Would you buy a Remix or Remake album?

I just wanted to say that an Elvis remix doesn't have to be in the 'dance' vein.

It would be interesting to hear some more Elvis songs with modern-sounding backings.

Slow numbers as well as the rockers.

Colin, I am with you on this, it is something that I have often thought about and would like to hear, however I have to admit the potential for disaster is very high and needs to be done carefully, adding a few electronically generated sounds is not the way to go with this type of remix. I also think that the songs should in the main be the lesser known tracks that benefit from this type of upgrade.

As for the debate on remixes in general, I am always willing to listen to (and purchase if I like it) remixes that appear on the market , just as I enjoy the various outtakes and rehearsals that are released without all the backing and overdubs that were added for the actual releases.

I'm OK with remixes. I loved "A Little Less Conversation," and was pleasantly surprised at its success. Some people react as if the original recordings are being erased in favor of remixes. If they help bring in new fans, I don't see any problem with it. I really wish someone would remix "Let Yourself Go," as I think that could be killer.

I wouldn't buy it because I'm happy with Elvis' material as is. I've never listened to "All Shook Up" and said "Gee, this would be great if only there were a synthesizer."

Ernst has already discussed the brickwall he ran into in attempting to promote "Rubberneckin'" - and that's with a promotional budget!

The Nike football (soccer) commercial may have been the only way ALLC ever broke through. Talk about good fortune!

Ernst has already discussed the brickwall he ran into in attempting to promote "Rubberneckin'" - and that's with a promotional budget!

The Nike football (soccer) commercial may have been the only way ALLC ever broke through. Talk about good fortune!

The “Rubberneckin’” promo clip could have been much better. I think BMG tried too hard to make the old film clip look modern, and therefore, visually the performance lost a lot of its original appeal. I do agree though that overall promotion for this type of release can be a major headache.

In many cases EPE do not own the footage (if there is any) to the songs that may have remix potential, and for any single to get a decent amount of exposure there would have to be a video. Judging by the reaction to the ALLC video, I think it is fair to say that most fans don’t like the idea of promo clips that don’t feature Elvis, and whilst it would be possible to create an innovative video featuring images of Elvis that RCA & EPE have access to (see the “Lennon Legend” DVD for examples of what is possible here) the budget for such a project would probably be higher than BMG are willing to pay for a single that (even if it hits the top spot) is not likely to sell by the truckload.

Personally, I don’t see this remix argument as a generational thing at all. I have bought numerous remixes by artists that I like in the past, but in these cases the artists had some input into how the remix turned out. With Elvis this is not the case, and rather like the sorry state of BMG’s mainstream compilations, this s something that concerns me, because it impacts on how Elvis’ legacy and achievements are perceived by the general public. Releases of this kind are often seen as cynical ‘cash ins’ that only serve to make more money for the record companies involved as they look at ways of reselling old recordings. For example I have seen bad reviews for some of the remix projects and collaborations that Bob Marley’s masters have been given, and you could argue that Marley’s music is much more suited to the dance remix treatment than Elvis’ is. Likewise, the seemingly endless stream of album releases from the likes of Tupac & The Notorious B.I.G. are often viewed in the same way, so a newfound respect for the artist involved is not really something that can be guaranteed.

These are the points which I think are worth considering. It would be interesting to see how many of the people that bought ALLC actually became Elvis fans as a result of this. It’s my feeling that the success of the ALLC single was down to the advertising campaign and the novelty value of the single as the first official Elvis dance remix, and the much poorer sales of “Rubberneckin’” would appear to support this theory. The truth is due to a combination of poor singles sales and loyalty from the fan base, BMG could release any Elvis track and get Elvis back in the charts. Of course with no airplay and a relatively short chart run, such releases are not likely to influence a significant number of younger people to check out Elvis’ back catalogue, but I’m still not convinced that a new remix would have that effect either.

