Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3 is a greatest hits album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor as LPM/LSP-2765 on August 12, 1963. The album was the third volume of an eventual five volume collection, and his eighteenth altogether. It is a compilation of hit singles released in 1960, 1961, and 1962.

The album was originally released as a mono and stereo LP record and was reissued several times on compact disc. It peaked at number three on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart. The album was certified Gold on November 1, 1966, and Platinum on March 27, 1992, by the Recording Industry Association of America. Note: Search for "Elvis' Golden Records, Volume 3"

Background Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, envisioned a marketing strategy of alternating soundtrack albums with independent studio recordings, accompanied by singles.Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; pp. 186-187. . During this time, his two biggest selling albums had been soundtracks. With all of secular albums from 1960-1963 being very successful peaking in the top four. Sessions in late May of 63, had produced enough material for an album; however, RCA and Colonel Parker knew a guaranteed big seller would be another entry in the gold record series. Also, two of the 12 songs had been used for his latest single release and there was not enough new material for a studio album (Colonel Parker normally wouldn't allow single releases to be album tracks)Jorgensen, op. cit., pp. 179-181, 183. The immediate solution was another compilation of hit singles, the sales numbers proving the success of this interim strategy.Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 186.

Content Golden Records Volume 3 comprises eight Top Five A-sides along with four b-sides which also made the Top 40, "Fame and Fortune", "I Gotta Know", "Little Sister", and "Anything That's Part of You". Five A-Sides, "Stuck on You", "It's Now or Never", "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", "Surrender", and "Good Luck Charm" went to #1. "It's Now or Never" had been adapted from the 1898 Neapolitan song "'O sole mio," and "Are You Lonesome Tonight", a ballad from 1926, had been a rare request from Parker to Presley for Parker's wife.Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 127. As with the other titles in the series, all singles in this compilation are certified by the RIAA as attaining gold status with sales of at least 500,000 copies.

Original recordings produced by Steve Sholes, Joseph Lilley, Chet Atkins, Urban Thielmann, Jeff Alexander, and Hans J. Salter.

Reissues

RCA first issued the original 12-track album on compact disc in 1989. The second CD reissue in 1997 added six bonus tracks, those being two album tracks, two songs originally issued on EP singles, another b-side, and the number two hit single "Can't Help Falling In Love" from the soundtrack to Blue Hawaii. "The Girl of My Best Friend" was taken from the album Elvis Is Back!, and "Wooden Heart" from the soundtrack to G.I. Blues. "Wooden Heart" would be reissued as a b-side twice, once in 1964 and again in 1965, and the b-side "Wild in the Country" is the title track to the film of the same name. The remaining pair of film songs, "Follow That Dream" and "King of the Whole Wide World", are respectively from the EP soundtracks to the Presley movies Follow That Dream and Kid Galahad. RCA later reissued the album on CD again with the bonus tracks removed and the original running order restored.

Track listing

Chart positions for singles taken from Billboard Pop Singles chart where noted.

Original release

Side one No. Song Title Writer(s) Recorded Catalogue Release Date Chart Peak Length 1. "It's Now or Never" Eduardo di Capua, Aaron Schroeder, Wally Gold April 3, 1960 47-7777 July 5, 19601 3:15 2. "Stuck on You" Aaron Schroeder, J. Leslie McFarland March 20, 1960 47-7740 March 23, 19601 2:18 3. "Fame and Fortune" Fred Wise, Ben Weisman March 20, 1960 47-7740b March 23, 196017 2:30 4. "I Gotta Know" Paul Evans, Matt Williams April 3, 1960 47-7810b November 1, 196020 2:15 5. "Surrender" Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman October 30, 1960 47-7850 February 7, 19611 1:52 6. "I Feel So Bad" Chuck Willis March 12, 1961 47-7880 May 2, 19615 2:54Side two No. Song Title Writer(s) Recorded Catalogue Release Date Chart Peak Length 1. "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" Lou Handman, Roy Turk April 3, 1960 47-7810 November 1, 19601 3:05 2. "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman June 25, 1961 47-7908 August 8, 19614 2:08 3. "Little Sister" Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman June 25, 1961 47-7908b August 8, 19615 2:31 4. "Good Luck Charm" Aaron Schroeder, Wally Gold October 15, 1961 47-7992 February 27, 19621 2:24 5. "Anything That's Part of You" Don Robertson October 15, 1961 47-7992b February 27, 196231 2:05 6. "She's Not You" Doc Pomus, Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller March 19, 1962 47-8041 July 17, 19625 2:08

1997 Reissue bonus tracks

Tracks 1–12 are from the original album No. Song title Writer(s) Recorded Catalogue Release date Chart peak Length 13. "Wild in the Country" George David Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore November 7, 1960 47-7880b May 2, 196126 1:52 14. "Wooden Heart" Fred Wise, Ben Weisman April 28, 1960 LSP 2256 (G.I. Blues) October 1, 1960— 2:02 15. "The Girl of My Best Friend" Beverly Ross, Sam Bobrick April 3, 1960 LSP 2231 (Elvis Is Back!) April 8, 1960— 2:21 16. "Follow That Dream" Fred Wise, Ben Weisman July 2, 1961 EPA 4368 (Follow That Dream) April 1, 196215 1:37 17. "King of the Whole Wide World" Ruth Batchelor, Bob Roberts October 27, 1961 EPA 4371 (Kid Galahad) August 1, 196230 2:06 18. "Can't Help Falling In Love" George David Weiss, Hugo Peretti and Luigi Creatore March 23, 1961 47-7968 November 22, 19612 2:59

Personnel

Elvis Presley – vocals, acoustic guitar Scotty Moore – rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Stuck on You" and "Fame and Fortune" Hank Garland – lead guitar, bass on "Stuck on You," "Fame and Fortune," and "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame" Tiny Timbrell – guitar on 1997 bonus tracks "Wooden Heart", "King of the Whole Wide World," and "Wild in the Country" Neal Matthews – lead guitar on "(Marie's the Name) His Latest Flame", rhythm guitar on 1997 bonus track "King of the Whole Wide World" Harold Bradley – guitar on "She's Not You” and six-string bass on "Little Sister" Jerry Kennedy – lead guitar on "Good Luck Charm" and "Anything That's Part of You" Grady Martin – guitar or vibraphone on "She's Not You" Floyd Cramer – piano, organ Gordon Stoker – piano Dudley Brooks – piano on 1997 bonus track "Wild in the Country" Bob Moore – double bass Ray Siegel – double bass on 1997 bonus track “Wooden Heart" Meyer Rubin – double bass on 1997 bonus track “Wild in the Country" D.J. Fontana – drums Buddy Harman – drums Hal Blaine – drums or percussion on 1997 bonus track “Can’t Help Falling In Love” Bernie Mattinson – drums, percussion Boots Randolph – saxophone, vibraphone Jimmie Haskell – accordion on 1997 bonus track "Wild in the Country" The Jordanaires – backing vocals Millie Kirkham – backing vocals

Charts and certifications

Album

Chart (1963)PeakpositionUS Billboard 2003 Chart (1964)PeakpositionUK Albums Chart6 Chart (1977)PeakpositionFrench Top Albums Find "Elvis PRESLEY" under the drop-down menu to see statistics.6

Certifications

References

External links