Elvis Disco

Because I did the review of The Home Recordings CD in EU #3, Arjan thought it would be a proper idea when I would also do the next ‘home-recorded’ CD of Elvis. Whereas I was enthousiastic about THE HOME RECORDINGS CD, I have some ambivalent feelings about IN A PRIVATE MOMENT, the third release on the Follow That Dream-label. It is clear that this is for a great deal the remainder of songs that didn’t have the quality to appear on the major releases PLATINUM and/or THE HOME RECORDINGS.

First things first, and that is “What did we already have ?”. As far as I can see is “I’m beginning to forget you” (tr.3), the only complete song which was already released on THE HOME RECORDINGS. And only pieces of 5 songs were used to make the Bad Nauheim Medley on PLATINUM. More about that later…

Listening to these tracks requires some endurance, especially when people accompany Elvis on some of the songs. Red West and Charlie Hodge have some singing background, but when it comes to Nancy Sharpe, than it is a different story. You may know her of the song ‘Make Believe’, that was on THE HOME RECORDINGS. Here you will get another 9 songs with her and Elvis. I am sorry to say but the girl just cannot sing! Now that wouldn’t be a big problem if she wasn’t trying to outsing Elvis ! She must have had other qualities, because Elvis noticed it as well. Remember his remark 30 seconds into ‘Make Believe’: “…that’s a hard jump”. Elvis-speak for “When is your first singing lesson?”. Miss Sharpe really spoils listening to these tracks (4-12), only ‘I Wonder, I Wonder, I Wonder’ is worth listening.

Actually the same can be said about tracks 20+21: ‘Blowin’ in the wind’ and ‘500 miles’. You will hear a bunch of people singing, and there is a guy way up front who is singing desperately out of key. Elvis is only humming the bass parts of the songs, so his part is not so active.

Elvis is at his best and at ease when he can be himself, as we can hear for instance on the last 7 tracks (23-29). These recordings were made while Elvis was in Germany, and a lot of you will be familiar with these recordings as they appeared on the bootleg GREETINGS FROM GERMANY. See Richard Schraa’s review in EU #2, page 32.
Snippets of 5 of these tracks were used to create the Bad Nauheim medley on PLATINUM. Now we get the full versions. Plus a slow version of ‘I’ll take you home again, Kathleen’ and a song called ‘Number Eight’. Of these Bad Nauheim songs, ‘Apron Strings’ reminded me of that Bob Luman song ‘I thought about living’. And ‘It’s been so long darling’ has a Jerry Lee Lewis-feel, as Elvis provides this Ernest Tubb song with some great pumping piano.

The problem with these recordings is that our boy thought that the appropriate spot to put the microphone would be on top of the piano. Not realising that the volume of the piano would distort the recording. But what the heck, listening to these tracks is bearable because - and I am using the words of Sam Philips - “the Feel is right !”

I may sound very critical, but I have found some songs which I enjoyed and are worth listening to. Because the best tracks (13-19) are in the middle part of the CD.
Elvis with or without Red West and Charlie Hodge, is singing with a guitar (Blue Hawaii), a piano (Hide Thou me, Oh how I love Jesus, What now my love) or along instrumental records (Fools rush in, It’s a sin to tell a lie). Making it the earlies form of Karaoke that I know of !
The sound quality of these tracks is really good and the songs get the full passionate Presley treatment. Great stuff !
Moonlight Sonate (tr.13) is really a bizarre recording of a Beethoven tune. Elvis, Red and Charlie are just singing tones without words to a piano track (instrumental record).
It would perfectly fit into a late 1960s experimental French cult movie. It’s the weirdest piece of music that has ever surfaced on a Presley album. Off course, apart from the infamous ‘Old MacDonald’(…with a moo-moo here a moo-moo there, an oink-oink here and an oink-oink…).

‘Loving you’(tr.1),’Lawdy miss Clawdy’(tr.7) and ‘I John’(tr.22) are also very good recordings. It is just too bad that the songs only last for 30 seconds or less. *) Also worth noticing is that ‘Danny Boy’ is an alternative version to the one we had on A GOLDEN CELEBRATION. Elvis sings it a little bit faster. Still it has the same matrix number (OPA5 8201) as the version on A GOLDEN CELEBRATION when I look in Jorgensen’s Recording Sessions.

I have also noticed some errors concerning matrix-numbers. For instance ‘500 miles’ and ‘Hide Thou me’ have the same number (CPA5 5166). And ‘Blowin’ in the Wind’ has - according to Recording Sessions - the same matrix number as the version on PLATINUM (CPA5 5153), though it is a completely different taping ! “Ernst, how is this possible ?”

My review may leave you puzzled, whether to buy it or not. Let me give you some sound advice. If you consider yourself a jumpsuit-junkie, than skip this release and save your money for the next one on the FTD-label. At this stage they are planning a soundboard recording of a 1970 show, so that will definitely satify you. When you are an average fan, than try to listen to it first and see if it is your cup of tea. I mean $ 23.25 is a lot of money to spend on a CD. Certainly when it goes unnoticed in your CD-rack, after playing it only 2 times or so.
When you are a collector, a completist or a fan who enjoys informal recordings of Elvis, than IN A PRIVATE MOMENT is a must have. For it contains primarily new and unreleased songs, even on bootleg. And don’t we all want to hear it…

Personally speaking I find this package appearing too soon in the series. For THE HOME RECORDINGS appeared in March 1999, and IN A PRIVATE MOMENT was released in December 1999.

Almost every time I read in reviews about the FTD-label the sentence: “Support it, or loose it”. I find this statement hard to take. I mean one can support a good cause, but the profit-making wallet of Mr. Bertellsmann isn’t on my list. Do not be blinkered when you see Elvis’ name and image on a CD. Let the quality of the product convince you. I mean $ 23.25 is a lot of money - even the bootleggers aren’t asking that much !
A word to the people at FTD. Can’t there anything be done about this high price tag ? The costs are not spend at the packaging. No liner notes, no jewelcase, it consists mainly of cardboard. Giving the distribution to a select group of people runs the risk of a monopoly…

Emiel Maier

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Review published: Elvis Unlimited
Issue 6 - 2000 | Page: 26 - 28