Good Times (Side A)
Good Times is Elvis’ twentieth studio album released on March 20, 1974. The album was constructed by the first pick of a session held at Stax Studios in Memphis in December 1973 and two songs, "I've Got a Thing About You Baby" and "Take Good Care of Her", which were left over from the session at Stax in July 1973. The album includes a collection of songs that vary in style and genre. Released the same day as the recording of Elvis: Recorded Live on Stage in Memphis was being made, the title was taken from the song "Talk About the Good Times". Many of the songs are covers of hits at the time, like "Spanish Eyes" and "She Wears My Ring".
Original copies of the LP with the sticker on the cover (stating the singles on the album) are very rare.
The album released two singles, both hits: "I've Got a Thing About You Baby" rose to #4 on the Country charts, #39 pop; "My Boy" hit #1 on the Adult Contemporary charts, as well as #14 Country and #20 Pop.
Take Good Care Of Her was first released by Adam Wade in 1961 and reached number 7 in the Top 100. Wade signed with Coed Records in late 1959 and became a popular vocalist in the early 1960s. His original recording of "Take Good Care Of Her" enjoyed success on both sides of the Atlantic in 1961.
Elvis recorded the song on July 21, 1973 at Stax Studios in Memphis, Tennessee and released the song as a B-side single in January 11, 1974 along with I Got A Thing About You Baby. Below is an alternate version Elvis recorded with the original version from Adam Wade.
"Loving Arms" is a song written by Tom Jans and first recorded and released by Kris Kristofferson and Rita Coolidge as a duet in 1973 on their album Full Moon. It was covered by Dobie Gray shortly after, and then by a number of artists the following year including Elvis, Petula Clark and Jody Miller. Olivia Newton-John also covered the song in 1975.
Below is the unedited master of Elvis recording and that of the original Kristofferson/Coolidge duet.
I Got A Feeling In My Body was written by Dennis Linde and recorded first by Elvis on December 19, 1973. In 1979, it was released posthumously on the reverse side of the single "There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who Will Take Me Back In)". The single reached number 6 in the Billboard Country Singles Chart. Below is the original unedited master used on the 1979 single. The version on the Good Times album was the same take with overdubs added. Also included below is take 4 an alternate version with a bit more funk sound to the song.
If That Isn’t Love was written by spiritual songwriter Dottie Rambo who wrote over 2500 gospel songs and this particular song was copyrighted in 1969. Elvis recorded this song on December 16, 1973. Included below are both Take 4 versions the first is the unedited studio recording and the latter includes the final cut version on the album that includes the addition of strings that can be heard around the 2 minutes mark of the song.
The original title of this number is "La Golondrina," Spanish for "The Swallow." The composer, Narciso Serradell Sevilla was born in 1843 in Alvarado, Veracruz and wrote this song in 1862 but how the song came about has varying stories but it is believed written while in exile in France during the invasion of Mexico. Felice & Boudleaux Bryant provided the English lyrics to the song ‘She Wears My Ring’ which was first recorded by Jimmy Sweeney (also known as Jimmy Bell).
Elvis first time singing the song was heard during home recording in 1960 and then of course officially recorded at Stax Studio on December 17, 1973. Below includes the home recording, the Jimmy Sweeney version as well as a version of the Mexican folk song utilized in the movie The Wild Bunch.