You Can Have Her

[charroman]

From 69-77 Elvis would occasionally perform songs he knew but had not recorded in the studio. Often off the cuff versions of old songs or country hits such as Turn Around Look at Me, When The Snow Falls on The Roses, Crying Time, Your The Reason I'm Living etc
Nice as they are all of these share a relatively common simple song structure and easy for the "on the spot" musicians on stage to follow. The song You Can Have Her features a number of key changes and sounds very much like it was a properly rehearsed number . As a muso / singer myself songs like this do usually require a run through and its not typical. It seems more together than the other impromptu recordings. I believe a version of it was in the charts at the time but even knowing the skill and talent of all involved it is a relatively polished attempt with well worked out call and response vocal plus a proper ending with all the band. Seems to me the band, singers and stage musicians knew when to change key together and there is no audible delay or mis-steps or obvious direction over the mic from Elvis like he did with other similar performances . I appreciate we only have an audience tape but it is the one rarity that sticks out to me as more than just a cursory ad hoc track.

is it documented if there was any rehearsal prior to the Forum gigs? (apologies if this has been raised before) or do we have any other theories as to You Can Have Her????????? Could a studio or rehearsal take be lurking somewhere???

[brian]

It was rehearsed in Lake Tahoe in May 1974 and in Las Vegas March 1975.

I don't think we will ever hear a studio version.

The TCB band were all accomplished musicians who probably all knew it and probably had done the song with other singers before.

[drjohncarpenter]

From 69-77 Elvis would occasionally perform songs he knew but had not recorded in the studio. Often off the cuff versions of old songs or country hits such as Turn Around Look at Me, When The Snow Falls on The Roses, Crying Time, Your The Reason I'm Living etc
Nice as they are all of these share a relatively common simple song structure and easy for the "on the spot" musicians on stage to follow. The song You Can Have Her features a number of key changes and sounds very much like it was a properly rehearsed number . As a muso / singer myself songs like this do usually require a run through and its not typical. It seems more together than the other impromptu recordings. I believe a version of it was in the charts at the time but even knowing the skill and talent of all involved it is a relatively polished attempt with well worked out call and response vocal plus a proper ending with all the band. Seems to me the band, singers and stage musicians knew when to change key together and there is no audible delay or mis-steps or obvious direction over the mic from Elvis like he did with other similar performances . I appreciate we only have an audience tape but it is the one rarity that sticks out to me as more than just a cursory ad hoc track.

is it documented if there was any rehearsal prior to the Forum gigs? (apologies if this has been raised before) or do we have any other theories as to You Can Have Her????????? Could a studio or rehearsal take be lurking somewhere???

There were rehearsals at RCA Hollywood in Los Angeles prior to the May 1974 tour, and it was indeed one of the numbers shortlisted by Tom Diskin for review. Whether these rehearsals were recorded is unknown, but "You Can Have Her" pops up on Presley rehearsal lists from the period, such as at Lake Tahoe (May 1974) and Las Vegas (March 1975).

It was written by Bill Cook and became a hit for Roy Hamilton in 1961. Roy's version makes very clear the influence of "jubilee" style gospel, which of course Presley loved.

601231_Epic 9434.jpg

Roy Hamilton "You Can Have Her" (Epic 3494, December 31, 1960)
Billboard "Hot 100" #12 and R&B "Best Sellers In Stores" #6 in early 1961.





It was covered by many other artists before Elvis' May 1974 performance in Inglewood, among them:


Jim Ed Brown --> on Starday 794, produced by Felton Jarvis in 1966
Johnny Rivers
Righteous Brothers
George Jones
Charlie Rich
Waylon Jennings


Elvis was no doubt a fan of Roy's hit recording, he adored the singer, not to mention Charlie Rich's later version. And, of course, Elvis toured quite a bit with Jim Ed Brown in 1955.

Presley's live version in 1974 is kind of an amalgam of Hamilton and Rich's singles. A country act named Sam Neely had a top 40 hit with it on the A&M label in late 1974, too.

