"Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming"

[Juan Luis]

Recorded on December 16, 1973 at Stax Studio in Memphis. Mike Moran and Dick Baxter engineering in Memphis. Overdubs of strings were done on January 11, 1974 at RCA Studios in Hollywood, with Mickey Crofford behind the console. Produced by Felton Jarvis with strings arranged by Mike Leech.

"Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming" written by Rory Bourke (wrote Charlie Rich's hit "The Most Beautiful Girl In The World") and co-wrote with Eddie Rabbitt "Patch It Up", is an Elvis 1970's deep cut for me that I love to revisit, now and then. It is lovely and I find Elvis Presley sings it in a very inspired fashion. Interesting (Troy Yeary reported) that the song was inspired by the author's newborn baby girl. It is one of those songs that can be interpreted in different loving ways.

The track was released along with the album "Promised Land" on Elvis's birthday January 8, 1975.

"The first time I saw you I knew I was hooked on somebody other than me
The first time I held you, your soft lips and blue eyes
Were as far as my eyes could see"

..

[TINML]

One of his worst imo.

[TJ]

I like it.

[minkahed]

Sorry Juan, Imo, this is one of those songs that falls into the category of everything that went wrong in the Elvis catalog in the 1970s.

Way Beyond and Beneath the many of the capabilities and talents of Elvis Presley.

I Like Your Enthusiasm though.

[Eggrert]

I honestly can't remember anything about this song except for the title melody. That's how infrequently I listen to it.

[Rob]

The "Promised Land" album means a lot to me for very sentimental reasons. I do like the aforementioned song.

The first line gets my attention immediately.

[elvis-fan]

Although Elvis does a fine job singing the song, it's never really appealed to me.

[King Volcano]

It's a pretty banal piece of songwriting but Presley brings it alive and makes it enjoyable to me, even past his best he still could.

[drjohncarpenter]

Some thoughts:

-----

If I'm not mistaken, there are no production credits on the Promised Land album, and Elvis was always executive producer in his work with Fel-Tone Jarvis.

For example, with "Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming," soprano Kathy Westmoreland is featured in exactly the same capacity as Elvis used to do with Nashville session soprano Millie Kirkham. That's our guy's work.

It's curious there are no cover versions of one of the few fresh pieces of material recorded at Stax in December 1973. Surely someone like Tom Jones or Engelbert Humperdinck might have wanted to give this one a try.

-----

Of the 18 songs completed that December, the top ten are highlighted below:

I Got A Feeling in My Body
It's Midnight
You Asked Me To
If You Talk In Your Sleep
Mr. Songman
Thinking About You
Love Song Of The Year
Help Me
My Boy
Loving Arms
Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues
Talk About the Good Times
Promised Land
Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming
There's A Honky Tonk Angel
If That Isn't Love
Spanish Eyes
She Wears My Ring

-----

The Rory Bourke song never made it to any known live set list, save one, sort-of, exception:

Elvis Presley, Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, NV
Tuesday, March 18, 1975 OS
Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra
C.C. Rider
I Got A Woman / Amen
And I Love You So
Let Me Be There
It's Midnight
Big Boss Man
Green Green Grass of Home
Burning Love
Love Me
Fairytale
Introductions of vocalists, musicians
What's I'd Say [James Burton]
Drum Solo [Ron Tutt]
Bass Solo [Duke Bardwell]
Piano Solo [Glen Hardin]
Electric Piano Solo [David Briggs]
School Day [Joe Guercio Orchestra]
My Boy
I'll Remember You
Promised Land
Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming (instrumental intro only)
Until It's Time For You To Go
Introduction of Glen Campbell
When It's My Time [Stamps Quartet]
If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
Can't Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp

Did the band want Elvis to give it a whirl? Had it been rehearsed at RCA Hollywood or the Hilton that week? It was tried out in Lake Tahoe the previous May, and Las Vegas in August. But it apparently never got an okay from Elvis in a live setting.

-----

Recently, I realized the song might be seen as an ode to his joy of becoming a father five years earlier. When the singer realizes there's more to life than his own needs and desires ("I knew I was hooked on somebody other than me"), that rings true for new parents, and Elvis in particular. He had an ego, you know. And at least for a while he had to push it aside for his new daughter, Lisa.

Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming
Rory Bourke
© Chappell & Co., ASCAP

The first time I saw you I knew I was hooked on somebody other than me
The first time I held you, your soft lips and blue eyes
Were as far as my eyes could see

Yes here in my arms I knew I had found the reason that I'm living for
And I felt the feeling, such a wonderful feeling
That I'd never felt before

Baby, your love's been a long time coming
Baby, your love's got a hold on me
Baby, your love's sure got me humming
Baby, your love's been a long time coming

Deep in my heart there's a feeling I never knew
Until I saw a love that was very new
I'm gonna tell everyone what good love can do

Baby, your love's been a long time coming
Baby, your love's got a hold on me
Baby, your love's sure got me humming
Baby, your love's been a long time coming

Baby, your love's been a long time coming
Baby your love's got a hold on me
Baby, your love's sure got me humming
Baby, your love's been a long time coming

Baby, your love's been a long time coming
Baby your love's got a hold on me
Baby, your love's been a long time coming

[Johnny2523]

I like it. Very catchy tune to me

[King Volcano]

Its appearance on that setlist is interesting. Does he terminate it as he sometimes did with songs started up? Presumably they rehearsed it. Strange.

[TCBell]

I like this recording too. I know these sessions have been slated by some, by I like his voice around this time. Interesting that he sang it in rehearsal in August 1974.

[henryneill]

It's a good song and a good performance, nothing spectacular of course, but well done. I like it and it sits well on the very nice Promised Land album.

Thanks for Juan Luis and the Doc for pointing out that the song is (could be) about a new born child. I never thought of it that way, but it makes perfectly sense and gives the song a much more personal note now for me.

[Elfan]

I like this song a lot - one of my favourites.

[King Volcano]

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea or possibility the song is about a child. Specifically pondering your small child's soft lips is surely not the realm of any normal person and not what the song is suggesting.

As with so many songs, in my opinion it's yet another variation on sexual conquest. This one not as sexist or seedy as it could be, but the narrator seems to me to be singing of his relief that his conquest has finally given in, or "put out", to use that crude expression.

[jetblack]

I have a LOT of time for this song too.

Andy

[TCBell]

I'm not sure I'm comfortable with the idea or possibility the song is about a child. Specifically pondering your small child's soft lips is surely not the realm of any normal person and not what the song is suggesting.

As with so many songs, in my opinion it's yet another variation on sexual conquest. This one not as sexist or seedy as it could be, but the narrator seems to me to be singing of his relief that his conquest has finally given in, or "put out", to use that crude expression.

I've always thought of this song as being about a man who's been searching and has finally found the woman of his dreams - not about sex!

Maybe I should get out more...

[King Volcano]

Maybe I should get out more...

Or, maybe I should not presume these things are always about sex
But so many of them definitely are, I tend to err on the side of presumption I guess!
I definitely don't buy the child / parent theory though.

[henryneill]

Maybe I should get out more...

Or, maybe I should not presume these things are always about sex
But so many of them definitely are, I tend to err on the side of presumption I guess!
I definitely don't buy the child / parent theory though.

I don't see it as a theory. I'm sure the song was written and meant just as a conventional love song and I'm sure it is usually understood in that way. Nevertheless it's possible that the writer and/or the performer (Elvis) thought more about the love for their child than the love for a woman. And I definitely see it as a love song, not a song about sex.

[ale]

I like the song, specially the undubbed version on Our memories of Elvis....his voice sounds great

[r&b]

Considering Elvis' 70's output was mostly uninspired covers of a lot of country songs, this one had at least the distinction of being an unknown song at the time. Thats the only good thing I can say about it. Its just there, not great, not bad. He sure wasnt getting the great material anymore.

[Juan Luis]

If I'm not mistaken, there are no production credits on the Promised Land album, and Elvis was always executive producer in his work with Fel-Tone Jarvis. For example, with "Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming," soprano Kathy Westmoreland is featured in exactly the same backing capacity that Elvis used to place Millie Kirkham. It's curious there are no cover versions of this fresh piece of material Presley got for his Stax Sessions in December 1973.

