Ralph Strobel Signed Harum Scarum Album

Close up of Ralph Strobel's autograph on my Harum Scarum LP. 

Last week I received two packages from Ralph Strobel, who played the oboe on the Harum Scarum sessions on February 24–26, 1965. A couple of months back I found out that he is an assistant professor emeritus at Ball State University, so I contacted him and asked if he would like to answer some questions about those sessions. He graciously accepted, and reading his story I almost felt like I was there in the studio with him.

Some time after publishing the interview on my blog, I got another idea. Would Ralph Strobel agree to sign my copy of the Harum Scarum album? He thought it was a great idea, so I sent the cover across the Atlantic at the beginning of the summer. As I was going to Denmark on my vacation, Ralph Strobel wisely decided to send the cover back to me after I had returned. It took about a month to reach me, but it was well worth the wait. 

Opening the package, and pulling out the album cover, I saw that it was signed Ralph Strobel "OBOE" on the front cover in the lower right hand corner. It looked great. Harum Scarum is now one of those records in my collection I value the most – those signed by musicians I've met in real life or through e-mail conversation who once played or sang with Elvis. 

My signed copy of the Harum Scarum soundtrack.

In the smaller package I found an Elvis souvenir in the form of a very nice toothpick holder as well as a letter from Ralph Strobel where he told the story behind it. He also explained that he was happy that I had encouraged him into writing about the Elvis recording sessions, something he had wanted to do for years. That made me feel good.

I am happy to call Ralph Strobel my friend and I'd like to take this opportunity to thank him again for writing about his time recording with Elvis, signing my Harum Scarum album and sending me the Elvis toothpick holder. It meant a lot.

Additional reading:

• Harum Scarum: The Ralph Stobel (Oboe) Interview
• They Wrote Upon It
• They Wrote Upon It Too!

I'm Leavin' 50 Years Ago

A treasure: My copy of "I'm Leavin'" signed by Michael Jarrett.

Today in 1971, exactly 50 years ago, Elvis recorded "I'm Leavin'," one of  my all time favorite songs. With its haunting quality I find it irresistible, and I know many fans share my opinion. Elvis obviously liked it too.

I am honored to know Michael Jarrett who wrote the song. Not only did he write a really nice foreword to my second book The Elvis Today Blog: Volume 2.  He also went to the trouble singing my copy of the single "I'm Leavin'," pointing out that "we'll have to send Elvis across the ocean a couple of times to do this, but I think it will work." And it did. That single is now one of the records in my collection that I value the most. 

Ten years ago, I wrote a post on my blog where I, with the help of outtakes, some studio banter, information in books and last, but not the least, some imagination, tried to describe what was going on when Elvis recorded "I'm Leavin'" on May 20, 1971, at RCA Studio B, Nashville. In a comment to that post Michael Jarrett wrote the following:

Thank you Thomas for painting us a great picture of the "I'm Leavin" recording session. It's so cool to hear these outtakes and the coming together of the song ... It's like being right there in the studio as it's happening when they were "carving it out " ... they all worked extra hard on it and it shows.

Elvis recording what was then - and probably now - a song considered in the music business to be 'esoteric'; meaning that it had personal meaning to him; like it did for me when I wrote it.

I'm still amazed each time I hear him sing it; especially knowing that it had such meaning to him ...

Additional reading:

• Special Moments With FTD 12 (the post I mentioned above describing the recording of "I'm Leavin'")
• La la la la la la la la la la la la la (another post where I write about the song "I'm Leavin'" and Michael Jarrett)

The Swedish RCA LP's

Examples of Elvis LP titles manufactured in Sweden in the late 1970's.
Photo: The "RCA Elvis" Facebook page.

This week I started collecting Swedish RCA LP's in earnest. But the fact is I have done this unknowingly since I bought my first Elvis album Blue Christmas back in the late 1970's. That one was manufactured in Sweden, as stated on the back cover which also included some text in Swedish. And although in time I came to realize that other Swedish pressings existed, I never really gave it any serious thought. Until 2016.

That's when I bought How RCA brought Elvis To Europe, released through FTD the same year and written by the Norwegians Sigbjørn Stabursvik and Hans Otto Engvold. It's a fantastic book, and a treat especially for fans living in the Nordic countries, as it, among other things, includes a full history and discography for Sweden, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Iceland. 

I spent a lot of time with it the following weeks, reading how RCA Victor launched Elvis and the RCA label globally in 1956. For a Swede like me, it was fascinating to learn how Electra Grammofon AB, one of Sweden's largest record companies, engineered most of the early Elvis activity in Northern Europe. In fact, Sweden was one of the first countries worldwide to release an Elvis Presley record. 

Cover of How RCA brought Elvis To Europe. It's a great book.

How RCA brought Elvis To Europe is one of those Elvis books I found myself revisiting from time to time. One such occasion took place early in 2019, when I once again read the introduction to the pages dealing with the Swedish RCA LP's: 

Original stock of Moody Blue sold out immediately after the tragic death message on 16 August 1977. This prompted a Swedish Moody Blue pressing, the first of many LP titles manufactured in Sweden that fall. [...] Eleven titles were probably made in 1977, and two in 1980.

It was while studying the list of Swedish RCA LP's that I noticed that Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3 wasn't among them. As I stated earlier, I was aware of other titles manufactured in Sweden. And now I suddenly remembered that I had owned a worn copy of one of them, namely the third volume in the Golden Record series, later exchanging it for a copy in far better condition (a German pressing). Apparently a dumb move.

I decided to pay a visit to a store not far from where I live that sells used records. Grabbing my jacket, I went out the door, and in a couple of minutes stood leafing through all the Elvis albums for sale. Suddenly I spotted Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3. Holding it in my hands, I turned it over, and there on the back cover, in small print, it said, "Manufactured by Grammofon AB Electra, Solna Sweden."

Proof it's a Swedish pressing.

Feeling like a true detective, I took a couple of pictures of it and then wrote to the authors via their "RCA Elvis" Facebook page that they had listed at the end of the book:

Thomas: "Hi! Today I found Elvis' Golden Records Vol 3 manufactured in Sweden."

RCA Elvis: "Excellent find. Thank you Thomas. We'll inform our Swedish contacts about this one and hear their opinion about how rare it is."

