Elvis Presley, The #2 Artist of the Rock Era, Part Seven

 

(Continued from Part Six)

Elvis released the studio album Pot Luck (#1 in the U.K. and #4 in the U.S.), followed by the "Girls!  Girls!  Girls!" Soundtrack, which also went Gold and reached #2 in the U.K. and #3 in the U.S.

 

The former yielded Elvis's version of "Suspicion", a  song that would be a big hit by Terry Stafford in 1964 for which many thought it was by Elvis.

"Gonna' Get Back Here Somehow" is also featured on Pot Luck.

 

Fred Wise and Ben Weisman wrote this song that Elvis recorded in July of 1964.  "Follow That Dream" is from Elvis's EP of the same name that included four songs from the motion picture, released in April of 1962.

Leiber and Stoller joined Pomus to write this one for Presley.  "She's Not You" led the way in the United Kingdom (#1 for three weeks), New Zealand, Italy and Norway and reached #5 in the U.S.

When Parker saw that including the smash "Can't Help Falling In Love" actually increased sales of the "Blue Hawai'i" Soundtrack, contrary to what he had always thought, he decided to include a single on the "Girls!  Girls!  Girls!" Soundtrack.  Soon after, of course, it became widely known in the industry that hit songs were essential to sell albums.  Had Parker known that, Presley's album sales would have been much bigger than they were.

That single was added at the last minute when Otis Blackwell, who to that point had just one song in the upcoming film, mentioned to Parker that he and Winfield Scott had just finished a song.  Although it wasn't written for the movie, Parker had Blackwell play it and then, to Otis's astonishment, told him , "That will go into the movie.  It's a great song."

Although Elvis was blessed with great musicians, including Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana, Boots Randolph on saxophone and the great Hal Blaine on drums, he was not enthusiastic about the material for the soundtrack.  But he became more inspired when he began singing "Return To Sender" and he finished the song in two takes.  Moore and Fontana believed, according to Ace Collins' 2005 book Untold Gold:  The Stories Behind Elvis's #1 Hits, that the "old magic of Presley's earlier work had returned."

"Return To Sender"  hit #1 in the U.K., Canada, Australia, Italy, Norway, Spain and Sweden and achieved Platinum status, but was stuck at #2 in the United States, another of The Top #2 Songs of the Rock Era*.

In January, 8 of 1993, the U.S. Postal Service released a stamp commemorating Elvis on what would have been his 58th birthday.  Wise stamp collectors put Elvis stamps on letters that day and mailed them to false addresses so they would be sent back marked "Return To Sender" and thus became collector's items.  

 

Elvis released the single "(You're The) Devil In Disguise" (written by Bill Giant, Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye) in 1963, which peaked at #1 in the U.K., Canada, France, Italy, Norway and Sweden and #3 in the U.S.  It is yet another Gold record from the King.

 

Along with the Jordanaires, the Amigos also sang backing vocals.  They joined Elvis the previous year for the "Girls!  Girls!  Girls!" Soundtrack.   Elvis sang "Bossa Nova Baby" (which peaked at #8) for his movie Fun In Acapulco.  It was part of a Bossa Nova trend in 1963 led by Eydie Gorme's "Blame It On The Bossa Nova" and Joe Harnell's "Fly Me To The Moon" in 1963 and the great song by Astrud Gilberto and Stan Getz the following year, "The Girl From Ipanema".   

Presley released the compilation album Elvis' Golden Records, Volume 3 in 1963.  

 

"Kiss Me Quick" is another song from Pot Luck that was released as a single in the U.K. in 1963 and in the U.S. in 1964.

 

"Viva Las Vegas" (from the movie of the same name), even though it stalled at #27, went Gold and has become one of Presley's most recognizable songs.

 

Elvis recorded this song in the same session that he did a cover of Chuck Berry's "Memphis", but he felt he could do both songs better, so he went back in the studio in January to re-record both.  His faith in "Ask Me" was rewarded with sales of 700,000, a #3 peak in Canada and #12 in the U.S.

 

Elvis recorded this track on June 10, 1958 but it wasn't released as a single until it was paired with "Ask Me".  "Ain't That Loving You Baby" (as well as "Ask Me") was later included on the compilation Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4.

Presley's standard "Blue Christmas" was originally included on Elvis' Christmas Album, but not released as a single until 1964.

The Beatles had hit the scene.  How would Elvis fare against The British Invasion?  Stay tuned for Part Eight, exclusively on Inside The Rock Era!