Elvis' Golden Records
Encyclopedia
Elvis' Golden Records is the fifth album
by Elvis Presley
issued on RCA Victor Records, LPM 1707, in March 1958, recorded mostly at Radio Recorders
in Hollywood, with one session at RCA Studios in New York
on January 30, one at 20th Century Fox
Stage One in Hollywood on August 24, and three at in January and April 1956 at RCA Studios in Nashville
. It is a compilation of hit singles
released in 1956 and 1957, and is widely believed to be the first greatest hits
album in rock and roll
history. It is the first of five Elvis' Golden/Gold Records compilations, four of which would be released during Presley's lifetime. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums
chart. It was certified Gold on
10/17/1961, Platinum on 5/20/1988, 5x Platinum on 3/27/1992 and 6x Platinum on 7/15/1999 by the
R.I.A.A.
", "Loving You", "That's When Your Heartaches Begin", "Treat Me Nice
", "Anyway You Want Me
", and one album track, "Love Me", originally issued on the 1956 LP Elvis
. Every flip-side also hit the chart separately from its parent hit side, with four making the Top 40, and "Hound Dog" also topping the chart; chart positions noted for those tracks individually. "Love Me" was also included on the Elvis Vol. 1 EP single
which made the top ten on the singles chart.
In the 1950s, a gold record awarded for a single referred to sales of one million units, different from the definition in use by the late 1970s for albums, where a gold record came to mean album sales of 500,000 units. Exact figures from the RIAA are difficult to confirm, but in the press conference from September 22, 1958, originally released on the EP Elvis Sails in 1958 and included on disc four of the 1950s box set
, the interviewer asks Presley for a tally of his gold records. Presley responds, saying "I have 25 million sellers, and two albums that have sold a million each."
The original 1984 CD issue in reprocessed (fake) stereo sound, was quickly withdrawn and reissued in original monophonic. The July 15, 1997 reissue added six tracks, with "Blue Suede Shoes
" an unusual release in that it was issued simultaneously in conjunction with every track from Elvis' debut LP Elvis Presley
in singles form, more than five months after the release of the album on March 23. Two more charting RCA B-sides, "I Was the One" and "My Baby Left Me
", and three Sun Records
tracks rounded out the compact disc
. RCA had purchased the rights to reissue Sun material when buying Elvis' contract from Sam Phillips
in 1955, using Sun recordings to fill out album tracks throughout the decade.
Although RCA executive Steve Sholes was the in-house A&R
man for Presley, and nominally in charge of his recording sessions at RCA, accounts by Presley historian Peter Guralnick
and Presley discographer Ernst Mikael Jorgensen indicate that Presley himself acted as the producer for his RCA sessions in the 1950s.
The unified Billboard Hot 100
singles chart was not created until August, 1958, after the release of this compilation, and of course after the release of all of these singles. Chart positions referenced would be taken from the Best Sellers In Stores chart, although early measurement of rock and roll
records also came from the Most Played In Jukeboxes chart.
chart except as indicated.
The UK issue (LPM-1717) has a footnote attributed to "RCA Records, London":
"This album, as issued in the U.S.A., contains 14 of ELVIS PRESLEY'S 16 consecutive Golden Records. Four of these, LOVING YOU, JAILHOUSE ROCK, TEDDY BEAR, TREAT ME NICE have already been issued on the RCA label in this country. So in response to many letters from Elvis' fans all over the British Isles, we have replaced them with four earlier recordings which have NEVER BEFORE BEEN ISSUED IN THIS COUNTRY. These are, I LOVE YOU BECAUSE, YOU'RE A HEARTBREAKER, I'LL NEVER LET YOU GO, I FORGOT TO REMEMBER TO FORGET.
