Title:
Elvis Is Back!
Label:
RCA Victor [LSP 2231]
Format:
LP
Number of tracks:
12
Running time:
32:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
Official discography
Year:
1960
Recorded:
March 20 - April 4, 1960
Released:
April 8, 1960
Singles:
"Stuck On You/Fame and Fortune" (March 23, 1960)
Elvis Is Back! is Elvis' first album on his return to the US after serving two years in the army in Germany, and his tenth LP for RCA.
With songs recorded in four days in late March and early April 1960, this is RCA's first release of only unreleased material up to that point, as no single from the tracks on the LP was sold. Instead, the label endeavored to release songs recorded solely for the purpose of being singles during the 1960s.
In 1957, when Presley's fame was growing, he was ordered to attend army training for two years, but was granted a reprieve so he could finish his latest film production, King Creole. Elvis left for Germany in 1958 and during his military service RCA Victor and Paramount Pictures progressively released materials he had completed prior to enlistment.
During his final months in the military, Presley worked on new sounds and on improving his performance, also preparing material for his first session in Nashville, which was scheduled to take place on his return. In the meantime Colonel Parker negotiated new terms with RCA, obtaining a raise in Presley's salary and an appearance on The Frank Sinatra Show.
For his first recording session, Presley considered while in Germany in 1959, "Soldier Boy" by The Four Fellows, "I Will Be Home Again" by The Golden Gate Quartet, "Such a Night" by The Drifters and "Like a Baby" by Jesse Stone. For inspiration, Presley used Roy Hamilton's "I Believe" and his version of "Unchained Melody", the traditional Irish song "Danny Boy" and Tony Martin's "There's No Tomorrow" (an adaptation of "O Sole Mio"). Elvis also studied the phrasing and notes of The Inkspots and The Mills Brothers.
Charlie Hodge had taught him techniques to improve his breathing and expand his reach. By the end of his stint in Germany, Presley had added a full octave to his vocal range.
On March 20 and 21, 1960, the singer recorded with his original band The Blue Moon Boys, except bassist Bill Black. RCA's Studio B was recently equipped with a new three-track recorder, and to further improve the recording of Presley's voice, Telefunken U-47 microphones were installed. The U-47 was the first condenser microphone that could switch between omnidirectional and cardioid patterns, being used for vocals, instruments and full area coverage. The first song recorded was Otis Blackwell's "Make Me Know it", which was completed in nineteen takes, followed by "Soldier Boy", the singles "Stuck on You" and "Fame and Fortune", and "A Mess of Blues", which ended up a left over.
The original musicians returned to the studio on the night of April 3 and were joined by saxophonist Boots Randolph. Presley kicked off the session with "Fever", followed it up with a reworked version of "O Sole Mio", now titled "It's Now or Never" and which required all of Elvis' strength and technique to reach the final note, "Girl Next Door Went A-Walking" and "Thrill of Your Love". "Are You Lonesome Tonight", scrapped for the album and released as a single, was followed by "I Will Be Home Again" - a duet with Charlie Hodge - and the session ended with Lowell Fulson's "Reconsider Baby", with Presley performing lead guitar with his Gibson Super 400.
Elvis Is Back! represented a new sound for Presley and took him more towards the pop music side, a direction he continued to pursue for much of the decade. The album features a mix of genres including rock, R&B and pop ballads, with Elvis giving his voice a deeper, more sophisticated quality.
In addition to the efficiency of the musicians used in the sessions, known as "The Nashville A-Team", another attraction of the record was that it was Elvis' first to be released in stereo, which enhanced the performances of the work's 12 tracks. "Fever" would become the most famous song on the LP, having its first live rendition in Memphis on February 25, 1961, and appearing at most shows from 1972 to 1974, appearing sporadically in the following years. Another well-known theme from the album is "Reconsider Baby", sung on the same occasion in 1961 and in Hawaii on March 25 of that year, and being present sporadically in the 1970s.
The first single linked to Elvis Is Back!, "Stuck on You", was released two days after recording with "Fame and Fortune" on the B-side, attracting 1.4 million pre-orders, and being the first single of Presley to be released in stereo. The full LP hit stores on April 8, 1960, in stereo and mono versions, reaching number two on the Billboard Top LPs and topping the chart in the UK.
Despite this, its commercial performance was a disappointment, with less than 300,000 copies sold in the United States. Abroad, the EP "Such a Night", which featured four songs from the album, helped boost sales ftom July 5, 1960.
