Elvis in the '60s

[jurasic1968]

I think we cannot dimiss all his 60's soundtracks. Even the poorest contents one or two enjoyable songs. So always we can made a selection of good tracks from 1964-1969 movie era.

[drjohncarpenter]

I think we cannot dimiss all his 60's soundtracks.

True. Some of the early ones are decent, parts of the later ones are OK.

Even the poorest contents one or two enjoyable songs.

No, they do not. For example, this EP, the nadir of his career:

Easy Come, Easy Go (RCA Victor EPA-4387, March 1967)
Side 1: Easy Come, Easy Go / The Love Machine / Yoga Is As Yoga Does
Side 2: You Gotta Stop / Sing You Children / I'll Take Love

Any fan who bought this had to have thought to themselves, "It's over."

[Chris Roberts]

Even 'Easy Come, Easy Go' isn't all bad. 'The Love Machine' b/w 'You Gotta Stop' was a top 40 single in the UK, and one DJ even stated that it was Elvis back on form!

The title track with its lead guitar and rythum is superior to 'Harum Holiday' and 'Double Trouble', true that is not much of a recomendation but at least it has some life to it. 'I'll Take Love' is very enjoyable as is 'Sing You Children'. 'Yoga Is As Yoga Does' is auguably the worst song Elvis, or anyone else, ever recorded.

At the time of initial release all these soundtracks coming one after the other were. indeed. very depressing and without the benifit of hindsight, we didn't know when or even if things were ever going to improove. Now that we do know what came after, I for one, can enjoy some of the tracks, realising that yes they were a low point, but that they weren't all diabolical.

E.C.E.G i admit was the first new Elvis record that I didn't puchase at the time of release, maybe if myself and all other fans had stopped buying each new release after, say, 'Viva Las Vagas', Elvis and his management may have put an end to them before they did. So possibly we his fans were to blame, but in mitigation I did buy each one, hoping it would be better than the last (eventially it was, but at the time it did appear never ending) and also having collected all releases since 'Heartbreak Hotel' wanted to be a completest.

[jurasic1968]

You gotta Stop is one of the most rockin' songs from the middle 60's movies and Elvis dressed in black is very energetic and moves a lot during the song movie sequence. Far better than any song in Clambake, PHA, Harum Scarum or Double Trouble!

[Tornado]

Sand Castle was always a favorite of mine. The mood and the lyric is quite poetic to me. It's a shame it's wasn't flilmed. we only have a shot of it as far as I know. Same goes for other songs like Animal Instinc and Wisdom Of Ages: we still don't have evidence it was filmed: only shots of them, but for these two I'm not totally sure.

[Blue River]

Easy Come, Easy Go (RCA Victor EPA-4387, March 1967)
Side 1: Easy Come, Easy Go / The Love Machine / Yoga Is As Yoga Does
Side 2: You Gotta Stop / Sing You Children / I'll Take Love

Side 2 of the EP is listenable and not bad, imo.

[Blue River]

Elvis' music received some positive attention in the mid-1960's on a national scale from the ABC television show Shindig! on May 5, 1965 -

*SHINDIG! (ABC, 8:30-9:30 p.m.) Elvis Presley's tenth anniversary in show business
is the occasion for a program of the songs he made famous.

OUR PRIVATE WORLD (CBS, 9:30-10 p.m.). Premiere of CBS's contribution to night-time soap opera, a new version of their successful daytime As the World Turns. Lisa Hughes (played by Eileen Fulton) begins a new life by moving to Chicago and working for the University Hospital.

BURKE'S LAW (ABC, 9:30-10:30 p.m.). Former ABC Night Host Les Crane makes his acting debut in this episode...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

*Shindig! was an American musical variety series which aired on ABC from September 16, 1964 to January 8, 1966.
The show was hosted by Jimmy O'Neill, a disc jockey in Los Angeles at the time who also created the show along with his wife Sharon Sheeley and production executive Art Stolnitz. The original pilot was rejected by ABC and David Sontag, then Executive Producer of ABC, redeveloped and completely redesigned the show. A new pilot with a new cast of artists was shot starring Sam Cooke. That pilot aired as the premiere episode.

