A Little Less Conversation
Encyclopedia
"A Little Less Conversation" is a song written by Mac Davis
and Billy Strange
that was originally performed and written for American
rock and roll
icon Elvis Presley
for the 1968 film Live a Little, Love a Little
. When the song was released as a single
with "Almost in Love" as the b-side, it became a minor hit in the United States
. When a remix of the song by Junkie XL
was released as a single in 2002, the single became a world-wide hit, topping the singles charts in nine countries and was awarded certifications in ten countries by 2003 (see chart positions and certifications sections below).
The song has made numerous appearances in popular culture and has been covered by several artists.
. The song was not released on an LP
until November 1970, when it was included on the RCA Camden
budget label LP Almost in Love
. There are several different takes that were made of the song on the March 7th session. The single version used take 16, which was also used for the soundtrack of the film. The version released on the Almost In Love album is take 10, which is 1 second longer in duration.
recording of three months earlier into E major
and featured a vocal, now with heavy reverb, in which Elvis performed an octave leap between verses, with backup vocals from The Blossoms
. This new version was not officially released by RCA until the 1990s.
, it was remixed by Junkie XL also known as Tom Holkenborg. The techno remix featured Elvis with a lower voice, and added emphasis to the 1968 guitars, horns and a funky drums sound. RCA, (the recording agency for Elvis Presley) made an attempt to restore Elvis’ hits by allowing the cover recording of the song. Tom Holkenborg is the first artist to receive authorization to remix an Elvis Presley song by the Elvis Presley Estate. The techno version of the song became a No. 1 hit in Britain in 2002. The song also became No. 1 in Japan and Australia.
In 2002, the TV special version of "A Little Less Conversation," remixed by Junkie XL
was used for a 2002 World Cup advertising campaign. A single, credited to "Elvis vs. JXL," was issued and went on to become a Number 1 hit in over 20 countries.
At about the same time, a compilation of Presley's U.S. Number 1 chart hits, entitled ELV1S 30 #1 Hits, was being prepared for release. At the last minute, "A Little Less Conversation (Remix Version)" was added as the album's 31st track just before its release in October 2002. The full 6:09 version was edited slightly, extended to 6:22 and this version was featured on the US version of JXL's 2004 album Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin
.
remix was recorded by CJ Crew
, appearing on the 2002 dance compilation Dancemania Speed 10
.
There are three very exclusive releases in Spanish, the movie Live a Little, Love a Little and two mixes played by Marco T., a Colombian Rockabilly musician. In addition, Dolph Lundgren performed this song at Melodifestivalen 2010.
.
The remix version by JXL was subsequently appeared in the following:
The original song “A Little Less Conversation” from Elvis Presley has been used several times by multiple political candidates as the theme of their political campaigns. This song was given a political meaning as a message of accomplishments but less talk in the political world. The first time the song was used in political campaign was in 2003 by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean
. In 2004, Democratic presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry
used the song during his campaign. George W. Bush also used the song as the anthem of his reelection campaign in 2004. Furthermore, in 2008 in Colorado Springs, Sarah Palin
and John McCain
emerged while “A Little Less Conversation” was playing in the background.
Mac Davis
Mac Davis is a country music singer, songwriter, and actor originally from Lubbock, Texas who has enjoyed much crossover success...
and Billy Strange
Billy Strange
William E. "Billy" Strange is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and actor.-Recordings and songwriting:...
that was originally performed and written for American
People of the United States
The people of the United States, also known as simply Americans or American people, are the inhabitants or citizens of the United States. The United States is a multi-ethnic nation, home to people of different ethnic and national backgrounds...
rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
icon Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
for the 1968 film Live a Little, Love a Little
Live a Little, Love a Little
Live A Little, Love A Little is a 1968 musical comedy starring Elvis Presley. It was directed by Norman Taurog, who had directed several previous Presley films. This was to be Taurog's final film. Shortly thereafter, he went blind...
. When the song was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
with "Almost in Love" as the b-side, it became a minor hit in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. When a remix of the song by Junkie XL
Junkie XL
Tom Holkenborg , better known as Junkie XL or JXL, is a Dutch musician. He uses the name JXL in cases where the term "Junkie" might cause offense. XL is for "Xpanding Limits"....
was released as a single in 2002, the single became a world-wide hit, topping the singles charts in nine countries and was awarded certifications in ten countries by 2003 (see chart positions and certifications sections below).
The song has made numerous appearances in popular culture and has been covered by several artists.
