The Classic "Burning Love"!

[Juan Luis]

One of my favorite Elvis rockers period! And in stereo (nothing against original mono) to boot! Because we know the bulk of his best rockers are in mono from the 1950's, when rock 'n' roll was "stumbled upon" by a few that Included Elvis Presley.

"Burning Love" was recorded at RCA studio C Hollywood, California. It reached # 2 on Billboard's Hot 100 October 21, and #1 on Cashbox's Top 40 November 11, 1972.
Dennis Linde's composition was brought to the attention of Felton Jarvis through Bob Beckman (friend at Combine music) and Dennis Linde himself with his demo. Beckman had Arthur Alexander (soul singer from Alabama) cut it. It went nowhere. (Paraphrased from "Untold Gold" by Ace Collins). He got the word that Elvis' producer wanted Elvis to do rock 'n' roll things again.

Felton had arrived for the session with high hopes for "Burning Love" in particular. Elvis was in no mood for anything other than ballad material. So the first night of the sessions he recorded "Separate Ways", For The Good Times", and "Where Do I Go From Here".

"On the second night Felton finally got his way, but he was under no illusion that Elvis was doing it for no other reason than to indulge his producer." -Peter Guralnick.
Elvis was also encouraged by Jerry Schilling, Charlie Hodge, and Joe Esposito. It was done quickly "Tossed off" (Guralnick) in six takes.
In a spread about musicians working with Elvis on "Musician" magazine October/1992. Emory Gordy JR. relates about the song in question- "I was used to recording sessions where you took your time. So I played every lick I knew, figuring I'd pare it down toward take nine,10,11. I think they took the second take. It was embarrassing when the record came out: kind of a bass solo featuring Elvis Presley."
Emory Gordy JR. wasn't so far off in his memory, only three takes were completed including the master. Take six was magic though, and the only take that is any good at all, in my opinion.
Ron Tutt misremembered about producing this particular song. All one has to do is listen to the outtakes on the FTD "Standing Room Only".

There was an overdub session the following month in Nashville. Dennis Linde brought the same double-neck Gibson to play the parts heard on the demo that Felton wanted. Linde had hopes Elvis was going to be there, he wasn't. He recalled on Ken Sharp's "Writing For The king"... " I doubled the rhythm guitar and added additional guitar licks with vibrato to parts of the song. Elvis' vocal was already on there, a lot of stuff. I remember sitting there at the session and it was almost like a dream to me. I just remember getting the take to where Felton liked it. When I heard the finished version back of "Burning Love" I just couldn't believe it. I'd been buying Elvis records since Elvis made records. Like everybody else that liked rock and roll, I was a gigantic fan of his. It was overwhelming."
During this overdub session Felton also brought in Jerry Carrigan to overdub the cowbell.

"Elvis himself remained unconvinced, and though he eventually cut it, three months later he told reporters in New York that the reason he didn't record more rock 'n' roll was, simply, that a good rock song was "hard to find." He seemed to have no idea that the one he just completed would become a classic." -Ernst Jorgensen "A Life In Music".



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[minkahed]

Always loved the song and I, like so many others, wish Elvis had done more rock music in his latter years.

[elvis-fan]

Beckman had Arthur Alexander (soul singer from Alabama) cut it. It went nowhere...

..

No surprise... that is the worst thing I've ever heard... OMG

Other than that, interesting post. Thanks Juan!

[Mister Mike]

..

[Juan Luis]

.. This is Dennis Linde's released version recorded in 1973 after Elvis. This is not the demo.

[fn2drive]

Something we can agree on at least. This one actually is a gas. Elvis finest uptempo post 1970 studio recording imo. It hits on every dimension-great vocal, tight band, and famtastic backup singing. What i always liked on this recording was the background singers sounding like a choir grabbing and driving home the lyrical hook. Don't know whether that came from Elvis or Jarvis but whoever came up with it deserves a lot of credit. This really elevates this track from a what is weak to ok track in Linde's hands to classic in Elvis-which is what he did best. The live version in Elvis On Tour is also pretty strong; Aloha perhaps becuase of its early in the show placememt and his nerves does nothing for me. That he didnt feature it at MSG tells us what he didnt think all that much of it.

