Title: The Elvis Acetates Volume 1. Fun In Acapulco (released in 2002)

Label: Memory Records

Date: January 22, 23, 1963, Radio Recorders, Hollywood

Sound Quality: * * * + / * * * * * +

Content Rating: * * * / * * * * * +

Tracks: 1.Fun In Acapulco (KO-01) 2.Vino, Dinero Y Amor (FO-05) 3.Mexico (CO-05, undubbed) 4.El Toro (LO-02) 5.Instrumental (Marguerita) (MO-06) 6.Bullfighter Was A Lady (DO-09) 7.(There's) No Room To Rhumba (JO-01) 8.I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (BO-10) 9.Bossa Nova Baby (AO-11) 10.You Can't Say No In Acapulco (NO-05) 11.Guadalajara (PO-01, backing group&choir only) 12.Mexico (dubbed film version) 13.I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (BO-18) 14.The Bullfighter Was A Lady (DO-17) Unprocessed versions: 15.Fun In Acapulco (KO-01) 16.Vino, Dinero Y Amor (FO-05) 17.Mexico (CO-05, undubbed) 18.El Toro (LO-02) 19.Instrumental (Marguerita) (MO-06) 20.Bullfighter Was A Lady (DO-09) 21.(There's) No Room To Rhumba (DO-09) 22.I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (BO-10) 23.Bossa Nova Baby (AO-11) 24.You Can't Say No In Acapulco (NO-05) 25.Guadalajara (PO-01, backing group&choir only) 26.Mexico (dubbed film version) 27.I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here (BO-18) 28.The Bullfighter Was A Lady (DO-17) (Duration: 69 min. 51 sec.)

Package: A standard MR package, some fine liner notes even if they leave a feeling of a kind of workout from the producers.

Elvis: There is little unreleased on this CD and we all know that even if the material for this soundtrack was embarrassing, Elvis was pretty much inspired because he had to face the difficulties of learning Spanish words on some of the songs. He seemed to like the spirit of the music he was making, and his voice was great.

Review: The idea of this release is very clear: it is strictly for those who prefer bad sounding acetate recordings over FTD's greatly remastered CDs. We for sure can consider ourselves as serious collectors, but it's hard to imagine us sitting and comparing this acetate recordings of (mostly) poor material with original versions. Elvis' inspiration doesn't help either: we rarely listen to this soundtracks' crap but when listening we prefer good sounding releases, something can't be said about this CD.

No real evident difference do exist on the first 4 tracks of this release except some chat before Fun In Acapulco. We could have easily lived without the instrumental of Marguerita. Bullfighter Was A Lady and the very poor There's No Room To Rhumba sound no different from the master mixes, the same goes for I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here, although it features an unreleased final line. Bossa Nova and You Can't Say No Acapulco are unfortunately master takes as well. We could have easily lived without the backing track of Guadalajara and the dubbed version of Mexico. The final two tracks were the most interesting part of this release as these were two unreleased takes (of I Think I'm Gonna Like It Here and Bullfighter Was A Lady) but since they have been released in better sound quality by FTD there is no real need in them in this form anyway. The unprocessed versions are of even worse sound quality, and their inclusion is a big mystery for us.

As a conclusion we'd like to say that this kind of material could have been well greeted some 15 or more years ago when there was no quality releases by BMG or the bootlegers either, it could have been a nice release in the years yet to come when all the official and unofficial labels ran out of material but doesn't deserve it's place in fan's CD vaults with all the quality releases of the past few years.

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