Finding clean real Elvis records — not those crappy compilations and vault-leftovers, but real Elvis albums from his golden period when he was the true King of Pop (sorry Michael) — has never been a walk in the park. We do the best we can.

Fortunately there are some reissues from the ’60s and ’70s that have the potential for excellent sound. This is clearly one of them. The originals we see are a lost cause; they’re practically always scratched and full of groove damage. We’d be lucky to find a clean one every five or ten years nowadays.

Side One

Breathy vocals and very full sound make this a top quality side.

For a kick check out the great sounding percussion on the third track.

Side Two

Rich and smooth on the first track, more like an old Elvis record, but the next tracks sound better, tubier and livelier.

TRACK LISTING

Side One

Fun In Acapulco
Vino, Dinero Y Amor
Mexico
El Toro
Marguerita
The Bullfighter Was A Lady
(There`s) No Room To Rhumba In A Sports Car

Side Two

I Think I`m Gonna Like It Here
Bossa Nova, Baby
You Can`t Say No In Acapulco
Guadalajara
Love Me Tonight
Slowly But Surely

Background

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.

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