EAP Index World: Tickle Me (Single/EP

Title:

Tickle Me

Label:

RCA Victor [EPA 4383]

Format:

Number of tracks:

Running time:

9:40

Type of album:

Soundtrack

Linked to:

Official discography; Tickle Me, 1965

Year:

1965

Recording date:

March 20, 1960 - May 27, 1963

Release date:

June 15, 1965

Singles:

"Easy Question / Feels So Right" (June 8, 1965)

Tickle Me was Elvis's eighteenth soundtrack work, his 31st EP and his 44th audiophonic work (including LPs and singles). The EP covered the soundtrack to the film of the same name, which featured recordings made between 1960 and 1963.

For the first time in his career, the budget did not allow for new songs to be commissioned for an Elvis film. Thus, the soundtrack was assembled from previously released recordings, recycling nine songs in total, with some dating back to 1960 recording sessions.

All songs were used as originally sold, but a new vocal was recorded for "I Feel That I've Known You Forever", and the harmony vocals and a narration were removed from "I'm Yours".

Released on June 8, 1965, the single "(Such an) Easy Question / It Feels So Right" reached #11 and #55, respectively, on the Billboard Hot 100.

The five-song soundtrack EP came exactly a week later and only reached 70th place on the charts, another indication of the format's lack of appeal in the mid-1960s, in addition to the fact that its content featured songs that were already available on several albums still in catalogue.

In the 1960s, to obtain all nine songs from the soundtrack on LP, it would be necessary to purchase the albums "Elvis is Back!", "Something For Everybody", "Pot Luck With Elvis", "Fun in Acapulco" and "Kissin 'Cousins". This, among other factors, caused "Tickle Me" to become a forgotten classic that would never be re-released.

In the United Kingdom, RCA International attempted to capitalize on market practice that generally neglected singles. To sell all of its material without losses, the label chose to release two EPs, which would bring together the tracks from the original US EP and the singles in a single package.: "Tickle Me, Vol. 1" and "Tickle Me, Vol. 2", released on June 15 and 29, 1965, respectively, also didn't attract the public.

In 2005, Sony Music reissued the EP for the first time on CD through Follow That Dream. The work presented the nine songs from the film, along with five extra tracks and several outtakes. The label also released a double LP in 2020 with all the tracks from the 2005 work and several bonuses, including mono versions.

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UK VERSIONS

Title:
Tickle Me, Vol. 1
Label:
RCA Victor [RCX 7173]
Format:
EP
Number of tracks:
5
Running time:
9:40
Type of album:
Soundtrack
Linked to:
Official discography; Tickle Me, 1965
Year:
1965
Recording date:
March 21, 1960 - May 28, 1963
Release date:
June 15, 1965
Singles:
"Easy Question / Feels So Right" (June 8, 1965)

Trying to make some more profit, RCA International also created two EPs of the soundtrack for the European market. "Tickle Me, Vol. 1" was sold in the UK on the same day as the US version and had virtually the same impact.

The EP contains the following tracks:

ORIGINAL EP

SIDE A

1. I Feel That I've Known You Forever (New Vocals)
2. Slowly But Surely

SIDE B

3. Night Rider

4. Put the Blame On Me

5. Dirty, Dirty Feeling

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Title:

Tickle Me, Vol. 2

Label:

RCA Victor [RCX 7174]

Format:

Number of tracks:

Running time:

9:50

Type of album:

Soundtrack / Compilation

Linked to:

Official discography

Year:

1965

Recording date:

March 21, 1960 - May 28, 1963

Release date:

June 29, 1965

Singles:

"Long Lonely Highway / I'm Yours" (Aug. 10, 1965)

"Tickle Me, Vol. 2" hit European stores two weeks after the original EP, reissuing the two already released singles and making "(It's a) Long Lonely Highway" and "I'm Yours" available. The latter two were combined into a new single released on August 10, 1965, which saw both songs tied for 11th place in the US and UK charts.

The EP contains the following tracks:

ORIGINAL EP

SIDE A

1. It Feels So Right

2. (Such an) Easy Question

SIDE B

3. (It's a) Long Lonely Highway (Single Master)

4. I'm Yours (Undubbed Single Master)

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RECORDING SESSIONS

Dates:

March 20 - April 4, 1960 / March 12, June 25 & October 15, 1961 / March 18 & 19, 1962 / May 27, 1963

Studio:

RCA Studio B

Radio Recorders

Location:
Nashville, Tennessee
Hollywood, California

Musicians:

Voice: Elvis Presley
Acoustic guitar: Elvis Presley, Alvino Rey
Electric guitar: Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Hank Garland, Hilmer J. "Tiny" Timbrell, Bernie Kesell, Harold Bradley
Bass: Bob Moore, Ray Siegal
Electric bass: Hank Garland
Drums: DJ Fontana, Murray "Buddy" Harman, Hal Blaine
Piano: Floyd Cramer, Dudley Brooks
Saxophone: Homer "Boots" Randolph
Celeste: Dudley Brooks

Ukelele: Fred Tavares, Bernie Lewis
Percussion: Emil Raddocchia
Mandolin: Hilmer J 'Tiny' Timbrell
Trumpet: Anthony Terran, Rudolph Loera
Maracas: Homer 'Boots' Randolph
Rattle: Homer 'Boots' Randolph
Backing Vocals: The Jordanaires, Charlie Hodge, Millie Kirkham, The Surfers, The Amigo's

