That's the Way It Is is the twelfth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Records, LSP 4445, in November 1970. It consists of eight studio tracks recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, and four live in-concert tracks recorded at The International Hotel in Las Vegas. It accompanied the theatrical release of the documentary film Elvis: That's the Way It Is, although it is not generally considered a soundtrack album. The album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and at number eight on the country chart.[7] It was certified Gold on June 28, 1973, by the Recording Industry Association of America and up-graded to Platinum, for sales of a million copies on March 8, 2018.[8]
| That's the Way It Is | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | November 11, 1970 | |||
| Recorded | June 5–7 & August 11–12, 1970 | |||
| Venue | International Hotel (Las Vegas) | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio B (Nashville) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 47:00 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producer | Felton Jarvis | |||
| Elvis Presley chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from That's the Way It Is | ||||
| ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [3] |
| Christgau's Record Guide | C+[2] |
| MusicHound | 2.5/5[4] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide |  [5] |
| Rough Guides | [6] |
Content
editThe original vinyl LP consisted of eight tracks recorded in the studio in Nashville at the marathon sessions in June 1970 that would also yield several singles and the Elvis Country album, and four tracks from his August 1970 engagement at The International Hotel in Las Vegas. The track "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" had been released as the advance single on October 6; its b-side, "Patch It Up", appears in a live version here. "The Next Step Is Love" had previously been released as a B-side in July 1970, and its A-side "I've Lost You" appears in a live version here too. The concert version of "I Just Can't Help Believin'" from this album was released as a single in the United Kingdom in November 1971, reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart. Its b-side "How the Web Was Woven" was also taken from this album. A rehearsal version of the latter song was featured in the 1970 documentary Elvis: That's the Way It Is.
Critical and commercial reception
editRobert Christgau gave the album a C+ rating, writing that "his seventh album ... and third live LP [sic] of 1970 leans toward uptempo countryish ballads rather than the usual pop-rock eclecticism and proves that he can remember the words without cue cards. I know that's the way it is--but is it the way it has to be?"[2]
Music historian John Robertson noted,
The authority of Presley's singing helped disguise the fact that the album stepped decisively away from the American-roots inspiration of the Memphis sessions towards a more middle-of-the-road sound. With country put on the back burner, and soul and R&B left in Memphis, what was left was very classy, very clean white pop—perfect for the Las Vegas crowd, but a definite retrograde step for Elvis.[1]
Stephen Thomas Erlewine discusses the original album and several of its reissued versions, stating that:[9]
"That's the Way It Is is arguably where Elvis Presley's discography gets very confusing. Sharing a title with Denis Sanders' 1970 documentary of Elvis' return to the stage, That's the Way It Is in its original 1970 LP incarnation isn't precisely a soundtrack to the film. In fact, only a third of the album captures Presley live on-stage in Vegas ... Vegas looms large over Elvis' legend in the '70s and many of the clichés -- the jumpsuits, the splashy arrangements of contemporary standards, the snazzy melodies of his old hits -- were born on That's the Way It Is, either on film or on the record. In its original LP incarnation, this wasn't especially apparent due to the record's reliance on the Nashville sessions, where Elvis recorded a fair share of perfectly pleasant middle-of-the-road material pitched halfway between Hollywood and Music City. These tunes -- "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights," "How the Web Was Woven," "Just Pretend," and "Stranger in the Crowd" ... -- these are the songs that don't appear in the live set. They may not have been part of Presley's repertoire but they do indicate how he was shifting away from the soulful, funky sound inspired by his 1968 comeback into something that felt showbiz. The live recordings, though, show that he was still performing with passion, figuring out what worked on-stage and what didn't after his long hiatus from performing. Again, this isn't so apparent on the 1970 LP, which was basically a good studio album that essayed Elvis' new persona for the coming decade, but all the various expanded editions (which include a 2000 special edition that adds a hefty dose of live material) capture the King starting to relax and enjoy his reign yet again. Certainly, the eight-disc set illustrates this in spades, and while it's undoubtedly one for the devoted, it nevertheless isn't overkill because it captures a peerless performer putting his amazing band through the paces. It's wonderful music that actually is more valuable now than it was at the time: Elvis would record more great music in the next few years, but this record -- especially in its 2014 expansion -- captures him at a pivotal moment, when he retained the power of his 1968 comeback and had yet to succumb to all the glitz of Vegas.
