EAP Index World: Blue Hawaii (Single / LP

Title:

Blue Hawaii

Label:

RCA Victor [LPM 2426]

Format:

Number of tracks:

Running time:

32:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack

Linked to:

Official discography; Blue Hawaii, 1961

Year:

1961

Recording date:

March 21-23, 1961

Release date:

October 20, 1961

Singles:

"Can't Help Falling in Love/Rock-A-Hula" (Nov. 21, 1961)

Blue Hawaii is Elvis' fourteenth album on RCA Victor and his eighth soundtrack album. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on March 21, 22 and 23, 1961.

To match the film's location, touches of Hawaiian music were included, from the instrumentation to the traditional song "Aloha 'Oe". The title song is taken from the 1943 film with Bing Crosby, "Waikiki Wedding", and "Hawaiian Wedding Song" is taken from a 1926 operetta.

The songs "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "Rock-A-Hula Baby" came off the album for a single released on November 21, 1961, with the first song reaching #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and the other, reaching the 23rd position. "Can't Help Falling in Love" would become the standard closing song for Elvis shows from 1969 to 1977, only being withdrawn in a 1971 season, when it was replaced by "The Impossible Dream".

The Blue Hawaii soundtrack was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1961, in the category of Best Soundtrack Album or Original Cast Recording from a Motion Picture or Television Program. Its success, coupled with that of "G.I. Blues", which sold in far greater numbers than Elvis' two regular releases at the time, "Elvis is Back!" and "Something For Everybody", set the pace for the rest of the decade.

Parker and Presley would focus on his film careers, with non-soundtrack albums totaling just six releases during the 1960s versus sixteen full soundtrack albums, between 27 films and the '68 Comeback Special.

In the United States, the album spent 20 weeks at number one and 39 weeks in the Top 10 of Billboard's Top Pop LPs. It was certified Gold on December 21, 1961, Platinum and 2x Platinum on March 27, 1992 and 3x Platinum on July 30, 2002 by the Recording Industry Association of America. In the Top Pop Albums ranking, the album was second among soundtracks, only behind "West Side Story" during the 1960s.

Blue Hawaii was reissued by RCA on CD in 1997, receiving eight bonus tracks, and again in 2008. The latest reissues were handled by Follow That Dream, which released a double CD and LP in 2009 and a quadruple CD with all session recordings for the soundtrack, accompanied by a vinyl EP and two books, in 2023.

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RECORDING SESSIONS

Date:

March 21-23, 1961

Studio:

Radio Recorders

Location:
Hollywood, California

Musicians:

Voice: Elvis Presley
Electric guitar: Scotty Moore, Hilmer J. 'Tiny' Timbrell, Hank Garland
Accoustic guitar: Alvino Rey
Bass: Bob Moore
Drums: DJ Fontana, Hal Blaine
Percussion: Bernie Mattinson
Piano: Dudley Brooks, Floyd Cramer
Celeste: Dudley Brooks
Harmonica: George Fields
Saxophone: Homer 'Boots' Randolph
Ukelele: Fred Tavares, Bernie Lewis
Backing Vocals: The Jordanaires, The Surfers

Sound engineer / Recording engineer:

Thorne Nogar

MARCH 21, 1961
Hawaiian Sunset M2PB 2994-SP
Aloha Oe (Section 2)
Ku-U-I-Po M2PB 2991-09
No More M2PB 2987-SP (Composite)
Slicin' Sand M2PB 2993-19

MARCH 22, 1961
Blue Hawaii M2PB 2984-07
Ito Eats M2PB 2992-09
Ito Eats (Tag For Movie)
Hawaiian Wedding Song M2PB 3015-02
Island Of Love M2PB 3000-13
Steppin' Out Of Line M2PB 3038-17
Steppin' Out Of Line (Movie Version) WPA5 2549-SP
Almost Always True M2PB 2985-08
Moonlight Swim M2PB

MARCH 23, 1961
Aloha Oe (Section 1 - The Surfers)
Aloha Oe (Composite) M2PB 2986-SP
Can't Help Falling In Love (Movie Version) WPA5 2550-23
Can't Help Falling In Love M2PB 2988-29
Beach Boy Blues M2PB 2995-02
Beach Boy Blues (Movie Version) WPA5 2585-03
Rock-A-Hula Baby

