POCKETFULL OF RAINBOWS- Best song on the G.I.Blues

Just looked at the songs on the G.I. BLUES soundtrack LP and i think IMO that POCKETFULL OF RAINBOWS is the best on the LP.
what do you think ? what songs do you like from that movie?
sincerely
LIOR

Although a light song.....A very challenging song for Elvis as a vocalist with the changes....I like it.

Hello
I like that song too, but "Shopping around" is allways the first song that comes to my mind when thinking about the movie.

Hello
I like that song too, but "Shopping around" is allways the first song that comes to my mind when thinking about the movie.

For me, Shopping Around always sounded a bit forced; like a show tune trying to be rock 'n' roll, or something like that.

Now Doin' The Best I Can was a good 50's type ballad.

And Didya Ever fitted into the film seamlessly.

I love the entire soundtrack/album.

Very hard to choose a favourite.

"Doin' The Best I Can" is probably the best song. It can legitimately stand on its own as a solid ballad -- unique, engaging, subtle, touching.

I am inclined to agree that "Pocketful of Rainbows" is the most vocally challenging song. But "G.I. Blues" and "Frankfurt Special" are high vocal watermarks in final form, too.

Frankfurt Special is my favourite.

Just looked at the songs on the G.I. BLUES soundtrack LP and i think IMO that POCKETFULL OF RAINBOWS is the best on the LP. what do you think ?

It's funny you mention this recording. It meant nothing until about 20 years ago, when a gem of an outtake was issued on The EP Collection, Vol. 2 -- a 1982 UK-only product.

An aside -- this 10 EP box set drove US fans crazy because it had lot of outtakes on it, official RCA outtakes from 1958, 1960 and 1961. Meanwhile, we in the US got Memories Of Christmas that year. Ah, the Joan Deary era.

Anyway, the alternate of "Pocketful Of Rainbows" features a completely different arrangement. It's gentle, and subtle, as the song should be. And the vocal, where Elvis goes down the scale for "night" instead of up, is brilliant, much better than the 1960 LP track.

Is it the best song of the "G.I. Blues" session? No. That title goes to "Doin' The Best I Can," which is the only number that might have be allowed in the door of Presley's peerless Elvis Is Back! sessions a few weeks prior.

"G.I. Blues" marks the first time some truly ghastly numbers made an Elvis soundtrack -- "Big Boots" and "Tonight Is So Right For Love" spring to mind. The original plan for Leiber and Stoller to handle the sessions in the same manner as Elvis' previous two films, "Jailhouse Rock" and "King Creole," went to hell when they lost a power struggle with Elvis' management. Bad move!

Had Elvis drawn the line with "G.I. Blues" as a "one-off," silly, light feature, his entire Hollywood career might have taken a different path.

My personal opinion is that 'Doin 'The Best I Can' has never done anything for this listener as Elvis vocal seems too laid back whilst the opposite is true for 'Tonight Is So Right For Love'. This is a fine vocal.

Other personal favourites from this album:- 'What's She Really Like' and 'Didja Ever' alongside 'Pocketful' and 'Shoppin' Around'.

As I stated my personal opinion, if you disagree to each his own.

Andy

pocket full of rainbows puts me to sleep!

Great post, Doc!

One thing:

Had Elvis drawn the line with "G.I. Blues" as a "one-off," silly, light feature, his entire Hollywood career might have taken a different path.

Could we get this Theoretical Elvis to draw the line after "Blue Hawaii", pretty please?

Could we get this Theoretical Elvis to draw the line after "Blue Hawaii", pretty please?

The problem with that is, "Can't Help Falling In Love" aside, the massive success of the film and soundtrack LP provided management with a powerful commercial argument to create more of the same. "G.I. Blues" did very well too, but not on the scale of "Blue Hawaii."

Could we get this Theoretical Elvis to draw the line after "Blue Hawaii", pretty please?

The problem with that is, "Can't Help Falling In Love" aside, the massive success of the film and soundtrack LP provided management with a powerful commercial argument to create more of the same. "G.I. Blues" did very well too, but not on the scale of "Blue Hawaii."

I could see that coming. What's the sales ratio? 10:1 in favour of "Blue Hawaii" over "Elvis Is Back"? Shocking.

I know this may seem like an oblique point, but... I think Elvis' looks were a double-edged sword. He was able to do so much with them, but they were also able to do so much to him. When you put his looks, talent and material like "Blue Hawaii" (film + soundtrack) together, it's a potent mix. You're right, though: more foot-putting-down early on by EP himself could have given him a significantly different career. That said, "Flaming Star" and "Wild In The Country" came right after "G.I. Blues", and since "Blue Hawaii" followed very closely thereafter, it can be said that Elvis genuinely tried -- and then felt he needed to bide his time a little before trying again. It's hard to see the future when the present is already a blur. Elvis' major fault was not waiting, it was waiting too long. But again: [see last-but-one sentence].