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
issued on RCA Victor Records, LPM 1707, in March 1958, recorded mostly at Radio Recorders
Radio Recorders
Radio Recorders, Inc. was a recording studio based in Los Angeles, California. Famous musicians to have been recorded in the studio include Charlie Parker, Jimmie Rodgers, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and The Carpenters among others. In its prime, the studio was known...
in Hollywood, with one session at RCA Studios in New York
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
on January 30, one at 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
Stage One in Hollywood on August 24, and three at in January and April 1956 at RCA Studios in Nashville
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
. It is a compilation of hit singles
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
released in 1956 and 1957, and is widely believed to be the first greatest hits
Greatest hits
A greatest hits album is a music compilation album of successful, previously released songs by a particular artist or band...
album in rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
history. It is the first of five Elvis' Golden/Gold Records compilations, four of which would be released during Presley's lifetime. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
chart. It was certified Gold on
10/17/1961, Platinum on 5/20/1988, 5x Platinum on 3/27/1992 and 6x Platinum on 7/15/1999 by the
R.I.A.A.
Content
Golden Records comprises eight #1 A sides along with five B-sides, "Hound DogHound Dog (song)
"Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known...
", "Loving You", "That's When Your Heartaches Begin", "Treat Me Nice
Treat Me Nice
Treat Me Nice is a song recorded by Elvis Presley.The song was included in the musical revue Smokey Joe's Cafe.-Chart performance:...
", "Anyway You Want Me
Anyway You Want Me
-Track listing:#"Anyway You Want Me" - 3:03#"Anyway You Want Me" - 3:01-Charts:...
", and one album track, "Love Me", originally issued on the 1956 LP Elvis
Elvis (1956 album)
Elvis is the second album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor in mono, LPM 1382, in October 1956. Recording sessions took place on September 1, September 2, and September 3 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, with one track leftover from the sessions for Presley's debut album at RCA recording...
. Every flip-side also hit the chart separately from its parent hit side, with four making the Top 40, and "Hound Dog" also topping the chart; chart positions noted for those tracks individually. "Love Me" was also included on the Elvis Vol. 1 EP single
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
which made the top ten on the singles chart.
In the 1950s, a gold record awarded for a single referred to sales of one million units, different from the definition in use by the late 1970s for albums, where a gold record came to mean album sales of 500,000 units. Exact figures from the RIAA are difficult to confirm, but in the press conference from September 22, 1958, originally released on the EP Elvis Sails in 1958 and included on disc four of the 1950s box set
The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters
The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters is a box set five-disc compilation of the complete known studio master recordings by Elvis Presley during the decade of the 1950s, released in 1992, RCA 66050-2. It peaked at #159 on the album chart...
, the interviewer asks Presley for a tally of his gold records. Presley responds, saying "I have 25 million sellers, and two albums that have sold a million each."
The original 1984 CD issue in reprocessed (fake) stereo sound, was quickly withdrawn and reissued in original monophonic. The July 15, 1997 reissue added six tracks, with "Blue Suede Shoes
Blue Suede Shoes
"Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time...
" an unusual release in that it was issued simultaneously in conjunction with every track from Elvis' debut LP Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley (album)
-1999 Reissue with Bonus Tracks:Catalogue data reflects simultaneous release of all tracks from LPM 1254 as singles in August, 1956; chart positions from Billboard Pop Singles chart.-2006 FTD Reissue:Disc OneDisc Two-Personnel:...
in singles form, more than five months after the release of the album on March 23. Two more charting RCA B-sides, "I Was the One" and "My Baby Left Me
My Baby Left Me
My Baby Left Me is a rhythm and blues song written by blues singer Arthur Crudup in the late 1940s.It gained further exposure in covers by Elvis Presley, who placed his version on the b-side to his 1956 single "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"; by Creedence Clearwater Revival, who recorded it as...
", and three Sun Records
Sun Records
Sun Records is a record label founded in Memphis, Tennessee, starting operations on March 27, 1952.Founded by Sam Phillips, Sun Records was known for giving notable musicians such as Elvis Presley , Carl Perkins, Roy Orbison, and Johnny Cash...
tracks rounded out the compact disc
Compact Disc
The Compact Disc is an optical disc used to store digital data. It was originally developed to store and playback sound recordings exclusively, but later expanded to encompass data storage , write-once audio and data storage , rewritable media , Video Compact Discs , Super Video Compact Discs ,...
