Love Me Tender (song)

Infobox Single
Name = Love Me Tender


Artist = Elvis Presley
from Album =
B-side = "Any Way You Want Me"
Released = September 1956
Format = 7" single
Recorded = August 24 1956
Genre =
Length = 2:41
Label = RCA Records
Writer = Vera Matson, Elvis Presley (credited); George R. Poulton, Ken Darby (uncredited)
Producer = Ernie Oelhrich, Thorne Norgar
Certification =
Chart position = * #1 Billboard Hot 100
* #3 Billboard Country
* #4 Billboard R&B
Last single = "Shake, Rattle and Roll"
(1956)
This single = "Love Me Tender"
(1956)
Next single = "Too Much"
(1957)Infobox Single
Name = Love Me Tender


Artist = Richard Chamberlain
from Album = Richard Chamberlain Sings
B-side = "All I Do Is Dream of You"
Released = 1962
Format = 7" single
Recorded =
Genre =
Length =
Label = MGM Records
Writer = Vera Matson, Elvis Presley
Producer =
Certification =
Chart position = * #7 (U.S. AC)
* #15 (UK)
* #21 (U.S.)
Last single = "Theme From Dr. Kildare (Three Stars Will Shine Tonight)"
(1962)
This single = "Love Me Tender"
(1962)
Next single = "All I Have to Do Is Dream" / "Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo"
(1963)"Love Me Tender" is a song sung by Elvis Presley, to the tune of "Aura Lee" (or "Aura Lea"), a sentimental Civil War ballad with music by George R. Poulton and words by W.W. Fosdick. "Aura Lee" was published in 1861 and this Civil War song later became popular with college glee clubs and barbershop quartets. It was also sung at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.

Elvis performed "Love Me Tender" on the Ed Sullivan show on September 9, 1956, shortly before the single's release and about a month before the movie, "Love Me Tender", was released, for which the song was originally recorded. On the following day, September 10, 1956, RCA received 1 million advance orders for the song, making it a gold record before it was even released. The studio, 20th Century Fox originally wanted to call the movie "The Reno Brothers" but instead re-titled it to "Love Me Tender" to capitalize on the song's popularity. Presley would go on to make more than 30 films over the next 13 years and release hundreds of soundtrack recordings; "Love Me Tender", however, was the very first of these.

Movie producer Hal Wallis would not allow Elvis' regular band made up of Elvis, Scotty Moore, Bill Black and D.J. Fontana to play on the movie soundtrack music. Instead, The Ken Darby Trio provided the musical backing with Red Robinson on drums, Charles Prescott on bass, Vita Mumolo on guitar, and Jon Dodson providing the background vocals, with Elvis providing only lead vocals.

The song is credited to Elvis Presley and Vera Matson due to royalty issues, but the lyric was written by Ken Darby (Matson's husband). He also arranged the Civil War tune, which was in the public domain. When asked why he credited his wife as co-songwriter along with Presley, Darby responded, "Because she didn't write it either." Darby also wrote the other three songs in "Love Me Tender". It has been said that Elvis didn't like any of these songs, except the title tune. Elvis Presley received co-songwriting credit because he was involved in the creative process in producing this song. As with nearly all Elvis RCA recordings, Elvis took control in the studio despite not being credited as producer. Elvis would regularly change arrangements and lyrics to the point that the original song was barely recognizable. This, arguably, justified the co-songwriting credit in this song.

(Of course, non–writers getting songwriting credit for pop songs has a long tradition. Johnny Mercer, writing in his unpublished autobiography about beginning songwriters in New York when he started in 1930, says

Little did they (the prospective songwriters) dream of the . . . paylola that those sweeter–than–light vaudeville stars got; or of the cut–ins, the kickback of the music business where a big entertainer got his or her name on a song as co–writer and—forever thereafter—got a share of the royalties "either now in existence or yet to be invented." The lawyers had every contingency covered, then as now. [Gene Lees, "Portrait of Johnny", Hal Leonard, 2004, p. 89.]

