Who produced the "Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite" album?

[DarylR]

Hi guys and gals,

Something that has come to my attention. I was looking at the various paperwork and books I have pertaining to the "Aloha From Hawaii" TV Special and there seems to be some consensus that Joan Deary was the producer of the album. The RCA recording pages list her solely as A&R and not producer. Even Ernst's "A Life In Music" book took this approach. So where does Felton Jarvis fit into all of this. I know he had some serious issues with kidney illness around this time. Then I came across this newspaper article from January 1, 1973. In the article, it states that Felton was soon to depart via flight for Hawaii on Saturday, January 6, 1973 for the taping of the television special. This would lead me to believe that Felton Jarvis was present for the show and did produce the album even though he isn't listed on the various paperwork.

The_Tennessean_Mon__Jan_1__1973_ (3).jpg

The_Tennessean_Mon__Jan_1__1973_ (3) - Copy.jpg

Here's two more articles from the Longview (Texas) News Journal, one dated the day of the "Aloha" broadcast and the other dated a week later. Both seem to confirm that Felton Jarvis did travel to Hawaii for the show and did produce the album of the show.

Longview_News_Journal_Sun__Jan_14__1973_.jpg

Longview_News_Journal_Sun__Jan_21__1973_.jpg

So should Felton be listed as producer with Joan Deary retaining her A&R title. Of course Marty Pasetta should be listed as NBC television producer.

DarylR

[colonel snow]

When the Elvis Presley show travelled on 8 january 1973 from Los Angeles and/or other cities to Honolullu his name wasn’t mentioned on the flight schemes. Maybe he travelled on another date? Felton Jarvis isn't mentioned anywhere on several papers.

colonel snow

[The Warder]

I don’t mean to take this thread of subject, quick question while we’re on about the ‘Aloha From Hawaii’ LP. I remember seeing a copy some years ago, same cover, same circle but no Elvis. Can anyone post any information on this? I’ve not seen a copy since and maybe I should have bought it at the time.

[Sebastiano]

Here's an interesting scan.
I guess there were no an actual musical producer.
I think that Elvis and Al Pachucki made the main job in the arena, audio wise.
Probably once that the show was over, tape were sent to Los Angeles for the remaining mix and mastering.
Sebastiano Cecere

[Rickeap]

It's Impossible and Lawdy Miss clawdy??? Where did they came from?

[DarylR]

When the Elvis Presley show travelled on 8 january 1973 from Los Angeles and/or other cities to Honolullu his name wasn’t mentioned on the flight schemes. Maybe he travelled on another date? Felton Jarvis isn't mentioned anywhere on several papers.

colonel snow

I did find a letter dated December 28, 1972 from Pat Kelleher to George Parkhill in which it mentions that Felton and his wife Mary would be arriving on January 7, 1973.

[DarylR]

It's Impossible and Lawdy Miss clawdy??? Where did they came from?

They were songs that were considered for the "Aloha" show.

From the January 12, 1973 Dress Rehearsal Show: “Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On,” “My Babe,” “Little Sister,” “One Night,” “It’s Impossible,” “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy,” “All Shook Up,” “The Wonder Of You,” “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Johnny B. Goode,” “How Great Thou Art” and “I Got A Woman”

From the January 14, 1973 Main Performance: “My Babe,” “Little Sister,” “One Night,” “It’s Impossible,” “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy,” “All Shook Up,” “The Wonder Of You,” “(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel,” “How Great Thou Art” and “I Got A Woman”

Now there are also other documents which list other potential songs such as Mac Davis' "Baby Don't Get Hooked On Me," Harry Nilsson's "Without You," "Born To Lose," and even "My Boy," which Elvis hadn't recorded yet. The list is titled "Elvis' Special Song List" and is dated January 8, 1973. There were 12 songs total on the list; of which he ended up performing 8 of them during the main performance. Although Elvis had previously recorded it back in September 1970, "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On" is among the 12 songs listed. The other 7 songs RCA had never issued on record previously. Those were "You Gave Me A Mountain," "Steamroller Blues," "What Now My Love," "Welcome To My World," "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," "It's Over" and "My Way." Some of these songs had been previously recorded by Elvis / RCA but had not been issued on record as of the concert. "My Way" had been recorded back in June 1971 in Nashville. "You Gave Me A Mountain" and "It's Over" had been recorded in Las Vegas and on the road during the February 1972 Vegas engagement and during the April 1972 tour. Elvis had just begun introducing "What Now My Love" into his act during the August / September 1972 Vegas engagement. He had attempted "Steamroller Blues" on at least one occasion during that same engagement. Glen Spreen had been asked to write an arrangement to "Steamroller Blues" similar to the Masqueraders' version but declined and told Red West to find someone else. Ultimately, they got Glen D. Hardin to write an arrangement to it. "Welcome To My World" and "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" were worked up during the rehearsals that preceded the concert. In fact, I believe James Burton had been fooling around with "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry" on guitar during rehearsals and Elvis asked him what song that was. Ultimately it ended up in the show.

Elvis was obligated due to the agreement with RCA pertaining to the "Aloha" TV special to perform 8 new songs during the main performance that had not been issued by RCA already. I just listed 7 of the 8. The eighth song was the Beatles' classic "Something," which Elvis had performed dating back to the August 1970 TTWII concerts but had never been issued on record by RCA at that time.

