Separate Ways - beautiful

[lovin' EP]

JUST BEAUTIFUL. HOW SAD. I REALLY THINK ELVIS AND PRIS LOVED EACH OTHER. THE FAME JUST RUINED IT FOR THEM, I GUESS.

Elvisly,

Linda

..

[Scarre]

It´s beautiful. One of my favourites.

[keninlincs]

Love it,thanks!

[rlj4ep]

A beautiful song and performance by Elvis. One of the most personal songs of his career. Thanks Linda.

rlj

[drjohncarpenter]

JUST BEAUTIFUL. HOW SAD. I REALLY THINK ELVIS AND PRIS LOVED EACH OTHER. THE FAME JUST RUINED IT FOR THEM, I GUESS.

Elvisly,

Linda

..

It's a good ballad, and made the top twenty in early 1973. Bobby "Red" West wrote it especially for his friend, with the help of Richard Mainegra.

But it wasn't the fame that ruined the marriage. But fame was a factor.

After it took hold in 1955, Elvis was never again monogamous.


---


This YouTube upload seems to be a better quality version of the sequence from 1972's "Elvis On Tour":



..

[jurasic1968]

Red West was a very good songwriter.

[EPA4368]

Another beautiful song written by Red (help from Mainegra) and sung by Elvis. What a team Red & Elvis could've been!

It's a shame Red & Elvis didn't get the chance to develop a collaboration together, instead of playing amusement games around movie sets in 60's and then the endless circles of touring, in 70's.

Agreed with Doc, "But it wasn't the fame that ruined the marriage. But fame was a factor."

[jurasic1968]

But could Red have the Colonel's, Hill and Range and RCA OK for a long time collaboration between he and Elvis? I doubt it.

[r&b]

Its a nice song, but a double sided ballad was a bad idea for a single after following the huge success of Burning Love. It was also rare for an Elvis single to feature 2 love lost songs on one disc. Most of his career, his singles had featured one uptempo and one ballad song. If there was an uptempo song on his next single, the momentum from Burning Love could have carried it to another top 10.

[EPA4368]

And not to mention, What were they thinking? Releasing "Separate Ways" on RCA's CAMDEN then PICKWICK labels

[jetblack]

And not to mention, What were they thinking? Releasing "Separate Ways" on RCA's CAMDEN then PICKWICK labels

It seems they were trying to get as much mileage out of those 1972 recording sessions as they could.

'Burning Love & Hits From His Movies' charted high for a budget release so they followed it up with 'Separate Ways'.

It would have made a much more coherent album if those March 1972 recordings were released together:-

Separate Ways
For The Good Times
Where Do I Go From Here
Burning Love
Fool
Always On My Mind
It's A Matter Of Time

Andy

[sweetangeline]

It seems they were trying to get as much mileage out of those 1972 recording sessions as they could.

...as well as many other sessions...sadly rarely did the word "coherent`apply to the recording career of Elvis Presley...

[brian]

Its a nice song, but a double sided ballad was a bad idea for a single after following the huge success of Burning Love. It was also rare for an Elvis single to feature 2 love lost songs on one disc. Most of his career, his singles had featured one uptempo and one ballad song. If there was an uptempo song on his next single, the momentum from Burning Love could have carried it to another top 10.

You often say that but the thing is he didn't have another rocker to release. I'm not sure it would've went top ten as Elvis wasn't getting as much radio play by that time.

[drjohncarpenter]

Its a nice song, but a double sided ballad was a bad idea for a single after following the huge success of Burning Love. It was also rare for an Elvis single to feature 2 love lost songs on one disc. Most of his career, his singles had featured one uptempo and one ballad song. If there was an uptempo song on his next single, the momentum from Burning Love could have carried it to another top 10.

You often say that but the thing is he didn't have another rocker to release. I'm not sure it would've went top ten as Elvis wasn't getting as much radio play by that time.

"Burning Love" got a ton of radio play and hit #1 on the 11-11-1972 Cash Box "Top 100." Another rocker following it would have no doubt been a top ten hit, and probably even higher. But it was not to be.

[brian]

Burning love was his first top ten hit in two years though.

[rlj4ep]

And not to mention, What were they thinking? Releasing "Separate Ways" on RCA's CAMDEN then PICKWICK labels

I have to agree with you and would add the Burning Love album on Camden. I was just a teenager back then but questioned the logic of this even back in 1972.

rlj

[drjohncarpenter]

Burning love was his first top ten hit in two years though.

It doesn't matter. Notice the last one that came close to the top ten was another rocker, late 1970's "Patch It Up" (#11). The reason "Burning Love" caught fire was because it was Elvis Presley singing a kick-ass rock 'n' roll song. People were thrilled. Another would not have been ignored.

[jurasic1968]

Promised Land will come later, but only a Top 20 hit.

[LesterB]

This might be sacrilege but i wonder what Elvis could have done with Promised Land had he recorded it during 1972?

[Simon1]

I agree. As beautiful these ballads were, the audience wanted music with balls from Elvis. The success of Burning Love proved that without a doubt. And for the record I think it's one of his greatest rockers.

[brian]

This might be sacrilege but i wonder what Elvis could have done with Promised Land had he recorded it during 1972?

Elvis did a great job on it at Stax. I don't think he could have done it any better. I don't believe recording it a year earlier would've made a difference.

[brian]

I agree. As beautiful these ballads were, the audience wanted music with balls from Elvis. The success of Burning Love proved that without a doubt. And for the record I think it's one of his greatest rockers.

I've always wondered if Always on my mind would have been a top ten hit if it had been the A-side. I always thought Elvis and RCA missed the boat on that song. I liked Separate ways it was a good ballad but Always on my mind sounded more commercial. No one saw the hit potential in that song it was too good to waste as a B-side. Chips Moman and Willie Nelson years later saw the potential in the song. Maybe the Elvis fans wanted rocker, rocker, rocker though.

[midnightx]

I agree. As beautiful these ballads were, the audience wanted music with balls from Elvis. The success of Burning Love proved that without a doubt. And for the record I think it's one of his greatest rockers.

The production also has to be considered. Elvis had four high-charting singles from "American Sound" just two-to-three years earlier that propelled his comeback, none that were balls-out rockers, and two that were straight-up ballads. Ballads were not necessarily the issue, it was the sound of the ballads. The American Sound ballads contained well-produced, attractive, commercial arrangements. The ballads from March 1972 are not only countryfied in their sonic presentation, but sound like glorified demo sessions. It is no surprise they had little commercial impact, which is unfortunate, because both "Always On My Mind" and "Separate Ways" were quality songs.

[Scarre]

Why the obsession with those #1 or Top 10 hits?

It´s the music that matters, not the chart position (that only shows what others think of it).

It was a very good single with two very good songs on it. Just enjoy them...

[rlj4ep]

This might be sacrilege but i wonder what Elvis could have done with Promised Land had he recorded it during 1972?

An interesting thought Lester. I love Elvis' cover of Promised Land (studio version). I remain surprised that it didn't chart higher than it did. It's an awesome rock performance by Elvis.

rlj