Customer Reviews

Fun in Acapulco

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In amazon's song listing for the new Sony Special Products CD re-issue of the "Fun In Acapulco" LP, it states that the song "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" is "take 1" instead of the master take that was originally included on the LP. I was very upset when I read this because I've been waiting forever for Elvis' soundtrack LP's to be released on CD in their ORIGINAL form, and I can't stand it when the record companies tamper with something that was perfect the way it was when it was originally released...which they have done time and time again! However, I noticed on the CD cover that there is no mention whatsoever about this song being an alternate take, so I took a chance and bought it. As it turns out, the original master IS on here after all, and NOT take 1, as stated here on amazon. I have seen this CD mentioned on a few Elvis websites as well, and they also state that "take 1" is included in place of the master. I have no idea where this info came from, but I thought other fans, who are purists like me, might like to know that the original master of this song IS the version that's included on the CD! All of Elvis' soundtracks were released on CD in the early '90's as "Double Features", two complete soundtracks on each disc. However, many of the songs were re-mixed and they sounded nowhere near as good as the original mixes from the original LP's. The sound on many of these songs was very muddy and the stereo separation was not nearly as good either. Many of these CD's featured scenes from the films on the front and back covers also, instead of the original front and back cover LP art, which I MUCH prefer! On the new Sony Special Products CD re-issues of Elvis' soundtracks, you get the ORIGINAL LP's in their ORIGINAL MIX, along with ALL THE ORIGINAL FRONT AND BACK COVER LP ART, with just a few very minor changes, mostly involving the way the song titles are listed on the back. Aside from that, the back cover LP art looks 99.9 percent like the originals! Sony re-issued 8 of these soundtracks, and I'm hoping they release the rest of them soon as well. These were all released in celebration of what would have been Elvis' 75th Birthday this year.

There are a number of commonly held misconceptions about Elvis Presley's film career: Elvis couldn't act, his movies were all throwaways, and the soundtracks were populated entirely with substandard material. But key films in the King's catalog show that he could indeed act, if called upon, there are several high-quality dramatic and musical films in Elvis' oeuvre, alongside many good lightweight romantic musical comedies, and his soundtracks are laced with hits and terrific albums sides. To measure the highpoints of Elvis' soundtrack catalog by virtue of the low points (of which there are admittedly many) is to miss out on a valuable dimension of Presley's musical career.

1963's Fun in Acapulco was Elvis' thirteenth film, and though set in Acapulco, Elvis' scenes were all filmed in Hollywood. The soundtrack was likewise recorded in Hollywood with a combination of West Coast studio players (including guitarists Tiny Timbrell and Barney Kessell, and legendary Wrecking Crew drummer Hal Blaine), Elvis regulars (Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana, and the Jordainaires), a horn section (Anthony Terran and Rudolph Loera) and the backing vocals of the Amigos (who'd previously appeared on the soundtrack of Girls! Girls! Girls!). As one might expect, the emphasis here is on Latin sounds and though the songs aren't particularly deep, Elvis seems to have a lot of fun in this setting. The album spun off a hit with Leiber and Stoller's "Bossa Nova Baby," a song previously recorded by Tippie & The Clovers for the Tiger label with no chart success.

Soundtrack stalwarts Ben Weisman, Sid Wayne, Roy Bennett, Sid Tepper and Don Robertson contribute songs that give Elvis something with which to riff. They're not always memorable, but neither are they the lackadaisically written sore thumbs of Elvis' worst soundtracks. You won't be brought up short by a baby shrimp saying farewell to his parents, for example, and the fuzz guitar and sensual vocal of "Slowly But Surely" is a great way to close the album. Sony's reissue features a four-panel booklet, no bonus tracks, and no liner notes discussing the music or its making. The 30-minute running time suggests that the earlier import two-fer or Follow That Dream's collector's edition might be more compelling to Elvis diehards. Still, the budget price and remastered sound make this reissue attractive. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

Fun in Acapulco in many ways was a very successful soundtrack of a Presley movie for a reason apart from its original sales. The Latin feeling and its uncompromising south of the border beat seem to provide a platform of very exciting tunes, fresh either in performance either in song presentation. Even the ever considered silly tune "(There's) No Room To Rhumba In A Sports Car" holds an utterly playful performance that requires to be taken for what it really is, a happy tune. As far as happy tunes go, the soundtrack is filled with many of them that simply have you at least tapping your feet to the Latin beat. The song "Mexico" in its alternate version makes you wonder why did the album producers preferred the version that provides the film version that excludes sporadic verses due to the duet sequence that is showcased in the film between Elvis and his new little Mexican friend. The full version in terms of lyrics provides a wonderful listening and dancing experience and above all shows the undisputed talent of Presley to artistically tap into a foreign musical venue with great charisma and unmistaken performing talent. Furthermore, the album provides some very romantic themes that can be easily considered as Presley top love songs, the case is made certainly for the song "Marguerita" an overtly passionate and filled with Latin feeling tune that is both tender and sad.
The album overall is a 5 star experience to any listener.