Original recordings
"A Little Less Conversation" was recorded on March 7, 1968 at Western Recorders in Hollywood, CaliforniaCalifornia
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. The song was not released on an LP
LP record
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
until November 1970, when it was included on the RCA Camden
RCA Camden
RCA Camden was a budget record label of recordings, first introduced by RCA Victor.-History:The label was named after Camden, New Jersey, original home to the Victor Talking Machine Company, later RCA Records. It specialized in reissuing historic classical and popular recordings from the RCA catalog...
budget label LP Almost in Love
Almost in Love
Almost in Love is the 39th album by Elvis Presley, released in 1970 on RCA Camden, a budget-priced subsidiary of the main RCA label. This album consisted mostly of singles dating from the late 1960s that had previously not been released in album format, including 1968's "A Little Less Conversation"...
. There are several different takes that were made of the song on the March 7th session. The single version used take 16, which was also used for the soundtrack of the film. The version released on the Almost In Love album is take 10, which is 1 second longer in duration.
Re-recording for 1968 television special
In June 1968, Elvis Presley re-recorded the song for the soundtrack of his 1968 comeback special, with the intent of performing it during the program, possibly as part of the show's medley of film songs featured. Ultimately, it was decided not to use this recording, and the song was dropped from the planned special. The newer version transposed the key of A majorA major
A major is a major scale based on A, with the pitches A, B, C, D, E, F, and G. Its key signature has three sharps.Its relative minor is F-sharp minor and its parallel minor is A minor...
recording of three months earlier into E major
E major
E major is a major scale based on E, with the pitches E, F, G, A, B, C, and D. Its key signature has four sharps .Its relative minor is C-sharp minor, and its parallel minor is E minor....
and featured a vocal, now with heavy reverb, in which Elvis performed an octave leap between verses, with backup vocals from The Blossoms
The Blossoms
The Blossoms were a backing group from California. They had a recording career in their own right and were to the American West Coast what The Sweet Inspirations were to the East Coast and The Andantes were for Motown.-Early years:...
. This new version was not officially released by RCA until the 1990s.
Chart performance
| Chart (1968) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
69 |
Junkie XL/JXL
Following the song's use in the 2001 film Ocean's ElevenOcean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
, it was remixed by Junkie XL also known as Tom Holkenborg. The techno remix featured Elvis with a lower voice, and added emphasis to the 1968 guitars, horns and a funky drums sound. RCA, (the recording agency for Elvis Presley) made an attempt to restore Elvis’ hits by allowing the cover recording of the song. Tom Holkenborg is the first artist to receive authorization to remix an Elvis Presley song by the Elvis Presley Estate. The techno version of the song became a No. 1 hit in Britain in 2002. The song also became No. 1 in Japan and Australia.
In 2002, the TV special version of "A Little Less Conversation," remixed by Junkie XL
Junkie XL
Tom Holkenborg , better known as Junkie XL or JXL, is a Dutch musician. He uses the name JXL in cases where the term "Junkie" might cause offense. XL is for "Xpanding Limits"....
was used for a 2002 World Cup advertising campaign. A single, credited to "Elvis vs. JXL," was issued and went on to become a Number 1 hit in over 20 countries.
At about the same time, a compilation of Presley's U.S. Number 1 chart hits, entitled ELV1S 30 #1 Hits, was being prepared for release. At the last minute, "A Little Less Conversation (Remix Version)" was added as the album's 31st track just before its release in October 2002. The full 6:09 version was edited slightly, extended to 6:22 and this version was featured on the US version of JXL's 2004 album Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin
Radio JXL: A Broadcast From the Computer Hell Cabin
Radio JXL: A Broadcast from the Computer Hell Cabin is the third album by electronic music producer Junkie XL. Released in 2004, the double album features collaborations with a number of other artists. The songs on the first disc are generally short and vocally-driven much like modern pop, though...
.
Covers and other versions
An uptempo eurodanceEurodance
Eurodance is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in the late 1980s or early 1990s primarily in Europe. It combines many elements from House, Techno, Hi-NRG and especially Italo-Disco...
remix was recorded by CJ Crew
CJ Crew
CJ Crew are a dance music DJ duo, consisting of Chris Bucknall and John Briely. Other aliases include Big Vin & Hugh Jardon, Chi K Monkey, Chi K Munki, Connie and the Plainsman, Demanche Noir, Muff and the Munchers, Nancy and the Boys, The Orff Ki Ensemble, Pyan Issim, Pynck Hobo, Terry and the...
