Nancy Sinatra - Speedway

Ironically, Nancy had a number one hit in 1966 with "Boots" but Elvis had only a Top 20 hit (number 19) with "Love Letters" the same year. So people who blame British invasion for Elvis declining popularity I think they are wrong because a lot of american artists and bands had number 1 hits in the 1963-1968 era in spite of The Beatles, Stones, Herman's Hermits, Animals, Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Who and others.

If you review the charts between 1964 and 1968, the huge influx of British bands, led by the Beatles, is undeniable. This is why the British Invasion is seen as a harbinger or change, not only for Elvis but also for all kinds of singers and musicians. Of course, during that timeline Elvis abandoned his art, so there was never any real "battle" for supremacy.

And dont forget his idol, Dean Martin who had a number 1 hit in the summer of 64, the height of Beatlemania. Then Sinatra also in '66. Elvis' decline was due to his material. A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

Ironically, Nancy had a number one hit in 1966 with "Boots" but Elvis had only a Top 20 hit (number 19) with "Love Letters" the same year. So people who blame British invasion for Elvis declining popularity I think they are wrong because a lot of american artists and bands had number 1 hits in the 1963-1968 era in spite of The Beatles, Stones, Herman's Hermits, Animals, Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Who and others.

If you review the charts between 1964 and 1968, the huge influx of British bands, led by the Beatles, is undeniable. This is why the British Invasion is seen as a harbinger or change, not only for Elvis but also for all kinds of singers and musicians. Of course, during that timeline Elvis abandoned his art, so there was never any real "battle" for supremacy.

And dont forget his idol, Dean Martin who had a number 1 hit in the summer of 64, the height of Beatlemania. Then Sinatra also in '66. Elvis' decline was due to his material. A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

"Everybody Loves Somebody" was Dean's first chart-topper for the Reprise record label, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. When "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked "A Hard Day's Night" off the top of the US charts, Dean sent a telegram to Elvis that read, "If you can't handle the Beatles, I'll do it for you, pally."

Ironically, Nancy had a number one hit in 1966 with "Boots" but Elvis had only a Top 20 hit (number 19) with "Love Letters" the same year. So people who blame British invasion for Elvis declining popularity I think they are wrong because a lot of american artists and bands had number 1 hits in the 1963-1968 era in spite of The Beatles, Stones, Herman's Hermits, Animals, Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Who and others.

If you review the charts between 1964 and 1968, the huge influx of British bands, led by the Beatles, is undeniable. This is why the British Invasion is seen as a harbinger or change, not only for Elvis but also for all kinds of singers and musicians. Of course, during that timeline Elvis abandoned his art, so there was never any real "battle" for supremacy.

And dont forget his idol, Dean Martin who had a number 1 hit in the summer of 64, the height of Beatlemania. Then Sinatra also in '66. Elvis' decline was due to his material. A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

"Everybody Loves Somebody" was Dean's first chart-topper for the Reprise record label, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. When "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked "A Hard Day's Night" off the top of the US charts, Dean sent a telegram to Elvis that read, "If you can't handle the Beatles, I'll do it for you, pally."

Thats excellent. Never heard that before. Dean was always one cool dude and very funny.

"Everybody Loves Somebody" became Dean's theme song for his TV show the next year in 1965.

Elvis did have US releases in top twenty but none made top ten in '64... Kissin' Cousins, Such a Night, Ask Me and Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby.

Doubt Kissin' Cousins would have made top twenty without c/w It Hurts Me...


pic from http://www.elvisrecords.us

A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

Elvis' version of "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" would've been better edited down to 3:30 to 3:55 if used for single release
(instead of the 5:20 that it clocks in at), imo.

The single that should've been released (in my opinion) is -
Side A ~ DOWN IN THE ALLEY
Side B ~ LOVE LETTERS ... with "Come What May" included on the Spinout album.

A year later... instead of There's Always Me/Judy as a single...
Side A ~ I WANT YOU WITH ME
Side B ~ THERE'S ALWAYS ME ... with "Judy" remaining available only on the Something For Everybody album.

A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

Elvis' version of "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" would've been better edited down to 3:30 to 3:55 if used for single release
(instead of the 5:20 that it clocks in at), imo.

The single that should've been released (in my opinion) is -
Side A ~ DOWN IN THE ALLEY
Side B ~ LOVE LETTERS ... with "Come What May" included on the Spinout album.

A year later... instead of There's Always Me/Judy as a single...
Side A ~ I WANT YOU WITH ME
Side B ~ THERE'S ALWAYS ME ... with "Judy" remaining available only on the Something For Everybody album.

