Double Trouble (Elvis Presley album)
Encyclopedia
Double Trouble is the twenty-ninth album
by Elvis Presley
, released on RCA Victor Records in mono
and stereo
, LPM/LSP 3787, in June 1967. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders
and at MGM Studios in Hollywood, California, on June 28, 29, and 30, 1966. It peaked at #47 on the Billboard 200
.
, and had avoided the large movie studio soundstages, but MGM executives with an eye on budgets insisted on moving the soundtrack
recordings after the first night to just such a soundstage. A frustrated Elvis dutifully went along, but the final straw was having to sing "Old MacDonald," Presley storming out of the session in a huff after finishing a very short master
of "Long Legged Girl (with the Short Dress On)." That song would be issued as a single
in late April, prior to the film premiere, and would peak at an anemic #63 on the Billboard Hot 100
.
After his enthusiasm for the well-crafted, modern-sounding gospel recordings made just the previous month in Nashville
, the rushed and pedestrian soundtrack returned Presley to the depressing grind of churning out forgettable records for forgettable movies. Even the chosen release date for Double Trouble would prove unfortunate — the same day as The Beatles
' era-encapsulating landmark album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
.
Nine songs were recorded for the film, coming in at a brief 17:11 and far too short for a normal LP. To bring up the running time, three tracks recorded at the "lost album" sessions of May, 1963, were added to push the album over the twenty-minute mark. Two had already been issued as b-sides
to singles, "Never Ending" the flipside to a four year-old album track
"Such A Night," and "Blue River" on the back of an eight year-old vault track, "Tell Me Why
."
LP album
The LP, or long-playing microgroove record, is a format for phonograph records, an analog sound storage medium. Introduced by Columbia Records in 1948, it was soon adopted as a new standard by the entire record industry...
by Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, released on RCA Victor Records in mono
Monaural
Monaural or monophonic sound reproduction is single-channel. Typically there is only one microphone, one loudspeaker, or channels are fed from a common signal path...
and stereo
STEREO
STEREO is a solar observation mission. Two nearly identical spacecraft were launched into orbits that cause them to respectively pull farther ahead of and fall gradually behind the Earth...
, LPM/LSP 3787, in June 1967. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders
Radio Recorders
Radio Recorders, Inc. was a recording studio based in Los Angeles, California. Famous musicians to have been recorded in the studio include Charlie Parker, Jimmie Rodgers, Louis Armstrong, Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and The Carpenters among others. In its prime, the studio was known...
and at MGM Studios in Hollywood, California, on June 28, 29, and 30, 1966. It peaked at #47 on the Billboard 200
Billboard 200
The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists...
.
Content
Presley had usually insisted on working in the comfortable environment of a regular recording studioRecording studio
A recording studio is a facility for sound recording and mixing. Ideally both the recording and monitoring spaces are specially designed by an acoustician to achieve optimum acoustic properties...
, and had avoided the large movie studio soundstages, but MGM executives with an eye on budgets insisted on moving the soundtrack
Soundtrack
A soundtrack can be recorded music accompanying and synchronized to the images of a motion picture, book, television program or video game; a commercially released soundtrack album of music as featured in the soundtrack of a film or TV show; or the physical area of a film that contains the...
recordings after the first night to just such a soundstage. A frustrated Elvis dutifully went along, but the final straw was having to sing "Old MacDonald," Presley storming out of the session in a huff after finishing a very short master
Master recording
A multitrack recording master tape, disk or computer files on which productions are developed for later mixing, is known as the multi-track master, while the tape, disk or computer files holding a mix is called a mixed master.It is standard practice to make a copy of a master recording, known as...
of "Long Legged Girl (with the Short Dress On)." That song would be issued as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
in late April, prior to the film premiere, and would peak at an anemic #63 on the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
.
After his enthusiasm for the well-crafted, modern-sounding gospel recordings made just the previous month in Nashville
RCA Studio B
RCA Studio B is a noted recording studio in Nashville, Tennessee. Situated at 30 Music Square W and originally known simply as RCA Studios, it became famous in the 1960s for being a part of what many refer to as the Nashville Sound...
, the rushed and pedestrian soundtrack returned Presley to the depressing grind of churning out forgettable records for forgettable movies. Even the chosen release date for Double Trouble would prove unfortunate — the same day as The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
' era-encapsulating landmark album, Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the English rock band The Beatles, released on 1 June 1967 on the Parlophone label and produced by George Martin...
