Why does RCA continue to make Elvis sound so easy listening?

[Silver]

I agree: Don't mess with Elvis' music. Besides if you ask Steve, (or maybe Scatter) they will tell you that I am the real minority on this board!!! How many teachers are here??? LOL
sue

[buddy holly]

I myself think there's no need to seek approval of the MTV generation but if you really have to, you better come up with soms nice videos instead of altering the music. MTV is about videoclips isn't it?

I prefer the recordings to hear them as they were meant to be. That said I'm guilty of liking music that has been tampered with, as well. Anyone know what happened to Buddy Holly's legacy (a white guy who also happens to like some black music among others ). Norman Petty and Jack Hansen both produced some great changes/additions to already recorded music. For me the difference is probably that I liked the sound back then (the mono days with upright bass) and don't like modern sounds (I don't need stereo, electric bass, synthesizers, drumboxes and so on). Whatever will be done to Elvis music, some will like it, some don't. No way of pleasing them all (although Kevan Budd's remasters do please everybody don't they?).


By the way:

I am the real minority on this board!!!

I'm a muslim, anyone else? Don't worry I'm not offended when someone makes reference to Christmas.

[midnightx]

Elvis' music sounds old because it is old. If I want to hear some new music, I pull out a Lil' Kim CD or whatever - I don't write a letter to Sony/BMG asking them to remix an Elvis song. You can't expect Elvis to satisfy all your needs.

Don't mess with his music.

Well said Keith.

[Lakeisha]

Elvis' music sounds old because it is old. If I want to hear some new music, I pull out a Lil' Kim CD or whatever - I don't write a letter to Sony/BMG asking them to remix an Elvis song. You can't expect Elvis to satisfy all your needs.

Don't mess with his music.

Well said Keith.

Well, interesting because I just heard on the radio here this morning that SONY plans to do more re-mixes in the near future to hook Elvis' music onto a new generation. The aim is Top 40 radio play.

[Digger]

I guess nobody wants to hear an Elvis record, which doesn´t sound like him.
But to be honest, I have a problem too, with a lot of RCA/BMG mixes wei found on the releases today.

1. The E1 & E2 CDs:
Great work, that they have used the original session tapes to remaster them, but the new "computer sound" they have created is clear & has no noise, but it is to "cold" the sound.....no "life" in it. Compare it with the fanastic 24Bit releases or the DSD versions of some CDs, they sound great!
2. hear the "Elvis In Person" CD. An historic album and a great release. But since 1969 we have to hear it with the drums JUST on one side instead of putting them in the middle or far better with a "stereo drum sound" like we have it on the Madison Square Garden eve show.
3. Hear the poor mixes on the Frankie & Johnny FTD and the Harem Scarum FTD. Compare the masters to the outtakes. Isn´t it a shame, that the fans get such bad sounding "masters" of that tow movies in 2005?
4. Sometimes the old "Mono masters" of the 60s Songs sound fanatstic if you compare them with the "bad stereo" mixes. (Good examples are here: Viva Las Vegas, Suspicious Minds and many others)
Why isn´t it possible to give the fans the ORIGINAL Single-Mono-Masters on a special-product release?
5. All the "lost versions" (Clean Up Your own backyard from "Almost In Love LP", Lets Forget Abount The Stars from "Let´s Be Friends LP", Rags To Riches without the "cut starting", "Silent Night" with the piano intro and so one.
6. The bad compression on the "Memphis 74 live FTD". If you compare that release with the 24Bit Japan edition, you can hear how sad it sounds.

The DCC CDs, the Japan 24Bit Cds and the DSD releases sound great, but the rest is really bad (even if you compare it to other "stars of Elvis area") It´s a shame...but as long as the fans are still buying "everything" nothing will change so quickly....

[bpd]

...Lookahere, little lady, I dont care one bit about what color your skin is. Your the one. since your first posting here, to remind us again and again, youre Afro American! Well, goodie for you. Its your irritating lack of knowledge of things in general that this guy is fed up with. We are always wrong, youre always right. Fans who dont agree with you are, for the most, racists... Your words... not mine! Youre pretty screwed up, young lady.

