Jailhouse Rock
The EP that topped the Billboard EP chart for 7 weeks and became the best-selling EP of 1957.
Jailhouse Rock is an EP by American singer Elvis Presley, featuring songs from the movie of the same name. It was released by RCA Victor, with catalogue EPA 4114, on October 21, 1957. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on April 30 and May 3, 1957, with an additional session at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Soundstage in Hollywood on May 9 for "Don't Leave Me Now". It peaked at #1 on the newly inaugurated Billboard EP chart where it remained at #1 for 7 weeks. The EP album was the best selling EP album of 1957 according to Billboard.
Quick Facts
- Longtype
- (soundtrack)
- Artist
- Elvis Presley
- Released
- October 30, 1957
- Recorded
- April 30, May 3 & 9, 1957
- Studio
- Radio Recorders (Hollywood)
- Genre
- Rock and roll
- rockabilly
- pop
- Length
- 10:36
- Label
- RCA Victor
Lore & Background
Unlike Loving You (1957) but like Love Me Tender (1956), a full long-playing album soundtrack was not devised for Jailhouse Rock. The title song "Jailhouse Rock" had already been released as a single on September 24, 1957, and went to #1 on the singles chart. The sixth soundtrack song "Treat Me Nice" was not included on the EP; a new recording from September 5 at Radio Recorders was instead placed as the B-side to the "Jailhouse Rock" single where it peaked at #18 on the singles chart independently. The writing and production team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller played prominent roles in the making of the soundtrack, writing four of its songs and working closely with Presley in the studio. Other than both sides of the single and "I Want to Be Free", the fourth song by the pair "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" became a minor standard, receiving cover versions by Cliff Richard, Joni Mitchell, and Brian Setzer. "Don't Leave Me Now" was recorded for Jailhouse Rock and first released on this EP; it did not appear on the Loving You album. Additional original music for the film was composed by producer Jeff Alexander, and the song sung by the Hunk Houghton character, "One Day", was by Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper.
Reader's Guide
The EP peaked at #1 on the newly inaugurated Billboard EP chart where it remained at #1 for 28 weeks. The EP album was the best selling EP album of 1958 according to Billboard. All five songs from the EP are available on The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters released in 1992. On April 15, 1997, RCA released a compact disc comprising versions appearing in the feature film and versions that had been commercially released on records of the songs from both Jailhouse Rock and Presley's first movie, Love Me Tender. Three tracks were previously unreleased alternate takes, along with two newly mixed stereo versions of "Love Me Tender" and "Poor Boy".
Track listing
Side one
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jailhouse Rock | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:35 |
| 2 | Young and Beautiful | Aaron Schroeder, Abner Silver | 2:02 |
Side two
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | I Want to Be Free | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:12 |
| 2 | Don't Leave Me Now (movie version) | Aaron Schroeder, Ben Weisman | 2:05 |
| 3 | (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 1:51 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jailhouse Rock | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:35 |
| 2 | Treat Me Nice | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:10 |
| 3 | I Want to Be Free | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:12 |
| 4 | Don't Leave Me Now | Aaron Schroeder, Ben Weisman | 2:05 |
| 5 | Young and Beautiful | Aaron Schroeder, Abner Silver | 2:02 |
| 6 | (You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 1:51 |
| 7 | Jailhouse Rock (film version) | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:32 |
| 8 | Treat Me Nice (film version) | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 1:59 |
| 9 | I Want to Be Free (film version) | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | 2:06 |
| 10 | Young and Beautiful (film version) | Aaron Schroeder, Abner Silver | 1:09 |
| 11 | Don't Leave Me Now (previously unreleased alternate take) | Aaron Schroeder, Ben Weisman | 1:45 |
| 12 | Love Me Tender | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 2:41 |
| 13 | Poor Boy | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 2:13 |
| 14 | Let Me | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 2:09 |
| 15 | We're Gonna Move | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 2:30 |
| 16 | Love Me Tender (end title version) | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 1:08 |
| 17 | Let Me (previously unreleased alternate take) | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 2:04 |
| 18 | We're Gonna Move (previously unreleased alternate take) | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 2:39 |
| 19 | Poor Boy (previously unreleased stereo version) | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 2:42 |
| 20 | Love Me Tender (previously unreleased stereo version) | Vera Matson, Elvis Presley | 2:42 |
Studio Personnel and Performance Dynamics
The Blue Moon Boys: Elvis Presley – vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, electric bass on "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"; Scotty Moore – electric lead guitar; Bill Black – double bass, electric bass; D. J. Fontana – drums. The Jordanaires: Gordon Stoker – backing vocals; Neal Matthews – backing vocals, double bass (uncertain); Hoyt Hawkins – backing vocals; Hugh Jarrett – backing vocals. Additional musicians: Dudley Brooks – piano; Mike Stoller – piano on "I Want to Be Free", production assistance. Jeffrey Alexander - producer; Jerry Leiber - production assistance; Thorne Nogar - engineer ("Jailhouse Rock", "Young and Beautiful", "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care", "I Want to Be Free"); Fred Mulculpin - engineer ("Don't Leave Me Now").
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