Wow! I love alot of these songs and haven't given them the proper attention in a while... this gives me and IDEA! brb...

...going to get my GI Blues CD!

I love Pocketfull of Rainbows... but also Shoppin Around and Doin the Best that I Can!

JEFF d
EAP fan

Wow! I love alot of these songs and haven't given them the proper attention in a while... this gives me and IDEA! brb...

...going to get my GI Blues CD!

I love Pocketfull of Rainbows... but also Shoppin Around and Doin the Best that I Can!

JEFF d
EAP fan

Try this:

http://www.eapsociety.com/GIBluesmedley.MP3

Pocketful Of Rainbows is a great track. The GI Blues soundtrack is overall a very solid soundtrack.

Ernst did a great job with the 1997 reissue of GI Blues and Blue Hawaii, it is hard to imagine them being part of the classic album series. Is GI Blues still in print? It can still be found at the retail level, but that doesn't mean BMG didn't delete it.

Thanks for the link Cryo... very cool!

JEFF d
EAP fan

Thanks for the link Cryo... very cool!

JEFF d
EAP fan

No problem.

Not that I'm pimpin' for the site or anything, but there are more goodies contained there.

I like the G.I. Blues soundtrack overall, even the lullabye Big Boots, which I think is a charming performance. The one track I don't like is Didja Ever. It's too much like something from a 1940's musical or Broadway show tune. I'm also not crazy about What's She Really Like for the same reason (although it's better than DE).

As others have said Doin' The Best I Can is the best track. The title song, Shoppin' Around, Pocketful of Rainbows, Tonight Is So Right For Love, and Franfort special are the best of the rest IMO. But the whole thing is engagingly performed by Elvis.

"G.I. Blues" marks the first time some truly ghastly numbers made an Elvis soundtrack -- "Big Boots" and "Tonight Is So Right For Love" spring to mind.

Fine post and generally agree and your points on the UK only EP set are spot on. However, I would hardly describe "Tonight Is So Right For Love" as 'ghastly'. It's not a bad song and fits into the movie seamlessly.

G.I.Blues soundtrack is absolutely awful. It´s full of s..., just like Elvis told to Priscilla. It´s amazing this went to #1. But that´s the power of Elvis. Indeed, Pocketful Of Rainbows and Doin´ The Best I Can are the only songs you can enjoy from this horrible soundtrack.

G.I.Blues soundtrack is absolutely awful. It´s full of s..., just like Elvis told to Priscilla. It´s amazing this went to #1. But that´s the power of Elvis. Indeed, Pocketful Of Rainbows and Doin´ The Best I Can are the only songs you can enjoy from this horrible soundtrack.

Awful compared to what? Double Trouble? Kid Galahad? It Happened At The World's Fair? Compared to most of his other post-Blue Hawaii soundtracks, it is one of the best.

One of the best soundtracks I think.

It makes just fun to listen to this album....

One of my faves is Frankfort Special..especially the fast version (Take 13) as origially released on Legendary Perf. Vol.3..

I also listened to the whole recording session on Cafe Europa Sessions
quite a few times...it`s just pure fun....contrary to other complete movie sessions.

Awful compared to what? Double Trouble? Kid Galahad? It Happened At The World's Fair? Compared to most of his other post-Blue Hawaii soundtracks, it is one of the best.

Kid Galahad? Except for A Whistling Tune every track is way better than most of the G.I. Blues soundtrack. To me, Girls! Girls! Girls! is much more listenable. And I absolutely love Fun In Acapulco, that is my favourite soundtrack of the 60´s.

Viva Las Vegas is much better. And strangely, I have always loved the Harum Scarum soundtrack. I don´t know. Somehow the G.I. Blues LP just doesn´t work for me. Too many silly songs Elvis shouldn´t have recorded.

But you are right about It Happened At The World´s Fair. It´s almost as bad as the chart-topping Roustabout.

As such both the G. I . Blues and Blue Hawaii soundtrack albums actually worked and still works as listening pleasures.
When I put them on they always remind me how good the always sounded and still do, overall.
This was early 60's!!! It was a different approach THEN!!
Now more than 50 years later it's easy to tell what should have been.
The merit of these two soundtracks speak for themselves.
Worldwide Elvis got even bigger than what he did in the 50's in the early 60's. And those movies and soundtracks were part of that widespread popularity.
As for the songs I've always loved Pocketful Of Rainbows, Shoppin' Around and Doin' The Best I Can. With all the outtakes we have had from those sessions, I love the entire project even more.
I think people should take a listen to what else was around in the charts at that time and compare to what Elvis delivered. Elvis was always different!

pocket full of rainbows puts me to sleep!

Precisely...............I sang my son Jordan to sleep with that lovely tune every night while he was a baby.