Yes of course it would have to be edited for single release, but it was a natural. Elvis singing Dylan? Would have made him relevant again in the midst of the Hollywood years. Darin had a huge folk hit in '66 with 'Carpenter'. The timing was right as was the material. I dont think your single choices would have seen much chart action, no offense.

I dont think your single choices would have seen much chart action, no offense.

None taken. I just think it was sad that "Judy" was released on a single.

A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

Elvis' version of "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" would've been better edited down to 3:30 to 3:55 if used for single release
(instead of the 5:20 that it clocks in at), imo.

The single that should've been released (in my opinion) is -
Side A ~ DOWN IN THE ALLEY
Side B ~ LOVE LETTERS ... with "Come What May" included on the Spinout album.

Totally agree with you. Recall DJs preferred playing the bonus songs from Spinout album and were saying they should have released them as the A side of singles. Also when visiting some record shops, same thing... they preferred playing just the bonus songs.


http://www.elvisrecords.us

I stumbled onto a Nancy Sinatra website a couple of years back. I was surprised to find her quite active around the message boards, and spoke very highly of Elvis. that was good enough for me, classy lady.

A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

Elvis' version of "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" would've been better edited down to 3:30 to 3:55 if used for single release
(instead of the 5:20 that it clocks in at), imo.

The single that should've been released (in my opinion) is -
Side A ~ DOWN IN THE ALLEY
Side B ~ LOVE LETTERS ... with "Come What May" included on the Spinout album.

A year later... instead of There's Always Me/Judy as a single...
Side A ~ I WANT YOU WITH ME
Side B ~ THERE'S ALWAYS ME ... with "Judy" remaining available only on the Something For Everybody album.

Yes of course it would have to be edited for single release, but it was a natural. Elvis singing Dylan? Would have made him relevant again in the midst of the Hollywood years. Darin had a huge folk hit in '66 with 'Carpenter'. The timing was right as was the material. I dont think your single choices would have seen much chart action, no offense.

I don't think the song had a catchy hook to be a hit single.

One song wasn't going to make Elvis revelant again.

"Love letters'' was an okay single release.

Hi there!! .

[/quote]"Everybody Loves Somebody" was Dean's first chart-topper for the Reprise record label, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. When "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked "A Hard Day's Night" off the top of the US charts, Dean sent a telegram to Elvis that read, "If you can't handle the Beatles, I'll do it for you, pally."

[/quote]

That´s a cool statement . Thanks!. Bye for now .

Sorry EPA4368 for not quoting you! . Bye for now .

And dont forget his idol, Dean Martin who had a number 1 hit in the summer of 64, the height of Beatlemania. Then Sinatra also in '66. Elvis' decline was due to his material. A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

It was an anomaly. Martin's single of "Everybody Loves Somebody" hit Billboard US Pop #1 on August 15, 1964, for one week only. It was his second and final chart-topper; in fact, he only grazed the Top Twenty twice more before his death in 1995.

Material and commitment were the two huge issues regarding Elvis' mid-sixties decline. At the time of the June 1966 "Love Letters" release, it seems clear RCA felt it was their best shot at success, given these problems. As cool as the Dylan track was, the chance of it charting was weak at best, which is why it was not selected as an A-side. It would have made for a fascinating B-side, though. "Come What May" really felt like a relic from the past as the chosen B-side.

"Everybody Loves Somebody" was Dean's first chart-topper for the Reprise record label, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. When "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked "A Hard Day's Night" off the top of the US charts, Dean sent a telegram to Elvis that read, "If you can't handle the Beatles, I'll do it for you, pally."

DMLP_zps6c97774a.jpg

That quote is new to me. Did some research, however, and it appears to be legit.

Deana Martin referenced the telegram in a 2004 memoir. Bet Elvis was not amused, though:

041026_Memories Are Made_Martin p 110.JPG

Wendy Holden, Deana Martin, Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes
(New York: Crown Archetype, October 26, 2004)

You do not have the required permissions to view the files attached to this post.

Last edited by drjohncarpenter on Sat Feb 02, 2013 1:06 am, edited 1 time in total.

Ironically, Nancy had a number one hit in 1966 with "Boots" but Elvis had only a Top 20 hit (number 19) with "Love Letters" the same year. So people who blame British invasion for Elvis declining popularity I think they are wrong because a lot of american artists and bands had number 1 hits in the 1963-1968 era in spite of The Beatles, Stones, Herman's Hermits, Animals, Kinks, Manfred Mann, The Who and others.

If you review the charts between 1964 and 1968, the huge influx of British bands, led by the Beatles, is undeniable. This is why the British Invasion is seen as a harbinger or change, not only for Elvis but also for all kinds of singers and musicians. Of course, during that timeline Elvis abandoned his art, so there was never any real "battle" for supremacy.