.
Nine songs were recorded for the film, coming in at a brief 17:11 and far too short for a normal LP. To bring up the running time, three tracks recorded at the "lost album" sessions of May, 1963, were added to push the album over the twenty-minute mark. Two had already been issued as b-sides
B-Sides
B-Sides is an iTunes-exclusive album from the Coventry Trio The Enemy, consisting of ten songs that were B-sides to the single releases from their debut album We'll Live and Die in These Towns.-Track list:#Fear Killed the Youth of Our Nation...
to singles, "Never Ending" the flipside to a four year-old album track
Elvis Is Back!
Elvis Is Back! is the tenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2231, in April 1960. Recording sessions took place on March 20 and April 3, 1960, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. It was Presley's first album to be released in true stereo...
"Such A Night," and "Blue River" on the back of an eight year-old vault track, "Tell Me Why
Tell Me Why (1956 song)
"Tell Me Why" is a popular song, written by Titus Turner in 1956. It is a slow, strong rhythm and blues ballad, and has a melody reminiscent of "Just a Closer Walk With Thee"....
."
Personnel
- Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
- vocals - The JordanairesThe JordanairesThe Jordanaires are an American vocal quartet, which formed as a gospel group in 1948. They are best known for providing vocal background for Elvis Presley, in live appearances and recordings from 1956 to 1972...
- backing vocals - Richard Noel - tromboneTromboneThe trombone is a musical instrument in the brass family. Like all brass instruments, sound is produced when the player’s vibrating lips cause the air column inside the instrument to vibrate...
- Boots RandolphBoots RandolphHomer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit, "Yakety Sax"...
, Butch Parker, Mike Henderson - saxophoneSaxophoneThe saxophone is a conical-bore transposing musical instrument that is a member of the woodwind family. Saxophones are usually made of brass and played with a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of the clarinet. The saxophone was invented by the Belgian instrument maker Adolphe Sax in 1846... - Pete DrakePete DrakePete Drake , born Roddis Franklin Drake, was a major Nashville, Tennessee-based record producer and pedal steel guitar player....
- pedal steel guitarPedal steel guitarThe pedal steel guitar is a type of electric guitar that uses a metal bar to "fret" or shorten the length of the strings, rather than fingers on strings as with a conventional guitar. Unlike other types of steel guitar, it also uses pedals and knee levers to affect the pitch, hence the name "pedal"... - Scotty MooreScotty MooreWinfield Scott "Scotty" Moore III is an American guitarist. He is best known for his backing of Elvis Presley in the first part of his career, between 1954 and the beginning of Elvis' Hollywood years...
, Tiny TimbrellTiny TimbrellHilmer J. Timbrell was a Canadian-born session musician and master guitarist.Hilmer J. "Tiny" Timbrell was born in Canada but moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue his career in music...
, Mike Deasy - electric guitarElectric guitarAn electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker... - Charlie McCoyCharlie McCoyCharles "Charlie" Ray McCoy is an American musician noted for his harmonica playing. In his career, McCoy has backed several notable musicians including Bob Dylan, Johnny Cash, Tom Astor, Elvis Presley and Ween. He has also recorded thirty-seven studio albums, including fourteen for Monument Records...
- electric guitar, harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes... - Floyd CramerFloyd CramerFloyd Cramer was an American Hall of Fame pianist who was one of the architects of the "Nashville sound." He popularized the "slip note" piano style where an out-of-tune note slides effortlessly into the correct note...
- pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal... - Bob MooreBob MooreBob Loyce Moore is an American session musician, orchestra leader, and bassist who was a member of the legendary Nashville A-Team during the 1950s and 60s.-Biography:...
, Jerry ScheffJerry ScheffJerry Obern Scheff is an American bassist, perhaps best known for his work with Elvis Presley in the early 1970s as a member of his TCB Band and his work on The Doors' final recordings....
- bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick.... - D.J. Fontana, Buddy HarmanBuddy HarmanBuddy Harman was an American session musician.-Career:Born in Nashville, Tennessee, he played drums on over 18,000 sessions for artists such as Elvis Presley, Patsy Cline, Dolly Parton, Brenda Lee, Tammy Wynette, Loretta Lynn, Roy Orbison, Connie Francis, Chet Atkins, Marty Robbins, Roger Miller,...
