From 1956-1958, Elvis Presley ruled the pop charts, scoring No. 1 hits like they were going out of style. But following a stint in the Army and a shift in focus to acting, the King's cachet in the music world was pretty much kaput by the time the Summer of Love had come and gone.
Presley's 1968 television special, Elvis, resuscitated his slumping career, but he needed more. He needed a new band – a new sound.
On January 23rd, 1969, Elvis entered the American Sound Studio in Memphis, with producer Chips Moman to record Suspicious Minds, a song written by songwriter Mark James. House bassist Mike Leech anchored the tune with a no-frills bassline that bounced between roots and 5ths.
As the record went into production, Elvis packed his bags and flew to Los Angeles to find a new live band.
At the suggestion of guitar picker James Burton, Elvis set up an audition on the evening of August 18th with an unlikely bass candidate: Jerry Scheff.
In his memoir, Way Down: Playing Bass with Elvis, Dylan, The Doors & More, Scheff explains: “I didn't like Elvis Presley's music. I thought he was just some Southern white guy trying to sound Black. I was into Black rhythm & blues and modern jazz, and by this time I was enjoying some classical music, too. I had definite opinions about what was cool and what wasn't. Elvis wasn’t.”
As it turns out, Scheff's independent style was just what Elvis was looking for in a new outfit. Scheff, along with Burton and drummer Ronnie Tutt became the core of Elvis' famed TCB – Taking Care of Business – Band, and began rehearsing for a string of shows at the International Hotel in Las Vegas starting July 31, 1969.
Bolstered by two gospel vocal troupes, the Imperials and Sweet Inspirations, the TCB Band was a juiced-up juggernaut of a group, propelled by the powerful duo of Scheff and Tutt. With Tutt on drums, Scheff was free to dig in harder than any of Elvis' previous bass players. The King fed on that raw energy.
“In 1969, Elvis's energy levels were out on the edge. He wanted us to kick him in the ass at all times, and if he felt someone wasn't contributing their fair share he would turn around to that person and symbolically bowl them over with a tidal wave of encouragement (but never anger). This didn't happen very often – we were a very tight, creative little band, and he loved what we did.”
No performance captures the raw energy and gutsy grit of the TCB Band better that the August 24, 1969 live recording of Suspicious Minds at the International Hotel. Scheff's performance embodies a magical blend of down-home Memphis soul with a more aggressive aesthetic of dynamic intensity.
“My approach to bass playing has always been to listen to the music, starting with the vocalist or instrumental melody. The lead singer's phrasing sets the tone for me. Then it's my job to compose a bass part and slip it into place.”
On other live versions of Suspicious Minds from the era, tempos often crept up to breakneck speed. “Ronnie may have given a count off, but James played his opening riff the way he felt it. When Elvis came in with his vocal, his first line came out however he was feeling it. James was sensitive enough to go with him.”
“I was playing mostly downbeats at that point, so I wasn't about to rein anyone in. Anyway, I was up for anything – if a performance felt like a bunch of punk speed freaks, so much the better. I can't ever remember Elvis coming up to us after the show and saying, ‘Suspicious Minds was too fast tonight.’
“When a bass part worked, I would tend to repeat it, but I was always experimenting, trying to put together a better rendition of a song – and, of course, my ears were and still are open for a new stroke of genius coming from the other players, something on which to hang a new musical hat.”
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
