Studio Session for RCA, March 20-21, 1960

Studio :

RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee

Producer :

Steve Sholes/Chet Atkins

Engineer :

Bill Porter

Make Me Know It

L2WB 0081

March 20

Take 01

Complete

2:20

Close Up 3

Take 02

Take 03

Complete

2:12

Essential 6

Take 04

Take 05

Take 06

Take 07

Take 08

Take 09

Take 10

Take 11

FS+Complete

2:16

Fame and Fortune

Take 12

Take 13

Take 14

Take 15

Take 16

Take 17

FS

0:33

Today, Tomorrow and Forever

Take 18

Complete

2:08

Today, Tomorrow and Forever

Take 19

M

2:01

Elvis Is Back DCC/24-bit/BMG '99/60's Box 1

Soldier Boy

L2WB 0082

March 20

Take 01

Complete

3:07

(3:01)

Essential 6

Take 02

FS+

0:46+

Colonel’s Collection/Tiger Man 1/Always Him/Nashville 60-61

Take 03

FS+

0:21+

Colonel’s Collection/Tiger Man 1/Always Him/Nashville 60-61

Take 04

FS+

0:10+

Colonel’s Collection/Tiger Man 1/Always Him/Nashville 60-61

Take 05

FS+

0:47+

(Guessed take number, Chet says "pop on Feel ")

Colonel’s Collection/Tiger Man 1/Always Him/Nashville 60-61

Take 06

"Colonel’s Collection etc."(assuming dialogue only)

Take 07

2xFS+Compl.

3:39

(3:16)

Fame and F./Colonel’s Coll. etc.(2xFS only, stereo acetate source)

Take 08

Take 09

FS

0:43

Fast tempo.

Colonel’s Collection+"Close Up 3"(dialogue after take)/Tiger Man

Take 10

Complete

2:52

Fast tempo (2:47).

Close Up 3/Colonel’s Collection/Tiger Man 1/Always Him

Take 12

FS

UN

Take 13

FS

"Chet says we've got a mike pop on Boy, Elvis"

UN

Take 14

Incompl.(LFS)

0:35

UN

Take 15

M

3:07

Elvis Is Back DCC/24-bit/BMG '99/60's Box 1

Stuck on You

L2WB 0083

March 21

Take 01

FS+Complete

2:31

Fame and Fortune/Always Me 1

Take 02

Incomplete

2:20

Essential 6

Take 03

M

2:20

24K Hits/Elvis Is Back BMG '99/60's Box 1

Fame and Fortune

L2WB 0084

March 21

Take 01

4xFS+Complete

3:25

High key. "Elvis sings Fame alone"

Always Me 4 (Complete only, L/R swapped)+tape(4xFS)

Take 02

Complete

2:31

Legendary Performer vol. 3+"tape"

Take 03

FS+LFS

1:19

24 Carat Gold+"tape"

Take 04

LFS

1:25

Always Me 4 (L/R swapped)

Take 05

FS+Complete

2:45

Low key.

Fame and Fortune/Always Me 4(FS,L/R)+24 Carat Gold(Compl.)

Take 06

LFS

0:50

Always Me 4 (L/R swapped)

Take 07

FS+Complete

2:48

Always Me 4 (L/R swapped)

Take 08

FS+Complete

2:47

Always Me 1+"tape"/Nashville 60-61

Take 09

FS+Complete

2:52

24 Carat Gold

Take 10

LFS

1:27

24 Carat Gold

Take 11

Complete

2:38

24 Carat Gold

Take 12

LFS

1:31

24 Carat Gold

Take 13

Take 14

Complete

2:37

(2:29) Used for spliced master: 1:36-1:59

tape(1:36-1:59, probably part used for master, edited out)

Take 15

Spliced

M

2:30

Spliced from takes 15 and 14 (1:36-1:59)

We Love Elvis 2/Elvis Is Back BMG '99/60's Box 1

A Mess of Blues

L2WB 0085

March 21

Take 01

FS+Complete

2:57

Long Lonely Highway/Platinum 2/Always Me 1/Nashville 60-61

Take 02

Take 03

Take 04

Take 05

M

2:41

Elvis Is Back BMG '99/60's Box 1

It Feels So Right

L2WB 0086

March 21

Take 01

Complete

2:09

Close Up 3

Take 02

Complete

2:10

Long Lonely Highway

Take 03

Complete

2:14

Platinum 2+"Always Me 1/Nashville 60-61"

Take 04

Take 05

M

2:10

Elvis Is Back DCC/24-bit/BMG '99/60's Box 1

Musicians:

Bass/Guitar :

Hank Garland

Guitar :

Scotty Moore

Guitar :

Elvis Presley

Bass :

Bob Moore

Drums :

D.J. Fontana

Drums :

Murrey "Buddy" Harman

Piano :

Floyd Cramer

Backup Vocals :

The Jordanaires: Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews and Ray Walker

Notes:

Soldier Boy takes 12-14, Stuck on You takes 1-2 and the four false starts before the complete take 1 of Fame and Fortune are mentioned in Joan Deary's session notes, printed on page 5 in the memory log of 'Legendary Performer' vol. 3.

The complete acetate version of Soldier Boy is closer to master take 15 than to any other released, complete take (Jordanaires have figured out the finally used ending by this take), but is recorded in a much faster tempo than any of the others. Since no other fast version has surfaced, it is likely that they tried the fast arrangement between takes 8-11. The pitch is about 3.7% too slow on the 'Colonel's Collection' representation of the acetate. Update 2003: 'Close Up' confirms take 10 (and pitch).

Make Me Know It take 3 and Soldier Boy take 1 on BMG's 'Essential' vol. 6 appear to have the most conservative equalization of anything released from this session, whereas the outtakes on 'Fame and Fortune' and 'Today, Tomorrow and Forever' may have a slight midrange lift that could be difficult to spot without 'Essential' 6 and the different releases of the masters to refer to.

Raising the amplitude above the 0 dB-limit does have its advantages in the digital domain, but the FTD take 7 of Soldier Boy is mastered at least 1 dB louder than acceptable and dynamic range is slightly sacrificed on loud vocal parts. Make Me Know It take 11 on the FTD 'Fame and Fortune' is mastered more than 1 dB too loud, even when accepting hard limiting now that BMG has entered the LOUDNESS RACE. Apart from this, the sound quality is very good and all the old problems of the early to mid-90' are considered solved. Takes 17-18 on the Box 'Today, Tomorrow and Forever' are much more carefully raised, resulting in very little dynamic range loss and virtually no added distortion.

Fame and Fortune runs about 0.4% too slow on '24 Carat Gold' (no big deal) and sounds a little brittle due to noise reduction and slight lack of low frequencies. 'There's Always Me' volume 4 is much better.

The DCC release of 'Elvis Is Back' is considered a slightly better source of the masters with genuine signal all the way up to 21 kHz. The difference is small. BMG's 1999 release of 'Elvis Is Back' and the 60's Box are very good as well. Some may like the ambient Japanese 24-bit release of 'Elvis Is Back' although (or because) it is loud, just too loud on a few songs.

Thanks to Johnny Savage for transcribing the 'Legendary Performer' notes.

Thanks to Jim Banner for helping to sort out the Fame and Fortune session.

Thanks to Kevan Budd for source comparisons.

Thanks to Willem Kaauw for providing the lost take numbers.