About two weeks later the authors posted this on their Facebook page:

SWEDISH LP DISCOVERIES

Not long ago Thomas Melin alerted us to the existence of a Swedish Elvis' Golden Records Vol. 3. So ... could there possibly be a Swedish Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4 out there as well? That was the question we needed to ask ourselves. And the answer turned out to be, oh yes indeed, there is a Vol. 4 also. And as if that isn't enough, Elvis In Hollywood turns out to have been made in Sweden as well!

All three seem to have been made at approximately the same time, during late 1977 or 1978. Labels are orange, with n©b, and the second type of label.

Covers are similar to late 70's German issues, although with "Manufactured by Grammofon AB Electra, Solna Sweden" at the back, plus SIB Tryck Tumba in the lower right corner. SIB Tryck was (and still is) a printing company located at Tumba on the outskirts of Stockholm.

Thank you's to Thomas Melin, Paul Dowling and Jarle Jensen.

It felt really cool reading that I had contributed in a small part to new findings when it came to Swedish Elvis LP's on the RCA label. But for some reason it would take another two years before I felt the time was right to start collecting those pressings from Sweden. Just a few weeks ago I spotted a Swedish copy of Pure Gold (with the Take Off! cover) on the online marketplace Tradera. So I placed a bid and won the auction for a ridiculous small sum of money.  

Pure Gold with Take-Off! cover and two extra songs.

The album arrived just the other day, in excellent condition. I noticed that it featured Frankie And Johnny and Clean Up Your Own Back Yard, which are not on US editions. (I wonder what is the story behind that one?)

Then another thought hit me, Maybe some of my other LP's were Swedish pressings as well? A little while later I had the answer. No less than five of them (not counting Blue Christmas, Elvis´Golden Records Volume 3 and Pure Gold) were manufactured in Sweden: Blue Hawaii, Moody Blue (one of my first LP's as well), Burning Love And Hits From His Movies, Elvis In Concert and Elvis Forever Volume 2. 

Maybe this should come as no surprise as I live in Sweden and started to buy Elvis records in the late 70's and early 80's. Nevertheless, half of my collection of Swedish pressings is now completed, with a minimum of effort from my side. I wonder how hard it will be to find the other eight? 

This is the complete list (so far) of Swedish RCA LP's (Maybe there are others out there?):

• Burning Love And Hits From His Movies
• Elvis' Golden Records Volume 1
• Elvis' Gold Records Volume 2
• G.I. Blues
• Blue Hawaii
• Elvis In Concert
• Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3
• Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4
• Elvis - NBC-TV Special
• Pure Gold (Take Off! cover)
• Elvis In Hollywood
• Welcome To My World
• Moody Blue
• Blue Christmas
• Elvis Forever Volume 2
• The Las Vegas Years (Same content as record 6 on the Elvis Aron Presley box set, with liner notes in Swedish)

This post is dedicated to Sigbjørn Stabursvik & Hans Otto Engvold, authors of the book How RCA brought Elvis To Europe.

The Making Of Frankie & Johnny

Frankie & Johnny and Elvis Now.

In November 1976, Pickwick Records reissued the Frankie and Johnny soundtrack album. Unlike the reissues of the RCA Camden compilations records, which featured the original artwork, it was updated with the same photo of Elvis as the one gracing the cover of the 1972 album Elvis Now. Also, the running order of the tracks were altered and three songs omitted. No one has ever told the story of how and why that happened. Until now.

[September 7, 1976]

The view from the executive office located in a corner of the Pickwick Records headquarters building in San Francisco is an impressive one. On a sunny day the big windows allows for an unobstructed panoramic view of the skyline and out into the Bay.

But the man sitting at the end of the long polished table couldn’t care less. Dressed in a three-piece suit and holding a cigar in his right hand, he has other things on his mind. He relights the cigar and stares at the album on the table in front of him.

“I mean, it’s great that we have an expanded mandate and can reissue this soundtrack album from the movie Frankie and Johnny, but look at the cover. Elvis looks overweight and the head is out of proportions. Almost as if it has been replaced with another shot.”

He glances up at his assistant sitting next to him and frowns.

“You know, my wife and I went to see him when he performed at the Cow Palace back in November 1970. That way something. Very electrifying. And I remember him wearing a cool white suit with a red belt made of snake leather. That’s what he should look like on an album cover.

The assistant, looking pretty cool himself in a brown and blue high collar paisley shirt and black striped pants, nods politely.

“Yes sir, I see what you mean, although I heard that he has gained some weight again. I actually have tickets to one of the two shows he will be doing at the Cow Palace this November, apparently they are already sold out. I guess I will see for myself then.”

“Yeah, well, but have you listened to the songs on this Frankie and Johnny thing? Not at all like the fast beat tunes he gyrated his way through when I saw him in 1970. They just don’t have the same energy or vitality. And three of them are downright horrible. I want them omitted from the album.”

He hands the assistant a handwritten note with three song titles listed: “Chesay”, “Look Out Broadway” and “Everybody Come Aboard”.

His assistant once again nods in agreement and in a moment of inspiration, gets an idea.

“Hey boss, why don’t we edit the album a bit by altering the running order of the remaining tracks?”

The man with the cigar looks at his assistant and sighs.

“That’s something I guess. And even if we can’t make it sound contemporary, we can always give it a more modern look. Remember that compilation album last year, the 2 LP-set Double Dynamite? It was a great idea using the same shot as the one on the Madison Square Garden album. It sold like hotcakes."

Double Dynamite and Elvis As Recorded At Madison Square Garden.

He sweeps the original Frankie and Johnny LP away with a hand, revealing another album beneath it.

The assistant leans forward to get a better look.

“Elvis Now,” he reads aloud. "Hey look, the Elvis logo even includes a rainbow, much like the Pickwick one."

“Obviously we can’t use that. But the picture is what I’m talking about. A real 1970s-era image of Elvis that will be perfect.”

He takes a puff on his cigar, looks straight at his assistance and smiles.

“Get on the horn with RCA and ask them if we can use it. And be sure to chop those three songs. They won’t be missed.”

