Previous Page Despite early assurances that all was well it was apparent almost immediately afterward that Priscilla leaving him was the biggest blow to his psyche and biggest chink in his presumed-unbreakable armor since the death of his mother. Had Elvis ever treated his wife fairly? Had he been a good husband? By no means, but he remained willingly, blissfully unaware of how terrible a spouse he had been. At the very least he assumed he could always treat Priscilla like a second class citizen and never suffer repercussions. He’d lived almost half his life surrounded by yes-men and sycophants, afraid to say anything that might upset him or do anything that he might not enjoy. The whole world of Elvis Presley revolved around Elvis Presley; why wouldn’t he think he could treat his wife the way he did with no consequences. Priscilla was the first person to walk away from him willingly in twenty years. He may not have respected her, he may have told girlfriends over the years that he’d leave her, he may not have even wanted to marry her in the first place, but he was not prepared to have her leave him. He was so in denial over the whole situation he turned his ire onto Mike Stone, even going so far as to order one of his lackey’s to look into putting a hit out on him! Elvis eventually dismissed that idea (much to the relief of his inner circle) but he never fully moved past the feeling of abandonment that came when Priscilla walked out. Barely a month after the break-up, Elvis flew to Hollywood to record half a dozen songs , new material that could be showcased in the Elvis on Tour film as well as released as singles. Only one song had any pep to it, however. The rest were tales of heartbreak and loss. “Separate Ways” was written by Elvis’s friend Red West as a commentary on his break-up with Priscilla. By now the news had reached tabloids, and even though Elvis was very shy (and Col. Parker highly sensitive to his client’s public image), he didn’t hesitate to develop the song over multiple takes, treating it as a catharsis. Of course it probably helped that the song casts Elvis as a hero who simply realizes the relationship wasn’t working out so he ends it for the good of both of them. The song was a hit, reaching #20 on the Hot100 (#3 on the Adult-Contemporary chart) and selling almost a million copies in its initial run. Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party. YouTube privacy policy If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh. Accept YouTube Content The song was paired with “Always On My Mind,” which was co-written by Mark James (who wrote “Suspicious Minds”). Interestingly, it was Chips Moman who first took a liking to the song and suggested that it was good but needed a bridge. Once the song was completed, it was passed on to one of Elvis’s lackeys, who brought it to the heartbroken singer. Moman didn’t produce the song of course, but he did produce the Willy Nelson version that went to #1 a decade later. Elvis’s version was likewise strong and so the single was released as a double-A side (his first since “It’s Now or Never” was paired with “Mess of Blues”). It peaked at #16 on the Country chart and though it would not become a part of his live act (nor would “Separate Ways”), the song’s connections to Elvis’s depression-filled personal life have made them iconic. Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party. YouTube privacy policy If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh. Accept YouTube Content Other songs of heartbreak included “For the Good Times,” a Kris Kristofferson song that Elvis took a liking to, and a duo of songs—“Fool,” and “Where Do I Go from Here” which would find life a year later on a self-titled record. The latter songs are mostly forgotten, but “For the Good Times” would be regularly featured throughout his 1972 tour. Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party. YouTube privacy policy If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh. Accept YouTube Content Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party. YouTube privacy policy If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh. Accept YouTube Content Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party. YouTube privacy policy If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh. Accept YouTube Content The stand out of the mini-session was Dennis Linde’s rocker, “Burning Love.” The song had previously been released by Arthur Alexander, whose take on the song was more pop than rock. Elvis tore into the song with the kind of reckless abandon he hadn’t give to an uptempo song since “Devil in Disguise.” Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party. YouTube privacy policy If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh. Accept YouTube Content For three brief minutes, Elvis was singing about the thrills of sexual attraction, and not about the heavy burden of being deserted. The song almost reached #1 on the Hot100 (though it did top the Cashbox charts), being denied the top of the Billboard rankings by—get this—“My Ding-a-ling” by Chuck Berry. Even more remarkably, that song would be Chuck Berry’s only number-one hit in his own illustrious career. What a crazy world.
