Review by Piers Beagley - Elvis Information Network
In just one Sunday night, March 12 1961, (from 6.00pm until 5.15am on Monday morning) Elvis recorded the twelve tracks for his new studio album Something For Everybody in under eleven hours!
By including the four classic 1961 single sides, FTD releases a very fine exploration of these sixteen brilliant pop songs. In fact, the inclusion of the ‘Little Sister’/’(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame’/’Good Luck Charm’ singles really strengthen the overall feel of this fine package.
Of course the vast majority of these tracks have been previously released, but that’s not the point here. With fifty-seven tracks (including some hard to find obscure takes from the official The EP Collection) at last all these great takes are assembled in the same place and in context, plus we have the added bonus of nineteen new takes or false starts.
The first CD (31 tracks) combines the LP plus singles, along with fourteen “Early Complete Takes”.
The first seventeen tracks feature the original LP plus the five extra single masters. Audio engineer Sebastian Jeansson (Elvis Is Back! FTD) has again worked his magic bringing these forty-five year-old recordings back to life and making them shine like new. Compared to the 60’s box-set From Nashville To Memphis - The Essential ‘60s Masters 1 there is a beautiful openness and sparkle to these versions. Listening on headphones you can really hear the ambience of the band working in Nashville’s Studio B. I love the clarity of ‘I Feel So Bad’ (Elvis’ vocal is pushed a little higher) and ‘Little Sister’ sounds sensational - even compared to the highly engineered Second To None version.
Every little nuance of this recording session seems to stand out now. When the band stops during ‘Sentimental Me’ you can really feel the echo and ambience of the room. During ‘Starting Today’ listen out for Elvis wetting his lips @00:20, or have you noticed that weird mistaken guitar-chord @1:05 in Boot’s sax solo during ‘In Your Arms’? ‘I Want You With Me’ really rocks with its explosive dual-drummer ending never sounding better!
Of course the beautiful quality of the Studio B recorded material only emphasises the inferiority of the final Radio Recorders’ bonus track, ‘I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell’
Following the LP and singles comes a selection of First Takes, which have always been a fascination of mine. These rougher versions often have a better creative edge over the later smoother, more professional takes that the session might produce as the final master. And the fourteen “Early Complete Takes” are again one of the real attractions of this deluxe CD set.
The second CD collates the remaining outtakes and gives more insight into the recording session and how Elvis and the band worked towards creating these classics. There’s more eavesdropping, more false starts (many of them newly released) and much more fun! Even better, fans that have never come across the 1982 UK release The EP collection Volume 2 will revel in all thirteen tracks that are taken from it - and now in glorious audio quality too.
In fact, these outtakes, along with ones previously released on Collector’s Gold or even the more recent Such A Night - Essential Elvis Volume 6 (i.e. ‘Give Me The Right’ Take 1 or ‘I’m Coming Home’ Take 2) must be from better generation tapes as they sound so different and pristine.
While some people will feel that three almost identical versions of the same track in a row on the CD2 is too much, you will also find that some of the very best versions of the songs are on the second CD.
Many of these takes have been released previously on BMG box-sets or earlier FTDs, however all the studio banter has been included here which make these outtakes even more interesting. For instance, on the classic ‘Judy’ Take 1 we get twenty seconds more studio rehearsals than was featured on the Fame And Fortune FTD. Also between takes on ‘Put The Blame On Me’ here Elvis says, after his voice cracks, "That’s not it at all, Since I’ve had it.. let’s face it. Ok, let’s try one more..", For some reason this was also edited out from the same takes on Fame And Fortune.
The cover is one of FTD's best designs yet. The deluxe gatefold sleeve comes with a sixteen page attractive booklet including memorabilia and rare photos. It is interesting to note that this time the art design is credited to Ernst Jørgensen and Roger Semon themselves.
Included are the Ellis Auditorium February charity show photos, as well as references to the Pearl Harbor charity concert, along with tape sleeves, studio notes and newspaper cuttings.
