Hither and yon, that’s where I got this stuff from.For my 23rd birthday I bought myself a copy of Worldwide 50 Gold Hit Awards, Vol 1, a 5 LP set, chronicling Elvis’ hits from heartbreak Hotel in 1956 until Kentucky Rain in 1970. It is the record that I said in my last post did not exist. But it is limited, going only up until 1970, and having a limited selection.
Later I got the next volume called The Other Sides - Worldwide 50 Gold Hit Awards, Vol 2, whose title isn’t all that accurate, the selection is kind of random, and not arranged chronologically.
There are many Elvis chart hits that have never
been anthologized. I put this together from the 2 sets described above, from various re-issued singles, budget reissues (Almost In Love, Flaming Star), best ofs (Golden Records vol 1 – 50, Pure Gold), and first run LPs, soundtracks and all (Spinout, GI Blues, Girl Happy, Pot Luck etc etc).Elvis Presley:
• I Forgot To Remember To Forget – Released in the summer of 1955. The b-side of the last single released by Sun Records. Loping country, Elvis style…Included on the 1959 album A Date With Elvis.
• Heartbreak Hotel – The song that changed everything. Written by Mae Axton (Hoyt’s mother), Elvis recorded this with the Sun guys (Scotty Moore, Bill Black, D. J. Fontana) but they couldn’t get the ambience of Memphis. That didn’t stop it from going to number 1 in the spring of 1956, recouping the entire cost that RCA paid Sun for Elvis’s contract, and kicking off the rock & roll phenomenon at a level where everyone became aware of it…
• I Was The One – The B side of Heartbreak Hotel sees Elvis’ girl going off and using all his tricks on someone else. The Jordinaires show up here for the first time. A hit in its own right, spring ’56.
• Blue Suede Shoes – Elvis’s first LP had 6 tracks that were recorded for Sun before he joined RCA, but this wasn’t one of them. Nonetheless, it comes closer to the Sun spirit than either side of his first RCA single. Released on a EP also, The song reached number 20 in the spring of ’56. The original, or course, was by Sun labelmate Carl Perkins.
• Tutti Frutti – Elvis doesn’t make you forget Little Richard, but he does make you forget Pat Boone. Another track from the same EP, and from his first LP.
• Just Because – The Shelton Brother did this about 10 years earlier, and it may has well have been 100 years. They sounded like something out of Deliverance. Elvis sounds like he’s wearing blue suede shoes. A Sun recording, from his first album.
• I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darling) – Another song recorded for Sun, but released only by RCA. Kind of a ballad. Speeds up at the end. From Elvis Presley
• Trying To Get To You – Yet another Sun recording, yet again included on his first album. This song of perpetual search and longing was also recorded by Ricky Nelson, by Roy Orbison, and by Kate & Anna McGarrigle.
• Blue Moon – Elvis, Scotty & Bill recorded this in Memphis, and it sounds like it was recorded in the darkest night, when the moon was indeed blue. The Marcels did a doo-wop version in 1963, and Bob Dylan put it on Self Protrait in 1970. The Cowboy Junkies’ version, on The Trinity Sessions, sounds very much inspired by Elvis. From Elvis Presley.
• I Love You Because – Another track from his first LP, another Sun recording, another ballad. Al Martino put this on the chart in 1963.
• I Want You, I Need You, I Love You – Elvis’ second hit single. It’s slow but I would hesitate to call this a ballad. Reached number 1 in the summer of 1956.
• My Baby Left Me – Another Arthur Crudup song. Recorded for RCA but sounds like it could have been recorded at Sun. The B side of I Want You, I Need You, I Love You, it reached number 31 on Billboard in the summer of 1956. Creedence Clearwater Revival did a knock-em-dead version on Cosmo’s Factory in 1970.
• Don’t Be Cruel – Number 1 in the fall of 1956. Elvis sings about cruelty, the subjective cruelty that comes from insecurity, but Elvis sounds anything but insecure. The bass lead by Bill Black off the top is one of the great moments of rock and roll.
• Hound Dog – The flip of Don’t Be Cruel, also number 1, a bit earlier than Don’t Be Cruel. This was a song by Leiber & Stoller, originally recorded by Big Mama Thornton, and Elvis pulverized the lyrics, which is surprising, given that he sang Big Joe Turner and Little Richard verbatim. Eric Clapton restored the lyrics on his Journeyman album.
