As the evening progressed on September 11, Elvis continued to sprinkle spontaneous suggestions in with the preplanned material, a welcome change from the locked-in soundtrack sessions. "You'll Never Walk Alone," in versions by Roy Hamilton and others, (Elvis very much admired R&B singer Roy Hamilton) was a song Elvis loved and sang frequently at home; now, as he did so often, Elvis sat down at the piano and dived into the song in full voice, hammering away at the keys in his staccato style. Elvis was lost in the music, in a private moment, and Jim Malloy knew he'd have to live with the loud piano leaking into the vocal microphone if he wanted to capture the performance. The band fell in wherever they could, and as fast as they could, working out parts in their heads as they played along. Felton knew enough not to disturb his artist, and sat back to see where it all would go.
It went just where Elvis wanted it to, as the singer began transforming his sudden inspiration into a delicate group performance. He asked for an introductory figure on acoustic guitar, which Harold Bradley provided. Bob Moore contributed a stabilizing beat on the double bass, and an organ was added for underlying color. The Jordanaires, of course knew where to fit in. After finishing the first run-through Elvis started from the top again without the slightest break, improving the drama of the song, accepting the challenge of its range and the previous achievements of some of his greatest heroes. The actual moment may have been improvised, but its foundations were in Elvis's endless hours of gospel singing with friends at home and in the studio. The second take was another extended version, with Elvis throwing himself into the ending, trying to define both the vocal and piano conclusion to the song. They kept going. Millie tried out a part, the drummers came up with percussion ideas, Harold Bradley redefined the guitar runs, and they slowly moved from a jam into a regular recording process. On take eight Elvis's voice cracked on one of the high notes, but Felton knew they already had the elements of a magnificent performance on tape. The master of "You'll Never Walk Alone" is spliced from takes 8 and 1.
The Complete Recording Sessions
by Ernst Jorgensen |