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SESSION LOGS

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RELATED LP AND SINGLE TRACKS (RCA, 1961)

BLUE HAWAII (LP)

October 20, 1961

1. Blue Hawaii

2. Almost Always True

3. Aloha Oe

4. No More

5. Can't Help Falling in Love

6. Rock-A-Hula

7. Moonlight Swim

8. Ku-U-I-Po

9. It Eats

10. Slicin' Sand

11. Hawaiian Sunset

12. Beach Boy Blues

13. Island of Love

14. Hawaiian Wedding Song

CAN'T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (SINGLE)

November 21, 1961

1. Can't Help Falling in Love

2. Rock-A-Hula

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FTD VERSIONS

Title:

Blue Hawaii

Label:

FTD [FTD 078] [88697 29733 2]

Format:

Double CD

Number of tracks:

Running time:

158:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack / Recording session

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2009

Recording date:

March 21-23, 1961

Release date:

Febrruary 2009

Singles:

---

FTD brought out their version of the album in 2009, with all the recordings made for the film's score available with remastered audio and in an extremely attractive CD and booklet package. The CD sound is extremely crystal clear and provides the listener with the most perfect harmonies imaginable through the reworking of the original tapes.

The work contains the following tracks:

CD 1

ORIGINAL ALBUM

1. Blue Hawaii

2. Almost Always True

3. Aloha Oe

4. No More

5. Can't Help Falling in Love

6. Rock-A-Hula Baby

7. Moonlight Swim

8. Ku-U-I-Po

9. Ito Eats

10. Slicin' Sand

11. Hawaiian Sunset

12. Beach Boy Blues

13. Island of Love

14. Hawaiian Wedding Song

NEW BONUS

15. Steppin' Out of Line (Movie Version)

16. Beach Boy Blues (Movie Version)

17. Can't Help Falling in Love (Movie Version)

18. Moonlight Swim (Undubbed Master)

19. Steppin' Out of Line (Record Version)

FIRST TAKES

20. Blue Hawaii (Takes 1*, 2*, 3)

21. Almost Always True (Take 3)

22. Aloha Oe (Part 2) (Take 1)

23. No More (Take 7)

24. Can't Help Falling in Love (Take 13*)

25. Rock-A-Hula Baby (Takes 1*, 2*, 3)

26. Moonlight Swim (Take 2*)

27. Ku-U-I-Po (Take 1*)

28. Ito Eats (Takes 1*, 2*)

29. Slicin' Sand (Takes 1*, 2*, 3*)

30. Hawaiian Sunset (Take 1*)

31. Island of Love (Take 8)

32. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Take 1)

CD 2

OUTTAKES

1. Hawaiian Sunset (Take 2*)

2. Hawaiian Sunset (Takes 6*, 3)

3. Aloha Oe (Part 2) (Take 6*)

4. Aloha Oe (Part 2) (Take splice 7/5)

5. Ku-U-I-Po (Takes 2*, 4*, 5*)

6. Ku-U-I-Po (Takes 6, 7)

7. No More (Takes 1*, 2*, 4*, 8*)

8. No More (Takes 11, 15*, Insert Ending)

9. Slicin' Sand (Take 4)

10. Slicin' Sand (Takes 5*, 6, 7)

11. Slicin' Sand (Takes 8*, 13*, 15*, 16*, 14*)

12. Blue Hawaii (Takes 4*, 5*, 6*)

13. Ito Eats (Takes 4*, 6*, 5*)

14. Island of Love (Takes 1*, 2*, 4*, 6*)

15. Island of Love (Takes 7, 9*)

16. Steppin' Out of Line (Movie Version) (Takes 4*, 5*, sp7/8*)

17. Steppin' Out of Line (Record Version) (Takes 10*, 11*, 16*, 15)

18. Steppin' Out Of Line (Tag For Movie) (Takes 18/19*)

19. Almost Always True (Takes 2*, 4*, 5*)

20. Almost Always True (Takes 7*, 6*)

21. Moonlight Swim (Takes 1*, 4)

22. Can't Help Falling in Love (Takes 14, 15, 16)

23. Can't Help Falling in Love (Takes 17*, 19*, 20*, 21*, 22*, 24)

24. Can't Help Falling in Love (Takes 25*, 26)

*PREVIOUSLY unreleased takes

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Title:

Blue Hawaii

Label:

FTD [FTD 288] [88697 29733 1]

Format:

Double LP

Number of tracks:

Running time:

80:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack / Recording session

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2009

Recording date:

March 21-23, 1961

Release date:

June 2009

Singles:

---

In the same year, aiming to please vinyl fans and profit in the resurgent market, the label released a double LP with part of the recording sessions, starting with Masters of the film version and first takes.

