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Runaway

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(Crook / Shannon)

Information:
One night in early 1961 at the Hi-Lo Club in Battle Creek, Michigan, Max T. Crook, musitron player for Del Shannon's band, hit an unusual chord change (A-minor to G). Shannon (real name: Charles Westover) stopped the band and asked Crook to play the chord change again and again. It wasn't too long before Crook and Shannon had written Runaway. Runaway (Big Top 3067) reached number one on Billboard's Hot 100 chart in April 1961, and eventually sold over a million copies. The haunting chord changes by Crook on the musitron (a device put under a piano in which an amplifier is installed) have made Runaway one of the rock era's classics. Other recordings include those by Lawrence Welk (Dot 16336) in 1962, Bonnie Raitt (Watner Bros. 8382) in 1977, and Narvel Felts (ABC 12338) in 1978. The 1987-88 NBC-TV series, Crime Story, used an updated version of Runaway, recorded by Del Shannon.

RCA recorded Elvis's performance of Runaway at the International Hotel in Las Vegas on August 22, 1969. It was one of the songs - the other was Yesterday - on the LP On Stage - February, 1970 not actually recorded in February 1970.

Lyrics:

As I walk along I wonder what went wrong with our love, a love that was so strong
And as I still walk by I think of the times we've had together while our hearts were young
I'm a-walking in the rain, tears are falling and I feel the pain
Wishing you were here by me to end this misery

1. And I wonder (I, I, I, I wonder)

Why (why, why, why, why) you went away
And I wonder where you will stay
My little runaway, run, run, run, run, runaway

I'm a-walking in the rain, tears are falling and I feel the pain
Wishing you were here by me to end this misery

1. (repeat)

Run, run, run, run, runaway

Run, run, run, run, runaway

Where it was released:

Released for the fist time on On Stage »

LPs/CDs:

- On Stage (1970) »

- Legendary Concert Performances (1978) »

- The Legendary Recordings of Elvis (1979) »

- Collectors Gold (1991)

- Live in Las Vegas (2001)

- Today Tomorrow and Forever (2002)

- Elvis at the International (2002) - FTD »

- All Shook Up (2005) – FTD »

- Viva Las Vegas (2007)

- Elvis in Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas (2008) - FTD »

– Live in Las Vegas (2011) - FTD »

- On Stage - February, 1970 (2012) - FTD »

– Hot August Night (2013) - FTD »

– That's The Way It Is - 50th Anniversary Collector's Edition (2020) - FTD

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