[HoneyTalkNelson]

EASY COME, EASY GO was released by Paramount for Easter 1967 but got lost in the shuffle.

Only two weeks after the review appeared in Boxoffice, DOUBLE TROUBLE was screened for the trades. Never before had two Elvis features been released in such close proximity. While playing theaters throughout 1967, it not only had competition from a theatrical re-issue double bill of GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS/FUN IN ACAPULCO, there was a glut of Elvis features shown on prime-time network television throughout the year. Many exhibitors commented that the TV showings of his older pictures was hurting their business.

KISSIN’ COUSINS – 4/2/67 – Sunday, ABC – rating 20.4
BLUE HAWAII – 4/25/67 – Tuesday, NBC – rating 20.6
IT HAPPENED AT THE WORLD’S FAIR – 7/9/67 – Sunday, ABC – rating 17.0
WILD IN THE COUNTRY – 7/12/67 – Wednesday, ABC – rating 13.7
FLAMING STAR – 8/16/67 – Wednesday, ABC – rating 14.4
FUN IN ACAPULCO - 9/12/67 - Tuesday, NBC – rating 25.5
PARADISE HAWAIIAN STYLE - 9/20/67 - Wednesday, ABC – rating 21.8
VIVA LAS VEGAS - 10/6/67 - Friday, CBS – rating 24.2
GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS - 10/10/67 - Tuesday, NBC – rating 25.1
TICKLE ME - 12/8/67 - Friday, CBS – rating 26.6

There was certainly no shortage of visibility for Elvis throughout 1967.

Here's the timeline for the first half of 1967:

January 1 - It Happened at the World's Fair - network premiere, ABC – rating 21.5
January - Girls Girls Girls/Fun in Acapulco re-issued in theatres
January 10 - Indescribably Blue/Fools Fall in Love released
January 18 - Flaming Star - network premiere, ABC – rating 16.9
March 10 - HGTA ad in Billboard
March 13 - ECEG two page ad in Boxoffice
March 15 - Wild in the Country - network premiere, ABC – rating 21.1
March 19 - Palm Sunday radio program heard throughout the country
March 25 - ECEG ad in Billboard
March 25 - HGTA review in Billboard
March 27 - ECEG review in Boxoffice
April 2 - Kissin' Cousins repeat on ABC – rating 20.4
April 10 - Double Trouble review in Boxoffice
April 25 - Blue Hawaii repeat on NBC – rating 20.6
May 6 - Long Legged Girl ad and review in Billboard
May 15 - DT ad in Boxoffice
June 10 - DT ad and review in Billboard

What do you think? Too much exposure?

[HoneyTalkNelson]

March 27 - May 15

[HoneyTalkNelson]

The June 10 issue of Billboard marked the first time in many years that an Elvis ad did not appear on page two.

The Double Trouble ad appeared on page 9 while a congratulatory ad for Colonel Parker appeared on the second page.

[Chris Roberts]

Very interesting cutings, many thanks.

[bajo]

Funny: "....only Presley could get away with it..." with reference to Old McDonald. We all know he didn't get away with it! Sgt. Pepper vs Double Trouble......

[jurasic1968]

Yes, an overexposure of old movies, some good, some bad at TV and 2 submediocre new movies on big screen (ECEG and DT). But the solution to revive his career was an Elvis 1967 appearnce on TV singing new material combined with the old hits (exactly one year ahead he will do in the Comeback special). But one or two apperances per year on TV singing recent singles like Guitar Man, Big Boss Man, US Male, A liitle Less Conversation, Love Letters or Indescribably Blue means not overexposure. It was all he need to promote his new singles, leading to far superior positions in the Top 40 and maybe to earlier live concerts than Vegas 1969.