One suspects Elvis was reminded how much he liked this song after Waylon Jennings flew up the 1973 country charts with his RCA recording.

[sweetangeline]

A studio version would have fit quite nicely on the TODAY album...and dropped one of the others

[drjohncarpenter]

A studio version would have fit quite nicely on the TODAY album...and dropped one of the others

Maybe, but it was a hit so recently for someone else it would have had the same (non) impact on his oeuvre.

[charroman]

Thanks for the info good Dr and those rehearsal tapes could be very interesting indeed if they exist.
I was lucky to be a child of the 70's and in the UK the song was not that well known over here I don't think . In fact the first time I heard You Can Have Her was on a Orion/Jimmy Ellis album in the mid 80's and i always wondered the connection / who recorded it first. The Hamilton connection makes sense. Albeit that Orions version is very different to Elvis with Jimmy dropping to a lower octave / timber in the verse.

[Mister Moon]

Jerry Lee Lewis recorded a version in 1972 for Mercury Records, which was issued on his "The 'Killer' Rocks On" album, that same year.

The kind of material Jerry was recording at that point was very much in the same vein as Elvis's own, as you can see. Also, check out the personnel present at those Nashville sessions :

http://www.discogs.com/Jerry-Lee-Lewis-The-Killer-Rocks-On/release/1216918


..

[r&b]

A studio version would have fit quite nicely on the TODAY album...and dropped one of the others

Maybe, but it was a hit so recently for someone else it would have had the same (non) impact on his oeuvre.

Hamilton's hit of 1961 would have made for an interesting cover by Elvis for the Pot Luck album, seeing it was such a recent hit. He must have loved the song in 1961. It would have been great to hear him do it back then, as he was doing great R&B stuff in the early 60's such as I Feel So Bad.

[charroman]

Think I'm right in saying Dont Let Go was another Hamilton number that Jerry Lee cut later in the 70's (78?) with some or all of the TCB band. I dont have any of Roy Hamiltons stuff but its a fantastic rocker in Jerry Lees hands and would have been a perfect arrangement and number for Elvis at a time when he was looking back on past songs to cover. If that and maybe You Can Have Her had been recorded for Moody Blue it would have made for one storming album and Feltone would not have had to scrap around for fillers.

[Mister Moon]

Think I'm right in saying Dont Let Go was another Hamilton number that Jerry Lee cut later in the 70's (78?) with some or all of the TCB band.

As far as I know, Jerry Lee recorded Jesse Stone's "Don't Let Go" twice in the studio.

First, in 1965 for Smash, produced by Jerry Kennedy and Shelby Singleton. Also, as you mentioned, in 1979, for Elektra, produced by Bones Howe, with a band fronted by James Burton, which also included the great Hal Blaine on drums.

[Sugarfoot]

There were rehearsals at RCA Hollywood in Los Angeles prior to the May 1974 tour, and it was indeed one of the numbers shortlisted by Tom Diskin for review. Whether these rehearsals were recorded is unknown, but "You Can Have Her" pops up on Presley rehearsal lists from the period, such as at Lake Tahoe (May 1974) and Las Vegas (March 1975).

Is there any documentation on the May 1974 rehearsals held prior to the May tour? I'm pretty confident some rehearsing took place, which resulted in numbers such as You Can Have Her and Big Boss Man ending up in the May shows. Only "documented" rehearsals have been the ones held in Tahoe after the tour...with those two songs listed as having been rehearsed, among others.

Accroding to Day-by-day book, Elvis arrived to LA from Memphis on May 6, "in preparation for his upcoming tour", leaving plenty of time for such rehearsals. Anyone able to shed some light on this?

[Johnny2523]

There were rehearsals at RCA Hollywood in Los Angeles prior to the May 1974 tour, and it was indeed one of the numbers shortlisted by Tom Diskin for review. Whether these rehearsals were recorded is unknown, but "You Can Have Her" pops up on Presley rehearsal lists from the period, such as at Lake Tahoe (May 1974) and Las Vegas (March 1975).