Additional notes
The reissue not only featured a shot of Elvis from the 70’s on the front cover and a couple more on the back, the title was also slightly amended to Frankie & Johnny, replacing the “and” with a “&”. There was no indication anywhere that it was a reissued soundtrack album, and to my understanding, this was the last Elvis release by Pickwick. After Elvis death RCA reclaimed the rights to his Camden releases from Pickwick. And yes, the dialogue above is of course pure fiction, but it was fun to write.

I'm Leavin' - The Lost Folk Album

Cover art for the vinyl LP I'm Leavin'.

Some 45 years after it was recorded by Elvis, the beautiful song "I'm Leavin'" by Michael Jarret is the title of an album. It was released on 12" vinyl for record store day last year, a compilation bringing together "the very best recordings of Elvis Presley’s work in the Folk and Country genres from 1966-1973."

In honor of Michael Jarret's birthday a few days ago, I played the album and was reminded once more of the haunting quality of the title song. In fact, I enjoyed the whole album, especially the A side where five of the six tracks are contemporary pop-folk songs recorded by Elvis in 1971. On side B, only one of the songs is from that category.

I've always had a soft spot for Elvis 1971 pop/folk recordings, and my brother put it wisely in a comment on this blog back in 2009: "His not so perfect vocals seem to suit (most of) the material." It's true, Elvis isn't always singing perfectly in a technical sense, but the emotion in his voice coupled with some excellent backing provided by his band makes for a great listening experience. Below is the complete track listing:

Side A

1. I'm Leavin'
2. Early Mornin' Rain
3. Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues

4. Until It's Time For You To Go
5. Help Me Make It Through The Night
6. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (edited version)

Side B

1. You Asked Me To
2. Gentle On My Mind
3. Tomorrow Is A Long Time
4. I'm Movin' On
5. (That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me
6. Loving Arms

Listening to the LP I started to think of Elvis' lost 1971 folk music album. Certainly not the first fan to write about it, this concept would have been a great idea after Elvis Country. After all, when Elvis arrived at RCA's Studio B in Nashville on March 15, 1971, he brought with him folk oriented material that he had enjoyed from Peter, Paul and Mary's work, like "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," "Early Mornin' Rain" and "(That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me." Who knows what directions that session might have taken, had Elvis not been forced to cut it short due to suffering from a painful case of glaucoma, ending up in hospital.

Anyway, here is my shot at an Elvis folk themed album that could have been released at the time, where I have substituted the songs featured on I'm Leavin' that are not recorded in 1971 with recordings from that particular year.

Side A

1. I'm Leavin'
2. Early Mornin' Rain
3. It's Still Here (unedited version)

4. Until It's Time For You To Go

5. Help Me Make It Through The Night
6. Don't Think Twice, It's All Right (edited version)

Side B

1. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
2. It's Only Love
3. I'll Take You Home Again, Kathleen (undubbed version)
4. Amazing Grace (alternate take 2)
5. (That's What You Get) For Lovin' Me
6. I Will Be True

I have included "Amazing Grace" as it had recently been a hit for folksinger Judy Collins when Elvis recorded it. Otherwise my track listing has a lot of common with both Piers Beagley´s Elvis: In The Early Morning Rain (2008) and George Smith's Elvis Presley: Exodus (2011). I especially like the prologue on the latter one, featuring the informal recording of "I Shall Be Released."

But back to reality and the I'm Leavin' 12" vinyl released in 2016. An album with that title has been long overdue and I'm happy for Michael Jarrett's sake. He deserves the credit.

They Wrote Upon It Too!

Some four months ago I wrote about the records that I value the most – those signed by musicians I've talked to who once played or sang with Elvis. Since then I've added another two singles to that category.

In fact, they were both signed at the same night, when The Original Elvis Tribute 2012 played the Swedish town of Vara, on April 7. This show features some of Elvis' original musicians, among them bass player Duke Bardwell.

The first single happens to be one of my favorite Elvis songs, the 1975 rocker “T-R-O-U-B-L-E.” As it's also the only recording from the March sessions in Hollywood where Duke Bardwell's bass parts weren't removed, I thought it the perfect record for him to sign.

“It's a great song,” I told him during the intermission. “Yeah, it is, isn't it,” he answered while writing his name on the cover as well as the label on the record itself.

A couple of minutes later I managed to get a few moments with backing vocalists Mary and Ginger Holladay, who turned out to be two very nice and charming ladies. As the first time they sang backup for Elvis was during the famous 1969 American Sound sessions in Memphis, I thought it appropriate to bring along one of the resulting singles.

Handing over “Don't Cry Daddy”/”Rubberneckin” I asked them, “You did sing on 'Rubberneckin''?” fully well knowing that no female voices were present on “Don't Cry Daddy.” Mary assured me that they did, and then they both signed the cover.

Attending the show and meeting these musicians was an incredible experience, and the autographed singles will always remind me of that. Now, the only thing that could have made that night even more special would have been the presence of musician and songwriter Michael Jarrett. He was part of The Original Elvis Tribute in 2009 and 2010, but unfortunately I was never able to attend any of the shows back then.

I am, however, honored to have Michael Jarrett among my readers, so recently I sent him an e-mail, asking if I could send my copy of the single “I'm Leavin'” for him to sign. “I'm Leavin'” is one of the best songs Elvis ever recorded, so this would really mean a lot to me.

When Michael Jarrett answered that he would be honored to sign it, adding “we'll have to send Elvis across the ocean a couple of times to do this, but I think it will work,” it really made my day.

So, right at this moment, next to my computer, lies a package marked “fragile, handle with care,” the single resting securely inside. Tomorrow it will begin its journey across the ocean, and I can't wait for it to return.

This Is Elvis (Double LP)

Today, 31 years ago, I celebrated my fourteenth birthday. And I did it in style, since one of the gifts I received from my parents was the then newly released soundtrack double LP album This Is Elvis. I remember my class visited a swimming stadium that day, and all I could think of was getting home to listen to my new Elvis album.

I must have spent the whole evening playing those two records over and over, and looking at all the small photos from the movie printed inside the gatefold. Some of the songs I recognized, but a lot of them were new to me. Like “That's All Right,” that both me and my brother thought sounded a bit funny back then.

