The Album That Might've Saved Elvis In The Mid 60s

[elvisdownunder]

Elvis made those TERRIFIC recordings between 66-68 like love letters, big boss man, and u.s male. being that the 68 comeback was around the corner, i think that this kind of album should've been released in 1967, and should've been a shortened version of the 'tomorrow is a long time' cd. with frequent radio play, promotion, and terrific pictures of Elvis on the cover just may have saved Elvis in 1967, as he'd already had a comeback with the how great thou art album the previous year. 66 onwards could've been Elvis's comeback instead of 1968 onwards


1.tomorrow is a long time
2.guitar man
3.big boss man
4.love letters
5.come what may
6.indescribably blue
7.you don't know me
8.hi heel sneakers
9.suppose
10.i'll remember you

[Cryogenic]

That would have been a STONKING album. What an awesome line-up of tracks!

That selection is every bit as musically diverse as the Memphis 69 sessions and WAAAY more stylistically eclectic. I mean... "Big Boss Man" and "Indescribably Blue" on the SAME album? Holy tomatoes, Batman!

What was Colonel Parker thinking by putting "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" and "I'll Remember You" as BONUS tracks on a cr*ppy soundtrack album (and not just any cr*ppy soundtrack album, but one of the lower grade ones)???!!! The latter is a stunningly beautiful tribute to Kui Lee and the former was praised by owner Bob Dylan as the greatest cover he said anyone had ever done of him! Unbelievable. Elvis and the Colonel both needed their heads banging together sometimes.

[Raised on Rock]

Lots of great material around '66 -'68 was dispersed as bonus songs, together those song could have been a great album for sure. Remember 1968 Bob Dylan´s John Wesley Hardin? and album like the one you are creating (plus I would add Too much Monkey BUssines, Singing Tree and US Male could have perfectly matched that Dylans classic acoustic album

[elvisdownunder]

well i would've got those too, but i decided that the album be released around the beginning of 68, to start saving Elvis's career before the 68 special.

[jeanno]

Well, "Elvis" aired on december 3rd 1968, so the album should have been released by the same time. The "Saving LP" could have been released in march that year and could have included US MALE, SINGING TREE and TOO MUCH MONKEY BUSINESS, making that way a fantastic 13 tracks album. By the way, if you remove SUPPOSE (which is more a movie song, at least to my point of view). you can add both gospel numbers YOU?LL NEVER WALK ALONE and WE CALL ON HIM as two bonus songs :

1.big boss man
2.guitar man
3.us male
4.tomorrow is a long time
5.love letters
6.come what may
7.hi-heel sneakers
8.indescribably blue
9.you don't know me
10.singing tree
11.too much monkey business
12.i'll remember you
BONUS
13.you?ll never walk alone
14.we call on him

14 tracks. Great music. Good feeling. A perfect intro to the later NBV TV Special.

[jeanno]

Any idea for a good working title?

[elvisdownunder]

i agree with that

well, look at all the song titles, they do make interesting album titles. pick your own, i can't

[jeanno]

Instead of a title song, what about the line "gonna knock ?em dead" from HI-HEEL SNEAKERS? Powerful one, really rocks. Only the cover design is missing now. Gonna work on that and pm you when ready, ok?

[Jungleroom76]

Elvis made those TERRIFIC recordings between 66-68 like love letters, big boss man, and u.s male. being that the 68 comeback was around the corner, i think that this kind of album should've been released in 1967, and should've been a shortened version of the 'tomorrow is a long time' cd. with frequent radio play, promotion, and terrific pictures of Elvis on the cover just may have saved Elvis in 1967, as he'd already had a comeback with the how great thou art album the previous year. 66 onwards could've been Elvis's comeback instead of 1968 onwards


1.tomorrow is a long time
2.guitar man
3.big boss man
4.love letters
5.come what may
6.indescribably blue
7.you don't know me
8.hi heel sneakers
9.suppose
10.i'll remember you

I COULDN'T AGREE MORE SCOTT!!!!

The TOMORROW IS A LONG TIME CD is one of my favorite compilation CD's that RCA has put out in a long time!! And I agree with you completely that an album like this would have been PERFECT as an "appetizer", so to speak, for the '68 Comeback Special!!!

Of course, considering the singles GUITAR MAN and BIG BOSS MAN didn't do as well on the charts as Elvis would have hoped, perhaps in the context of an album like this, they would have received more attention by the fans and the general public!! I think in the context of an album like this, more people would have realized that Elvis was still capable of making brilliant music and perhaps wouldn't have written off BIG BOSS MAN and GUITAR MAN as flashes of excellence in between the mediocrity of the movie soundtracks!

TCB!
Mike

[Raised on Rock]

The thing is that RCA has always been kind of dumb about releasing Elvis material, these hipotetic album could have been such a classic one, as well as the so called "The Lost ALbum" the one released in the 90's containing songs from the 63 Nashville sessions, another great bunch of song that insted of been used tu pull out a strong album release were dispersed as bonus song during the 60's.

So, I got a project now, its a before go to sleep neurosis that I had for years now, its called: "As It should have been", is my version of how Elvis music should have been released from the begining to the end. I?ll start to put out threads about it before I go crazy hope you dont mind...

[Jungleroom76]

The thing is that RCA has always been kind of dumb about releasing Elvis material, these hipotetic album could have been such a classic one, as well as the so called "The Lost ALbum" the one released in the 90's containing songs from the 63 Nashville sessions, another great bunch of song that insted of been used tu pull out a strong album release were dispersed as bonus song during the 60's.

So, I got a project now, its a before go to sleep neurosis that I had for years now, its called: "As It should have been", is my version of how Elvis music should have been released from the begining to the end. I´ll start to put out threads about it before I go crazy hope you dont mind...

THE LOST ALBUM is another one of those missed opportunity albums that "should have been"....you are 100% right ROR!!!

Although I had heard all of the songs before, I guess I never really stopped and realized what a truly great collection of songs THE LOST ALBUM would have been, if The Colonel had chose to release an album with those songs on it back in 1963 instead of spreading them out as soundtrack filler!!!

As for your "As It Should Have Been" project ROR, go right ahead....I don't think anyone here will mind in the least!!!

TCB!
Mike

[KPM]

I'm not sure how much the Col. had to do with what tracks went on what albums. He did try to make Elvis use only songs that were registered with one of Elvis publishing companys(so Elvis got a cut of song writitng royalties, thus the Col. got a cut too)In the late 60s Elvis kind of put his foot down about it. The bonus tracks were to intice us to buy the inferior album stuff. I like a lot of the soundtrack stuff but the bonus stuff was always better.