Frankie and Johnny (album)

Frankie and Johnny
Soundtrack album by Elvis Presley
Released March 1, 1966
Recorded May 1965
Genre Soundtrack
Length 26:40
Label RCA Records
Producer Fred Karger
Elvis Presley chronology
Harum Scarum
(1965)		 Frankie and Johnny
(1966)		 Paradise, Hawaiian Style
(1966)
Frankie & Johnny
Soundtrack album (reissue) by Elvis Presley
Released November 1976
Genre Soundtrack
Label Pickwick Records
Elvis Presley chronology
From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee
(1976)		 Frankie and Johnny
(1976)		 Welcome to My World
(1977)

Frankie and Johnny is the twenty-fifth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3553, in March 1966 — the March 1 date is disputed. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on May 12, 13, and 14, 1965. It peaked at #20 on the Top Pop Albums chart. It was certified Gold and Platinum on 1/6/2004 by the R.I.A.A.

Contents

Content

To coincide with the 19th century setting of the film, some traditional song material was utilized for the soundtrack. "When the Saints Go Marching In" is an old gospel hymn that has become a jazz standard associated with the traditional hot jazz of New Orleans. It is paired in a medley with "Down by the Riverside," another traditional gospel song dating back to the relevant time period. Both are in the public domain, and the team of Giant, Baum, and Kaye captured the publishing for Freddy Bienstock and the Colonel.[1] The title song, "Frankie and Johnny," is a variant on the American popular song first published in 1904 and credited to Hughie Cannon. With changed lyrics, another publishing royalty was secured for Gladys Music.[2]

Twelve songs were recorded at the sessions for Frankie and Johnny, and all were used and issued on the soundtrack. The title song was issued as a single, with "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" on the b-side. Released either just before or simultaneously with the album, depending if the disputed release dates are correct, "Frankie and Johnny" peaked at #25 on the Billboard Hot 100, with the b-side also charting at #45.[3]

Pickwick reissue

In November 1976, Pickwick Records reissued the soundtrack album with a new cover showing a 1970s-era image of Presley. The running order of the tracks was altered and three songs from the original album were omitted —"Chesay," "Look Out Broadway," and "Everybody Come Aboard." The front cover does not indicate that this is a reissued soundtrack album, and it was the only soundtrack to be reissued in this way. It did not chart on the Billboard 200. This oddity remained in print for several years and when, following Presley's death in August 1977 RCA reissued all of his albums (a few, such as "Spinout" and "Clambake" had been out of print for about three or four years) the existence of this record prohibited RCA from reissuing the original, complete soundtrack album in the US. They did reissue the original Frankie and Johnny soundtrack album elsewhere however, including Canada. Not until 2010 would the complete original Frankie and Johnny soundtrack be widely reissued in the US, on CD from Sony Special Products under contract by RCA.

Personnel

Track listing

Side one

Track Recorded Catalogue Release Date Chart Peak Song Title Writer(s) Time
1. 5/14/65 47-8780 3/1/66 #25 Frankie and Johnny Alex Gottlieb, Fred Karger, Ben Weisman 2:32
2. 5/12/65 Come Along David Hess 1:52
3. 5/14/65 Petunia, the Gardener's Daughter Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper 2:59
4. 5/14/65 Chesay Ben Weisman, Fred Karger, Sid Wayne 1:39
5. 5/13/65 What Every Woman Lives For Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman 2:27
6. 5/14/65 Look Out, Broadway Fred Wise and Randy Starr 1:40

Side two

Track Recorded Catalogue Release Date Chart Peak Song Title Writer(s) Time
1. 5/12/65 Beginner's Luck Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper 2:34
2. 5/12/65 Down by the Riverside and When the Saints Go Marching In Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye 1:56
3. 5/13/65 Shout It Out Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye 2:17
4. 5/13/65 Hard Luck Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne 2:51
5. 5/13/65 47-8780b 3/1/66 #45 Please Don't Stop Loving Me Joy Byers 2:02
6. 5/14/65 Everybody Come Aboard Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye 1:51

References

  1. ^ Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; p. 195.
  2. ^ Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 196.
  3. ^ Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 417.