[Juan Luis]

The Memphis 1975 version cooked, in my opinion. I found he did a better job on it than Aloha even. Maybe I am the only one that isn't keen on the EOT version. He reads it and emphasizes with a growl some of the lyrics and comes off as a so-so rehearsal to me.

[midnightx]

The Aloha version is probably the strongest live rendition; the tempo and vocal execution is consistent.

[goldbelt]

What is amazing is how Elvis' version has dramatically transformed the song heard in the other lackluster versions in this topic into the dynamic rockin' classic it became.

[Troubleman]

Always one of my favorites as well. It's sad to think that Elvis had to be convinced to do it; and only did a few takes. In 1956, he did Hound dog 30 times before he felt the song was good! In 1972 things had changed drastically unfortunately.

Thanks for posting the 'Alexander' version; I never heard it before.

[keninlincs]

always a favorite for me

[drjohncarpenter]

Everything about this August 1972 single is aces, from vocals to melody, to production, arrangement and performance. Elvis' lead vocal is nuanced, and more than a little lascivious. Bass player Emory Gordy, Jr. and drummer Ron Tutt are absolutely locked in, and their playing is a joy. It is an undeniable classic recording from Elvis, and proof positive all the talent was still there to top the charts. Deep fans did not miss that songwriter Dennis Linde had echoed Presley's last #1 hit of the fifties, "A Big Hunk O' Love," too. Linde later claimed this was serendipitous.

That few other singles to follow would match its excitement was a great shame. Despite being a quality number, RCA and management undercut the glory by next making it the title track on a garbage budget compilation called BURNING LOVE and hits from his movies, Volume 2. Once again, these people treated Elvis as a joke, and his fans as idiots who would buy any piece of crap pressed on vinyl. Again, another shame.

I agree the "Aloha" broadcast performance on 1-14-1973 is a very good example of "Burning Love," despite some issues with the lyric. Perhaps someday we'll get a high quality version from Elvis' November 1972 tour, when it was #1 on the Cash Box chart. Imagine if the energy level was up there because of its constant radio play. It was also the end of an era, as Elvis would never again be a current, chart-topping artist on stage after that tour.

730114_Burning Love_Honolulu.JPG

Ron Tutt misremembered about producing this particular song. All one has to do is listen to the outtakes on the FTD "Standing Room Only".

It seems very odd that drummer Ron Tutt would consistently "misremember" the session for "Burning Love" in interview after interview. I have added two relevant excerpts below. He is not known for hyperbole, or tooting his own horn, and his assertion that the song is essentially produced by him must be seriously considered, not dismissed out of hand. I believe him, and suspect I am not the only one.

Did he express his dissatisfaction with recording in a studio?

He was always frustrated with the sounds, with the mixes. From what I understand, everything that he did, after it had already been mixed, got taken to New York, where it was remixed.

Then what about Felton Jarvis' role as a producer?

They totally went around Felton Jarvis. Felton's job was basically to make Elvis happy. It's as simple as that. To be his friend, to make him happy. That's what he told me.

Do you have any favorite songs of the ones you recorded with him?

Well, 'Burning Love' kind of has a soft spot in my heart. I remember that Felton Jarvis was sick as a dog. He had a kidney transplant, and he was very, very ill the day that we recorded that song. He was lying on his back in the control-room at RCA, and I produced the record. Emory Gordy came up with the bass-line, and I produced the record for Felton, you know, the whole session. It's been a very successful song. It more described the kind of music that we were trying to get him to do at that time. So I take a little pride in that.


Interview with Ronnie Tutt
By: Arjan Deelen, December 19, 2009
http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_ronnietutt.shtml

Among all of them, what was your favorite recording session of the ones you did with Elvis and why?

I would have to say the RCA session when we did "Burning Love". We had been trying to encourage him to do more "rockers" and man... Was this one....Elvis' producer Felton Jarvis was having severe kidney trouble and had to lay down on the control room floor, so I basically had to jump in and produce/arrange the basic track. The guys (James Burton on guitar and Emory Gordy on bass) came up with some fantastic lines and the rest is history.


