Go to main content

Pot Luck

By Blogcritics/ David Bowling, July 09, 2008 | Music

Pot Luck by Elvis Presley was released June 5, 1962 and reached number 4 on the national charts. Except for gospel releases, it would be his last true studio album for seven years. It was very apparent to the RCA label and manager Col. Tom Parker that movies and soundtrack albums were the most popular and hence made the most money for Elvis as well as themselves.

Now appealing to a wide audience, he had moved beyond his rock ’n’ roll roots and was producing solid, and in some cases creative, pop songs. Pot Luck reflects this mature Elvis. It is an album similar to Something For Everybody, in that it contained a lot of good songs but no classics. Yet, the listening experience is excellent showing that the whole was better than the parts.

The classy pop songs “(Such An) Easy Question” and “I’m Yours” would be released three years later as a successful single. “I’m Yours” has a dubbed duet on the album cut that was eliminated for that single release. This album track was the superior as it has a much fuller sound.

“Suspicion” was an interesting track. It would also be released as part of a single at a later date but in 1964 Terry Stafford would have a hit in the United States with the song. It would be an almost exact copy of this album track and Stafford’s voice even sounded like Elvis. It would be one of the very few times when an artist stole an Elvis Presley song and produced the more successful version.

The absolute gem contained on the album and one of the most interesting tracks that Elvis ever produced was “That Someone You Never Forget.” Elvis takes a rare writing credit for this song. He came up with the title and the idea for a tribute commemorating his mother who died while he was serving in the military. He produced one of the great vocals of his career on this very personal song. Elvis means it here and it shows.

There were several other good tracks included on this album. “Night Rider” is catchy and could have been a successful single release. “Just For Old Time Sake” is an effective balled which features a smooth vocal. “Fountain Of Love” is a nice up-tempo pop ditty that just rolls along. The CD reissue of this album includes the song “You’ll Be Gone” which was originally the flip side of the single “Do The Clam.” This may be the only song to which Elvis actually wrote the lyrics.

Pot Luck is an apt name for this album. While it will never be viewed as one of the classic or even memorable Elvis releases, it does in its own way hold up well. It remains a relaxing album and proves that Elvis could make almost any group of songs worthwhile.

Related links


Buy at OEPFC

Buy at Amazon.co.uk
JerryNodak wrote on July 08, 2008
My favorite '60s studio album. Elvis at his early '60s ballad peak. Sublime!
Steve V wrote on July 08, 2008
Not a classic LP but a a nice listen. The title suggests it all. You get what you get out of it, very similar to Something For Everybody, but mellower. I think Suspicioin is a classic and should have been the single release instead of She's Not You. RCA missed the boat on that one as was proved.
dressingroomrehearsa wrote on July 09, 2008
Just For Old Times Sake is my all-time favourite
frenchguy wrote on July 09, 2008
Hi JerryNodak, I just love your comments, because I so much agree with your usual opinions about Elvis music. After I discovered Elvis by listening to the radio here in France during the summer of 1962, I first bought the His Hand in Mine LP, and then Pot Luck. I was just blown away! The smoothness of his voice, the crystal clear Nashville sound (although I didn't know then much about that), the wonderful harmonizing voices of the Jordanaires (compare to the colourless Summer and Stamps), that fabulous ability to sing all kind of songs...I couln't believe it ! No David Bowling, Suspicion isn't just an interesting song, it's a monster of a song ! It throws Terry Stafford's version to the oubliettes ! Pot Luck not a classic album, not even memorable ? That kind of statement always completely amazes me ! And the way Elvis runs through the uptempo songs like Night Rider or Gonna get back home somehow testifies of the new maturity of the King of rock and roll. Fabulous ! To me, Elvis is at his best in the early sixties !
Natha wrote on July 09, 2008
Wonderful album, again with a wide variety of songs. The maturing voice of Elvis is so wonderful to listen to. To me it is a classic album, as it encompasses his ability in that time frame. Here you will witness what Elvis did in the studio, far removed from soundtracks. The reviewer is right in the sense that the management preferred movie related albums. This album represents Elvis from the heart.
busboy wrote on July 09, 2008
Agree with Steve v, not a classic. For me the material is not top drawer and is lifted above mediocre purely by Elvis as he could make an ordinary song sound great. Suspicion is a monster track and should have been number 1 around the world. Obviously the colonel had got his way and Elvis was now appealing to kids and grannies to and for me things were turning a little bit bland.
sugartummy wrote on April 11, 2013
Surely not as good as Elvis is back!, but it contains a variety of good to excellent songs.