Elvis aficionados will cherish this new release covering the well-known soundtrack, as well as the 2 bonus tracks originally included on the original LP ("Love Me Tonight" and "Slowly But Surely"), plus 14 outtakes from the sessions from "Fun in Acapulco". The sound quality of the "New Orthophonic High Fidelity Recording" is everything it promises and even a lot more. The presentation with all the original artwork and an excellent booklet in a handy tri-fold digipack (the size of a 45rpm) is a treat. For more than a few hours of fun.

Nice cd. It is great to have a cd that looks exactly like the original album cover, front & back. Nothing was left out and the music is as good as when I first heard it.

This Elvis Presley soundtrack album was recorded in January of 1963. It is better than average for an Elvis soundtrack. The music has a Latin feel to it that makes it unique among Elvis albums. Most of the songs are good, but there are a few that are rather silly, especially "No Room To Rhumba in a Sports Car". The single from the album was "Bossa Nova Baby", which reached #8 on the Hot 100. The original album included two bonus songs from May of 1963 which were not from the movie, and they are incuded on this CD as well. The CD also adds many other bonus tracks, which are all alternate takes of songs from the movie. Seven of the eleven movie songs have alternate takes included here. The other four songs most likely didn't have complete alternate takes (two of them were completed on the first take). This is fun album for Elvis fans, but only a serious Elvis fan would pay the high price it costs to get it.

I have always been an Elvis fan, but have noticed that much of his background music is tinny sounding. On Fun In Acapulco, there is a rich mariachi band which adds authenticity to the music.

A much more satisfying enterprise than the pasty and paltry soundtrack to It Happened at the World's Fair, though, in spots, Elvis sounds just a tad disgusted. I say, in spots, because generally he does some of his best singing in his career! To wit, a masterpiece written by the great Don Roberston, "Margarita", in which Elvis applies his art in such a way to temporarily sway his most Sun Records-oriented fans. There's a touch of Billy Eckstine on "You Can't Say No In Acapulco", another Latinesque offering, beautifully done.

Uptempo numbers are handled with zest (with the exception of an awful film-formula song, "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here") and there's plenty of "South of the Border" atmospherics; plus a surprisingly good sound mix.

Fans will enjoy a terrific pressing of the closing number, a non-movie tune
[well, it turned up in "Tickle Me", no problem] "Slowly But Surely", a beat with a bounce, and a cool, mellow warble from the King Of Pop.

[Fans also please note that (in my very humble opinion) there are remarkably better renditions of "I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here" and "The Bullfighter Was A Lady" on "Silver Screen Stereo" CD on the Follow That Dream label].

ON THIS ALBUM, ONLY 2 SONGS ARE WORTHY OF YOUR TIME, BOSSA NOVA (GREAT SONG) AND SLOWLY BUT SURELY.

IF YOU WANT TO BUY SONGS FROM ANY ELVIS SOUNDTRACK, I SUGGEST BUYING THEM ONE AT A TIME, AND NOT THE WHOLE ALBUM. YOU CAN SAMPLE THESE WHEN YOU SEARCH FOR A LISTING OF ELVIS SONGS (LIKE MP3) WHERE ALL OF HIS SONGS ARE ARRANGED ALPHABETICALLY AND NOT JUST THOSE TO ANY PARTICULAR ALBUM.

ITS BEST TO SAMPLE EACH CLIP THEN DECIDE IF YOU CAN DEAL WITH ALL OF THE SONGS.


PROBLEM WITH ELVIS SOUNDTRACKS (NOT ELVIS HIMSELF) IS THE MATERIAL HE WAS GIVEN, AND THE SONGS WERE WRITTEN FOR THE SITUATION IN THE FILM, AND NOT INTENED TO BE MORE THAN THAT.

I WOULD APPROACH ALL OF THE SOUNDTRACKS THIS WAY. DON'T CONFUSE THE SOUNDTRACK WITH A NORMAL STUDIO ALBUM. ANY SOUNDTRACK TIED TO A MOVIE IS WHAT i AM DISCUSSING