Another list shows 9 songs that RCA hadn't issued yet by Elvis. This list included "You Gave Me A Mountain," "What Now My Love," "Something," "My Way," "It's Over," and "Steamroller Blues." Also listed are thing such as "It's Impossible" (recorded in February 1972 but not issued until "Fool album in spring / summer 1973), "The Twelfth Of Never" (later rehearsed by Elvis in August 1974), and "Suzy Q."

There's other paperwork that lists potential songs such as "Love Me Tender," "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me," "Until It's Time For You To Go," "Polk Salad Annie," "Separate Ways" and "Funny How Time Slips Away" as potential songs for the show that didn't make the final cut.

DarylR

[Sebastiano]

Can you share this letter (Felton and his wife)?
Despite this, in the album there is no trace of any major real production job.
Thank you very much.
Sebastiano Cecere

[Sebastian E]

Maybe travel plans were cancelled last minute as Felton had received short notice that a donor kidney had been found. When exactly did the kidney transplant take place?

[colonel snow]

Maybe travel plans were cancelled last minute as Felton had received short notice that a donor kidney had been found. When exactly did the kidney transplant take place?

The transplantation took place in october 1972 and it was paid by Elvis.


colonel snow

[DarylR]

Maybe travel plans were cancelled last minute as Felton had received short notice that a donor kidney had been found. When exactly did the kidney transplant take place?

The transplantation took place in october 1972 and it was paid by Elvis.


colonel snow

The Tennessean article I posted originally mentions that it took place on October 7, 1972 If you Google the recovery time for a kidney transplant it says 8 weeks, which would have been early December 1972.

[Rickeap]

thanks for the info Daryl. I wish he had chosen some more uptempo material for his eight new songs

[DarylR]

thanks for the info Daryl. I wish he had chosen some more uptempo material for his eight new songs

At one time, I would have agreed with you but as I've gotten older, I've realized something that I don't think gets a lot of recognition on Elvis' part regarding the set list for the main performance of "Aloha." Many of the people who watched "Aloha" when it initially broadcast via satellite I imagine didn't speak English as their native language. They may not have even been able to speak English at all. That said, Elvis very easily could have made the entire show all about him and all of his hit songs over the years. But he didn't. He did some of his big hits such as "Hound Dog," "Can't Help Falling In Love," "Love Me," " "A Big Hunk O' Love," Suspicious Minds" and "Burning Love." But at the same time, I feel that Elvis represented much of the various strands of popular music in English speaking countries during the show. You want traditional blues, you got "See See Rider." You want traditional country, you got Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry." You want some of Elvis' 1950s rock contemporaries, you got Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode, Carl Perkins' "Blue Suede Shoes," Little Richard's ""Long Tall Sally" and Jerry Lee Lewis' "Whole Lotta Shakin' Going On." You want late 1950s / early 1960s Nashville sound, you got "Welcome To My World" and "I Can't Stop Loving You." Elvis' version of "I Can't Stop Loving You" also takes some inspiration from R&B singer Ray Charles' version besides country singer Don Gibson's original recording. You want contemporary singer / songwriter material, you got James Taylor's "Steamroller Blues." You want the Beatles, you got "Something." You want Sinatra, you got "My Way." You want Hawaiian music, you got "I'll Remember You." Although Elvis didn't perform a straight gospel number such as "How Great Thou Art" during the show, he did perform "You Gave Me A Mountain" which has a very gospel feel to it. You want something that's a little jazz-like, then there's Peggy Lee's "Fever." You want an English language song based upon a European melody, you got "What Now My Love." Although Elvis never did any Bob Dylan songs on stage, the closest he ever got to doing contemporary folk music on stage was Gordon Lightfoot's "Early Mornin' Rain." I think Elvis brought all of it together with his performance of "An American Trilogy," as if to say all of these strands of music in the United Stated were and still remain very popular and that he was a master vocal interpreter of each of these styles.

DarylR

[Sebastian E]

Maybe travel plans were cancelled last minute as Felton had received short notice that a donor kidney had been found. When exactly did the kidney transplant take place?

The transplantation took place in october 1972 and it was paid by Elvis.


colonel snow

The Tennessean article I posted originally mentions that it took place on October 7, 1972 If you Google the recovery time for a kidney transplant it says 8 weeks, which would have been early December 1972.

I still don't think that we are on the trail of any great mystery here. A letter and a newspaper article announcing Felton's travel plans do not prove that he actually made the trip to Hawaii. Felton probably didn't feel well enough at the beginning of January and therefore cancelled the trip at the last minute. For years it has been common knowledge that Felton was not present in Hawaii and that he was replaced by Joan Deary. Somewhere there is an interview in which Deary describes how she sat next to the recording device during the shows. The information you have uncovered does not convince me otherwise. Still, it is very interesing information, as it shows that the decision to send Joan Deary to Honolulu must have been taken at a very short notice. So thank you very much for presenting these facts.

[Sebastian E]

Interestingly, in the following interview, Ernst says that Felton "was there, but [...]Joan Deary ended up taking care of it".

https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/interv ... nsen.shtml