EAP Index World: Elvis By Request - Flaming Star and 3 Other Great Songs (EP

Title:

By Request - Flaming Star & 3 Other Great Songs

Label:

RCA Victor [LPC-128]

Format:

Number of tracks:

Running time:

10:20

Type of album:

Soundtrack

Linked to:

Official discography; Flaming Star, 1960

Year:

1961

Recording date:

April 3 - 4, August 8, October 7, 1960

Release date:

April 21, 1961

Singles:

"Are You Lonesome / I Gotta Know" (Nov. 1, 1960)

Elvis By Request - Flaming Star is an EP that features the soundtrack to Elvis' sixth film, "Flaming Star", from 1960.

Recording sessions took place on August 8 and October 7, 1960, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.

Elvis by Request is Presley's only EP with a 33⅓ RPM speed—all of his other EPs have been released at 45 RPM.

Initially, four songs were composed for the film, but "Britches" and "Summer Kisses, Winter Tears" were discarded after Elvis refused to work on them if they were added to what he believed was supposed to be a serious drama. With the film's soundtrack consisting of just two songs, "Flaming Star" and "A Cane and a High Starched Collar", RCA decided to release just one EP and include the singles "Are You Lonesome Tonight" and "It's Now or Never" as bonus tracks.

Originally, the film's title song was going to be "Black Star", which was recorded by Presley and had a darker, more pessimistic message. It ended up being left aside and replaced by "Flaming Star", being later released in the 1990s. The significantly darker lyrics of "Black Star" are seen by some experts as part of the inspiration for David Bowie's song "Blackstar". It should also be noted that both Presley and Bowie share the same birthday (January 8).

Two months after the film's premiere, RCA released "Elvis By Request - Flaming Star", which reached 14th place on the Billboard Hot 100. The EP contained the title track and one of the rejected songs, "Summer Kisses, Winter Tears", along with the two 1960 singles mentioned above.

"Summer Kisses, Winter Tears" would officially appear on an album only on 1965's Elvis for Everyone!, and "A Cane and a High Starched Collar" would be released on 1976's Elvis: A Legendary Performer, Volume 2. Finally, " Britches" would only be released on Elvis: A Legendary Performer, Volume 3, in 1978. The four songs would only be released in the same work on the reissue of the original EP in 1982, released only in the United Kingdom.

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RECORDING SESSIONS

Dates:

April 3 - 4, August 8, October 7, 1960

Studio:

RCA Studio B

Radio Recorders

Location:

Nashville, Tennessee

Hollywood, California

Musicians:

April 3 - 4, 1960

Voice: Elvis Presley
Accoustic guitar: Elvis Presley
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

August 8 & November 7, 1960

Voice: Elvis Presley
Accoustic guitar: Elvis Presley
Guitar: Howard Roberts, Hilmer J. 'Tiny' Timbrell
Bass: Michael 'Myer' Rubin
Drums: Bernie Mattinson
Piano: Dudley Brooks
Accordion: Jimmie Haskell
Backing Vocals: The Jordanaires
Sound engineer / Recording engineer:

Thorne Nogar

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

AUGUST 8, 1960
Black Star WPA5 2502-13
Black Star (Insert #1)
Black Star (Composite)
Black Star (End Title Version) WPA5 2510-06
Summer Kisses, Winter Tears M2PB 1986-20
Britches (Track)
Britches (Vocal Overdub)
Britches (Vocal Overdub - Insert)
Britches (Composite) SPA3 6744-SP
A Cane & A High Starched Collar
A Cane & A High Starched Collar (Insert)
A Cane & A High Starched Collar (Composite) SPA3 6743-SP
Summer Kisses, Winter Tears (Movie Version - Track)
Summer Kisses, Winter Tears (Movie Version - Vocal Overdub)

OCTOBER 7, 1960
Flaming Star M2PB 1987-06
Flaming Star (End Title Version) WPA5 2547-SP

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SESSION LOGS

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RELATED SINGLES, EPS AND LPS TRACKS (1960 - 1982)

IT'S NOW OR NEVER (SINGLE)

July 5, 1960

1. It's Now or Never

2. A Mess of Blues

ARE YOU LONESOME TONIGHT (SINGLE)

November 1, 1960

1. Are You Lonesome Tonight

2. I Gotta Know

ELVIS BY REQUEST - FLAMING STAR (EP, US)

