That's the Way It Is (Elvis Presley album)

That's the Way It Is is the twelfth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Records, LSP 4445, in November 1970. It consists of eight studio tracks recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, and four live in-concert tracks recorded at The International Hotel in Las Vegas. It accompanied the theatrical release of the documentary film Elvis: That's the Way It Is, although it is not generally considered a soundtrack album. The album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and at number eight on the country chart.[7] It was certified Gold on June 28, 1973, by the Recording Industry Association of America and up-graded to Platinum, for sales of a million copies on March 8, 2018.[8]

That's the Way It Is
Studio album by
ReleasedNovember 11, 1970 (1970-11-11)
RecordedJune 5–7 & August 11–12, 1970
VenueInternational Hotel (Las Vegas)
StudioRCA Studio B (Nashville)
Genre
Length47:00
LabelRCA Victor
ProducerFelton Jarvis
Elvis Presley chronology
Almost in Love
(1970)
That's the Way It Is
(1970)
Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old)
(1971)
Singles from That's the Way It Is
  1. "I've Lost You" / "The Next Step Is Love"
    Released: July 14, 1970
  2. "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" / "Patch It Up"
    Released: October 6, 1970
  3. "I Just Can't Help Believin'"
    Released: November 21, 1971
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[3]
Christgau's Record GuideC+[2]
MusicHound2.5/5[4]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide[5]
Rough Guides[6]

Content

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The original vinyl LP consisted of eight tracks recorded in the studio in Nashville at the marathon sessions in June 1970 that would also yield several singles and the Elvis Country album, and four tracks from his August 1970 engagement at The International Hotel in Las Vegas. The track "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me" had been released as the advance single on October 6; its b-side, "Patch It Up", appears in a live version here. "The Next Step Is Love" had previously been released as a B-side in July 1970, and its A-side "I've Lost You" appears in a live version here too. The concert version of "I Just Can't Help Believin'" from this album was released as a single in the United Kingdom in November 1971, reaching number six on the UK Singles Chart. Its b-side "How the Web Was Woven" was also taken from this album. A rehearsal version of the latter song was featured in the 1970 documentary Elvis: That's the Way It Is.

Critical and commercial reception

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Robert Christgau gave the album a C+ rating, writing that "his seventh album ... and third live LP [sic] of 1970 leans toward uptempo countryish ballads rather than the usual pop-rock eclecticism and proves that he can remember the words without cue cards. I know that's the way it is--but is it the way it has to be?"[2]

Music historian John Robertson noted,

The authority of Presley's singing helped disguise the fact that the album stepped decisively away from the American-roots inspiration of the Memphis sessions towards a more middle-of-the-road sound. With country put on the back burner, and soul and R&B left in Memphis, what was left was very classy, very clean white pop—perfect for the Las Vegas crowd, but a definite retrograde step for Elvis.[1]

Stephen Thomas Erlewine discusses the original album and several of its reissued versions, stating that:[9]

"That's the Way It Is is arguably where Elvis Presley's discography gets very confusing. Sharing a title with Denis Sanders' 1970 documentary of Elvis' return to the stage, That's the Way It Is in its original 1970 LP incarnation isn't precisely a soundtrack to the film. In fact, only a third of the album captures Presley live on-stage in Vegas ... Vegas looms large over Elvis' legend in the '70s and many of the clichés -- the jumpsuits, the splashy arrangements of contemporary standards, the snazzy melodies of his old hits -- were born on That's the Way It Is, either on film or on the record. In its original LP incarnation, this wasn't especially apparent due to the record's reliance on the Nashville sessions, where Elvis recorded a fair share of perfectly pleasant middle-of-the-road material pitched halfway between Hollywood and Music City. These tunes -- "Twenty Days and Twenty Nights," "How the Web Was Woven," "Just Pretend," and "Stranger in the Crowd" ... -- these are the songs that don't appear in the live set. They may not have been part of Presley's repertoire but they do indicate how he was shifting away from the soulful, funky sound inspired by his 1968 comeback into something that felt showbiz. The live recordings, though, show that he was still performing with passion, figuring out what worked on-stage and what didn't after his long hiatus from performing. Again, this isn't so apparent on the 1970 LP, which was basically a good studio album that essayed Elvis' new persona for the coming decade, but all the various expanded editions (which include a 2000 special edition that adds a hefty dose of live material) capture the King starting to relax and enjoy his reign yet again. Certainly, the eight-disc set illustrates this in spades, and while it's undoubtedly one for the devoted, it nevertheless isn't overkill because it captures a peerless performer putting his amazing band through the paces. It's wonderful music that actually is more valuable now than it was at the time: Elvis would record more great music in the next few years, but this record -- especially in its 2014 expansion -- captures him at a pivotal moment, when he retained the power of his 1968 comeback and had yet to succumb to all the glitz of Vegas.

