Ken Sharp’s 400 pages book with over 140 interviews with songwriters like John Fogerty, Paul McCartney, Leiber & Stoller, Pomus & Shuman, Phil Spector, Tommy Durden, Red West, Mark James, Tony Joe White and publisher Freddy Bienstock is avaialble for pre-order.
"Writing for the King" is a fascinating behind-the-scenes story of politics, money, inspiration and great trivia about Elvis and the songs he turned into classics. Included is a CD of previously unreleased RCA recordings of Elvis performing live in Las Vegas (1969 through 1972) plus a second CD with a selection of the original demos submitted to Elvis. The demo CD takes us from “Heartbreak Hotel” through classics like “Teddy Bear,” “Trouble,” “Burning Love” and “Way Down.”
400-Page Book and 2 CDs!
DISC 1 - THE RECORDINGS - ELVIS PRESLEY
All selections on this disc are live recordings from Elvis concerts at recorded at The International Hotel in Las Vegas, a.k.a. The Las Vegas Hilton.
M = Midnight Show
D = Dinner Show
August 1969:
BLUE SUEDE SHOES (24th/M) 2:51
(Carl Perkins)
I GOT A WOMAN (24th/M) 2:36
(Ray Charles)
ALL SHOOK UP (24th/M) 3:06
(Blackwell/Presley)
LOVE ME TENDER (24th/M) 2:46
(Matson/Presley)
JAILHOUSE ROCK / DON’T BE CRUEL (24th/M) 2:38
(Leiber/Stoller) / (Blackwell/Presley)
HEARTBREAK HOTEL (24th/M) 4:05
(Axton/Durden/Presley)
HOUND DOG (24th/M) 1:26
(Leiber/Stoller)
WORDS (25th/D) 2:41
(Barry, spectacle & Robin Gibb)
YESTERDAY/HEY JUDE (25th/D) 4:34
(Lennon/McCartney)
IN THE GHETTO (25th/M) 2:43
(Mac Davis)
February 1970:
DON’T CRY DADDY (16th/D) 2:50
(Mac Davis)
POLK SALAD ANNIE (16th/D) 5:38
(Tony Joe White)
KENTUCKY RAIN (17th/D) 3:16
(Rabbitt/Heard)
WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES (16th/D) 2:50
(Joe South)
August 1970:
SOMETHING (11th/D) 4:45
(George Harrison)
YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ (11th/D) 4.45
(Mann/Weil)
I JUST CAN’T HELP BELIEVIN’ (13th/D) 3:13
(Mann/Weil)
February, 1972:
NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN (14th/M) 3:30
(Hoyt Axton)
LOVE ME (14th/M) 1:55
(Leiber/Stoller)
(LET ME BE YOUR) TEDDY BEAR / DON’T BE CRUEL (14th/M) 1:52
(Mann/Lowe) / (Blackwell/Presley)
A BIG HUNK O’ LOVE (14th/M) 2:04
(Schroeder/Wyche)
August, 1969:
SUSPICIOUS MINDS (24th/M) 6:56
(Mark James)
CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (24th/M) 2:09
(Peretti/Creatore/Weiss)
DISC 2 - THE DEMOS – VARIOUS ARTISTS
HEARTBREAK HOTEL
(Axton/Durden/Presley)
Singer: Glenn Reeves
(LET ME BE YOUR) TEDDY BEAR
(Kal Mann/Bernie Lowe)
Singer: Otis Blackwell
DON’T ASK ME WHY
(Fred Wise/Ben Weisman)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove
HARD HEADED WOMAN
(Claude DeMetrius)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove
TROUBLE
(Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
Singer: Unknown
WEAR MY RING AROUND YOUR NECK
(Bert Carroll/Russell Moody)
Singer: Gus Coletti
POCKETFUL OF RAINBOWS
(Fred Wise/Ben Weisman)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove
NO MORE
(Don Robertson/Hal Blair)
Singer: Don Robertson
(MARIE’S THE NAME OF) HIS LATEST FLAME
(Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman)
Singer: Mort Shuman
GOOD LUCK CHARM
(Aaron Schroeder/Wally Gold)
Singer: Robert Moseley
DEVIL IN DISGUISE
(Bill Giant/Bernie Baum/Florence Kaye)
Singer: Bill Giant
VIVA LAS VEGAS
(Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman)
Singer: Mort Shuman
C’MON EVERYBODY
(Joy Byers)
Singer: Bob Johnston
KISSIN’ COUSINS
(Fred Wise/Randy Starr)
Singer: Malcolm Dodd
MY DESERT SERENADE
(Stanley Gelber)
Singer: Kenny Karen
COULD I FALL IN LOVE
(Randy Starr)
Singer: Malcolm Dodd
THE LOVE MACHINE
(G. Nelson/F. Burch/C. Taylor)
Singer: Gerald Nelson
CLAMBAKE – alternate song
(Winfield Scott)
Singer: Winfield Scott
WEARIN’ THAT LOVED ON LOOK
(Dallas Frazier/A. L. Owens)
Singer: Dallas Frazier
I’VE LOST YOU
(Howard/Blaikley)
Singer: Peter Lee Sterling
THE NEXT STEP IS LOVE
(Evans/Parnes)
Singer: Paul Evans
MARY IN THE MORNING
(Cymbal/Rashkow)
Singer: Johnny Cymbal
BURNING LOVE
(Dennis Linde)
Singer: Dennis Linde
T-R-O-U-B-L-E
(Jerry Chesnut)
Singer: Jerry Chesnut
RAISED ON ROCK
(Mark James)
Singer: Mark James
WAY DOWN
(Layng Martine Jr.)
