EAP Index World: Love Me Tender (Single / EP

Title:

Love Me Tender

Label:

RCA Victor [EPA 4006]

Format:

Number of tracks:

Running time:

9:40

Type of album:

Studio / Soundtrack

Linked to:

Official discography; Love Me Tender, 1956

Year:

1956

Recorded:

August 24, September 4 & 5, 1956

Released:

November 15, 1956

Singles:

Love Me Tender / Any Way You Want Me (Sept / 28 / 1956)

Love Me Tender is the first soundtrack album, the 11th EP and the 30th audio work from Elvis. Released by RCA in 1956 and featuring songs from the film of the same name, it was simultaneously certified Gold and Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 27, 1992.

The film was originally written to be a serious drama for Elvis, but due to the popularity of the single "Love Me Tender" and Colonel Tom Parker's desire to promote the films with a soundtrack and vice versa, four songs were added to the production.

Parker would rarely deviate from this formula for the rest of Elvis' film career.

Instead of a long soundtrack, the four songs were released on a 45 RPM EP by RCA Victor, cataloged as EPA 4006, on November 15, 1956. The songs were recorded on Fox's Stage One in Hollywood, in three sessions.

The title song had already been released as a single on September 28, 1956, and went to #1 on the format chart. The EP peaked at #9 on the Top Pop Albums with over 600,000 sales, as well as becoming #35 on the singles chart.

"Love Me Tender" was based on the Civil War ballad "Aura Lee", with new lyrics by Ken Darby. Darby, in fact, wrote all the songs on the soundtrack, but credited them to his wife, Vera Matson, while Parker included his publishing agency, Hill & Range, in the royalties by placing Elvis as one of the lyricists.

A rerun of the main song was recorded on October 1 and is heard at the end of the film; this short track was not released until after Presley's passing. The sessions for these songs were the only ones in the decade that Presley recorded with musicians outside of his regular group.

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RECORDING SESSIONS

Date:

August 24; September 4 & 5, 1956

Studio:

20th Century Fox Stage 1

Location:

Hollywood, California

Musicians:

Voice: Elvis Presley

Guitar: Elvis Presley

Electric guitar: Vito Mumolo
Bass: Michael 'Myer' Rubin
Drums: Richard Cornell
Banjo: Luther 'Red' Roundtree
Accordion: Carl Fortina
Backing Vocals: The Ken Darby Trio

Sound engineer / Recording engineer:

Bob Mayer / Ken Runyon

AUGUST 24, 1956
We're Gonna Move - G2WB 7260-SP
Poor Boy - G2WB 4767-03
Love Me Tender - G2WB 4767-02

SEPTEMBER 4, 1956
Poor Boy (Remake)

Let Me (Track)

Poor Boy (New Third Verse - Track)

SEPTEMBER 5, 1956
Poor Boy (Partial Verse - Vocal Overdub)

Poor Boy (Composite) G2WB 7259-SP

Let Me (Vocal Overdub)

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SESSION LOGS

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ASSOCIATED SINGLE AND EPS TRACKS (RCA, 1956)

ANY WAY YOU WANT ME (EP)

September 5, 1956

1. Any Way You Want Me
2. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone
3. I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine
4. Mystery Train

LOVE ME TENDER (SINGLE)

September 28, 1956

1. Love Me Tender

2. Any Way You Want Me

LOVE ME TENDER (EP)

November 15, 1956

1. Love Me Tender

2. Let Me

3. Poor Boy

4. We're Gonna Move

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FTD'S VERSIONS

Title:

Love Me Tender

Label:

FTD [FTD 127] [506020 975074]

Format:

Double CD

Number of tracks:

Running time:

104:00

Type of album:

Studio / Soundtrack / Interview

Linked to:

FTD discography; Love Me Tender, 1956

Year:

2014

Recorded:

August 24 de agosto - October 1, 1956

Released:

June 2014

Singles:

---

After decades of being re-released with the same content, FTD finally presented fans with a double CD that included outtakes, alternate takes, interviews and rehearsal snippets. The first CD contains the tracks:

ORIGINAL EP (MONO)

