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King Creole

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(Rabbitt / Heard)

Information:
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller wrote this title tune to Elvis’s 1958, King Creole. Several attempts were made to record King Creole. The first session was on January 15, 1958, at Radio Recorders. No takes were deemed worthy for release, although RCA assigned master numbers to takes #3 and #18. Eight days later, on January 23, Elvis finally recorded the version (take #13) that was used on record, but it was much different than the takes from the earlier session. The alternate takes that appear on bootleg albums seem to be from the January 15 session.

Lyrics:
 

There's a man in New Orleans who plays rock and roll
He's a guitar man with a great big soul
He lays down a beat like a ton of coal
He goes by the name of King Creole

1. You know he's gone, gone, gone
Jumping like a catfish on a pole
You know he's gone, gone, gone
Hip shaking King Creole

When the king starts to do it it's as good as done
He holds his guitar like a tommy gun
He starts to growl way down his throat
He bends a string and "that's all she wrote"

1. (Repeat)

He sings a song about a crowded hole
He sings a song about a jelly roll
He sings a song about pork and greens
He sings some blues about New Orleans

1. (Repeat)

He plays something evil then he plays something sweet
No matter how he plays you got to get up on your feet
He starts to rock, people, for heaven sakes
He don't stop playin' 'till his guitar breaks

1. (Repeat)

Where it was released:

Released for the fist time on EP »

EPs:

- King Creole, Volume 1 (1958) »

LPs/CDs:

- King Creole (1958) »

- Worldwide Gold Award Hits, Volume 2 – The Other Sides (1971) »

– Elvis in Hollywood (1976) »

- Elvis - A Collectors Edition (1976) »

– Memories of Elvis (1978) »

- Elvis! His Greatest Hits (1979) »
– King Creole (1980) »

- The Collection, Volume 2 (1986)

- Essential Elvis, Volume 2 – Hits Like Never Before (1990)

- The Great Performances (1990)

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

- The Essential Collection (1994)

- Gold – The Very Best of the King (1995)

- All Time Greatest Hits (1997)

- Can’t Help Falling in Love (1999)

- Elvis 2000: Best of the King (2000)

- The Swedish Hit Collection (2000)

- The 50 Greatest Hits (2000)

- Greatest Hits (2001)

- Best of Elvis Presley II (2001)

- Elvis Hits (2001)

- 2^nd to None (2003)

- Elvis 2^nd to None Silver Edition (2003)

- Can’t Help Falling In Love – The Hollywood Hits (2003)

- Elvis Forever (2004)

- Hitstory (2005)

- King Creole - The Music (2010) - FTD »

– The Best of British - The RCA Years 1957-1958 (2014) - FTD »

- This is Elvis (2015) - FTD »

- King Creole (2015) - FTD »

Bootleg Releases:

- From the Beach to the Bayou – Graceland Records (1978)

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

- Special Delivery from Elvis Presley – Flaming Star Records (1979)

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

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