The album was certified Gold on July 15, 1999 by the Recording Industry Association of America. RCA re-released the original work on CD in 1990 and with extra tracks in 1999. In 2005 FTD remastered the album and released it with parts of the recording sessions on a double CD. In 2011 Legacy Recordings released a remastered version of the album along with "Something for Everybody". FTD made the complete recording sessions available in a 4-CD box set in 2019.
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RECORDING SESSIONS
March 20 and 21 & April 3 and 4, 1960
Studio:
RCA Studio B
Location:
Nashville, Tennessee
Musicians:
Musicians:
Voice: Elvis Presley
Guitar: Elvis Presley
Electric guitar: Elvis Presley. Scotty Moore, Hank Garland
Bass: Bob Moore
Electric bass: Hank Garland
Drums: DJ Fontana, Murray "Buddy" Harman
Piano: Floyd Cramer
Saxophone: Homer "Boots" Randolph
Backing Vocals: The Jordanaires, Charlie Hodge
Sound engineer / Recording engineer:
Guitar: Elvis Presley
Electric guitar: Elvis Presley. Scotty Moore, Hank Garland
Bass: Bob Moore
Electric bass: Hank Garland
Drums: DJ Fontana, Murray "Buddy" Harman
Piano: Floyd Cramer
Saxophone: Homer "Boots" Randolph
Backing Vocals: The Jordanaires, Charlie Hodge
Sound engineer / Recording engineer:
Steve Sholes / Chet Atkins
MARCH 20 / 21, 1960
Make Me Know it L2WB 0081-19
Soldier Boy L2WB 0082-15
Stuck On You L2WB 0083-03
Fame and Fortune L2WB 0084-SP
A Mess of Blues L2WB 0085-05
It Feels So Right L2WB 0086-05
APRIL 3 / 4, 1960
Fever L2WB 0098-04
Like a Baby L2WB 0099-06
It's Now or Never L2WB 0100-SP
The Girl of My Best Friend L2WB 0101-10
Dirty, Dirty Feeling L2WB 0102-04
Thrill of Your Love L2WB 0103-03
I Gotta Know L2WB 0104-02
Such a Night L2WB 0105-05
Are You Lonesome Tonight? L2WB 0106-05
Are You Lonesome Tonight? (work part)
Are You Lonesome Tonight? (composite) L2WB 0106-SP
Girl Next Door Went A' Walking L2WB 0107-04
I Will Be Home Again L2WB 0108-04
Reconsider Baby L2WB 0109-02
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SESSION LOGS
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RELATED LP, SINGLES AND EPS
A TOUCH OF GOLD, VOLUME 3 (EP)
February 23, 1960
1. Too Much
2. All Shook Up
3. Don't Ask Me Why
4. Blue Moon of Kentucky
STUCK ON YOU (SINGLE)
March 23, 1960
1. Stuck On You
2. Fame and Fortune
IT'S NOW OR NEVER (SINGLE)
July 5, 1960
1. It's Now or Never
2. A Mess of Blues
July 5, 1960
1. Such a Night
2. It Feels So Right
3. Like a Baby
4. Make Me Know it
ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT (SINGLE)
November 1, 1960
1. Are You Lonesome Tonight
2. I Gotta Know
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FTD VERSIONS
Title:
Elvis Is Back!
Label:
FTD [FTD 043] [82876 679682 7]
Format:
Double CD
Number of tracks:
53
Running time:
158:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
FTD discography
Year:
2005
Recorded:
March 20 - April 4, 1960
Released:
April 8, 2005
Singles:
---
Once again, FTD surpasses itself and surprises us with one of its best works. Even with the limitation due to the scarcity of material at the time, the label does a great job of recovering some takes and remastering the singles released in the same year.
In the sequence there are some welcome news, such as never-before-released takes and session rarities.
Closing the work, FTD released a 16-page booklet with a wonderful selection of photos and memorabilia covering the period 1956 to 1960, including rare behind-the-scenes stills from his four films to that point.