Of the 18 songs cut at the time, the ten most accomplished are:

I Got A Feeling in My Body
It's Midnight
You Asked Me To
If You Talk In Your Sleep
Mr. Songman
Thinking About You
Love Song Of The Year
Help Me
My Boy
Loving Arms
Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues
Talk About the Good Times
Promised Land
Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming
There's A Honky Tonk Angel
If That Isn't Love
Spanish Eyes
She Wears My Ring


The song never made it to any known live show, save this one, sort-of, exception:

Elvis Presley, Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, NV
Tuesday, March 18, 1975 OS
Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra
C.C. Rider
I Got A Woman / Amen
And I Love You So
Let Me Be There
It's Midnight
Big Boss Man
Green Green Grass of Home
Burning Love
Love Me
Fairytale
Introductions of vocalists, musicians
What's I'd Say [James Burton]
Drum Solo [Ronnie Tutt]
Bass Solo [Duke Bardwell]
Piano Solo [Glen Hardin]
Electric Piano Solo [David Briggs]
School Day [Joe Guercio Orchestra]
My Boy
I'll Remember You
Promised Land
Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming (instrumental intro only)
Until It's Time For You To Go
Introduction of Glen Campbell
When It's My Time [Stamps Quartet]
If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
Can't Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp

Recently I realized the song might be seen as an ode to his joy of becoming a father five years earlier. When the singer realizes there's more to life than his own needs and desires ("I knew I was hooked on somebody other than me"), that rings true for new parents, and Elvis in particular. He had an ego, you know. He had to push it aside at least a bit for his new daughter, Lisa.

Please read the OP carefully. The song is about the author's newborn. Quite possibly Elvis knew this. And as for production credits for the album. You should well know by now that the credits are for the sessions at Stax. There wasn't a "Raised On Rock", "Promised Land", or "Good Times" project per-se.

[TCBell]

If I'm not mistaken, there are no production credits on the Promised Land album, and Elvis was always executive producer in his work with Fel-Tone Jarvis. For example, with "Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming," soprano Kathy Westmoreland is featured in exactly the same backing capacity that Elvis used to place Millie Kirkham. It's curious there are no cover versions of this fresh piece of material Presley got for his Stax Sessions in December 1973.

Of the 18 songs cut at the time, the ten most accomplished are:

I Got A Feeling in My Body
It's Midnight
You Asked Me To
If You Talk In Your Sleep
Mr. Songman
Thinking About You
Love Song Of The Year
Help Me
My Boy
Loving Arms
Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues
Talk About the Good Times
Promised Land
Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming
There's A Honky Tonk Angel
If That Isn't Love
Spanish Eyes
She Wears My Ring


The song never made it to any known live show, save this one, sort-of, exception:

Elvis Presley, Las Vegas Hilton, Las Vegas, NV
Tuesday, March 18, 1975 OS
Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra
C.C. Rider
I Got A Woman / Amen
And I Love You So
Let Me Be There
It's Midnight
Big Boss Man
Green Green Grass of Home
Burning Love
Love Me
Fairytale
Introductions of vocalists, musicians
What's I'd Say [James Burton]
Drum Solo [Ronnie Tutt]
Bass Solo [Duke Bardwell]
Piano Solo [Glen Hardin]
Electric Piano Solo [David Briggs]
School Day [Joe Guercio Orchestra]
My Boy
I'll Remember You
Promised Land
Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming (instrumental intro only)
Until It's Time For You To Go
Introduction of Glen Campbell
When It's My Time [Stamps Quartet]
If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
Can't Help Falling In Love
Closing Vamp

Recently I realized the song might be seen as an ode to his joy of becoming a father five years earlier. When the singer realizes there's more to life than his own needs and desires ("I knew I was hooked on somebody other than me"), that rings true for new parents, and Elvis in particular. He had an ego, you know. He had to push it aside at least a bit for his new daughter, Lisa.

Please read the OP carefully. The song is about the author's newborn. Quite possibly Elvis knew this. And as for production credits for the album. You should well know by now that the credits are for the sessions at Stax. There wasn't a "Raised On Rock", "Promised Land", or "Good Times" project per-se.

I can totally see that. I always thought of it as a love song (as I said above), but I see it with the parent/child thing. Anyway, I like it!

[elvisjock]

I like the cold ending they did at the 1974 rehearsal.

This was one of the songs that I first heard by way of the "Our Memories Of Elvis" albums. I didn't hear the master until a year or two later, when I picked up a copy of "Promised Land."

[ICanHelp]

Elvis sings this song really well, but the production is over the top awful. The stripped down versions work much better.