I you look at the esteem with which Johnny Cash is held in now, attracting fans of all ages from different musical backgrounds, I think this proves that good music doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘updated’ for it to appeal to new generations of listeners. Of course Cash had the advantage of working with an innovative producer in his later years and the material that Rick Rubin provided for him was certainly a factor in re-establishing Johnny and broadening his fan base, but lets not forget that the older, more traditional Cash material was also a feature of all the “American” albums, and even when Cash was covering the likes of Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, he stayed true to his own sound and musical values.

The Elvis catalogue has numerous first rate recordings that the public is not aware of, and I think this should be the focus of a future mainstream campaign, but it needs creative thinking, and a change in the approach of constantly recycling the same old songs. Look at the discussion about Elvis’ version of “And The Grass Wont Pay No Mind” featuring on the upcoming Neil Diamond cover compilation. We as fans know it is a great performance and a worthy choice for this set, but it’s a safe bet that the vast majority of the general public didn’t know that Elvis recorded the song, and haven’t heard the performance before. This as we all now is one of many examples, and I think RCA/BMG could really create a strong collection that would surprise a lot of people, whilst staying true to Elvis own artistic vision, if they were prepared to invest some time and effort into the project.

Interested? Elvis sold a boatload of discs even since his death. How much more do we expect from his recordings?

I agree with Rebel that there are stategies yet to be pursued that also will bolster, not "pimp" (as is currently done) his image and reputation.

I'm not even against an odd re-mix here or there but the singles era is all but dead and it would need to come as part of another project.

While we're talking about remixes, some interesting news:

From the Elvis News site:

The RIAA website added a Gold certification for the digital download single "A Little Less Conversation".
The digital single was awarded Gold on 03-31-2006.

Source: Elvis 2nd To None / Updated: May 30, 2006

This makes Elvis' 54th single to receive an RIAA award.

Another gold record has to be good news
Introducing Elvis to a new, younger audience has to be a plus for his longevity
I'm old enough to remember Elvis releasing `new' music, but young enough to know today's audience needs a newer mix.
Sadly, enough of us on these forums are old enough to know we won't be around forever to keep his legacy alive.
New fans are needed.
Rick

P.S. I loved ALLC and also enjoyed Rubberneckin'

I agree that new fans are needed. But what good are new fans if they're more interested in the "gimmick" than the music?

ALLC and Rubberneckin' aren't really Elvis' music. They're his voice with gimmicks added.

Unless these new fans learn to appreciate Elvis' music the way he recorded it (as dated as it may sound) they're useless in the long term.

Unless these new fans learn to appreciate Elvis' music the way he recorded it (as dated as it may sound) they're useless in the long term.

There has been some evidence [albeit anecdotal] that is happening.

Sadly, enough of us on these forums are old enough to know we won't be around forever to keep his legacy alive.
New fans are needed.
Rick

But his legacy is secure. You don't hear Beethoven fans calling for pimping of his popularity, do you? I don't enjoy him any less because radio dials are tuned to Kanye West, Britney Spears, etc.

Why? His legacy is secure and "for the ages." Something as fickle as pop charts is something already mastered to a tee. He's gracefully now a music legend.

That said, I don't mind some "positioning" and good P.R. (and the odd remix, even) here and there. But we don't have to do a "Weekend at Bernie's" thing, attempting to keep him "alive." He's not alive!

I you look at the esteem with which Johnny Cash is held in now, attracting fans of all ages from different musical backgrounds, I think this proves that good music doesn’t necessarily have to be ‘updated’ for it to appeal to new generations of listeners. Of course Cash had the advantage of working with an innovative producer in his later years and the material that Rick Rubin provided for him was certainly a factor in re-establishing Johnny and broadening his fan base, but lets not forget that the older, more traditional Cash material was also a feature of all the “American” albums, and even when Cash was covering the likes of Depeche Mode and Nine Inch Nails, he stayed true to his own sound and musical values.

Another factor in broadening his fan base - and perhaps the most important - was that the fashionable music press embraced his later work, making it cool to like Johnny. It doesn't hurt that he recently died either. The question is, how will he be viewed in 30 years?

