Songs that should have been on the 70's box

His legacy is better represented through some of his breathtaking live performances over studio crap like Mr. Songman, Love Song Of The Year, Life, I'll Never Fall In Love Again, etc....

In the studio, you can hear the songs Elvis liked. Live, you can hear the songs the audience liked (breathtaking versions of Hound Dog, Don't Be Cruel and Love Me Tender).

Ok, that's slightly exaggerated.

Oh yes, the live show consisted completely of throwaway versions of the 50's classics.... Do you spend much time listening to Elvis' live work, especially from 1970-1972?

And of course, Elvis "liked" all of the subpar tracks he recorded in 70's. He never recorded a song he didn't like....

There is no doubt that a major aspect of Elvis' creative process in the 70's was his live work. One can blast his lackluster shows from 76 and 77, but earlier in the decade and certainly from time to time in the middle of the decade, his live work was of a very high caliber. It isn't like Elvis was setting the world on fire in the studio in 1976.

Per
Right!

Midnightx, you’re missing the point. This set should have consisted of Elvis’s ’70s masters (that is studio masters, not live ones). Elvis is the greatest live entertainer to have walked the earth, at least in recorded history, and he will never be topped or equaled. The point is there should have been a separate box for his live work, just as there was for his ’60s soundtracks. This way, we could have had his 1969 work too.

The perfect live box set would have been a five or six CD set, with complete concerts from 1969, August 1970, April 1972, the 1973 satellite broadcast, and the 1974 Memphis show. If a sixth CD is added, then we could have gotten the outtakes from February 1970 and 1972 or the complete June 21, 1977 concert.

Per

skjernaa
Hi! I didn´t include the live tracks because i only wanted a pure studio recordings set. I think another set could be dedicated only to live performances (it could include all classic-live recordings like "Trilogy" or "Never been", and complete it with several complete shows, for example).

I suppose you're now working on the cover for the box as well as covers for each individual disc? Wink

You´re right! You know me well! I´ll post later in this thread a preview if you want. Regards.

And hi to you, too!

I'm looking forward to seeing a preview a.s.a.p.

Great tracklist for at 'bonus' disc of non-studio recorded live masters. So many, many great songs (some of the best of his 70's recordings, actually) by one great songwriter after the other - which reminds me, that I'm going to see Kris Kristofferson tomorrow night in Esbjerg here in Denmark, and I am of couse hoping to hear 'Why Me Lord', 'Help Me Make It Through The Night' and 'For The Good Times'!

I think it's ok for bonus tracks to go outside the concept of an album - e.g. 'Steamroller Blues' as a bonus track on a STAX compilation
It wasn't recorded at STAX, but somehow it just fits sooooo good with that material!

Oh, by the way, remember Jeanno, we're still waiting for that STAX anthology update

All the best,
Jakob

skjernaa

I'm going to see Kris Kristofferson tomorrow night in Esbjerg here in Denmark, and I am of couse hoping to hear 'Why Me Lord', 'Help Me Make It Through The Night' and 'For The Good Times'! Very Happy

That´s a good oportunity to listen to some classics from the original songwritter. Hope you will tell us about the experience.

e.g. 'Steamroller Blues' as a bonus track on a STAX compilation Wink
It wasn't recorded at STAX, but somehow it just fits sooooo good with that material!

Yeah! The problem was maybe the title: the best thing should have been to do a 1973 "memphis" compilation instead of a strictly "Stax" one. And that´s just was the point with LOW DOWN SIDE OF TOWN with both Stax and other "Memphis" recordings (live or home tracks) from that era. Anyway, thanks for the kind words and best regards my friend!

hey hav a tampa,

i'm still waiting on an explanation as to where the "walk a block
in my socks" quote came from. In the interim, i have had a chance
to raise this with a friend of mine who has ALL of the live versions
of "Walk a mile in my shoes" and he answered there is no WABIMS
remark by Elvis as a lead in to the performance of the song.

Let's face it, it's a Bullcrap remark by Dave Marsh.

And while i'm at it, i think it is stupid of some fans to rewrite history
by connecting certain songs with Elvis' life or career.
Example: Walk a mile in my shoes was written by Joe South
regarding the social era of 1969 and it therefore should be thought of
in this context only. To connect it to Elvis, who never even learnt the
lyrics of WAMIMS properly -but delivered a much better rendition of
it! - is just plain silly.

It's a crying shame Elvis did not wax this in the studio along with a couple of
other Joe's tracks (i.e. Don't it make you wanna go home and
Mirror of your mind, to name but two). Joe's a great composer but
with limited vocal ability (nothwistanding "Games People Play) and
Elvis' supreme vocal ability would've done justice to Joe's songs
i feel.

