Instrumental Danny Boy Revisited

[rjm]

There was an old thread when I first joined, around that time, which discussed the instrumental of Danny Boy in the Dressing Room Sessions, 1968. You remember: I called it "the little black box of CDs." ("The Complete '68 Comeback Special." All audio CDs.) The thread trailed off into chatter about Redd Foxx for some reason, with no real conclusion, or even a strongly felt disagreement. People just were chatting amiably about other stuff.

The music is on the black CD box with virtually everything from the show on it. I forget the name, but you know which CD set to which I refer. It came out as a small box set and the name always eludes my memory. I just loved that set and I used to play it constantly.

Someone thought it was Elvis because, 1, the member played guitar professionally and 2, there is another instance of this type of playing in 1970 during the rehearsals that were filmed and bootlegged. Near "That's All Right (Mama)" either before or after. In other words, visual proof. Sadly, the visual link provided was pulled down by YouTube, so I never got a chance to see it. Another member also played guitar and felt it was Elvis.

I don't think it had to be a swap. Read on.

The argument was apparently simple, but after several recent close listens, it's not simple at all. A whole lot of people think it's Scotty. After all, this sounds "difficult" and many doubted Elvis could do that. (I'm not even sure it's all that difficult, but I am starting a guitar refresher course and I will ask. If I can learn it, it's NOT difficult. LOL) Secondly, people say they can't hear the swap, and have decided that Elvis is on acoustic and Scotty is on electric. I think perhaps it's a jumbo acoustic with excellent strings and a pickup attached to a monitor. Joe was recording everything, so that made sense. But others were insistent that it just couldn't be Elvis.

There is a moment when Elvis redirects or directs Charlie, who is strumming, and Elvis is sort of giving directions. That's why I think it's a good bet that it's Elvis. The last reason is that Elvis clearly loved this song to pieces. Dunno about Scotty. I doubt he was ever even asked and sadly, we can't do that now.

I would like to ask folks to return to the issue and try to achieve mutual closure. As I said, the conversation trailed off into joking and chatting. I wanted more discussion but it was clear that wasn't going to happen.

..

So, can we get some solid and strong discussion and as much closure as possible? (And as Elvis once said "no fightin' in the War Room!" IN the actual White House. LOL)*

Thank you.

rjm

*Gillian Garr, "Return of the King: Elvis Presley's Great Comback." 2010, Genuine Jawbone Books. https://www.amazon.com/Return-King-Elvis-Presleys-Comeback-ebook/dp/B007FKBQR4/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=

[Steve Morse]

The 4xCD set was called "The Complete '68 Comeback Special".

I very much doubt that it is Elvis playing. It is too sustained (keeps going) and seems more accomplished than Elvis's basic (though more-than-competent) rhythm guitar style. However, where was Elvis when this interlude took place ? - after all, it was not like him to sit quietly in the background !

[rjm]

The 4xCD set was called "The Complete '68 Comeback Special".

I very much doubt that it is Elvis playing. It is too sustained (keeps going) and seems more accomplished than Elvis's basic (though more-than-competent) rhythm guitar style. However, where was Elvis when this interlude took place ? - after all, it was not like him to sit quietly in the background !

Yeah, where was HIS playing when he's humming Charlie into a key other than "A minor"? Brilliant observation! I forgot my Sherlock Holmes. Awesome insight there, whatever the truth. Elvis didn't generally just strum; he did those bass runs and you can spot that type of playing 500 miles and 40 years away. But he did play other styles on occasion. And he did mic an acoustic in the studio.

Here's an instructional "how to buy a pickup" video. There are many. Skip ahead of his yakking to get to the music.

..

DJ And Steve Binder are both very much alive. Steve is just hotter than a pistol on Facebook. But who remembers something so trivial to them from almost 50 years ago? (Well, I do, but that's part of my problems. LOL Seriously, it's healthy to forget stuff, either as a child or as an adult.) And the other writer, upon whose door Elvis knocked and said "it's me" as the writer was looking around for Joe or somebody. "Just me." Heck, I think that little episode was much more difficult than any instrument. And he had a cool June evening just being human.

rjm

[Domino]

I always thought it was Elvis and believe it is him.Elvis was better on the guitar then he get's credit for.By this time he would have been playing for close to 25 years.I'm not a guitar player but a person has to learn something in 25 years.And the playing on this song doesn't sound like rocket science.

