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I Want You I Need You I Love You

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(Mysels / Kosloff)

Information:
Elvis recorded I Want You I Need You I Love You, which was written by Maurice Mysels (Mysels’s name was misspelled “Myself” on the 78 RPM release and on the first pressings of the 45 RMP release) and Ira Kosloff on April 11, 1956, at RCA’s Nashville studios. While flying to Nashville, Elvis’s plane almost crashed. Reportedly, he was so shook that he could record only the one song and was on his way back to Memphis by noon. Background vocals were provided by Gordon Stoker, Ben Speer, and Brock Speer. Marvin Hughes played piano. I Want You I Need You I Love You was the only Elvis song on which Hughes played piano. The original release was a splice of takes # 14 and # 17. I Want You I Need You I Love You had a 24-week stay on Billboard’s Top 100 chart, peaking at # 3. It reached number one for two weeks on the Country Best-Selling chart, number one for one week on the Country Jukebox chart, and # 10 on the rhythm & blues chart. Sales exceeded one million copies.

Elvis sang I Want You I Need You I Love You on The Milton Berle Show (June 5, 1956) and The Steve Allen Show (July 1, 1956). On the Berle show, he once sang the lyrics as “I need you, I miss you, I want you”. Both appearances featured the Jordanaires as backup vocalists.

In 1976 an alternate take in which Elvis rearranged the lyrics appeared on the LP Elvis – A Legendary Performer, Volume 2.

Lyrics:

Hold me close, hold me tight, make me thrill with delight
Let me know where I stand from the start
I want you, I need you, I love you
With all my heart

Every time that you're near all my cares disappear
Darling, you're all that I'm living for
I want you, I need you, I love you
More and more

1. I thought I could live without romance until you came to me
But now I know that I will go on loving you eternally

2. Won't you please be my own, never leave me alone
'Cause I die every time we're apart
I need you, I want you, I love you
With all my heart

1. 2. (repeat)

Where it was released:

Released for the fist time on single »

Singles:

- I Want You I Need You I Love You / My Baby Left Me (RCA 20-6540) May 1956. Standard 78 RMP release »

- I Want You I Need You I Love You / My Baby Left Me (RCA 47-6540) May 1956. Standard 45 RMP release. For a brief time, a special picture sleeve, This Is His Life: Elvis Presley, was issued. The sleeve was a cartoon depiction of Elvis’s life. Unfortunately, the cartoon gave Elvis’s age as 19, whereas he was actually 21 at the time. This, then, was the first Elvis picture sleeve »

- I Want You I Need You I Love You / My Baby Left Me (RCA 447-0607) March 1959. Gold standard series reissue »

EPs:

- Elvis Presley (RCA SPD-23) (1956) »

- The Real Elvis (1956) »

LPs/CDs:

- Elvis' Golden Records (1958) »

- Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Volume 1 (1970) »

- Elvis (1973) »

- Elvis - A Legendary Performer, Volume 2 (1976) »

- Elvis - A Collectors Edition (1976) »
– Elvis' Golden Records (1977) »

- The Elvis Presley Story (1977) »

– From Elvis With Love (1978) »

- Elvis: Memories (1978) »

- Elvis Commemorative Album (1978) »

- Elvis! His Greatest Hits (1979) »

– The Legendary Magic of Elvis Presley (1980) »

– Elvis Love Songs (1981) - K-Tel »

– Rock'n'Roll Forever (1981) - Candlelite »

- The Collection, Volume 1 (1986)

- The Number One Hits (1987)

- The Top Ten Hits (1997)

- From the Heart (1991)

- The King of Rock’n’Roll – The Complete 50’s Masters (1992)

- Forever, Volume 2 (1992)

- Heart And Soul (1995)

- Elvis 56 (1996)

- Platinum – A Life in Music (1997)

- Are You Lonesome Tonight (1997)

- A Golden Celebration (1998)

- A Touch of Platinum, Volume 1 (1998)

- Ballads (1999)

- Love Songs (1999)

- Legendary Elvis Presley (2000)

- 50 Years 50 Hits (2001)

- The 50 Greatest Love Songs (2001)

- Elvis 50’s (2001)

- Junichiro Koizumi Presents My Favourite Elvis Songs (2001)

- Elvis; Elvis is Back; Elvis Presley (2001)

- Today, Tomorrow and Forever (2002)

- 2^nd to None (2003)

- Heart and Soul (2003)

- Elvis 56 (2003)

- Elvis Forever (2004)

- Flashback (2004) - FTD »

- Elvis By The Presleys (2005)

- Elvis Presley (2005)

- Hitstory (2005)

- Love, Elvis (2005)

- Elvis Presley (2006) – FTD »

– Love Me Tender (2014) - FTD »

- Elvis' Golden Records (2015) - FTD »

– Rebel With a Cause '56 (2018) - FTD »

– For LP Fans Only (2018) - FTD »

Bootleg Releases:

- Superstar Outtakes (1976) – E.P. Records

- The Rockin’ Rebel (1978) – Golden Archives Records

- Cadillac Elvis (1979) – TCB Records

- The Rockin’ Rebel, Volume 3 (1979) – Golden Archives Records

- Standing Room Only, Volume 2 (1979) – Eagle Records Corp.

- Unfinished Business (1980) – Reel to Reel Record Company

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