A Little Less Conversation

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"A Little Less Conversation"
A Little Less Conversation Presley.jpg
The original picture sleeve of the 1968 single.
Single by Elvis Presley
A-side "Almost in Love"
Released September 1968
Format 7" 45 RPM
Recorded 7 March 1968, Western Recorders, Hollywood, California
Genre
Length 2:28
Label RCA Records
Songwriter(s) Mac Davis, Billy Strange
Producer(s) Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Let Yourself Go" / "Your Time Hasn't Come Yet, Baby"
(1968) 		"Almost in Love" / "A Little Less Conversation"
(1968) 		"If I Can Dream" / "Edge of Reality"
(1968)

"A Little Less Conversation" is a song written by Mac Davis and Billy Strange, originally performed by Elvis Presley for the 1968 film Live a Little, Love a Little. The song became a minor hit in the United States when released as a single with "Almost in Love" as the A-side. A 2002 remix by Junkie XL of a later re-recording of the song by Presley became a worldwide hit, topping the singles charts in nine countries and was awarded certifications in ten countries by 2003.

The song has made numerous appearances in popular culture and has been covered by several artists.

Original recordings[edit]

"A Little Less Conversation" was first recorded on 7 March 1968 at Western Recorders in Hollywood, California, and released on a single backed by "Almost in Love", another song from the movie. The song was not released on an LP until November 1970, when it was included on the RCA Camden budget label LP Almost in Love. There are several different takes that were made of the song in the session on 7 March. The single version used take 16, which was also used for the soundtrack of the film. The version released on the Almost In Love album is take 10, which is 1 second longer in duration.

The musicians on the 7 March recording session included Hal Blaine, drums; Al Casey, guitar; Larry Knechtel, bass; and Don Randi, piano.[1]

The vocalist on the 7 March recording session and alternate version were BJ Baker (Betty Jane Baker), Sally Stevens, Bob Tebo, and John Bahler. Many think that The Blossoms sang background vocals on this song but that was listed on the liner notes by mistake. There was one session where alternate versions were recorded using the same vocalists.[2]

1968 television special re-recording[edit]

Presley re-recorded the song in June 1968 for the soundtrack of his 1968 comeback special, with the intent of performing it during the program (in part due to Live a Little, Love a Little being scheduled for release about a month before the special's broadcast date). Ultimately, it was decided not to use this recording, and the song was dropped from the planned special. The newer version transposed the key of A major recording of three months earlier into E major and featured a vocal and heavy reverb with backup vocals from The Blossoms.[3] In the mid-1990s, Joseph A. Tunzi sold this recording to Bertelsmann Music Group and it was initially included on the 1998 release Memories: The '68 Comeback Special. Tunzi had been the first to document this recording in his 1996 book Elvis Sessions II: The Recorded Music of Elvis Aron Presley 1953-1977.[4]

Chart performance[edit]

Chart (1968) Peak
position
US Billboard Hot 100[5] 69

Junkie XL/JXL version[edit]

"A Little Less Conversation"
ElvisVSJXLCDSingleCover.jpg
Single by Elvis Presley vs. JXL
from the album ELV1S and Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin
Released 1 May 2002
Format CD single
Recorded 2002
Genre Big beat
Length 3:30 (Radio edit)
6:09 (Extended remix)
6:22 (Album version)
Songwriter(s) Mac Davis, Billy Strange
Producer(s) JXL/Ad Bradley
JXL singles chronology
"Beauty Never Fades"
(2002) 		"A Little Less Conversation"
(2002) 		"Breezer"
(2003)
Audio sample
"A Little Less Conversation" (JXL Radio Edit Remix)

Following the song's use in the 2001 film Ocean's Eleven, "A Little Less Conversation" was remixed by Dutch musician Tom Holkenborg, better known as Junkie XL (alternatively JXL). The electronic remix featured Elvis with a lower voice, and added emphasis to the 1968 guitars, horns, and a funk drum beat. Holkenborg is the first artist outside the Presley organization to receive authorization from the Elvis Presley estate to remix an Elvis Presley song[6] (in the 1980s, Elvis' longtime producer Felton Jarvis had overseen remixes of a number of Elvis recordings that saw new backing added to Presley's original vocals, the first of which were released as the album Guitar Man in 1981). The electronic version of the song became a number-one hit in the UK in 2002. The song also became a top ten hit in upwards of 17 other countries, reaching number 1 in 13 of them.