• Love Me Tender – Elvis first real famous ballad has a demo quality to it – Just Elvis, a barely strummed guitar, and the occasional hum by The Jordinaires. Love songs don’t come simpler than this. Number 1 in the fall of 1956.
• Any Way You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be) – The flip of Love Me Tender reached number 20 in the fall of 1956. Elvis sings his heart out convincing his one true love that he will change to suit her temperament. Doesn’t work like that, though his career was indeed something like that…
• Rip It Up – Little Richard. This is from Elvis’s second album, Elvis, released in October, 1956. Elvis has his own take on Little Richard, which isn’t frantic savagery like the original, but carries its own authority in its own way.
• Love Me – A ballad, kind of like Love Me Tender, but with a bit more flesh. Reached number 2 in late 1956. Also on Elvis.
• When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again – Another track from Elvis and on the same EP as Love Me, this is another song that recalls the Sun sound. Another one in the top 20.
• Paralyzed – Yet another track from the same LP / EP. Reached number 59 on the top 100 at the end of 1956. I don’t believe that anyone left Elvis paralyzed…
• Old Shep – A song about a dog, totally over the top. From Elvis.This tragic tale reached number 47 in December 1956.
• Let Me – Well, let me what? Have another dance with you. This sounds like a polka. A polka? Well that is definitely an accordion accompanying our star. This is from an EP called Love Me Tender, released in November, 1956, as are the next two tracks. And they were all featured in Elvis’ first movie, Love Me Tender.
• Poor Boy – Same accordion, which didn’t stop it from reaching the top 30 in December, 1956. Who needs money when you have love. A bit disingenuous, Elvis singing about being poor…
• We’re Gonna Move – The title conjures up images of dancing, but it’s about moving to a new house. At least he dispensed with the accordion for this one.
• Playing For Keeps – A ballad in the Love Me style. Elvis protests his undying commitment. From winter, 1957.
• Too Much – This was a biggie, reached number 1 in the winter of 1957. The A side of Playing For Keeps.
• All Shook Up – One of Elvis’ signature song. What better description of being in love could there be. And I love the way he squeezes “her lips are like a volcano when it’s hot” into one line. Number 1 in the spring of 1957.
• That’s When Your Heartaches Begin – Elvis is betrayed by his friend, who steals his girl. He is quite dramatic in the telling of it. The b side of All Shook Up reached number 58 in its own right.
• Have I Told You Lately That I Love You – Elvis does a fairly conventional version of this chestnut. It comes from an EP called Just For You, and was featured on Loving You, released in July 1957.
• (There’ll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me) – This was the beginning of Elvis’ career as a gospel singer. He made 3 gospel albums, not counting Christmas albums, and some scattered songs here and there. Peace In The Valley, which Elvis does straight as an arrow (Johnny Cash did it too, but he should have stuck to trains), reached the top 30 in the spring of 1957. It is from the EP Peace In The Valley, which also featured (It’s No Secret What God Can Do), I Believe, and Take My Hand Precious Lord.
• Let Me Be Your Teddy Bear – The idea of Elvis as a teddy bear was obviously absurd, but it worked on some level, taming the beast I guess, and the song went to number 1 in the summer of 1957. Featured on the Loving You album.
• Loving You – The b side of Teddy Bear. Given how much money Elvis’ records were earning by this point, it is nothing short of amazing how restrained, nay muted, these productions are. From the summer of 1957.
• Mean Woman Blues – From the LP Loving You. The devil woman syndrome. Roy Orbison covered this.
• Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do – From Loving You.
• Lonesome Cowboy – This doesn’t sound much like a typical Ghost Riders In The Sky cowboy lament, but it does have the clip clop percussion and the whistling. From Loving You.
• Hot Dog – An expression of joy, not about food. From Loving You.
• Jailhouse Rock – Another of Elvis’ signature songs. This song about incarceration is one of his best party records. “Number 47 said to number 3, you’re the cutest jailbird I ever did see…” Worthy of Little Richard, I’d say. Number 1 in the fall of 1957.
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