Same thing with Sinatra. No need to have people rushing to buy a "new" release. ALLC when released was very exciting hitting #1 etc. But NEVER as exciting when Elvis was alive including the lesser hits. Everything post-humous sucks compared to pre-humous.

True but exactly how many Beethoven fans do you think are really out there today jamming to his classical music?

Take a cue from TJ and JLGB: Frank Sinatra is a total legend and still sells very well even to younger listeners.
Beethoven? Even the NY Times reported this weekend that classical music's demise has been much over-rated. It's booming, son!

Check the Numbers: Rumors of Classical Music's Demise Are Dead Wrong
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/28/arts/ ... r=homepage

Oh, get over it.

Elvis is as old as Beethoven, Bing Crosby, and Sinatra and even the Beatles. All are very dead, save for Paul and Ringo.

Face it: his time has come and gone. You're the one proposing "new hits" for a guy dead since 1977. Give it a rest!

Unlike other flashes in the pan, Elvis will be remembered - and enjoyed, as are Sinatra and Beethoven.

But top of the charts? You missed that, apparently!

Sinatra was ok along with dozens like Bing Crosby...... but could I listen to a full album................

As for Ludwig Van Beethoven his wonderful music fills Concert halls in cities, towns, and villages world-wide!!!

I don't need Elvis song remixes, I bought ALLC and played it maybe four times. It's gathering dust now. Not really my cup of tea. It did it's job. R.I.P.

If Johnny Cash can be resurrected to such a degree by sheer hype we need not worry at all about Elvis. Don't get me wrong I like Cash he was very good at what he did, but like Sinatra he wasn't in Elvis's league not by a long shot!

It's fashionable to re-instate composers and artist now and again, it happens in the Classical music world too, I've witnessed composer after composer become flavour of the year/decade, journalists and critics play their games most of them playing to the gallery or looking over their shoulders

Young discriminating ears love Bach, Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky why would they think Elvis's music was dated when classical music is hundreds of years old?

What was Jay's number? 78 voted for remixes...in the whole world?

EP will have another #1 hit single worldwide before Beethoven, Sinatra, Martin, or even The Beatles will. EP sells when the comapny markets right. You might be amopng the older fans and don't see the importance of EP's long lasting legacy to survive generation after generation as I and others do

Older? Yeah, I'm out of my teens and 20s. I'm in my 30s, for the record.
Really, really old. For one, you speak like it's a religion, with all due respect. #1 hits for dead artists is all but impossible, especially in the post-singles era, when getting airplay is hard enough...(Ask that Jorgensen guy...)

Elvis' legacy, for the millionth time, is not dependent on modern chart success, no more than other legends like Miles Davis, the Beatles or Bob Marley. Smart packaging and promotion, of course, is important to at least keeping currency and relevance of a sort. On that we agree.

The way Johnny Cash has been handled (and yes, Frank Sinatra) shows that there is a smart way of keeping new generations at least aware of all the good stuff they missed.

Putting whore make-up on a classic, well, at one point you just look desperate. ALLC and Rubberneckin' were gameful efforts but really last gasps of the remix trend. I love 'em, but c'mon. It's not like Elvis is going to make a fourth (?) comeback.

Last edited by Gregory Nolan Jr. on Wed May 31, 2006 11:25 pm, edited 1 time in total.

Well if that's the case and your biased outlook then why don't they just close Graceland and open it up only on the anniversary and stop selling his albums on the mainstream? You know since EP is "OLD" and "DEAD" he can't keep selling to a newer generation of new fans right?

"Biased"?

Hey, do you think you and Lakeisha are the only ones who want to turn on new fans to Elvis? Give us a break. I still root for new fans but I'm realistic about modern chart and sales success.

And that's a bad analogy. They aren't about to close George Washington's "Mount Vernon" home, either.

I did read they are trying to modernize the experience. But like our first President, Elvis is one for the ages.