Command Performances: The Essential 60s Masters II

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Command Performances: The Essential 60s Masters II
Compilation album by Elvis Presley
Released	July 18, 1995
Recorded	April 1960-March 1969
Genre	Rock
Label	RCA Records
Producer	Ernst Mikael Jorgensen Roger Semon
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link
Elvis Presley chronology
Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances (1992) Command Performances: The Essential 60s Masters II (1993) Walk A Mile In My Shoes: The Essential 70s Masters (1994)

Command Performances: The Essential 60s Masters II is a two-disc compilation of studio master recordings by Elvis Presley during the decade of the 1960s, released in 1995 on RCA Records, catalogue number 66601-2. It also includes a booklet with session details and an essay by Susan M. Doll.

Contents 1 Contents 2 Purpose 3 Collective Personnel 4 Track listing 4.1 Disc One 4.2 Disc Two 5 References

[edit] Contents

The set comprises a selection of recordings made by Presley during the decade specifically at a session for the soundtrack of a feature film, of which Presley made 27 during the 1960s. These recordings were originally released in a variety of formats: LPs, EPs, and as sides of a single, and during the 1960s soundtrack songs appeared on 15 full-length long-playing albums, five EPs, and numerous singles. All of Elvis' movies are represented by at least one song in this set with the exception of Tickle Me, its EP soundtrack consisting of five previously issued studio recordings, all of which were included on the box set first volume of the Essential 60s Masters.

The two discs present the studio masters in rough chronological session order. Two previously unreleased masters appear: a version of the Eddy Arnold song "You Don't Know Me" recorded during the sessions for the movie Clambake; and an alternate take of the song "Follow That Dream" as the stereo master for the original has been lost, and the compilers opted not to use the surviving mono master. The songs "Can't Help Falling in Love" and "Rock-A-Hula Baby" were released as, respectively, the A-side and b-side of a single one year after the release of the Blue Hawaii album, and went to #2 and #23 on the Billboard Pop Singles chart. "Puppet On A String" appeared as a single seven months after the release of the Girl Happy soundtrack, backed with "Wooden Heart" from G.I. Blues, and peaked at #14 on the singles chart. "Wooden Heart" had also been released as the flipside to a reissue of "Blue Christmas" eleven months earlier.

RCA issued a box set for the complete non-gospel songs that were not recorded at soundtrack sessions during the decade, From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60s Masters, and released a similar two-disc set for the gospel recordings in 1994, Amazing Grace: His Greatest Sacred Performances.

[edit] Purpose

Generally, Presley's 1960s soundtrack recordings command the least regard among the singer's recorded work. The most successful commercially, such as G.I. Blues and Blue Hawaii, fell in the tradition of the film musical as it had developed through the 1950s, that of the integrated musical where the songs are integral to the story line. Hence, songs such as "Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce" from Girl Happy or "There's No Room to Rhumba in A Sports Car" from Fun in Acapulco made no sense outside of their movies and hardly found a place in Presley's stage act, or could ever be considered classics along the lines of "Jailhouse Rock" or "Love Me Tender," whose films were not integrated musicals. As stated by Susan Doll in the liner notes, the songs from the soundtracks are often judged by inappropriate criteria:

...this type of (integrated) musical was standard fare in Hollywood for decades. However, those who criticize Elvis' musical vehicles generally overlook this, preferring to attack the songs as being inferior to his non-movie output...^[1]

This package, collating 62 of the approximately 225 songs released in association with the films, selects in many cases those numbers that can stand outside of their film vehicles, concentrating on title tracks and songs that had been also released as singles immediately prior to the release of the soundtrack.

All selections recorded at Radio Recorders, Western Recorders, Paramount Recording Stage, MGM Studios, Samuel Goldwyn Studio, United Artist Recorders, Decca Universal Studio, and RCA Studios in Hollywood, RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. Original recordings produced by Joseph Lilley, Urban Thielmann, Hans Salter, Jeff Alexander, George Stoll, Gene Nelson, Fred Karger, Felton Jarvis, Billy Strange, Hugo Montenegro, Billy Goldenberg, and Leith Stevens.