Robt
I may be wrong but i think that the "Walk a block" reference was written in the RCA Label intro of the booklet. Marsch has nothing to do with it. Correct me if i´m wrong.

hey jeano,

it's on first page of the foreward of WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES-ESSENTIAL
SEVENTIES MASTERS. And it was written by Dave Marsh (possibly
while his head was inside his backside).

By the way, Jeano, what do you think would happen if every
single seventies purist out there joined me in "knocking on
the door" of Bear Family deutch and it's owner Richard Weize
and just tried to suggest that Bear Family give a consideration
to....THE DEFINITIVE SEVENTIES MASTERS.... that quite obviously
BMG/SONY had tragically fallen short with their WAMIMS package.

It's clearly damned obvious that BMG/SONY will not
rectify the seventies studio material in the context that we
were accustomed
with the fifties and sixties boxes as theyve had 12 years
to do it.

For those purists out there who are interested, here's the Bear
Family number iinfo@bear-family.de

By the way, Jeano, what do you think would happen if every
single seventies purist out there joined me in "knocking on
the door" of Bear Family deutch and it's owner Richard Weize
and just tried to suggest that Bear Family give a consideration
to....THE DEFINITIVE SEVENTIES MASTERS.... that quite obviously
BMG/SONY had tragically fallen short with their WAMIMS package.

That would be at least pretty interesting...

Here is BTW the design for my own complete 70´s studio masters. What do you think about it?

Here is BTW the design for my own complete 70´s studio masters. What do you think about it?

Don't give up your day job.

My day job is "magazine designer" and i live pretty well, thank you.

Well I like the cover. Especially the "sticker".

Having spent over 20 years in Advertising Agencies I have some idea of the work required.

I second that, Spellbinder.

Per

Thanks KiwiAlan!

My day job is "magazine designer" and i live pretty well, thank you.

Then let me put it a bit plainer - I think your design is sh*t.

Last edited by Spellbinder on Fri Mar 16, 2007 7:16 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I second that too.

Spellbinder, "plainier"?

Per

My day job is "magazine designer" and i live pretty well, thank you.

Then let me put it a bit plainier - I think your design is sh*t.

I think your spelling is sh*t.

My day job is "magazine designer" and i live pretty well, thank you.

Then let me put it a bit plainier - I think your design is sh*t.

I think your spelling is sh*t.

A typo - and I never corrected anyone's typos.

ericcartman

I think your spelling is sh*t.

hey jeano,

yes i think you proposed artwork is very good. i wonder what it would
look like if you had surrounded in your design, images of Elvis facial
changeabilty throughout the 70's (ala Klaus Voorman who did the
Beatles Anthology artwork), including a shot of "My Way" from
Rapid City 21/6/77 show? Yes Elvis looked tired and sweaty during
the song but one can also see the determination and intensity
deep in his eyes. It's such a poignant moment!

I also i owe you an appology. Since my last post, i have re-read
the intro (first time since 1996) of WALK A BLOCK IN MY SOCKS....sorry!....WALK A MILE
IN MY SHOES book and it does appear that the WABIMS remark was
invented by another writer other than Dave Marsh.

However, i was far from impressed with DAVE MARSH's over-the-top "foreward"... both when i first read it in 1996 and now.
Even now as i read his "write up" of "My Way" being such a
classic song! If Marsh is alluding to the june '1971 studio than i
couldn't disagree strongly! the studio version does not come within
a bulls roar of june 21 rapid city version...not even close man...


With hindsight i would definitely include the rapid city cut and "America"
(both tracks being issued on single and made the top ten in England) but
in the singles section and have discs 3/4/5/ as a separate follow up package. Turn it into a five disc package and it would've enabled the
producers to fit in the 33 omited songs as well as selected alternate
takes and hence a more definitive seventies collection would have
taken shape.

Robt

i think you proposed artwork is very good.

Thanks!

With hindsight i would definitely include the rapid city cut and "America"
(both tracks being issued on single and made the top ten in England) but
in the singles section and have discs 3/4/5/ as a separate follow up package. Turn it into a five disc package and it would've enabled the
producers to fit in the 33 omited songs as well as selected alternate
takes and hence a more definitive seventies collection would have
taken shape.

Personally, i would dedicate a whole boxset to the live performances. Imagine a 6 CDs collection:

CD#1 - Tupelo´56 and Hawaii´61 (with improved sound)
CD#2 - complete 69 show
CD#3 - complete 70 show
CD#4 - complete 72 show (opening night)
CD#5 - complete 74 show (memphis)
CD#6 - "live" singles (trilogy, steamroller, my way, etc.) and live rarities.

I just want a box set for every session, every song Elvis ever recorded

Sorry, I couldn't resist.