[rjm]

I always thought it was Elvis and believe it is him.Elvis was better on the guitar then he get's credit for.By this time he would have been playing for close to 25 years.I'm not a guitar player but a person has to learn something in 25 years.And the playing on this song doesn't sound like rocket science.

That's precisely the point; its not something James or Clapton, or whomever would need to do. It doesn't seem as monumentally difficult as some folks think. Perhaps if you have never played a guitar, it might seem that way, but I can think of things that sound pretty easy yet I have a really hard time with it. It goes both ways. And The Mystery Player does indeed stop or just got distracted during th piece.

Elvis knew what the deal was. They would swap guitars on stage. In front of people. Perhaps all 60 million people if it was successful. So you better believe he'd push himself with riffs he didn't usually play. The whole thing just scared the water right out of him and he actually tried to run or hide AT showtime! For what must have been a long moment for Steve, he had to pretend to be Gladys Presley and order him out there. So, in the rehearsals, in the dressing room, I believe Elvis was pushing the hell out of himself on all fronts. He was still begging not to have to "talk." He had a stutter, couldn't swear because Steve forbade it (you might ruin a great take), and was terrified that he'd mess up singing, playing and talking, all three. So, perhaps he tried this slightly different little thing to gain confidence. Perhaps.

Colonel Parker forbade Steve from taking a camera in there. A small snapshot camera. But, nooooooo. The Boy cannot be filmed or photographed in his private quarters.

rjm

[drjohncarpenter]

There was an old thread when I first joined, around that time, which discussed the instrumental of Danny Boy in the Dressing Room Sessions, 1968. You remember: I called it "the little black box of CDs." ("The Complete '68 Comeback Special." All audio CDs.) The thread trailed off into chatter about Red Fox for some reason, with no real conclusion, or even a strongly felt disagreement. People just were chatting amiably about other stuff.

The music is on the black CD box with virtually everything from the show on it. I forget the name, but you know which CD set to which I refer. It came out as a small box set and the name always eludes my memory. I just loved that set and I used to play it constantly.

Someone thought it was Elvis because, 1, he played guitar professionally and 2, there is another instance of this type of playing in 1970 during the rehearsals that were filmed and bootlegged. Near "That's All Right (Mama)" either before or after. In other words, visual proof. Sadly, the visual link provided was pulled down by YouTube, so I never got a chance to see it. Another member also played guitar and felt it was Elvis.

I don't think it had to be a swap. Read on.

The argument was apparently simple, but after several recent close listens, it's not simple at all. A whole lot of people think it's Scotty. After all, this sounds "difficult" and many doubted Elvis could do that. (I'm not even sure it's all that difficult, but I am starting a guitar refresher course and I will ask. If I can learn it, it's NOT difficult. LOL) Secondly, people say they can't hear the swap, and have decided that Elvis is on acoustic and Scotty is on electric. I think perhaps it's a jumbo acoustic with excellent strings and a pickup attached to a monitor. Joe was recording everything, so that made sense. But others were insistent that it just couldn't be Elvis.

There is a moment when Elvis redirects or directs Charlie, who is strumming, and Elvis is sort of giving directions. That's why I think it's a good bet that it's Elvis. The last reason is that Elvis clearly loved this song to pieces. Dunno about Scotty. I doubt he was ever even asked and sadly, we can't do that now.

I would like to ask folks to return to the issue and try to achieve mutual closure. As I said, the conversation trailed off into joking and chatting. I wanted more discussion but it was clear that wasn't going to happen.

..

So, can we get some solid and strong discussion and as much closure as possible? (And as Elvis once said "no fightin' in the War Room!" IN the actual White House. LOL*

Thank you.

rjm

*Gillian Garr, "Return of the King: Elvis Presley's Great Comback." 2010, Genuine Jawbone Books.
https://www.amazon.com/Return-King-Elvis-Presleys-Comeback-ebook/dp/B007FKBQR4/

It is definitely Elvis playing "Danny Boy" in that rehearsal, taped at NBC Burbank on 6-25-1968 (Tue), using a high-quality mic likely brought in by director Steve Binder (the previous day's rehearsal was captured by Joe Esposito on less sophisticated equipment). Like all of the stunning, small-combo music Presley made at the time, it is driven by his muse.





