Elvis Presley (38,095 views)

[Steingrim]

Dec 3, 2022 1:40:41 GMT Subterranean Homesick Ålien said:

Dec 2, 2022 9:07:04 GMT BAZanine said:

A4; I've always liked the way he'd do that passage.

Gotcha. Well, sorry for the hassle. I kept going back and forth trying to figure out if it was an A or Bb. I use my Tuner whenever that happens; And I think it would occasionally top out at Bb, but not always.

This is why I’ll never get to see a Thread for Richard Manuel.

The one person that wants it-is too dumb to make it.

Just make the thread, then we'll all have something to argue about.

----

Here Elvis attempts to sing "I'm so lonesome I could cry" one octave down at the end. He misses the D2 but manages to descend through G-F#-E down to a couple of D#2s.

youtu.be/1YmuLdeBhhU?t=176

[Deleted]

OMG guys! I think I just found a non-falsetto C♯5!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxoG-L1gGxg&t=182s&ab_channel=HoseinYunesi

[BAZanine]

That's a backing singer as far as I can tell.

[kaji]

Dec 20, 2022 3:43:05 GMT BAZanine said:

That's a backing singer as far as I can tell.

Could've fooled me. 

[Subterranean Homesick Ålien]

Dec 20, 2022 1:13:40 GMT @ianvector said:

OMG guys! I think I just found a non-falsetto C♯5!

www.youtube.com/watch?v=MxoG-L1gGxg&t=182s&ab_channel=HoseinYunesi

I’m having trouble figuring out which note you’re talking about. I’ll tell you what I’m hearing, and just let me know where I’m going wrong.
First, at around 3:02-3:05 I hear an excellent sustained B4(I think);
Then, ~3:04 I think I hear female backup singers harmonizing C#5–B4;
But, right after they start, at around 3:05–there’s at least one other voice I hear, but I’m having trouble making it all out;
It almost sounds like Elvis comes in right after the backup harmony, and then he sustains a final G#4–while holding the microphone away from his mouth (which is something he did a lot).
But that’s the only one I can really make out-that sounds like it could be Elvis.
(I might have to listen to it through my sound system. It’s tough to hear it clearly on my phone)
Thoughts?


Btw That’s an excellent B4(?), either way. That’s definitely one of the best > A4 notes I’ve heard from him.

[BAZanine]

I don't even hear Elvis sustain a G♯4 at the end, just the B4. Either way, that C♯5 is assuredly not him.

[Bink]

F♯4 galore on "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" I would personally bold it

[BAZanine]

Funny enough, I had those bolded on TRP3. I'll grant your wish, numbnuts.

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2022 2:15:47 GMT Bink said:

F♯4 galore on "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" I would personally bold it

I don’t know about bolding it. Personally, I don’t think hitting a rather mundane note a bunch of times in a row should constitute a bold.

[BAZanine]

"Jailhouse Rock" moment

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2022 3:43:55 GMT BAZanine said:

"Jailhouse Rock" moment

Yeah, I didn’t get why that one was bold either. It just seems too arbitrary to me.

[BAZanine]

It's bolded because, to a degree, I'm taking into account the era in which Elvis hit it. Elvis wasn't regularly sustaining powerful, vibrato-laden high notes earlier on in his career; he much preferred short, raspier belts, of which "Jailhouse Rock" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy" are particularly good examples. If I gave him a uniform standard for bolds regardless of era he probably wouldn't have many bolds from the '50s, which is his most publicly adored and culturally important era.

[Steingrim]

He hits a good G#4 at the end of "It's now or never" from 1960, but it's not particularly sustained. According to one critic, that recording session broke some new ground.

youtu.be/Uwelrtb8Oho?t=184

[Deleted]

Dec 31, 2022 6:19:02 GMT BAZanine said:

If I gave him a uniform standard for bolds regardless of era he probably wouldn't have many bolds from the '50s, which is his most publicly adored and culturally important era.

I don’t think the ‘50s being “his most publicly adored and culturally important era” should really be taken into consideration when bolding notes. Elvis’ voice became more technically skilled in the ‘60s (and especially the ‘70s), so the bold notes in the thread should reflect that shift in skill level in my opinion.

[Steingrim]

Jan 3, 2023 19:46:42 GMT @ianvector said:

Dec 31, 2022 6:19:02 GMT BAZanine said:

If I gave him a uniform standard for bolds regardless of era he probably wouldn't have many bolds from the '50s, which is his most publicly adored and culturally important era.

I don’t think the ‘50s being “his most publicly adored and culturally important era” should really be taken into consideration when bolding notes. Elvis’ voice became more technically skilled in the ‘60s (and especially the ‘70s), so the bold notes in the thread should reflect that shift in skill level in my opinion.

