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Love Me Tender |
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Written by: Ken Darby (credited to Elvis and Vera Matson) based on the 1861 ballad, Aura Lee, written by W. W. Fosdick and George R. Poulton Recorded: August 24, 1956, Fox Stage 1, Hollywood Released master is take 2. Single:w/ "Any Way You Want Me", 47-6643, September 28, 1956 Also re-released as 78rpm, 20-6643, September 28, 1956 Also re-released as Gold Standard Series, 447-0616, March 1959 RIAA Certified: 3X Multi-Platinum (as of 07/15/1999) First single in history for the advance-sales to exceed 1 million. Highest U.S. Charts Positions: #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 #1 on Cash Box Top 100 #3 on Billboard's Country Best-Seller chart #4 on Billboard's rhythm & blues chart 1st LP release: Elvis Golden Records Vol 1 - April 1958 |
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Although "Love Me Tender" was Elvis' first big romantic ballad hit, and remains one of his most popular, it sounds pretty ordinary to me today, considering all the other ballads that he recorded afterward. He gives the classic melody a respectable performance, but I can think of many better examples of his crooning talents in his vast catalog. Even in the '50s, there are better examples. There's no denying, however, that this one made a huge splash when it first appeared, and showed that the King of Rock 'n' Roll could work his magic with a gentle ballad as well as with the rockers... He melted a few million hearts with this one. :) I'll add some more later, but meanwhile check out the music and links. |
Other Spins(What did the critics and fans say?)The title track, "Love Me Tender", is a gentle, slow-moving ballad, beautifully sung. The delayed entry of the word "tender", when it first appears, is a magical touch, as is the close harmony of the backing vocals (Ken Darby Trio) and their wistful final solo notes of the guitar. Robert Matthew-Walker, Elvis Presley: A Study in Music, 1979 What can one say? From the film of the same name, the quintessential Elvis Presley ballad, backed by Ken Darby's Trio. Martin Torgoff, The Complete Elvis, 1982 ...it served the crucial function of expanding Presley's appeal by allowing him to turn in a convincing performance of a ballad after scoring nationally with a series of rock & roll records. At a time when controversy continued to swirl around his provocative television appearances, Presley began to seem more like a safe, all-around entertainer by taking such steps as recording "Love Me Tender". from the AllMusic review of "Love Me Tender" Check out other Elvis fans' opinions on the Elvis News page for Love Me Tender Check out other opinions at Rate Your Music "Love Me Tender" Links
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Love me tender, love me sweet Never let me go You have made my life complete And I love you so Love me tender, love me true All my dreams fulfill For my darlin' I love you And I always will Love me tender, love me long Take me to your heart For it's there that I belong And we'll never part Love me tender, love me dear Tell me you are mine I'll be yours through all the years Till the end of time (Extra Verse Sung at the End of the Film): When at last my dreams come true Darling this I know Happiness will follow you Everywhere you go Love me tender, love me true All my dreams fulfill For you know that I love you And I always will |
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