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Don't Be Cruel
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Wikipedia article
"'Don't Be Cruel'" is a song recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Otis Blackwell in 1956.Victor (2008), 'The Elvis Encyclopedia', p.115-116 It was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2002. In 2004, it was listed #197 in 'Rolling Stone's' list of 500 Greatest Songs of All Time. The song is currently ranked as the 173rd greatest song of all time, as well as the sixth best song of 1956, by Acclaimed Music.
Elvis Presley
Recording
"Don't Be Cruel" was the first song that Presley's song publishers, Hill and Range, brought to him to record. Blackwell was more than happy to give up 50% of the royalties and a co-writing credit to Presley to ensure that the "hottest new singer around covered it". But unfortunately he had already sold the song for only $25, as he stated in an interview of American Songwriter.Freddy Bienstock, Presley's music publisher, gave the following explanation for why Presley received co-writing credit for songs like "Don't Be Cruel". "In the early days Elvis would show dissatisfaction with some lines and he would make alterations, so it wasn't just what is known as a 'cut-in'. His name did not appear after the first year. But if Presley liked the song, the writers would be offered a guarantee of a million records and they would surrender a third of their royalties to Elvis'."
Presley recorded the song on July 2, 1956 during an exhaustive recording session at RCA studios in New York City. During this session he also recorded "Hound Dog", and "Any Way You Want Me".Guralnick/Jorgensen, 'Elvis: Day by Day', p. 77-78 The song featured Presley's regular band of Scotty Moore on lead guitar (with Presley usually providing rhythm guitar), Bill Black on bass, D. J. Fontana on drums, and backing vocals from the Jordanaires. The producing credit was given to RCA's Stephen H. Sholes, although the studio recordings reveal that Presley produced the songs in this session by selecting the song, reworking the arrangement on piano, and insisting on 28 takes before he was satisfied with it. He also ran through 31 takes of "Hound Dog".
Release
The single was released on July 13, 1956 backed with "Hound Dog". Within a few weeks "Hound Dog" had risen to #2 on the Pop charts with sales of over one million. Soon after it was overtaken by "Don't Be Cruel" which took #1 on all three main charts; Pop, Country, and R 'n' B. Between them, both songs remained at #1 on the Pop chart for a run of 11 weeks tying it with the 1950 Anton Karas hit "The Third Man Theme" and the 1951/1952 Johnnie Ray hit "Cry" for the longest stay at number one by a single record from late 1950 onward until 1992's smash "End of the Road" by Boyz II Men. By the end of 1956 it had sold in excess of four million copies. 'Billboard' ranked it as the No. 2 song for 1956.Presley performed "Don't Be Cruel" during all three of his appearances on 'The Ed Sullivan Show' in September 1956 and January 1957.
In the United Kingdom it remained a B-side, but was posthumously a hit in its own right, reaching number 24 in the UK Singles Chart in 1978.
Legacy
"Don't Be Cruel" went on to become Presley's biggest selling single recorded in 1956, with sales over six million by 1961. It became a regular feature of his live sets until his death in 1977, and was often coupled with "Jailhouse Rock" or "(Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear" during performances from 1969.
Personnel
* Elvis Presley lead vocals, percussion* Scotty Moore lead guitar
* Bill Black double bass
* D. J. Fontana drums
* Shorty Long piano
* The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Neal Matthews, Hoyt Hawkins, Hugh Jarrett) backing vocals
Beatles versions
According to author Mark Lewisohn in 'The Complete Beatles Chronicles' (p. 362) the Beatles performed it live from about 1959 to 1961, though no recording is known to survive. The band did record a laid-back version during the massive 1969 'Get Back' sessions, but it has never been released. However ex-Beatles John Lennon, Ringo Starr, Pete Best and Lennon's former bandmembers the Quarrymen as well as Tony Sheridan all later recorded versions of it.
Other versions
Many other artists including Connie Francis (1959, Rock 'n' Roll Million Sellers), Annette Peacock, Barbara Lynn (1963, Jamie #1244 45 RPM, #93 on the Hot 100),[http://musicvf.com/song.php?id=3741 Barbara Lynn's "Don't Be Cruel" Chart Position] Retrieved June 18, 2012. Bill Black's Combo, Billy Swan, Devo, Cheap Trick, Daffy Duck,
Merle Haggard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Neil Diamond, and Jackie Wilson have recorded the song. Presley was said to be so impressed with Wilson's version that he would later incorporate many of Wilson's mannerisms into future performances.
Debbie Harry recorded the song for the Otis Blackwell tribute album 'Brace Yourself! A Tribute to Otis Blackwell'.Che, Cathy (1999), 'Deborah Harry: Platinum Blonde', MPG Books Ltd, Cornwall, p.238 A cover by American country music duo The Judds peaked at number 10 on the 'Billboard' Hot Country Singles chart in 1987. Cheap Trick's version of this song, the second single released from the band's 'Lap of Luxury' album, reached No. 4 on the 'Billboard' Hot 100 for two weeks in October 1988.
Jonathan Rhys Meyers lip-synched the original version of the song in a scene from 'Elvis', where it shows him performing at the Jacksonville Theater.
Chart positions
Bill Black's ComboBilly Swan
=Year-end charts=
The Judds
Cheap Trick
=Year-end charts=
References
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