In 2002, the TV special version of "A Little Less Conversation" remixed by Junkie XL was used for Nike's 2002 FIFA World Cup advertising campaign, titled "Secret Tournament".[6] A single, credited to "Elvis vs. JXL", was issued and went on to become a Number 1 hit in over 20 countries.[7]

At about the same time, a compilation of Presley's US number-one chart hits, titled ELV1S: 30 No. 1 Hits, was being prepared for release. At the last minute, "A Little Less Conversation (Junkie's remix Version)" was added as the album's 31st track just before its release in October 2002. The full 6:09 version was edited slightly and extended to 6:22, and this version was featured on the US version of Junkie XL's 2004 album Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin.[8]

Chart performance[edit]

In the United States, the song peaked at number 50 on the Billboard Hot 100. It also spent four consecutive weeks at number one on the UK Singles Chart.[9]

Charts and certifications[edit]

Other covers and remakes[edit]

An uptempo eurodance remix was recorded by CJ Crew, appearing on the 2002 dance compilation Dancemania Speed 10.[52] There are three very exclusive releases in Spanish, the film Live a Little, Love a Little and two mixes played by Marco T., a Colombian Rockabilly musician. In addition, Dolph Lundgren performed this song at Melodifestivalen 2010. In Glee, Will Schuester (Matthew Morrison) sings a combination of a Spanish and English version of the song. The song is covered by Trisha Paytas on her Fat Chicks EP.

In popular culture[edit]

