"Suspicious Minds" - why the early fade out and back up again?

[Tony Trout]

Does anyone know why, on the the original single version of "Suspicious Minds", the volume fades down and then back up again just prior to the end of the song.
This has always bugged me, was this an error in the mastering?

Elvis was doing it live before the single came out , the live version faded and then came back up full on, they where trying to replicate this effect.

This is correct. Elvis even mentions this on the original "In Person" LP from 1970.

Marty Lacker says Chips Moman originally produced Suspicious minds without the fade out but after the tapes were turned over to RCA Felton Jarvis went back in and messed with the production on some of the songs including putting the fade out on Suspicious minds.

According to Marty the DJs who played the song on the radio were upset about it having the fade out then fade back in affect because it messed up their timing on their playlists and it almost stopped them from playing it at all.

Chips Moman felt his original production was better and didn't like the fade out either and was pissed off at Felton Jarvis for going back in and messing with it.

Chips Moman felt the fade out was okay to do live but not for the studio recording.

This is all according to Marty Lacker.

I'm inclined to agree with Chips in this instance.

I'm inclined to agree with both Chips and Marty because Marty was there at the sessions and Marty also worked closely with Chips at American Sound during this time.

I personally dig the fade out and fade back in....but I wouldn't have released it to radio that way. That's something I would've done for the album version...of course there was no album version which again makes no sense. What went through the minds of the people at RCA?? Did they not want to sell albums or something??

How much more would "From Elvis In Memphis" have sold if "Suspicious Minds" had appeared on the album? Sure it had "In The Ghetto" but that's the only hit.

Back to the fade thing, I've NEVER heard "Suspicious Minds" on the radio that they don't end it on the first fade.

-JD

I like the fade-in-and-out of the record, also. For the record, I did hear the song on an 'oldies' radio station the other night where they didn't fade the song out like the original single release did and they played it all the way through to the last/final fade-out when the record actually ends.

I like this version. To release it without extra overdubbed, it doesn't feel that it's a finished record. I like the fade out/fade near the end of the track.
As for the DJ's being confused because of the fade out/ fade in. I think they would have played the record before broadcasting on air.
Some DJ's got caught out because they thought the record had finished playing.

The fade out /fade in was tried again on I Just Can't Help Believin.
I don't think this record without overdub would not have charted so well as this single.

Radio DJs wouldn't play "Suspicious Minds" because of the fade-in/fade-out because they couldn't cut it off themselves.

As far as "I Just Can't Help Believin'", I think you're incorrect here on "I Just Can't Help Believin'" because that song was a live recording itself and the audience started clapping before the end of the song. There was no fade-in/fade-out on this song like what was on "Suspicious Minds".

[Teddy]

Have you considered the possibility that Elvis's 'karate' posturing was little more than a choreographic 'trojan horse' to disguise moves from the Ministry of Silly Walks sketch, which he wished to incorporate into his act?

[EnigmaticSun]

Have you considered the possibility that Elvis's 'karate' posturing was little more than a choreographic 'trojan horse' to disguise moves from the Ministry of Silly Walks sketch, which he wished to incorporate into his act?

Good commentary, Tony Trout..

..but err.. England wins again, Teddy!

Was Charlie a sort of Manuel?

[Teddy]

..but err.. England wins again, Teddy!

Was Charlie a sort of Manuel?

Hey, don't mention the war!

Charlie is definitely Manuel.
And if you really think about it, John Wilkinson is Major Gowen...
Not making much of an impression but always there...

[hounddog]

i like the fade out and in, it;s the only song i can think of that does it.

[KPM]

I think Elvis enjoyed the idea of the live audience not knowing when it would end, and he loved going from one extreme to another (which is great theater, and showmanship) so only he knew when it would end and that did add more excitement /mystery to the ending.

[waymore44]

I realize that it was commonplace back then to release albums without the songs that were the singles on them, I was just saying, whether it was commonplace or not, it's pretty obvious to me that "From Elvis In Memphis" would have benefitted from having the song "Suspicious Minds" on it. The same would be true with "Kentucky Rain" being on "Back In Memphis".

Anyway back to the fade....I think it took balls to do it....like it or not you can never forget the song because of the fade, it being so strange. To my knowledge that had never been done before, but I have heard it done since although not on hit records.

[Raised on Rock]

I realize that it was commonplace back then to release albums without the songs that were the singles on them, I was just saying, whether it was commonplace or not, it's pretty obvious to me that "From Elvis In Memphis" would have benefitted from having the song "Suspicious Minds" on it. The same would be true with "Kentucky Rain" being on "Back In Memphis".

Anyway back to the fade....I think it took balls to do it....like it or not you can never forget the song because of the fade, it being so strange. To my knowledge that had never been done before, but I have heard it done since although not on hit records.

i like the fade out and in, it;s the only song i can think of that does it.

A year before, Nov '68, The Beatles did exactly the same thing Fade out - Fade in with Helter Skelter, a track on their Whitle Album.

Anyway, I don't have anything against the fade out fade in thing on Suspicious Minds, its totally part of the record to me, ...we´re caught in a trap, I can't walk out... I like it. It was fashionable to add weird things to records back then, like the weird effect at the end of Crimson & Clover same year.

[elvia7]

That's a good question - who invented the "RIGHT!" wheel?

My best guess is that Elvis tried to end such a song as in breaking the heaviest set of bricks - gain some physical force by breathing technique and release it all at once.

Yeah....I like your answer



Quote Originally Posted by hounddog View Post

"i like the fade out and in, it;s the only song i can think of that does it."

I agree Julie, feel the same

[Snake Eyes]

I personally really like the fade in / fade out, but each to their own. Suspicious Minds among a select few other hits get played quite regularly on the local radio station, the DJs rarely play current hits, but that's fine as there are several stations with the exact same playlist all day everyday.

I'm sure it's in Elvis by the Presleys(?) but I remember Priscilla saying how her and Elvis were in the car and Suspicious Minds came on and while she was excited Elvis was annoyed as it wasn't the same recording he'd done. Can anyone elaborate on this?

[debtdbruno]

Suspicious minds as an undubbed song, sung in the studio in 69...is my all time favourite track

sung live, its all about the 'movement', but vocally it loses its specialness to me

[King Of The Whole World]

I personally really like the fade in / fade out, but each to their own. Suspicious Minds among a select few other hits get played quite regularly on the local radio station, the DJs rarely play current hits, but that's fine as there are several stations with the exact same playlist all day everyday.

I'm sure it's in Elvis by the Presleys(?) but I remember Priscilla saying how her and Elvis were in the car and Suspicious Minds came on and while she was excited Elvis was annoyed as it wasn't the same recording he'd done. Can anyone elaborate on this?

Elvis really hated when RCA or the producers would mess with his recordings after he gave it his stamp of approval. The thing that would send him over the edge is when they would bring his voice out over everything else in the song. He would say you can’t even hear the musicians or the Stamps.

[debtdbruno]

Elvis really hated when RCA or the producers would mess with his recordings after he gave it his stamp of approval. The thing that would send him over the edge is when they would bring his voice out over everything else in the song. He would say you can’t even hear the musicians or the Stamps.

now that's what I prefer..........his vocals louder than the musicians

[Snake Eyes]

Elvis really hated when RCA or the producers would mess with his recordings after he gave it his stamp of approval. The thing that would send him over the edge is when they would bring his voice out over everything else in the song. He would say you can’t even hear the musicians or the Stamps.

I agree with Deb, the more prominent his voice the better. I just can't imagine Suspicious Minds not sounding like it does, were the changes drastic or like you say, his voice being bought out more?