Elvis' less appreciated gems: a new series

alexv · Post by **alexv** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 6:01 pm

Always loved Town Cryer, BAP. It's always been a mystery to me why that got left off of IB (I think it's from that period, but not sure). His style of singing on that song always reminds me of Kid About It, and maybe that's the reason it got left off, but it's a superb song and arrangement.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 7:46 pm

alexv wrote:Always loved Town Cryer, BAP. It's always been a mystery to me why that got left off of IB (I think it's from that period, but not sure). His style of singing on that song always reminds me of Kid About It, and maybe that's the reason it got left off, but it's a superb song and arrangement.

Are you talking about Town Cryer being left off of IB? Cause I'm pretty sure its always been the last song.

alexv · Post by **alexv** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:21 pm

Oops, Pophead (and BPA), that was a senior moment. I was thinking of Heathen Town and talking about Town Cryer. Substitute the former for the latter when reading my post. So, inadvertently, Pophead, I've thrown another unappreciated gem in the mix. Sorry for the confusion.

oldhamer · Post by **oldhamer** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:29 pm

I love Kid About it! I could listen to Elvis sing "Say you won't kid about it" for hours. It's entrancing. So agree that should be on an alternative "best of". Town Cryer's a good finish to the album, though it's not a gem for me. Perhaps the string bit at the end's a bit long.

Heathen Town though, now THAT'S a good track. I agree with EC at the time though - it didn't fit in with the general "feel" of the album. There's a marvellous forebodingness about it, as there is with Inch by Inch.

Another possible hidden gem, in my opinion, is All Grown Up. After the savageness of How to be Dumb, it just seems so beautiful. And it's on MLAR, which always gets unfairly slated and overlooked when Costello compilations are made.

martin · Post by **martin** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 8:56 pm

I'm with you on All Grown Up and also Harpies Bizzarre too both gems from a generally underappreciated album, although i have to confess to not appreciating MLAR myself for ages!

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Tue Mar 14, 2006 9:23 pm

alexv wrote:Oops, Pophead (and BPA), that was a senior moment. I was thinking of Heathen Town and talking about Town Cryer. Substitute the former for the latter when reading my post. So, inadvertently, Pophead, I've thrown another unappreciated gem in the mix. Sorry for the confusion.

And what a gem it is! I have always loved Heathen Town, especially the chorus reference to 'Guys and Dolls' (and the devil will pull you under by the shark tail fins of your checkered cab). Great performance, great vocal, great lyric. The Man could do wrong in those days.

Neil. · Post by **Neil.** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:21 am

And I think the Guys and Dolls reference has a twist - doesn't he say "the devil will drag you under, by the shark tail fin of your cheque account". Though I could be wrong!

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:37 am

pophead2k wrote:The Man could do wrong in those days.

Did you miss a word out there pophead?

Heathen Town is another example of Elvis directly writing in response to someone else's song. In this case it's Sin City. Other examples are Pump It Up (Subterranean Homesick Blues) and Either Side of the Same Town (Dark End of the Street).

A gem for me (and probably me alone) is Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo. It's one of those throwaway songs that Elvis writes every now and then but I love the line which JohnE's site quotes as "She's the girl that used to have it, and the girl I still have". I've always heard it as "She's the girl who used to have it and the girl who still has" (and must admit I prefer my version!).

It's a nothing song but I love it!

invisible Pole · Post by **invisible Pole** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:31 am

I have always loved Suffering Face. It's one of Elvis' best vocal performances (didn't he say he was drunk when recording it ?

) and I've never quite understood why it was left off King Of America. The combination of gorgeous melody and unashamedly sentimental lyrics ("Once I was the jewel of your heart, now I'm only semi-precious" always makes me smile) knocks me off my feet every time I hear it.

verbal gymnastics · Post by **verbal gymnastics** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 8:59 am

Great choice IP.

I remember him playing it solo in London in about 1986 but it was never released until the King of America re-release. I had in on a live cassette and always wondered why it was never released. From memory I think he used to play King of Confidence as well.

This is, as you say, unashamedly sentimental.