Singer: Layng Martine Jr.
Writing For The King Available For Pre-order
November 21, 2006 | Book
Related links
MauriceColgan wrote on
November 21, 2006
"Don't judge a book by it's cover" is, because of Elvis, obsolete now:-) How many Elvis fans will resist this one? Another bookshelf is next!
MauriceColgan wrote on
November 21, 2006
That's Ok Jth. Our two children, six grandaughters, and great grandson will make up for you. I bet you eventually buy a used copy:-)
MR61 wrote on
November 21, 2006
I will give this a miss for a bit too much better stuff out there at the moment I am not made of money. A cd of other people singing i would rather listen to the man instead this release is a bit of a con to me. Why are they all live versions would have been better studio versions think ernest lost the plot this time. I will buy next winter when it goes a bit quite after the 30th anniversary
Kenneth wrote on
November 22, 2006
this is one that i would never pass up on,i would love to hear the original songs that elvis chose to record,he chose them for a reason and i would really like to know what those reasons were,in other words, what was he thinking?.
MR61 wrote on
November 23, 2006
most probably elvis and the col got a cut of the rights. i cant believe elvis chose my desert serenade by choice you have got to admit alot of his film songs where c**p.
Dixieland Rock wrote on
November 23, 2006
MR61, I agree about the song "My Desert Serenade". Also, who decided that "Song of the Shrimp" was the right song for Elvis to sing? I can't begin to understand their logic at the time. What were they thinking? "We just had a million seller with 'It's Now or Never' & 'Stuck On You', so a great follow up would be to have Elvis sing 'The Walls Have Ears'."...lol. My boy, my boy.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
November 28, 2006
Sure it does, it gets people to pay 2,3,4 times what they would pay for a regular release,this book on amazon is selling for around $160 usd? are they kidding? at least have a official website were people can order these,i wish they would stick to regular releases,but thats not going to happen,this label to me is becoming more about quanity than quality,and then there going to release a feb vegas disc in april? with the same tracks you get with this book?i love alot of the ftd's releases but this book idea was a bad one in my oppion stick to the music, we have enough books and dvds of story after story!
Steve V wrote on
November 28, 2006
I have always heard that Elvis was in complete control over what songs he chose to record. The choices must have been pretty bad when we have Song Of The Shrimp, Desert Serenade, Queenie Wahini, Petunia, Chesay, etc. Were these the best of the lot or did he just do what he was told? We will never know. I'm not sure about this one yet. If it was cheaper, I would say yes. I may wait a while.
MR61 wrote on
November 29, 2006
£60 or there about thats what i have heard what this will cost you got to be having a laugh. ftd stick to the music and leave the books to an other firm surley there must be more demanding stuff still out there or is that it the bottom of the barrel what next a cd full of the tcb band ect doing over dubs i give up. its says ug on my head not mug.
Janus wrote on
December 06, 2006
I have the book and it's very interesting to read al those moments from the writers point of view. I love the interviews with Jerry Reed and Tony White and people like leiber and stoller. The others persond who wrote for elvis are sometime suprisingly tender. The whole book is a must have , i think for all the fans. I'll will give it a 5 star product!!!
clp1093 wrote on
December 12, 2006
Some intersting comments from fans. I have this release and find it fascinating. I actually found the Demo disc exteemly entertaining. Is this relaes good value? On balance I believe it is
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
December 13, 2006
Just a note to the american buyers of this book and other follow that dream cd's,the official website of elvis,that does have the cheapest prices in the states,has just sent me an email answering my request to make sure my book and other cd was wrapped with bubble wrap, they have told me that there bubble wrap supply is limited but my order would be recieved the best care? ive never been told this before from a company, a company that is in the business of selling items daily that are of course shipped,i would advise you to think twice before ordering from them,.sometimes your order will come just fine and other times it wont,this is yet another reason there should be a official website for follow that dream,prices are way too high in many online stores and the one store with decent prices has sorry service!