At "King Creole" co-star Jan Shepard's surprise birthday party, Los Angeles - Saturday, February 22, 1958



"Danny Boy" was a favorite of his father's, and a piece of material that haunted Elvis across almost his entire professional career. We have many examples of him delving into the ethereal, wistful song, from 1955 to 1977, in private, on stage and at the studio:

4-05-1955 (Tue) - Charleston, MS
2-22-1958 (Sat) - Jan Shepard birthday party, Dolores Hart's home on Hazeltine Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
12-xx-1958 - Bad Nauheim, Germany
9-11-1967 (Mon) - RCA Studios, Nashville, TN
6-25-1968 (Tue) - NBC Burbank, CA
4-22-1973 (Sun) - Phoenix, AZ
2-05-1976 (Thu) - Graceland, Memphis, TN
6-01-1976 (Wed) - Tucson, AZ

And, of course, there were the many, many times Elvis called upon tenor Sherrill Nielsen to sing "Danny Boy" during a performance, all the way up to one of his last gigs, in Madison on 6-24-1977 (Fri).

That's a whole lot of "Danny Boy" goin' on.

[rjm]

There was an old thread when I first joined, around that time, which discussed the instrumental of Danny Boy in the Dressing Room Sessions, 1968. You remember: I called it "the little black box of CDs." ("The Complete '68 Comeback Special." All audio CDs.) The thread trailed off into chatter about Red Fox for some reason, with no real conclusion, or even a strongly felt disagreement. People just were chatting amiably about other stuff.

The music is on the black CD box with virtually everything from the show on it. I forget the name, but you know which CD set to which I refer. It came out as a small box set and the name always eludes my memory. I just loved that set and I used to play it constantly.

Someone thought it was Elvis because, 1, he played guitar professionally and 2, there is another instance of this type of playing in 1970 during the rehearsals that were filmed and bootlegged. Near "That's All Right (Mama)" either before or after. In other words, visual proof. Sadly, the visual link provided was pulled down by YouTube, so I never got a chance to see it. Another member also played guitar and felt it was Elvis.

I don't think it had to be a swap. Read on.

The argument was apparently simple, but after several recent close listens, it's not simple at all. A whole lot of people think it's Scotty. After all, this sounds "difficult" and many doubted Elvis could do that. (I'm not even sure it's all that difficult, but I am starting a guitar refresher course and I will ask. If I can learn it, it's NOT difficult. LOL) Secondly, people say they can't hear the swap, and have decided that Elvis is on acoustic and Scotty is on electric. I think perhaps it's a jumbo acoustic with excellent strings and a pickup attached to a monitor. Joe was recording everything, so that made sense. But others were insistent that it just couldn't be Elvis.

There is a moment when Elvis redirects or directs Charlie, who is strumming, and Elvis is sort of giving directions. That's why I think it's a good bet that it's Elvis. The last reason is that Elvis clearly loved this song to pieces. Dunno about Scotty. I doubt he was ever even asked and sadly, we can't do that now.

I would like to ask folks to return to the issue and try to achieve mutual closure. As I said, the conversation trailed off into joking and chatting. I wanted more discussion but it was clear that wasn't going to happen.

..

So, can we get some solid and strong discussion and as much closure as possible? (And as Elvis once said "no fightin' in the War Room!" IN the actual White House. LOL*

Thank you.

rjm

*Gillian Garr, "Return of the King: Elvis Presley's Great Comback." 2010, Genuine Jawbone Books.
https://www.amazon.com/Return-King-Elvis-Presleys-Comeback-ebook/dp/B007FKBQR4/

It is definitely Elvis playing "Danny Boy" in that rehearsal, taped at NBC Burbank on 6-25-1968 (Tue), using a high-quality mic likely brought in by director Steve Binder (the previous day's rehearsal was captured by Joe Esposito on less sophisticated equipment). Like all of the stunning, small-combo music Presley made at the time, it is driven by his muse.