The work contains the following tracks:

LP 1

SIDE A

1. Blue Hawaii

2. Almost Always True

3. Aloha Oe

4. No More

5. Can't Help Falling In Love

6. Rock-A-Hula Baby

7. Moonlight Swim

SIDE B

8. Ku-U-I-Po

9. Ito Eats

10. Slicin' Sand

11. Hawaiian Sunset

12. Beach Boy Blues

13. Island Of Love

14. Hawaiian Wedding Song

LP 2

SIDE A

1. Steppin' Out of Line (Movie Version)

2. Beach Boy Blues (Movie Version)

3. Can't Help Falling in Love (Movie Version)

4. Blue Hawaii (Takes 1, 2, 3)

5. Almost Always True (Takes 2, 5)

6. Aloha Oe (Section 2, Takes 6, 7/5)

7. No More (Takes 2, 8)

8. Rock-a-hula Baby (Takes 1, 2, 3)

9. Moonlight Swim (Take 2)

SIDE B

10. Can't Help Falling in Love (Take 13)

11. No More (Take 11)

12. Ku-U-I-Po (Takes 4, 5)

13. Slicin' Sand (Takes 1, 8, 14)

14. Hawaiian Sunset (Take 2)

6. Steppin' Out of Line (Takes 4, 5, 15)

7. Island of Love (Takes 7, 8)

8. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Take 1)

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Title:

The Making of Blue Hawaii

Label:

FTD [FTD 228] [506020 975177]

Format:

Quad CD + EP + book

Number of tracks:

Running time:

325:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack / Recording session

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2023

Recording date:

March 21-23, 1961

Release date:

April 2023

Singles:

---

14 years after the soundtrack CD, FTD releases all the recording sessions in a box with 4 CDs, a vinyl EP with singles and 2 books that tell in detail all the production, filming and sessions of "Blue Hawaii".

The work contains the following tracks:

CD 1

MASTERS

1. Blue Hawaii

2. Almost Always True

3. Aloha Oe

4. No More

5. Can't Help Falling in Love

6. Rock-A-Hula Baby

7. Moonlight Swim

8. Ku-U-I-Po

9. Ito Eats

10. Slicin' Sand

11. Hawaiian Sunset

12. Beach Boy Blues

13. Island of Love

14. Hawaiian Wedding Song

15. Steppin' Out of Line

MARCH 21, 1961 SESSIONS

16. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Take 1)

17. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Take 2)

18. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Take 3)

19. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Take 4) (Used For Master)

20. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Takes 5-6, 7) (Used For Master)

21. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Final Master) (splice of takes 4 & 7)

CD 2

MARCH 21, 1961 SESSIONS (CONTINUED)

1. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 1)

2. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 2)

3. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 3)

4. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Takes 4, 5 - Used For Master)

5. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 6)

6. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 7 (Used For Master)

7. Aloha Oe (BO Section 1 - Master) (Take 4) & (BO Section 2 - Master) (splice of takes 7 & 5)

8. Ku-U-I-Po (CO, Take 1)

9. Ku-U-I-Po (CO, Takes 2,4,5)

10. Ku-U-I-Po (CO, Takes 6-7)

11. Ku-U-I-Po (CO, Takes 8, 9 - Master)

12. No More (DO, Takes 1-2)

13. No More (DO, Takes 4, 5, 7)

14. No More (DO, Take 8)

15. No More (DO, Take 9)

16. No More (DO, Takes 10-11)

17. No More (DO, Takes 12,13 - Used For Master)

18. No More (DO-1, Insert Ending, Takes 14-16)

19. No More (DO & DO-1 - Master) (splice of takes 13 & Insert Ending Take 16)

20. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 1-3)

21. Slicin' Sand (EO, Take 4)

22. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 5-7)

23. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 8-9)