. RCA had purchased the rights to reissue Sun material when buying Elvis' contract from Sam Phillips
Sam Phillips
Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s...
in 1955, using Sun recordings to fill out album tracks throughout the decade.
Although RCA executive Steve Sholes was the in-house A&R
A&R
Artists and repertoire is the division of a record label that is responsible for talent scouting and overseeing the artistic development of recording artists. It also acts as a liaison between artists and the record label.- Finding talent :...
man for Presley, and nominally in charge of his recording sessions at RCA, accounts by Presley historian Peter Guralnick
Peter Guralnick
Peter Guralnick is an American music critic, writer on music, and historian of US American popular music, who is also active as an author and screenwriter. He has been married for over 45 years to Alexandra...
and Presley discographer Ernst Mikael Jorgensen indicate that Presley himself acted as the producer for his RCA sessions in the 1950s.
The unified Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
singles chart was not created until August, 1958, after the release of this compilation, and of course after the release of all of these singles. Chart positions referenced would be taken from the Best Sellers In Stores chart, although early measurement of rock and roll
Rock and roll
Rock and roll is a genre of popular music that originated and evolved in the United States during the late 1940s and early 1950s, primarily from a combination of African American blues, country, jazz, and gospel music...
records also came from the Most Played In Jukeboxes chart.
Track listing
Chart positions for singles taken from Billboard Pop SinglesBillboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
chart except as indicated.
The UK issue (LPM-1717) has a footnote attributed to "RCA Records, London":
"This album, as issued in the U.S.A., contains 14 of ELVIS PRESLEY'S 16 consecutive Golden Records. Four of these, LOVING YOU, JAILHOUSE ROCK, TEDDY BEAR, TREAT ME NICE have already been issued on the RCA label in this country. So in response to many letters from Elvis' fans all over the British Isles, we have replaced them with four earlier recordings which have NEVER BEFORE BEEN ISSUED IN THIS COUNTRY. These are, I LOVE YOU BECAUSE, YOU'RE A HEARTBREAKER, I'LL NEVER LET YOU GO, I FORGOT TO REMEMBER TO FORGET.
Side one
| Track | Recorded | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7/2/56 | 47-6604b | 7/13/56 | #1 | Hound Dog Hound Dog (song) "Hound Dog" is a twelve-bar blues written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and originally recorded by Willie Mae "Big Mama" Thornton in 1952. Other early versions illustrate the differences among blues, country, and rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The 1956 remake by Elvis Presley is the best-known... |
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | 2:15 |
| 2. | 2/24/57 | 47-7000b | 6/11/57 | #20 | Loving You | Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | 2:12 |
| 3. | 1/12/57 | 47-6870 | 3/22/57 | #1 | All Shook Up All Shook Up "All Shook Up" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music and composed by Otis Blackwell. Elvis Presley's single topped the U.S. Pop chart on April 13, 1957, staying there for eight weeks. It also topped the R&B chart for four weeks, becoming Presley's second single to... |
Otis Blackwell Otis Blackwell Otis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll... and Elvis Presley |
1:57 |
| 4. | 1/10/56 | 47-6357 | 1/27/56 | #1 | Heartbreak Hotel Heartbreak Hotel "Heartbreak Hotel" is a song recorded by American rock and roll musician Elvis Presley. It was released as a single on January 27, 1956, Presley's first on his new record label RCA Victor. His first number-one pop record, "Heartbreak Hotel" topped Billboards Top 100 chart, became his first... |
