Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 4 | ||||
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Compilation album by | ||||
Released | 1983 | |||
Recorded | November 1955–June 10, 1972 | |||
Genre | Rock and roll | |||
Label | RCA Records | |||
Producer | Joan Deary (reissue producer) | |||
Elvis Presley chronology | ||||
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Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 4 is a compilation album featuring recordings by American singer Elvis Presley. It was the last in a series of albums that began with Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 in 1974, and the first since Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 3 in 1979. It was also the final album by any artist in the RCA A Legendary Performer series to be issued. This album was made up entirely of heretofore unissued recordings by Presley, with the exception of one track that was previously released in the Elvis Aron Presley boxed set in 1980.
This album marked the first official release of the version of "When it Rains, It Really Pours" that Presley recorded in November 1955 at Sun Records (he later rerecorded the song for RCA Victor). Also included was an alternate version of his 1958 hit, "One Night" entitled "One Night of Sin" which featured raunchier lyrics than the version RCA Victor released in the 1950s. A much-bootlegged song cut from the soundtrack of Presley's 1962 film Girls! Girls! Girls! , "Plantation Rock" is included as well, as is "The Lady Loves Me", a previously unreleased duet between Presley and Ann-Margret which had been featured in the 1964 film, Viva Las Vegas but never released by RCA Victor until this album. Also making its album-debut in this release is Elvis' late-1960s rerecording of the song "Swing Down, Sweet Chariot", previously performed on his 1960 Gospel LP, His Hand In Mine. This new rendition was featured in the 1969 movie The Trouble with Girls . Plus, there is an alternate take of "Wooden Heart", a song from the film G.I. Blues , which has a false start due to Elvis messing up part of the lyrics and subsequently laughing.
At the time of the album's release, the origin of two informal recordings released here for the first time: "I'm Beginning to Forget You" and a cover of Nat King Cole's "Mona Lisa" was marked as unknown, with the notation that the two recordings had been discovered at Graceland, Presley's mansion. Later, it was learned that the two recordings were among a number that Presley made informally in April 1959 while he was stationed in Germany. [1] This collection is rounded off by a quartet of live performances: a previously unissued performance of "That's All Right" from the 1968 NBC Comeback Special, a 1969 Las Vegas outtake performance of "Are You Lonesome Tonight" in which Elvis begins laughing during the song (this is the album's sole previously released track, having appeared in the 1980 Elvis Aron Presley box set and previously marketed as "Are You Lonesome Tonight (The Laughing Version)"), and two performances from a 1972 appearance at Madison Square Garden in New York City (later reissued as part of the album An Afternoon in the Garden ). An excerpt from a 1956 interview recording rounds out the collection.
Track listing with details from the liner notes
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "When It Rains, It Really Pours" (Recorded: Sun Studios, Memphis, November 1955; includes 2 false starts and studio chatter) [2] ) | Billy "The Kid" Emerson | 4:03 |
2. | "Interview" (Elvis interviewed by Ray and Norma Pillow, recorded in Tampa, Florida, 1956) | ̶ | 2:09 |
3. | "One Night of Sin" (previously unissued alternate version of "One Night", recorded 1958) | Dave Bartholomew / Pearl King / Anita Steiman | 2:34 |
4. | "I'm Beginning to Forget You" (private recording, April 1959) | Willie Phelps | 3:00 |
5. | "Mona Lisa" (private recording, April 1959) | Ray Evans, Jay Livingston | 2:28 |
6. | "Wooden Heart" (false start, studio chatter, and alternate take of this 1960 recording for the film G.I. Blues ) | Bert Kaempfert, Kay Twomey, Ben Weisman, Fred Wise | 3:20 |
7. | "Plantation Rock" (previously unissued track recorded in 1962 for Girls! Girls! Girls! but not used) | Bernie Baum, Buddy Kaye | 1:52 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
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1. | "The Lady Loves Me" (1963 duet with Ann-Margret recorded for Viva Las Vegas but unreleased until now) | Roy C. Bennett, Sid Tepper | 3:42 |
2. | "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" (unreleased 1968 recording from the soundtrack of The Trouble with Girls ; remake of a song Presley first recorded in 1960 for his album, His Hand in Mine ) | Traditional | 2:13 |
3. | "That's All Right (Mama)" (live version recorded at NBC Studios, Burbank, California for the 1968 TV special) | Arthur Crudup | 3:04 |
4. | "Are You Lonesome Tonight" (previously released 1969 live version, recorded in Las Vegas; known as the Laughing Version" as Presley begins laughing during the performance) | Lou Handman, Roy Turk | 2:51 |
5. | "Reconsider Baby" (previously unissued June 10, 1972 performance, recorded at Madison Square Garden) | Lowell Fulson | 2:47 |
6. | "I'll Remember You" (previously unissued performance from the same show as above) | Kui Lee | 2:35 |
Elvis in Concert is the live album released by RCA Records in October 1977 in conjunction with the television special of the same name which featured some of the final performances of American singer and musician Elvis Presley. Videotaped and recorded in June 1977, both the special and album were broadcast and released on October 3, six weeks after Presley's death. The album peaked at No. 5 on the Billboard chart in late 1977. It was certified Gold and Platinum on October 14 and 3× Platinum on August 1, 2002, by the RIAA.
