How does everybody feel about the song "Charro"

Good song good singer performance lost in very heavy arrangement.
I alway think that song lost between in time zone off 60's and /70's (sound wise)

Also had so many great and classic songs released around the same time period as well.

Sorry guys, I couldn't resist. I dedicate this to Kiwi Alan!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4-J1krzyqSA

I actually came across this clip the other day on YT. The way the person made this clip is really cool (images of E with whiskers) which seem to make this song more enjoyable to listen to.
So, I give it the thumbs up!


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"Are they comin' to get me" EAP - Houston 1970

"A great song. Elvis voice is very powerful and it has the musical sound of end 60's, i mean wall of sound with lot's of of strings and Mexical influences. In the movie the song goes over in the movie score which can be heard in the fade out of the song...."

I stop short of calling it "great" but then in a weird way, sure, these are one-of-a-kind tunes that compliment his wide-ranging catalog of songs well.

That's a good call to tie it to the end of the '60s sound, even the "wall of sound" as well as the strings and Mexican influence.

I don't regard Charro and Edge of Reality as guilty pleasures. They may be movie tunes, but they stand up quite well. There is no cringe factor to these songs. You can't say that about the clam, papaya, yoga, shrimp, shack, and chamber of commerce tunes.

Good point, Pete. I use the term loosely, but I even wonder about just what constitutes a so-called "guilty-pleasure" song. If one enjoys it, screw the critics and forget the guilt! At least that I say sometimes.

I suppose the cringe factor is on the lesser movie songs you mention and perhaps they qualify, although one wonders when the pleasure actually sets in!

I guess the pity is that folks sometimes (often?) collapse not only all of his '60s movies as failures (artistically) but that they also throw in most of the music as well. I guess I have some of that tendency myself, as I would not put forth, say "Almost In Love" to someone who was trying to defend Elvis' legacy with. But for someone with "bigger ears" who actually enjoys fun music without the self-importance of some music lovers, I'd actually hook a friend or two up with such an album.

As for "Edge of Reality," it was actually a hit single down under, which I think is terrific. It's a one of a kind tune as well.

But even Almost In Love was something different for Elvis at the time Greg. It's a style of ballad more suited to Sinatra or Dino, yet Elvis pulls it off admirably. There was no style of popular song out of his reach. The only song in Elvis' catalogue that's somewhat similar is All That I Am, but Almost In Love is much more sophisticated. The majority of the late period movie tracks (Stay Away; All I Needed Was The Rain; Goin' Home; A Little Less Conversation; Edge of Reality; Almost In Love; Clean Up Your Own Back Yard; Almost; Charro; Let's Forget About The Stars; Change of Habit; Let's Be Friends; Let Us Pray) are a quantum leap beyond what he'd been doing in the mid-60's.

I am surprised that no one has realised what made the difference to his recordings around this time.

Billy Strange

I am surprised that no one has realised what made the difference to his recordings around this time.

Billy Strange

Yup. And recording songs by up & coming writers like Mac Davis instead of the worn out Hill & Range writers. New blood made a big difference!

Don't go crazy with Billy Strange, who was a journeyman musician. The slight virtues of the recordings he made with Elvis don't even hold a candle to the work Elvis did with both Felton ("Guitar Man", "Big Boss Man", "You Don't Know Me" etc.) or with Chips Moman around the same time.

Pete I appreciate the sophisticated balladeering style on "Almost in Love" but the arrangement sounds perilously close to Muzak in its shopping mall backing purest form.

Can't come at Almost in Love at all - pure schmaltz.
However, Charro was a good fit for the movie and performed quite well. The other movie material around this era was generally better but for something different that had a bit of effort put into it I'd give it a thumbs-up
Rick

Yeah. Fair enough.

"Edge Of Reality" could have been used -- could STILL be used -- for a James Bond film. Think about it: Elvis and Bond. You know it makes sense.

