Clambake (album)
Encyclopedia
Clambake is the thirtieth album
by Elvis Presley
, released on RCA Victor Records in mono
and stereo
, LPM/LSP 3893, in October 1967. Recording sessions took place at RCA Studio B
in Nashville, Tennessee
, on February 21, 22, and 23, 1967. Supplemental material sessions took place on September 10 and 11, 1967. It peaked at #40 on the Billboard 200
.
, that left an album of merely seven songs.
The album would prove to be a turning point in Presley's career. After many years of churning out forgettable songs for forgettable films, he was clearly past his prime. All realms of popular music had totally bypassed him during the 1960s while he had been 'lost in Hollywood'. So Presley decided to begin recording music written by accomplished songwriters. A session to record additional material in Hollywood was cancelled in August, rescheduled at RCA Studio B
in September. Disregarding publishing control, Presley picked songs that appealed to him personally, including Eddy Arnold's
country and western hit of 1956 "You Don't Know Me" and Jimmy Reed's
1960 rhythm and blues
hit, "Big Boss Man
." Both selections were issued as a single
at the end of September before being added to the album, the A-side just barely making the Top 40. Presley also requested a song he had heard on the radio in Los Angeles
by Jerry Reed
, inviting Reed himself to duplicate the distinctive acoustic guitar
part. They rousted Reed from a fishing-trip, who arrived to play on Presley's version of his own composition, "Guitar Man
." After it was recorded, Reed refused to turn over the usual publishing percentages to Freddy Bienstock
, another assault on the soundtrack formula that had been in place throughout the decade. Five songs were selected from this session to bring the album up to a total of twelve tracks.
Including this LP, of his fifteen albums since Pot Luck with Elvis
in 1962, only three had not been film soundtracks: one was a compilation
of hit singles, one a compilation of leftovers
from a ten-year span of recording sessions, and only one a bona fide studio album
, the gospel
How Great Thou Art. Even with the five recent non-movie songs, including a hit single, Clambake sold less than 200,000 copies, faring worse than its predecessor Double Trouble
which had been his lowest-charting album so far.
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, released on RCA Victor Records in mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
and stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
, LPM/LSP 3893, in October 1967. Recording sessions took place at RCA Studio B
RCA Studio B
RCA Studio B is a noted recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Situated at 30 Music Square W and originally known simply as RCA Studios, it became famous in the 1960s for being a part of what many refer to as the Nashville Sound...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, on February 21, 22, and 23, 1967. Supplemental material sessions took place on September 10 and 11, 1967. It peaked at #40 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Content
By the end of 1966, Presley no longer commanded the same level of sales or artistic respect as he had during the first ten years of his career. But Elvis had little enthusiasm at this juncture for more soundtrack sessions, the project already in jeopardy before it started. The sessions turned out a fiasco; of the eight songs recorded, two had been edited out of the film, and even with "How Can You Lose What You Never Had" restored to the soundtrackSoundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
, that left an album of merely seven songs.
The album would prove to be a turning point in Presley's career. After many years of churning out forgettable songs for forgettable films, he was clearly past his prime. All realms of popular music had totally bypassed him during the 1960s while he had been 'lost in Hollywood'. So Presley decided to begin recording music written by accomplished songwriters. A session to record additional material in Hollywood was cancelled in August, rescheduled at RCA Studio B
RCA Studio B
RCA Studio B is a noted recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Situated at 30 Music Square W and originally known simply as RCA Studios, it became famous in the 1960s for being a part of what many refer to as the Nashville Sound...
in September. Disregarding publishing control, Presley picked songs that appealed to him personally, including Eddy Arnold's
Eddy Arnold
Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more...
country and western hit of 1956 "You Don't Know Me" and Jimmy Reed's
Jimmy Reed
Mathis James "Jimmy" Reed was an American blues musician and songwriter, notable for bringing his distinctive style of blues to mainstream audiences. Reed was a major player in the field of electric blues, as opposed to the more acoustic-based sound of many of his contemporaries...
1960 rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues
Rhythm and blues, often abbreviated to R&B, is a genre of popular African American music that originated in the 1940s. The term was originally used by record companies to describe recordings marketed predominantly to urban African Americans, at a time when "urbane, rocking, jazz based music with a...
hit, "Big Boss Man
Big Boss Man (song)
"Big Boss Man" is a blues song written by Luther Dixon and Al Smith in 1960 and first recorded by Jimmy Reed. The song was a hit for Reed and has been interpreted and recorded by a variety of artists, including Elvis Presley and B.B...
