45 RPMs 80: Elvis Presley ~ Are You Lonesome To-night?

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Elvis Presley ~ Are You Lonesome Tonight?
 7" 45 RPM record, front cover

record cover photographer unknown

photo of album cover by Styrous®

    

    

Sixty-four years ago, on April 4, 1960, Elvis Presley recorded Are You Lonesome Tonight. The song was written in 1926 by vaudevillians Lou Handman and Roy Turk with three verses, followed by a spoken bridge. They based the bridge on a line in the opera, Pagliacci, by Ruggero Leoncavallo and "You know someone said that the world's a stage. And each must play a part" refers to "All the world's a stage" from the play As You Like It by William Shakespeare.               

Presley loved this song and he sang it in the studio with the lights out, giving himself over totally to its message.          

Elvis Presley ~ Are You Lonesome Tonight?

screenshot

Are you lonesome tonight?
Do you miss me tonight?
Are you sorry we drifted apart?
Does your memory stray to a bright summer day
When I kissed you and called you sweetheart?

Do the chairs in your parlor seem empty and bare?
Do you gaze at your doorstep and picture me there?
Is your heart filled with pain, shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?

I wonder if you’re lonesome tonight
You know someone said that the world’s a stage and each of us must play a part
Fate had me playing in love with you as my sweetheart
Act one was where we met
I loved you at first glance
You read your lines so cleverly and never missed a cue

Then came act two, you seemed to change, you acted strange
And why I’ve never known
Honey, you lied when you said you loved me
And I had no cause to doubt you
But I’d rather go on hearing your lies
Than to go on living without you

Now the stage is bare and I’m standing there
With emptiness all around
And if you won’t come back to me
Then they can bring the curtain down

Is your heart filled with pain
Shall I come back again?
Tell me dear, are you lonesome tonight?

-Written by Roy Turk and Lou Handman

Elvis Presley ~ Are You Lonesome Tonight?

 7" 45 RPM record, side 1

photo by Styrous®

I Gotta Know is a song recorded by Cliff Richard in September 1959 and Elvis Presley on 4 April 1960. It reached number 20 on the US charts. The composer was Paul Evans; the lyrics were by Matt Williams.       

Elvis Presley ~ I Gotta Know

 7" 45 RPM record, side 2

photo by Styrous®

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires – Are You Lonesome To-Night?, written by Lou Handman, Roy Turk - 3:07

Side 2:

B - Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires – I Gotta Know, written by Matt Williams (3), Paul Evans - 2:14

Companies, etc.

    Record Company – Radio Corporation Of America
    Published By – Bourne, Inc.
    Published By – Cromwell Music, Inc.
    Published By – Gladys Music Inc.
    Pressed By – RCA Records Pressing Plant, Indianapolis

 Credits:

 

Scotty Moore - drums 

D. J. Fontana - piano 

Floyd Cramer - guitar   

Hank Garland - bass  

Bob Moore - percussion.    

Buddy Harman    

The Jordanaires - backing vocalists

 

Notes:

Indianapolis pressing with black labels and Nipper the dog positioned on top.
Matrix numbers are listed above durations.
45 RPM is spelled out without periods above "New Orthophonic High Fidelity" on the right side.
The "T" in within The Jordanaires is capitalized.

Side A: Bourne, Inc.,& Cromwell Music Inc., ASCAP
Side B: Gladys Music Inc., ASCAP

Later pressings incorrectly listed the side B publisher as Alamo Music Inc.
An example can be found here Are You Lonesome To-Night?.

Barcode and Other Identifiers        

      

    Rights Society: ASCAP
    Pressing Plant ID (Stamped in runouts): I
    Matrix / Runout (Side A label): L2WW-0106
    Matrix / Runout (Side B label): L2WW-0104
    Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped, variant 1): L2 WW0106-1S I Λ6
    Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped, variant 1): L2 WW0104-2S I Λ1
    Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped, variant 2): L2 WW0106-4S A1
    Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped, variant 2): L2 WW0104- 4S A3
    Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped, variant 3): L2 WW0106-1S I Λ1
    Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped, variant 3): L2 WW0104-3S I Λ2
    Matrix / Runout (Side A stamped, variant 4): L2 WW0106-3S I Λ5
    Matrix / Runout (Side B stamped, variant 4): L2 WW0104-3S I ΛC

  

Elvis Presley – Are You Lonesome To-Night?
Label:    RCA Victor – 47-7810
Format:    Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single, Indianapolis Pressing
Country: US
Released: Nov 1960
Genre:    Pop
Style:    Ballad, Vocal

        

        

        

        

Viewfinder links:       

         

Floyd Cramer

The Jordanaires         
Elvis Presley          

Roy Turk            
     
Net links:       

         

         

Elvis Presley website        

        
     
YouTube links:      
        
Are You Lonesome Tonight? audio        

Are You Lonesome Tonight? video        

        
         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Thursday, April 4, 2024

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45 RPMs 53: Elvis Presley ~ Heartbreak Hotel: his first big hit

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Elvis Presley ~ Heartbreak Hotel

7" 45 RPM record w/sleeve

photo by Styrous®

On January 10, 1956, Elvis Presley recorded Heartbreak Hotel. This was his first recording for the RCA Records label. The song was released as a single on January 27, 1956. Presley performed the song for the first time in Swifton, Arkansas on December 9, 1955, and declared to the audience that it would be his first hit; he was right. As they say, the rest is history.        