[r&b]

It is somewhat telling that even on TV , Wild In The Country & Flaming Star got the lowest ratings just like at the box office. For shame!

[EPA4368]

EASY COME, EASY GO was released by Paramount for Easter 1967 but got lost in the shuffle.

Only two weeks after the review appeared in Boxoffice, DOUBLE TROUBLE was screened for the trades. Never before had two Elvis features been released in such close proximity. While playing theaters throughout 1967, it not only had competition from a theatrical re-issue double bill of GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS/FUN IN ACAPULCO, there was a glut of Elvis features shown on prime-time network television throughout the year. Many exhibitors commented that the TV showings of his older pictures was hurting their business.

What do you think? Too much exposure?

It probably didn't help, but even some in Hollywood thought Easy Come, Easy Go wasn't any good. It was Elvis’ last one with Hal Wallis. I guess even Wallis knew fans didn't want to see Elvis' films anymore. Wallis, who produced nine of Elvis' films, said years earlier, "An Elvis picture is the only sure thing in Hollywood."

Contract signing April 6, 1956, Joseph H Hazen, Parker, Elvis and Hal Wallis

[drjohncarpenter]

Even 'Easy Come, Easy Go' isn't all bad.

Yes, it is. By every measure:

- poor singing
- tinny, cheap production
- rote musicianship
- hackneyed arrangements
- TERRIBLE songs

This soundtrack is a black hole of inspiration. Holding this soundtrack up against what was out on the market in March 1967, its worthlessness is shocking, given how enormously talented and influential Elvis Presley was. It's one thing to defend some of the lesser songs on an earlier soundtrack, like "Follow That Dream," but to attempt the same for "Easy Come, Easy Go" is stupefying.

[drjohncarpenter]

Elvis' music received some positive attention in the mid-1960's on a national scale from the ABC television show Shindig! on May 5, 1965 ...

It was a belated 30th birthday special, and I posted full information and clips about three years ago:

January 8, 1935 --> Happy 75th Birthday, Elvis!
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50292&p=714199&#p714199

[likethebike]

Even 'Easy Come, Easy Go' isn't all bad.

Yes, it is. By every measure:

- poor singing
- tinny, cheap production
- rote musicianship
- hackneyed arrangements
- TERRIBLE songs

This soundtrack is a black hole of inspiration. Holding this soundtrack up against what was out on the market in March 1967, its worthlessness is shocking, given how enormously talented and influential Elvis Presley was. It's one thing to defend some of the lesser songs on an earlier soundtrack, like "Follow That Dream," but to attempt the same for "Easy Come, Easy Go" is stupefying.

I'm not a fan of any of the songs on this particular soundtrack. However to hold this soundtrack up against what was out by contemporary performers all their youth and at their peaks is not fair. Elvis was more than a decade into the business. Compared to Chuck Berry's listless re-records of his oldies done the same year, it doesn't look so bad because while Berry has the edge in material at least Elvis was doing at least something new, at least in theory hoping to sell something he did at that moment rather than a recreation of the past. However you continually miss the point when you're singing "Guitar Man" and "Big Boss Man" what the F does it matter if six months before you threw away a handful of songs when you were down and out? To go by the standards laid down on this thread, the US Space Program should be judged by all the failures that accompanied the original rockets and the early defeats by the Russians instead of the Moon Landing. It's only the greatness that matters not the mediocrity that surrounds it.

Greatness is not easy. It is not a mere result of will. It requires will, which again in the case of a performer who depends on feel is not always easy to sum, but also talent, luck, inspiration, timing, collaboration etc. It's not like you're Elvis and you can lay down a great track just because you're Elvis. It didn't work for Sam Cooke, who made dozens of bland recordings on Keene and RCA before finding a groove in pop, it didn't work for Bob Dylan who spent most of the 1970s, the 1980s, and even 1990s trying to find a groove. It didn't work for Aretha who whiled away time on projects not close to her heart like La Diva. Direction, inspiration and even will are hard to tap sometimes.

