LOVEMETENDER f orBr assQui ntet ( Scor e+Par ts)
Lev el 1 ar r . JakubK. Pi aszczyk
"Love Me Tender" is
a 1956 song recorded by Elvis Presley and published by Elvis Presley Music from the eponymous 20th Century o! film" #he $ords and music are
credited to %en &arby under the pseudonym '(era Matson') the name of his $ife) and Elvis Presley" #he *C+ (ictor recording by Elvis Presley $as no" 1 on both the ,illboard and Cashbo! charts in 1956" #he song $as adapted from the tune of '+ura -ee') a sentimental Civil .ar ballad" #he song is also featured in many other films such as M) #ouched ,y -ove) #his is Elvis) Por/ys *evenge) .ild at eart) &ie ard 2) oneymoon in (egas) ,ac/beat) audi +fternoon) Machine un Molly) #he Princess &iaries 23 *oyal Engagement) .illiam Eggleston in the *eal .orld) California &reamin) -ove in 4pace) &evils &ue) ust ,efore o) and 90 Minutes in eaven"
#he 1956 song '-ove Me #ender' puts ne$ $ords to a ne$ musical adaptation of the Civil .ar song '+ura -ee)' published in 1761" '+ura -ee' had music by eorge *" Poulton and $ords by ." ." osdic/" t later became popular $ith college glee clubs and barbershop 8uartets" t $as also sung at the "4" Military +cademy at .est Point) :e$ ;or/"
#he principal $riter of the lyrics $as %en &arby) $ho also adapted Poultons Civil .ar tune) $hich $as in the public domain" #he song $as published by Elvis Presley Music" <2= and credited to Presley and &arbys $ife (era Matson" Presley received co>song$riting credit due to his ill ? *ange publishing deal $hich demanded song$riters concede 50 percent of the credit of their song if they $anted Presley to record it@ Presley had song$riting input on only a very small number of the many songs he recorded
song$riter along $ith Presley) &arby responded) ',ecause she didnt $rite it either"'
+s $ith nearly all his early *C+ recordings) Presley too/ control in the studio despite not being credited as producer" e $ould regularly change arrangements and lyrics to the point that the original song $as barely recogniBable"
Elvis Presley performed '-ove Me #ender' on #he Ed 4ullivan 4ho$ on 4eptember 9) 1956) shortly before the singles release and about a month before the movie) -ove Me #ender Ffor $hich the re$orded song $as originally $rittenG $as released" Hn the follo$ing day) *C+ received 1 million advance orders) ma/ing it a gold record before it $as even released" #he studio) 20th Century o!) originally $anted to call the movie #he *eno ,rothers but instead re>titled it -ove Me #ender to capitaliBe on the songs popularity"
Movie producer &avid .eisbart $ould not allo$ Presleys regular band F4cotty Moore) ,ill ,lac/) and &" " ontanaG to play on the soundtrac/" nstead) #he %en &arby #rio provided the musical bac/ing $ith *ed *obinson on drums) Charles Prescott on bass) (ita Mumolo on guitar) and on &odson on bac/ground vocals) $ith Presley providing only lead vocals"
#he single debuted at I2 on the ',est 4ellers in 4tores' pop singles chart) the first time a single made its first appearance at the I2 position"<5=
#he song hit I1 on the ,illboard charts the $ee/ ending :ovember A) 1956) remaining in the position for 5 $ee/s and reached no" 11 on the charts in the %" '-ove Me #ender' also reached number three for three $ee/s on the *?, chart"<6= t $as also an achievement as '-ove Me #ender' succeeded another Presley single) 'ound &ogJ&ont ,e Cruel' at I1" #his occurrence mar/ed t$o important events in ,illboard history" &uring this time) Elvis accomplished another record@ the longest consecutive stay at number one by a single artist) si!teen $ee/s) though this $as tied by ,oyB Men in 199 and stood for eight years until being surpassed by *?, singer sher in 200 $ho spent 19 $ee/s at the top of the charts"
#his version $as ran/ed IAK on *olling 4tones list of the 500 reatest 4ongs of +ll #ime"
n 1967) Presley recorded a 52>second trac/ entitled '(iolet Flo$er of :";""G' for the soundtrac/ of the film #he #rouble $ith irls" nreleased until after Presleys death) the song $as Presleys second adaptation of '+ura -ee'"
+lthough Presley never re>recorded '-ove Me #ender' in a studio setting) t$o live recordings of the song $ere released on the albums3 :,C>#( 4pecial F1967G and Elvis3 +s *ecorded at Madison 48uare arden F19K2G) $ith additional performances from concert and television appearances being released after Presleys death" #he song $as also performed in the olden lobe>$inning concert film Elvis on #our F19K2G" +s seen in that film) and in other filmed and recorded accounts) Presley generally performed only a portion of the songs lyrics live) instead usually using the song as a device to interact $ith FusuallyG female members of the audience"
-ove Me #ender $as also included in the four song E!tended Play album FEPG -ove Me #ender of the songs from the film" #he reprise of the song $as not included on the EP"