The “Behind The Scenes” section makes some interesting points, for instance Elvis’ struggle against the Colonel to have ‘I Feel So Bad’, as a single as opposed to ‘I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell’! The “In And Outakes” list all the recordings, while for the collector we also get a selection of worldwide record labels. (Note that a couple of labels indicate that they are from 45rpms when they are obviously albums!)
If you like the smoother pop of Elvis’ second post-army studio LP then you can’t go wrong with this fabulous deluxe edition.
Digging deeper ... while it would be impossible to write about every track, here’s my Something For Everybody - TOP TEN.
‘There’s Always Me’ (Take 4) - Elvis was so right when, before the take, he sings in a funny voice, "Yes sir, ‘There’s Always Me’, This is my song.." (This pre-take comment was tacked onto Take 9 when it was released on Essential Elvis Volume 6.) This take was previously on Collector’s Gold but in inferior audio and almost mono in comparison. Listen to this on your headphones as the beautiful spacial stereo here puts you right into the ambience of Studio B. You can hear Elvis’ every breath and observe how he also joins in with the very final note, which he doesn’t on the master.
(Note: The later unreleased multiple false starts are also fascinating since they let us eavesdrop on the recording process. By now it would have been into the early hours of the morning and Elvis is interrupted when the Memphis Mafia walk into the studio by mistake. Elvis sounds slightly annoyed saying, "What the hell are you all doing? Hey G! We’re in the middle of a take, fellas!")
‘Give Me The Right’ (Take 1) - An absolute sensation. This has also been out before on Collector’s Gold but with much poorer audio. Check out the beautiful teasing blues guitar and wailing Boots Randolph sax. The Jordanaires seem to appear out of nowhere @ 01:14 as if their mic‘s are suddenly faded up, and they mess-up their vocals later on! Just as the band stops @ 2:27 Elvis keeps on going, with the band jumping back on for the ride. Elvis’ begging along with the sleazy grinding guitar gives this version a very different feel to the master. We sure know what Elvis is talking about - "Why make me plead for something you need?" Delicious, rough and bluesy.
(Note: The chat at the beginning of the “new” Take 3 false start (very cute but short!) was again previously edited onto the start of Take 2 on Essential Elvis Volume 6. It is nice to have all of Elvis’ comments referring to the take that he was genuinely talking about.)
‘I’m Coming Home’ (Takes 1 and 3) - The first recording of the session, which nicely sets the scene. After only fifteen seconds Elvis messes up and tells the band to "Hold it" while he rehearses the words to himself. Elvis says to A&R man Steve Sholes, "I need a couple of lines Mr. Sholes. Hold it just a second". Take 3 follows and, although it was previously on the Platinum box-set, this is from a new generation tape. Before it sounded almost mono and flat but the audio quality here gives it a real edge - and the band and the overall mood sound fantastic. It’s a great start.
(Note: “New” Take 5 is another highlight with Elvis messing up the lyric towards the end as he laughs delightfully, "Oh hell man, hold it". The band stops while Boots Randolph throws in a fun sax break. This shows the great humour of the session and is a great new addition.)
‘Judy’ (Takes 6 and 7) - Of course Take 1 is the classic, but all these earlier versions feature Elvis playing guitar and obviously enjoying it. Both Takes 6 and 7 are new and are another great addition. On Take 6 you can hear the chuckle sneaking into Elvis’ voice by the second verse and it soon falls apart with him laughing .. "Bullshit"! Still in good humour he remarks, "I’ve never played (guitar) and had that much trouble over a song. Shit!" The complete Take 7, although edited, is delightful as Floyd Cramer messes up the piano solo with Elvis coming back in two beats late.
‘I Want You With Me’ (Take 1) - Released earlier on Collector’s Gold this seemed a little weak compared to the sensational master. However this version features a excellent audio improvement and also includes a little pre-take studio laughter to set the scene. Of course the explosive ending and tighter drum arrangement of the master hasn’t been worked out as yet, but this is a lovely upgrade which continues right to the complete end with Elvis saying, "Let’s just hear that much back".