The rap comment struck me as an intentional comment designed to insult.

I've read many of Lakeisha's posts and don't see your point. Lack of knowledge? Where does that come from? In this case her original post was well intended and didn’t display a lack of knowledge. On any given day there are comments pertaining to Elvis mixes. Why is this post any different?

It seems that you actually do care what color she is...and what about the little lady thing...looks to me as if you may have two issues.

Where is the problem here? It appears to you…

bpd

[Graceland Gardener]

Gerrrr reijfffff is one those pompous Elvis Know-It-Alls
like Doc, cut from the same stained velvet cloth.

Ger is a randy guy at times but sometimes can't help being abrasive and rude.

As Doc would say "It's okay. English isn't his first language"


While Ger is suing the party responsible for bastardizing the Elvis photo Ger claims to own, Lakeisha can be suing Ger for his alleged racist remarks to her.


...as the world turns....

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To stay on topic:

MONO MASTERS often do sound better than stereo,
and have more "punch" to them.

Sometimes stereo sounds too "wet" and spatial.

But mn keeps 'em nice and "dry" and full of punch

[JerryNodak]

The problem with remixes(imho) is that they don't(for the most part) hook a new generation on Elvis' MUSIC. They hook a new generation
(momentarily) on whatever musical gimmick is used on said remix.

Remixes like ALLC, Rubberneckin' and whatever is coming next are NOT Elvis' music. They're gimmicky frauds.

[Lakeisha]

Back in 2002 Jerry Schilling was asked what would Elvis think of them re-mixing his songs with a techno/hip hop beat, and he said that Elvis would have said "if it's a hit then go for it". In otherwords, Elvis wouldn't mind as long as it's a hit. And ALLC wasn't just a hit it was a milestone! It went #1 in almost every country on the planet, including Africa, and is today considered a modern day classic!!

Most everyone I know in my age group has said to me that it's their favorite or only Elvis song they like or play. That may not fly too well with some of you older fans, but in this generation that's just the reality of Elvis' ALLC compared to his orginals.

ALLC re-mix is used all the time, from hit tv show theme Las Vegas to Bruce Almighty which has been on channel USA several times these past few weeks here. They also use ALLC and Rubberneckin for sporting events as their music entrance. I hear ALLC and Rubberneckin re-mixes all the time at local Memphis football and basketball games, but no other Elvis songs.

[JamieAKelley]

Actually, the version on the "Las Vegas" show is the original 68 Comback acetate version - the same one used by the Ocean's Eleven remake with George Clooney.

I'm 25, so a bit before the current MTV generation (imo), but I've seen so many people, young included, getting into Elvis's music as it is. It's all in the presentation. Being a performer, I've seen more proof of this than most others here. E1 did sell well, and partly because of ALLC, but the promotion they put into it, and thus the cross-promotion, was a great stroke of luck.

There are all kinds of people who say they're not into Elvis, in all age groups. But if you get their mind opened or catch them in a way they're not expecting it, they will and do take an interest. Many younger kids caught the Elvis bug from Lilo & Stitch, which had no remixing.

I agree that remixes can have good popularity and spark some short-term interest, but these things don't last over time. ALLC would probably not done nearly as well if it hadn't been for the huge amount of luck the promotions gave it. It deserved the chance it got, I'm not saying it didn't - but I don't think it would have done as well without that.

Looking back, the "Guitar Man" and "I Was The One" albums tried the "fix it with new music" approach, and while the Guitar Man single did well, (#1), there are many fans today who haven't heard of either album or it's success.

In the end, like all classics, it's the originals that will stand the test of time, as they have so far. Why should it be any different now than it was the other times? Why is Bing Crosby's version of "White Christmas" considered the grandaddy of all renditions (although I like Elvis' better)?

You mention that their reality is that ALLC is their favorite or only Elvis song they like. That's likely because they are "conditioned" or pre-dispositioned(?) to think "Oh that's old, that sucks."

