DAE- Holding Back The Years - Larrie Londin

[Robert]

Those were dynamite years for our man Elvis!

Personally I'd be hoping he'd whip out his signature song Sweet Caroline, or Proud Mary!

A signature song means people associate the tune with a performer, for a reason.
In case of My Way, this comes closer than the random songs you are now mentioning.

[Matthew]

In 1976 "My Way" was not an "Elvis song".

In 2015 "My Way" is only an "Elvis song" to fans due to the passage of time as posthumous association.

Of course, titling it "Tom's Way" is more apt!

[poormadpeter]

No, but it was part of an historic TV special and a #1 album. So, while not a signature song, there is no reason at all why it shouldn't be in his setlist.

The question was whether the song was associated as an Elvis song for fans attending shows in the 70s.

The answer is of course, no.

Really? Despite it being on a #1 album and an historic TV special? Not sure about that

[Matthew]

"Something" was on that album too, would that make it an "Elvis associated song" for concert goers in the 1970s?

Er, no.

[SteamrollerBlues]

Elvis sung My Way around 100 times live, while he sang Something like 25 times?

[goldbelt]

LP buying Elvis fans attending shows in the late 70's may have been less familiar with Elvis singing the sun classic Tryin' To Get To You than with him performing My Way, thanks to the Aloha TV show and LP's.

[Matthew]

Elvis sung My Way around 100 times live, while he sang Something like 25 times?

You need to place yourself into the mid-70s. How would most people be aware of this attending an Elvis concert?

Why would they think or expect to hear one over the other? Why would they really anticipate him singing either!? Neither are "his".

All they have to go on really is the Aloha From Hawaii release. So he sang them on the record with 20 other numbers, doesn't create an association "these are now Elvis songs!"

Context is key here.

[SteamrollerBlues]

Matthew definitely has a point here, though. But a good chunk of Elvis' fan-base in the mid-70's were reading the newspaper reviews which undoubtedly mentioned him singing "My Way" or reading publications like Strictly Elvis or Elvis Monthly where entire tours were reviewed...

[Matthew]

LP buying Elvis fans attending shows in the late 70's may have been less familiar with Elvis singing the sun classic Tryin' To Get To You than with him performing My Way, thanks to the Aloha TV show and LP's.

Elvis was gone come the late 70s...

But otherwise, how do you figure?

By 1976, Trying To Get To You had been released:

On his groundbreaking smash hit 1956 debut album.
On single release (including 78).
On the 1974 live album.
And would come out again domestically this year in the US on The Sun Sessions.

Even fans living in a bubble would little doubt know a little about this song and it's connection to Elvis!

[goldbelt]

Elvis sung My Way around 100 times live, while he sang Something like 25 times?

You need to place yourself into the mid-70s. How would most people be aware of this attending an Elvis concert?

Why would they think or expect to hear one over the other? Why would they really anticipate him singing either!? Neither are "his".

Context is key here.

Plenty of reason for concert goers to not be expecting him to be singing 'his' songs in the form of the On Stage LP, TTWII movie and much more besides.

They only aren't his songs to perform until he performs them.

[Matthew]

Matthew definitely has a point here, though. But a good chunk of Elvis' fan-base in the mid-70's were reading the newspaper reviews which undoubtedly mentioned him singing "My Way" or reading publications like Strictly Elvis or Elvis Monthly where entire tours were reviewed...

Of course, but it is still a big stretch for My Way to be connected as an "Elvis song" during mid-70s concerts to concert goers of the time. It was always Elvis singing a signature song belonging to Frank Sinatra.

And in the big-wide world it still is. Only factions of Elvis fandom associated it with Elvis, due to his 1977 demise, Elvis In Concert, and the posthumous single release.

That Elvis far from did things "his way" unfortunately gets missed with this one!

[Matthew]

Plenty of reason for concert goers to not be expecting him to be singing 'his' songs in the form of the On Stage LP, TTWII movie and much more besides.

They only aren't his songs to perform until he performs them.

This makes no sense.

Elvis singing a song does not equal him claiming it for his own, and that claim being absorbed in to the big wide world of music!

[goldbelt]

LP buying Elvis fans attending shows in the late 70's may have been less familiar with Elvis singing the sun classic Tryin' To Get To You than with him performing My Way, thanks to the Aloha TV show and LP's.

Elvis was gone come the late 70s...

But otherwise, how do you figure?

By 1976, Trying To Get To You had been released:

On his groundbreaking smash hit 1956 debut album.
On single release (including 78).
On the 1974 live album.
And would come out again domestically this year in the US on The Sun Sessions.

Even fans living in a bubble would little doubt know a little about this song and it's connection to Elvis!

You assume 70's concert goers were more likely to have a sun single, debut LP or The Sun Sessions than the Aloha album in great numbers? Really?