1. Love Me Tender

2. Let Me

3. Poor Boy

4. We're Gonna Move

BONUS

5. Love Me Tender (End Title Version)

6. The Truth About Me (Interview excerpt from August 22, 1956 on the set of Love Me Tender)

OUTTAKES

7. We're Gonna Move (Take 4)

8. We're Gonna Move (Take 9)

9. Poor Boy (Take 3 - Original 3 Verse Master)

10. Poor Boy (Remake, Take 1)

11. Poor Boy (Extended Verse - Vocal Overdub Take 6)

12. Let Me (Vocal Overdub Take 3)

13. Let Me (Vocal Overdub Take 4)

STEREO MASTERS

14. Love Me Tender

15. Let Me

16. Poor Boy

17. We're Gonna Move

INTERVIEW

18. The Truth About Me (Full interview from August 22, 1956 on the set of Love Me Tender)

As if all the unreleased tracks weren't enough, FTD also brought the two shows from September 26, 1956, in Tupelo, Mississippi, and interviews with friends and relatives. The second CD contains the tracks:

SEPTEMBER 26, 1956 - 2:30 PM*

1. Heartbreak Hotel

2. Long Tall Sally

3. Introductions and Presentation

4. I Was The One

5. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You

6. Elvis talks

7. I Got a Woman

8. Don't Be Cruel

9. Ready Teddy

10. Love Me Tender

11. Hound Dog

INTERVIEWS

12. Vernon and Gladys Presley

13. Nick Adams

14. A fan

15. Elvis

SEPTEMBER 26, 1956 - 7:30 PM**

16. Love Me Tender

17. I Was the One

18. I Got a Woman

19. Announcement I

20. Don't Be Cruel

21. Blue Suede Shoes

22. Announcement II

23. Baby Let's Play House

24. Hound Dog

*Full concert

**First 3 songs absent due to not having rights guaranteed by RCA

To complete the package, FTD also includes an extensive booklet with extensive information about the film and its soundtrack, as well as high quality photos and a large collection of promotional posters.

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ALTERNATE VERSION IN MONO

Title:

The Wild One '56

Label:

FTD [FTD 220] [506020 975129]

Format:

Book + CD

Number of tracks:

Running time:

47:30

Type of album:

Concert / Studio / Live

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2018

Recorded:

August 24 - October 28, 1956

Released:

December 2018

Singles:

---

The Wild One '56 is the 178th FTD CD. It contains tracks recorded between August 24 and October 28, 1956 in studio, on TV and in his only professionally recorded performances in Tupelo. Comes with a book with 288 pages. The CD contains the tracks:

TUPELO, MISSISSIPPI (Sept. 26, 1956 - 7:30 PM)*

1. I Was the One

2. I Got a Woman

3. Announcement

4. Don't Be Cruel

5. Blue Suede Shoes

6. Announcement

7. Baby Let's Play House

8. Hound Dog

9. Announcement

"LOVE ME TENDER" EP

10. Love Me Tender

11. Let Me

12. We're Gonna Move

13. Poor Boy

BONUS

14. Love Me Tender (End Title Movie Version)

THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW (October 28, 1956)

15. Don't Be Cruel

16. Ed Sullivan Talks

17. Love Me Tender

18. Ed Sullivan Talks

19. Love Me

20. Hound Dog

21. Elvis' Closing Remarks

BONUS

22. The Truth About Me(Interview excerpt from August 22, 1956 on the set of Love Me Tender)

*First 3 songs absent due to not having rights guaranteed by RCA

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REVISED VERSION

Title:

Love Me Tender - Through the Lens of Robert Vose

Label:

FTD [FTD 225] [506020 975156-6]

Format:

Book + double CD

Number of tracks:

Running time:

47:30

Type of album:

Studio / Interview

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2021

Recorded:

August 24 - October 1, 1956

Released:

May 2021

Singles:

---

Love Me Tender - Through the Lens of Robert Vose is the 194th FTD CD. It contains tracks recorded on August 24 and October 1, 1956 for the "Love Me Tender" movie soundtrack and "ELVIS" disc. Comes with a 400 page book. The CDs contain the tracks:

CD 1

ORIGINAL EP (MONO)

1. Love Me Tender

2. Let Me

3. Poor Boy

4. We're Gonna Move

BONUS

5. Love Me Tender (End Title Version)

6. The Truth About Me (Excerpt)

OUTTAKES

7. We're Gonna Move (Take 4)

8. We're Gonna Move (Take 9)