Elvis Collectors Brasil - Interview With Ronnie Tutt (2006)
http://www.elvisbrasil.com.br/epbrasil/ronnietuttenglish.htm

[midnightx]

Everything about this August 1972 single is aces, from vocals to melody, to production, arrangement and performance. Elvis' lead vocal is nuanced, and more than a little lascivious. Bass player Emory Gordy, Jr. and drummer Ron Tutt are absolutely locked in, and their playing is a joy. It is an undeniable classic recording from Elvis, and proof positive all the talent was still there to top the charts. Deep fans did not miss that songwriter Dennis Linde had echoed Presley's last #1 hit of the fifties, "A Big Hunk O' Love," too. Linde later claimed this was serendipitous.

That few other singles to follow would match its excitement was a great shame. Despite being a quality number, RCA and management undercut the glory by next making it the title track on a garbage budget compilation called BURNING LOVE and hits from his movies, Volume 2. Once again, these people treated Elvis as a joke, and his fans as idiots who would buy any piece of crap pressed on vinyl. Again, another shame.

I agree the "Aloha" broadcast performance on 1-14-1973 is a very good example of "Burning Love," despite some issues with the lyric. Perhaps someday we'll get a high quality version from Elvis' November 1972 tour, when it was #1 on the Cash Box chart. Imagine if the energy level was up there because of its constant radio play. It was also the end of an era, as Elvis would never again be a current, chart-topping artist on stage after that tour.

730114_Burning Love_Honolulu.JPG

Ron Tutt misremembered about producing this particular song. All one has to do is listen to the outtakes on the FTD "Standing Room Only".

It seems very odd that drummer Ron Tutt would consistently "misremember" the session for "Burning Love" in interview after interview. I have added two relevant excerpts below. He is not known for hyperbole, or tooting his own horn, and his assertion that the song is essentially produced by him must be seriously considered, not dismissed out of hand. I believe him, and suspect I am not the only one.

Did he express his dissatisfaction with recording in a studio?

He was always frustrated with the sounds, with the mixes. From what I understand, everything that he did, after it had already been mixed, got taken to New York, where it was remixed.

Then what about Felton Jarvis' role as a producer?

They totally went around Felton Jarvis. Felton's job was basically to make Elvis happy. It's as simple as that. To be his friend, to make him happy. That's what he told me.

Do you have any favorite songs of the ones you recorded with him?

Well, 'Burning Love' kind of has a soft spot in my heart. I remember that Felton Jarvis was sick as a dog. He had a kidney transplant, and he was very, very ill the day that we recorded that song. He was lying on his back in the control-room at RCA, and I produced the record. Emory Gordy came up with the bass-line, and I produced the record for Felton, you know, the whole session. It's been a very successful song. It more described the kind of music that we were trying to get him to do at that time. So I take a little pride in that.


Interview with Ronnie Tutt
By: Arjan Deelen, December 19, 2009
http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interview_ronnietutt.shtml

Among all of them, what was your favorite recording session of the ones you did with Elvis and why?

I would have to say the RCA session when we did "Burning Love". We had been trying to encourage him to do more "rockers" and man... Was this one....Elvis' producer Felton Jarvis was having severe kidney trouble and had to lay down on the control room floor, so I basically had to jump in and produce/arrange the basic track. The guys (James Burton on guitar and Emory Gordy on bass) came up with some fantastic lines and the rest is history.


Elvis Collectors Brasil - Interview With Ronnie Tutt (2006)
http://www.elvisbrasil.com.br/epbrasil/ronnietuttenglish.htm

Fantastic summation.

[Matthew]

I don't think Tutt is misremembering anything, it sure sounds like he's directing the show here for example:

..

Felton is just calling out take numbers.

[Juan Luis]

One has to be careful reading interviews from players that have forgotten a lot. And sometimes only "remember" what they have read in books and interviews of others and without knowing parrot what others have mistakenly said. But the tapes are there to be heard. And the tapes do not misremember.
And if anyone had taken the time to read carefully my opening post. They would have read that "one only has to listen to the outtakes on the FTD "Standing Room Only". Felton was not "sick as a dog" on that session with "Burning Love". And I will add the take 6 unedited with out fadeout. A very sick as a dog calling out "that's a gas!"... My mistake was taken others reasoning without doing my own research. Well, I did. Case closed.
http://www98.zippyshare.com/v/rZK0EQmb/file.html

[Matthew]

Clearly Tutt is the driving force for Burning Love.

The tapes don't lie.

[drjohncarpenter]

I don't think Tutt is misremembering anything, it sure sounds like he's directing the show here for example:

..