Mae Axton Mae Boren Axton Mae Boren Axton was known in the music industry as the 'Queen Mother of Nashville'... , Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley |
2:09 |
| 5. | 4/30/57 | 47-7035 | 9/24/57 | #1 | Jailhouse Rock Jailhouse Rock (song) "Jailhouse Rock" is a song written by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller that first became a hit for Elvis Presley. The song was released as a 45rpm single on September 24, 1957, to coincide with the release of Presley's motion picture, Jailhouse Rock... |
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | 2:27 |
| 6. | 9/1/56 | LPM 1382 | 10/19/56 | #2 | Love Me Love Me (Leiber/Stoller song) "Love Me" is a sentimental song composed by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller and popularized by Elvis Presley in 1956. Conceived as a parody of a country western music, it was initially interpreted by R&B duo Willy and Ruth in 1954 , then by Georgia Gibbs the same year... |
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | 2:43 |
| 7. | 9/2/56 | 47-6800 | 1/4/57 | #1 | Too Much Too Much (Elvis Presley song) "Too Much" is a #1 song recorded in a hit version by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music in 1956. It was written by Bernard Weinman and Lee Rosenberg. It was first recorded in 1954 by Bernard Hardison on Republic Records... |
Lee Rosenberg and Bernard Weinman | 2:31 |
Side two
| Track | Recorded | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 7/2/56 | 47-6604 | 7/13/56 | #1 | Don't Be Cruel Don't Be Cruel -Legacy:"Don't Be Cruel" went on to become Presley's biggest selling single recorded in 1956, with sales over six million by 1961. It became a regular feature of his live sets until his death in 1977, and was often coupled with "Jailhouse Rock" or "Teddy Bear" during performances from 1969.Many... |
Otis Blackwell Otis Blackwell Otis Blackwell was an American songwriter, singer, and pianist, whose work significantly influenced rock 'n' roll... and Elvis Presley |
2:02 |
| 2. | 1/13/57 | 47-6870b | 3/22/57 | #58 | That's When Your Heartaches Begin (Versions 2) | Fred Fisher Fred Fisher Fred Fisher was a German-born American songwriter and Tin Pan Alley music publisher. Fisher founded Fred Fisher Music Publishing Company in 1907. He was born as Albert von Breitenbach in Cologne... , Billy Hill Billy Hill (songwriter) Billy Hill was an American songwriter, violinst, and pianist who found fame writing Western songs such as "They Cut Down the Old Pine Tree", "The Last Roundup", "Wagon Wheels", and "Empty Saddles"... , William Raskin |
3:21 |
| 3. | 1/24/57 | 47-7000 | 6/11/57 | #1 | (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear | Kal Mann Kal Mann Kal Mann was an American lyricist. He is best known for penning the words to Elvis Presley's "Teddy Bear", plus "Butterfly", a hit for both Charlie Gracie and Andy Williams.-Biography:... and Bernie Lowe Bernie Lowe Bernie Lowe was an American songwriter / record producer / arranger / pianist and bandleader.Born Bernard Lowenthal in Philadelphia, Lowe started Teen Records and in 1955 was working with Freddie Bell and the Bellboys. He asked Freddie Bell to rewrite the lyrics of "Hound Dog" to appeal to a... |
1:45 |
| 4. | 8/24/56 | 47-6643 | 9/28/56 | #1 | Love Me Tender Love Me Tender (song) "Love Me Tender" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music, adapted from the tune of "Aura Lee" , a sentimental Civil War ballad.- History :... |
Vera Matson and Elvis Presley | 2:41 |
| 5. | 9/5/57 | 47-7035b | 9/24/57 | #18 | Treat Me Nice Treat Me Nice Treat Me Nice is a song recorded by Elvis Presley.The song was included in the musical revue Smokey Joe's Cafe.-Chart performance:... |
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller | 2:10 |
| 6. | 7/2/56 | 47-6643b | 9/28/56 | #20 | Anyway You Want Me (That's How I Will Be) | Cliff Owens and Aaron Schroeder | 2:14 |