There are lots of bolded notes from 50s songs that he sang live in the 70s. I think it works beautifully. 

[BAZanine]

Jan 3, 2023 19:46:42 GMT @ianvector said:

Dec 31, 2022 6:19:02 GMT BAZanine said:

If I gave him a uniform standard for bolds regardless of era he probably wouldn't have many bolds from the '50s, which is his most publicly adored and culturally important era.

I don’t think the ‘50s being “his most publicly adored and culturally important era” should really be taken into consideration when bolding notes. Elvis’ voice became more technically skilled in the ‘60s (and especially the ‘70s), so the bold notes in the thread should reflect that shift in skill level in my opinion.

Eh, I mean it's not like I'm just bolding notes because they have clout (i.e. bolding the G♯4 in "It's Now or Never", as previous incarnations of this thread did). The bolds '50s Elvis has are, in fact, boldworthy by '50s Elvis' standards. I don't feel like pretending he should be held to '60s/'70s Elvis' standards. It also helps that in that, I'm better representing the era from which the majority of people know Elvis.

[Deleted]

Jan 4, 2023 2:17:50 GMT BAZanine said:

Jan 3, 2023 19:46:42 GMT @ianvector said:

I don’t think the ‘50s being “his most publicly adored and culturally important era” should really be taken into consideration when bolding notes. Elvis’ voice became more technically skilled in the ‘60s (and especially the ‘70s), so the bold notes in the thread should reflect that shift in skill level in my opinion.

Eh, I mean it's not like I'm just bolding notes because they have clout (i.e. bolding the G♯4 in "It's Now or Never", as previous incarnations of this thread did). The bolds '50s Elvis has are, in fact, boldworthy by '50s Elvis' standards. I don't feel like pretending he should be held to '60s/'70s Elvis' standards. It also helps that in that, I'm better representing the era from which the majority of people know Elvis.

Fair enough. Although if we’re bolding notes that are impressive in relation to ‘50s Elvis, the G#4 from “Trying to Get to You” might be a pretty good candidate.

[Subterranean Homesick Ålien]

Jan 4, 2023 2:25:51 GMT @ianvector said:

Jan 4, 2023 2:17:50 GMT BAZanine said:

Eh, I mean it's not like I'm just bolding notes because they have clout (i.e. bolding the G♯4 in "It's Now or Never", as previous incarnations of this thread did). The bolds '50s Elvis has are, in fact, boldworthy by '50s Elvis' standards. I don't feel like pretending he should be held to '60s/'70s Elvis' standards. It also helps that in that, I'm better representing the era from which the majority of people know Elvis.

Fair enough. Although if we’re bolding notes that are impressive in relation to ‘50s Elvis, the G#4 from “Trying to Get to You” might be a pretty good candidate.

I’ve always thought “Trying to get to you” was a ‘definite-bolder’. The studio version as well as one of the NBC performances-are among my favorite Vocals from him.

[BAZanine]

The notes in the studio version of "Trying to Get to You" are A4s. Although that performance is definitely a good bit of belting from a young Elvis, I don't think there's any particular note/passage that I'd personally bold. If others have a different opinion I'm open to hearing it.

[Osmosis]

Jan 4, 2023 2:17:50 GMT BAZanine said:

Jan 3, 2023 19:46:42 GMT @ianvector said:

I don’t think the ‘50s being “his most publicly adored and culturally important era” should really be taken into consideration when bolding notes. Elvis’ voice became more technically skilled in the ‘60s (and especially the ‘70s), so the bold notes in the thread should reflect that shift in skill level in my opinion.

Eh, I mean it's not like I'm just bolding notes because they have clout (i.e. bolding the G♯4 in "It's Now or Never", as previous incarnations of this thread did). The bolds '50s Elvis has are, in fact, boldworthy by '50s Elvis' standards. I don't feel like pretending he should be held to '60s/'70s Elvis' standards. It also helps that in that, I'm better representing the era from which the majority of people know Elvis.

Is this the standard for bolding across the forum though? Because a lot of singers don't have bolds from later in their career because their voice ages or becomes damaged from years of touring, thinking of rock singers in particular, and just does not hold up compared to what they were capable of earlier in their careers. 

[Steingrim]

Jan 4, 2023 13:18:48 GMT Osmosis said:

Jan 4, 2023 2:17:50 GMT BAZanine said:

Eh, I mean it's not like I'm just bolding notes because they have clout (i.e. bolding the G♯4 in "It's Now or Never", as previous incarnations of this thread did). The bolds '50s Elvis has are, in fact, boldworthy by '50s Elvis' standards. I don't feel like pretending he should be held to '60s/'70s Elvis' standards. It also helps that in that, I'm better representing the era from which the majority of people know Elvis.

