(C) Memphis Recording Service Limited
Kentucky Rain (takes 1-3 & 5-10)
On February 19th the session started with the production of "Kentucky Rain". It took quite a while to record the song, so Chips Moman marked the takes 8 to 10 as "remake". It's not known if Elvis had left the studio in-between or if Mr. Moman simply wanted to do the band a favor and have them paid for two sessions. However, all tracks are known from the releases "From Elvis At American Sound Studio" (takes 1, 2, 5, 6, 7, 10), "Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology" (take 3), "From Memphis To Nashville - The Essential 60's Masters" (take 8) and "The Memphis Sessions" (take 9). Obviously the recording was preceded by a rehearsal since Chips Moman tells the group, that he likes the tempo. I don't agree, it's too slow and the song just drags along. Besides that, Elvis sounds a bit hoarse and has trouble to phrase the lyrics. Finally the producer cuts the performance short. After several false starts (at some point the pianist jokingly plays "The Fair Is Moving On") the 3rd take turns out to be a complete performance. The tempo has been raised and Elvis gets closer to the released presentation. The 5th take is killed off after the king sings off key at the line "showed your photograph". Take number 6 is nothing but a false start, the next try is another complete rendition. Mr. Moman says, that he didn't like the second part of the performance and needs some further takes. After a short rehearsal and a false start the group delivers another complete performance. Here and there the band plays a bit different compared to the master, but everyone is on the right track. Several false starts are followed by a complete rendition. The musicians play just fine and Elvis knows what to do, too. The producer is pleased with the result and with the next take a releasable performance is archived.
Only The Strong Survive (takes 1, 8, 11, 12, 17, 21, 22 & 29)The first attempt is taken at a faster tempo, therefore it lacks the groove of the master. Elvis is fighting the phrasing, the timing, the melody and everything else. Finally he ends the take by saying "Ah...shit". Now the king speaks the intro, but as soon as he starts to sing Chips Moman interrupts him. During the next try he looses his step at the line "...all around with you head hung down" and stops the procedure. Take number eleven doesn't get old, because Elvis' voice cracks when he sings "Oh, there's gonna be a lot of trouble in your life". The 12th attempt isn't perfect, but at least it's a complete performance. Chips Moman kills off take number 17 after the line "...crying your eyes out". During the 21st try Elvis stumbles upon the line "...somehow or another the whol darn thing went wrong" and amusedly comments "see". The next take is another complete rendition and quite close to the master. The session ends with this very take, which is number 29. All these takes were previously released, namely on the collector's edition of "From Elvis In Memphis" (takes 1, 17, 21, 29), "From Elvis At American Sound Studio (takes 8, 11 ,12) and "Memphis Sessions" (take 22).
It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin' (takes 1 & 2)On the next day, it was February 20th, Elvis taped the country ballad "It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'" within three takes. The final one was the master, so we get to hear the other two. They previously appeared on the collector's edition of "From Elvis In Memphis" (take 1) and "Suspicious Minds - The Memphis 1969 Anthology" (take 2). The first take starts off with the guitarist coming in too early, which causes some laughter. The second try works out as planned and sounds quite good for being the first take. Nevertheless the performance is stopped in mid-song. The king intones "Only The Lonely" and after another false start another fine sounding performances evolves. The simple song obviously doesn't challenge anyone and so the next take turned out to be the master.
Any Day Now (takes 1-6)Now we get to hear the complete session for the b-side of Elvis' single-hit "In The Ghetto". The takes are known from the collector's edition of "From Elvis In Memphis" as well as the compilations "From Elvis At American Sound Studio" and "Memphis Sessions". Take 1 is nothing but a false start. It's followed by some coordination and rehearsals. The second try is a complete performance. The change of the tempo in mid-song is a challenge and there are several other things, that still sound a tad rocky. Take number 3 is a series of six false starts and a long, but finally abandoned performance. To avoid boredom Sony left the short false starts out and presents just the longer one. Once again Elvis has trouble with the change of tempo and the line "...if you don't want to stay", which he has to sing in a higher key. What Sony claims to be take 4 is a splice of a long false start and a pickup take. The real take number 4 is a series of short false starts and the longer one, which was completed half a century later. Elvis still has problems with the line "...I know I shouldn't want to keep you", where he has to change the tempo. By now his inability to get it right annoys him. Now the band fails to play the intro, the second try is killed off by the producer after Elvis has sung a few lines. The take is laid to rest after the king once again fails to get the change of tempo right. During the 6th take he fails at the same spot and curses "Goddamn sonofabitch!". Nevertheless the performance is continued right to the end of the song. Later Elvis would re-record the second half of the song.
If I'm A Fool (For Loving You) (takes 1-3 & 6-9)The final track of the day was "If I'm A Fool (For Loving You)". To shorten the procedure Sony detains the takes 4 and 5, which are nothing but false starts. All takes have been released by FTD previously. Take 3 can be found on "Memphis Sessions", everything else on "From Elvis At American Sound Studio". Elvis starts to sing, but stops and asks if the song really starts that way. During the second attempt he sings "They saying I am just your fool" instead of "...I am just your clown" and abandones the take. The next try is considered to be take 2. The song is played slower than the master and works quite well. But Chips Moman isn't too pleased and kills the take in mid-song. The 6th one also sounds good, but once again is stoped in the middle of the performance. Elvis tries again, but stumbles upon the first line. Jokingly he sings "The saying I am just your goddamn clown". Take number eight falters after a minute or so. The 9th take begins with a false start, because the king starts to sing too early. But then everything is going according to plan and the final master of the session is in the can.
The Fair Is Moving On (take 1 with vocal repair)The ballad was taped on February 21st within a single take. Since Elvis' vocals left something to be desired, he recorded some repairs on the following day. The undoctored recording doesn't seem to exist anymore, so Sony had to use the enhanced version. The track is already known from FTD's collector's edition of "Back In Memphis".
Who Am I (take 1)On February 22nd Elvis recorded vocal repairs and harmony vocals for several songs. But before he went home. he taped a religious ballad called "Who Am I" within a single take. The undubbed master take was released for the first time on "From Elvis At American Sound Studio".