(And it would REALLY be a HUGE coup for both the film / MGM/UA and Elvis / EPE)

Hi Joe,

I think that 'Charro' is a really good track. It has a very dramatic orchestral backing and Elvis is in good form. Had the film been a big hit and the song received more publicity then I feel it could have gone much higher in the charts. I would also say the same for 'Stay Away'.


Brian

How do I feel about the song Charro ?

Indifferent.

Hi Gang,
How nice to have the forum back.

EIN is posting Ken Sharp's wonderful interview with Mac Davis on our site in the next 24 hours.
- along with a little interview with Ken about meeting Dennis Linde and Mac Davis -
He has some great tales to tell about Charro....

Cheers
Piers

How do I feel about the song Charro ?

Indifferent.

But you feel that way about everything Colin!!!



Look forward to reading the interview Piers!!!

But even Almost In Love was something different for Elvis at the time Greg. It's a style of ballad more suited to Sinatra or Dino, yet Elvis pulls it off admirably. There was no style of popular song out of his reach. The only song in Elvis' catalogue that's somewhat similar is All That I Am, but Almost In Love is much more sophisticated. The majority of the late period movie tracks (Stay Away; All I Needed Was The Rain; Goin' Home; A Little Less Conversation; Edge of Reality; Almost In Love; Clean Up Your Own Back Yard; Almost; Charro; Let's Forget About The Stars; Change of Habit; Let's Be Friends; Let Us Pray) are a quantum leap beyond what he'd been doing in the mid-60's.

Pete, I meant the album "Almost In Love" and not the song, although I like both. In fact, there is a freshness to these songs and one could do worse than to drop that disc into the hands of a neophyte. That's how many got turned onto Elvis as it is.

And to LTB, no one is saying Billy Strange was a genius but he brought a new and unique sound to Elvis at the time. (see the intteresting interview with him in Blue Suede News recently...)


To Rick, regarding the song "Almost In Love," I ask : why are ballads so offten dismissed as "schmaltz"- no matter how well they are sung? Isn't this the essence of "rockism"?

Sure, the song has a super-sweet sound to it, but I rather like it. It's a one-shot, as is so often the case with Elvis. And I love the opening Brazillian-flavored guitar, particularly on the longer "Double Features" version. If he did this all the time , or songs like it, sure, I'd go crazy but it's all part of his wonderful eclectisim. It is on par with Sinatra or Dino, as Pete points out. Neither were "rock" artists but thank god they did what they did. If you listen to hard to the backing tracks, sure, it will remind one of the way elevators and supermarkets (not anymore, by the way) used to sound. But forget that: focus on his incredible voice.

As much as I like the '69 sessions or the return-to-the roots" songs that led up to it like "Big Boss Man," these "Camden" songs compliment them and touch different territory.

One is not supposed to say this out loud but I do get about equal satisfaction from many of these allegedly-subpar songs when compared to the "important" sessions, which, of course, I also love.

Greg- I like ballads but the backing here is too supermarket background noise.

Charro files under my "Hidden Classics" folder. Along with songs like Edge Of Reality, Let's Be Friends, Let's Forget About The Stars, My Little Friend, Change Of Habit, Goin' Home ao.

It's a great song to whistle while you're in the toilet!

Greg- I like ballads but the backing here is too supermarket background noise.

That's right.

We must rember that the background was pre-recorded and Elvis went along with it.

At his stage he just wasn't caring.

'Almost In Lo..zz...zzzz....zzzzzzz......zzzzzzz......zzzzzzzzzzzzz

Greg- I like ballads but the backing here is too supermarket background noise.

That's right.

We must rember that the background was pre-recorded and Elvis went along with it.

At his stage he just wasn't caring.

He cared a lot more than he did around the time of "Girl Happy," "Paradise Hawaiian Style" and "Double Trouble," and if dated or not to your liking, the tunes he did for Billy Strange are an uptick in quality and certainly like no others he ever did.