[edit] Collective Personnel

Elvis Presley – vocal, guitar Scotty Moore – guitar Tiny Timbrell - guitar Howard Roberts - guitar Hank Garland - guitar Barney Kessell - guitar Billy Strange - guitar Tommy Tedesco - guitar Chip Young - guitar Neal Matthews - guitar Harold Bradley - guitar Joseph Gibbons - guitar Neil Levang - guitar Charles Britz - guitar Alvin Casey - guitar Dennis Budimir - guitar Mike Deasy - guitar Jerry Kennedy - guitar Charlie McCoy - guitar, harmonica Alvino Rey - steel guitar Bernal Lewis - steel guitar Fred Tavares - ukelele Bernie Lewis - ukelele Cecil Brower - fiddle Gordon Terry - fiddle Floyd Cramer - piano Dudley Brooks - piano, organ Don Robertson - piano, organ Calvin Jackson - piano Larry Muhoberac - piano Don Randi - piano Hoyt Hawkins - tambourine Bob Moore - bass Ray Siegel - bass Meyer Rubin - bass Henry Strzelecki - bass Larry Knechtel - bass

Charles Berghofer - bass Max Bennett - bass Lyle Ritz - bass D.J. Fontana - drums Buddy Harman – drums Frank Bode - drums Bernie Mattinson - drums Hal Blaine - drums Frank Carlson - drums Kenny Buttrey - drums Carl O'Brian - drums John Guerin - drums Milt Holland - percussion Victor Feldman - percussion Emil Radocchia - percussion Gene Nelson - congas Jimmie Haskell - accordion Boots Randolph - saxophone, clarinet Clifford Scott - saxophone William Green - saxophone Steve Douglas - saxophone Bill Justis - saxophone Anthony Terran - trumpet Rudolph Loera - trumpet James Zito - trumpet Herb Taylor -trombone Randall Miller - trombone Rufus Long - flute Ralph Stobel - oboe George Fields - harmonica The Jordanaires - backing vocals The Surfers - backing vocals The Mello Men - backing vocals The Amigos - backing vocals The Jubilee Four - backing vocals The Carole Lombard Trio - backing vocals Millie Kirkham - backing vocals Dolores Edgin - backing vocals

[edit] Track listing

Chart positions for LPs from Billboard Top Pop Albums chart; positions for singles and EPs from Billboard Pop Singles chart. By late 1968, Billboard discontinued charting b-sides.