Digging out my copy of the soundtrack today, I couldn't help notice how worn the cover was, and how scratchy the two LP's looked. I must have played them many, many times through the years, although it has been a while now. Therefore I decided to give this faithful old servant yet another spin, and it was nice to get reacquainted with it.

I've always liked the tracks on the album and the order they are placed in. For example, I find the inclusion of “Army Swearing In” (that ends with the words “Private Presley, you'll be in charge of the group”) followed by “G.I. Blues” to be highly effective. Another example of this is the “Excerpt From JCs Award To Elvis” that segues into “Promised Land” (containing Elvis' harmony vocal overdub).

Also, it hit me how much of the material was unreleased at the time of the album's release. Like the four great TV appearances from 1956 and 1957, one of them Elvis' performance of “Hound Dog” from the Milton Berle Show, that caused an uproar in the press the very next day.

Then there's the fantastic sounding version of “An American Trilogy” from the April 9, 1972 show in Hampton. Another highlight is the overdubbed version of “Always On My Mind,” from the mock session Elvis held for the Elvis on Tour movie. Actually, these two tracks have yet to see an official release on CD.

When I first heard this soundtrack in 1981, “Blue Suede Shoes” from the 1968 TV Special quickly became a favorite. It took years before I learned that this track was a spliced version from the June 27, 6 PM sit-down show and the June 29, 6 PM stand-up show. At the time I didn't know that “Merry Christmas Baby,” “Too Much Monkey Business,” “I Got A Thing About You Baby” and “Promised Land” were edited as well.

Now, 31 years later, I have a far better grasp of the Elvis Presley catalog. But This Is Elvis was one of those albums that pointed me in the right direction, and it remains special. Hopefully, it will be available on the FTD label someday. Ernst Jorgensen, it would make for a great birthday gift!

Additional reading:

• This Is Elvis - Now And Then (posted January 25, 2008)

Don't Mention My Name

To the best of my knowledge, only two albums released during Elvis' lifetime lacked his name on the cover, and those were For LP Fans Only and On Stage. Actually, the latter earned Colonel Tom Parker a Grammy nomination for best album cover back in 1959. But why he left Elvis name out of it is anybodies guess. Maybe it was because the cover showed the smiling face of Elvis, a face that at the time was one of the most recognized in the world.

When On Stage was released, it was another story. Elvis was still famous of course, but this was the first album cover showing his new style, clad in a stage costume that was the forerunner to the jumpsuits used in later years, and with his hair down. Like my brother wrote in a comment to my post dealing with the On Stage classic album from FTD, “I bet some people didn't recognize him back then, just looking at the cover.”

And speaking of the FTD version of On Stage, in the accompanying booklet, two pages display documents such as memos, letters and notes dealing with the layout and production of the cover. There's a lot of instructions about the position of the picture and what colors to use, but unfortunately, nowhere is there a clue to as why Elvis name was left out.

This post could have ended right here, but my curiosity aroused, I decided to check out if any of the albums released from 1978 onwards lacked Elvis name on them. And sure enough, there were a couple where Elvis name had been left out:

• Reconsider Baby (1985)
• The Alternate Aloha (1988)
• Tiger Man (1998)
• Memories: The '68 Comeback Special (1998)
• Suspicious Minds – The Memphis 1969 Anthology (1999)
• Burbank '68 (1999)

The first two titles, Reconsider Baby and The Alternate Aloha, didn't even include the title on the cover. As both album covers have artistical ambitions, maybe the words were left out as to not spoil the visual experience.

As for the rest of the list, it's a bit funny that three out of four include performances from the '68 Comeback Special. A coincidence? Only Ernst Jorgensen or Roger Semon can tell. Maybe they were aiming for a Grammy?!

Another Side Of Elvis Country

To me and my one and a half year old daughter, Elvis Country means two very different things. Looking at the iconic photo of the two year old Elvis clad in overalls and a broad hat donning the cover, I immediately recognize my all time favorite Elvis album, while all my daughter sees is a baby.

I've written earlier about me and my daughter's routine of leafing through a book titled Elvis: The Complete Illustrated Record, where we always start with page 76 where there's a picture of Elvis from G.I. Blues, surrounded by six babies. My daughter then points happily to the picture and says one of her favorite words, which is ”bebis.” (Swedish for ”baby”). 

Now, I can report of another everyday activity having to do with “Is” (my daughter's way of saying Elvis) and “bebis.” It all started maybe a week ago when she succeeded in flipping through some of my LP albums, before I managed to steer her away. But not before she had caught a glance at a certain album titled Elvis Country where the picture of Elvis immediately caught her attention.

“Bebis,” she shouted excitedly as I lifted her up, sat myself down in a chair close to my LP and CD collection, and placed her in my lap. “Yes, a baby,” I agreed, “and his name is Elvis.” She nodded happily, saying “Is.” She then pointed at the LP albums, once again uttering the word “bebis,” only this time in a more commanding tone. Sensing my discomfort in letting her hold the big, fragile vinyl cover, she got angry, looking me sternly in the eyes and screaming “bebis!” at the top of her lungs.

What to do? I looked between her frustrated face and my LP records, thinking fast. Then I came up with an idea. Stretching out my arm, I reached for the earliest CD version of Elvis Country released in 2003, pulled it out and showed it to my daughter, hoping for the best. After all, a CD cover isn't as vulnerable as it's vinyl equivalent, I figured. I even let her hold it, which was a bold move in my book.

I need not have worried. Recognizing the picture on the cover her whining was replaced with content once again, After saying “bebis” once again, this time in a more civilized way, she turned the cover around, carefully examining the more modern photo of Elvis on stage grazing the back. “Is,” she repeated, making me smile as she handed the CD back.

We then went through all the variants of Elvis Country I could find in my collection, including the extended version from 2000 with bonus tracks (that one was a hit as it sported a young Elvis on the back as well), the recent legacy edition (I quickly recovered it when she started to press on the paperboard of the digipack) and the FTD 2008 release (held at arms length).

And though I was pretty sure she had really enjoyed studying all the portraits of the unsmiling child that was Elvis at age two, it was clear that my ploy hadn't worked. Once again pointing at the LP albums, she looked at me and said, “big baby.” Sure enough, she'd remembered the LP album cover with the bigger looking photograph of Elvis as a child.

