Would Elvis recorded in January 77' if him & Ginger Alden didn't have a fight?

[ph10579]

Do you think the recording sessions from January 77' would have been a go if Elvis & Ginger Alden didn't have that big fight/if Elvis wasn't dating Ginger Alden?

[Albert]

I think so... Ginger had a short positive influence on Elvis, but wasn't in the right fase of her life to be with Elvis herself. Elvis was filling up an emptiness in his life with her. But it was obvious that the relationship wasn't working from the very start.

[monk37]

yes, if she wasn't on the scene or if she had gone with - he wold have gone to the sessions - but who knows how much he would have recorded

it seems to me that if he was really into doing studio recording that he just would have

perhaps he had only wanted to try to impress Ginger?

I know from me, when my spouse and I agree to do something, go somewhere that neither of us really want to do, we end up having a fight over some minor thing that is then the "reason" for canceling whatever it was we didn't or no longer want to do

[Jungleroom76]

I agree with monk37 that, yes, Elvis probably would have made it to the studio...how much focus Elvis would have had to record and thus how much would have wound up being recorded is a whole other discussion...

TCB!
Mike

[ph10579]

What do you guys think he would have recorded? & werent overdubs done at that session?

[rickb]

I don't think he would have recorded even without Ginger. It seems to me he was looking for any excuse to stay out of the studio.
Sadbecause some of the songs chosen, includinbg Rainy Night in Georgia and some uptemp stuff, would have been cool.

[SleepyJack]

I don`t think I`ve ever really understood why Elvis became so reluctant to record in the studio.You would think that,especially in the last couple of years,the studio work would have been a great break from singing the fairly limited set-list from the live shows.Did Elvis come to need the adulation of a live audience more than anything else? Did he have doubts about his voice?...something must have put him off being in the studio...

[Jungleroom76]

I don`t think I`ve ever really understood why Elvis became so reluctant to record in the studio.You would think that,especially in the last couple of years,the studio work would have been a great break from singing the fairly limited set-list from the live shows.Did Elvis come to need the adulation of a live audience more than anything else? Did he have doubts about his voice?...something must have put him off being in the studio...

Part of it, in my opinion, was the lack of quality material that Elvis had to choose from when selecting songs to record. Because of all The Colonel's underhanded side deals and what not, the best material never made its way to Elvis because the writer would have to give up their rights to the song in exchange for the "opportunity" to allow Elvis to record the song. By the mid to late 70's, more and more of the songwriters were standing up to The Colonel and wouldn't give away their rights to their music. Thus, what material was left for Elvis to choose from was mostly substandard material. Of course, we as fans know that Elvis could turn even the most substandard material into something magical...but just imagine what Elvis could have recorded, had he been able to get a hold of the best songs available at the time.

Of course, I'm sure there were many other reasons why Elvis tried to avoid recording sessions in the last couple years of his life, but I have a feeling that this one is probably one of, if not the, main reason why Elvis was so lackadaisical about holding a recording session.

Just one more example of how The Colonel's greed had a significantly negative impact on Elvis' career...

TCB!
Mike

[SleepyJack]

