Elvis songs that would have benefitted from extra verses

[lucio]

Apologies if this topic has been covered before.

Usually I have a fairly short attention span for songs preferring them to be under 3 minutes. Beyond that I often find my mind wandering probably because the last minute of a longer song tends to be a repetition of a single line over and over again. That being said here are some Elvis performances that I think would have been enhanced if the songs had more verses.

I'm not judging the quality of the song but commenting on the fact that there just are not enough verses within the track.

Fool
Moody Blue
Where Do I Go From Here
Hurt
For The Heart
Mama
Whifenpoof song
Blue River
Surrender
Bosom of Abraham
We’re Coming In Loaded
Carny Town

Do you have any to add to the list?

[hli]

When you go through the amount of movie soundtracks i think you'll find enough songs which definitely would benifit from not only an extra verse, but also a decent intro, solo and bridge part.

[jeanno]

Wheels on my Heels :
Extra versa and / or guitar solo would have elevated this fun tune.

[Peter66]

Nothingville
Party (just combine the two versions)

[pmp]

Party
Dixieland Rock
Most of the "rock" songs on Roustabout
The Girl who Never Loved
All I Need Was the Rain (which was written with a verse Elvis doesn't use)

There's also songs where Elvis misses out verses - possibly because he didn't know them, but how much does that show us about his lack of commitment to his work even in the early years?
(Blue Christmas, The Wonder of You, When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold, Blue Moon, etc)

[colonel snow]

It can go the other way too; a longer version recorded with less verses:
Example
Signs of the Zodiac
The original version was written by Buddy Kaye & Ben Weisman and this version has more verses. Also a lot of lines were changed in the recorded version
It's unknown at the moment if the longer version was recorded in an earlier take.

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Wheels on my Heels :
Extra versa and / or guitar solo would have elevated this fun tune.

Comparing Wheels of my heels track LO take 7 with the movie version the verses 3 & 4 are edited out in the movie version.
There are a lot of movie versions edited / shortened in the movies.


colonel snow

[LSP-4445]

It bothers me a little that Elvis would skip verses with some songs only done live,but also a few studio tracks.
Especially My Babe done in august 1969 and Proud Mary from february 1970 comes to mind.

[Stevenson]

Working On The Building
Fountain Of Love
Never Ending
Blue River
Starting Today
Sentimental Me
Love Me, Love The Life I Lead
Way Down
Mine
Follow That Dream
Blue Moon
Mr. Songman
Stranger In The Crowd
That's All Right
... and:
Queenie Wahine's Papaya => it's a stretch...

[James27]

I agree with a lot of the above; for me: Nothingville, I always found it frustratingly short, so much potential there, should have been a full album track.

[archdeak]

My opinion would have been:-
Little Cabin On The Hill
A Hundred Years From Now
Don't Think Twice It's Alright
Got My Mojo Working
City By Night

[DearGeorgie]

When I'm Over You
Nothingville
Where Do I Go From Here

[shiatsujake]

I'm moving on,had an extra verse.But unfortunately was not used for the master.

[colonel snow]

T'S A SIN - Elvis sings the first verse through, but misses part of the second verse when he jumps in about halfway through.

Missing:
It's a sin to hide behind this heartache
To make believe that I've found someone new
It's a sin to say that I don't miss you
When people know I'm still in love you.

The original version was recorded on 24 september 1946 by Eddy Arnold (RCA 20-2241).
This original version has the missing lines included.

colonel snow

[EAP 35]

I'll Hold You In My Heart
Little Cabin Home On The Hill
He'll Have To Go
Devil In Disguise
Don't Think Twice, It's All Right

[Jaime1234]

When you go through the amount of movie soundtracks i think you'll find enough songs which definitely would benifit from not only an extra verse, but also a decent intro, solo and bridge part.

Totally right, but that doesnt limit it to the movie songs, as "Surrender" needed an extra verse, even a repeted one. Don't know about a solo or a bridge though. Watch this marvel whose greatest quality is none of three "over sings". .

[colonel snow]

When you go through the amount of movie soundtracks i think you'll find enough songs which definitely would benifit from not only an extra verse, but also a decent intro, solo and bridge part.

In general the songs used in the movies can’t be too long otherwise the song doesn’t match with the (short) scene etc.
You’ll noticed in movies a lot of edited / shortened songs.


colonel snow

[Jaime1234]

It bothers me a little that Elvis would skip verses with some songs only done live,but also a few studio tracks.
Especially My Babe done in august 1969 and Proud Mary from february 1970 comes to mind.