| 7. | 4/14/56 | 47-6540 | 5/4/56 | #1 | I Want You, I Need You, I Love You I Want You, I Need You, I Love You "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" is a popular song written by Maurice Mysels and Ira Kosloff. It is known best for being Elvis Presley's second RCA single album release... |
Lou Kosloff and George Mysels | 2:40 |
1997 reissue bonus tracks
| Track | Recorded | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 1/30/56 | 47-6540b | 5/4/56 | #31 | My Baby Left Me My Baby Left Me My Baby Left Me is a rhythm and blues song written by blues singer Arthur Crudup in the late 1940s.It gained further exposure in covers by Elvis Presley, who placed his version on the b-side to his 1956 single "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You"; by Creedence Clearwater Revival, who recorded it as... |
Arthur Crudup Arthur Crudup Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup was an American Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known outside blues circles for writing songs such as "That's All Right" , "My Baby Left Me" and "So Glad You're Mine", later covered by Elvis Presley and dozens of other artists.-Career:Arthur Crudup... |
2:12 |
| 2. | 1/11/56 | 47-6357b | 1/27/56 | #19 | I Was The One | Aaron Schroeder, Claude DeMetrius Claude Demetrius Claude Demetrius was an African American songwriter.Born in Bath, Maine, by his early twenties he was in New York City writing music for and/or with the likes of Louis Armstrong, Jimmy Witherspoon and B.B. King. Demetrius wrote the 1945 musical comedy short film Open the Door, Richard... , Hal Blair, Bill Peppers |
2:34 |
| 3. | 7/5/54 | Sun 209 | 7/19/54 | That's All Right That's All Right (Mama) "That's All Right" is the name of the first single released by Elvis Presley, written and originally performed by blues singer Arthur Crudup. Elvis' version was recorded on 5 July 1954, and released on 19 July 1954 with "Blue Moon of Kentucky" as the B-side... |
Arthur Crudup Arthur Crudup Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup was an American Delta blues singer, songwriter and guitarist. He is best known outside blues circles for writing songs such as "That's All Right" , "My Baby Left Me" and "So Glad You're Mine", later covered by Elvis Presley and dozens of other artists.-Career:Arthur Crudup... |
1:55 | |
| 4. | 2/5/55 | Sun 217 | 4/10/55 | C&W Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... #5 |
Baby, Let's Play House | Arthur Gunter Arthur Gunter Arthur Gunter was an American blues guitarist and musician. He was best known for his song "Baby Let's Play House", which was later a hit single for Elvis Presley.-Biography:... |
2:16 |
| 5. | 7/11/55 | Sun 223b | 8/6/55 | C&W Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales... #11 |
Mystery Train Mystery Train "Mystery Train" is a song written by Junior Parker and Sam Phillips. It was first recorded in Phillip's Memphis Recording Service and Sun Records at 706 Union Avenue, Memphis, Tennessee in 1953. Raymond Hill plays tenor sax and Matt Murphy plays lead guitar with Bill Johnson on piano, Pat Hare on... |
Herman Parker Jr. and Sam Phillips Sam Phillips Samuel Cornelius Phillips , better known as Sam Phillips, was an American businessman, record executive, record producer and DJ who played an important role in the emergence of rock and roll as the major form of popular music in the 1950s... |
2:24 |
| 6. | 1/30/56 | 47-6636 | 8/31/56 | #20 | Blue Suede Shoes Blue Suede Shoes "Blue Suede Shoes" is a rock and roll standard written and first recorded by Carl Perkins in 1955 and is considered one of the first rockabilly records and incorporated elements of blues, country and pop music of the time... |
Carl Perkins Carl Perkins Carl Lee Perkins was an American rockabilly musician who recorded most notably at Sun Records Studio in Memphis, Tennessee, beginning during 1954... |
1:59 |
Certifications/sales
| Country | Certification (thresholds) |
Sales |
|---|---|---|
| United States | 6× Platinum | 6,000,000 |
| Canada | Platinum | 100,000 |