The official Suspicious Minds thread

[Delboy]

Any opinions on this bona fide classic regarding who takes the production credit or the fade out/fade in?

[brian]

Chips Moman should be rightly credited with producing Suspicious minds. If I were Chips Moman I would have punched Felton Jarvis in the face for adding that fade out/fade in thing to my song. As I said in the other thread I don't think by adding the fade out that it made any difference. It would have went to #1 without it and been considered a great recording. There should be no opinion it's just Chips Moman produced it and that's that.

[drjohncarpenter]

Any opinions on this bona fide classic regarding who takes the production credit or the fade out/fade in?

Chips Moman produced "Suspicious Minds" for Elvis. Chips' forthright production style and broad vision, coupled with Presley's zeal and sheer talent, delivered some of the greatest numbers of his career, from "Suspicious Minds" to "Kentucky Rain," "In The Ghetto," "Don't Cry Daddy," "You'll Think of Me," "Stranger In My Own Home Town," "Any Day Now," "Long Black Limousine," "Only The Strong Survive," and so many more.

On the existing session tapes, Moman's voice is heard on virtually every crucial recording, including "Suspicious Minds."

Chips: You have one more in you?
Elvis: Yeah!

- Said after a superb, passionate take 7 of "Suspicious Minds," which had followed a kick-ass take 6 ... in fact, "one more" (take 8) turned out better than either, and became the #1 single release

In post-production, just prior to release, RCA's Felton Jarvis recorded a horn section in Bill Porter's Las Vegas studio to add to the master, and also decided to create what is called a "bump and fade" at the end, to replicate what Presley was doing in concert at the time. Many felt this was a very bad idea, as it might have caused radio programmers to dump the single due to the confusion of a false fade. Luckily, it survived and made #1 that fall.

Learn more via this superb FECC topic about Chips and American Sound:
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=89122

[Juan Luis]

It sure wasn't a "bad idea" and it didn't need to "survive"..it was easily a hit. Some go to the extreme of creating BS for their childish arguments.


Mark James: "The next day I heard the track at the studio. At first I thought it sounded too slow. But when I heard how it was embellished later, I was blown away."
https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/mark-james-songwriter.sht

Thank you Chips and Felton for this one. No two ways about it. It is in the historical record!

[Juan Luis]

Chips Moman should be rightly credited with producing Suspicious minds. If I were Chips Moman I would have punched Felton Jarvis in the face for adding that fade out/fade in thing to my song. As I said in the other thread I don't think by adding the fade out that it made any difference. It would have went to #1 without it and been considered a great recording. There should be no opinion it's just Chips Moman produced it and that's that.

EX Marine Felton Jarvis would have given him a whooping! Chips was hired by RCA those tapes never belonged to him to have opinions after they left the studio to go to Nashville etc for overdubbing and adding the girl singers Felton hired. Just ask Jennie Greene. Jarvis was much involved, including final mixing and song selections without that MLTR that Moman wanted included on the album. Just ask Jorgensen/Guralnick if Felton wasn't a producer doing a good job there.

[mike edwards66]

With Suspicious Minds, Felton Jarvis took a good song and made it a great song. He was the difference that made the difference.

Ask yourself, which song from the Memphis sessions has aged the best. There's only one winner.

[brian]

Chips Moman should be rightly credited with producing Suspicious minds. If I were Chips Moman I would have punched Felton Jarvis in the face for adding that fade out/fade in thing to my song. As I said in the other thread I don't think by adding the fade out that it made any difference. It would have went to #1 without it and been considered a great recording. There should be no opinion it's just Chips Moman produced it and that's that.

EX Marine Felton Jarvis would have given him a whooping! Chips was hired by RCA those tapes never belonged to him to have opinions after they left the studio to go to Nashville etc for overdubbing and adding the girl singers Felton hired. Just ask Jennie Greene. Only idiots think Felton was off on coffee runs and in the way of proceedings. He was much involved including final mixing and song selections without that MLTR that Moman wanted included on the album. Just ask Jorgensen/Guralnick if Felton wasn't a producer doing a good job there.

The rubbish that you are talking about has nothing to do with what I am talking about.

[Ciscoking]

With Suspicious Minds, Felton Jarvis took a good song and made it a great song. He was the difference that made the difference.

Ask yourself, which song from the Memphis sessions has aged the best. There's only one winner.

I absolutely agree.. the song is the best...as it can be heard with horns and fades...a true master piece...one of the best songs ever...

[Juan Luis]

Chips Moman should be rightly credited with producing Suspicious minds. If I were Chips Moman I would have punched Felton Jarvis in the face for adding that fade out/fade in thing to my song. As I said in the other thread I don't think by adding the fade out that it made any difference. It would have went to #1 without it and been considered a great recording. There should be no opinion it's just Chips Moman produced it and that's that.