Neil. · Post by **Neil.** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 11:25 am

Bamboo, Baby's...Brand New Hairdo is great, I agree! A throwaway rocker with a great vocal. Funnily enough, I always thought he sang "She's the girl I'm used to having and the girl I still have", which makes sense to me, so I'm sticking with it!

migdd · Post by **migdd** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 5:30 pm

I always thought EC's version of The Other End of The Telescope was a pretty strong track. I really liked the 'Til Tuesday version as well but thought the re-write that appeared on All This Useless Beauty was even better, particularly the new lines "The promise of indulgence in my confidential voice/Approached immortal danger/But you'll never know how close."

As a matter of fact, there are several tracks on ATUB that could qualify as overlooked gems.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:20 pm

migdd wrote:I always thought EC's version of The Other End of The Telescope was a pretty strong track. I really liked the 'Til Tuesday version as well but thought the re-write that appeared on All This Useless Beauty was even better, particularly the new lines "The promise of indulgence in my confidential voice/Approached immortal danger/But you'll never know how close."

As a matter of fact, there are several tracks on ATUB that could qualify as overlooked gems.

Here here. Although there is something about the flow of the Til Tuesday version that I still prefer to the more stately and mannered version on ATUB. Still, two amazing versions of the same tune. And I also prefer the EC lyrics, although I'm glad Aimee Mann didn't sing them, as they wouldn't have come off as well. I'd nominate Starting to Come to Me for this list as well.

Jackson Monk · Post by **Jackson Monk** » Wed Mar 15, 2006 7:47 pm

Loads on ATUB, but i really love 'Distorted Angel'.

anjabro · Post by **anjabro** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 9:18 am

verbal gymnastics wrote:
Heathen Town is another example of Elvis directly writing in response to someone else's song. In this case it's Sin City.

I didn't know that...

verbal gymnastics wrote:Other examples are Pump It Up (Subterranean Homesick Blues)

...or that...

verbal gymnastics wrote:and Either Side of the Same Town (Dark End of the Street).

...or that...It's one of those throwaway posts that VG writes every now and then but we learn so much...

verbal gymnastics wrote:A gem for me (and probably me alone) is Baby's Got A Brand New Hairdo. It's one of those throwaway songs that Elvis writes every now and then but I love the line which JohnE's site quotes as "She's the girl that used to have it, and the girl I still have". I've always heard it as "She's the girl who used to have it and the girl who still has" (and must admit I prefer my version!).

...Totally agree, throwaway but excellent...I actually put this up there as one of his best vocals...Try singing along with it all the way through...

And I always thought that was the line, and still do....and if it's not, it should be...

Gillibeanz · Post by **Gillibeanz** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 12:58 pm

Yep 'Satellite' is getting plenty of votes - has mine too!

Another underated gem in my view from Spike is 'Last Boat Leaving'. Its sung in such a haunting and depressed voice with such sad words it tugs at my heartstrings every time! The ships bell at the end is pure genius.

Post by **BlueChair** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:06 pm

When I saw Costello & Nieve on their last acoustic tour prior to The Delivery Man, Elvis pulled out "No Wonder" and "For The Stars."

While the versions sung by Anne Sofie Von Otter are utter nonsense, Elvis singing them made me realize the strength of the songs. Hopefully there's studio versions with Elvis singing them kicking around someplace.

bambooneedle · Post by **bambooneedle** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:13 pm

BlueChair wrote:When I saw Costello & Nieve on their last acoustic tour prior to The Delivery Man, Elvis pulled out "No Wonder" and "For The Stars."

While the versions sung by Anne Sofie Von Otter are utter nonsense, Elvis singing them made me realize the strength of the songs. Hopefully there's studio versions with Elvis singing them kicking around someplace.

The Ute Lemper-sung EC songs -- Punishing Kiss, Passionate Fight and Couldn't You Keep That To Yourself -- are ten times better, imho. EC's writing gels with some cabaret phrasing and melodrama well. The imagery in the lyrics is also great... Lemper brings a lot of style to them. They're better by far also than the ones on the Wendy James album (imho).

Neil. · Post by **Neil.** » Thu Mar 16, 2006 1:24 pm

Last Boat Leaving - yup, gorgeous. The arrangement is fantastic, with the touches of Spanish guitar, piano and the accordion. And isn't the first line a tribute to an Elvis Presley song? In that one he sings "Hush my little one, don't you cry; you know your daddy's bound to die"

I also love the simple sadness of Secondary Modern - such a tight little arrangement, with the understated vocal, building up to that melancholy "Nobody makes me sad like you - now my whole world goes from blue to blu-u-ue" And the little drum roll before it, after the fab middle eight. Also the killer line "This is the hand that you never shook. You never gave me the chance that I took".