Elvis Presley ~ Heartbreak Hotel

7" 45 RPM record

photo by Styrous®

 

A newspaper article about the suicide of a lonely man who jumped from a hotel window inspired the lyrics of the song. It was written by Tommy Durden and Mae Boren Axton, with credit being given also to Presley; Durden and Axton give differing versions of how the story originated (link below). Axton presented the song to Presley in November of 1955 at a country music convention in Nashville. Presley agreed to record it, and did so in 1956 at 1525 McGavock Street in Nashville in a session with his band, The Blue Moon Boys; the guitarist was Chet Atkins and the pianist was Floyd Cramer.       

Elvis Presley ~ Heartbreak Hotel

7" 45 RPM record label

photo by Styrous®

Heartbreak Hotel lyrics 

Well, since my baby left me
Well, I found a new place to dwell
Well, it's down at the end of Lonely Street
At Heartbreak Hotel

Where I'll be, I'll be so lonely baby
Well, I'm so lonely
I'll be so lonely, I could die

Although it's always crowded
You still can find some room
For broken-hearted lovers
To cry there in their gloom

They'll be so, they'll be so lonely baby
They get so lonely
They're so lonely, they could die

Now, the bell hop's tears keep flowin'
And the desk clerk's dressed in black
Well, they've been so long on Lonely Street
They'll never, never look back

And they get so, they get so lonely baby
Well they are so lonely
They're so lonely, they could die

Well, now, if your baby leaves you
And you got a tale to tell
Well, just take a walk down Lonely Street
To Heartbreak Hotel

Where you will be, you will be so lonely baby
Well you will be lonely
You'll be so lonely, you could die

Although it's always crowded
But you still can find some room
For broken-hearted lovers to cry there in their gloom

Where they get so, they get so lonely baby
Well they're so lonely
They'll be so lonely, they could die

Elvis Presley ~ I Was the One

7" 45 RPM record w/sleeve

photo by Styrous®

There are videos of Presley performing from 1956 to 1972 on YouTube; it is interesting to see how he changes physically over that period (links below).        

Elvis Presley ~ I Was the One

7" 45 RPM record

photo by Styrous®

The single topped the Billboard Top 100 chart for seven weeks, the Cashbox pop singles chart for six weeks, was No. 1 on the Country and Western chart for seventeen weeks and reached No. 3 on the R&B chart, becoming Presley's first million-seller, and one of the best-selling singles of 1956. Heartbreak Hotel achieved unheard feats as it reached the top 5 of Country and Western, pop, and Rhythm 'n' Blues charts simultaneously. It would eventually be certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America.                 

 

In 1995 Heartbreak Hotel was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame, and in 2004 Rolling Stone magazine named it one of the "500 Greatest Songs of All Time". That year it was also included in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame "500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll". 

 

Heartbreak Hotel has been covered by many rock and pop artists, including Willie Nelson and Leon Russell, who recorded a duet version that topped the Country charts in 1979; it's more upbeat and faster. Johnny Cash did a parody of Elvis singing the song (links below).        

Elvis Presley ~ I Was the One

7" 45 RPM record

photo by Styrous®

        

Tracklist:

Side 1:

A - Heartbreak Hotel, written by Presley*, Axton*, Durden* - 2:06

Side 2:

B - I Was The One, written by Schroeder*, Peppers*, DeMetris*, Blair* - 2:30

Companies, etc.

    Manufactured By – RCA Victor Company, Ltd.

Notes:

No time duration on labels.
Black label RCA w/ Dog

Barcode and Other Identifiers        

        

    Matrix / Runout (A-Side label): G2WW-0209
    Matrix / Runout (B-Side label): G2WW-0218
    Matrix / Runout (A-Side stamped runout): G2WW-0209
    Matrix / Runout (B-Side stamped runout): G2WW-0218     

      

Label: RCA Victor ‎– 47 6420
Format: Vinyl, 7", 45 RPM, Single
Country: Canada
Released: Jan 1956
Genre: Rock
Style: Rock & Roll      

      

       

      

       

      

Viewfinder links:       

        
Chet Atkins         

Floyd Cramer          

Willie Nelson        

Elvis Presley             

Leon Russell          
     
Net links:       

         

Background and writing        

         

        
     
YouTube links:      
         

Johnny Cash does Elvis Presley - Heartbreak Hotel  (Live)       

Willie Nelson ~ Heartbreak Hotel        

Willie Nelson & Leon Russell ~ Heartbreak Hotel  (Live)       

Elvis Presley ~        

      Heartbreak Hotel         

      Heartbreak Hotel (Live) (1956)                

      Heartbreak Hotel (Ed Sullivan) (1957)                 

      Heartbreak Hotel (Ed Sullivan) (Stereo) (1957)                 

      Heartbreak Hotel (Live) (1968)                

      Heartbreak Hotel (Las Vegas) (1970)                

      Heartbreak Hotel (Live) (1972)               
         

         

        

        

        

I'll be so lonely, I could die!

         

        

         

        

        

Styrous® ~ Sunday, January 10, 2021     

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Floyd Cramer articles/mentions

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Bert Kaempfert ~ Wonderland By Night  

Elvis Presley ~ Heartbreak Hotel     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

Floyd Cramer - 1965     

photo: Jac. de Nijs / Anefo - Nationaal Archief     

     

 

 

     

    

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