significant change to Elvis after those first two stateside tours in the Fall, 1970. In my opinion, it seemed like everything about Elvis began to change -- his voice, attitude, personal life, professional life -- everything began to change and he moved away from the performer in 1969-70. There is even a change in his appearance from the Fall, 1970 and his opening in Vegas, 1971.

I'm not suggesting that he wasn't a sensational performer or he couldn't move the crowd to their knees. I am only saying that there was a significant change to his attitude and personality after those first 3 engagements. Lucky we were able to capture all of that magnetism on film before these changes were so apparent.