Was post-army Elvis different to pre-army Elvis?
Not at all. He was still a delight to work with. The only discernible difference was his military standing. He was now a Sergeant, which meant he was technically outranked by Colonel Tom Parker. Although unlike Parker, Elvis earned his rank through military service and wasn’t fraudulently claiming it along with an American citizenship he didn’t deserve. The rotter.
You’re not a fan of Tom Parker?
Look I’m not one to dwell on the past and let long-forgotten history colour my perception of the world at large, but my uncle Bertram was a keen amateur genealogist and he’s quite sure that one of our ancient forebears was brutally slaughtered by a Viking. So I’ve always been prejudiced to a certain extent against the Danes. Not so you’d notice, of course, overt racism to our European cousins isn’t something a British Gentleman can tolerate but I’m afraid I do affect a certain aloofness around Danish people which I simply can’t overcome.
Did Elvis recognise you?
He recognised me right away and greeted me like a long lost friend which was very gratifying. A wonderful man, although I never quite appreciated his sense of humour. Why are joy buzzers funny?
Well, I think it’s the surprise…
Probably. Elvis loved Joy Buzzers and Whoopee cushions and similar sources of amusement. They were his favourite things.
He did love a practical joke.
I’m reliably informed that if you travelled with Elvis you just expected to find your bed short-sheeted as a matter of course. But my main recollection from those sessions was the surprise on the faces of the musicians when they realised they were working on an Elvis Presley recording. In order to keep everything secret, and so as not to cause undue ructions in the fan community, everyone involved had been told that they were going to be backing Jim Reeves. So when they arrived at the studio and saw Elvis instead they were quite taken aback.
Not many people appreciate this album’s technical advances.
The producers utilised a three-track system which allowed for greater separation of the sound. Of course, the innovation pales when compared to the incredible array of technology available in modern studios today but at the time it was a revolution as you say. And it meant Elvis was able to sit in the console and hear his music played back in stereo. Although being Elvis he was more interested in hearing a recording of the bass player sitting on a whoopee cushion, which he was able to relish in full stereo sound. Over and over again.
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