The work includes the following tracks:
CD 1
ORIGINAL ALBUM
1. Make Me Know it
2. Fever
3. The Girl of My Best Friend
4. I Will Be Home Again
5. Dirty, Dirty Feeling
6. The Thrill of Your Love
7. Soldier Boy
8. Such a Night
9. It Feels So Right
10. Girl Next Door Went A'Walking
11. Like a Baby
12. Reconsider Baby
THE SINGLES
13. Stuck On You
14. Fame And Fortune
15. It's Now Or Never
16. A Mess Of A Blues
17. Are You Lonesome Tonight
18. I Gotta Know (Spliced, takes 1, 2 [Master])
FIRST TAKES
19. Make Me Know It (take 1)
20. Fever (take 1)
21. The Girl Of My Best Friend (take 3)
22. Soldier Boy (take 1)
23. Such A Night (take 1)
24. It Feels So Right (take 1)
25. Stuck On You (take 1)
26. Fame And Fortune (take 2)
27. It's Now Or Never (take 1)
28. Are You Lonesome Tonight (takes 1, 2)
CD 2
OUTTAKES
MARCH SESSIONS
1. Make Me Know It (take 3)
2. Make Me Know It (takes 9, 10, 11)
3. Make Me Know It (takes 17, 18)
4. Soldier Boy (takes 2, 3, 7)
5. Soldier Boy (takes 9, 10)
6. Stuck On You (takes 1, 2)
7. Fame And Fortune (takes 4, 5)
8. A Mess Of Blues (take 1)
9. A Mess Of A Blues (takes 2, 3)
10. It Feels So Right (take 2)
11. It Feels So Right (takes 4, 3)
APRIL SESSIONS
12. Fever (2, 3)
13. Like A Baby (take 1)
14. Like A Baby (take 2)
15. Like A Baby (takes 3, 4)
16. It's Now Or Never (take 2)
17. It's Now Or Never (takes 3, 4)
18. The Girl Of My Best Friend (takes 2, 4, 5, 6)
19. The Girl Of My Best Friend (take 9)
20. Dirty, Dirty Feeling (take 1)
21. Dirty, Dirty Feeling (takes 2, 3 [splice w/4 at the end])
22. Thrill Of Your Love (takes 1, 2, 1-PB)
23. Such A Night (takes 2, 3, 4/5 [splice])
24. Girl Next Door Went A'Walking (takes 1, 2, 3)
25. Are You Lonesome Tonight (takes 4, 3, Workpart 1/2 [splice])
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Elvis Is Back! Sessions
Label:
FTD [FTD 297] [506020 975030 9]
Format:
Double LP
Number of tracks:
28
Running time:
87:15
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
FTD discography
Year:
2011
Recorded:
March 20 - April 4, 1960
Released:
December 2011
Singles:
---
As usual at the time, FTD made a version for vinyl fans with the best outtakes and Masters. The work includes the following tracks:
LP 1
SIDE A
1. Such a Night (Take 1)
2. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Takes 1, 2)
3. Make Me Know it (Take 3)
4. It's Now or Never (Take 1)
5. It Feels So Right (Take 1)
6. Thrill of Your Love (Takes 1,2,1-PB)
7. Stuck On You (Take 1)
SIDE B
8. Reconsider Baby (Master)
9. Soldier Boy (Take 1)
10. A Mess of Blues (Take 1)
11. The Girl of My Best Friend (Takes 2, 4, 5, 6)
12. Fame and Fortune (Take 2)
13. Like a Baby (Take 1-FS/BD)
14. Like a Baby (Take 2)
LP 2
SIDE A
1. Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Takes 2, 3-SP last chord from Take 4 - Master)
2. I Gotta Know (Including Take 1)
3 Such a Night (Takes 2, 3, 4/5-SP)
4. Fever (Take 1)
5. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Takes 4-FS, 3, WP 1/2-SP)
6. Make Me Know it Ttakes 9, 10, 11)
7. The Girl Next Door (Went A'Walking) (Takes 1, 2, 3)
SIDE B
8. It's Now or Never (Take 2)
9. It's Now or Never (Takes 3, 4)
10. It Feels So Right (Takes 4, 3)
11. The Girl of My Best Friend (Take 9)
12. A Mess of Blues (Takes 2, 3)
13. Soldier Boy (Takes 9, 10)
14. Make Me Know it (Takes 17, 18)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Elvis Is Back! Sessions
Label:
FTD [FTD 184] [506020 975139 9]
Format:
Quadruple CD
Number of tracks:
87
Running time:
273:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
FTD discography
Year:
2019
Recorded:
March 20 - April 4, 1960
Released:
November 18, 2019
Singles:
---
For anyone who likes access to everything about an album, FTD finally released the full sessions in 2019 accompanied by a 28-page booklet. The work includes the following tracks:
CD 1
ORIGINAL ALBUM
1. Make Me Know it
2. Fever
3. The Girl of My Best Friend
4. I Will Be Home Again
5. Dirty, Dirty Feeling
6. Thrill of Your Love
7. Soldier Boy
8. Such a Night
9. It Feels So Right
10. Girl Next Door Went A-Walking
11. Like a Baby
12. Reconsider Baby