You are right, At the same time, also keep in mind Elvis' version of "My babe" is totally unlike any other. as he is the only lead singer (other than an ETA), which shouted ".....my babe" (to get a reply from his backing group) and he does it four times, namely at 1.00, 1.20 and finally three times at 1.40, as he does the long shout at the end. This clip nails the part where he does that, in other words, dovetails the vocal with the 8mm footage and does so pERFECTLY only on THE FIRST TWO OF THOSE THREE special moments of "My baby".




Here is the famous photo where he does that, a moive he only used for that song.

https://scontent.fmga3-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.6435-9/178896690_5466161793425055_6096574741838035973_n.jpg?_nc_cat=104&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=5f2048&_nc_ohc=ulIc9p6O3zAAb4QzxHX&_nc_ht=scontent.fmga3-1.fna&oh=00_AfD087VfwWB-HDVrKfXWdjBu0P81aJbo_BoIE1kpYmrB3A&oe=664CA560

[jurasic1968]

Nothingville, My Babe, Surrender, Got My Mojo Working.

[colonel snow]

KNOWN ONLY TO HIM - Elvis starts the song with the chorus, skipping the first verse, then sings the second verse and the chorus once more.

The missing first verse:

When my eyes behold the stars
This heart of mine is filled with wonder
My poor mind cannot grasp their array
But the hand that spilled them there
All across the wide heavens
Had a plan when He placed them that way.

Elvis copied the version recorded in july 1954 by the Statesmen Quartet (Statesmen 1049).

On the original version recorded on 29 july 1952 by Stuart Hamblen (Columbia 21012) the song starts with verse 1.



colonel snow

[colonel snow]

One broken heart for sale - take 1. The movie version has an extra verse:

HEY CUPID WHERE ARE YOU
MY HEART IS GROWING SADDER
THAT GIRL REJECTED ME
JUST WHEN I THOUGHT I HAD HER
WHO WANTS TO BUY A HEART
ONE BROKEN LOVER’S HEART
ONE BROKEN HEART FOR SALE


colonel snow

[LesterB]

Good Time Charlie Got The Blues

Everybody's goin' away
Said they're movin' to LA
There's not a soul I know around
Everybody's leavin' town
Some caught a freight, some caught a plane
Find the sunshine, leave the rain
They said this town's a waste of time
I guess they're right, it's wastin' mine
Some gotta win, some gotta lose
Good time Charlie's got the blues
Good time Charlie's got the blues
Ya know my heart keeps tellin' me
"You're not a kid at thirty-three"
"Ya play around, ya lose your wife"
"Ya play too long, you lose your life"
I got my pills to ease the pain
Can't find a thing to ease the rain
I'd love to try and settle down
But everybody's leavin' town
Some gotta win, some gotta lose
Good time Charlie's got the blues
Good time Charlie's got the blues
Good time Charlie's got the blues

[colonel snow]

There’s so much world to see – track 2003 take 10 / track 2004 take 1

Verse 2 is on both versions not recorded comparing the demo version.

TRAINS IN THE NIGHT
FLASHING THEIR LIGHT
WELL IT ONLY SHOW ME I’M NOT FREE
EVERY WHISTLE THAT WILL BLOW
WILL TELL ME GET UP AND GO
THERE’S SO MUCH WORLD TO SEE

colonel snow

[colonel snow]

Cotton candy land
The demo version has an extra verse 3 (not recorded) after short instrumental break

WHERE EVERY STAR IS A CANDY BAR
AND THE MOON IS A MARSHMALLOW DREAM
SANDMAN’S COMING, YES HE’S COMING
TAKE HIS MAGIC HAND
AND NOW GOODNIGHT, NOW SLEEP TIGHT
IN COTTON CANDY LAND
IN COTTON CANDY LAND

It’s out of the scope of this topic to mention here all kind of differences between demo versions and the final recorded versions. Most of the time there are little differences in lines. Sometimes verses etc are missing and or not recorded.



colonel snow

[lucio]

When you go through the amount of movie soundtracks i think you'll find enough songs which definitely would benifit from not only an extra verse, but also a decent intro, solo and bridge part.

In general the songs used in the movies can’t be too long otherwise the song doesn’t match with the (short) scene etc.
You’ll noticed in movies a lot of edited / shortened songs.


colonel snow

More than cutting out verses it still bugs me when someone talks through an Elvis song in the film (eg Angela Lansbury during Rock a Hula) or when they keep panning to the costars while Elvis is singing. I say this because most viewers went to these movies to see Elvis sing with the plot incidental (especially in the 60s).