At "King Creole" co-star Jan Shepard's surprise birthday party, Los Angeles - Saturday, February 22, 1958



"Danny Boy" was a favorite of his father's, and a piece of material that haunted Elvis across almost his entire professional career. We have many examples of him delving into the ethereal, wistful song, from 1955 to 1977, in private, on stage and at the studio:

4-05-1955 (Tue) - Charleston, MS
2-22-1958 (Sat) - Jan Shepard birthday party, Dolores Hart's home on Hazeltine Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
12-xx-1958 - Bad Nauheim, Germany
9-11-1967 (Mon) - RCA Studios, Nashville, TN
6-25-1968 (Tue) - NBC Burbank, CA
4-22-1973 (Sun) - Phoenix, AZ
2-05-1976 (Thu) - Graceland, Memphis, TN
6-01-1976 (Wed) - Tucson, AZ

And, of course, there were the many, many times Elvis called upon tenor Sherrill Nielsen to sing "Danny Boy" during a performance, all the way up to one of his last gigs, in Madison on 6-24-1977 (Fri).

That's a whole lot of "Danny Boy" goin' on.

Thank you Doc!!!!! I feel vindicated.

(And oh, I did not type "Red Fox"; autocorrect fixed the apparent error for me. Doggone thing.)

rjm


Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[drjohncarpenter]

It is definitely Elvis playing "Danny Boy" in that rehearsal, taped at NBC Burbank on 6-25-1968 (Tue), using a high-quality mic likely brought in by director Steve Binder (the previous day's rehearsal was captured by Joe Esposito on less sophisticated equipment). Like all of the stunning, small-combo music Presley made at the time, it is driven by his muse.





At "King Creole" co-star Jan Shepard's surprise birthday party, Los Angeles - Saturday, February 22, 1958



"Danny Boy" was a favorite of his father's, and a piece of material that haunted Elvis across almost his entire professional career. We have many examples of him delving into the ethereal, wistful song, from 1955 to 1977, in private, on stage and at the studio:

4-05-1955 (Tue) - Charleston, MS
2-22-1958 (Sat) - Jan Shepard birthday party, Dolores Hart's home on Hazeltine Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
12-xx-1958 - Bad Nauheim, Germany
9-11-1967 (Mon) - RCA Studios, Nashville, TN
6-25-1968 (Tue) - NBC Burbank, CA
4-22-1973 (Sun) - Phoenix, AZ
2-05-1976 (Thu) - Graceland, Memphis, TN
6-01-1976 (Wed) - Tucson, AZ

And, of course, there were the many, many times Elvis called upon tenor Sherrill Nielsen to sing "Danny Boy" during a performance, all the way up to one of his last gigs, in Madison on 6-24-1977 (Fri).

That's a whole lot of "Danny Boy" goin' on.

Thank you Doc!!!!! I feel vindicated.

(And oh, I did not type "Red Fox"; autocorrect fixed the apparent error for me. Doggone thing.)

rjm

Glad to have helped.

This topic is already far superior to the one that went in several different directions:
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50694

If there are other known versions of Elvis doing "Danny Boy" out there, I hope someone will share them.

[rjm]

It is definitely Elvis playing "Danny Boy" in that rehearsal, taped at NBC Burbank on 6-25-1968 (Tue), using a high-quality mic likely brought in by director Steve Binder (the previous day's rehearsal was captured by Joe Esposito on less sophisticated equipment). Like all of the stunning, small-combo music Presley made at the time, it is driven by his muse.





At "King Creole" co-star Jan Shepard's surprise birthday party, Los Angeles - Saturday, February 22, 1958



"Danny Boy" was a favorite of his father's, and a piece of material that haunted Elvis across almost his entire professional career. We have many examples of him delving into the ethereal, wistful song, from 1955 to 1977, in private, on stage and at the studio:

4-05-1955 (Tue) - Charleston, MS
2-22-1958 (Sat) - Jan Shepard birthday party, Dolores Hart's home on Hazeltine Avenue, Los Angeles, CA
12-xx-1958 - Bad Nauheim, Germany
9-11-1967 (Mon) - RCA Studios, Nashville, TN
6-25-1968 (Tue) - NBC Burbank, CA
4-22-1973 (Sun) - Phoenix, AZ
2-05-1976 (Thu) - Graceland, Memphis, TN
6-01-1976 (Wed) - Tucson, AZ

And, of course, there were the many, many times Elvis called upon tenor Sherrill Nielsen to sing "Danny Boy" during a performance, all the way up to one of his last gigs, in Madison on 6-24-1977 (Fri).