And dont forget his idol, Dean Martin who had a number 1 hit in the summer of 64, the height of Beatlemania. Then Sinatra also in '66. Elvis' decline was due to his material. A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

"Everybody Loves Somebody" was Dean's first chart-topper for the Reprise record label, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. When "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked "A Hard Day's Night" off the top of the US charts, Dean sent a telegram to Elvis that read, "If you can't handle the Beatles, I'll do it for you, pally."

Yes, I heard about that quote years ago. Dean was my idol as a kid. His show was my favorite as a kid and I had all of his Reprise records. Got to see him twice in Vegas.

I dont think your single choices would have seen much chart action, no offense.

None taken. I just think it was sad that "Judy" was released on a single.

Yes, I certainly agree with that. What were they thinking lol?

A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

Elvis' version of "Tomorrow Is A Long Time" would've been better edited down to 3:30 to 3:55 if used for single release
(instead of the 5:20 that it clocks in at), imo.

The single that should've been released (in my opinion) is -
Side A ~ DOWN IN THE ALLEY
Side B ~ LOVE LETTERS ... with "Come What May" included on the Spinout album.

Totally agree with you. Recall DJs preferred playing the bonus songs from Spinout album and were saying they should have released them as the A side of singles. Also when visiting some record shops, same thing... they preferred playing just the bonus songs.


http://www.elvisrecords.us

I just played the Spinout album today. It wasnt bad as far as soundtracks go. I remember liking it a lot more than the previous ones back 64-65 and felt it sounded at least like the times. Spinout was a good song, but it just didnt click with the public as a single. Maybe I'll Be Back would have been better? Car songs were way past their due date by that time. Spinout is a lost gem that could possibly see a new life one day, similar to ALLC.

And dont forget his idol, Dean Martin who had a number 1 hit in the summer of 64, the height of Beatlemania. Then Sinatra also in '66. Elvis' decline was due to his material. A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

It was an anomaly. Martin's single of "Everybody Loves Somebody" hit Billboard US Pop #1 on August 15, 1964, for one week only. It was his second and final chart-topper; in fact, he only grazed the Top Forty twice more before his death n 1995.

Material and commitment were the two huge issues regarding Elvis' mid-sixties decline. At the time of the June 1966 "Love Letters" release, it seems clear RCA felt it was their best shot at success, given these problems. As cool as the Dylan track was, the chance of it charting was weak at best, which is why it was not selected as an A-side. It would have made for a fascinating B-side, though. "Come What May" really felt like a relic from the past as the chosen B-side.

"Everybody Loves Somebody" was Dean's first chart-topper for the Reprise record label, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. When "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked "A Hard Day's Night" off the top of the US charts, Dean sent a telegram to Elvis that read, "If you can't handle the Beatles, I'll do it for you, pally."

DMLP_zps6c97774a.jpg

That quote is new to me. Did some research, however, and it appears to be legit.

Deana Martin referenced the telegram in a 2004 memoir. Bet Elvis was not amused, though:

041026_Memories Are Made_Martin p 110.JPG

Wendy Holden, Deana Martin, Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes
(New York: Crown Archetype, October 26, 2004)

Dean Martin had 10 more top 40 hits after everybody loves somebody, all from 64 to 67, and he sold albums from 64 to 69 like hot cakes. I have the exact figures from the first 2-3 years and they're astounding (I'll look for them when I get home).

And dont forget his idol, Dean Martin who had a number 1 hit in the summer of 64, the height of Beatlemania. Then Sinatra also in '66. Elvis' decline was due to his material. A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

It was an anomaly. Martin's single of "Everybody Loves Somebody" hit Billboard US Pop #1 on August 15, 1964, for one week only. It was his second and final chart-topper; in fact, he only grazed the Top Forty twice more before his death n 1995.

Material and commitment were the two huge issues regarding Elvis' mid-sixties decline. At the time of the June 1966 "Love Letters" release, it seems clear RCA felt it was their best shot at success, given these problems. As cool as the Dylan track was, the chance of it charting was weak at best, which is why it was not selected as an A-side. It would have made for a fascinating B-side, though. "Come What May" really felt like a relic from the past as the chosen B-side.

"Everybody Loves Somebody" was Dean's first chart-topper for the Reprise record label, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. When "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked "A Hard Day's Night" off the top of the US charts, Dean sent a telegram to Elvis that read, "If you can't handle the Beatles, I'll do it for you, pally."

DMLP_zps6c97774a.jpg

That quote is new to me. Did some research, however, and it appears to be legit.

