"Hard Headed Woman" | ||||
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Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
from the album King Creole | ||||
B-side | "Don't Ask Me Why" | |||
Released | June 10, 1958 | |||
Recorded | January 15, 1958 | |||
Studio | Radio Recorders, Hollywood | |||
Genre | Rock and roll | |||
Length | 1:54 | |||
Label | RCA Victor | |||
Songwriter(s) | Claude Demetrius | |||
Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
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Music video | ||||
"Hard Headed Woman" (audio) on YouTube |
"Hard Headed Woman" is a rock and roll song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Gladys Music, [1] [2] Presley's publishing company, in 1958. It is an American 12-bar blues written by African American songwriter Claude Demetrius. It was most notably recorded as a rock and roll song by Presley as part of the soundtrack for his 1958 motion picture King Creole , and was included on the record album of the same name. The song was also released as a single in both 78 RPM [3] and 45 RPM formats. In 1958, it went to No. 1 July 21st on the Billboard charts and went to No. 2 for two weeks on the R&B chart. [4] Notably, it became the first rock and roll single to earn the RIAA designation of Gold Record. [5] When the song went to number one, Elvis was in Fort Hood Texas, doing basic training.
It was later recorded by Wanda Jackson on the album Live at Town Hall Party 1958. "Hard Headed Woman" was also released as a 45 rpm and received substantial airplay in the late 1950s. [6] The singing on the Jackson version incorporates an extreme use of vocal fry, making it difficult to tell if the singer is male or female.
The song's lyrics center around the idea that "women have been trouble for men since the beginning of the world", a point illustrated through the examples of the biblical figures Adam and Eve, Samson and Delilah, and Jezebel. [7]
Chart (1958) | Peak position |
---|---|
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders) [8] | 17 |
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia) [9] | 30 |
Canada (CHUM Hit Parade) [10] | 1 |
UK Singles Chart [11] | 2 |
US Billboard Best Sellers in Stores [4] | 1 |
US Billboard Hot Country Singles [4] | 2 |
US Billboard Hot R&B Singles [4] [12] | 2 |
US Cash Box Top 100 [13] | 3 |
Chart (2007) | Peak position |
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Netherlands (Single Top 100) [14] | 78 |
Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
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United States (RIAA) [15] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. |
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The singles discography of Elvis Presley began in 1954 with the release of his first commercial single, "That's All Right". Following his regional success with Sun Records, Presley was signed to RCA Victor on November 20, 1955. Presley's first single with RCA, "Heartbreak Hotel", was a worldwide hit, reaching the No. 1 position in four countries and the top 10 in many other countries. Other hit singles from the 1950s include "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You", "Don't Be Cruel", "Hound Dog", "Love Me Tender", "Too Much", "All Shook Up", "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear", "Jailhouse Rock", "Don't", "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck", "Hard Headed Woman", "One Night", "(Now & Then There's) A Fool Such as I", and "A Big Hunk o' Love". On March 24, 1958, Presley entered the United States Army at Memphis, Tennessee, and was stationed in Germany. He left active duty on March 5, 1960.
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