Sound engineer / Recording engineer:

Steve Sholes, Bill Porter, Chet Atkins, Thorne Nogar, Dave Wiechman

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

MARCH 12, 1961
I'm Comin' Home M2WW 0567-07
Gently M2WW 0568-05
In Your Arms M2WW 0569-02
Give Me The Right M2WW 0570-04
I Feel So Bad M2WW 0571-02
It's A Sin M2WW 0572-04
I Want You With Me M2WW 0573-02
There's Always Me M2WW 0574-10
Starting Today M2WW 0575-03
Sentimental Me M2WW 0576-02
Judy M2WW 0577-08
Put The Blame On Me M2WW 0578-05

JUNE 25, 1961
Kiss Me Quick M2WW 0857-12
That's Someone You Never Forget M2WW 0858-08
I'm Yours M2WW 0859-06
I'm Yours (Work Part 1 - Ending)
I'm Yours (Composite - Single Version) M2WW 0859-SP
I'm Yours (vocal overdub - album version) M2WW 0859-SP
(Marie's The Name) His Latest Flame M2WW 0860-08
Little Sister M2WW 0861-04

OCTOBER 15, 1961
For The Millionth And The Last Time M2WW 1002-12
Good Luck Charm M2WW 1003-04
Anything That's Part Of You M2WW 1004-10
I Met Her Today M2WW 1005-18
Night Rider M2WW 1006-03

MARCH 18, 1962
Something Blue N2WW 0685-07
Gonna Get Back Home Somehow N2WW 0686-07
(Such an) Easy Question N2WW 0687-05
Fountain of Love N2WW 0688-10
Just For Old Time Sake N2WW 0689-05
Night Rider (Remake) N2WW 0690-05
You'll Be Gone N2WW 0691-03

MARCH 19, 1962
I Feel That I've Known You Forever N2WW 0692-05
Just Tell Her Jim Said Hello N2WW 0693-06
Suspicion N2WW 0694-05
Suspicion (Work Part)
Suspicion (Composite) N2WW 0694-SP
She's Not You N2WW 0695-05
She's Not You (Work Part)
She's Not You (Composite) N2WW 0696-SP

MAY 27, 1963
Memphis, Tennessee PPA4 0302-02
(It's A) Long Lonely Highway (Single Version) PPA4 0303-01
(It's A) Long Lonely Highway (Album Version) PPA4 0303-02
Ask Me PPA4 0304-02
Western Union PPA4 0305-04
Slowly But Surely PPA4 0306-05
Blue River SPA4 6768-02
Blue River SPA4 7357-SP
Ask Me (Alternate Master) PPA4 0304-06

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SESSION LOGS

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RELATED EPS AND SINGLES TRACKS (RCA, 1965)

(SUCH AN) EASY QUESTION (SINGLE)

June 8, 1965

1. (Such an) Easy Question

2. It Feels So Right

TICKLE ME (EP)

TICKLE ME, VOL. 1

(EP - EUROPE)

June 15, 1965

1. I Feel That I've Known You Forever

2. Slowly But Surely

3. Night Rider

4. Put the Blame On Me

5. Dirty, Dirty Feeling

TICKLE ME, VOL. 2

(EP - EUROPE)

June 29, 1965

1. I'm Yours

2. (It's a) Long Lonely Highway

3. It Feels So Right

4. (Such an) Easy Question

(IT'S A) LONG LONELY HIGHWAY (SINGLE)

August 10, 1965

1. (It's a) Long Lonely Highway

2. I'm Yours

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FTD VERSIONS

Title:

Tickle Me

Label:

FTD [FTD 047] [82876 70305 2]

Format:

Number of tracks:

Running time:

54:00

Type of album:

Soundtrack

Linked to:

FTD discography

Year:

2005

Recording date:

March 20, 1960 - May 27, 1963

Release date:

July 12, 2005

Singles:

---

Without much material to work with, for the obvious reason that all the songs had been released in previous works, FTD opts to just remaster tapes and offer the occasional rare moment, like the undubbed single version of "I'm Yours ". Closing the work, the label provides a 12-page booklet with behind-the-scenes photos, information about the film and actors, posters and various memorabilia.

The CD contains the following tracks:

ORIGINAL ALBUM

1. I Feel That I've Known You Forever

2. Slowly But Surely

3. Night Rider

4. Put the Blame On Me

5. Dirty, Dirty Feeling

SINGLES

6. It Feels So Right

7. (Such an) Easy Question

8. (It's a) Long Lonely Highway (Single Master)

9. I'm Yours (Undubbed Single Master)

BONUS SONGS

10. Something Blue

11. Make Me Know it

12. Just For Old Time Sake

13. Gonna Get Back Home Somehow

14. There's Always Me

OUTTAKES

15. Allied Artists' Radio Trailer (Version 1)

16. Slowly But Surely (Take 1)

17. It Feels So Right (Take 2)

18. I'm Yours (LP Master)

19. (It's a) Long Lonely Highway (LP Master)

20. I Feel That I've Known You Forever (tTake 3)

21. Night Rider (Take 5)

22. Dirty, Dirty Feeling (Take 1)

23. Put the Blame On Me (Takes 1 & 2)

24. (Such an) Easy Question

25. Allied Artists' Radio Trailer (Version 2)

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Title:
Tickle Me