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Elvis Is Back! is the tenth studio album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2231, in April 1960. Recording sessions took place on March 20 and April 3, 1960, at RCA Studio B in NashvilleTennessee. It was Presley's first album to be released in true stereo. It peaked at number two on the Top Pop Albums chart and is listed, along with his debut and From Elvis in Memphis, in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. It was certified Gold on July 15, 1999, by the Recording Industry Association of America.[2]

Contents[]

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Contents[edit][]

The first album by Presley after his military discharge from the army, the first day of its sessions were attended by Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, his assistant Tom Diskin, and representatives from RCA in a show of interest regarding whether or not Elvis still "had it" after two years in uniform.[3] His long-serving guitarist Scotty Moore, pianist Floyd Cramer, and drummer D. J. Fontana had returned, along with his back-up vocal quartet The Jordanaires, but the other musicians had only played on one previous session with Presley.[4] One new face at the sessions whom Presley had befriended while in the service, Charlie Hodge, would become a member of the "Memphis Mafia" and a mainstay in his return to live performance at the end of the decade. Pressure aside, the sessions were successful, the album a highlight of the entire decade and a declared favorite by Presley regarding his own work. He moved beyond his standard rock and roll sound of the 1950s, combining doo-wopgospelblues, and even jazzy tones from his version of "Fever" following so close to that of Peggy Lee from 1958. The results yielded a new sound for Presley, with a varied song selection, moving him further toward the pop music he would undertake as the decade progressed.[5] Prior to this, only his second albumfully derived from a specific set of sessions undertaken expressly to make a particular album.

RCA first issued the original twelve-track album on compact disc in 1988. The May 18, 1999 reissue included six bonus tracks recorded at the same two sessions for the album and issued as the sides to three singles. Those three singles, "Stuck on You", "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", and "It's Now or Never" all topped the singles chart; the b-sides all also charted independently in the Top 40. "It's Now or Never" had been adapted from the 1898 Neapolitan song "'O Sole Mio", and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", a ballad from 1926, had been the only time the Colonel had requested Elvis record a specific song.[6]

On January 18, 2011, Legacy Records released a Legacy Edition with the entirety of the 1999 reissue on one disc, appending the single "Surrender." A bonus disc included the entirety ofSomething for Everybody along with the b-side to "Surrender" "I Feel So Bad," the singles "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" and "Good Luck Charm" along with their respective b-sides. Other reissues include a Steve Hoffman remastered DCC Gold CD prepared from the original tapes in 1997, and an expanded edition by the Follow That Dream collectors label on April 1, 2005.

Personnel[edit][]

Track listing[edit][]

Original release[edit][]

Side one
No. Title Writer(s) Recording date Length
1. "Make Me Know It"   Otis Blackwell March 20, 1960 1:58
2. "Fever"   John Davenport and Eddie Cooley April 3, 1960 3:31
3. "The Girl of My Best Friend"   Beverly Ross and Sam Bobrick April 4, 1960 2:21
4. "I Will Be Home Again"   Bennie Benjamin, Raymond Leveen, Lou Singer April 4, 1960 2:33
5. "Dirty, Dirty Feeling"   Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller April 4, 1960 1:35
6. "Thrill of Your Love"   Stan Kesler April 4, 1960 2:59
Side two
No. Title Writer(s) Recording date Length
1. "Soldier Boy"   David Jones and Theodore Williams Jr. March 20, 1960 3:04
2. "Such a Night"   Lincoln Chase April 4, 1960 2:58
3. "It Feels So Right"   Fred Wise and Ben Weisman March 21, 1960 2:09
4. "Girl Next Door Went A-Walking"   Bill Rice and Thomas Wayne April 4, 1960 2:12
5. "Like a Baby"   Jesse Stone April 3, 1960 2:38
6. "Reconsider Baby"   Lowell Fulson April 4, 1960 3:39

1999 reissue bonus tracks[edit][]

