Words & Music:
Arthur L. "Doodle" Owens
Dallas Frazier
How many girls choose cotton dress worlds
When they could have satins and lace
And stand by her man, never once letting shade touch her face
How many hearts could live through all the winters
We've known and still not be cold
True love travels on a gravel road.
Love is a stranger and hearts are in danger
All through streets paved with gold
For true love travels on a gravel road.
Down through the years we've had hard times and tears
But they only helped our love grow
And we'll stay together no matter how strong the wind blows
Not once have I seen your blue eyes filled with envy
Or stray from the one that you hold
Oh true love travels on a gravel road.
Love is a stranger and hearts are in danger
All through streets paved with gold
For true love travels on a gravel road.
Yeah, true love travels on a gravel road. Mmmm
True love travels on a gravel road.
True love travels on a gravel road.
Recordingdate: 1969/02/17, first released on: From Elvis in Memphis (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of True Love Travels on a Gravel Road:
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
Others*
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(cello)
(cello)
(viola)
(viola)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
(violin)
*Orchestra, overdubs
Availability
Find available albums with True Love Travels on a Gravel Road.
When somone stays with you despite of the situation then... 5 stars
Beautiful song, one of Elvis´ strongest ballads ever. It would have been way more acknowledged if it was recorded at any other recording session in the sixties. These Memphis sessions were just outstanding. There is an outtake of the song that I´m especially fond of, it appears on the Suspicious Minds release. So a great, great song, I wish Elvis would have continued with these quality songs in the seventies.
Beautiful. 5 stars song from a 5 stars album.
One of the best ballads and sung full of soul.
Such a beautiful song, and Elvis sings it so well. And one of my wife´s favourite Elvis songs!
A masterful performance from arguably Elvis' greatest album
A truly beautiful song from one of my top five Elvis albums of all time.
This song is beautifully written, has a great arrangement and is sung perfectly by Elvis. It gets five stars all the way in my book.
The perfect Elvis ballad, good tune, good arrangement, superb vocal. I prefer these to the later Vegas style arranged ballads with the over the top strings, horns & yes, vocals.
Put Chips Moman and Elvis Presley together and you get a win win situation.
Another beauty in a session full of them! Everything he did at American Sound is pretty great, even the misfires (Hey Jude and I'll Be There, IMHO) are a step above much that came before and much that will come after. This song, however, was NOT a misfire! This is a classic and I wish he'd have performed it live more. I am only aware of one live performance, and it is pretty great too!
KingKreole (or anyone else who knows) - I wasn't aware that there was a live version, what album is it on?
Ah, found it!... on the Cupido label, album tile is TLTOAGR, track 15, it's an audience recording, but actually pretty good. also contains the first live version of Kentucky Rain.
A real good song from the "great Memphis sessions". After all the hit songs and praise from the Critics and fans, I wish, Elvis would have returned to American Studios and continued to work with Chips Moman and the amazing American studio band. "Chips" got the best performances and vocals from him, in my opinion.
I loved everything he recorded in those Memphis sessions in 1969. Elvis at his absolute best !
A solid track from the Memphis sessions. Your never going to go wrong with songs from 69, would have enjoyed hearing a few more live versions. I guess maybe Elvis was not sure it worked all that well on stage, though i do think the studio version has a slightly better feel.
Such a beautiful and meaningful song sung by The King. This song truly brings out Elvis' wonderful voice.
Yes a brilliant Elvis ballad, perfect at every level, with a great tune, good arrangement, and a sublime vocal performance. - only 5 stars though !!!
Simply brilliant. Need I say more?
This is such a marvelous song and Elvis' renditions of it were brilliant. The only time when Elvis sang this gem live in concert was during the January 26, 1970 opening show in Las Vegas, Nevada. I rate this song 5 stars.
If Elvis had worked on more projects with Chips Moman, Steve Binder and Marty Pasetta, he would still be making great music.
Nothing I can add to what’s already been mentioned. Nothing in 69 was poor except Hey Jude and this song is among the best. Elvis obviously liked the whu hu hu hu build up before the line “love is a stranger and hearts are in danger” as he sung live and some out takes but chips said “It sounds weird.” And got Elvis to stop doing it! Perfect track from a perfect album. 5 stars
Writer ~ Dallas Frazier . . . October 27, 1939 – January 14, 2022 . . . Rest in Peace
Elvis at the top of his game, 5 star recording any day.