Did You Know?
Mac Davis and Billy Strange authored this composition for the 1968 Elvis Presley film, “Live A Little, Love A Little,” which marked one of Presley’s later cinematic ventures. The song’s central theme revolves around taking decisive action, urging a cessation of excessive dialogue.
Originally, Davis penned this piece with Aretha Franklin in mind. However, when Billy Strange, the film’s music supervisor, approached Davis about contributing a song, they recognized that “A Little Less Conversation” harmonized perfectly with a specific scene. Consequently, Davis collaborated with Strange to adapt the song for Elvis’s performance in the movie.
Davis elaborated in a Songfacts interview, stating, “I read the script, and the place where they needed a song was in a scene where he’s seducing a girl at a pool, and she’s talking too much, and he’s trying to get her to leave with him.” Davis continued, “I had this song already started that I was hoping Aretha Franklin might like, and I wrote it really with her in mind. It just fit right into that spot, and they asked me to clean up the lyrics. It was a little funky, I guess, for his image at the time. So I changed his lyrics to fit the times.”
In the film, Elvis’s character makes an appearance at a lively pool party, encounters a stunning blonde, serenades her with the song, and subsequently escorts her to his abode. Although the movie is not a musical, it takes on musical dimensions during this particular scene. The character portrayed by Celeste Yarnall, the blonde, has no spoken lines, hence there is no verbal exchange. Elvis’s films often displayed such incongruities.
Upon its initial release in 1968, this Elvis track remained relatively obscure, peaking at a modest #69 position on the American charts. However, when it was remixed and reissued as a single in 2002, this revised rendition soared to the top of the UK charts, marking Elvis’s 18th #1 hit in the UK, the most by any artist. He had previously shared the record with The Beatles at 17 #1 hits. The remix also claimed the top spot in several other countries but reached only #50 in the United States.
The UK’s newfound enthusiasm for the remix can be attributed to its use in a Nike World Cup commercial featuring British soccer player Eric Cantona. The remix was executed by Dutch DJ Tom Holkenburg, a member of the group Junkie XL. For this remix, the group’s name was abbreviated to JXL due to Presley’s estate objecting to the drug reference. This marked the first instance where an Elvis song received an official remix.
Titled “Elvis vs. JXL – A Little Less Conversation,” the remix retained Presley’s original vocals.
The remix’s release coincided with the 25th anniversary of Elvis’s passing (August 16, 1977). It was appended as a “bonus track” to the album “Hits,” featuring 30 #1 hits, released in commemoration of the 25th anniversary. The record label aimed to attract a new generation of Elvis enthusiasts, mirroring The Beatles’ strategy when they issued their album of #1 hits in 2000. By incorporating a contemporary remix, the album garnered significant sales among younger listeners unfamiliar with the other 30 songs.
The distinctive drum sequence in the song was performed by Hal Blaine, one of the leading session drummers on the West Coast during that era, alongside Earl Palmer.
“A Little Less Conversation” marked Mac Davis’s inaugural composition for Elvis. A year later, Elvis recorded Davis’s compositions “In The Ghetto” and “Don’t Cry Daddy.”
At the time he crafted “A Little Less Conversation,” Davis was affiliated with a publishing company named Metric Music. He later embarked on his solo career as a musician and actor, achieving a #1 hit in 1972 with “Baby, Don’t Get Hooked on Me” and earning critical acclaim for his role in the 1979 film “North Dallas Forty.”
Mac Davis took some creative liberties with the lyrics, introducing the word “satisfactioning.” Elvis aficionados argue that this idiosyncrasy contributed to the song’s appeal, although Davis himself wasn’t entirely satisfied with it, as he candidly expressed to Songfacts, stating, “It’s not my proudest moment.”
The original rendition of the song found placement as the theme song for the television series “Las Vegas,” which aired from 2003 to 2008. Elvis remained a prominent attraction in Las Vegas.
In 2001, the original version of the song was featured in the remake of the film “Ocean’s Eleven,” starring George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Julia Roberts.
Significantly, the remix helped reintroduce Elvis’s music to a younger demographic. Concurrently, Elvis’s legacy received a boost when eight of his songs were featured in the Disney movie “Lilo And Stitch” during the same period.
Former Vermont governor Howard Dean incorporated this song into his campaign during his bid for the Democratic nomination in 2003. He employed the song to underscore his commitment to taking tangible action rather than engaging in protracted verbal discourse. Another candidate considered using the song but ultimately decided against it, citing concerns about its sexual innuendo.
Mitt Romney adopted this song as his campaign anthem during his presidential run in 2008. According to Romney staffer Alex Burgos, the song emphasized Governor Romney’s pledge to enact transformative change in a polarized Washington, advocating for more action and less partisan wrangling.
Video
Lyrics
🎵 Let’s sing along with the lyrics! 🎤
A little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain’t satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me babyBaby close your eyes and listen to the music
And dig to the summer breeze
It’s a groovy night and I can show you how to use it
Come along with me and put your mind at easeA little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain’t satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Shut your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me babyCome on baby I’m tired of talking
Grab your coat and let’s start walking
Come on, come on
Come on, come on
Come on, come on
Don’t procrastinate, don’t articulate
Girl it’s getting late, you don’t sit and wait aroundA little less conversation, a little more action please
All this aggravation ain’t satisfactioning me
A little more bite and a little less bark
A little less fight and a little more spark
Close your mouth and open up your heart and baby satisfy me
Satisfy me baby
Satisfy me baby[Repeating until the end:]
Satisfy me baby
Come on, come on