"Are You Lonesome Tonight?" is a song written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman in 1926. It was recorded several times in 1927—first by Charles Hart, with successful versions by Vaughn De Leath, Henry Burr, and the duet of Jerry Macy and John Ryan. In 1950, the Blue Barron Orchestra version reached the top twenty on the Billboard's Pop Singles chart.
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You'll Never Walk Alone is a compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released in 1971 by RCA Records on the RCA Camden budget label. The album contains primarily previously released gospel recordings by Presley dating back as far as 1957, plus two unissued tracks. The album reached number 69 on the Billboard 200 chart and number 20 on the UK Singles Chart.
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 is a compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley issued in 1974 by RCA Records. It features 14 tracks, which includes twelve songs and two interviews with Presley. It was certified Gold on January 8, 1975, Platinum and 2× Platinum on July 15, 1999, and 3× Platinum, by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) on March 8, 2018.
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 2 is a compilation album featuring recordings by American singer and musician Elvis Presley. As with the first volume of the series, issued in 1974, the collection was a mixture of previously released and never-before-released recordings.
Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 3 is a compilation album featuring recordings by American singer Elvis Presley. It was the third in a series of albums that began with Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 in 1974, the first to be released since Presley's death in 1977, and the last edition until Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 4 in 1983. Following the format of the series, the album was a mixture of previously released recordings and tracks that, as of the date of this album's release, had never been issued on an official RCA album release. It was certified Gold in December, 1978 by the RIAA.
Released in October 1981, Elvis: Greatest Hits Vol. 1 was an attempt by RCA Records at launching a new series of reissues featuring American rock and roll singer, Elvis Presley. Ultimately, however, only this single volume was released in this particular series.
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"That's Someone You Never Forget" is a song co-written by Elvis Presley in 1961 and published by Elvis Presley Music, which appeared as the closing track on his 1962 album Pot Luck and was released as a single in 1967.
"You'll Be Gone" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and released in 1965 on the Girl Happy soundtrack album and as a 45 single. The song was recorded in 1962 and was one of very few which Presley was involved in writing; his co-writers were his bodyguard Red West and Charlie Hodge. The other song that Elvis Presley composed was "That's Someone You Never Forget" in 1961 with Red West, which was on the Pot Luck LP released in 1962. The song was recorded on Sunday, March 18, 1962, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee.
Fun in Acapulco is the seventh soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2756, in November 1963. It is the soundtrack to the 1963 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on January 22 and 23 and February 27, 1963; and at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 26 and 28, 1963. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.
Girl Happy is the tenth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3338, in March 1965 – the March 1 date is disputed. It is the soundtrack to the 1965 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on June 10, 11, 12, and vocal overdubs by Presley on June 15, 1964. It peaked at number eight on the Top LP's chart. It was certified Gold on July 15, 1999 by the Recording Industry Association of America.
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"When It Rains, It Really Pours" is a song originally written and recorded by Billy "The Kid" Emerson. His version, titled "When It Rains It Pours", was released by Sun Records in 1954. The song was later recorded by Elvis Presley in 1957, but not released until 1965 on the album Elvis for Everyone.
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