Felton is just calling out take numbers.

Indeed, no one is saying Fel-Tone wasn't there, just that he let others take the reins for producing this classic recording because he was too weak due to his failing kidney. Ron Tutt is very clear in his memory of the session, and very consistent. I posted two different interviews, although I am sure there are others out there. If they address this session, I highly doubt that he will deviate from what we read here. Ron isn't trying to bolster his name by lying about this session, and it is important that such a "Classic" be properly assessed.

[Juan Luis]

Clearly Tutt is the driving force for Burning Love.

The tapes don't lie.

He was the drummer. He should be the driving force along with the bass player! "Sick as a dog"! Not on that song he wasn't. Must of been some other song Felton was on the FLOOR!

[drjohncarpenter]

I always kind of liked the 45 picture sleeve for this release.

720816_RCA 74-0769_Burning Love.JPG

Naturally, the suit Elvis has on became the "red 'Burning Love' jumpsuit" forevermore.

[Juan Luis]

I always kind of liked the 45 picture sleeve for this release.

720816_RCA 74-0769_Burning Love.JPG

Naturally, the suit Elvis has on became the "red 'Burning Love' jumpsuit" forevermore.

One of my favorite jumpsuits.

[Matthew]

He was the drummer. He should be the driving force along with the bass player! "Sick as a dog"! Not on that song he wasn't. Must of been some other song Felton was on the FLOOR!

Well, whatever Felton's condition, thanks go to Ronnie Tutt for producing Burning Love.

[norrie]

Burning Love is a fantastic rocker.With the volume turned up its difficult not to indulge in a little air drumming especially at the start.It seems to be a big favourite Elvis track for casual fans if my friends and colleagues are anything to go by.
I've got a soft spot for the b side as well a nice laid back vocal over some nice country (ish) guitar picking.A very strong pairing.

norrie

[Juan Luis]

He was the drummer. He should be the driving force along with the bass player! "Sick as a dog"! Not on that song he wasn't. Must of been some other song Felton was on the FLOOR!

Well, whatever Felton's condition, thanks go to Ronnie Tutt for producing Burning Love.

Thanks Ron Tutt for providing great drum work along with the other players with their respective instruments, voices! Thanks to Felton Jarvis for pushing Elvis to record this song. Elvis thought he was doing the producer a favor ("indulging"). He did. But Elvis Presley did himself a greater one, and for all of us as well!

[Matthew]

Thanks Ron Tutt for providing great drum work along with the other players with their respective instruments, voices! Thanks to Felton Jarvis for pushing Elvis to record this song. Elvis thought he was doing the producer a favor ("indulging"). He did. But Elvis Presley did himself a greater one, and for all of us as well!

Felton should certainly get credit for helping to convince Elvis to record the song.

Clearly Ronnie's contributions to the session are much more than the work he did on the drums. It sounds like he was a vital figure in arranging and producing the track in the studio, while Felton called out take numbers. Elvis listens to and takes Ronnie's direction.

Nice job Ronnie!

[Juan Luis]

Thanks Ron Tutt for providing great drum work along with the other players with their respective instruments, voices! Thanks to Felton Jarvis for pushing Elvis to record this song. Elvis thought he was doing the producer a favor ("indulging"). He did. But Elvis Presley did himself a greater one, and for all of us as well!

Felton should certainly get credit for helping to convince Elvis to record the song.

Clearly Ronnie's contributions to the session are much more than the work he did on the drums. It sounds like he was a vital figure in arranging and producing the track in the studio, while Felton called out take numbers. Elvis listens to and takes Ronnie's direction.

Nice job Ronnie!

Ronnie telling Elvis where he comes in? If the voice is even Ronnie, that is. I hear two voices... Is direction? They do things like that between musicians. Tommy Cogbill and the rest of the Memphis boys should have taken producer credit as well. They did plenty without the producer telling them anything as well. "Burning Love" produced by Felton Jarvis. "That's a gas! "Lets listen to this...tapes cuts off. Last words on tape by the man in charge. Producer Felton Jarvis. Case closed. And Ron Tutt was not lying the same way Millie Kirkham wasn't lying about her role in "Blue Christmas". Your words Doc. "Misremembered"... lying on the floor sick as a dog...LOL!