Presley's original "A Little Less Conversation" has been used in several political campaigns as a message of more accomplishment and less talk. The first time the song was used in political campaign was in 2003 by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean.[53] In 2004, Democratic presidential nominee Senator John Kerry used the song during his campaign.[54] George W. Bush also used the song as the anthem of his reelection campaign in 2004. The Remix by JXL was also used in a scene in the 2004 American computer-animated comedy film Shark Tale, produced by DreamWorks Animation. Furthermore, in 2008 in Colorado Springs, Sarah Palin and John McCain emerged while “A Little Less Conversation” was playing in the background.[55]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Jorgensen, Ernst, Elvis Presley, A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1998 p. 243
  2. ^ Joseph A Tunzi
  3. ^ "Master & Session". elvisrecordings.com. Retrieved 7 January 2012. 
  4. ^ Elvis Sessions II: The Recorded Music of Elvis Aron Presley 1953-1977, JAT Publishing, 1996, ISBN 1-88846401-1, Joseph A. Tunzi, Introduction by Al Pachucki, Pages 139 and 399
  5. ^ "Elvis Presley Album & Song Chart History: Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. Retrieved 6 August 2011. 
  6. ^ a b "Elvis Makes Chart History". BBC News World Edition. British Broadcasting Corporation. 16 June 2002. Retrieved 9 April 2011. 
  7. ^ "Elvis's Legacy —". Infoplease.com. 2007. Retrieved 7 January 2012. 
  8. ^ [1][dead link]
  9. ^ "Elvis and Oasis enjoy chart success". BBC News. July 7, 2002. Retrieved August 21, 2017. 
  10. ^ "Australian-charts.com – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation". ARIA Top 50 Singles.
  11. ^ "Austriancharts.at – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40.
  12. ^ "Ultratop.be – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" (in Dutch). Ultratop 50.
  13. ^ "Ultratop.be – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" (in French). Ultratop 50.
  14. ^ "Canadian Digital Songs : Page 1". Billboard. Retrieved April 14, 2016. 
  15. ^ "Danishcharts.com – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation". Tracklisten.
  16. ^ "Elvis Presley vs. JXL: A Little Less Conversation" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland.
  17. ^ "Lescharts.com – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" (in French). Les classement single.
  18. ^ "Single – Elvis Presley vs. JXL, A Little Less Conversation" (in German).  Media Control Charts.
  19. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Rádiós Top 40 játszási lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  20. ^ "Archívum – Slágerlisták – MAHASZ" (in Hungarian). Single (track) Top 40 lista. Magyar Hanglemezkiadók Szövetsége.
  21. ^ "Chart Track: Week 24, 2002". Irish Singles Chart.
  22. ^ "Italiancharts.com – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation". Top Digital Download.
  23. ^ "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 27, 2002" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40
  24. ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" (in Dutch). Single Top 100.
  25. ^ "Charts.nz – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation". Top 40 Singles.
  26. ^ "Topp 20 Single uke 25, 2002 – VG-lista. Offisielle hitlister fra og med 1958" (in Norwegian). VG-lista.
  27. ^ "Top40-charts.com". Retrieved November 24, 2015. 
  28. ^ "Romanian Top 100 - arhiva". Web.archive.org. 2004-12-26. Archived from the original on 10 November 2005. Retrieved 2014-04-02. 
  29. ^ "Official Scottish Singles Sales Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  30. ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" Canciones Top 50.
  31. ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation". Singles Top 100.
  32. ^ "Swisscharts.com – Elvis Presley vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation". Swiss Singles Chart.
  33. ^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
  34. ^ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard.
  35. ^ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard.
  36. ^ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 2002". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011. 
  37. ^ "ARIA Charts – End of Year Charts – Dance Singles 2002". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 2 August 2011. 
  38. ^ "New Zealand Top Selling Singles of 2002". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved 21 May 2016. 
  39. ^ "2002 Year-end Charts" (PDF). UKChartsPlus (PDF). Retrieved 1 December 2015. 
  40. ^ BBC Radio 1 Chart of the Decade, as presented by DJ Nihal on December 29, 2009
  41. ^ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 2002 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. 
  42. ^ "Austrian single certifications – Elvis vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" (in German). IFPI Austria.  Enter Elvis vs. JXL in the field Interpret. Enter A Little Less Conversation in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
  43. ^ "Ultratop − Goud en Platina – singles 2002". Ultratop. Hung Medien. 
  44. ^ "French single certifications – Elvis vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique. 
  45. ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Elvis vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation". Recorded Music NZ. 
  46. ^ "Norwegian single certifications – Elvis vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation" (in Norwegian). IFPI Norway. 
  47. ^ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 2002" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden. 
  48. ^ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Elvis Presley vs. JXL; 'A Little Less Conversation')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien. 
  49. ^ "British single certifications – Elvis vs JXL – A Little Less Conversation". British Phonographic Industry.  Select singles in the Format field. Select Platinum in the Certification field. Enter A Little Less Conversation in the search field and then press Enter.
  50. ^ Copsey, Rob (August 16, 2017). "Elvis Presley's Top 50 biggest selling songs revealed". Official Charts Company. Retrieved August 16, 2017. 
  51. ^ "American single certifications – Presley, Elvis – A Little Less Conversation". Recording Industry Association of America.  If necessary, click Advanced, then click Format, then select Single, then click SEARCH
  52. ^ Discogs, Dancemania Speed 10
  53. ^ Saletan, William; Zenilman, Avi. "Profile: Howard Dean". Slate. Retrieved 9 April 2011. 
  54. ^ Halbfinger, David (4 October 2004). "The 2004 Campaign:The Democratic Nominee". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2011. 
  55. ^ Bumiller, Elisabeth (6 September 2008). "Pali Hits 'Change' Theme and Criticizes Biden". The New York Times. Retrieved 9 April 2011. 

External links[edit]

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