Saturday, April 13, 2024

Record #0679: O sole mio (It’s Now or Never) / Make Me Know it – ELVIS PRESLEY


 

RCA Victor 47-9314 (original, German release) Germany, 9. August 1960
Words & Music by:  Side AEduardo Di Capua, Aaron Schroeder, Wally Gold; Side BOtis Blackwell
Musicians: Elvis Presley (lead vocals, guitar), Hank Garland (guitar on side A, electric bass on side B), Scotty Moore (guitar), Bob Moore (bass), D.J. Fontana / Murrey “Buddy” Harman (drums), , Floyd Cramer (piano), the Jordanaires (backing vocals)
Recording sessions: Produced Steve Sholes and Chet Atkins at RCA Studio B in Nashville, TN, Side A – on 3. April 1960; Side B – on 20. March 1960
Highest chart positions:  Germany #2, US #1, US R&B #7, Canada #1, UK #1, Norway #1, Finland #1

This was Elvis’ best selling single. It has sold 20 million physical copies, which puts it at the 7th position in the list of best-selling physical singles in all genres and the 2nd position in rock’n’roll. Sorry, I don’t count Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind” (33 million copies) as rock. The #1 position in rock is held by the record I had in my previous post: “Rock Around the Clock” by Bill Haley and His Comets has sold 25 million copies.

Elvis appeared to be more restrained and less rebellious when he returned from his military service in March 1960. I do admit that the rock scene had also become softer by 1960, so he was probably trying to fit in.
The flip side was the first song he recorded after his honorable discharge. The other songs in the same session were “Soldier Boy”, “Stuck on You”, “Fame and Fortune”, “A Mess of Blues” (which was the B-side of this single in the US) and “It Feels So Right”.

The single topped the Finnish charts for 4 months, starting in September 1960.

List price:  German release, not in the catalog. These go for 10-30 euros in eBay.

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