Harum Scarum (album)
Encyclopedia
Harum Scarum is the twenty-fourth album
by Elvis Presley
, released on RCA Victor Records in mono
and stereo
, LPM/LSP 3468, in November 1965. Recording sessions took place at RCA Studio B
in Nashville, Tennessee
, on February 24, 25, and 26, 1965. It peaked at #8 on the Top Pop Albums
chart.
in Elvis for Everyone
, it was back to the grind of making soundtrack
s. Elvis continued to grumble about the material and the continued pressure put on the stable of songwriters corraled by Freddy Bienstock
— the writing team of Giant, Baum, and Kaye alone had provided 17 of 47 songs on the past four soundtracks in an eighteen-month period — but he soldiered on with as much grace as possible. In reality, almost any song could have been squeezed into the story lines, including old classics. But as long as sales continued, the formula required guaranteed control of publishing and new songs by the same songwriters. However, Presley's sales were plunging in music stores as well as ticket sales at the box office.
Eleven songs were recorded for Harum Scarum, and all were used and issued on the soundtrack. As with Roustabout
, no singles
were issued in conjunction with the album. A single was issued a month later, using the leftover 1957 track "Tell Me Why
" backed with "Blue River" from the aborted May 1963 sessions. In an onimous sign of things to come, it only made it to #33 on the Billboard Hot 100
, the lowest charting single of Presley's career to date.
sang backing vocals. The film and its soundtrack are widely considered one of the lowest points of Presley's career. The song progresses from F major to B flat major, to D minor to E flat major to F major.
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 3468, in November 1965. Recording sessions took place at RCA Studio B
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...
in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, on February 24, 25, and 26, 1965. It peaked at #8 on the Top Pop Albums
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...
chart.
Content
Although 1965 had seen the release of a studio albumStudio album
A studio album is an album made up of tracks recorded in the controlled environment of a recording studio. A studio album contains newly written and recorded or previously unreleased or remixed material, distinguishing itself from a compilation or reissue album of previously recorded material, or...
in Elvis for Everyone
Elvis for Everyone
Elvis for Everyone! is the twenty-third album by Elvis Presley, issued on RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3450, in August 1965. Recording sessions took place over a ten-year span at Sun Studio in Memphis, RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California...
, it was back to the grind of making 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...
s. Elvis continued to grumble about the material and the continued pressure put on the stable of songwriters corraled by Freddy Bienstock
Freddy Bienstock
Freddy Bienstock was an American music publisher who built his career in music by being the person responsible for soliciting and selecting songs for Elvis Presley's early albums and films.-Early life:...
— the writing team of Giant, Baum, and Kaye alone had provided 17 of 47 songs on the past four soundtracks in an eighteen-month period — but he soldiered on with as much grace as possible. In reality, almost any song could have been squeezed into the story lines, including old classics. But as long as sales continued, the formula required guaranteed control of publishing and new songs by the same songwriters. However, Presley's sales were plunging in music stores as well as ticket sales at the box office.
Eleven songs were recorded for Harum Scarum, and all were used and issued on the soundtrack. As with Roustabout
Roustabout (album)
Roustabout is the twenty-first album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2999, in October 1964. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on March 2 and 3, and April 29, 1964. It peaked at #1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums...
, no singles
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...
were issued in conjunction with the album. A single was issued a month later, using the leftover 1957 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"....
" backed with "Blue River" from the aborted May 1963 sessions. In an onimous sign of things to come, it only made it to #33 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...
, the lowest charting single of Presley's career to date.
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 - Rufus Long - fluteFluteThe flute is a musical instrument of the woodwind family. Unlike woodwind instruments with reeds, a flute is an aerophone or reedless wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening...
- Ralph Strobel - oboeOboeThe oboe is a double reed musical instrument of the woodwind family. In English, prior to 1770, the instrument was called "hautbois" , "hoboy", or "French hoboy". The spelling "oboe" was adopted into English ca...
- 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...
, Grady MartinGrady MartinThomas Grady Martin was one of the most renowned, inventive and historically significant American session musicians in country music and rockabilly....
, 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 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... - 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... - Henry Strzelecki - bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
- D.J. Fontana, Kenny ButtreyKenny ButtreyAaron Kenneth Buttrey was an American drummer and arranger. According to CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history"....
- 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 .... - Hoyt Hawkins - tambourineTambourineThe tambourine or marine is a musical instrument of the percussion family consisting of a frame, often of wood or plastic, with pairs of small metal jingles, called "zils". Classically the term tambourine denotes an instrument with a drumhead, though some variants may not have a head at all....
- Gene NelsonGene NelsonGene Nelson was an American dancer, actor, screenwriter, and director.-Biography:Born Leander Eugene Berg in Astoria, Oregon, he moved to Seattle when he was one year old. He was inspired to become a dancer by watching Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers films when he was a child...
- congas
Side one
| Track | Recorded | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2/26/65 | Harem Holiday | Peter Andreoli and Vince Poncia Vini Poncia Vini Poncia is an American musician, songwriter and record producer.In the 1960s, Poncia formed a songwriting team with Peter Anders. An album of songs co-written by these childhood friends The Anders & Poncia Album, was produced by Richard Perry and released in 1969... |
2:18 |
| 2. | 2/25/65 | My Desert Serenade | Stanley J. Gelber | 1:47 |
| 3. | 2/26/65 | Go East-Young Man | 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... , Bill Giant, 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... |
2:16 |
| 4. | 2/26/65 | Mirage | Joy Byers | 2:25 |
| 5. | 2/25/65 | Kismet | 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... |
2:08 |
| 6. | 2/24/65 | Shake That Tambourine | 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... , Bill Giant, 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... |
2:02 |
Side two
| Track | Recorded | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 2/25/65 | Hey Little Girl | 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... , Bill Giant, 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... |
2:15 |
| 2. | 2/26/65 | Golden Coins | 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... , Bill Giant, 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... |
1:54 |
| 3. | 2/25/65 | So Close, Yet So Far (From Paradise) | Joy Byers | 3:01 |
| 4. | 2/26/65 | Animal Instinct | 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... , Bill Giant, 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... |
2:13 |
| 5. | 2/25/65 | Wisdom of the Ages | 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... , Bill Giant, 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... |
1:55 |
Bonus tracks
Elvis recorded "Wisdom of the Ages" on February 24 1965 at RCA studios. It featured as a bonus track on the soundtrack album, along with "Animal Instinct", but did not feature in the film itself. The JordanairesThe Jordanaires
The 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...
sang backing vocals. The film and its soundtrack are widely considered one of the lowest points of Presley's career. The song progresses from F major to B flat major, to D minor to E flat major to F major.