Elvis Songs: A Little Less Conversation

Written by: Billy Strange, Mac Davis

Recorded: March 7, 1968, Western Recorders, Hollywood

Single: w/ "Almost In Love", 47-9610, September 15, 1968
Also re-released as Gold Standard Series, 447-0667, December 1970
Remix version by JXL, extended single CD, June 2002

Highest U.S. Charts Position:
#69 on Billboard Hot 100 (original 47-9610)
#1 on Billboard Hot 100 (2002 remix)

1st LP release: Almost In Love - November 1970

When Billy Strange and Mac Davis cranked out another song to fit a scene in "Live a Little, Love a Little", I'll bet they never dreamed that over 30 years later it would top the charts worldwide!

"A Little Less Conversation" was originally recorded for a scene in which Elvis tries to woo Celeste Yarnall at a party. Showing her a box of blinking lights doesn't seem to do the trick, so when all else fails (of course) he sings. What woman can resist lines like these:

A little more bite, a little less bark,
A little less fight, and a little more spark,
Shutcher mouth an' open up yer heart,
Baby satisfy me...

The single release didn't grab a lot of attention at the time, like most of Elvis' movie songs of the late '60s. An alternate take appeared, probably by mistake, on the Almost In Love album in 1970.

In June 1968, the song was recorded again for Elvis' upcoming TV special, now known as the '68 Comeback Special. The song wasn't used, however, and recordings of the instrumental and vocal versions of the song showed up on bootlegs throughout the '70s and '80s. It was finally released officially in 1998 on Memories: The'68 Comeback Special.

In 2002, Dutch DJ Junkie XL remixed the '68-Comeback version and released it under the artist credit of "Elvis VS. JXL". This remix was featured in the hit film Ocean's Eleven, and on a Nike commercial featuring football (soccer) stars, aimed at the World Cup audience, and was soon topping the charts all over the world.

BMG was then able to add the new remix of "A Little Less Conversation" to its October 2002 release of ELV1S 30 #1 Hits.