Kissin' Cousins (album)
Encyclopedia
Kissin' Cousins is the twentieth album
by Elvis Presley
, released on RCA Victor Records in mono
and stereo
, LPM/LSP 2894, in April 1964. Recording sessions took place at RCA Studio B
in Nashville, Tennessee
, on May 26 and 27, and September 29 and 30, 1963. These would be Presley's final recording dates before the arrival of Beatlemania
. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums
chart. During the same week of its release, 4 April 1964, The Beatles
held twelve positions on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, including the top five positions. It was evident that Elvis' musical output had become stale and stagnant and directionless and the emphasis of his career was firmly committed to making musical comedy motion pictures. With the astronomical success of The Fab Four
, Elvis had become, in slightly less than a decade, an icon of the past.
had gone way over budget, released after but completed before Kissin' Cousins
, Colonel Parker determined for fiscal prudence to have the songs recorded at Studio B, away from Hollywood and its distractions, and its platoon of available on-call musicians. Demand for songs to fill long-playing soundtrack
albums, by now a regularity as the EP single
was becoming less and less a viable sales item, strained the resources of the stable of Presley songwriters, with five songs alone originating from the team of Giant, Baum and Kaye.
Ten soundtrack songs were knocked off by Presley with members of the Nashville A-Team
during two evening sessions in September, with two distinct versions by different songwriters of the title track, one recorded in Presley's normal voice and the other with a mock-hillbilly
twang. The latter version of "Kissin' Cousins" would be issued as a single
in February 1964, with "It Hurts Me" on the b-side. It would peak at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100
, its flipside making it independently to #29.
As had happened with the previous soundtrack
, two additional tracks, "Echoes of Love" and "(It's A) Long Lonely Highway" by Doc Pomus
and Mort Shuman
were taken from the aborted "lost" album sessions of May, 1963, and added here to bring the running order up to twelve tracks. Three selections — "Once Is Enough," "One Boy, Two Little Girls," and the single — found their way onto the 1995 soundtrack compilation.
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 2894, in April 1964. 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 May 26 and 27, and September 29 and 30, 1963. These would be Presley's final recording dates before the arrival of Beatlemania
Beatlemania
Beatlemania is a term that originated during the 1960s to describe the intense fan frenzy directed toward The Beatles during the early years of their success...
. It peaked at #6 on the Billboard 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. During the same week of its release, 4 April 1964, 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...
held twelve positions on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, including the top five positions. It was evident that Elvis' musical output had become stale and stagnant and directionless and the emphasis of his career was firmly committed to making musical comedy motion pictures. With the astronomical success of The Fab Four
The Fab Four
The "Fab Four" is a nickname for The Beatles.It may refer to:*The Fab Four , a Beatles tribute band*The Fab Faux, a Beatles tribute band*The Revols, a Stratford, Ontario band formed in 1957...
, Elvis had become, in slightly less than a decade, an icon of the past.
Content
Since the sessions for Viva Las VegasViva Las Vegas
Viva Las Vegas is a 1964 American romantic musical movie starring music icon Elvis Presley and actress/dancer Ann-Margret. This movie is regarded by many fans of these actors and by film critics as one of Presley's best movies, and it is noted for the apparent on-screen chemistry between Presley...
had gone way over budget, released after but completed before Kissin' Cousins
Kissin' Cousins
Kissin' Cousins is a 1964 musical film comedy starring Elvis Presley in two roles, one as an American soldier, the other a hillbilly. The screenplay was nominated in the category of best written American musical by the Writers Guild of America...
, Colonel Parker determined for fiscal prudence to have the songs recorded at Studio B, away from Hollywood and its distractions, and its platoon of available on-call musicians. Demand for songs to fill long-playing 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...
albums, by now a regularity as the EP single
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
was becoming less and less a viable sales item, strained the resources of the stable of Presley songwriters, with five songs alone originating from the team of Giant, Baum and Kaye.
Ten soundtrack songs were knocked off by Presley with members of the Nashville A-Team
The Nashville A-Team
The Nashville A-Team was a nickname given to a group of session musicians in Nashville, Tennessee, who earned wide acclaim in the 1950s and 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, including Elvis Presley, Eddy Arnold, Patsy Cline, Jim Reeves, Bob Dylan and others.The Nashville A-Team's...
during two evening sessions in September, with two distinct versions by different songwriters of the title track, one recorded in Presley's normal voice and the other with a mock-hillbilly
Hillbilly
Hillbilly is a term referring to certain people who dwell in rural, mountainous areas of the United States, primarily Appalachia but also the Ozarks. Owing to its strongly stereotypical connotations, the term is frequently considered derogatory, and so is usually offensive to those Americans of...
twang. The latter version of "Kissin' Cousins" 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 February 1964, with "It Hurts Me" on the b-side. It would peak at #12 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...
, its flipside making it independently to #29.
As had happened with the previous soundtrack
Fun in Acapulco (album)
Fun in Acapulco is the nineteenth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2756, in November 1963 - the November 1 date is disputed. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on January 22 and 23, 1963, and at RCA Studio B in Nashville,...
, two additional tracks, "Echoes of Love" and "(It's A) Long Lonely Highway" by 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"...
were taken from the aborted "lost" album sessions of May, 1963, and added here to bring the running order up to twelve tracks. Three selections — "Once Is Enough," "One Boy, Two Little Girls," and the single — found their way onto the 1995 soundtrack compilation.