April 21, 1961

1. Flaming Star

2. Summer Kisses, Winter Tears

3. Are You Lonesome Tonight

4. It's Now or Never

ELVIS BY REQUEST - FLAMING STAR

(EP, GERMANY)

May 1961

1. Flaming Star

2. Wild in the Country

3. Frankfort Special

4. G. I. Blues

ELVIS BY REQUEST - FLAMING STAR

(EP, GERMANY)

December 1961

1. Flaming Star

2. Summer Kisses, Winter Tears

3. Frankfort Special

4. G. I. Blues

ELVIS FOR EVERYONE! (LP)

August 10, 1965

1. Your Cheatin' Heart

2. Summer Kisses, Winter Tears

3. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers

4. In My Way

5. Tomorrow Night (overdubbed, slowed)

6. Memphis Tennessee

7. For the Millionth and the Last Time

8. Forget Me Never

9. Sound Advice

10. Santa Lucia

11. I Met Her Today

12. When it Rains, it Really Pours

ELVIS: A LEGENDARY PERFORMER, VOLUME 2 (LP)

January 8, 1976

1. Harbor Lights

2. Interview With Elvis

3. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You

4. Blue Suede Shoes

5. Blue Christmas

6. Jailhouse Rock

7. It's Now or Never

8. A Cane and a High Starched Collar

9. Presentation of Awards to Elvis

10. Blue Hawaii

11. Such a Night

12. Baby What You Want Me to Do

13. How Great Thou Art

14. If I Can Dream

ELVIS: A LEGENDARY PERFORMER, VOLUME 3 (LP)

November 20, 1978

1. Hound Dog

2. Excerpts From Interview

3. Danny

4. Fame and Fortune

5. Frankfort Special

6. Britches

7. Crying in the Chapel

8. Surrender

9. Guadalajara

10. It Hurts Me

11. Let Yourself Go

12. In the Ghetto

13. Let it Be Me

ELVIS BY REQUEST - FLAMING STAR

(EP, UK)

1982

1. Flaming Star

2. Summer Kisses, Winter Tears

3. Britches

4. A Cane and a High Starched Collar

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RCA CAMDEN RE-RELEASE

Title:

Elvis Sings Flaming Star

Label:

RCA Camden [PRS 279 (promo) / CAS 2304 (official)]

Format:

Number of tracks:

Running time:

20:30

Type of album:

Studio / Compilation

Linked to:

Official discography; Flaming Star, 1960

Year:

1968-69

Recording date:

October 7, 1960 - June 27, 1968

Release date:

October 18, 1968 (promo) / March 28, 1969 (official)

Singles:

---

Elvis Sings Flaming Star was a reissue of the 1961 EP, this time on LP and with extra tracks from other films and the single "Too Much Monkey Business", made by RCA Camden, responsible for the label's budget albums.

The LP was sold through RCA by sewing machine manufacturer Singer, as part of a deal that began with the '68 Comeback Special. This album would begin the series of budget releases on the Camden subsidiary label.

The work includes the following tracks:

1. Flaming Star

2. Wonderful World

3. Night Life

4. All I Needed Was the Rain

5. Too Much Monkey Business

6. Yellow Rose of Texas / Eyes of Texas

7. She's a Machine

8. Do the Vega

9. Tiger Man (June 27, 1968)*

*first live track released ever

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FTD VERSION

Title:

Flaming Star

Label:

FTD [FTD 140] [506020 975082]

Format:

Number of tracks:

Running time:

76:00

Type of album:

Studio / Soundtrack / Recording session

Linked to:

FTD discography; Flaming Star, 1960

Year:

2014

Recording date:

April 3 - 4, August 8, October 7, 1960

Release date:

November 2014

Singles:

---

As it is a production without many songs, FTD did not have a large number of selections to work on this CD. For this reason, its structure is not varied and basically consists of any and all material that the record company managed to find or recover from RCA tapes.

To compensate for the lack of audio material, FTD provided an 18-page booklet with rare images of posters and EP covers from different parts of the world, as well as memorabilia and behind-the-scenes photos from the film.

The CD contains the following tracks:

TRACKS RECORDED FOR THE MOVIE

1. Flaming Star

2. A Cane And a High Starched Collar

3. Britches

4. Summer Kisses, Winter Tears

5. Flaming Star (End Title Version)

ALTERNATE TITLE SONG

6. Black Star

7. Black Star (End Title Version)

OUTTAKES

8. Flaming Star (Take 1*)