In that moment I surrendered, pulling out my Elvis Country LP and handing it to her. “Baby,” she said happily, then looked at the smaller black and white photo, which included the parents, saying, “mommy” and “daddy.” In that moment I didn't mind her holding the album, but when I saw the cardboard starting to bend, I fought back again, gently pulling it out of her small hands, feeling a little guilty. After all, she was interested in daddy's favorite Elvis album.

Then I had another idea. Why don't get her a copy of her own? Close to where I live is a store selling second hand LP albums. So what I did was visit the store, bringing my daughter along in her stroller, and starting to browse through the Elvis LP's available. Pretty soon I found what I was looking for, a nice copy of Elvis Country, and not very expensive at that. 

Returning home with the record, I took a closer look at it. In that moment I realized that I just couldn't bring myself to give such a nice copy to my daughter, knowing that it would eventually get pretty bend and broken.

The very next day, my daughter pointed at my LP collection, saying “big baby!” Once again, I began with showing her all the CD variants of Elvis Country, then ended up with displaying one of the two LP versions I now have in my collection. This has since become a routine, happening at least once a day. I still haven't given her one of the vinyl copies, though. Maybe when she's a bit older ...

They Wrote Upon It

The records in my collection that I value the most are the ones signed by musicians I've met who played with Elvis. Listening to them talking about their time with Elvis in the studio, and then getting an autograph on a record they played on makes for a great memory.

Choosing the record in question is half the fun. When I went to see Glen D. Hardin when he played in the Swedish town of Uddevalla at an Elvis Christmas concert in 2006, I brought with me the single "The Wonder Of You." "Arranged by Glen D. Hardin," it says on the orange label, so I couldn't think of a better place than that for his autograph.

A year earlier the American Sound Studio Band also performed in Uddevalla, together with the Sweet Inspirations. The choice of record was a simple one. All the band members signed my copy of the From Elvis In Memphis LP after the show. It was a very special moment.

But I guess the autograph I value the most is D.J. Fontana's. I said hello to him when he visited Sweden in 2006 and performed, among other places, in my home town. We met at his hotel before the show and he told me about some of his moments with Elvis. And afterwards, he signed my Elvis Presley LP. (Looking at it, I use to fantasize about meeting Scotty Moore and getting him to sign the LP as well, there's a perfect spot for his autograph just to the right of where D.J. Fontana wrote his name.)


Now, if all goes according to plan I will soon have another Elvis record signed by one of his old band members. As I've written in earlier postings, I will attend The Original Elvis Tribute 2012 opening show at Vara Konserthus (Vara Concert Hall) on April 7. The production features five of Elvis' original musicians. One of them is Duke Bardwell, who played bass on a song which has been a favorite of mine since I first heard it on the Elvis Today album, the frantic rocker "T-R-O-U-B-L-E." So yesterday I bid on, and won, a copy of the single on eBay, including some jukebox title strips, which I thought was pretty cool.

So, the perfect record for Duke Bardwell to sign, even more so as it's his only surviving record master with Elvis (Producer Felton Jarvis erased all of the other bass parts Duke Bardwell recorded at the Elvis Today sessions). But which records should I bring for Bobby Wood, Mary and Ginger Holladay, and Jerome "Stump" Monroe to sign? Suggestions, anyone?

Elvis: The Complete Illustrated Children's Book?

Not many things at home are off limits for our nearly one and a half year old daughter. Except my Elvis records and books. ”Those are daddy's,” I say and try to look her sternly in the eyes when she approaches my collection. Which in a way is a stupid thing to do, as I want her to get to know her father's great idol.

Usually she stays clear, but about a week ago she pulled out a big book titled Elvis: The Complete Illustrated Record. For some reason I let her get away with it, and soon found myself leafing through it, pointing at different records and telling her stuff like ”this was Elvis' first LP” and ”this was the first Elvis' album your father bought.”

Now, for the last couple of days, my daughter has developed kind of a routine. Looking at me, she says, ”Is,” which is her way of saying ”Elvis,” points at the book and indicates with her arms that she wants me to pick her up and place her in my lap. She then utters one of her favorite words, which is ”bebis.” (Swedish for ”baby”) Grabbing the book, I turn the leaves to page 76 where there's a picture of Elvis from G.I. Blues, surrounded by six babies. She points happily to the picture and says once again, ”bebis.”

But she recognizes other things in the book as well. On one page there's a shot of Elvis sitting on his bike in the movie Clambake. Spotting this, she always imitates the sound of a motorcycle. And when we come to the still from Paradise, Hawaiian Style of Elvis and all those dogs aboard a helicopter, she mimics a dog barking.

She also says the Swedish word for ”Santa” when I point at the cover of the ”Merry Christmas Baby” single, and ”at” (meaning ”hatt” which is Swedish for ”hat”) when we come to a full page photo of Elvis wearing a Texas Stetson hat at the February 1970 Houston press conference. And of course there's a lot of ”Is” as we look at all the photos of Elvis.

The authors and rock writers Roy Carr and Mick Farren published The Complete Illustrated Record in 1982 as ”the definite critical guide to the complete career of Elvis Presley,” documenting and examining his every record and movie. I wonder what they would think of it being used as a children's book 30 years later?

A Valentine Gift For You

A Valentine Gift For You was the first of three "concept albums" from RCA to kick off Elvis' 50th anniversary in 1985 (the others being Reconsider Baby and Always On My Mind). Released in February in time for Valentine's Day it mixed lesser known romantic ballads with more famous ones.

The man behind A Valentine Gift For You was RCA's Greg Geller, who had this to say about it in an interview originally published in the record collectors magazine Goldmine.

That's his love songs, ballads, spanning the years '56 to '66. It uses cuts which have somewhat fallen by the wayside. Like "Tell Me Why," which was recorded in the '50s and never quite made any albums, never was released, came out as a single some time in the '60s, but was never highlighted. Another is "I Need Somebody To Lean On," from Viva Las Vegas, which I always thought was a great song, but is pretty obscure. I think it's a great album, one of my favorites we've done. Elvis loved to sing that kind of material.

Great album or not (it contained only previously released material), A Valentine Gift For You is a nice compilation of Elvis' love songs that makes for a smooth, romantic listening ride all the way. Personal highlights are "Tomorrow Is A Long Time," "Love Letters" and Greg Geller's favorite "I Need Somebody To Lean On."

