FROM TUPELO TO MEMPHIS. Stax Studios
On December 13, 1973, Elvis would record 3 songs at Stax Studios.
Songs:
"My Boy" by B. Martin and P. Coulter.
"Loving Arms" by Tom Jans
"Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues" by Danny O'Keefe
"My Boy" composed by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter.
The first song of the day, "My Boy" would give the best display in Elvis' attitude, his vocal warmth, his delivery.
Of most of the songs chosen for the Stax Studios sessions, some of the scores were chosen with great sensitivity, for their meaning, their identification with the artist. This would be one of the clearest cases and would also be one of the songs most remembered by the viewer in Elvis' voice in these sessions. One of the most interesting songs in these recordings and one of those that easily remain in the memory as a great song in Elvis' voice and representative of the 70s.
"My boy" one of the most inspiring songs for Elvis Presley and a great success, since here he pours all his passion and feeling. Surely because of the lyrics that could actually say a lot to Elvis, but the music is also magical, sensitive and with fragments that stick unconsciously.
A song composed by Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, that the great actor Richard Harris would record on his second album, in 1971. Elvis based himself on this version, which he liked so much. Elvis could not resist the lyrics of this song that talks about divorce and the love he has for his son.
Irish actor Richard Harris was not a great singer but he knew how to sell a song, proof of this would be his success with 'MacArthur Park' in 1968. He knew the songwriting/production team, Bill Martin and Phil Coulter, and they adapted a Claude Francois song, 'Parce que je t'aime, mon enfant', into 'My Boy'. Bill Martin recalls, "On the demo only Phil played and I sang. We gave it to Richard Harris, who thought it was phenomenal. Richard was getting divorced and this song was about someone who was thinking about getting divorced. The song was entered with Richard Harris into the Radio Luxembourg Grand Prix Music competition in 1971 and won. This is possibly how Elvis came to know it.
The authors Bill Martin and Phill Coulter knew that Elvis had performed it in Las Vegas in August of the same year and they thought of writing to him to get him interested in recording it.
Bill Martin asked his secretary to start the letter by saying, 'Dear Elvis'. She said, 'Elvis who?' to which Bill said, 'Elvis Presley'. She said.
"You can't write to Elvis Presley."
Not only did this not discourage her, but she wrote him several letters, hoping he would record them. Fortunately it would reach Elvis who would decide to record it , Bil met the recording engineer who told him that Elvis listened to the playback over 30 times. That's what he usually did when a song excited him and this one did.
At this time when Elvis had focused on his love for his daughter, leaving his wife behind because of the divorce and putting his devotion to his circumstances first and foremost, it would be the reason this lyric would make an impact on his mood. In it he told his son how much he loved him and the obligation of separation was what came to Elvis, the Truth of the Heart.
"Following the Way of the King..."
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Tupelo to Memphis 82
Stax Studios 2. December 1973
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