Is there any documentation on the May 1974 rehearsals held prior to the May tour? I'm pretty confident some rehearsing took place, which resulted in numbers such as You Can Have Her and Big Boss Man ending up in the May shows. Only "documented" rehearsals have been the ones held in Tahoe after the tour...with those two songs listed as having been rehearsed, among others.

Accroding to Day-by-day book, Elvis arrived to LA from Memphis on May 6, "in preparation for his upcoming tour", leaving plenty of time for such rehearsals. Anyone able to shed some light on this?

Some of the documentations (rehearsal sheet for instance) can be found in the book included on the audionics city of angels import

[Sugarfoot]

Some of the documentations (rehearsal sheet for instance) can be found in the book included on the audionics city of angels import

Ok, thanks. I don't have that set, so can someone perhaps scan that...?

[Markus K.]

Some of the documentations (rehearsal sheet for instance) can be found in the book included on the audionics city of angels import

Ok, thanks. I don't have that set, so can someone perhaps scan that...?

Here you go...

[Sugarfoot]

Thanks!

It's interesting to note that from that list You Don't Have to Say You Love Me was done in the first SB show and The Wonder of You in Fresno. That leaves out just Your Love's Been a Long Time Coming - wonder if he did it, say, at the second SB show from which we have hardly any information...

[Ciscoking]

He didn't ...I have records of the show..

[Elvis2000]

He didn't ...I have records of the show..

Cisco could you suggest to Ernst to release another show from this tour? Please.
If May soundboards aren't available then the Philly shows from the next tour would be nice, if available.

[Ciscoking]

I havent forgotten this tour....of course..

[matilda]

Of course


All about 1976?
If those recordings would be the first I have ever heard from Elvis I would have never been a fan from him or even bothered to look more into his recordings.
This obsession with the late period of Elvis I will never understand because his greatest achievements happened years or decades before. And the usual" everybody has a different taste "doesn't work here because I really ask you or anybody else if Elvis would only would be on the scene firstly in 1976 with the these concerts do you really think that he would be remembered as the best performer or singer ever?

[Ciscoking]

Of course


All about 1976?

We are talking about 1974..

[Sugarfoot]

He didn't ...I have records of the show..

Yeah, I kinda figured that if he had, it would have appeared on the Live in LA set as a bonus.

[r&b]

Of course


All about 1976?

We are talking about 1974..

1974. 1976 it doesnt matter. If Elvis started out any year after 1970, he wouldnt have been what he is. No legend, no postage stamp, no Hall of Fame. He is known for what he did in the 50's and early 60's, but mostly the 50's. Thats the big bang. That was the game changer for the world. It wasnt Vegas or his records in the 70's. And surely not going by the quality of his post 1970 work. Sure he'd have a fan base, a following, like any other performer from that period. Like Manilow for instance. And oh yeah, this forum probably wouldnt even exist.

[midnightx]

All about 1976?
If those recordings would be the first I have ever heard from Elvis I would have never been a fan from him or even bothered to look more into his recordings.

If Elvis was predominately associated with his 1974-1976 body of work, he would be nothing more than a faint footnote. And for the record, he wasn't the only major artist to go through a difficult period. Unfortunately, he was unable to find his way out of it and it became his final period and final statement of work.

This obsession with the late period of Elvis I will never understand because his greatest achievements happened years or decades before.

It is certainly a curiosity.

[Ciscoking]

All about 1976?
If those recordings would be the first I have ever heard from Elvis I would have never been a fan from him or even bothered to look more into his recordings.

If Elvis was predominately associated with his 1974-1976 body of work, he would be nothing more than a faint footnote. And for the record, he wasn't the only major artist to go through a difficult period. Unfortunately, he was unable to find his way out of it and it became his final period and final statement of work.

This obsession with the late period of Elvis I will never understand because his greatest achievements happened years or decades before.

It is certainly a curiosity.

I call it open-minded and not limited in a bubble.

[FrankD]

Hello out there!
You Can Have Her: also played 1972-11-10 El Paso
https://www.keithflynn.com/essential_lists/concerts-1972.html