Deana Martin referenced the telegram in a 2004 memoir. Bet Elvis was not amused, though:

041026_Memories Are Made_Martin p 110.JPG

Wendy Holden, Deana Martin, Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes
(New York: Crown Archetype, October 26, 2004)

Dean Martin had 10 more top 40 hits after everybody loves somebody, all from 64 to 67, and he sold albums from 64 to 69 like hot cakes. I have the exact figures from the first 2-3 years and they're astounding (I'll look for them when I get home).

His TV show was extremely popular here in the states. Huge. More people I know were buying Dino albums than Elvis soundtrack albums in 65-67, and that includes young ones as well.

And dont forget his idol, Dean Martin who had a number 1 hit in the summer of 64, the height of Beatlemania. Then Sinatra also in '66. Elvis' decline was due to his material. A song like Love Letters, while nice, sounded dated. It was a modest hit in 62 with the same arrangement. Why was this song chosen for a single release when Elvis had the Dylan tune in the can from the same session? Boggles the mind.

It was an anomaly. Martin's single of "Everybody Loves Somebody" hit Billboard US Pop #1 on August 15, 1964, for one week only. It was his second and final chart-topper; in fact, he only grazed the Top Forty twice more before his death n 1995.

Material and commitment were the two huge issues regarding Elvis' mid-sixties decline. At the time of the June 1966 "Love Letters" release, it seems clear RCA felt it was their best shot at success, given these problems. As cool as the Dylan track was, the chance of it charting was weak at best, which is why it was not selected as an A-side. It would have made for a fascinating B-side, though. "Come What May" really felt like a relic from the past as the chosen B-side.

"Everybody Loves Somebody" was Dean's first chart-topper for the Reprise record label, which was founded by Frank Sinatra. When "Everybody Loves Somebody" knocked "A Hard Day's Night" off the top of the US charts, Dean sent a telegram to Elvis that read, "If you can't handle the Beatles, I'll do it for you, pally."

DMLP_zps6c97774a.jpg

That quote is new to me. Did some research, however, and it appears to be legit.

Deana Martin referenced the telegram in a 2004 memoir. Bet Elvis was not amused, though:

041026_Memories Are Made_Martin p 110.JPG

Wendy Holden, Deana Martin, Memories Are Made of This: Dean Martin Through His Daughter's Eyes
(New York: Crown Archetype, October 26, 2004)

Dean Martin had 10 more top 40 hits after everybody loves somebody, all from 64 to 67, and he sold albums from 64 to 69 like hot cakes. I have the exact figures from the first 2-3 years and they're astounding (I'll look for them when I get home).

His TV show was extremely popular here in the states. Huge. More people I know were buying Dino albums than Elvis soundtrack albums in 65-67, and that includes young ones as well.

And he was outselling Sinatra even if frank himself was enjoying quite a few hits and top 20 albums. That jimmy Bowen sound really suit dean martin. The fact that dean loved country songs (he said so on a 66 interview) made the producer chose quite a lot of country hits for dean to sing .

Dean Martin had 10 more top 40 hits after everybody loves somebody ...

Meant to type "Top Twenty" -- now corrected, thanks.

Regardless of the typo, Martin's pop successes were an anomaly in this era, which was one of my points in reply to r&b.

His TV show was extremely popular here in the states. Huge. More people I know were buying Dino albums than Elvis soundtrack albums in 65-67, and that includes young ones as well.

Dean had a great show on NBC. I remember watching Dean's show with my parents and two brothers. A lot of Great memories!

The Dean Martin Show was shot on color videotape beginning in 1965 at Studio 4 Stage 1 inside NBC's massive color complex at 3000 West Alameda Avenue in Burbank, California. The same studio was used for Frank Sinatra's yearly TV specials in the late 1960s, and Elvis Presley's 1968 "Comeback Special".
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Dean_Martin_Show

One of our favorite shows was Dean's Christmas show.

The Top Celebrity Christmas Television Specials and Variety Shows
Christmas With the Martin's and Sinatra's (1967). Rat packers Dean Martin and Frank Sinatra were no strangers to variety shows. This show was actually a Christmas themed episode of The Dean Martin Show, in which the Martin's and Sinatra families got together to celebrate Christmas...
http://voices.yahoo.com/the-top-celebri ... html?cat=9

Remember all those great walk on guests Dean had? They'd knock on the door, Dean would open it and Jimmy Durante or whoever would pop in a for a minute or 2. All these great opportunities for Elvis during the movie years to do a walk-on spot on television. This would have been particularly sweet since Dean and him mutally admired each other and he was absent from the Sinatra Timex special in 1960.