Of course, though, again I do want to make clear also though, although I'm not in disagreement with the perceptions save perhaps "poor singing" I would choose "professional but uninspired singing" every one of those assessments is opinion, not fact. Please let's get that straight. It doesn't matter if critics don't like it. It doesn't matter if Elvis himself didn't like it as he did not. What matters is the listener's reaction.

Many, many, many, famous recordings were made either under duress or disappointed the performers. This goes for singles like "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Walk on By" or LPs like Dion's Born to Be With You. (To block childish literal response this is not a direct comparison between those songs and Easy Come Easy Go. It's merely pointing out that the creators of those records did not enjoy them either.) So the fact that the Supremes had to have their arm twisted to record "Where Did Our Love Go" or that Dion considers Born to Be With You amongst his worst recordings mean that the many fans who enjoyed those records now must disown that enjoyment. I don't think so. Nor does the fact that the majority critics now seem to enjoy the Eagles as one of rock's great all time bands mean that they bore me any less than they do.

[brian]

If you say Elvis likely wasn't going to come out with work rivaling the 60s artists because he was older and older singers generally don't have continuous creativity that's fine.

That could very well have been what would have happened if Elvis wasn't making movies.

However this goes back to my point that Elvis could have at least done better work than what he was doing at the time.
Regardless if he would have matched the contemporary artists of the period.

Chuck Berry's In Memphis was a better album than the Easy Come, Easy go soundtrack.

In 1965 Elvis didn't make any non soundrack recordings.

He had more to give than that.

The examples you give of the Supremes and Dion were far better than Easy Come, Easy go.

A more valid comparison may be that Elvis didn't care for ''Blue Christmas.''

[Chris Roberts]

Even 'Easy Come, Easy Go' isn't all bad.

Yes, it is. By every measure:

- poor singing
- tinny, cheap production
- rote musicianship
- hackneyed arrangements
- TERRIBLE songs

This soundtrack is a black hole of inspiration. Holding this soundtrack up against what was out on the market in March 1967, its worthlessness is shocking, given how enormously talented and influential Elvis Presley was. It's one thing to defend some of the lesser songs on an earlier soundtrack, like "Follow That Dream," but to attempt the same for "Easy Come, Easy Go" is stupefying.

I am certainly not going to try to defend the indefencible too much. However I still feel that 'l'llTake Love' isn't a TERRIBLE song and Elvis certainly appears to give it commitment. Also 'Easy Come Easy Go' is IMO one of the better later movie title songs.

I would just like to give a non-exhaustive list of TERRIBLE songs that IMO are far worst than the ECEG soundtrack;

It's Carnival Time, I've Got To Find My Baby, Come Along, Beginner's Luck, Golden Coins, Paradise, Hawaiian Style, House Of Sand, Datin', Harem Holiday, I Love Only One Girl and, of course, as previously mentioned my own personnel all time hate Yoga Is As Yoga Does. There are many others.

It is to a certain extent a matter of taste, and there will probably be many on here that actually like some of the songs that I have mentioned. If so that is good and it really will prove that as far as Elvis is concerned there really is 'Something For Everybody'.

[Blue River]

Elvis' music received some positive attention in the mid-1960's on a national scale from the ABC television show Shindig! on May 5, 1965 ...

It was a belated 30th birthday special...

Not according to Time Magazine >> http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,898716,00.html

" Wednesday, May 5
SHINDIG (ABC, 8:30-9:30 p.m.) * Elvis Presley's tenth anniversary in show business is the occasion for a program of the songs he made famous. "

[drjohncarpenter]

Not according to Time Magazine ...

On Thursday, May 5, 1955 Elvis played a gig in Mobile, Alabama and a pack of girls apparently chased him across a football field. Is that the anniversary "Shindig!" was celebrating?

If you look with care at my original post, FECC member jbnva58 watched the show, and recalled it was a birthday tribute. Perhaps he misremembered.

