As the great man himself might put it: “Boy, my boy”. In 1973, Presley walked into Stax recording Studios for what would be his last sessions ever.
We all know how Presley put together albums, right? He’d go into recording sessions, warehouse songs, and bring them out whenever he felt like it, however he wanted to. It was nothing like the way rock bands were getting together to record a specific set of songs for a specific album at one time. Presley’s albums didn’t hang together because they weren’t recorded together.
Of all the ways Presley’s songs could be regurgitated post-hummously, by session may well be the best available to us and the release on Tuesday of Elvis At Stax: reunion might well be the re-release of the year.
This is off Elvis.com:
“Presley spent 12 days at Stax in 1973 (July 21-25 and December 10-16), and the roller coaster ride of those sessions is meticulously detailed in Gordon’s liner notes. ELVIS AT STAX neatly compartmentalizes the results:
- Disc 1: The R&B and Country Sessions – The Outtakes: 17 tracks
- Disc 2: Part 1 – The Pop Sessions – The Outtakes: 10 tracks
- Disc 2: Part 2 – The July 1973 Masters: four single sides and six album tracks, and
- Disc 3: The December 1973 Masters: seven single sides and 11 album tracks.
ELVIS AT STAX: DELUXE EDITION by ELVIS PRESLEY
(RCA/Legacy 88883 72418 2)
Disc 1: The R&B and Country Sessions – The Outtakes: Selections – 1. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body – take 1 (I) • 2. Find Out What’s Happening – takes 8-7 (B) • 3. Promised Land – take 4 (I) • 4. For Ol’ Times Sake – take 4 (I) • 5. I’ve Got A Thing About You, Babe – take 14 (I) • 6. It’s Midnight – take 7 (F) • 7. If You Talk In Your Sleep – take 5 (J) • 8. Loving Arms – take 2 (I) • 9. You Asked Me To – take 3A (F) • 10. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues – take 8 (I) • 11. Talk About The Good Times – take 3 (I) • 12. There’s A Honky Tonk Angel – take 1 (I) • 13. She Wears My Ring – take 8 (I) • 14. Three Corn Patches – take 14 (I) • 15. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body – take 4 (J) • 16. If You Don’t Come Back – take 3 (I) • 17. Promised Land – take 5 (H).
Disc 2: Part 1 – The Pop Sessions – The Outtakes: Selections – 1. Mr. Songman – take 2 (F) • 2. Your Love’s Been A Long time Coming – take 4 (I) • 3. Spanish Eyes – take 2 (I) • 4. Take Good Care Of Her – takes 1,2,3 (D) • 5. It’s Diff’rent Now (unfinished recording) (G) • 6. Thinking About You – take 4 (I) • 7. My Boy – take 1 (D) • 8. Girl Of Mine – take 9 (I) • 9. Love Song Of The Year – take 1 (F) • 10. If That Isn’t Love – take 1 (I) • Part 2 – The July 1973 Masters: • 11. Raised On Rock (Hot 100 #41, country #42) (A) • 12. For Ol’ Time Sake (charts same as track 11) (A) • 13. I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby (Hot 100 #39, country #4) (C) • 14. Take Good Care Of Her (charts same as track 13) (C) • 15. If You Don’t Come Back (A) • 16. Three Corn Patches (A) • 17. Girl Of Mine (A) • 18. Just A Little Bit (A) • 19. Find Out What’s Happening (A) • 20. Sweet Angeline (A) .
Disc 3: The December 1973 Masters: Selections – 1. Promised Land (Hot 100 #14, country #9) (E) • 2. It’s Midnight (charts same as track 1) (E) • 3. If You Talk In Your Sleep (Hot 100 #17, country #6) (E) • 4. Help Me (charts same as track 3) (E) • 5. My Boy (Hot 100 #20, country #14) (C) • 6. Thinking About You (charts same as track 5) (E) • 7. Mr. Songman (Hot 100 #35, country #11) (E) • 8. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body (C) • 9. Loving Arms (C) • 10. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues (C) • 11. You Asked Me To (E) • 12. There’s A Honky Tonk Angel (Who Will Take Me Back In) (E) • 13. Talk About The Good Times (C) • 14. She Wears My Ring (C) • 15. Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming (E) • 16. Love Song Of The Year (E) • 17. Spanish Eyes (C) • 18. If That Isn’t Love (C).”
We know some of this stuff, actually a lot of it, off albums like Promised Land and Raised On Rock, but to hear everything in one place? This should be a fascinating inside look at the music at the sudden but stil finale of his career.
I’ll be listening again