Talk About The Good Times

Some upcoming Follow That Dream releases I long for more than I do for others. The re-issue of the 1974 Good Times album is one of them. This edition comes as a double disc set in the FTD Classic Album Series, and in addition to the masters, it will contain many outtakes from the Stax Sessions of 1973.

Some of these outtakes have already been released, the majority of them on one of my favourite Elvis albums, the excellent Rhythm And Country, in 1998. So what "new" outtakes can we expect on "Good Times?" A quick look in my well-thumbed Elvis Sessions III by Joseph A. Tunzi gave the following answer:

• "Take Good Care Of Her" (rehearsal + take 1 + take 2 + take 5)
• "Loving Arms" (take 1 + rehearsal)
• "I Got A Feeling In My Body" (take 2)
• "If That Isn't Love" (composite of take 5 & 7 + splice of take 5 & 7)
• "She Wears My Ring" (takes 1-7)
• "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" (take 1 + takes 6, 8, 10, 11)
• "My Boy" (take 1 + take 2)
• "Spanish Eyes" (take 1 + take 3)
• "Talk About The Good Times" (takes 1, 2)
• "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" (take 7 + takes 1, 4, 6)

As well as this, undubbed masters of all the songs are included, with the exception of "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" which features a rough mix of master instead. The undubbed master of "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" is also mentioned to be unedited.

Something to look forward to, isn't it, even if some of the takes are probably incomplete. To me the biggest excitement is that we finally get some outtakes of "My Boy" as well as more outtakes of "Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues," "I've Got A Thing About You Baby" and "Talk About The Good Times." And hearing Elvis rehearse "Loving Arms" will be interesting, too!

The only question mark I have is that that take 6 (false start) of "I Got A Feeling In My Body" seems to be missing. I also wonder if the undubbed master of "My Boy" will have the ending looped like the released version. Whatever the answer, I can't wait for Good Times to arrive!