Reissues

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In 2009, the Follow That Dream label released The Wonder of You which contains the full concert from August 13, 1970. Some concert footage from that date was used in the documentary.[10]

On July 6, 2012, Follow That Dream released a two-disc LP special edition of the album. This edition offers highlights from the 2-CD Follow That Dream release. It contains 21 tracks and features different takes of the songs.[11]

Track listing

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Original release

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."I Just Can't Help Believin"Cynthia Weil, Barry MannAugust 11, 19704:34
2."Twenty Days and Twenty Nights"Ben Weisman, Clive WestlakeJune 4, 19703:15
3."How the Web Was Woven"Clive Westlake, David MostJune 5, 19703:25
4."Patch It Up"Eddie Rabbitt, Rory BourkeAugust 12, 19704:03
5."Mary in the Morning"Johnny Cymbal, Michael RashkowJune 5, 19704:11
6."You Don't Have To Say You Love Me"Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito PallaviciniJune 6, 19702:30
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil SpectorAugust 12, 19704:23
2."I've Lost You"Alan Blaikley, Ken HowardAugust 11, 19703:43
3."Just Pretend"Guy Fletcher, Doug FlettJune 6, 19704:02
4."Stranger in the Crowd"Winfield ScottJune 5, 19703:47
5."The Next Step Is Love"Paul Evans, Paul ParnesJune 7, 19703:31
6."Bridge Over Troubled Water"Paul SimonJune 5, 19704:29

2000 special edition

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Disc one
(Tracks 1-12 are from the original album)
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
13."Love Letters"Edward Heyman, Victor YoungJune 7, 19702:52
14."When I'm Over You"Shirl MileteJune 7, 19702:26
15."Something"George HarrisonAugust 11, 19703:40
16."I'll Never Know"Ben Weisman, Sid Wayne, Fred KargerJune 5, 19702:24
17."Sylvia"Geoff Stephens, Les ReedJune 8, 19703:17
18."Cindy, Cindy"Dolores Fuller, Buddy Kaye, Scott WeismanJune 4, 19702:31
19."Rags to Riches"Richard Adler, Jerry RossSeptember 22, 19701:54
Disc two
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."That's All Right"Arthur CrudupAugust 12, 19702:32
2."Mystery Train" / "Tiger Man"Herman Parker Jr., / Joe Hill Louis, and Sam Phillips (as Sam Burns)August 12, 19703:42
3."Hound Dog"Jerry Leiber, Mike StollerAugust 12, 19702:46
4."Love Me Tender"Vera Matson, Elvis PresleyAugust 12, 19706:54
5."Just Pretend"Guy Fletcher, Doug FlettAugust 12, 19704:12
6."Walk a Mile in My Shoes"Joe SouthAugust 12, 19702:01
7."There Goes My Everything"Dallas FrazierAugust 12, 19704:10
8."Words"Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice GibbAugust 12, 19702:36
9."Sweet Caroline"Neil DiamondAugust 12, 19702:55
10."You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil SpectorAugust 12, 19706:29
11."Polk Salad Annie"Tony Joe WhiteAugust 12, 19705:48
12."Heartbreak Hotel"Mae Axton, Tommy Durden, Elvis PresleyAugust 12, 19701:45
13."One Night"Dave Bartholomew, Pearl King, Anita SteimanAugust 12, 19701:45
14."Blue Suede Shoes"Carl PerkinsAugust 12, 19701:31
15."All Shook Up"Otis Blackwell, Elvis PresleyAugust 12, 19702:00
16."Little Sister / Get Back"Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman / John Lennon, Paul McCartneyAugust 12, 19703:32
17."I Was The One"Aaron Schroeder, Hal Blair, Bill Peppers, Claude DeMetriusAugust 12, 19701:11
18."Love Me"Jerry Leiber, Mike StollerAugust 12, 19702:03
19."Are You Lonesome Tonight?"Lou Handman, Roy TurkAugust 12, 19701:58
20."Bridge Over Troubled Water"Paul SimonAugust 12, 19704:28
21."Suspicious Minds"Mark JamesAugust 12, 19706:05
22."Can't Help Falling In Love"George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi CreatoreAugust 12, 19702:08
Disc three
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."I Got A Woman"Ray Charles, Renald RichardAugust 13, 19703:15
2."I Can't Stop Loving You"Don GibsonAugust 10, 19702:50
3."Twenty Days and Twenty Nights"Scott Weisman, Clive WestlakeAugust 12, 19704:02
4."The Next Step Is Love"Paul Evans, Paul ParnesAugust 10, 19703:31
5."You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito PallaviciniAugust 10, 19702:33
6."Stranger in the Crowd"Winfield ScottAugust 13, 19703:59
7."Make the World Go Away"Hank CochranAugust 13, 19703:50
8."Don't Cry Daddy"Mac DavisAugust 13, 19702:32
9."In the Ghetto"Mac DavisAugust 13, 19702:42
10."Peter Gunn Theme" (instrumental)Henry ManciniJuly 15, 19701:02
11."That's All Right"Arthur CrudupJuly 15, 19702:34
12."Cottonfields"Huddie LedbetterJuly 15, 19701:23
13."Yesterday"Lennon–McCartneyJuly 15, 19702:45
14."I Can't Stop Loving You"Don GibsonJuly 15, 19702:26
15."Such A Night"Lincoln ChaseJuly 29, 19701:39
16."It's Now or Never"Eduardo di Capua, Aaron Schroeder, Wally GoldJuly 29, 19702:16
17."(Now and Then There's) A Fool Such as I"Bill TraderJuly 29, 19702:45
18."Little Sister" / "Get Back"Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman / John Lennon, Paul McCartneyJuly 29, 19706:05
19."I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water"Joe BabcockJuly 24, 19704:23
20."Johnny B. Goode"Chuck BerryJuly 24, 19703:04
21."Mary in the Morning"Johnny Cymbal, Michael RashkowJuly 24, 19704:06
22."The Wonder Of You"Baker KnightJuly 24, 19703:16
23."Santa Claus Is Back In Town"Jerry Leiber, Mike StollerAugust 4, 19702:02
24."Farther Along"(traditional - public domain)August 4, 19701:20
25."Oh Happy Day"(traditional - public domain)August 7, 19701:50