If they actually sat down and listened without bias, their reality would be different.

And in 10 years, music will be in a very different place, and the crowd that is where the MTV generation is now will have different tastes. How many times can something be redone before Elvis' legacy is lost to the joke of "keeping up with the Joneses"?

That is what the concern of many fans is to suggestions as these, I hope I've properly explained myself (as the net often loses something for thought translation).

[minkahed]

Back in 2002 Jerry Schilling was asked what would Elvis think of them re-mixing his songs with a techno/hip hop beat, and he said that Elvis would have said "if it's a hit then go for it". In otherwords, Elvis wouldn't mind as long as it's a hit.

First off, what in the hell would Schilling know how Elvis would really feel about remixing his songs at this point in time? do you believe everything you read or hear Lakeisha?

"if it's a hit then go for it"...

I don't totally buy into this notion. I'm sure Elvis wouldn't have mind to have a another "Hit" record, but Elvis wasn't totally into music because of "Hit" records. If he had cared so much about having "Hit" records, he sure didn't care in the last 5 years of recording. Burning Love was his last big "Hit" in the U.S.

IMHO, singing was his only salvation and he so wanted to make people happy with his singing and music. I truly believe hadn't Elvis become the superstar he eventually became, he still would have been singing and performing in some form or fashion.

ALLC wasn't just a hit it was a milestone! It went #1 in almost every country on the planet, including Africa, and is today considered a modern day classic!!

Sure, it was a "Hit" and it was promoted extremely well thru the World Cup Soccer commercial overseas. ironically, it wasn't the major "Hit" in the U.S. like you want to so believe Lakeisha, it only peaked at #50 on the Hot 100!!!

Most everyone I know in my age group has said to me that it's their favorite or only Elvis song they like or play.

that's your's and your friends problem. I'm not as "old" as you think I am and most young kids I know really don't know what they really like anyway. they all jus follow what current trends or fashions everyone else is into. believe me, I work with many of today's youth everyday and most of them don't even have a clue...

that may not fly too well with some of you older fans, but in this generation that's just the reality of Elvis' ALLC compared to his originals.

that reply is jus so stupid, I won't even begin to justify that idiotic remark. I cannot believe you consider yourself an Elvis fan.

[minkahed]

.

[ekenee]

Lakeisha wrote: Most everyone I know in my age group has said to me that it's their favorite or only Elvis song they like or play. That may not fly too well with some of you older fans, but in this generation that's just the reality of Elvis' ALLC compared to his orginals.


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EPE or BMG does not need to be concerned with what this generation thinks or what their taste in music is because it is so temporary. Elvis has already proven to be an artist that goes beyond generations, beyond current tastes and has proven to sell music 30 years after his death.

The Elvis phonomen has nothing to prove here. Elvis outtakes are running out, so for collectors the well is running dry but there are soundboards and new projects that will keep his name alive for years to come and he will continue to be a steady seller thru the years with a minimum of effort(advertising). There will always be new fans discovering his music. All this will happen day in and day out as new artists come and go faster than you can blink an eye. How many of today's artists will last?
The answer: Very few.

The Elvis seeds have been planted and will continue to grow as long as people love good music. People will always look back at the classics. It is happening everyday since many of you are under the age of 30, and have discovered Elvis and were not alive when he was here.

[JerryNodak]

Lakeisha: I have no problem with most of your generation likeing ALLC or even haveing it as a favorite song. But when it's the only Elvis song they like or play I submit they're a close-minded group. A lost cause. And there's no sense in Sony/BMG spending bushel baskets full of money trying to "educate" them.

It all boils down to accepting Elvis' music for what it is. The way it is. The way Elvis meant for it to be heard. If you and your friends can't do that then it's time to move on to whatever's hot at the moment.

[buddy holly]

They also use ALLC and Rubberneckin for sporting events as their music entrance. I hear ALLC and Rubberneckin re-mixes all the time at local Memphis football and basketball games, but no other Elvis songs.