, Toxey Sewell - drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
Side one
| Track | Recorded | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6/29/66 | Double Trouble | Doc Pomus Doc Pomus Jerome Solon Felder, better known as Doc Pomus , was a twentieth-century American blues singer and songwriter. He is best known as the lyricist of many rock and roll hits. Pomus was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in the category of non-performer in 1992. He was also inducted into... and Mort Shuman Mort Shuman Mort Shuman was an American singer, pianist and songwriter, best known as co-writer of many 1960s rock and roll hits, including "Viva Las Vegas"... |
1:38 | |||
| 2. | 6/29/66 | Baby, If You'll Give Me All of Your Love | Joy Byers | 1:47 | |||
| 3. | 6/28/66 | Could I Fall in Love | Randy Starr Randy Starr Randy Starr is the stage name of Warren Nadel . He was educated at Columbia University where he took his undergraduate degree from Columbia College in 1951, and his DDS degree in dentistry from Columbia College of Dental Medicine in 1954... |
1:42 | |||
| 4. | 6/29/66 | 47-9115 | 4/28/67 | #63 | Long Legged Girl (With the Short Dress On) | Leslie McFarland, Walter Scott | 1:27 |
| 5. | 6/28/66 | City By Night | Bill Giant, Bernie Baum Bernie Baum Bernie Baum was a songwriter who worked extensively with Elvis Presley. He grew up in New York City and later worked with Harvey Zimmerman and Florence Kaye. The majority of their songs were used in Presley's musicals. Their work was also credited in the American version of Kimba the White Lion... , Florence Kaye Florence Kaye Florence Kaye was a member of a song-writing trio that also included Harvey Zimmerman and Bernie Baum. She was born in New York City. She performed a radio show in Georgia and entertained troops for United Service Organizations... |
3:04 | |||
| 6. | 6/29/66 | Old MacDonald | Randy Starr Randy Starr Randy Starr is the stage name of Warren Nadel . He was educated at Columbia University where he took his undergraduate degree from Columbia College in 1951, and his DDS degree in dentistry from Columbia College of Dental Medicine in 1954... |
2:04 |
Side two
| Track | Recorded | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 6/29/66 | I Love Only One Girl | Sid Tepper Sid Tepper Sid Tepper is an American songwriter, best known for his collaborations with Roy C. Bennett, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley. Between 1945 and 1970, Tepper and Bennett published over 300 songs.-Biography:... and Roy C. Bennett Roy C. Bennett Roy C. Bennett is an American songwriter known for the songs he wrote with Sid Tepper, which spawned several hits for Elvis Presley... |
1:52 | |||
| 2. | 2/16/66 | There Is So Much World to See There Is So Much World to See There Is So Much World to See is a film song by Elvis Presley. It was featured in the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer motion picture Double Trouble . Elvis performs "There Is So Much World to See" to Jill Conway , while she is sitting on the bed.Presley recorded the song on June 28, 1966 at Radio Recorders,... |
Randy Starr Randy Starr Randy Starr is the stage name of Warren Nadel . He was educated at Columbia University where he took his undergraduate degree from Columbia College in 1951, and his DDS degree in dentistry from Columbia College of Dental Medicine in 1954... |
1:53 | |||
| 3. | 6/29/66 | It Won't Be Long | Ben Weisman Ben Weisman Ben Weisman was an eccentric American composer significant for having written more songs recorded by Elvis Presley than any other songwriter in history. The "Mad Professor" as Weisman was nicknamed by Elvis, worked with the King from 1956 to 1971... and Sid Wayne Sid Wayne Sid Wayne was an American songwriter, lyricist and composer, who wrote a number of well-known songs from the 1950s to the 1980s... |
1:44 | |||
| 4. | 5/26/63 | 47-8400b | 7/14/64 | Never Ending | Buddy Kaye Buddy Kaye Jules Leonard "Buddy" Kaye was an American award-winning songwriter, musician, producer, author and publisher. His songs were recorded by top performers, including Frank Sinatra, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Ella Fitzgerald, Perry Como, Elvis Presley and Dusty Springfield... and Phil Springer |
1:57 | |
| 5. | 5/27/63 | 47-8740b | 12/3/65 | #95 | Blue River | Paul Evans Paul Evans (musician) Paul Evans is an American rock and roll singer and songwriter, who was most prominent in the 1950s and 1960s... and Fred Tobias |
1:32 |
| 6. | 5/26/63 | What Now, What Next, Where To | Hal Blair and Don Robertson | 1:56 |