[edit] Disc One

Track	Recorded	Film	Original LP/EP Issue	Catalogue	Release Date	Chart Peak	Song Title	Writer(s)	Time
1.	4/27/60	G.I. Blues	G.I. Blues	LSP 2256	10/1/60	#2	G.I. Blues	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	2:37
2.	4/28/60	G.I. Blues	G.I. Blues	LSP 2256	10/1/60	#2	Wooden Heart	Fred Wise and Ben Weisman	2:02
3.	5/6/60	G.I. Blues	G.I. Blues	LSP 2256	10/1/60	#2	Shoppin' Around	Roy C. Bennett, Sid Tepper, Aaron Schroeder	2:22
4.	4/27/60	G.I. Blues	G.I. Blues	LSP 2256	10/1/60	#2	Doin' the Best I Can	Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman	3:10
5.	10/7/60	Flaming Star	Elvis by Request	LPC 128	2/61	#14	Flaming Star	Sid Wayne and Sherman Edwards	2:25
6.	11/7/60	Wild in the Country		47-7880b	5/2/61	#26	Wild in the Country	George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore	1:52
7.	11/7/60	Wild in the Country		47-7850b	2/7/61	#32	Lonely Man	Bennie Benjamin and Sol Marcus	2:43
8.	3/22/61	Blue Hawaii	Blue Hawaii	LSP 2426	10/1/61	#1	Blue Hawaii	Leo Robin and Ralph Rainger	2:34
9.	3/23/61	Blue Hawaii	Blue Hawaii	LSP 2426	10/1/61	#1	Rock-A-Hula Baby	Fred Wise, Ben Weisman, Dolores Fuller	1:57
10.	3/23/61	Blue Hawaii	Blue Hawaii	LSP 2426	10/1/61	#1	Can't Help Falling In Love	George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore	2:59
11.	3/23/61	Blue Hawaii	Blue Hawaii	LSP 2426	10/1/61	#1	Beach Boy Blues	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	2:02
12.	3/23/61	Blue Hawaii	Blue Hawaii	LSP 2426	10/1/61	#1	Hawaiian Wedding Song	Charles E. King, Al Hoffman, Dick Manning	2:48
13.	7/2/61	Follow That Dream	unreleased take				Follow That Dream	Fred Wise and Ben Weisman	1:37
14.	7/2/61	Follow That Dream	Follow That Dream	EPA 4368	4/62	#15	Angel	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	2:38
15.	10/27/61	Kid Galahad	Kid Galahad	EPA 4371	8/62	#30	King of the Whole Wide World	Ruth Batchelor and Bob Roberts	2:06
16.	10/27/61	Kid Galahad	Kid Galahad	EPA 4371	8/62	#30	I Got Lucky	Fred Wise, Dolores Fuller, Ben Weisman	1:55
17.	3/27/62	Girls! Girls! Girls!	Girls! Girls! Girls!	LSP 2621	11/9/62	#3	Girls! Girls! Girls!	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	2:31
18.	3/27/62	Girls! Girls! Girls!	Girls! Girls! Girls!	LSP 2621	11/9/62	#3	Because of Love	Ruth Batchelor and Bob Roberts	2:31
19.	3/27/62	Girls! Girls! Girls!		47-8100	10/2/62	#2	Return to Sender	Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott	2:06
20.	9/22/62	World's Fair		47-8134	1/29/63	#11	One Broken Heart For Sale	Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott	1:46
21.	9/22/62	World's Fair	It Happened at the World's Fair	LSP 2697	4/10/63	#53	I'm Falling In Love Tonight	Don Robertson	1:39
22.	9/22/62	World's Fair		47-8134b	1/29/63	#53	They Remind Me Too Much of You	Don Robertson	2:31
23.	1/23/63	Fun in Acapulco	Fun in Acapulco	LSP 2756	11/1/63	#3	Fun in Acapulco	Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne	2:28
24.	1/22/63	Fun in Acapulco		47-8243	10/1/63	#8	Bossa Nova Baby	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	2:02
25.	1/22/63	Fun in Acapulco	Fun in Acapulco	LSP 2756	11/1/63	#3	Marguerita	Don Robertson	2:42
26.	1/22/63	Fun in Acapulco	Fun in Acapulco	LSP 2756	11/1/63	#3	Mexico	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	1:58
27.	9/30/63	Kissin' Cousins		47-8307	2/10/64	#12	Kissin' Cousins	Fred Wise and Randy Starr	2:12
28.	9/29/63	Kissin' Cousins	Kissin' Cousins	LSP 2894	4/2/64	#6	One Boy, Two Little Girls	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	2:31
29.	9/29/63	Kissin' Cousins	Kissin' Cousins	LSP 2894	4/2/64	#6	Once Is Enough	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	2:16
30.	7/10/63	Viva Las Vegas		47-8360b	4/28/64	#29	Viva Las Vegas	Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman	2:20
31.	8/30/63	Viva Las Vegas		47-8360	4/28/64	#21	What'd I Say	Ray Charles	3:02