Peter Aerts is a three times K1 fighting champion who fought in the finals 13 times already. K1 is a sport especially huge in Japan where action figures are made from the fighters. He always enters the ring with Elvis - My Boy. Quite something else for a succesful heavy weight fighter.

[Scott Haigh 781990EP]

i absolutely hated the remixed songs, except rubberneckin, that was o.k. i think other artists are the only ones who can present Elvis's music and make it a hit. i'm HOPING to make it in the big business, and if i do, i'll mix songs of mine with lesser known songs of EP, like 'love letters', 'just pretend' stranger in my own hometown. songs people NEED to know to truly understand Elvis's music. they think that the songs that were hits like 'hound dog', 'blue suede shoes' etc were the only good music he done, damn i wish they knew the other stuff

and plus, what has happened to music today? as the black eyed peas sang, 'where is the love'. music is just so aggressive and has nothing involved with emotions whatsoever, well the majority

[Keith Richards, Jr.]

Most everyone I know in my age group has said to me that it's their favorite or only Elvis song they like or play. That may not fly too well with some of you older fans, but in this generation that's just the reality of Elvis' ALLC compared to his orginals.

Will you please stop your ridiculous generation and age group bullshit? It's not like everyone here is 98 years old and totally out of touch with new music. I was 24 when "ALLC" was released. That's not very old but I still hated it. And I don't know about Memphis but in Sweden no one - that's right, NO ONE - talks about that song anymore. It's not played anywhere either, especially not in clubs (yes, sometimes me and my retired buddies take our wheelchairs and visit clubs). Why? Because it's dated. Because it's so far from cool as you can get. In fact, it's about as cool, modern and relevant as last year's Anastacia album.

Elvis simply doesn't need remixes. I discovered him when I stole "Moody Blue" from my mum about 8 years ago. I listened to lots of new music then and I still do. YET I DIDN'T NEED A CHEAP RE-MIX TO BECOME AN ELVIS FAN.

You like remixes, Lakeisha. Good for you. You have every right to do that and I respect your opinion. But please stop acting like you are the voice of a generation and please stop acting like Elvis' music has to be remixed in order to survive.

You also need to keep in mind that "ALLC" was used in the World Cup commercial. It would never EVER have been such a huge hit without it. Don't fool yourself.

Keith Richards, Jr.

[Keith Richards, Jr.]

and plus, what has happened to music today? as the black eyed peas sang, 'where is the love'. music is just so aggressive and has nothing involved with emotions whatsoever, well the majority

You sound like my grandmother.

Keith Richards, Jr.

[buddy holly]

You also need to keep in mind that "ALLC" was used in the World Cup commercial. It would never EVER have been such a huge hit without it.

Keith all the world except the US understand the impact of the World Cup. You can't blame Lakeisha for not understanding that. We don't understand "World" Bowl do we? I know I don't.

[Keith Richards, Jr.]

You also need to keep in mind that "ALLC" was used in the World Cup commercial. It would never EVER have been such a huge hit without it.

Keith all the world except the US understand the impact of the World Cup. You can't blame Lakeisha for not understanding that. We don't understand "World" Bowl do we? I know I don't.

I couldn't care less about Super Bowl but I understand the impact. Janet Jackson showed an innocent breast and the whole world talked about it for weeks!

Like I said, I respect Lakeisha's opinion. What I don't like is that she's trying to educate us oldtimers, trying to tell us how things really are. It's like she thinks we don't have a clue about anything that's happened post 1977.

Keith Richards, Jr.

[Lakeisha]

Elvis' music isn't recognized here as it is outside of the US. If it is, then why was the Elvis Virutal Tour a non success here with very little promo if any comapred to the UK?

Elvis' image in this country isn't very good right now. However, ALLC was a popular song here when it came out and still is and did hook some younger non fanse onto his music, a little. It hooked me and made me more curious and interested in what al he did.