SIDE 1
Are You Lonesome Tonight
I Need Somebody to Lean On
Young and Beautiful
Playing for Keeps
Tell Me Why
Give Me the Right
It Feels So Right

SIDE 2
I Was the One
Fever
Tomorrow is a Long Time
Love Letters
Fame and Fortune
Can't Help Falling in Love

This being Valentine's Day and all, why don't you give it a spin? And if you don't own a copy, maybe you can make your own playlist in iTunes including the songs from the album. It's time to get in that romantic mood!

PS: A Valentine Gift For You peaked at #154 on the Billboard 200 list on Mars 9, 1985.

New FTD Releases Confirmed

As is usually the case while waiting for new FTD releases to be announced, the rumour mill has been in full swing the last couple of weeks.

On January 12 someone wrote on the FECC forum that there would be "some very special news from the FTD people." After six days of discussions and guesses (ranging from the long awaited SUN project to an Elvis In Concert CD/DVD/Hardcover Book Box set project) Ernst denied this, saying that "an announcement will be made in early February - and it's just a regular announcement."

Two days ago, on January 26, the Elvis Information Network wrote that they had overheard that the new March FTDs could be 1) On Stage Album 2) 1975 soundboard concert - possibly Shreveport June 7 3) His Hand In Mine double-vinyl release. The post finished with the sentence that "These have yet to be confirmed by FTD."

Now, yesterday, ElvisMatters posted the news that the Elvis Express website could confirm that the rumoured 5" live album will be the concert from June 7 1975, Shreveport, Louisiana, and also that there was no confirmation yet of the other two titles.

And today, on January 28, ElvisMatters published an article titled "Official FTD news: March releases" where the one confirmed release (the Shreveport concert) turned out to be not so confirmed after all, as an Our Memories Of Elvis double CD had taken its place. (The other two rumoured releases turned out to be correct.)

I've written about this before, but FTD really should have their own website where the announcements could be made firsthand. That way, the rumour mill wouldn't have to swing so fast. Or, failing that, does like it says on the FTD releases News section on the official site of Elvis Presley: "Whenever a new release is ready to be announced, FTD provides information to EPE to post in the FTD News section here on Elvis.com and then provides information to its other distributors, fan sites, etc."

That was actually the case when the last announcements were made in October (Promised Land, Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas, Elvis Is Back (vinyl) and A Moment In Time (book). But when I took a look there today, there was no sign of the new FTD March releases.

But who am I to complain? As On Stage – February 1970 is one of my favorite albums, I'm happy that I can soon cross it out from my list over future possible releases in FTD's Classic Album series. And Our Memories Of Elvis looks promising also. In a way I guess it's a logical move to release it, just as FTD did with the Too Much Monkey Business CD back in 2000, featuring the songs re-recorded for the Guitar Man LP from 1981. Maybe this means that the This Is Elvis double album will also see a release in the future, who knows?

Finally, here are the confirmed new FTD titles set for release on March 6:

1. On Stage – February, 1970 Classic Album. A 2 CD 7" digipack with the regular 12-page booklet. As well as the Original Album (mastered by Vic Anesini) the album will include all of RCA’s multi-track recordings from three of Elvis’ shows.
2. Our Memories Of Elvis – a 2 CD 5" digipack version of the original albums, with an added bonus of the previously unreleased Volume 3 LP master tape plus six more cuts that series producer Joan Deary had prepared at the time. It comes with a 12-page booklet of relevant memorabilia and photos.
3. His Hand In Mine vinyl 2-album set. Special Limited Edition 2-disc 180-gram vinyl set.

Elvis Matters also announces that "There will be a separate announcement of book titles" soon. Maybe a CD/book combo from Elvis show in Shreveport 1975?

PS: Wouldn't the unreleased Our Memories Of Elvis Volume 3 be the perfect candidate for a "what if" LP from FTD? That's the concept I wish FTD would use for their vinyl releases.

Elvis 1967 – That Wild Presley Beat (an imaginary press release)

What if the follow-up to the critically-acclaimed and Grammy-nominated Young Man With The Big Beat box set turned out to be something called That Wild Presley Beat, focusing on 1967? I recently wrote a guest blog in the form of an imaginary press release for The Mystery Train Blog that throughout 2011 has commemorated the 44th anniversary of 1967.

Check it out over at The Mystery Train Elvis Blog

Merry Christmas Baby

One of my all time favorite Christmas tracks with Elvis is "Merry Christmas Baby," recorded in Nashville on May 15, 1971. It also ranks high on my list over all the songs Elvis recorded. I remember reading somewhere that the song is so cool that you can enjoy it even on a hot August day.

From the first time I heard it, I've always loved the rhythm provided by bass player Norbert Putnam and drummer Jerry Carrigan, David Briggs strumming on the piano and the bluesy harmonica, courtesy of Charlie McCoy. And above it all, Elvis altogether at home with the song, delivering an impassioned performance, urging his fellow musicians along. This is how Ernst Jorgensen describes the recording in his book A Life In Music:

Pushing everyone else to eke as much emotion out of the song as he was ("Dig in, James," he cajoled; "Wake up, Putt"), he cruised through more than six minutes on the first take. There was ease and menace and delight in Elvis's after-hours performance, and the result has led more than one observer to lament that it wasn't a blues album rather than a Christmas album that had brought them together that night.

In fact, the take lasted about eight minutes, and listening to the complete studio performance as released on Memories Of Christmas (1982) it's evident that Elvis doesn't want to let go of the song, repeating the lyrics over and over. "Well, I'm feeling mighty fine," he sings, and it's obvious that he does.

When originally released on the album Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas in October 1971, "Merry Christmas Baby" was edited down to 5 minutes and 45 seconds and featured an overdubbed guitar solo by Eddie Hinton. The single release a month later (coupled with "O Come, All Ye Faithful") was a minute and a half shorter than on the album.

An edited version with strings overdubbed (2:49) was used in the movie This Is Elvis from 1981 and can be found on the soundtrack (not yet released on CD). Four years later, in 1985, "Merry Christmas Baby" closed the excellent blues compilation Reconsider Baby (1985), this time a long edit without guitar overdub running for about 7 minutes and 20 seconds. Interestingly enough, this edit was included instead of the original one when Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas was released on CD.

