Elvis Presley - Just Pretend - The Live Comparison Series - Volume 2

This second entry in the "Live Comparison" series which focuses on Elvis' renditions of "Just Pretend".

00:00 Versions One and 03:55 Two
Just Pretend is a song which despite it's status as a mere album track, and without a single release, has become a firm favourite with Elvis' extensive fanbase and the appearance of a filmed live version in 1992 was a definite highlight of "The Lost Performances"
'Just Pretend' was a song which was had long been synonymous with TTWII, since the studio master was on the original 1970 album. It would always be difficult to replicate the magnificent controlled vocal on stage particularly with the constant changes between verse and chorus. However, Elvis still does a wonderful job but this version is slightly eclipsed by the version twenty four hours later, where a slight tweak in the mix gives a little more prominence to the french horn and Millie Kirkhham's soprano.

08:07 Version Three
In February 1971, Elvis sang the song at least three times during his fourth Las Vegas engagement. This rendition is the first of those from his midnight show on 19 February. The wonderful soprano is now performed by Kathy Westmoreland who took over from Millie Kirkham mid-August 1970.

10:26 Version Four
The only rendition known to have been performed outside Las Vegas was this wonderful rendition from Hawaii on 18 November 1972, and rarely performed by Elvis at the time. The large arena really makes that gorgeous soprano stand out.

14:23 Version Five
During Elvis' Vegas engagement of December 1975, an engagement arranged in response to the abandoned August stint, the song had a renaissance with Elvis performing it in the majority of those shows. The arrangement had changed slightly as had Elvis' delivery but it still sounds superb.