Elvis Presley - Elvis 56 (1996)

Elvis 56 is a compact disc compilation of studio master recordings by Elvis Presley during the year 1956, released in 1996. The original sessions took place at RCA Studios in Nashville and New York, and at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.

Sure, the music on here's great. How could it not be? It has 22 of Presley's hottest tracks from his first year at RCA, including not only the hits "Heartbreak Hotel," "Hound Dog," "Don't Be Cruel," and "Too Much," but such noted early rockers as "My Baby Left Me," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Money Honey," and "So Glad You're Mine." From a collector's viewpoint, though, you have to wonder whether it was really necessary. The only previously unreleased item is a sparser earlier take of "Heartbreak Hotel." Everything else has been widely available (even on CD) for years.

Track listing

01.  Heartbreak Hotel  (Mae Axton, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley)  -  2:08

02.  My Baby Left Me  (Arthur Crudup)  - 2:11

03.  Blue Suede Shoes  (Carl Perkins)  - 1:58

04.  So Glad You're Mine  (Arthur Crudup)  - 2:20

05.  Tutti Frutti  (Dorothy LaBostrie, Richard Penniman)  - 1:58

06.  One-Sided Love Affair  (Bill Campbell)  -  2:09

07.  Love Me  (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)  - 2:43

08.  Anyplace Is Paradise  (Joe Thomas)  - 2:26

09.  Paralyzed  (Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley)  - 2:23

10.  Ready Teddy  (Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco)  - 1:56

11.  Too Much  (Lee Rosenberg, Bernard Weinman)  - 2:31

12.  Hound Dog  (Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller)  - 2:16

13.  Anyway You Want Me  (That's How I Will Be) (Cliff Owens, Aaron Schroeder)  - 2:13

14.  Don't Be Cruel  (Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley)  - 2:02

15.  Lawdy, Miss Clawdy  (Lloyd Price)  - 2:08

16.  Shake, Rattle & Roll  (Charles Calhoun)  - 2:37

17.  I Want You, I Need You, I Love You  (Lou Kosloff, George Mysels)  - 2:40

18.  Rip It Up  (Robert Blackwell, John Marascalco)  - 1:53

19.  Heartbreak Hotel  (Mae Axton, Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley)  - 2:08

20.  I Got a Woman  (Ray Charles, Renald Richard)  - 2:23

21.  I Was The One  (Aaron Schroeder, Claude DeMetrius, Hal Blair, Bill Peppers)  - 2:33

22.  Money Honey  (Jesse Stone)  - 2:34

Released:  March 5, 1996

Recorded:  RCA Studios Nashville & New York, and at Radio Recorders in Hollywood

Genre:  Rock & Roll

Length:  50:31

Label:  RCA Records

Personnel

Elvis Presley - vocal, guitar

Scotty Moore - guitar

Chet Atkins - guitar

Floyd Cramer - piano

Shorty Long - piano

Gordon Stoker - piano, backing vocals

Bill Black - bass

D.J. Fontana - drums

The Jordanaires - backing vocals

Ben Speer - backing vocals

Brock Speer - backing vocals