Love Letters from Elvis

Love Letters from Elvis is a 1971 studio album by Elvis Presley.

The album was made up mostly of leftovers from Elvis' marathon June 1970 recording sessions in Nashville. Most of the other 35 songs recorded during those sessions had been used in Elvis' 1970 albums That's the Way It Is and Elvis Country (I'm 10,000 Years Old). Wanting to squeeze out a third album from the sessions, RCA records had producer Felton Jarvis mix, overdub and compile the remaining songs. However, few of the songs had the rock, country, or gospel feel that inspired Elvis to his greatest performances. As a result the album was critically panned upon release, and failed to crack the top 20 of the Billboard album charts.

The song's title track was a rare instance of Presley re-recording a past hit in the studio, his original version of "Love Letters" having been released as a single in 1966. "Got My Mojo Working" is edited down from an impromptu jam session; Presley's version incorporates lyrics from "Hands Off", a 1955 song by Frankie Castro released on the Wing record label (RCA often mislabelled this song "Keep Your Hands Off of It when the complete jam was issued on CD years later).

Three songs from this album were released on singles. The single "Life / Only Believe" was released in March 1971 and reached only #53 on the US Billboard Singles chart. It was Elvis's lowest chart position for a single since "Almost in Love" had reached #95 in late 1968. "Heart Of Rome" was placed on the B-side of the non-album track "I'm Leavin'" released as a single in August 1971.

• Love Letters From Elvis 2 CD FTD Special Edition (Release Date - July 2008)

Track listing

1. "Love Letters" (Edward Heyman, Victor Young) – 2:53
2. "When I'm Over You" (Shirl Milete) – 2:28
3. "If I Were You" (Gerald Nelson) – 3:01
4. "Got My Mojo Working" (Preston Foster) – 4:36
5. "Heart of Rome" (Alan Blaikley, Ken Howard, Geoff Stephens) – 2:56
6. "Only Believe" (Paul Rader) – 2:50
7. "This Is Our Dance" (Les Reed, Geoff Stephens) – 3:16
8. "Cindy, Cindy" (Dolores Fuller, Buddy Kaye, Ben Weisman) – 2:32
9. "I'll Never Know" (Fred Karger, Sid Wayne, Ben Weisman) – 2:25
10. "It Ain't No Big Thing (But It's Growing)" (Shorty Hall, Alice Joy Merritt, Neal Merritt) – 2:49
11. "Life" (Shirl Milete) – 3:10^[2]

References