Frankie and Johnny (album)

Frankie and Johnny
Soundtrack album / Studio album by Elvis Presley
Released	March 1966
Recorded	May 1965
Genre	Soundtrack, pop
Length	26:40
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Fred Karger
Elvis Presley chronology
Harum Scarum (1965) Frankie and Johnny (1966) Paradise, Hawaiian Style (1966)

Frankie & Johnny
Soundtrack album / Studio album (Reissue) by Elvis Presley
Released	November 1976
Genre	Pop
Label	Pickwick Records
Elvis Presley chronology
From Elvis Presley Boulevard, Memphis, Tennessee (1976) Frankie and Johnny (1976) Welcome to My World (1977)

Frankie and Johnny is the twenty-fifth album by Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3553, in March 1966. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on May 12, 13, and 14, 1965. It peaked at number 20 on the Top LP's chart.^[1] It was certified Gold and Platinum on January 6, 2004 by the Recording Industry Association of America.^[2]

Content

To coincide with the 19th century setting of the film, some traditional song material was utilized for the soundtrack. "When the Saints Go Marching In" is an old gospel hymn that has become a jazz standard associated with the traditional hot jazz of New Orleans. It is paired in a medley with "Down by the Riverside", another traditional gospel song dating back to the relevant time period. Both are in the public domain, and the team of Giant, Baum, and Kaye captured the publishing for Freddy Bienstock and Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker.^[3] The title song, "Frankie and Johnny," is a variant on the American popular song first published in 1904 and credited to Hughie Cannon. With changed lyrics, another publishing royalty was secured for Gladys Music.^[4]

Twelve songs were recorded at the sessions for Frankie and Johnny, and all were used and issued on the soundtrack. The title song was issued as a single, with "Please Don't Stop Loving Me" on the b-side. Released either just before or simultaneously with the album, depending if the disputed release dates are correct, "Frankie and Johnny" peaked at number 25 on the Billboard Hot 100, with the b-side also charting at number 45.^[5]

Pickwick and Follow That Dream reissues

In November 1976, Pickwick Records reissued the soundtrack album with a new cover showing a 1970s-era image of Presley and the title slightly amended to Frankie & Johnny. The running order of the tracks was altered and three songs from the original album were omitted —"Chesay", "Look Out Broadway", and "Everybody Come Aboard". The front cover does not indicate that this is a reissued soundtrack album, and it was the only soundtrack to be reissued in this way. It did not chart on the Billboard 200. This oddity remained in print for several years and when, following Presley's death in August 1977, RCA reissued all of his albums, the agreement between RCA and Pickwick prohibited RCA from reissuing the original, complete soundtrack album in the US for several years due to the existence of this version. The original Frankie and Johnny soundtrack album was reissued in Canada and elsewhere however. Not until 2010 would the complete original Frankie and Johnny soundtrack be widely available in the United States again.

In 2003 Frankie and Johnny was reissued on the Follow That Dream label in a special edition that contained the original album tracks along with numerous alternate takes.^[6]

Personnel

• Elvis Presley – vocals
• The Jordanaires – backing vocals
• Eileen Wilson – vocals
• George Worth – trumpet
• Richard Noel – trombone
• John Johnson – tuba
• Gus Bivona – saxophone
• Scotty Moore – electric guitar
• Tiny Timbrell – acoustic guitar
• Charlie McCoy – harmonica
• Larry Muhoberac – piano
• Bob Moore – double bass
• D. J. Fontana, Buddy Harman – drums

Track listing

Original release

Side one
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Frankie and Johnny"	Alex Gottlieb, Fred Karger, Ben Weisman	May 14, 1965	2:32
2.	"Come Along"	David Hess	May 12, 1965	1:52
3.	"Petunia, the Gardener's Daughter"	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	May 14, 1965	2:59
4.	"Chesay"	Ben Weisman, Fred Karger, Sid Wayne	May 14, 1965	1:39
5.	"What Every Woman Lives For"	Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman	May 13, 1965	2:27
6.	"Look Out, Broadway"	Fred Wise and Randy Starr	May 14, 1965	1:40

