Down In The Jungle Room

[rick]

I've been listening a lot lately to the Jungle Room sessions. The October sessions in particular are very nicely recorded, feature strong material and find Elvis in a very clear voice. Love these songs!
It shows that Elvis still had his talent for ballads (Hurt, Danny Boy) and rockers (For the Heart, Way Down) right tille the end.
It's such a pity he didn't remain focused on producing an entire album during the October session.
Any thoughts!

[Lonniebealestreet]

A pity indeed.

You know, you hear (of the Jungle Room sessions and others) how Elvis didn't even want to be there, that he just didn't care about recording at that time, that it meant nothing to him, etc.

Obviously he was reluctant to go into the studio in his final years, but once he got in there and the tape was rolling, what I hear is a dedicated performer putting all the emotion he could muster into his performances.

On the Jungle Room Sessions FTD Elvis sounds, if nothing else, like he cares plenty.

I can understand the songs he chose to sing at that time not being everyone's favorites, because they are on the whole a pretty somber collection of tunes, but if you look past that you see a lot of quality songs written by some great songwriters. I remember thinking when I got the CD (which preceded the Moody Blue upgrade, therefore I hadn't seen all those songs on one CD before), just looking at the titles, that it was such a strong collection.

Besides the caliber of the material, those often cheerless ballads represented where Elvis was at emotionally at the time. Had he been a songwriter, what he would have written during that period would probably have been along the same lines. So I don't think that his choice of material was uninispired or without purpose.

Personally, I don't find it depressing to listen to that type of material (like the Always On My Mind album). I find it a joy to listen to any type of music in which the singer is fully engaged and obviously feeling the music being performed. I am glad that Elvis performed the songs he did rather than ones which would not have seemed as natural to him at the time. We often lament the lack of rockers Elvis recorded during the 70's--understandable, being the king of rock and roll--but Elvis's story is very well told by his music, and if he had been singing songs besides those he could best relate to, that would not be the case.

Of course the few upbeat songs he did choose to sing during those sessions do come across very well, especially Moody Blue, in my opinion. But they were not what he was most into then, which we can deduce from their being such rarities.

So yes, Rick, I imagine most of us would love to have seen that session go on longer, or been continued some time in '77.

[P.S. Annie]

Ok.... well... nothing to add anymore, thanks Lonnie

[jbgude]

Me three ..I was surprised at the quality of the alt takes...that is one of my favorite albums and I just could not listen to the original albums apart from a few tracks ...

Elvis' sounded best without all those "violins" despite what what he himself or Felton thought!

jb

[P.S. Annie]

Originally posted by jbgude@May 21 2004, 09:00 PM
Elvis' sounded best without all those "violins"
jb

[carolynlm]

It's funny, but I like everything Elvis recorded in Memphis whether it be at Sun, American, Stax or Graceland. Did he seem more relaxed? I don't know....but The Jungle Room Sessions is something I listen to on a regular basis.

[NightRider]

The Jungle Room Sessions is probably still my favourite FTD release. Its the one that i enjoyed the most.

Some of the alternate takes are far better - sound wise - than the originals. It shows that without all the overdubs how much better the originals would have sounded.

I mean take Its Easy For You. Awesome on TJRS Its not bad on Moody Blue....and even better on the re-mastered version, but to me you cannot beat the version on TJRS.

I would hope that they could do a volume two of it...i'm sure that they could...even if it contained the master takes but without the overdubs. Similar to Our Memories Of Elvis...only done better this time around. ( not that i didn't like those mind you.....they were amongst my most played LP's...in the days when i had LP's that is )

[Lonniebealestreet]

Originally posted by P.S. Annie@May 21 2004, 12:25 PM
Ok.... well... nothing to add anymore, thanks Lonnie 

Thanks for your comment, Annie. Great minds think alike.

I must agree too, jbgude & NightRider, about how great that material sounds undubbed.

Our Memories Of Elvis...I just listened to that last night for the first time. (I acquired it a couple weeks ago but my turntable needed a little work.) I love it! Never Again--a favorite song of mine I forgot to mention in that other thread, I'll Never Fall In Love Again, Solitaire, and She Thinks I Still Care all sound wonderful.

A follow-up to JRS would be most welcomed. It could be filled out with undubbed masters and possibly a few live '77 cuts, which would be in the spirit of the Moody Blue album. But I love to listen to Elvis's songs the way he heard them in the studio.

Think I now need to get the second volume of OMOE.

[Captain Elwood David]

Jungle Room Sessions is my FAVORITE FTD, hands down.

I would buy a follow-up release in a hot second - I love everything from those final recording sessions @ Graceland.

All of that bunk about EP being out of it, depressed, uninterested, etc. ..... is exposed for all of the hog-wash that it is ...... after one gives a listen to these session outtakes.

EP is in fine voice and his delivery exudes pure, utter emotion - communicating his soul to the listener.

"If I ever got to the place where I could feel all Arthur Crudup felt, .......... I'd be a music man like nobody ever saw."

- EP

After giving a listen to these sessions, .......... it is obvious that EP had not only achieved his goal, but surpassed it.


- Capt. "EL."