." Both selections were issued as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
at the end of September before being added to the album, the A-side just barely making the Top 40. Presley also requested a song he had heard on the radio in Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
by Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed
Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
, inviting Reed himself to duplicate the distinctive acoustic guitar
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
part. They rousted Reed from a fishing-trip, who arrived to play on Presley's version of his own composition, "Guitar Man
Guitar Man (Jerry Reed song)
"Guitar Man" is a 1967 song written by Jerry Reed, who took his version of it to number 53 on the country music charts in 1967.Soon after Reed's single appeared, Elvis Presley recorded the song, and it became a minor country and pop hit...
." After it was recorded, Reed refused to turn over the usual publishing percentages to Freddy Bienstock
Freddy Bienstock
Freddy Bienstock was an American music publisher who built his career in music by being the person responsible for soliciting and selecting songs for Elvis Presley's early albums and films.-Early life:...
, another assault on the soundtrack formula that had been in place throughout the decade. Five songs were selected from this session to bring the album up to a total of twelve tracks.
Including this LP, of his fifteen albums since Pot Luck with Elvis
Pot Luck (album)
Pot Luck with Elvis is the fifteenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2523, in June 1962. Recording sessions took place on March 22, 1961, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, and on June 25 and October 15, 1961, and March 18 and March 19, 1962, at RCA Studio B...
in 1962, only three had not been film soundtracks: one was a compilation
Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3
Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3 is a greatest hits album by American rock and roll icon Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor, RCA Victor LPM-2765, on August 11, 1963. The record was the third volume of a five volume collection...
of hit singles, one a compilation of leftovers
Elvis for Everyone
Elvis for Everyone! is the twenty-third album by Elvis Presley, issued on RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3450, in August 1965. Recording sessions took place over a ten-year span at Sun Studio in Memphis, RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California...
from a ten-year span of recording sessions, and only one a bona fide studio album
Studio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
, the gospel
Gospel music
Gospel music is music that is written to express either personal, spiritual or a communal belief regarding Christian life, as well as to give a Christian alternative to mainstream secular music....
How Great Thou Art. Even with the five recent non-movie songs, including a hit single, Clambake sold less than 200,000 copies, faring worse than its predecessor Double Trouble
Double Trouble (Elvis Presley album)
Double Trouble is the twenty-ninth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3787, in June 1967. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders and at MGM Studios in Hollywood, California, on June 28, 29, and 30, 1966...
which had been his lowest-charting album so far.
Personnel
- Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
- vocals - The JordanairesThe JordanairesThe Jordanaires are an American vocal quartet, which formed as a gospel group in 1948. They are best known for providing vocal background for Elvis Presley, in live appearances and recordings from 1956 to 1972...
- backing vocals - Millie KirkhamMillie KirkhamMildred 'Millie' Kirkham is an American singer who was featured on many classic hit recordings from the mid 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life:Kirkham was born in Nashville, Tennessee...
, Dolores Edgin, June PageJune PageJune Page is a British actress, best known for her role as Sally in the 1970s television drama Survivors.Her other TV credits include: Doctor Who , Brideshead Revisited, Casualty, The Bill and Bad Girls....
, Priscilla Hubbard - backing vocals - Boots RandolphBoots RandolphHomer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit, "Yakety Sax"...
, Norm Ray - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Pete DrakePete DrakePete Drake , born Roddis Franklin Drake, was a major Nashville, Tennessee-based record producer and pedal steel guitar player....
- pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"... - Scotty MooreScotty MooreWinfield Scott "Scotty" Moore III is an American guitarist. He is best known for his backing of Elvis Presley in the first part of his career, between 1954 and the beginning of Elvis' Hollywood years...
, Harold BradleyHarold BradleyHarold Bradley is a pop guitarist and an American country guitarist.Harold played banjo as a child but switched to guitar on the advice of his elder brother, Owen Bradley. Owen arranged for Harold to tour with Ernest Tubb while Harold was still in high school. After graduation, Harold joined the...
, Chip Young - electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Jerry ReedJerry ReedJerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films...
- guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with... - Charlie McCoyCharlie McCoyCharles "Charlie" Ray McCoy is an American musician noted for his harmonica playing. In his career, McCoy has backed several notable musicians including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Tom Astor, Elvis Presley and Ween. He has also recorded thirty-seven studio albums, including fourteen for Monument Records...
- electric guitar, organOrgan (music)The organ , is a keyboard instrument of one or more divisions, each played with its own keyboard operated either with the hands or with the feet. The organ is a relatively old musical instrument in the Western musical tradition, dating from the time of Ctesibius of Alexandria who is credited with...
, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Floyd CramerFloyd CramerFloyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
, Hoyt Hawkins - pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
, organ - Bob MooreBob MooreBob Loyce Moore is an American session musician, orchestra leader, and bassist who was a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:...