, appearing on the 2002 dance compilation Dancemania Speed 10
Dancemania Speed
Dancemania Speed is a sub-series of Toshiba EMI's Dancemania compilation series. This series features faster, further remixed versions of recordings from previously released Dancemania albums or faster remixed covers of various famous songs...
.
There are three very exclusive releases in Spanish, the movie Live a Little, Love a Little and two mixes played by Marco T., a Colombian Rockabilly musician. In addition, Dolph Lundgren performed this song at Melodifestivalen 2010.
In popular culture
The song has made a generous impact on the popular culture of both the 20th and 21st centuries. The song has made appearances on at least four TV shows, two movie trailers, and eight films—the most notable being the 2001 remake of Ocean's ElevenOcean's Eleven (2001 film)
Ocean's Eleven is a 2001 American comedy-crime caper and remake of the 1960 Rat Pack caper film of the same name. The 2001 film was directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an ensemble cast including George Clooney, Brad Pitt, Matt Damon, Don Cheadle, Andy García, and Julia Roberts. The film was...
.
The remix version by JXL was subsequently appeared in the following:
- as the title song for the NBC TV series Las VegasLas Vegas (TV series)Las Vegas was an American television series broadcast by NBC from September 22, 2003 to February 15, 2008. The show focuses on a team of people working at the ficticional Montecito Resort & Casino dealing with issues that arise within the working environment, ranging from valet parking and...
- in the films Jackass Number Two, Stitch! The MovieStitch! The MovieStitch! The Movie is a direct-to-video animated spinoff of Lilo & Stitch, released on August 26, 2003. It is often considered more of a backdoor pilot for the spinoff series Lilo & Stitch: The Series rather than a sequel to the original film. The story is an introduction to Dr. Jumba Jookiba's 625...
, Percy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning ThiefPercy Jackson & the Olympians: The Lightning Thief is a 2010 fantasy-adventure film directed by Chris Columbus. The film is loosely based on The Lightning Thief, the first novel in the Percy Jackson & The Olympians series by Rick Riordan...
and Super Bowlin' - the Smallville episode "Heat" when Clark Kent is discovering how to use his heat vision.
- the "Everybody Loves Raymond" episode "Roberts Wedding" for the first dance by newlyweds Robert and Amy.
The original song “A Little Less Conversation” from Elvis Presley has been used several times by multiple political candidates as the theme of their political campaigns. This song was given a political meaning as a message of accomplishments but less talk in the political world. The first time the song was used in political campaign was in 2003 by former Vermont Governor Howard Dean
Howard Dean
Howard Brush Dean III is an American politician and physician from Vermont. He served six terms as the 79th Governor of Vermont and ran unsuccessfully for the 2004 Democratic presidential nomination. He was chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2005 to 2009. Although his U.S...
. In 2004, Democratic presidential nominee, Senator John Kerry
John Kerry
John Forbes Kerry is the senior United States Senator from Massachusetts, the 10th most senior U.S. Senator and chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. He was the presidential nominee of the Democratic Party in the 2004 presidential election, but lost to former President George W...
used the song during his campaign. George W. Bush also used the song as the anthem of his reelection campaign in 2004. Furthermore, in 2008 in Colorado Springs, Sarah Palin
Sarah Palin
Sarah Louise Palin is an American politician, commentator and author. As the Republican Party nominee for Vice President in the 2008 presidential election, she was the first Alaskan on the national ticket of a major party and first Republican woman nominated for the vice-presidency.She was...
and John McCain
John McCain
John Sidney McCain III is the senior United States Senator from Arizona. He was the Republican nominee for president in the 2008 United States election....
emerged while “A Little Less Conversation” was playing in the background.
Chart positions
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada (Canadian Singles Chart Canadian Singles Chart The Canadian Singles Chart is currently compiled by the U.S.-based music sales tracking company, Nielsen SoundScan . The chart is compiled every Wednesday, and is published by Jam! Canoe on Thursdays.... ) |
1 |
| German (Media Control AG Media Control Charts The official music charts in Germany are gathered and published by the company Media Control GfK International on behalf of Bundesverband Musikindustrie... ) |
8 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 Billboard Hot 100 The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday... |
50 |
End of year charts
| Chart (2002) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Australian Top 100 Singles | 3 |
| Australian Dance Singles | 1 |
End of decade positions
| Chart (2000–2009) | Position |
|---|---|
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
31 |