I guess that did play a big part in Elvis avoiding the recording studio,what I find infuriating though is that nearly every time Elvis came up against these brick-walls that the colonel helped build he seemed to just give-up and make the best of whatever was left.The more years that go by as an Elvis fan the harder it is for me to understand.If Elvis had put his foot down more often it could have made huge differences to his life and career.Surely you would think that after the experience he had from the long-term movie contract disasters Elvis would have learned,if not to stand up to the colonel,then to at least find a way of getting around the obstacles without ruffling too many feathers.Elvis could have recorded new material if he had insisted on it, it`s easy to just blame Parker and his cheap business sense...but really,Elvis could have regained some control if he had just stood up for himself. It`s definitely one of the most frustrating and annoying aspects of the Elvis story.
There must be thousands of songs that could have been recorded,songs that would be practically royalty-free,songs that people would quite willingly have given to Elvis just to have a song recorded by him. Look at what Bruce Springsteen did with a whole set of "old" songs with the "Seeger sessions" album...or even Rod Stewart with the "Great American Songbook" albums....even within the limitations set by the colonel there could have been exciting and successful projects..but instead Elvis practically gave-up.
I think also that,somewhere along the line,everybody...from friends to the musicians he worked with all just kept silent out of loyalty to Elvis rather than be honest and just say "Look Elvis,this is all just getting a bit dull at this point...why don`t we try something new?"....and Elvis would probably have exploded and fired them!...even if he knew deep-down that they were right. I know that you can`t undo the past and "fix" all the faults in the Elvis story...but there could have been so much more from Elvis..more than we can probably even imagine....and somewhere along the line some of the blame for that has to lie with Elvis himself.

[Diane]

I believe at that point Elvis was in a vicious circle of drugs, depression, drugs, depression that led to his apathy towards his music and his life.

[medleyofcostumes]

I don't think he would have recorded even without Ginger. It seems to me he was looking for any excuse to stay out of the studio.
Sadbecause some of the songs chosen, includinbg Rainy Night in Georgia and some uptemp stuff, would have been cool.

Very VEry True unfortunately

[Jungleroom76]

I guess that did play a big part in Elvis avoiding the recording studio,what I find infuriating though is that nearly every time Elvis came up against these brick-walls that the colonel helped build he seemed to just give-up and make the best of whatever was left.The more years that go by as an Elvis fan the harder it is for me to understand.If Elvis had put his foot down more often it could have made huge differences to his life and career.Surely you would think that after the experience he had from the long-term movie contract disasters Elvis would have learned,if not to stand up to the colonel,then to at least find a way of getting around the obstacles without ruffling too many feathers.Elvis could have recorded new material if he had insisted on it, it`s easy to just blame Parker and his cheap business sense...but really,Elvis could have regained some control if he had just stood up for himself. It`s definitely one of the most frustrating and annoying aspects of the Elvis story.
There must be thousands of songs that could have been recorded,songs that would be practically royalty-free,songs that people would quite willingly have given to Elvis just to have a song recorded by him. Look at what Bruce Springsteen did with a whole set of "old" songs with the "Seeger sessions" album...or even Rod Stewart with the "Great American Songbook" albums....even within the limitations set by the colonel there could have been exciting and successful projects..but instead Elvis practically gave-up.
I think also that,somewhere along the line,everybody...from friends to the musicians he worked with all just kept silent out of loyalty to Elvis rather than be honest and just say "Look Elvis,this is all just getting a bit dull at this point...why don`t we try something new?"....and Elvis would probably have exploded and fired them!...even if he knew deep-down that they were right. I know that you can`t undo the past and "fix" all the faults in the Elvis story...but there could have been so much more from Elvis..more than we can probably even imagine....and somewhere along the line some of the blame for that has to lie with Elvis himself.

Well said my friend!

You are most definitely right. It is easy to blame The Colonel, but Elvis should have stood up to The Colonel more often...but we all know that because of Elvis' incredible sense of loyalty to The Colonel, standing up to him just wasn't something Elvis would do. Unfortunately, as the Elvis story has shown us, not being more vocal about what direction he wanted his career to go in seriously stunted Elvis' growth as an artist and ultimately led to the apathy that he suffered toward the end of his life.

TCB!
Mike

[debtdbruno]

I agree with monk37 that, yes, Elvis probably would have made it to the studio...how much focus Elvis would have had to record and thus how much would have wound up being recorded is a whole other discussion...

TCB!
Mike

that's true Mike............

[Jumpsuit Junkie]

Elvis had all but given up the ghost on recording new material by 1976, so Jan 1977 seems to follow a path Elvis had headed down some years earlier before. Its a real shame when you consider some of the Jungle Room Session songs!