Later this month will see the release of the FTD version of Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas. According to the track list the second CD will include "Merry Christmas Baby" - take 1 (unedited version) with a running time of 8 minutes and 29 seconds. My guess is that those extra 30 seconds will turn out to be the studio banter described by Ernst Jorgensen in A Life In Music: "Just run through it a couple of times, Elvis told the rhythm section; "I'll come in somewhere."

Read about two other Christmas favorites with Elvis:

• "Santa Claus Is Back In Town" (posted August 26, 2011)
• "I'll Be Home On Christmas Day" (posted December 24, 2008)

Learn more about why Elvis shouted "Wake up, Putt!":

• Wake Up, Putt! (posted March 20, 2010)

Reviews From The Past 2

Reading the other day that Elvis Country will be the next Elvis legacy release from Sony (coupled with Love Letters From Elvis) made me remember my brother telling me of the high praise the album received in a review by Rolling Stone's Peter Guralnick when it was originally released.

My brother had read the review after bying a box set called Rolling Stone Cover To Cover, featuring a searchable digital archive on DVD, from the first issue in 1967 through 2007. He recently gave me the box set as a gift, which enabled me to study the review first hand. I'd like to quote one of the passages Peter Guralnick wrote in issue 77, published on March 4, 1971:

It's the singing, the passion and engagement most of all which mark this album as something truly exceptional, not just an exercise in nostalgia but an ongoing chapter in a history which Elvis' music set in motion. All the familiar virtues are there. The intensity. The throbbing voice. The sense of dynamics. That peculiar combination of hypertension and soul. There is even, for those who care to recall, a frenzied recollection of what the rock era once was, as Elvis takes on Jerry Lee Lewis' masterful "Whole Lotta Shakin'" and comes out relatively unscathed. He has never sung better.

While reading this, I imagined how exciting it must have been being an Elvis fan back then, reading the review and then buying the record and listening to songs such as "Tomorrow Never Comes," "Funny How Time Slips Away," "I Really Don't Wan't To Know" and last but not least, the hard-driving "I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water."

Four months later, though, I bet it wasn't as fun to read what reviewer Jon Landau had to say about Love Letters From Elvis in Rolling Stone issue 87, from July 22, 1971:

The first cut is "Love Letters" and it's a beautiful song. Presley's voice is all there and then in comes the schizoid background, half funk and half muzak. And thus it goes for two sides of Presley's latest. The voice is there, some of the material is OK, James Burton is picking away, the rhythm sounds passable, but oh those strings, horns, background voices, and what not. It's enough to drown a grown man - precisely what it does to Elvis on this album. Love Letters is the most discouraging event of the last three years of Presley's career.

So, do you agree with these reviews from the past? After reading the one by Peter Guralnick I gave Elvis Country a spin, and have to concur with what he wrote: Elvis has never sung better.

Promised Land Among New FTD Releases

I'm happy to report that the Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain got it right this time. Promised Land will be one of the upcoming releases from the Follow That Dream label available early December.

And not only that. Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas is due for release at the same time. This means that three of the four titles I speculated about in January will receive the FTD classic album treatment this year.

In addition to Promised Land and Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas, FTD is also releasing a vinyl version of Elvis Is Back, as well as a 192-page book, A Moment in Time, that promises a stunning look at four days of Elvis’ life in 1956.

It's going to be a Christmas, Elvis style, that's for sure! Just check out the tracklists for Promised Land and Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas below.

TRACKLISTS

“PROMISED LAND” (Tracklist still in development)

DISC 1
THE ORIGINAL ALBUM
01 Promised Land
02 There’s A Honky Tonk Angel (Who Will Take Me Back In)
03 Help Me
04 Mr. Songman
05 Love Song Of The Year
06 It’s Midnight
07 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming
08 If You Talk In Your Sleep
09 Thinking About You
10 You Asked Me To

SESSION HIGHLIGHTS – THE ALTERNATE ALBUM
11 Promised Land – take 4
12 There’s A Honky Tonk Angel – takes 3,2,7
13 Help Me - take 1 (undubbed master)
14 Mr. Songman – take 2
15 Love Song Of The Year – take 1
16 It’s Midnight – take 9
17 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming - take 10
18 If You Talk In Your Sleep - take 5
19 Thinking About You – take 4
20 You Asked Me To – ?

MORE SESSION HIGHLIGHTS
21 Promised Land – take 5
22 Love Song Of The Year – take 7
23 It’s Midnight – take 11
24 Thinking About You – takes 5,6
25 You Asked Me To – ?

DISC 2
SESSIONS – THE MAKING OF
01 It’s Midnight – takes 1-4, 8,7
02 You Asked Me To – ?
03 Mr. Songman take 1
04 Thinking About You – rehearsal
05 Thinking About You – take 3
06 Promised Land – take 3,2
07 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming – takes 2,3
08 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming – take 4
09 There’s A Honky Tonk Angel – take 1
10 Love Song Of The Year – rehearsal
11 Love Song Of The Year – take 2
12 It’s Midnight – take 10
13 If You Talk In Your Sleep –takes 6,7, 8
14 Mr. Songman – takes 3,6
15 Love Song Of The Year – takes x,y, 8 (undubbed master)
16 You Asked Me To – take 3B (4 ??)
17 There’s A Honky Tonk Angel – takes ?
18 It’s Midnight – takes 15,16
19 Promised Land – take 6 – undubbed master
20 Thinking About You – ?
21 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming – take 8
22 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming – take 9

“ELVIS SINGS THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF CHRISTMAS”

DISC 1
THE ORIGINAL ALBUM
01 O Come, All Ye Faithful 2:48
02 The First Noel 2:09
03 On A Snowy Christmas Night 2:49
04 Winter Wonderland 2:17
05 The Wonderful World Of Christmas 1:57
06 It Won’t Seem Like Christmas (Without You) 2:41
07 I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day 3:48
08 If I Get Home On Christmas Day 2:51
09 Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees 2:52
10 Merry Christmas Baby 5:44
11 Silver Bells 2:26

BONUS SONG
12 I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day – remake master 3:43

