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' Steve Sholes, who produced the session, said, 'Roll the tape.' And I said, 'But I haven't heard the song yet!' And he said, 'Roll the tape, Bill!' and I look and the studio is totally black out there. I can't see a thing. I said, 'You're kidding!' He said, 'No, roll the tape!'. So, I roll the tape and I don't know what's going to happen. And a guitar starts off, and then a bass comes in, and Elvis starts singing. And I still can't see a thing in the studio. And I'm afraid to turn any mikes off because somebody may come in and start playing. All of a sudden, Elvis stops singing and just starts talking. And I say to myself, 'This is awful!' because you don't normally put a lot of echo on dialogue. And I thought, next take I'll just turn it down, so we just did the take all the way through. If you listen to the dialogue, the echo matches the effect, because he says, 'And the stage is bare, and I'm standing there:'. Later, I said, 'How about that echo?'. Sholes said, 'Screw the echo, that's a hit!'. And it was done in one take...'

Elvis Presley#155

MusicRecordingProductionCreativitySpontaneity

About this quote

What does it mean?
During a recording session, the producer insisted on rolling the tape despite uncertainty, leading to an unexpected spoken interlude that added a unique echo effect.
In plain terms
Rolling tape without hearing the song produced a surprising spoken part with echo.
What can you take from it?
Embrace uncertainty in the studio; unexpected moments can add character.

Where it applies

  • studio sessions
  • live broadcasts

Putting it to work

  • record takes even when unsure
  • experiment with echo on dialogue

Questions to consider

  • When should you trust instinct over preparation?
  • How to balance risk and efficiency in recording?

Another view

Such randomness can also produce unusable material, wasting time.

More from Elvis Presley

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  2. 'But it is Presley's singing, halfway between a western and a rock 'n' roll style, that has sent teen-agers into a trance; they like his wailing in a popular s…

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  3. 'Without preamble, the three-piece band cuts loose. In the spotlight, the lanky singer flails furious rhythms on his guitar, every now and then breaking a stri…

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