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Post by erik on Jul 21, 2015 14:49:58 GMT -5
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Post by sliderocker on Jul 22, 2015 16:14:37 GMT -5
Sad to lose a great talented songwriter. Mark James, one of Carson's cowriters on "Always On My Mind" is being inducted this year in the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame, along with Roseanne Cash. It was surprising Elvis didn't record more of Carson's songs. After writing "Suspicious Minds," Mark James always had an open door to Elvis when it came to submitting songs for his consideration. Same for John Christopher, the other writer of "Always On My Mind." Christopher had penned "Mama Liked the Roses" which Elvis took a liking to, and Christopher had also been a session musician on some of Elvis's sessions. Carson should've been in that same niche but it was strange he never wrote another song Elvis expressed an interest in. |
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Post by erik on Jul 22, 2015 17:27:51 GMT -5
Quote by sliderocker:
I kind of wonder if Carson's inability to get Elvis to record any of his other songs wasn't so much an inability as it was that he ran into a stonewall named the Colonel, with his 50% cut of the publishing rights, and was too smart to give in.
In any case, it's really hard to argue the durability of "Always On My Mind", for both Elvis and Willie (whom I like to think knew of Elvis' version and recorded it partly as a way of paying respects to him). But it's also hard to dismiss the notion that Elvis recorded it at a time of immense personal pain, given that he and Priscilla were about to divorce (he recorded it at RCA's Los Angeles studios in March 1972, along with "Separate Ways" and "Burning Love"). And even though Elvis wasn't even the first to record it, his and Willie's remain the two definitive versions (IMHO).
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Post by sliderocker on Jul 22, 2015 19:05:06 GMT -5
I kind of wonder if Carson's inability to get Elvis to record any of his other songs wasn't so much an inability as it was that he ran into a stonewall named the Colonel, with his 50% cut of the publishing rights, and was too smart to give in.
I think it likely Carson may have run into Col. Greedy and his publishing demands. But, I also think it's possible Parker and his associates bore a grudge against Carson's and James's music publisher, Chips Moman, who owned Press Music and who held firm in his refusal to sell Parker part of the publishing rights to "Suspicious Minds." Moman also owned the publishing on "Mama Liked the Roses" and owned the publishing not only on "Always On My Mind," but its B-side or A-side, "Separate Ways." It must've galled Parker that Elvis was cutting so many tunes published by Press and then even more galling when Moman sold his publishing to Screen Gems Music. Because James had proven himself as a songwriter, Parker may have had no objection to him submitting songs.
And same with Christopher, although as a session musician for Elvis, he also had access and also wrote songs with Red West. The two penned Elvis's funkiest soul record, "If You Talk In Your Sleep," which was a pretty big hit for Elvis. Oddly enough, when Elvis performed that last song in concerts in Vegas and around the US in 1974 and 1975, he frequently introduced as a song he'd written. He'd then add he was kidding, but there are some songs on which Elvis has a songwriting credit on which he never recorded. Was he trying his hand again in the 70s with songwriting? Getting back to Carson, I could see Elvis tackling some of the country hits Carson wrote but it was getting past Parker's publishing demands that was the stumbling block, even though by that time, Elvis had ordered Parker to stop harassing songwriters and publishers for a piece of the publishing.
In any case, it's really hard to argue the durability of "Always On My Mind", for both Elvis and Willie (whom I like to think knew of Elvis' version and recorded it partly as a way of paying respects to him). But it's also hard to dismiss the notion that Elvis recorded it at a time of immense personal pain, given that he and Priscilla were about to divorce (he recorded it at RCA's Los Angeles studios in March 1972, along with "Separate Ways" and "Burning Love"). And even though Elvis wasn't even the first to record it, his and Willie's remain the two definitive versions (IMHO).
I thought Elvis's version was always the best version. Willie's version sounded like he was sleeping his way through it. I don't know if Willie was paying respects to Elvis. He could've been doing so, I guess. I also remember hearing disc jockeys talk about the fact that Brenda Lee's version of the song had been out at the time Elvis recorded his version, and that she may have influenced him to record it. I didn't exactly buy that as Elvis's version was recorded in March 1972, along with "Separate Ways," "Burning Love," "It's a Matter of Time," "Fool" and "For the Good Times." The studio version of "My Way" may also have been cut during this time.
And I believe Brenda's version was from April of '72, so Elvis's version had already been recorded. Staged recording sessions for "Always On My Mind," "Separate Ways" and "Burning Love" had also been filmed for "Elvis On Tour." It's possible the other songs were filmed as well. Those songs had the making of a very strong album and Elvis only needed four or five more songs to make an album. But, Parker issued them as singles except for "My Way" and "For the Good Times," both of which remained unreleased until after Elvis'death. The 1972 sessions had the makings of another great lost studio album.
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