Second appointment dedicated to Elvis Presley: today we talk about “Elvis”, the artist’s second album.
Released in October 1956, “Elvis” quickly reached the top of the American charts, thus repeating the success of his debut. On the record, we find that mix of rhythm and blues and country featured in the singles recorded at Sun Studio, particularly evident in the reinterpretation of Arthur Crudup’s blues “So Glad You’re Mine” or Bill Monroe’s country bluegrass “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again.” The musicians included in the project are Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and D.J. Fontana, who, together with Elvis, recorded all the tracks of the album (except for “So Glad You’re Mine”) in a single session of just three days in September of the same year. Among the tracks stand out the lively “Ready Teddy,” “Rip It Up,” and “Long Tall Sally” (the latter also written with the contribution of Little Richard), but there are also more delicate moments in full crooner style like the ballad “Love Me,” which, by the duo Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, marks the beginning of a fruitful collaboration between Elvis and the songwriters. However, the artist’s career does not stop at music, and in November 1956 his debut film “Love Me Tender” was released. The title track from the film is one of Elvis’s timeless hits, and accompanied by the sweet notes of an acoustic guitar, he delivers one of his most touching performances. In 1957, “Love Me Tender” was followed by two more films, “Loving You” and “Jailhouse Rock,” which, although not much appreciated by critics, attracted a large number of fans to theaters. This string of successes was abruptly interrupted by a sensational event: in January 1958, Elvis was called up for compulsory military service. Despite requests for exemption from fans, the singer did not back down and in March 1958 enlisted in the army. Over the next two years, he underwent the tough military life, first in Arkansas and then in Germany, being absent only for the filming of his fourth movie and for the tragic death of his mother Gladys, to whom he was extremely attached. During his military service, RCA Victor continued to release previously recorded singles, convinced that the civic value of Elvis’s choice would earn him the public’s respect upon his return.
Today we suggest you listen to the unforgettable “Love Me Tender,” which in 1956 marked the artist’s transition to a softer and more emotional singing style, towards which the public immediately showed enthusiasm by requesting over a million copies of the single even before its release. Enjoy listening!