Reissues
editIn 2009, the Follow That Dream label released The Wonder of You which contains the full concert from August 13, 1970. Some concert footage from that date was used in the documentary.[10]
On July 6, 2012, Follow That Dream released a two-disc LP special edition of the album. This edition offers highlights from the 2-CD Follow That Dream release. It contains 21 tracks and features different takes of the songs.[11]
Track listing
editOriginal release
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Just Can't Help Believin" | Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann | August 11, 1970 | 4:34 |
| 2. | "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights" | Ben Weisman, Clive Westlake | June 4, 1970 | 3:15 |
| 3. | "How the Web Was Woven" | Clive Westlake, David Most | June 5, 1970 | 3:25 |
| 4. | "Patch It Up" | Eddie Rabbitt, Rory Bourke | August 12, 1970 | 4:03 |
| 5. | "Mary in the Morning" | Johnny Cymbal, Michael Rashkow | June 5, 1970 | 4:11 |
| 6. | "You Don't Have To Say You Love Me" | Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito Pallavicini | June 6, 1970 | 2:30 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector | August 12, 1970 | 4:23 |
| 2. | "I've Lost You" | Alan Blaikley, Ken Howard | August 11, 1970 | 3:43 |
| 3. | "Just Pretend" | Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett | June 6, 1970 | 4:02 |
| 4. | "Stranger in the Crowd" | Winfield Scott | June 5, 1970 | 3:47 |
| 5. | "The Next Step Is Love" | Paul Evans, Paul Parnes | June 7, 1970 | 3:31 |
| 6. | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Paul Simon | June 5, 1970 | 4:29 |
2000 special edition
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Love Letters" | Edward Heyman, Victor Young | June 7, 1970 | 2:52 |
| 14. | "When I'm Over You" | Shirl Milete | June 7, 1970 | 2:26 |
| 15. | "Something" | George Harrison | August 11, 1970 | 3:40 |
| 16. | "I'll Never Know" | Ben Weisman, Sid Wayne, Fred Karger | June 5, 1970 | 2:24 |
| 17. | "Sylvia" | Geoff Stephens, Les Reed | June 8, 1970 | 3:17 |
| 18. | "Cindy, Cindy" | Dolores Fuller, Buddy Kaye, Scott Weisman | June 4, 1970 | 2:31 |
| 19. | "Rags to Riches" | Richard Adler, Jerry Ross | September 22, 1970 | 1:54 |
2008 FTD 2-disc Special Edition
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Version | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 13. | "Patch It Up" | Eddie Rabbitt, Rory Bourke | Studio Version | 4:02 |
| 14. | "I've Lost You" | Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley | Studio Version | 3:31 |
| 15. | "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights" | Scott Weisman, Clive Westlake | Take 8 | 3:17 |
| 16. | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Paul Simon | Live | 4:14 |
| 17. | "Little Sister" / "Get Back" | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman / John Lennon, Paul McCartney | Live | 3:10 |
| 18. | "Something" | George Harrison | Live | 3:37 |
| 19. | "The Next Step Is Love" | Paul Evans, Paul Parnes | Undubbed master | 6:06 |
| 20. | "Patch It Up" | Eddie Rabbitt, Wade Jones | Take 1 | 5:17 |
| 21. | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Paul Simon | Alternate Mix | 5:40 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Version | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Tiger Man" | Lewis Burns, Al Lewis, Joe Hill Louis | Jam | 2:49 |
| 2. | "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights" | Scott Weisman, Clive Westlake | Take 1, 2, 3 | 4:33 |
| 3. | "I've Lost You" | Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley | Take 1 | 5:25 |
| 4. | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Paul Simon | Take 1 | 5:01 |
| 5. | "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" | Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito Pallavicini | Rehearsal Composite | 2:44 |
| 6. | "The Next Step Is Love" | Paul Evans, Paul Parnes | Take 2, 3, 6 | 5:11 |
| 7. | "How the Web Was Woven" | Clive Westlake, David Most | Take 1 | 4:55 |
| 8. | "Stranger in the Crowd" | Winfield Scott | Take 1, 3, 4, 5 | 4:52 |
| 9. | "Stranger in the Crowd" | Winfield Scott | Master Take 9 - Rough Mix | 4:33 |
| 10. | "Mary in the Morning" | Johnny Cymbal, Michael Rashkow | Take 1, 2, 3, 4 | 7:45 |
| 11. | "Patch It Up" | Eddie Rabbitt, Rory Bourke | Take 2, 7 | 5:17 |
| 12. | "Patch It Up" | Eddie Rabbitt, Rory Bourke | Take 9 - Alternate master | 3:16 |
| 13. | "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" | Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito Pallavicini | Take 1, 2 | 3:12 |
| 14. | "Just Pretend" | Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett | Take 1, 2 | 4:46 |
| 15. | "The Next Step Is Love" | Paul Evans, Paul Parnes | Take 7, 8, 9, 10 | 6:06 |
| 16. | "Bridge Over Troubled Waters" | Paul Simon | Take 2, 5 | 5:40 |
| 17. | "I've Lost You" | Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley | Take 4, 5, 6 | 5:22 |
| 18. | "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights" | Scott Weisman, Clive Westlake | Take 5, 6 | 2:18 |
| 19. | "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights" | Scott Weisman, Clive Westlake | Take 9 (Master) - Rough Mix | 3:35 |
2012 LP Special Edition
