Separate Ways – Always On My Mind
Edited 30-Oct-1972. Single, RCA Studio C Los Angeles
- Separate Ways
- Always On My Mind
Reference: 74-0815
Side A: Separate Ways
Recording: March 27, 1972 RCA Studio C Hollywood, California
Author: Red West & Richard Mainegre
Side B: Always On My Mind
Recording: March 29, 1972 RCA Studio C Hollywood, California
Author: Waye Carson, Mark James & Johnny Crhistopher
Publication date: October 31, 1972
Released in October 1972, the single Separate Ways – Always On My Mind was a further reflection of Elvis’s emotional state in 1972. Both songs were recorded in March 1972 at RCA’s Studio C in Hollywood. Elvis, with his separation imminent and all the legal proceedings underway, only wanted to sing songs that reflected his situation. Among those compositions we find these two.
The first, Separate Ways, was a song written by his friend and confidant Red West (If You Think I Don’t Need You, If Everyday Was Like Christmas) together with Richard Mainegra. The lyrics were very associated with Elvis, where parents explain to their daughter the divorce of these two. Elvis worked hard on this song (more than 20 takes were made). It is a song where the singer strips himself emotionally and fiction becomes reality. The song without arrangements is very good, given the simplicity and warmth of Elvis’ voice. The subsequent arrangements, this time, were successful, maintaining the sensitivity of the composition.
For the B side, a song by composers Wayne Carson, Mark James and Johnny Christopher was used. Perhaps the best known are the last two for their previous contributions (Suspicious Minds and Mama Liked The Roses respectively). The lyrics of the song are wonderful, it is a plea for reconciliation, and in the hands of Elvis, it is pure magic. From his pain and feelings, authentic works of art emerged that reached the heart of the listener. As in the previous song, this song, stripped of arrangements, is wonderful, allowing us to appreciate the great work of the band, and a fantastic Stamps Quartet, together with an Elvis who transmits sincerity to us. The arrangements, on this occasion, although not entirely bad, do not give it the appropriate tone.
However, the main mistake of this single was not putting the B-side as the A-side. Always On My Mind had a higher quality and was more commercial, and in fact this causes the song to be sometimes not associated with Elvis, but with singers who recorded it later, such as Willie Nelson or, in the 80s, the group Pet Shop Boys.
The single reached number 20 on the Billboard charts and sold just over 500,000 copies. It is currently classified as a gold record by the RIAA.
Information provided by Club Elvis Spain http://www.clubelvis.org
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