Burning Love
Elvis's final Top 10 pop hit, recorded in Hollywood in March 1972.
"Burning Love" is a 1972 song written by Dennis Linde, originally released by Arthur Alexander in April 1972 on his album Arthur Alexander. Elvis Presley covered it four months later that same year as a single, released on July 31, 1972, with the B-side "It's a Matter of Time". It was Presley's final Top 10 hit on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 2. The song was recorded at RCA Studio C in Hollywood on March 28, 1972, with the TCB Band and backing vocals by J. D. Sumner & the Stamps.
Quick Facts
- Artist
- Arthur Alexander
- Released
- April 1972
- Recorded
- November 1971
- Studio
- FAME Studios
- Muscle Shoals
- Alabama
- Genre
- Southern soul
- Length
- 2:41
- Label
- Warner Bros.
- Writer
- Dennis Linde
Lore & Background
Presley initially balked at recording "Burning Love" because he did not think it was appropriate — it was a rock and roll song unlike the romantic ballads he had been recording. His friend Jerry Schilling said, "Elvis didn’t hate the song, he just wasn’t in the mood for it." Everyone else in the room insisted the song had promise, so Presley gave it a good effort. The session took place at RCA Studio C in Hollywood, a small studio Presley preferred for its feeling of intimacy. He sang in the main room with the musicians using a handheld Electro-Voice RE16 microphone, while a blanket was thrown over the piano and gobos positioned around drums and guitar amps to reduce leakage. The song rose to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of October 28, 1972, and reached number 1 on Billboard's rival Cashbox's pop charts during the week of November 4, 1972. It was Presley's 38th and final Top Ten hit on the Billboard Hot 100.
Reader's Guide
To hear the song as it was recorded, focus on the March 28, 1972 session at RCA Studio C in Hollywood. The TCB Band lineup that day included James Burton, Charlie Hodge, Joe Esposito, John Wilkinson on guitar; Emory Gordy Jr. on bass; Glen D. Hardin on piano; Ronnie Tutt on drums; and J. D. Sumner & the Stamps on backing vocals. Dennis Linde later added the intro guitar riff on April 27 at Nashville's RCA Studio B, with Jerry Carrigan adding cowbell. The single was released on August 1, 1972, and peaked at number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 and number 1 on Cashbox's pop charts. It was also released on an album titled Burning Love and Hits from His Movies, Volume 2 on November 1, 1972, though the only actual hit on the album was the title song. A new backing track was recorded in 1980 for the Guitar Man album but went unreleased until 2000. In 2010, the Las Vegas show Viva Elvis by Cirque du Soleil included a radical reworking that sampled the Hives' "Walk Idiot Walk" and added a distorted bassline and pounding drums, retaining only Presley's vocal from the 1972 sessions. In 2015, a new orchestral arrangement was recorded with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and released on the album If I Can Dream.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who originally wrote Burning Love?
The song was penned by Dennis Linde before Elvis ever recorded it. It first appeared on Arthur Alexander's album in early 1972 prior to Presley's version.
When did Elvis record this specific track?
Presley cut the song at RCA Studio C in Hollywood on March 28, 1972. This session took place several months before the single reached radio listeners.
How high did the single chart in America?
It became Elvis's last Top 10 hit on the Hot 100 pop charts during his lifetime. The single peaked at number two, marking a significant commercial success for that era.
Which backing musicians performed on the recording?
The TCB Band provided the instrumental accompaniment during the Hollywood studio session. Vocal support was supplied by J.D. Sumner & the Stamps Quartet.
What song appears as the B-side to this release?
The single was released on August 1, 1972, alongside It's a Matter of Time as the flip side. This pairing helped define the sound of his final major pop push.
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