For years, Duke Ellington's agent, Irving Mills, was listed as a co–writer of Ellington's music, although he never wrote a note. And there are many other examples. See also the discussion of "Stompin' at the Savoy" at Savoy Ballroom.)

Ken Darby had worked on many movie scores in Hollywood. This was his first collaboration with Elvis Presley. Elvis Presley was involved in all phases of the creation of this song, as well as the three other soundtrack songs, "Let Me", "We're Gonna Move", and "Poor Boy". "Love Me Tender" was published by Elvis Presley Music.

Ken Darby won three Academy Awards for musical scores for movies, The King and I, Porgy and Bess, and Camelot. He also won a Grammy for Porgy and Bess. He began his career as the vocal arranger for the movie The Wizard of Oz in 1939. Darby was responsible for creating the vocal score for the Munchkin songs in The Wizard of Oz by slowing down the vocals and then meshing them with the film speed.

Elvis Presley Recording

The song hit #1 on the Billboard charts the week ending November 3, 1956, remaining in the position for 5 weeks and reached no. 11 on the charts in the UK. It was also an achievement as "Love Me Tender" succeeded another Presley single, "Hound Dog/Don't Be Cruel" at #1. This occurrence marked two important events in Billboard history. During this time, Elvis accomplished another record at the time; the longest consecutive stay at number one by a single artist, sixteen weeks, though this was tied by Boyz II Men in 1994 and stood for forty-eight weeks until being surpassed by R&B singer Usher in 2004 who spent 19 weeks at the top of the charts.

This version was ranked #437 on Rolling Stone's list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

In 1968, Presley recorded a 52-second track entitled "Violet (Flower of N.Y.U.)" for the soundtrack of the film "The Trouble with Girls". Unreleased until after Presley's death, the song used the same melody as "Aura Lee", the source song for "Love Me Tender".

Although Presley never re-recorded "Love Me Tender" in a studio setting, two live recordings of the song were released on the albums: "NBC-TV Special" (1968) and "" (1972), with additional performances from concert and television appearances being released after Presley's death.

Other Recordings

*Richard Chamberlain had a hit with his version when it was released as a single in 1962.

*The Beatles performed "Love Me Tender" in their concerts before they signed with EMI in 1962.

*Also in 1962, The Lettermen released the song as a track on their album "Jim, Tony, and Bob".

*Percy Sledge also had a Top 40 hit with a cover version in 1967, going to no. 40 on the US Billboard Pop chart and no. 35 on the R&B chart..

*Mick Ronson recorded a version for his 1974 album Slaughter On 10th Avenue.

*Merle Haggard included "Love Me Tender" on his 1977 album "My Farewell To Elvis"

*Linda Ronstadt recorded this song and included it in her 1978, No.1 hit album Living in the USA.

*Frank Sinatra covered the song for his 1980 triple album, "".

*Amy Grant covered the song for the 1992 movie, "Honeymoon in Vegas", and occasionally performs it at her concerts

*Norah Jones covered the song with Adam Levy for the 2004 movie, "".

* Country singer Kenny Rogers recorded the song in 1996.

*Scatman John released a version on the B-side of his 1996 single "Su Su Su Super Kirei".

*A Gene Summers cover version of "Love Me Tender" was included on the double album "Juke-Box Rock 'n Roll" issued by EMI/Big Beat (#1597671) in France in 1988. It was also issued by Summers on his 50th Anniversary CD "Reminisce Cafe" in 2008 on Seduction Records #110. (USA)

*Tony Bennett also performed the song.

*It was also covered by Mocedades.

*Hugh Laurie covered the song as a sketch on "A Bit of Fry and Laurie". Laurie's singing wasn't particularly comedic in itself, imitating as it did Elvis' singing almost perfectly; however, it becomes clear after some time that he is singing to a visibly-uncomfortable Nicholas Parsons, who is sitting on a stool nearby.

*David Archuleta performed the song during the Top 4 of the seventh season of "American Idol".

References