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 - Millie KirkhamMillie KirkhamMildred 'Millie' Kirkham is an American singer who was featured on many classic hit recordings from the mid 1950s through the 1980s.-Early life:Kirkham was born in Nashville, Tennessee...
, Dolores Edgin, Winnifred Brest - backing vocals - Boots RandolphBoots RandolphHomer Louis "Boots" Randolph III was an American musician best known for his 1963 saxophone hit, "Yakety Sax"...
, Bill JustisBill JustisWilliam E. "Bill" Justis Jr. was an American pioneer rock and roll musician, composer, and musical arranger, best known for his 1957 Grammy Hall of Fame song, "Raunchy."-Biography:...
- 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... - Cecil BrowerCecil BrowerCecil Lee Brower was a classically trained American jazz violinist who became an architect of Western swing in the 1930s. Perhaps the greatest swing fiddler, he could improvise as well as double shuffle and created his own style which became the benchmark for his contemporaries...
- fiddleViolinThe violin is a string instrument, usually with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. It is the smallest, highest-pitched member of the violin family of string instruments, which includes the viola and cello.... - 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....
- 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... - Jerry KennedyJerry KennedyJerry Glenn Kennedy is an American record producer, songwriter and guitar player.-Early years:Kennedy was born in Shreveport, Louisiana. As a child, he recalls "beating on broomsticks and other things" as his initial forays into music-making...
, Harold BradleyHarold BradleyHarold Bradley is a pop guitarist and an American country guitarist.Harold played banjo as a child but switched to guitar on the advice of his elder brother, Owen Bradley. Owen arranged for Harold to tour with Ernest Tubb while Harold was still in high school. After graduation, Harold joined the...
- electric guitar, banjoBanjoIn the 1830s Sweeney became the first white man to play the banjo on stage. His version of the instrument replaced the gourd with a drum-like sound box and included four full-length strings alongside a short fifth-string. There is no proof, however, that Sweeney invented either innovation. This new... - 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:...
- 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,...
- 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 | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9/29/63 | Kissin' Cousins (Number 2) | 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 Bill Giant Bill Giant was a songwriter whose work included over 40 songs for Elvis Presley. He grew up in New York City and was known as Bill Zimmerman. He was part of the popular songwriting team Giant, Baum and Kaye, writing songs with Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye... , 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... |
1:16 |
| 2. | 9/30/63 | Smokey Mountain Boy | Lenore Rosenblatt, Victor Millrose | 2:37 |
| 3. | 9/29/63 | There's Gold in the Mountains | 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 Bill Giant Bill Giant was a songwriter whose work included over 40 songs for Elvis Presley. He grew up in New York City and was known as Bill Zimmerman. He was part of the popular songwriting team Giant, Baum and Kaye, writing songs with Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye... , 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 |
| 4. | 9/29/63 | One Boy, Two Little Girls | Bill Giant Bill Giant Bill Giant was a songwriter whose work included over 40 songs for Elvis Presley. He grew up in New York City and was known as Bill Zimmerman. He was part of the popular songwriting team Giant, Baum and Kaye, writing songs with Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye... , 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... |
2:32 |
| 5. | 9/30/63 | Catchin' On Fast | 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 Bill Giant Bill Giant was a songwriter whose work included over 40 songs for Elvis Presley. He grew up in New York City and was known as Bill Zimmerman. He was part of the popular songwriting team Giant, Baum and Kaye, writing songs with Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye... , 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... |
1:21 |
| 6. | 9/29/63 | Tender Feeling | 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 Bill Giant Bill Giant was a songwriter whose work included over 40 songs for Elvis Presley. He grew up in New York City and was known as Bill Zimmerman. He was part of the popular songwriting team Giant, Baum and Kaye, writing songs with Bernie Baum and Florence Kaye... , 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... |
2:33 |
Side two
| Track | Recorded | Catalogue | Release Date | Chart Peak | Song Title | Writer(s) | Time |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | 9/30/63 | Anyone (Could Fall in Love with You) | Bennie Benjamin Bennie Benjamin Claude A. Benjamin was a songwriter, often teaming with George David Weiss. He was born on November 4, 1907 in Christiansted on the island of St. Croix . At the age of twenty, he moved to New York City. There, he studied the banjo and guitar with Hy Smith... , Luchi de Jesus, Sol Marcus |
2:29 | |||
| 2. | 9/30/63 | Barefoot Ballad | Dolores Fuller Dolores Fuller Dolores Agnes Fuller was an American actress and songwriter best known as the one-time girlfriend of the low-budget film director Edward D. Wood, Jr. She played the protagonist's girlfriend in Glen or Glenda, co-starred in Wood's Jail Bait, and had a minor role in Bride of the Monster... , Larry Morris Larry Morris Larry Morris is a retired American football linebacker.Morris attended Georgia Tech. After college, he played professionally in the National Football League with the Chicago Bears, Los Angeles Rams and Atlanta Falcons. He was named of the linebackers on the NFL 1960s All-Decade Team... |
2:26 | |||
| 3. | 9/29/63 | Once Is Enough | 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... |
1:55 | |||
| 4. | 9/30/63 | 47-8307 | 2/10/64 | #12 | Kissin' Cousins | Fred Wise and 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... |
2:14 |
| 5. | 5/26/63 | Echoes of Love | Bob Roberts and Paddy McMains | 2:20 | |||
| 6. | 5/27/63 | (It's a) Long Lonely Highway | 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"... |
2:38 |