That's a whole lot of "Danny Boy" goin' on.

Thank you Doc!!!!! I feel vindicated.

(And oh, I did not type "Red Fox"; autocorrect fixed the apparent error for me. Doggone thing.)

rjm

Glad to have helped.

This topic is already far superior to the one that went in several different directions:
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=50694

If there are other known versions of Elvis doing "Danny Boy" out there, I hope someone will share them.

Many thanks.

rjm

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[rjm]

One last bit on The Londonderry Air . . . (this is about the studio master, but forgive me: I just couldn't help myself) . . . On the other hand, in the version at issue, we do hear only the mysterious melody. And I do prefer to leave it mysterious rather than give it more knowledge than it needs.

For those who haven't watched this wonderful documentary on the story of the song, please first jump to timestamp 37:34 to 39:00. Then watch the whole documentary from the beginning to end. Thanks, my friends.

..

The Irish generally like to think the melody was composed by sprites from the forests. Some say "Jimmy The Fiddler." Others have more prosaic explanations. Elvis believed the air was written by angels. (And then, later, a fellow found the right words.)

I would hope this is somewhere on DVD, but I recall seeing it on a PBS pledge-drive many moons ago. I purchased it on VHS tape then. And I was so shocked that my heart leapt quite a bit when it hits the timestamps above. Then I lost what little composure remained and cried.

rjm
P.S. -- Oops. I forgot to embed the video. Sorry. It's up there now. Brain Cloudy Blues, man, I tell ya.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G870A using Tapatalk

[Steve Morse]

The "In Sunshine or In Shadow" programme was broadcast in the UK on Sunday 4th August 1996*. I know this because my wife had died the previous day. (*In fact it may even have been on the Saturday night. It certainly was an appropriate way to both distract and gather my thoughts).

I taped it onto VHS and still had the tape until a couple of years' ago.

I also have a book on the song - "Danny Boy - The Legend of the Beloved Irish Ballad". There are probably other books out there, too.

[rjm]

The "In Sunshine or In Shadow" programme was broadcast in the UK on Sunday 4th August 1996*. I know this because my wife had died the previous day. (*In fact it may even have been on the Saturday night. It certainly was an appropriate way to both distract and gather my thoughts).

I taped it onto VHS and still had the tape until a couple of years' ago.

I also have a book on the song - "Danny Boy - The Legend of the Beloved Irish Ballad". There are probably other books out there, too.

I am so very sorry, Steve. I'm at a loss for words. I will try to find them.

I hope the song gave you some comfort.

While only one other kind of loss (a child) has the searing pain of your loss, I played this song on repeat for hours in the wee hours of the night in the year to come after my mom died. Total darkness: just my broken heart and Elvis singing "Danny Boy."

I hope you are recovering as much as possible. There's no time limit on grief. Again, I'm so very sorry.

Sincerely,
Robin

P.S. -- @Steve Morse

[drjohncarpenter]

The "In Sunshine or In Shadow" programme was broadcast in the UK on Sunday 4th August 1996*. I know this because my wife had died the previous day. (*In fact it may even have been on the Saturday night. It certainly was an appropriate way to both distract and gather my thoughts).

I taped it onto VHS and still had the tape until a couple of years' ago.

I also have a book on the song - "Danny Boy - The Legend of the Beloved Irish Ballad". There are probably other books out there, too.

I am so very sorry, Steve. I'm at a loss for words. I will try to find them.

I hope the song gave you some comfort.

While only one other kind of loss (a child) has the searing pain of your loss, I played this song on repeat for hours in the wee hours of the night in the year to come after my mom died. Total darkness: just my broken heart and Elvis singing "Danny Boy."

I hope you are recovering as much as possible. There's no time limit on grief. Again, I'm so very sorry.

Sincerely,
Robin

P.S. -- @Steve Morse

What a beautiful post. I can only say I share my deepest sympathy with each of you, and understand the feeling of loss as well, from personal experience.