If you assert the Aloha album don't count for what to expect in a concert how can you possibly claim that Recorded On Stage In Memphis does?

Well done on making a point about the late 70's though, there isn't nearly enough of that type of nit picking on the forum. I expect you knew what I meant though, didn't you?

[goldbelt]

Plenty of reason for concert goers to not be expecting him to be singing 'his' songs in the form of the On Stage LP, TTWII movie and much more besides.

They only aren't his songs to perform until he performs them.

This makes no sense.

Elvis singing a song does not equal him claiming it for his own, and that claim being absorbed in to the big wide world of music!

Not to claim it for his own, no, but so as not to be unexpected in live shows. I stated ages ago My Way isn't an Elvis signature song by definition.

This forum is unbelievable sometimes, is it time for dictionary definitions to be rolled out yet

[goldbelt]

That Elvis far from did things "his way" unfortunately gets missed with this one!

Luckily, the forum has some great members to remind us about this (and more) at every opportunity, no matter what the topic is.

[Matthew]

You assume 70's concert goers were more likely to have a sun single, debut LP or The Sun Sessions than the Aloha album in great numbers? Really?

Careful, your earlier post says "LP buying Elvis fans attending shows in the late 70's"

If only you were more clear so it was known "what you meant"!

[Matthew]

Luckily, the forum has some great members to remind us about this (and more) at every opportunity, no matter what the topic is.

And the prize for responding emotionally instead of rationally about late-career Elvis critique goes to... "goldbelt"!

[drjohncarpenter]

LP buying Elvis fans attending shows in the late 70's may have been less familiar with Elvis singing the sun classic Tryin' To Get To You than with him performing My Way, thanks to the Aloha TV show and LP's.

Elvis was gone come the late 70s...

But otherwise, how do you figure?

By 1976, Trying To Get To You had been released:

On his groundbreaking smash hit 1956 debut album.
On single release (including 78).
On the 1974 live album.
And would come out again domestically this year in the US on The Sun Sessions.

Even fans living in a bubble would little doubt know a little about this song and it's connection to Elvis!

And, of course, "Tryin' to Get to You" taped live in Burbank at the 6-27-1968 8pm show was a major highlight of 1974's Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1.

I had to chime in, you are clearly fighting the good fight against fans here who operate well outside the boundaries of the real world. As you note, context is absolutely essential in how we judge what Elvis did in career, especially at the time it was happening. All of your points are spot-on, but you may be preaching to the deaf, dumb and blind. Oh well.

[goldbelt]

You assume 70's concert goers were more likely to have a sun single, debut LP or The Sun Sessions than the Aloha album in great numbers? Really?

Careful, your earlier post says "LP buying Elvis fans attending shows in the late 70's"

If only you were more clear so it was known "what you meant"!

I did mean Elvis fans ... Elvis fans who attended 70's concerts, the concept being that, he may have garnered a few extra fans along the way in the 60's and 70's that may not have purchased his earlier LP's or singles. but may well have been enjoying the more recent TV broadcast or LP set. Casual concert goers of course, even more so.

Add to that the idea that some 70's fans (even now) aren't as keen on his 50's stuff and perhaps it becomes a little clearer as to what I meant.

Either way, it seems pretty clear that My Way would not have been out of place or a surprise inclusion in a concert set list post Aloha.

[Matthew]

Sure, Elvis was far more associated with My Way than Tryin' To Get To You in 1976, far more associated!

[Matthew]

And, of course, "Tryin' to Get to You" was a major highlight of the 12-03-1968 NBC-TV special, repeated the following summer on 8-17-1969.

I had to chime in, you are clearly fighting the good fight against fans here who operate well outside the boundaries of the real world. As you note, context is absolutely essential in how we judge what Elvis did in career, especially at the time it was happening. All of your points are spot-on, but you may be preaching to the deaf, dumb and blind. Oh well.

I missed 1974's "A Legendary Performer", featuring a 1968 performance.

But still, that one release of "My Way", Elvis fans would have been dumbfounded by a rendition of "Tryin' To Get To You" instead!

[Juan Luis]

Deaf, dumb and blind?! Just a little bit of green clouds my eyes to what I've seen!

[SteamrollerBlues]

If we're talking about "Tryin' To Get To You" now, I think it's a superior song to "My Way".

[goldbelt]

Sure, Elvis was far more associated with My Way than Tryin' To Get To You in 1976, far more associated!

More of the same then, well done.

And the prize for responding emotionally instead of rationally about late-career Elvis critique goes to... "goldbelt"!

Not at all, 'Matthew', late-career critique isn't the issue, the expression and proliferation of said 'critique' on occasion, however.

[Matthew]

...is right on the money!