I am old enough to remember the 30th B-Day in 1965(ouch).
Seems one of the teen shows at that time(Shindig or Hullabaloo)had a special birthday tribute to Elvis that year.

[Blue River]

Not according to Time Magazine ...

On Thursday, May 5, 1955 Elvis played a gig in Mobile, Alabama and a pack of girls apparently chased him across a football field. Is that the anniversary "Shindig!" was celebrating?

That's a silly rhetorical question.

1965 was Elvis' tenth year with RCA... Elvis For Everyone!

[Walter Hale 4]

Even 'Easy Come, Easy Go' isn't all bad.

Yes, it is. By every measure:

- poor singing
- tinny, cheap production
- rote musicianship
- hackneyed arrangements
- TERRIBLE songs

This soundtrack is a black hole of inspiration. Holding this soundtrack up against what was out on the market in March 1967, its worthlessness is shocking, given how enormously talented and influential Elvis Presley was. It's one thing to defend some of the lesser songs on an earlier soundtrack, like "Follow That Dream," but to attempt the same for "Easy Come, Easy Go" is stupefying.

I'm not a fan of any of the songs on this particular soundtrack. However to hold this soundtrack up against what was out by contemporary performers all their youth and at their peaks is not fair. Elvis was more than a decade into the business. Compared to Chuck Berry's listless re-records of his oldies done the same year, it doesn't look so bad because while Berry has the edge in material at least Elvis was doing at least something new, at least in theory hoping to sell something he did at that moment rather than a recreation of the past. However you continually miss the point when you're singing "Guitar Man" and "Big Boss Man" what the F does it matter if six months before you threw away a handful of songs when you were down and out? To go by the standards laid down on this thread, the US Space Program should be judged by all the failures that accompanied the original rockets and the early defeats by the Russians instead of the Moon Landing. It's only the greatness that matters not the mediocrity that surrounds it.

Greatness is not easy. It is not a mere result of will. It requires will, which again in the case of a performer who depends on feel is not always easy to sum, but also talent, luck, inspiration, timing, collaboration etc. It's not like you're Elvis and you can lay down a great track just because you're Elvis. It didn't work for Sam Cooke, who made dozens of bland recordings on Keene and RCA before finding a groove in pop, it didn't work for Bob Dylan who spent most of the 1970s, the 1980s, and even 1990s trying to find a groove. It didn't work for Aretha who whiled away time on projects not close to her heart like La Diva. Direction, inspiration and even will are hard to tap sometimes.

Of course, though, again I do want to make clear also though, although I'm not in disagreement with the perceptions save perhaps "poor singing" I would choose "professional but uninspired singing" every one of those assessments is opinion, not fact. Please let's get that straight. It doesn't matter if critics don't like it. It doesn't matter if Elvis himself didn't like it as he did not. What matters is the listener's reaction.

Many, many, many, famous recordings were made either under duress or disappointed the performers. This goes for singles like "Where Did Our Love Go" and "Walk on By" or LPs like Dion's Born to Be With You. (To block childish literal response this is not a direct comparison between those songs and Easy Come Easy Go. It's merely pointing out that the creators of those records did not enjoy them either.) So the fact that the Supremes had to have their arm twisted to record "Where Did Our Love Go" or that Dion considers Born to Be With You amongst his worst recordings mean that the many fans who enjoyed those records now must disown that enjoyment. I don't think so. Nor does the fact that the majority critics now seem to enjoy the Eagles as one of rock's great all time bands mean that they bore me any less than they do.

Great Post My Friend. Especially the opening sentence.

[Blue River]

If you look with care at my original post, FECC member jbnva58 watched the show, and recalled it was a birthday tribute. Perhaps he misremembered.

And perhaps a bad choice on your part for a source, drjohn.

Now if you'll look and listen with care at this YouTube clip
you'll learn exactly what the occasion was for at the 3:28 mark -
..

Hope this helps