Is this the standard for bolding across the forum though? Because a lot of singers don't have bolds from later in their career because their voice ages or becomes damaged from years of touring, thinking of rock singers in particular, and just does not hold up compared to what they were capable of earlier in their careers. 

Leonard Cohen comes to mind, he has some bolded octave 1 notes from the end of his life when his voice had lowered and arguably deteriorated. Bono and Sting, from what I've seen of their old threads, have some bolded low notes that they were unable to reach during their early careers, I'm not so sure that they are that boldable except for the fact that they are low for that particular singer. None of those singers' careers had dwindled into obscurity by that time though, just like Elvis' career was very much on fire and memorable already in the mid-50s.

[BAZanine]

Jan 4, 2023 13:18:48 GMT Osmosis said:

Jan 4, 2023 2:17:50 GMT BAZanine said:

Eh, I mean it's not like I'm just bolding notes because they have clout (i.e. bolding the G♯4 in "It's Now or Never", as previous incarnations of this thread did). The bolds '50s Elvis has are, in fact, boldworthy by '50s Elvis' standards. I don't feel like pretending he should be held to '60s/'70s Elvis' standards. It also helps that in that, I'm better representing the era from which the majority of people know Elvis.

Is this the standard for bolding across the forum though? Because a lot of singers don't have bolds from later in their career because their voice ages or becomes damaged from years of touring, thinking of rock singers in particular, and just does not hold up compared to what they were capable of earlier in their careers. 

Well, bear in mind that Elvis never got to grow old. A big difference with a fair slew of singers who grow old is that not only will their upper range deteriorate, but some will only occasionally enter what we consider to be significant high range at all. They'll change arrangements/keys in order to better fit their voice as it ages (Tom Jones is a wonderful example of this). This is especially prevalent with singers such as Jones, who favors a chestier approach in his high range. I see no reason to think Elvis would have been any different on this front. So although it's true that '60s/'70s Elvis went for higher/more sustained notes than '50s Elvis did, that's not to say '50s Elvis didn't hit significant high notes as often. Dare I say '50s Elvis entered the E4-G4 range more often on average than '60s/'70s Elvis did the E4-C5 range, largely on account of the increase in slower, more conservative pieces arranged to compliment Elvis' darkened timbre. On that front, it only makes sense that I'd want to represent '50s Elvis' still-extensive belting range with a couple bolds.

[Steingrim]

Elvis was in his late 30s during the 1970s, I don't think his voice in and of itself had changed measurably since his debut at 19. He was a better singer at any pitch, he had a more developed baritone as well as the ability to sing higher notes with confidence. His extensive range gave his timbre some fluidity, which he learned to employ.

[BAZanine]

Well, I'm going to grant you all that there is a level of nuance to it. I'm not holding every song to the same era's standards or any other uniform, nor am I simply bolding notes as liberally as I can get away with. There are balances to these things. I want to best represent all of the angles of Elvis' image, not simply weighing one era more highly on the grounds that the other isn't technically as good. Chances are there are a few potentially boldworthy passages by '50s Elvis' standards that I've left out for the purpose of giving this thread balance, but that doesn't mean I'm going to go as far as reserving bolds exclusively for his later career. I've spelled out my reasoning for this before.

Jan 5, 2023 7:38:08 GMT Steingrim said:

Elvis was in his late 30s during the 1970s, I don't think his voice in and of itself had changed measurably since his debut at 19.

Honestly, I have to disagree with this. It's pretty clear to me that Elvis' tone was not NEARLY as bright as it was in the '50s. Take for example this performance of "My Baby Left Me", where he sings the first few lines attempting to emulate his old sound:

Now, here's the original for reference:

It's pretty clear to me that he's uncomfortable trying to sing like that in 1974, especially considering he gives up trying a couple lines in. Even if all the same range was there and then some, he was markedly darker tonally and had better laryngeal placement to boot. That said, none of this really has to do with the fact that in the '70s, he sang many more reserved ballads that better complimented his voice than they would have '50s Elvis'. Take for example a fair portion of From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee. Not to say '50s Elvis had no ballads, but belting in that E4-G4 range was much more his shtick then.

[Steingrim]

Elvis' voice from that 1956 song sounds a bit juvenile to me. A bit nasal. It had obviously changed from that by 1974, but I don't think it had anything to do with pitch. And his E4-C5 range that you mentioned often had a bright, ringing tenor sound to it.