EX Marine Felton Jarvis would have given him a whooping! Chips was hired by RCA those tapes never belonged to him to have opinions after they left the studio to go to Nashville etc for overdubbing and adding the girl singers Felton hired. Just ask Jennie Greene. Only idiots think Felton was off on coffee runs and in the way of proceedings. He was much involved including final mixing and song selections without that MLTR that Moman wanted included on the album. Just ask Jorgensen/Guralnick if Felton wasn't a producer doing a good job there.

The rubbish that you are talking about has nothing to do with what I am talking about.

You don't know what you are talking about. As if Felton put his hands on private (Moman's) property, as if he was the boss or something for these sessions. He was far from it.

[brian]

I feel the same way about you.

[Juan Luis]

I feel the same way about you.

Great!

[minkahed]

This place is getting ridiculous.

[G.C.]

This place is getting ridiculous.

Yep!!!

[Juan Luis]

This place is getting ridiculous.

Yep!!!

You guys haven't been lurking often. Cause a lot of ridiculousness has been going on for years. Still an excellent Elvis forum.

[tupelo_boy]

I suppose it's worth a shot...

Post production overdubbing is fine. I think the real producing was when Chips and Elvis collaborated to produce some of the finest masters of Elvis's career. I have no beef with Felton, Elvis obviously was comfortable with him as a yes man who didn't challenge Elvis and therefore never delivered the greatness that Sam Phillips and Chips did.

When Elvis was riding high he was amazing and pretty much produced himself as per 1956 through to 1961(ish) and then again in 1970, after that Felton's post production work is polishing a lesser product that he should have worked with Elvis on, in the studio, so that he'd be remembered more kindly by the likes of me and other members of this board.

Geoff

[elvis-fan]

Any opinions on this bona fide classic regarding who takes the production credit or the fade out/fade in?

Having a dull day, Delboy? Just felt the need to try and stir things up?

[Juan Luis]

If one listens to the sessions with Felton, many times time he calls out for extra takes albeit in a softer way than Chips. Plenty of greatness in "How Great Thou Art " sessions "Stand By Me", "Tomorrow Is A Long Time", and "Elvis Country" which rivals "From Elvis in Memphis", "Elvis is Back".

And there's more. A reluctant to record artist during the 70's was not going to listen to a Moman type producer.
Sam Phillips let Elvis run with things. That was the genius of Sam. Let the artist come up with things on his own, and then go for the master take.

Another thing worthy to add on this "Suspicious Minds" discussion. The arrangement is exactly as Mark James original single. The difference (apart from Elvis vocals) is more prominent background singing plus the horns and fadeout gimmick. That's a significant difference for the better.

[Delboy]

Any opinions on this bona fide classic regarding who takes the production credit or the fade out/fade in?

Having a dull day, Delboy? Just felt the need to try and stir things up?

Neither. Just making light of it.

[Rob]

Oh, you're such a trouble maker.

You should be forced to sit through "Barefoot Ballad" 100 times.

[Delboy]

You should be forced to sit through "Barefoot Ballad" 100 times.

I have, which probably explains why I’m single.

[Simon1]

According to a recent interview with Priscilla Beaulieu SHE was the one who produced the song Suspicious Minds, I know, I was kind of surprised myself.

[joshferrell]

Here's how people around the world reacted to it when it was released...

Typical Random Listener: "oh my gosh, I can't believe it, he's back and better than ever! Just listen to that fade in and out!!He is truly the king and he Will always be the king!! I'm going to go buy as many copies as I can!! It deserves an instant #1....Yes Felton is truly back and he really is the king!!!"

[Juan Luis]

Here's how people around the world reacted to it when it was released...

Typical Random Listener: "oh my gosh, I can't believe it, he's back and better than ever! Just listen to that fade in and out!!He is truly the king and he Will always be the king!! I'm going to go buy as many copies as I can!! It deserves an instant #1....Yes Felton is truly back and he really is the king!!!"

No one knew or cared who produced Elvis's records. But they knew something good when they heard it! And the only one that needed to be heard was Elvis! But you know that. And only in forums, discussions go into producing records etc....wise guy.

[Juan Luis]

With Suspicious Minds, Felton Jarvis took a good song and made it a great song. He was the difference that made the difference.

Ask yourself, which song from the Memphis sessions has aged the best. There's only one winner.

I absolutely agree.. the song is the best...as it can be heard with horns and fades...a true master piece...one of the best songs ever...

Exactly.

[joshferrell]

Here's how people around the world reacted to it when it was released...

Typical Random Listener: "oh my gosh, I can't believe it, he's back and better than ever! Just listen to that fade in and out!!He is truly the king and he Will always be the king!! I'm going to go buy as many copies as I can!! It deserves an instant #1....Yes Felton is truly back and he really is the king!!!"

No one knew or cared who produced Elvis's records. But they knew something good when they heard it! And the only one that needed to be heard was Elvis! But you know that. And only in forums, discussions go into producing records etc....wise guy.

Lol...