Anyway, back to the topic, I can vividly recall being utterly disappointed when I purchased the 70's box set and studied the tracklist on the back of the box and saw that IF YOU DON'T COME BACK had been eliminated.

Anyway, back to the topic, I can vividly recall being utterly disappointed when I purchased the 70's box set and studied the tracklist on the back of the box and saw that IF YOU DON'T COME BACK had been eliminated.

Yeah! This is a nice R&B and it is strange that instead of it,you could find in the boxset things like ALLA´ EN EL RANCHO GRANDE...

I realise this is a super-old thread, but I just wanted to add my thoughts on this.

Essentially: I don't think anyone knows how to handle the 70's Elvis.

Even though these boxsets came before my time (i.e. I didn't buy them and have amassed 70's recordings with separate purchases), I totally agree with everything genesim said. The 70's boxset was meant to The Alamo; instead, it turned the entire series into a bait and switch scam...

Cryo, this "purported" fan doesn't mind that you revived this thread, as too often people forget that we can easily pick up previous discussions and keep the board more orderly as a result.

I hear you on most of your points against the selective '70s box approach, but have you actually purchased the boxset you criticize so readily? I see that you say you haven't, and as such, I think you're disqualified to comment on it at this level!

I, too, was soured to learn that some of my favorites from the decade were not to be found, this in spite of having ditched some of my '70s Lps in anticipation of buying the set. It took me awhile to realize that it wasn't that I couldn't "find" songs like "Early Morning Rain" and "Help Me Make It Through The Night" and "There's A Honky Tonk Angel..."- them boys were not on there!

That said, as was covered extensively in earlier pages of this thead (and so I won't belabor the defense of this set) I still think it was a huge critical success precisely because it exercised discretion by emphasizing what the producers felt to be "essential" in what had in some quarters (up to this release) been seen as perhaps his weakest decade's work, indeed one he ultimately did not live all the way through. It's just one interpretation and I can suspend my disbelief and accept that that this box was just one vision of how to remember the '70s.

I think it met commercial expectations in a way that any huge 6-10 disc set would not have. Whether we agree or not (all of us here clearly love all decades of Elvis' career), emphasizing quality (both studio and live songs) as well as "what if" moments (such as the Dylan snippet and the much-more-acclaimed-than-the-original "bluesy" version of "Amazing Grace" and slow blues version of "Stranger In My Own Hometown, among others) more than paid off.

As for others concerns about the title of the set, it's all a part of positioning this problematic (unless one is a die-hard "if He sang it, I love it" fan) era of the King's career. The 1970s remain a misunderstood and maligned era of Elvis' career, often by those who know little or care little to find out just what sort of a man and life the man led.

"Walk A Mile In My Shoes," indeed. Anything that manages to get critics and the public to realize that the '70s Elvis was a dyanamic, innovative singer and performer is okay in my book. And I eventually found the tracks I was missing, on rather attrative single album discs to boot.

But a Bear Family boxset someday? Sure, I'd buy it.

I'm not all that fond of boxsets, however, as was said earlier, as it's sitting down to 70-plus minute discs is a bit much as it also obliterates the heritage of the original albums.

It is for this reason that I prefer FTD's current "classic albums" approach, which almost offers an entire "sessions" perspective as well.

hey gregory nolan,



i've just read your post with great interest.

re. a possible definitive bear family 70's box set: IF...and it's a big IF...
the germen label are keen on the concept and able to get
a licence from BMG/SONY, then i feel it will go a lot further
than the WALK A BLOCK IN MY SOCKS - Essential 70's masters
box set ever could. I'm really impressed by Bear Family and particularly
by the superb standards they present their boxed sets . On that basis,
I feel they are the one label in the world that can restore Elvis 70's music with
some dignity. For a company like BMG it would be uncommercial lets
face it.

The only positive feelings i have about WABIMS was the inclusion
of first time stereo masters on "Patch it up" "I've Lost You" and
the the FEB 1972 Vegas material. Also it was interesting to get the
12 tracks that formed the ELVIS COUNTRY album sans the annoying
"I was born about 10,000 years ago".

I'm afraid i have to stand by my previous comments about the
titleing of Walk a mile in my shoes-

1) It 's a song that Elvis did not write and only performed a handful
of times.

1 ) ( b) It did not appear as a single in Elvis lifetime.


2) It makes no sense for a label to
connect the integrity of WAMIMS to the
life and times of an artist in the seventies. Joe South wrote
the song in
1969 allegedly about the social climate back then. That's precisely how
the song should be defined as.


3) Elvis either did not learn the lyrics properly or quite possibly chose
to omit a verse from South's original. Take your pick.

Finally, Gregory how's Bernice and Albert looking these days!!!