2008 FTD 2-disc Special Edition

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Disc one
Tracks 1-12 are from the original album. The following are bonus tracks:
No.TitleWriter(s)VersionLength
13."Patch It Up"Eddie Rabbitt, Rory BourkeStudio Version4:02
14."I've Lost You"Ken Howard, Alan BlaikleyStudio Version3:31
15."Twenty Days and Twenty Nights"Scott Weisman, Clive WestlakeTake 83:17
16."Bridge Over Troubled Water"Paul SimonLive4:14
17."Little Sister" / "Get Back"Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman / John Lennon, Paul McCartneyLive3:10
18."Something"George HarrisonLive3:37
19."The Next Step Is Love"Paul Evans, Paul ParnesUndubbed master6:06
20."Patch It Up"Eddie Rabbitt, Wade JonesTake 15:17
21."Bridge Over Troubled Water"Paul SimonAlternate Mix5:40
Disc two (outtakes)
No.TitleWriter(s)VersionLength
1."Tiger Man"Lewis Burns, Al Lewis, Joe Hill LouisJam2:49
2."Twenty Days and Twenty Nights"Scott Weisman, Clive WestlakeTake 1, 2, 34:33
3."I've Lost You"Ken Howard, Alan BlaikleyTake 15:25
4."Bridge Over Troubled Water"Paul SimonTake 15:01
5."You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito PallaviciniRehearsal Composite2:44
6."The Next Step Is Love"Paul Evans, Paul ParnesTake 2, 3, 65:11
7."How the Web Was Woven"Clive Westlake, David MostTake 14:55
8."Stranger in the Crowd"Winfield ScottTake 1, 3, 4, 54:52
9."Stranger in the Crowd"Winfield ScottMaster Take 9 - Rough Mix4:33
10."Mary in the Morning"Johnny Cymbal, Michael RashkowTake 1, 2, 3, 47:45
11."Patch It Up"Eddie Rabbitt, Rory BourkeTake 2, 75:17
12."Patch It Up"Eddie Rabbitt, Rory BourkeTake 9 - Alternate master3:16
13."You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito PallaviciniTake 1, 23:12
14."Just Pretend"Guy Fletcher, Doug FlettTake 1, 24:46
15."The Next Step Is Love"Paul Evans, Paul ParnesTake 7, 8, 9, 106:06
16."Bridge Over Troubled Waters"Paul SimonTake 2, 55:40
17."I've Lost You"Ken Howard, Alan BlaikleyTake 4, 5, 65:22
18."Twenty Days and Twenty Nights"Scott Weisman, Clive WestlakeTake 5, 62:18
19."Twenty Days and Twenty Nights"Scott Weisman, Clive WestlakeTake 9 (Master) - Rough Mix3:35