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - D.J. Fontana, Buddy HarmanBuddy HarmanBuddy Harman was an American session musician.-Career:Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Roger Miller,...
- drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Side one
| Track | Recorded | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9/10/67 | Guitar Man Guitar Man (Jerry Reed song) "Guitar Man" is a 1967 song written by Jerry Reed, who took his version of it to number 53 on the country music charts in 1967.Soon after Reed's single appeared, Elvis Presley recorded the song, and it became a minor country and pop hit... |
Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Jerry Reed Hubbard , known professionally as Jerry Reed, was an American country music singer, innovative guitarist, songwriter, and actor who appeared in more than a dozen films... |
2:30 |
| 2. | 2/22/67 | Clambake | Ben Weisman Ben Weisman Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971... and Sid Wayne Sid Wayne Sid Wayne was an American songwriter, lyricist and composer, who wrote a number of well-known songs from the 1950s to the 1980s... |
2:36 |
| 3. | 2/22/67 | Who Needs Money | Randy Starr Randy Starr Randy Starr is the stage name of Warren Nadel . He was educated at Columbia University where he took his undergraduate degree from Columbia College in 1951, and his DDS degree in dentistry from Columbia College of Dental Medicine in 1954... |
3:15 |
| 4. | 2/21/67 | A House That Has Everything | Roy C. Bennett Roy C. Bennett Roy C. Bennett is an American songwriter known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley... and Sid Tepper Sid Tepper Sid Tepper is an American songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.-Biography:... |
2:14 |
| 5. | 2/22/67 | Confidence | Roy C. Bennett Roy C. Bennett Roy C. Bennett is an American songwriter known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley... and Sid Tepper Sid Tepper Sid Tepper is an American songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.-Biography:... |
2:33 |
| 6. | 2/22/67 | Hey, Hey, Hey | Joy Byers | 2:30 |
Side two
| Track | Recorded | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9/11/67 | 47-9341b | 9/26/67 | #44 | You Don't Know Me | Cindy Walker Cindy Walker Cindy Walker was a prolific American songwriter, as well as a country music singer and dancer. As a songwriter Walker was responsible for a large number of popular and enduring songs recorded by many different artists. She adopted a craftsman-like approach to her songwriting, often tailoring... and Eddy Arnold Eddy Arnold Richard Edward Arnold , known professionally as Eddy Arnold, was an American country music singer who performed for six decades. He was a so-called Nashville sound innovator of the late 1950s, and scored 147 songs on the Billboard country music charts, second only to George Jones. He sold more... |
2:27 |
| 2. | 2/21/67 | The Girl I Never Loved | Randy Starr Randy Starr Randy Starr is the stage name of Warren Nadel . He was educated at Columbia University where he took his undergraduate degree from Columbia College in 1951, and his DDS degree in dentistry from Columbia College of Dental Medicine in 1954... |
1:52 | |||
| 3. | 2/21/67 | How Can You Lose What You Never Had | Ben Weisman Ben Weisman Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971... and Sid Wayne Sid Wayne Sid Wayne was an American songwriter, lyricist and composer, who wrote a number of well-known songs from the 1950s to the 1980s... |
2:27 | |||
| 4. | 9/10/67 | 47-9341 | 9/26/67 | #38 | Big Boss Man Big Boss Man (song) "Big Boss Man" is a blues song written by Luther Dixon and Al Smith in 1960 and first recorded by Jimmy Reed. The song was a hit for Reed and has been interpreted and recorded by a variety of artists, including Elvis Presley and B.B... |
Luther Dixon Luther Dixon Luther Dixon was an American songwriter, record producer, and singer. Dixon's songs achieved their greatest success in the 1950s and 60s, and were recorded by Elvis Presley, The Beatles, The Jackson 5, B.B. King, Dusty Springfield, and others... and Al Smith |
2:50 |
| 5. | 9/11/67 | Singing Tree Singing Tree Singing Tree is a song written by Nashville songwriter A.L. "Doodle" Owens and A. C. Solberg. It was recorded by Elvis Presley in 1967 and appeared on the soundtrack album Clambake that year.... |
A.L. Owens and A.C. Solberg | 2:17 | |||
| 6. | 9/10/67 | Just Call Me Lonesome | Rex Griffin Rex Griffin Alsie "Rex" Griffin was an American country musician and songwriter.-Early years:Griffin was born in Gadsden, Alabama as the second of seven children to Marion and Selma Griffin. He grew up on a farm and received little schooling, eventually finding work in the factory where his father worked as a... |
2:05 |