God, Elvis is talented. Can't wait for River In Reverse!

Hank · Post by **Hank** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 1:24 am

Neil. wrote:I also love the simple sadness of Secondary Modern - such a tight little arrangement, with the understated vocal, building up to that melancholy "Nobody makes me sad like you - now my whole world goes from blue to blu-u-ue" And the little drum roll before it, after the fab middle eight. Also the killer line "This is the hand that you never shook. You never gave me the chance that I took".

Ah, I've always loved that line.

Seconday Modern tends to get overlooked because it's so short and sort of low key, and most everything else on Get Happy is so frantic and crazy. But it's still one of my favorite cuts (on one of my favorite EC albums). It feels sort of like something Smokey Robinson and the Miracles might have done.

I'll also co-sign with whoever mentioned Kid About It, although I had no idea it was underappreciated.

pophead2k · Post by **pophead2k** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 8:28 am

Hey Hank, welcome and thanks for the input. At the beginning of the thread, I decided to define 'underappreciated' as a song that fans especially love, but doesn't usually turn up on 'Best Of' type compilations or 'Greatest Hits'.

LittleFoole · Post by **LittleFoole** » Fri Mar 17, 2006 10:02 am

OK, I'll toss in my $0.02 (or perhaps, my "too senseless,"but I digress...)
I vote for EC's live cover of Burt Bacharach/Hal David's "I Just Don't Know What To Do With Myself" from the Live Stiffs lp from oh so many years ago. Dunno if it qualifies for this thread, but I always loved it for it's simplicity and pain.....sounds like an EC song from the get-go.

Neil. · Post by **Neil.** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 8:39 am

Agree with the guy about Suffering Face. Two other bare acoustic numbers stand out for me - the two Richard Thompson covers End Of The Rainbow and Withered And Died. The former is terrifyingly savage and bleak, the attack of the vocal something Elvis does brilliantly live (I've always preferred Elvis live to be alone with an acoustic or with just Steve, despite the skill of all his bands). Credit to Thompson for an amazing lyric, too - the embittered guy in the song seeing himself as doing the baby a favour by telling him there's no hope, then listing the catalogue of horrors that await in life. And Withered is unbearably sad, with that beautiful melancholy vocal. Amazing stuff.

oldhamer · Post by **oldhamer** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 11:10 am

Hmmm...lots to think about!

I do like Suffering Face - the singing and playing is marvellous. Secondary Modern gets my vote as well, though it is on Get Happy!!, a record which could only be more perfect if it helped bring about world peace and an end to suffering. Maybe it already has...

I listened to "Baby's Got a Brand New Hairdo" all the way through for the first time in yonks yesterday. It is better than I remember it being. Wonder what EC would say about our secret love for it - doesn't he keep saying that the title is the best bit...?

A couple of rare ones I also like. Forgive Her Anything, especially in the new B+C discs. I love EC's low voice, like "Home is anywhere you'll hang your head", another one of my faves. Also, how about "Baby Pictures"? It's on the Punch the Clock bonus disc, about 90 seconds long, and I can't get enough of it!

alexv · Post by **alexv** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 12:38 pm

I'll throw in another of my favorite EC covers, Gloomy Sunday. I first heard this song on a Mel Torme record, and thought it an affecting, luscious song. The fact that EC took it on amazed me at the time (not anymore). His hushed, menacing take on the song was a perfect contrast to Torme's more swinging version, and worked beautifully.

The same thing happened with two other favorite EC covers, Pouring Water on a Drowning Man and True Love Ways. I first came across Pouring Water in 85/86, on an old James Carr record that had then been reissued. Loved Carr's version. To my surprise, at EC's Broadway shows in 86 he played it. At those same shows, he also played True Love Ways, an Everly Brothers song I aways liked (and used as our wedding song in 85).

These three covers show EC's musical guts. Carr, Torme and the Everlys were all great and distinctive vocalists. I don't know if EC had picked on Torme's version of Gloomy, but he certainly knew of Carr and the Everlys, so his taking on those songs, with his vocal limitations, showed his amazing confidence and his taste in music. Surely enough, in my opinion, his renditions all worked.