FIRST TAKES
13 It Won’t Seem Like Christmas (Without You) -takes 1-3 4:36
14 If I Get Home On Christmas Day - take 1 3:37
15 I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day - takes 1-3 7:54
16 Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees - takes 1,2 3:13
17 Silver Bells - takes 1,2 4:41
18 I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day – remake takes 1,2 5:48

DISC 2
01 I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day – take 4 4:58
02 If I Get Home On Christmas Day - takes 2,3 3:51
03 Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees - take 3 2:27
04 I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day – remake take 3 4:24
05 It Won’t Seem Like Christmas (Without You) - takes 4,5 3:03
06 O Come, All Ye Faithful – take 2 4:28
07 If I Get Home On Christmas Day - take 5 3:00
08 The Lord’s Prayer 3:01 (Public Domain)
09 I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day - takes 5,6 4:26
10 Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees - takes 4 2:36
11 It’ Won’t Seem Like Christmas (Without You) - take 6 3:14
12 Merry Christmas Baby – take 1 (unedited version) 8:29
13 I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day – remake takes 4-9 7:24
14 If I Get Home On Christmas Day - take 7 2:57
15 Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees - takes 5-8 3:39
16 Winter Wonderland – takes 7,8 3:53

I Got Lucky

At the end of last month a lot of Elvis sites reported that Elvis once again has been rewarded more RIAA Gold and Platinum awards - some of them somewhat unexpected. I was pleased to notice that two of the first Elvis albums I ever listened to were among them.

You see, when I first started to take notice of Elvis I borrowed a couple of his albums from a friend at school. They were Elvis In Concert, A Canadian Tribute, C'mon Everybody, I Got Lucky (now awarded Platinum) and Mahalo From Elvis (now awarded Gold).

I guess every fan gets to know Elvis in a different way. For those who had the privilege to follow his career during his lifetime that way was more chronological than for fans such as myself who discovered him after his death.

To this day I can remember the excitement listening to all those movie songs featured on I Got Lucky and C'mon Everybody. Today I know that the majority of the songs originated from four of Elvis soundtracks (all of them originally released on EP records), but back then I didn't have a clue. But that wasn't important.

What mattered was how happy I felt listening to songs such as "What A Wonderful Life," "Riding The Rainbow," "Fools Fall In Love," and "If You Think I Don't Need You" to name a few.

And although I didn't know a lot about Elvis' career at the time, I quickly realized that he was a versatile singer. A record like Mahalo From Elvis was proof enough. One one side of the LP were songs done in a slow tempo with a Hawaiian feeling (I later learned they were recorded immediately after the Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite show), as opposed to the different sounding movie songs on the other side.

My point is, although far from being Elvis' greatest, albums such as I Got Lucky and Mahalo From Elvis played an important role in me becoming an Elvis fan. That's why I'm glad they were among the new RIAA album awards. I sure got lucky borrowing them from my classmate all those years ago.

Reviews From The Past

It's a safe bet to assume that a lot of fans, me included, can't wait to get their hands on the upcoming FTD release 48 Hours To Memphis, featuring a multi-track recording of Elvis' March 18, 1974, concert at the Richmond Coliseum. Until then, you could do worse that to listen to the show recorded two days later at another Coliseum, this one located in Memphis, to get a taste of things to come.

Released under the name of Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis in July 1974, the album features the majority of the songs from the tour's last concert which took place at the Mid-South Coliseum in Elvis' hometown. As you probably know, it won him his third and final Grammy award, for the performance of "How Great Thou Art."

But how was the album received at the time? In the 10 October, 1974, issue of Rolling Stone magazine, this is what reviewer Paul Gambaccini had to say about it, among other things:

This is the first Elvis Presley album in years from which we get the sense of an individual human being who feels and cares. Presley cares about his God, his late mother and rock & roll, and the themes strike home repeatedly in a varied program. A rock & roll medley running the gamut from "Long Tall Sally" to "Mama Don't Dance" is delivered with the convincing force Presley has recently lacked. A gospel pairing of "Why Me, Lord" and "How Great Thou Art" is so intensely delivered it is genuinely moving, regardless of one's own convictions.

So why don't you give Elvis Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis a spin? (Preferably the FTD version from 2004 which contains the entire concert, including great versions of "Steamroller Blues" and "Polk Salad Annie.") It will definitely help you to get in the mood for 48 Hours To Memphis.

"My Third Movie Was Called Jailhouse Rock"

While listening to "Jailhouse Rock" on the Amarillo '77 FTD release last week, I was reminded that it isn't always the originals versions that get people interested in Elvis' music. At least that's the way it worked for a buddy of mine while we were attending high school in the early eighties.

I don't remember the exact details, but I know I played him a cassette tape of Elvis In Concert, maybe at his place. I guess the tape was in the Sony Walkman I carried with me where ever I went (just like I do with my iPod nowadays).

Anyway, at first I didn't get the reaction I was hoping for, you know, a sign that he was digging the music. But when he heard "Jailhouse Rock" he started to beat time with his feet and when the song ended he demanded that I play it again.

I think he really went for the machine gun tempo of the song, the pumpin' piano and Elvis singing, never mind that he forgot some of the words. If memory serves me right, I had to play it many times in a row. Not that I minded, of course.

A couple of days later, when I visited again, I noticed an Elvis LP in his room. I picked it up and identified the album as 20 Greatest Hits Vol. 1, sporting a publicity shot of Elvis from the 50's on the cover. Looking at the track list I noticed the songs were mainly from the 50's as well. The fourth track on the B side was "Jailhouse Rock."

Glancing at my friend I saw he had a disappointed expression on his face. "That's not the version we listened to last time," he said. "This sounds completely different."

I tried to tell him that the version on his LP was the original one, and a great one at that. I also explained to him that he should've asked me which album to buy if he'd wanted the "Jailhouse Rock" that we'd listened to, as there existed many versions of the song.

Unfortunately I don't remember if he bought the Elvis In Concert album to get "the right" version. Maybe I gave him my tape and recorded a new one for me. Since we no longer stay in touch I don't know how much of a fan he became, either.

But, thinking back, I recall I thought it was great that he liked a live recording with Elvis from 1977. And that the song in question, "Jailhouse Rock," was featured on an album that has always been a favorite of mine.