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Version | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "I Just Can't Help Believin'" | Cynthia Weil, Barry Mann | MGM rehearsal | 6:08 |
| 2. | "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights" | Scott Weisman, Clive Westlake | Take 8 | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Patch It Up" | Eddie Rabbitt, Rory Bourke | Live | 3:49 |
| 4. | "Mary in the Morning" | Johnny Cymbal, Michael Rashkow | Take 4 | 4:16 |
| 5. | "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" | Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito Pallavicini | Take1,2 | 3:12 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Version | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'" | Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil Spector | Stage rehearsal | 4:18 |
| 2. | "I've Lost You" | Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley | Live | 3:16 |
| 3. | "Stranger in the Crowd" | Winfield Scott | Master take 9, rough mix | 4:31 |
| 4. | "The Next Step Is Love" | Paul Evans, Paul Parnes | Live | 3:27 |
| 5. | "Bridge Over Troubled Water" | Paul Simon | Live | 4:13 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Version | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Just Pretend" | Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett | Take 1, 2 | 4:46 |
| 2. | "How the Web Was Woven" | Clive Westlake, David Most | Master | 3:25 |
| 3. | "Patch It Up" | Eddie Rabbitt, Rory Bourke | Alternate master take 9 | 3:14 |
| 4. | "Sweet Caroline" | Neil Diamond | Live | 2:43 |
| 5. | "Make The World Go Away" | Hank Cochran | Live | 3:21 |
| 6. | "The Wonder Of You" | Baker Knight | Live | 2:39 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Version | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Little Sister" / "Get Back" | Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman / John Lennon, Paul McCartney | Live | 3:09 |
| 2. | "Something" | George Harrison | Live | 3:36 |
| 3. | "Patch It Up" | Eddie Rabbitt, Rory Bourke | Take 1 | 2:42 |
| 4. | "The Next Step Is Love" | Paul Evans, Paul Parnes | Take 9, 10 | 4:55 |
| 5. | "I've Lost You" | Ken Howard, Alan Blaikley | Take 4, 6 | 4:55 |
Personnel
editSourced from Keith Flynn.[12][13][14][15]
Studio tracks
- Elvis Presley – lead vocals, guitar, harmony vocals on “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
- James Burton – lead guitar
- Chip Young – rhythm guitar
- Charlie Hodge – harmony vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
- David Briggs – piano; organ on "How the Web Was Woven"
- Norbert Putnam – bass
- Jerry Carrigan – drums
- Charlie McCoy – organ, harmonica, marimba on "Just Pretend”, “Twenty Days and Twenty Nights”, and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”
- Farrell Morris – percussion, vibes
- Weldon Myrick – steel guitar on "How the Web Was Woven"
- The Jordanaires – backing vocals
- The Imperials – backing vocals
Live tracks
- Elvis Presley – lead vocals, guitar
- James Burton – lead guitar
- John Wilkinson – rhythm guitar
- Charlie Hodge – harmony and backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, scarves
- Glen Hardin – piano, electric piano
- Jerry Scheff – bass
- Ronnie Tutt – drums
- Millie Kirkham – backing vocals
- The Sweet Inspirations – backing vocals
- The Imperials – backing vocals
- The Joe Guercio Orchestra
Charts
edit| Chart (2000 Special Edition) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Netherlands Top 100 Albums[16] | 87 |
Certifications
edit| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[17] | Gold | 100,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[18] | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
References
edit- Robertson, John (2004). Elvis Presley: The Complete Guide to His Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84449-711-9.
- ^ a b Robertson 2004, p. 70.
- ^ a b c Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
- ^ That's the Way It Is at AllMusic
- ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. pp. 892. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
- ^ "Elvis Presley: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ Simpson, Paul (2004). The Rough Guide to Elvis. London: Rough Guides. pp. 144–45. ISBN 1-84353-417-7.
- ^ "That's the Way It Is". Allmusic. Rovi Corp. 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ "Searchable database". RIAA. Recording Industry Association of America. 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013. Note: Enter search for "That's the Way It Is"
- ^ "That's the Way It Is". Allmusic. Rovi Corp. 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
- ^ "Elvis The Wonder of You FTD CD | Shop the ShopElvis.com Official Store". Shopelvis.com. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
- ^ "FTD 2009 - 2013 - Elvis Presley Fan Seite". FTD 2009 - 2013 - Elvis Presley Fan Seite. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
- ^ Dutch Charts - That's the Way It Is (Special Edition)
- ^ "British album certifications – Elvis Presley – Elvis - That's the Way It Is". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "American album certifications – Elvis Presley – Elvis - That's the Way It Is". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
External links
edit- That's the Way It Is at Discogs (list of releases)