Track 3-14 are from the original album
No. Title Writer(s) Recording date Length
1. "Stuck on You(originally issued as 47-7740, March 23, 1960, #1) Aaron Schroeder and S. Leslie McFarland March 21, 1960 2:18
2. "Fame and Fortune" (originally issued as 47-7740b, March 23, 1960, #17) Fred Wise and Ben Weisman March 21, 1960 2:29
15. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?(originally issued as 47-7810, November 1, 1960, #1) Lou Handman and Roy Turk April 4, 1960 3:05
16. "I Gotta Know(originally issued as 47-7810b, November 1, 1960, #20) Paul Evans and Matt Williams April 4, 1960 2:15
17. "A Mess of Blues(originally issued as 47-7777b, July 5, 1960, #32) Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman March 21, 1960 2:39
18. "It's Now or Never(originally issued as 47-7777, July 5, 1960, #1) Eduardo di CapuaAaron SchroederWally Gold April 3, 1960 3:14

2011 Legacy edition reissue[edit][]

Disc one
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "Make Me Know It"   Otis Blackwell 1:58
2. "Fever"   John Davenport and Eddie Cooley 3:31
3. "The Girl of My Best Friend"   Beverly Ross and Sam Bobrick 2:21
4. "I Will Be Home Again"   Bennie Benjamin, Raymond Leveen, Lou Singer 2:33
5. "Dirty Dirty Feeling"   Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller 1:35
6. "Thrill of Your Love"   Stan Kesler 2:59
7. "Soldier Boy"   David Jones and Theodore Williams Jr. 3:04
8. "Such A Night"   Lincoln Chase 2:58
9. "It Feels So Right"   Fred Wise and Ben Weisman 2:09
10. "Girl Next Door Went a-Walking"   Bill Rice and Thomas Wayne 2:12
11. "Like A Baby"   Jesse Stone 2:38
12. "Reconsider Baby"   Lowell Fulson 3:39
13. "Stuck on You"   Aaron Schroeder and S. Leslie McFarland 2:18
14. "Fame and Fortune"   Fred Wise and Ben Weisman 2:29
15. "It's Now or Never"   Eduardo di Capua, Aaron Schroeder, Wally Gold 3:14
16. "A Mess of Blues"   Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman 2:49
17. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?"   Lou Handman and Roy Turk 3:05
18. "I Gotta Know"   Paul Evans and Matt Williams 2:15
19. "Surrender"   Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman 1:51
Disc two
No. Title Writer(s) Length
1. "There's Always Me"   Don Robertson 2:16
2. "Give Me the Right"   Fred Wise and Norman Blagman 2:32
3. "It's A Sin"   Fred Rose and Zeb Turner 2:39
4. "Sentimental Me"   James T. Morehead and James Cassin 2:31
5. "Starting Today"   Don Robertson 2:03
6. "Gently"   Murray Wisell and Edward Lisbona 2:15
7. "I'm Comin' Home"   Charlie Rich 2:20
8. "In Your Arms"   Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold 1:50
9. "Put the Blame on Me"   Fred Wise, Kay Twomey, Norman Blagman 1:57
10. "Judy"   Teddy Redell 2:10
11. "I Want You with Me"   Woody Harris 2:13
12. "I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell"   Fred Wise and Ben Weisman 1:35
13. "I Feel So Bad"   Chuck Willis 2:53
14. "(Marie's the Name of) His Latest Flame"   Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman 2:07
15. "Little Sister"   Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman 2:30
16. "Good Luck Charm"   Aaron Schroeder and Wally Gold 2:23
17. "Anything That's Part of You"   Don Robertson 2:04

Chart positions[edit][]

Chart (1960) Peak

position

UK Albums Chart[7] 1
Preceded by

South Pacific by Original Soundtrack

UK Albums Chart number-one album

30 July 1960 - 6 August 1960

Succeeded by

South Pacific by Original Soundtrack

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