2012 LP Special Edition

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Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)VersionLength
1."I Just Can't Help Believin'"Cynthia Weil, Barry MannMGM rehearsal6:08
2."Twenty Days and Twenty Nights"Scott Weisman, Clive WestlakeTake 83:16
3."Patch It Up"Eddie Rabbitt, Rory BourkeLive3:49
4."Mary in the Morning"Johnny Cymbal, Michael RashkowTake 44:16
5."You Don't Have to Say You Love Me"Vicki Wickham, Simon Napier-Bell, Pino Donaggio, Vito PallaviciniTake1,23:12
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)VersionLength
1."You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'"Barry Mann, Cynthia Weil, Phil SpectorStage rehearsal4:18
2."I've Lost You"Ken Howard, Alan BlaikleyLive3:16
3."Stranger in the Crowd"Winfield ScottMaster take 9, rough mix4:31
4."The Next Step Is Love"Paul Evans, Paul ParnesLive3:27
5."Bridge Over Troubled Water"Paul SimonLive4:13
Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)VersionLength
1."Just Pretend"Guy Fletcher, Doug FlettTake 1, 24:46
2."How the Web Was Woven"Clive Westlake, David MostMaster3:25
3."Patch It Up"Eddie Rabbitt, Rory BourkeAlternate master take 93:14
4."Sweet Caroline"Neil DiamondLive2:43
5."Make The World Go Away"Hank CochranLive3:21
6."The Wonder Of You"Baker KnightLive2:39
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)VersionLength
1."Little Sister" / "Get Back"Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman / John Lennon, Paul McCartneyLive3:09
2."Something"George HarrisonLive3:36
3."Patch It Up"Eddie Rabbitt, Rory BourkeTake 12:42
4."The Next Step Is Love"Paul Evans, Paul ParnesTake 9, 104:55
5."I've Lost You"Ken Howard, Alan BlaikleyTake 4, 64:55

Personnel

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Sourced from Keith Flynn.[12][13][14][15]

Studio tracks

Live tracks

Charts

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Chart (2000 Special Edition) Peak
position
Netherlands Top 100 Albums[16] 87

Certifications

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Region Certification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI)[17] Gold 100,000
United States (RIAA)[18] Platinum 1,000,000

Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

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  • Robertson, John (2004). Elvis Presley: The Complete Guide to His Music. Omnibus Press. ISBN 978-1-84449-711-9.
  1. ^ a b Robertson 2004, p. 70.
  2. ^ a b c Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. ^ That's the Way It Is at AllMusic
  4. ^ Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. pp. 892. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.
  5. ^ "Elvis Presley: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  6. ^ Simpson, Paul (2004). The Rough Guide to Elvis. London: Rough Guides. pp. 144–45. ISBN 1-84353-417-7.
  7. ^ "That's the Way It Is". Allmusic. Rovi Corp. 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  8. ^ "Searchable database". RIAA. Recording Industry Association of America. 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013. Note: Enter search for "That's the Way It Is"
  9. ^ "That's the Way It Is". Allmusic. Rovi Corp. 2013. Retrieved May 28, 2013.
  10. ^ "Elvis The Wonder of You FTD CD | Shop the ShopElvis.com Official Store". Shopelvis.com. Retrieved 2012-03-12.
  11. ^ "FTD 2009 - 2013 - Elvis Presley Fan Seite". FTD 2009 - 2013 - Elvis Presley Fan Seite. Archived from the original on 7 November 2016. Retrieved 27 August 2015.
  12. ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  13. ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  14. ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  15. ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-09-30.
  16. ^ Dutch Charts - That's the Way It Is (Special Edition)
  17. ^ "British album certifications – Elvis Presley – Elvis - That's the Way It Is". British Phonographic Industry.
  18. ^ "American album certifications – Elvis Presley – Elvis - That's the Way It Is". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved March 10, 2018.
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