Elvis Presley - Long Black Limousine - From First Take To The Master

Prior to recording at American Sound in January and February 1969, it was almost unheard of for Elvis to explore the darkest of subjects, death, in his recordings with the most downbeat that songs would ever go were in reference to lost loves and the loneliness that accompanies this situation. Whilst it is true that there is a veiled reference to suicide in "Long Lonely Highway", in the lines :
"My drinking water's muddy so don't you tell me buddy
That I wouldn't be better off dead
It's a long lonely highway gettin' longer all the time
And if she don't come and get me
Well, I'm gonna lose my mind
So if you read about me tell her she's the one to blame"
it is not completely clear if this in fact the message being conveyed, but prior to the Memphis sessions, it is almost a unique reference in an Elvis recording and other than in Gospel recordings, is probably the closest Elvis came to a serious mention of the subject matter.
In an almost subconscious reinforcement of the new more mature material that Elvis would record during the "Memphis Sessions" of 1969, the lyrics of three songs from the thirty two recorded make a specific reference to death with a possible fourth depending on the interpretation of the listener. In the cases of "In The Ghetto" and "Mama Liked The Roses" there is but one reference, both towards the end of the songs but with "Don't Cry Daddy" it is less clear as there is no specific mention of whether Elvis is mourning the death of his love and son's mother, or the pain of separation they feel from a relationship breaking up.
With "Long Black Limousine" however, the theme continues throughout the song, and in lesser hands the song could perhaps have been a depressing dirge, but Elvis in his role of master storyteller and interpreter manages to make the song a riveting listen.
As the first song recorded on the very first evening of those legendary sessions, on 13 January 1969, Elvis puts every ounce of energy into the song, and leaves the listener in no doubt as to his depth of feeling for the recently deceased. Elvis reaches the desired effect by blending aspects of country and soul together, giving a masterful performance but in quality terms, this song was only the beginning.
Written by Vern Stovell and Bobby George, "Long Black Limousine" tells the story of a a small town girl lost to the bright lights of the big city and her premature return to her hometown in a funeral procession after a fatal traffic accident. The story is told through the eyes of a former boyfriend who lost her as she was attracted to the city lights, and how her return fulfills a vow to "return in a fancy car, for all the town to see" but the fancy car is instead a hearse, the "Long Black Limousine" of the title.
Elvis took nine takes to achieve the master, but other than the master only one complete version was achieved, take six. Unhappy with his vocal towards the conclusion of the recording, Elvis re-recorded his vocal from the words "Through tear filled eyes.." until the ending in the early hours of 22 January, and later that same day brass and the distinctive intro piano overdubs signifying church bells were added. Back up vocals were recorded two days later but the final overdubs, strings consisting of seven violins, five violas and two cellos were not added until the afternoon of 18 March 1969 and all to an arrangement by Mike Leech and Glen Spreen.
"Long Black Limousine" was released on "From Elvis In Memphis", and was the fourth track on the album's side one, and an alternate mix of the master was released in 1987 on "The Memphis Record".

As with all of these videos, to get the most out of the re-edited audio, I highly recommend you use ear /headphones and turn the volume up as much as you dare!

Видео Elvis Presley - Long Black Limousine - From First Take To The Master канала The Ultimate Elvis Channel by Leon