She's Not You - Underated?

Like most of the other Elvis songs of this period, perhaps the best words to describe it would be "professional", "faultless" and "inoffensive". But I feel that, more often that not, Presley's best music rarely springs from him being professional, faultless and inoffensive.

For the most part I agree. The 68 comeback is a prime example. Although the effort that went into it too a great deal of professionalism, he had that rawness that hadn't been seen in years. In that special and in his performances of the next couple years, the dynamic entertainer came through (ie faults and all).

She's not you isn't the greatest song in his catalog and many of you are correct, it is almost too polished (faultless and inoffensive). That being said, it's a nice little pop song that many of us can relate to lyrically. Why would he turn down a song from some of the greatest songwriters of all time.

Also, back to my original question. If he brought this to rehearse in the 70s, do we have audio of it.

Not yet, but rehearsal tapes are coming out of the woodwork, it seems, so who knows?

After Tkozer bumped this thread i read the old comments from KiwiAlan and ColinB and i wanted to comment on the things they said.

My apologies for being 5 years late to the discussion but here goes.

The fans like KiwiAlan and Colin that wanted Elvis to sing rockers have you ever considered of blaming the songwriters instead of Elvis.
Why is Elvis always the sell out.

In the 1950s Leiber & Stoller wrote rock n' roll songs for Elvis like Jailhouse Rock, Trouble and King Creole.

Aaron Schroder co-wrote songs like I got stung and Big hunk o' love for Elvis.

In the early 60s they wrote She's not you and Good luck charm.

In 1957 Doc Pomus, Leiber & Stoller wrote ''Young Blood'' together which was a more upbeat song than ''She's not you''.

If Doc Pomus and Leiber & Stoller had written Elvis a rocker he probably would have recorded it.

You have to take into consideration the music scene in the United States in 1962 not in 1957 or 1964.

Breaking up is hard to do and Red roses my love were big hits at around the time Elvis released She's not you.

I say blame the songwriters if you don't like the material because Elvis recorded what they submitted to him.

Elvis was the biggest star in the world at the time. He could have got the material he wanted, in the style he wanted. To blame his writers is a cop-out. If your writers don't supply you with the songs you want, then you look elsewhere. Quite clearly, as I have written in a different thread, Elvis was more interested in testing and experimenting with the sweeter tones that his voice had developed than he was in singing rockers. To Elvis at this point it appears to be all about sound rather than emotion.

I don't think that's all the way true.

As i and others have pointed out the sound of early 60s changed to a softer and more mellow sound.

I agree Elvis was in to singing ballads at the time but if the songwriters of that period were wrting more rockers for him he probably would have recorded more of them than he did.

I do think that was a factor in Elvis recording less rock n' roll when he came back from the army.

I feel it gets overlooked.

I've already stated on the thread my enthusiasm for the piece. The past few years, though, I think it's been my very favorite song. The lyric, the brilliance of the vocal arrangement, the free floating melody and Elvis' voice just kind of haunt me. It's not Elvis's greatest or most innovative piece, but it really hits me. I find the comments that many find it unemotional interesting because to me it's a record that's simply bottomless. Every time I listen, I hear something new or am moved in a way I haven't been before.

I was just starting to listen to the radio when She's Not You and the flip side were being played like crazy. I became a fan because of it. I have always loved that song as well as every other song on Gold Records vol. 3. that came out the next year.

Elvis did bring "She's Not You" into rehearsals in 1973 and 1974, but it never made it into the set list, which is a shame. It would've been an excellent selection to revive.

Was this recorded? If so, where can it be found?

It's likely some of the rehearsals from this time period were taped for reference purposes. But almost none have surfaced since.

As noted, thanks to the due diligence of Ernst and the FTD team, we have seen a few get an official release after the original owner was found, and subsequently allowed them to be heard. It's not as easy as one may think -- and this in spite of the fact that money is no object.

Let's hope for more in the future, none of us are getting any younger.

Still love this track!

Could someone tell me what instrument is making that low hum throughout "She's Not You" ? It sounds almost kazoo like.