G.I. Blues is the eleventh album by Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2256, in October 1960. Recording sessions took place on April 27 and 28, and May 6, 1960, at RCA Studio C and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. The album topped the Billboard Top Pop Album chart.[2] It was certified Gold on March 13, 1963 and Platinum on March 27, 1992 by the Recording Industry Association of America.[3]
Contents[]
Content[edit][]
Music on this album comprised songs that had appeared in the film of the same name. The song "Wooden Heart" was released as a single in theUnited Kingdom, where it was number one for six weeks. In the United States, Joe Dowell recorded a cover version of "Wooden Heart" that topped theBillboard Hot 100. RCA later released "Wooden Heart" by Presley as the b-side of a single twice, once in 1964 on the back of a reissue of "Blue Christmas," and again on the flip side of a belated issue in 1965 of "Puppet On A String" from the film Girl Happy. Four songs from this album appear on the 1995 soundtrack compilation Command Performances: The Essential 60s Masters II: "G.I. Blues," "Wooden Heart," "Shoppin' Around," and "Doin' the Best I Can."
Due to copyright reasons, the European version of the soundtrack album and film substitutes the opening track "Tonight Is So Right for Love" with the song "Tonight's All Right for Love," adapted from a melody by 19th century waltz-king Johann Strauss II. Interestingly, the melody for "Tonight Is So Right for Love" was taken directly from a barcarolle composed by Jacques Offenbach, one of Strauss's contemporaries. An American release of "Tonight's All Right for Love" did not occur until it appeared on the compilation album Elvis: A Legendary Performer Volume 1 in 1974. The version of "Blue Suede Shoes" used on the soundtrack is a new recording of the song Presley first recorded in 1956, and is one of only a few songs that Presley would re-record in a studio setting during his career, others being "Love Letters" and "A Little Less Conversation".
The G.I. Blues soundtrack album was nominated for two Grammy Awards in 1960 in the categories Best Sound Track Album Or Recording Of Original Cast From A Motion Picture Or Television and Best Vocal Performance Album, Male.
On April 27, 1997, RCA remastered the album for compact disc, adding eight outtakes from the recording session as bonus tracks. Two songs were previously released, the acoustic version of "Big Boots" appearing on the posthumous 1978 album Elvis Sings for Children and Grown-Ups Too, and the substitute "Tonight's All Right For Love".
Personnel[edit][]
- Elvis Presley – vocals, acoustic guitar (on Blue Suede Shoes,Shoppin' Around take)
- The Jordanaires – backing vocals
- Scotty Moore – electric guitar
- Tiny Timbrell – acoustic guitar
- Neal Matthews, Jr. – electric bass (on April 27)
- Pete Drake – pedal steel guitar
- Jimmie Haskell – accordion
- Hoyt Hawkins – tambourine
- Dudley Brooks – piano
- Ray Siegel – double bass
- D.J. Fontana, Frank Bode, Bernie Mattinson – drums
Track listing[edit][]
Original release[edit][]
| Side one | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Tonight Is So Right for Love" | Abner Silver and Sid Wayne | April 27, 1960 | 2:14 | ||||||
| 2. | "What's She Really Like" | Abner Silver and Sid Wayne | April 28, 1960 | 2:17 | ||||||
| 3. | "Frankfort Special" | Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards | May 6, 1960 | 2:58 | ||||||
| 4. | "Wooden Heart" | Ben Weisman, Fred Wise, Kathleen Twomey, Bert Kaempfert | April 28, 1960 | 2:03 | ||||||
| 5. | "G.I. Blues" | Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett | April 27, 1960 | 2:36 | ||||||
| Side two | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Pocketful of Rainbows" | Ben Weisman and Fred Wise | May 6, 1960 | 2:35 | ||||||
| 2. | "Shoppin' Around" | Aaron Schroeder, Sid Tepper, Roy C. Bennett | May 6, 1960 | 2:24 | ||||||
| 3. | "Big Boots" | Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards | May 6, 1960 | 1:31 | ||||||
| 4. | "Didja' Ever" | Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards | April 27, 1960 | 2:36 | ||||||
| 5. | "Blue Suede Shoes" | Carl Perkins | April 28, 1960 | 2:07 | ||||||
| 6. | "Doin' the Best I Can" | Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman | April 27, 1960 | 3:10 | ||||||
1997 CD reissue bonus tracks[edit][]
| Tracks 1-11 are from the original release | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length | ||||||
| 12. | "Tonight's All Right For Love" | Sid Wayne, Abner Silver, Johann Strauss II | May 6, 1960 | 1:21 | ||||||
| 13. | "Big Boots" (fast version) | Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards | May 6, 1960 | 1:14 | ||||||
| 14. | "Shoppin' Around" (alternate take 11) | Aaron Schroeder, Sid Tepper, Roy C. Bennett | April 27, 1960 | 2:15 | ||||||
| 15. | "Frankfort Special" (fast version take 2) | Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards | April 27, 1960 | 2:25 | ||||||
| 16. | "Pocketful of Rainbows" (alternate take 2) | Ben Weisman and Fred Wise | April 28, 1960 | 2:47 | ||||||
| 17. | "Didja' Ever" (alternate take 1) | Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards | April 27, 1960 | 2:42 | ||||||
| 18. | "Big Boots" (acoustic version) | Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards | May 6, 1960 | 0:58 | ||||||
| 19. | "What's She Really Like" (alternate take 7) | Abner Silver and Sid Wayne | April 28, 1960 | 2:24 | ||||||
| 20. | "Doin' the Best I Can" (alternate take 9) | Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman | April 27, 1960 | 3:17 | ||||||
Chart positions[edit][]
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Billboard Pop Albums (Billboard 200) (mono and stereo) | 1 |
| 1961 | UK Albums Chart[4] | 1 |
| Preceded by
South Pacific by Original Soundtrack South Pacific by Original Soundtrack South Pacific by Original Soundtrack |
UK Albums Chart number-one album
14 January 1961 - 4 March 1961 11 March 1961 - 1 April 1961 8 April 1961 - 1 July 1961 |
Succeeded by
South Pacific by Original Soundtrack South Pacific by Original Soundtrack South Pacific by Original Soundtrack |