24. Slicin' Sand (EO, Take 10)

25. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 11-12)

26. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 13-14)

27. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 15-18)

28. Slicin' Sand (EO, Take 19 - Master)

CD 3

MARCH 22, 1961 SESSIONS

1. Blue Hawaii (FO, Takes 1-3)

2. Blue Hawaii (FO, Takes 4-6)

3. Blue Hawaii (FO, Take 7 - Master)

4. Ito Eats (GO, Takes 1-2)

5. Ito Eats (GO, Takes 3-5)

6. Ito Eats (GO, Takes 6-8, 9 - Master)

7. Hawaiian Wedding Song (JO, Take 1)

8. Hawaiian Wedding Song (JO, Take 2 - Master)

9. Island of Love (KO, Takes 1-4)

10. Island of Love (KO, Takes 5-7)

11. Island of Love (KO, Take 8)

12. Island of Love (KO, Take 9-10)

13. Island of Love (KO, Takes 11-12)

14. Island of Love (KO, Take 13 - Master)

15. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Movie Version, Takes 1-5)

16. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Movie Version, Takes 6-7, 8 - Master)

17. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Record Version, Takes 9-11)

18. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Record Version, Takes 12-15)

19. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Record Version, Takes 16, 17 - Master)

20. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Movie Version, Tag, Takes 18-19)

21. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Movie Version - Master)

22. Almost Always True (MO, Takes 1-3)

23. Almost Always True (MO, Takes 4-5)

24. Almost Always True (MO, Takes 6-7)

25. Almost Always True (MO, Take 8 - Master)

CD 4

MARCH 22, 1961 SESSIONS (CONTINUED)

1. Moonlight Swim (NO, Takes 1-2)
2. Moonlight Swim (NO, Take 3 - Master Without Female Vocals Overdub)
3. Moonlight Swim (NO, Take 4)
MARCH 23, 1961 SESSIONS
4. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Takes 1-5)
5. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Takes 6-8)
6. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Take 9)
7. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Takes 10-12)
8. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Take 13)
9. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Takes 14-16)
10. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Takes 17-20)
11. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Takes 21-22, 23 - Master)
12. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Takes 24)
13. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Movie Version, Takes 25-26)
14. Can't Help Falling in Love (RO, Record Version, Takes 27-29 - Master)
15. Beach Boy Blues (SO, Record Version, Takes 1, 2 - Master, 3)
16. Beach Boy Blues (SO, Movie Version, Take 4 (Master)
17. Rock-A-Hula Baby (TO, Record Version, Takes 1-3)
18. Rock-A-Hula Baby (TO, Record Version, Takes 4, 5 - Master)

VYNIL EP IN MONO

SIDE A

1. No More (Mono Master)

2. Blue Hawaii (Mono Master)

SIDE B

3. Moonlight Swim (Mono Master)

4. Almost Always True (Mono Master)

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Title:

The Blue Hawaii Sessions

Label:

FTD [FTD 235] [506020 975185]

Format:

4x CD

Number of tracks:

Running time:

325:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack / Recording session

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2024

Recording date:

March 21-23, 1961

Release date:

March 2024

Singles:

---

Only a year after the release of "The Making of Blue Hawaii", , FTD re-releases all the recording sessions present in the work above in a box with 4 CDs. The only differences are the absence of the book (it has a 24-page booklet) and the vinyl EP, and the newly remixed tracks.

The work contains the following tracks:

CD 1

MASTERS

1. Blue Hawaii

2. Almost Always True

3. Aloha Oe

4. No More

5. Can't Help Falling in Love

6. Rock-A-Hula Baby

7. Moonlight Swim

8. Ku-U-I-Po

9. Ito Eats

10. Slicin' Sand

11. Hawaiian Sunset

12. Beach Boy Blues

13. Island of Love

14. Hawaiian Wedding Song

15. Steppin' Out of Line

MARCH 21, 1961 SESSIONS

16. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Take 1)

17. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Take 2)

18. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Take 3)

19. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Take 4) (Used For Master)

20. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Takes 5-6, 7) (Used For Master)

21. Hawaiian Sunset (AO, Final Master) (splice of takes 4 & 7)

CD 2

MARCH 21, 1961 SESSIONS (CONTINUED)

1. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 1)

2. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 2)

3. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 3)

4. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Takes 4, 5 - Used For Master)

5. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 6)

6. Aloha Oe (BO Section 2, Take 7 (Used For Master)

7. Aloha Oe (BO Section 1 - Master) (Take 4) & (BO Section 2 - Master) (splice of takes 7 & 5)

8. Ku-U-I-Po (CO, Take 1)

9. Ku-U-I-Po (CO, Takes 2,4,5)

10. Ku-U-I-Po (CO, Takes 6-7)

11. Ku-U-I-Po (CO, Takes 8, 9 - Master)

12. No More (DO, Takes 1-2)

13. No More (DO, Takes 4, 5, 7)

14. No More (DO, Take 8)

15. No More (DO, Take 9)

16. No More (DO, Takes 10-11)

17. No More (DO, Takes 12,13 - Used For Master)

18. No More (DO-1, Insert Ending, Takes 14-16)

19. No More (DO & DO-1 - Master) (splice of takes 13 & Insert Ending Take 16)

20. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 1-3)

21. Slicin' Sand (EO, Take 4)

22. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 5-7)

23. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 8-9)

24. Slicin' Sand (EO, Take 10)

25. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 11-12)

26. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 13-14)

27. Slicin' Sand (EO, Takes 15-18)

28. Slicin' Sand (EO, Take 19 - Master)

CD 3

MARCH 22, 1961 SESSIONS

1. Blue Hawaii (FO, Takes 1-3)

2. Blue Hawaii (FO, Takes 4-6)

3. Blue Hawaii (FO, Take 7 - Master)

4. Ito Eats (GO, Takes 1-2)

5. Ito Eats (GO, Takes 3-5)

6. Ito Eats (GO, Takes 6-8, 9 - Master)

7. Hawaiian Wedding Song (JO, Take 1)

8. Hawaiian Wedding Song (JO, Take 2 - Master)

9. Island of Love (KO, Takes 1-4)

10. Island of Love (KO, Takes 5-7)

11. Island of Love (KO, Take 8)

12. Island of Love (KO, Take 9-10)

13. Island of Love (KO, Takes 11-12)

14. Island of Love (KO, Take 13 - Master)

15. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Movie Version, Takes 1-5)

16. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Movie Version, Takes 6-7, 8 - Master)

17. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Record Version, Takes 9-11)

18. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Record Version, Takes 12-15)

19. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Record Version, Takes 16, 17 - Master)

20. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Movie Version, Tag, Takes 18-19)

21. Steppin' Out of Line (LO, Movie Version - Master)

22. Almost Always True (MO, Takes 1-3)

23. Almost Always True (MO, Takes 4-5)

24. Almost Always True (MO, Takes 6-7)

25. Almost Always True (MO, Take 8 - Master)

CD 4

MARCH 22, 1961 SESSIONS (CONTINUED)

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ALTERNATE VERSION

Title:

Blue Hawaii - The Expanded Alternate Album

Label:

Memphis Recording Service [MRS30021361]

Format:

CD + book

Number of tracks:

Running time:

76:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack / Recording session

Linked to:

Unofficial discography

Year:

2012

Recording date:

March 21-23, 1961

Release date:

March 2012

Singles:

---

Although semi-officially, Memphis Recording Service was responsible for releasing much of the unreleased material that FTD had left behind on their 2009 CD and that RCA/Sony had never been interested in selling. The album, composed of alternate versions and outtakes, is accompanied by a 40-page booklet that summarizes some points of the filming and recording sessions of "Blue Hawaii".

The work contains the following tracks:

ALTERNATE ALBUM

1. Blue Hawaii (Take 1FS + Take 7 - Master)

2. Almost Always True (Take 1FS + Take 8 - Master)

3. Aloha Oe (Take 4FS & SP - Master)

4. No More (Take 1FS + Take 13 - Master)

5. Cant Help Falling in Love (Takes 27FS, 28FS & 29 - Record Master)

6. Rock-A-Hula Baby (Take 4FS + Take 5 - Master)

7. Moonlight Swim (Take 3 - Master)

8. Ku ui po (Take 8LFS + Take 9 - Master)

9. Ito Eats (Takes 6FS, 7FS, 8FS & 9 - Master)

10. Slicin' Sand (Take 18LFS + Take 19 - Master)