For the person who said ALLC wasn't a "hit" here is crazy. So what if it only peaked at #50 on the airplay charts. It went #1 on the BB Single Sales Charts and outsold the Song of the Year by Nelly and Kelly Rowland (of Destiny's Child) called Dilemma. So it was more successfull in long term sales than were the other hits of the year. Even MTV put the video in their TRL Top 10 for the day! That's where my friends were like "woa, an Elvis video on TRL?"

And without ALLC added as a bonus track to E-1, then E-1 doesn't reach #1 in the US.

Rather you like the re-mixes or not, they're gonna happen. So why complain about disliking them? They're notgoin away and more are comin. It's like someone complaining about Bush being president for another 3 years. It's not gonna change anything arguin about it.

[Steve_M]

Nixon left early.

Re- mixes are coming the're on the way ? what is your source for this ?

ALLC was a massive global success and it cost more money than the single itself made, but the profit came from the sales of E1 that it promoted.

Another re-mix single will not have the Nike funding behind it and BMG are not going to pay that kind of money just to get another #1.

come up with an alternative like E-1 which has chances of generating sales of 10 million plus and you might get BMG to consider a promotional single and a million dollars of funding to go with it.

[JerryNodak]

Lakeisha: The remixes can come and go. I don't care. I'll just ignore them.

You say that ALLC got you hooked on Elvis and made you explore further.
Fine. Great. But all I'm hearing you do is complain. Apparently in your journey of discovery you "discovered" that you really don't like Elvis' music. If you did you wouldn't be advocating changing it by adding techno, hip-hop and God knows what else.

Likeing Elvis' music means accepting/enjoying it the way it is. Otherwise
you're a fraud.

[midnightx]

David Bendeth has said BMG spent millions on the E1 project and no longer want to invest that sort of money on it.

Ernst Jorngensen (and formerly Mike Omansky) has stated on many occassions that the way BMG makes money on the Elvis catalogue is through a series of basically quick-buck compilations. That is their philosophy.

Lakeisha, do you have any understanding of the music business and the issues that it faces today??? The current business model which all the majors are hanging on to is a dinasour and they are all going down with it. They make very little money off of new releases, ESPECIALLY sales of singles. If an album sells 1.5-2 million copies, the label either usually brakes even or loses money depending on the particular artist. So much money is spent, producing, promoting, advertisting, etc that it takes millions and millions of sales for a profit. Do you know what the main sourse of revenue usually is??? BACK CATALOGUE (examples: The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Miles Davis, The Eagles, even Elvis). This is where the consistent stream of income is made, back catalogue. Do you know where artists today generally make their money? Touring and publishing, not record sales. The Record labels are in serious trouble and so is your beloved MTV, which has been financially struggling for years.

ALLC was a one-time wonder and novelty with World Cup promotion, even Rubberneckin was a major failure in comparison. BMG is not going to spend the millions it will take to produce and promote a project of remixes that in the end will be lucky to break even and then if it does pull in the interest of a "MTV Generation" fan, they will be disappointed when they go and listen to Elvis From Memphis because it sounds dated and is essentially an adult contemporary release this day in age. At that point, BMG isn't going to think, "let's spend a forture having Elvis' legendary back catalogue completely remixed and backing tracks re-recorded so some 22 year old kid can possibly relate to the music. And then in the mean time, the music community will be up in arms because we butchered a piece of music history by destroying the original works of one of the world's greatest musical talents." That is a scenerio that will not play out, even though you are fantasizing that it will.

Sorry, but Sony/BMG will continue to keep the Elvis business as is. Pathetic compilations and hits packages will continue to stream the market and occassional reissue programs will start and abruptly stop. Real fans may have issues with this philosophy, but it makes money for BMG and it keeps a handful of Elvis' masters on the shelves. That's The Way It Is.

[ekenee]

Lakeisha wrote: Rather you like the re-mixes or not, they're gonna happen. So why complain about disliking them? They're notgoin away and more are comin. It's like someone complaining about Bush being president for another 3 years. It's not gonna change anything arguin about it.

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Lakeisha please don't compare Elvis with Bush. Yes 3 more years of complaining. Does this mean I won't find a job until the year 2010? I guess so.