Side two
No.	Title	Writer(s)	Recording date	Length
1.	"Beginner's Luck"	Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper	May 12, 1965	2:34
2.	"Down by the Riverside" and "When the Saints Go Marching In"	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	May 12, 1965	1:56
3.	"Shout It Out"	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	May 13, 1965	2:17
4.	"Hard Luck"	Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne	May 13, 1965	2:51
5.	"Please Don't Stop Loving Me"	Joy Byers	May 13, 1965	2:02
6.	"Everybody Come Aboard"	Bernie Baum, Bill Giant, Florence Kaye	May 14, 1965	1:51

"Frankie and Johnny" was released as a single (RCA 8780) in March 1966 and appeared on Billboard's Hot 100 list for eight weeks. Its highest position was number 25. The single's B-side, "Please Don't Stop Loving Me", also charted for eight weeks and reached number 45.^[7]

Pickwick reissue

Side one
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Frankie and Johnny"	2:32
2.	"Come Along"	1:52
3.	"What Every Woman Lives For"	2:27
4.	"Hard Luck"	2:51
5.	"Please Don't Stop Loving Me"	2:02

Side two
No.	Title	Length
1.	"Down by the Riverside" and "When the Saints Go Marching In"	1:56
2.	"Petunia, the Gardener's Daughter"	2:59
3.	"Beginner's Luck"	2:34
4.	"Shout It Out"	2:17

"Chesay", "Look Out, Broadway", and "Everybody Come Aboard" were not included in the reissue.

Follow That Dream reissue

Original album No. Title Length 1. "Frankie and Johnny"   2:32 2. "Come Along"   1:50 3. "Petunia, the Gardener's Daughter"   2:58 4. "Chesay"   1:36 5. "What Every Woman Lives For"   2:25 6. "Look Out, Broadway"   1:38 7. "Beginner's Luck"   2:25 8. "Down by the Riverside" / "When the Saints Go Marching In"   1:54 9. "Shout It Out"   2:15 10. "Hard Luck"   2:50 11. "Please Don't Stop Loving Me"   2:25 12. "Everybody Come Aboard"   1:49

Alternate takes No. Title Length 13. "Frankie and Johnny" (take 1) 2:55 14. "Please Don’t Stop Loving Me" (take 10) 2:13 15. "Everybody Come Aboard" (takes 1 & 2) 2:42 16. "Chesay" (take 1) 1:58 17. "Petunia, the Gardeners Daughter" (take 2) 2:53 18. "Look Out, Broadway" (takes 3, 4, 5) 2:22 19. "Please Don’t Stop Loving Me" (takes 1, 2, 3) 3:00 20. "Shout It Out" (takes 1, 2, 3) 3:31 21. "Everybody Come Aboard" (takes 9, 10) 2:09 22. "Chesay" (takes 3 & 6) 3:16 23. "Look Out, Broadway" (takes 6, 7, 8) 2:13 24. "Petunia, The Gardeners Daughter" (take 5) 3:23 25. "Please Don’t Stop Loving Me" (take 7) 2:10 26. "Frankie and Johnny" (takes 3 & 4 [record version]) 2:45 27. "Frankie and Johnny" (movie version) 7:01

References

1. "Pop Albums". Elvis Presley: Official Site of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
2. "Searchable database". RIAA. Recording Industry Association of America. 2013. Retrieved May 15, 2013. Note: Enter search for "Frankie and Johnny"
3. Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; p. 195.
4. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 196.
5. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 417.
6. Sources:
   • "Follow That Dream releases". Elvispresleyshop. Elvis Australia. 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
   • "Frankie and Johnny". Shopelvis. ABG EPE IP LLC. 2015. Retrieved January 24, 2015.
7. Lichter, Paul (1978). The Boy Who Dared to Rock. New York, NY: Doubleday. p. 174. ISBN 0-385-12636-0.