He looks great during these sessions and it's clear he knows a change is a-coming. He doesn't look particularly out of it or depressed, not at all. It is from March '68, after all. His daughter's just arrived and he knows new things are on the horizon. (And as for Billy Strange, his October sessions later that year brought us "Clean Up Your Own Backyard," to my mind a more than credible song.)

As for the canned backing, no supermarket I've known on this side of the 21st century still actually plays classic "MOR" '60s "muzak," except in the rare locale on a sunday morning and even that was a few years ago.

Again, I think you all dismiss the wonderful guitar playing on that song.

Why is artistically more "important" for Frank Sinatra to have recorded with Brazillian guitarist Antonio Carolos Jobim but for Elvis, it's again dismissed as "his bad movie years" music?

Sure, it's not at the same caliber and I concede that the backing is too sweet, but what of that voice? As a one-off, I think it's great that he dabbled in such lush orchestration.

Likewise , what a treat it is to hear him crooning along with the backing tracks heard on the 1966 home recordings of "Fools Rush In" and "It's A Sin to Tell A Lie," as heard on the "In A Private Moment" FTD.

If he always had such backing, we'd all head for the hills but on a few cuts, maybe it's our own bias. I felt the same way about the remixes of "ALLC" and "Rubberneckin'": I didn't want to see the whole catalog remixed, but this too was refreshingly eclectic.

Couldn't we just as easily mock "Love Me Tender" ( "Love Me Ten-der..........snooze...")? Or "Blue Moon." If the Beatles brought in such a new sound, it would be seen as "genius."

I embrace the fact that the song "Almost In Love" has an absurdist element, but couple it with Elvis' dynamite voice, who's complaining? Out of who knows how many masters, this is just another neat track I'm glad he recorded.

Likewise, with "Charro" and all those listed by Bajo.I stand by my contention that there is a continued bias even among fans toward lesser tracks, as if they all have to be the Sun sides or the '69 Memphis sessions. I can tell you I'd have gotten awfully bored of the King a long time ago if I didn't find a way to rummage through his catalog and find ways to enjoy things that don't always enjoy critical acclaim...

Nice defence, Greg.

Likewise, with "Charro" and all those listed by Bajo.I stand by my contention that there is a continued bias even among fans toward lesser tracks, as if they all have to be the Sun sides or the '69 Memphis sessions. I can tell you I'd have gotten awfully bored of the King a long time ago if I didn't find a way to rummage through his catalog and find ways to enjoy things that don't always enjoy critical acclaim...

Likewise.

For example: I think "Fun In Acapulco" is a great soundtrack for its Mexican / Latino feel. It just sounds so right for Elvis to be singing it -- even if a) he wasn't Mexican, and b) he could have ideally spent his time doing "better" material. These tracks sound great. And hey, as much as people bemoan light-hearted material like "The Lady Was A Bullfighter" (it's hardly "Trying To Get To You", is it?), it's brilliantly arranged and sung, and ends with a great punchline, meaning it's deliberately -- almost artfully (yes, perhaps even artfully) -- absurd. Now, that song aside, "Marguerita" is gorgeous, "El Toro" burns with bombastic mystery and "Mexico" is a great, vibrant, textured "location" song (up there with "New Orleans" and "Viva Las Vegas" for me). This soundtrack does exactly what it should -- transports and uplifts me.

Greg & Cryo: I agree completely.

"Anything, anything happens to me, Vince will pick youuu, and this town to pieces, like a hawk plucks a chicken!!!!!"

I love this scene!

bajo wrote:
Charro files under my "Hidden Classics" folder. Along with songs like Edge Of Reality, Let's Be Friends, Let's Forget About The Stars, My Little Friend, Change Of Habit, Goin' Home ao

Well said bajo, could have been my words

Elvisa

"Anything, anything happens to me, Vince will pick youuu, and this town to pieces, like a hawk plucks a chicken!!!!!"

You'll be all right after the swelling goes down from the bump on your head.