‘Little Sister’ (Takes 1, 2, 3, 5 and 6) - When I first heard these outtakes on The EP Collection Volume 2 I was blown away! This was what I wanted more than any unreleased ‘Britches’ (on A Legendary Performer Volume 3) or movie outtakes on the Elvis Aron Presley silver box-set. Hearing them again in this quality and context is magnificent. Nothing can beat the, "We’ve got a classic in here" early takes (recently on FTD’s Studio B) as they progress towards the master. “First Take” #3 (plus false start) "I can hardly hear you" is rough and ready with timings messed up (@01.50) and some sloppy lead guitar - but it is damn funky. Sensational.
(Note: The combination of unreleased Takes 7, 8 and 9 provide more eavesdropping. On the final Take 9, Hank Garland’s guitar falters a little at times, with Elvis then realising that earlier Take 4 was the best version.)
‘(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame’ (Takes 1, 2, 5 and 6) - It’s extraordinary to hear this progress from the very basic Bo Diddley rhythm version to the final single. Take 2 is all rhythm with just Elvis’ vocal providing the melody and the piano only creeping in at points. As Elvis’ says, "It’s a good song, I like it. If it takes 32 hours..." Once again The EP Collection Takes 5 and 6 (with several false starts) are the essential additions for anyone’s collection and in fabulous audio quality. There’s a great feeling as the band work out the tune, "Just don’t get it too fast" Elvis explains to D.J. who is not sure of the drum pattern. Elvis then messes the lyric up himself!
‘Good Luck Charm’ (Take 1) - Compared to the hard work over ‘Little Sister’ and ‘(Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame’ this classic number 1 was easy work. Lots of fans who missed out on The EP Collection have been waiting a long time for the re-release of this take. With Elvis stating, "If we goof up, just keep going" this is three minutes of studio magic. Halfway through, the lead guitar slips off melody and mid-song Elvis notes, "Somebody goofed!" - but they do keep going. If you don’t own this, it is sensational.
(Note - Unreleased Take 3 is interesting for being too fast and missing that effortless cool-swing of the master. It breaks down after one and a half minutes with a lovely "You’ll be sorry" from bass singer Ray Walker.)
‘Anything That’s Part Of You’ (Take 1) - Mistakenly released on 1988’s Elvis In Nashville this is a beautiful first take. Interestingly, the strummed guitar arrangement is very different and was dropped by the second take. For once the arrangement got less complicated as they headed for the master, with the final blueprint basically set on Take 2. This is a track where you can feel the openness of the studio along with Elvis’ heartache and every intake of breath. Further takes are only messed up by chair squeaks or slightly missed timing by the band, but this certainly proves how Elvis strived for perfection.
‘Gently’ and ‘Put The Blame On Me’ - These both deserve a credit as ‘Gently’ captures Elvis’ most delicate vocal work, while at the end of the session his throat would be rasping and raw as they rock through ‘Put The Blame On Me’.
The early takes of ‘Gently’ are in a lower key and a slightly slower tempo. It is unlike any song that Elvis had recorded before and was a touch of folk music that would become so important in the mid-sixties. This was definitely an album track but recorded with such graceful guitar-picking by Hank Garland playing beautifully against Scotty Moore’s similar picking they both match Elvis exceedingly delicate vocal.
The raw early takes of ‘Put The Blame On Me’ are the opposite, with Elvis’ voice worn-out which only adds a nice bluesy desperation to the final song of the session.
Of course the sad fact is that Something For Everybody like Elvis Is Back! would sell in minimal numbers compared to Blue Hawaii or G.I. Blues and, with his hand firmly on his wallet, the Colonel would choose financial benefit over artist merit.
Verdict: Another success for FTD and their deluxe album repackages. Although the collection cannot hold that many new surprises to hard-core collectors, CD1 is a sublime 78 minutes of perfect pop while CD2 has a lot of hidden treasures that will satisfy any fan. The real strength of this collection is the inclusion of the major 1961 singles and the newly upgraded flawless sound. A deluxe double CD at a bargain price, every Elvis fan should buy a copy.