[Lonniebealestreet]

Originally posted by Captain Elwood David@May 26 2004, 07:23 AM
Jungle Room Sessions is my FAVORITE FTD, hands down.

I would buy a follow-up release in a hot second - I love everything from those final recording sessions @ Graceland.

All of that bunk about EP being out of it, depressed, uninterested, etc. ..... is exposed for all of the hog-wash that it is ...... after one gives a listen to these session outtakes.

EP is in fine voice and his delivery exudes pure, utter emotion - communicating his soul to the listener.

"If I ever got to the place where I could feel all Arthur Crudup felt, .......... I'd be a music man like nobody ever saw."

- EP

After giving a listen to these sessions, .......... it is obvious that EP had not only achieved his goal, but surpassed it.


- Capt. "EL."

Beautiful post, Cappy.

[Jungleroom76]

Well....what more can I add??? :

Everyone has pretty much hit the nail on the head with JUNGLE ROOM SESSIONS! As Bobby said, the album may be a collection of somber tunes, but Elvis was singing what he was feeling...anything less would have come across as forced or fake, in my opinion. Considering all Elvis had been through by the time he stepped into the Jungle Room for those sessions, cutting a song like BURNING LOVE would have just sounded very out of place. Elvis always said in his interviews, even as far back as '54 and '55, that he sang the music that moved him....music that he could feel and relate too....hence the wonderful collection of material on JUNGLE ROOM SESSIONS!

As for JRS2, Ernst has unfortunately said in interviews that there isn't enough material for a JRS2. But he did say they had some more material from those sessions and that they would try to find an appropriate way to release it in the future, which is certainly great news!!

And I also agree with everyone's opinion of the undubbed material on JRS as well as the 2 OUR MEMORIES OF ELVIS albums!! There is NOTHING better than listening to all of the raw energy, passion, power and emotion in each of these songs in their undubbed form!! I could listen to these 3 albums ALL DAY!!

And finally in regards to the comments in this thread....I agree that it would have been VERY interesting to see what Elvis would have recorded, had he made it into the studio for his planned January '77 sessions! Would his mood have remained the same, thus recording more material like that found on JRS? Or would he have changed directions and recorded more upbeat material? One can only imagine...


TCB!
Mike

P.S. Got Tom looking for an OUR MEMORIES 2 LP for 'ya Bobby!!

[Lonniebealestreet]

Yeah, like you ever cared for the Jungle Room sessions!

I do recall Ernst saying that. But there not being enough alternate takes left to fill out an album doesn't mean there couldn't be a JRS 2 of sorts, with either undubbed masters or live tracks to complete it.

Although...do I also recall Ernst once saying that he wasn't interested in releasing undubbed masters? I think he said something like those performances of those songs should be heard the way they were released; that is the way they were meant to be heard. Uh...OK, yeah, but with that logic one could argue that alternate takes shouldn't be released either.

I would bet that undubbed masters would go over very well on FTD, and that if Ernst comes to that conclusion we will eventually see some, regardless of what he said before. To make them most appealing, releasing some which haven't been bootlegged and hopefully all in the best sound possible would be key. Am I crazy, or don't most people really like to hear Elvis's 1970s recordings without all the horns and strings? Bring 'em on.

One neat way to do it would be...ah yes...to start doing this in the Deleted Albums series. (There is such a series, right, or did I just make that up?) The CDs would consist of the original albums (original EQ, etc.), then the same songs undubbed and "decompressed" (if that's possible and where applicable) and perhaps presented in the order in which they were recorded--with a nod to spinout-designs , and then if there's any room left a couple of unreleased alternates.

Now, sessions which still have a good deal of alt/outtakes left in the can would probably not be the best candidates for this type of release because we'd like to hear all of those first. An album like Today would be ideal for this.

Oh, and thanks for the help with that album hunt, Mike.

[Jungleroom76]

Originally posted by lonniebealestreet@May 27 2004, 04:06 PM
Yeah, like you ever cared for the Jungle Room sessions!

Although...do I also recall Ernst once saying that he wasn't interested in releasing undubbed masters?

I would bet that undubbed masters would go over very well on FTD, and that if Ernst comes to that conclusion we will eventually see some, regardless of what he said before.

Oh, and thanks for the help with that album hunt, Mike.

Yeah, you're right Bobby...never really cared for the Jungle Room Sessions!!

As for Ernst's remarks about not wanting to release undubbed masters, I must have missed that one....do you remember where he said that? I would think that he would realize that by filling a niche with the release of OVERDUBBED recordings a' la' TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS, that he should also TCB for the fans by filling a niche for those that are interested in UNDUBBED performances....I mean, let's face it....Ernst has made absolutely no bones about the fact that JRS is the top selling title in the FTD catalog....and those recordings are undubbed!!! Must be a reason why JRS is so popular....and among others, I would imagine it's because the recordings presented on JRS are in their original studio-sounding form without the horns, strings, etc. So I can't imagine Ernst not giving the fans what they want (if there are enough fans who are clamoring for this type of release) eventually by releasing an album of undubbed performances! Just my opinion though...

You are welcome for the help with OMOE2 buddy!! ANYTIME!!

TCB!
Mike