[edit] Disc Two

Track	Recorded	Film	Original LP/EP Issue	Catalogue	Release Date	Chart Peak	Song Title	Writer(s)	Time
1.	4/29/64	Roustabout	Roustabout	LSP 2999	10/20/64	#1	Roustabout	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	1:56
2.	3/2/64	Roustabout	Roustabout	LSP 2999	10/20/64	#1	Poison Ivy League	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	2:02
3.	3/2/64	Roustabout	Roustabout	LSP 2999	10/20/64	#1	Little Egypt	Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller	2:15
4.	3/3/64	Roustabout	Roustabout	LSP 2999	10/20/64	#1	There's A Brand New Day On the Horizon	Joy Byers	2:00
5.	6/10/64	Girl Happy	Girl Happy	LSP 3338	3/1/65	#8	Girl Happy	Doc Pomus and Norman Meadse	2:07
6.	6/10/64	Girl Happy	Girl Happy	LSP 3338	3/1/65	#8	Puppet On A String	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	2:39
7.	6/12/64	Girl Happy		47-8500	2/9/65	#21	Do The Clam	Ben Weisman, Sid Wayne, Dolores Fuller	3:20
8.	2/26/65	Harum Scarum	Harum Scarum	LSP 3468	11/3/65	#8	Harem Holiday	Peter Andreoli, Vini Poncia, Jimmie Crane	2:18
9.	2/25/65	Harum Scarum	Harum Scarum	LSP 3468	11/3/65	#8	So Close Yet So Far	Joy Byers	3:01
10.	5/14/65	Frankie and Johnny		47-8780	3/1/66	#25	Frankie and Johnny	Alex Gottlieb, Fred Karger, Ben Weisman	2:32
11.	5/13/65	Frankie and Johnny		47-8780b	3/1/66	#45	Please Don't Stop Loving Me	Joy Byers	2:02
12.	7/27/65	Paradise, Hawaiian Style	Paradise, Hawaiian Style	LSP 3643	6/10/66	#15	Paradise, Hawaiian Style	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	2:37
13.	7/27/65	Paradise, Hawaiian Style	Paradise, Hawaiian Style	LSP 3643	6/10/66	#15	This Is My Heaven	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	2:34
14.	2/17/66	Spinout		47-8941	9/13/66	#40	Spinout	Ben Weisman, Sid Wayne, Dolores Fuller	2:32
15.	2/17/66	Spinout		47-8941b	9/13/66	#41	All That I Am	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	2:15
16.	2/17/66	Spinout	Spinout	LSP 3643	10/31/66	#18	I'll Be Back	Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne	2:02
17.	9/28/66	Easy Come, Easy Go	Easy Come, Easy Go	EPA 4387	3/67		Easy Come, Easy Go	Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne	2:08
18.	6/29/66	Double Trouble	Double Trouble	LSP 3787	6/1/67	#47	Double Trouble	Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman	1:38
19.	6/29/66	Double Trouble		47-9115	4/28/67	#63	Long Legged Girl	J.L. Mac Farland and Winfield Scott	1:27
20.	2/22/67	Clambake	Clambake	LSP 3893	10/10/67	#40	Clambake	Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne	2:35
21.	2/21/67	Clambake	unreleased master				You Don't Know Me	Cindy Walker and Eddy Arnold	2:12
22.	10/1/67	Stay Away, Joe	Let's Be Friends	CAS 2408	4/70	#105	Stay Away, Joe	Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne	1:37
23.	6/20/67	Speedway	Speedway	LSP 3989	5/1/68	#82	Speedway	Mel Glazer and Stephen Schlaks	2:15
24.	6/20/67	Speedway		47-9547	5/21/68	#72	Your Time Hasn't Come Yet Baby	Joel Hirschhorn and Al Kasha	1:51
25.	6/21/67	Speedway		47-9547b	5/21/68	#71	Let Yourself Go	Joy Byers	2:58
26.	3/7/68	Live a Little, Love a Little		47-9610b	9/3/68	#95	Almost In Love	Luiz Bonfa and Randy Starr	3:01
27.	3/7/68	Live a Little, Love a Little		47-9610	9/3/68	#69	A Little Less Conversation	Billy Strange and Mac Davis	2:10
28.	3/7/68	Live a Little, Love a Little		47-9670b	11/5/68		Edge of Reality	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	3:33
29.	10/15/68	Charro!		47-9731b	2/25/69		Charro	Billy Strange and Mac Davis	2:44
30.	10/23/68	The Trouble with Girls		47-9747	6/17/69	#35	Clean Up Your Own Backyard	Billy Strange and Mac Davis	3:07
31.	3/5/69	Change of Habit	Let's Be Friends	CAS 2408	4/70	#105	Change of Habit	Ben Weisman and Buddy Kaye	3:18

[edit] References

Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley, A Life In Music. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; ISBN 0-312-18572-3