ORIGINAL SINGLES
13. Stuck On You
14. Fame and Fortune
15. It’s Now or Never
16. A Mess of Blues
17. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
18. I Gotta Know
CD 2
MARCH SESSIONS
1. Make Me Know it (Take 1)
2. Make Me Know it (Take 2)
3. Make Me Know it (Take 3)
4. Make Me Know it (Takes 4, 5, 6, 7 & 8)
5. Make Me Know it (Takes 9, 10 & 11)
6. Make Me Know it (Takes 12 & 14)
7. Make Me Know it (Takes 15 & 16)
8. Make Me Know it (Takes 17 & 18)
9. Make Me Know it (Take 19 - Master)
10. Soldier Boy (Take 1)
11. Soldier Boy (Takes 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7)
12. Soldier Boy (Takes 8, 9 & 10)
13. Soldier Boy (Take 11)
14. Soldier Boy (Takes 12, 14 & 15 - Master)
15. Stuck On You (Take 1)
16. Stuck On You (Take 2)
17. Stuck On You (Take 3 - Master)
18. Fame and Fortune (Take 1)
19. Fame and Fortune (Take 2)
20. Fame and Fortune (Takes 3, 4 & 5)
21. Fame and Fortune (Takes 6 & 7)
22. Fame and Fortune (Take 8)
CD 3
MARCH SESSIONS (CONTINUED)
1. Fame and Fortune (Take 9)
2. Fame and Fortune (Takes 10 & 11)
3. Fame and Fortune (Takes 12 & 14)
4. Fame and Fortune (Take 15)
5. Fame and Fortune (Splice of takes 15 & 14 - Master)
6. A Mess of Blues (Take 1)
7. A Mess of Blues (Takes 2 & 3)
8. A Mess of Blues (Take 4)
9. A Mess of Blues (Take 5 - Master)
10. It Feels So Right (Take 1)
11. It Feels So Right (Take 2)
12. It Feels So Right (Take 3)
13. It Feels So Right (Takes 4 & 5 - Master)
APRIL SESSIONS
14. Fever (Take 1)
15. Fever (Takes 2-3)
16. Fever (Take 4 - Master)
17. Like a Baby (Takes 1 & 2)
18. Like a Baby (Takes 3 & 4)
19. Like a Baby (Takes 5 & 6 - Master)
20. It’s Now or Never (Take 1)
21. It’s Now or Never (Take 2)
22. It’s Now or Never (Takes 3 & 4)
CD 4
APRIL SESSIONS (CONTINUED)
1. It’s Now or Never (Splice of takes 4 & 2 - Undubbed Master)
2. The Girl of My Best Friend (Takes 1, 2 & 3)
3. The Girl of My Best Friend (Takes 4, 5 & 6)
4. The Girl of My Best Friend (Takes 7, 8 & 9)
5. The Girl of My Best Friend (Take 10 - Master)
6. Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Take 1)
7. Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Takes 2 & 3)
8. Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Take 4)
9. Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Splice take 4 / guitar solo from take 1 - Master)
10. Thrill of Your Love (Take 1)
11. Thrill of Your Love (Takes 2 & 3 - Master)
12. I Gotta Know (Takes 1 & 2 - Master)
13. Such a Night (Take 1)
14. Such a Night (Takes 2, 3 & 4)
15. Such a Night (Take 5 - Master)
16. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Takes 1 & 2)
17. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Takes 3 & 4)
18. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Take 5)
19. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Workpart take 1)
20. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Workpart take 2)
21. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (Splice take 5 & workpart take 2) 3:09
22. Girl Next Door Went A’ Walking (Takes 1, 2 & 3)
23. Girl Next Door Went A’ Walking (Take 4 - Master)
24. I Will Be Home Again (Take 4 - Master)
25. Reconsider Baby (Take 2 - Master)
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ALTERNATE VERSION IN MONO
Welcome Home Elvis
Label:
FTD [FTD 203] [506020 975044 2]
Format:
CD
Number of tracks:
12
Running time:
32:00
Type of album:
Studio
Linked to:
FTD discography
Year:
2012
Recorded:
March 20 - April 4, 1960
Released:
May 2012
Singles:
---
Released as a 260-page book, the work discusses Elvis' return to the US in 1960 and the resumption of control of his career with photos and facts then unpublished. As a bonus, the label included the mono version of the LP "Elvis Is Back!" from 1960. The work includes the following tracks:
ORIGINAL ALBUM
1. Make Me Know it
2. Fever
3. The Girl of My Best Friend
4. I Will Be Home Again
5. Dirty, Dirty Feeling
6. Thrill of Your Love
7. Soldier Boy
8. Such a Night
9. It Feels So Right
10. Girl Next Door Went A-Walking
11. Like a Baby
12. Reconsider Baby
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