Wikipedia article
"'I Want You, I Need You, I Love You'" is a song written by Maurice Mysels and Ira Kosloff. It is best known for being Elvis Presley's seventh single release on the RCA Victor label, produced by Steve Sholes.[Victor (2008), p. 251.] It was released in May 1956, becoming Presley's second number 1 single on the country music charts, and peaking at number 3 on the US 'Billboard' Top 100 chart, an earlier version of the U.S. 'Billboard' Hot 100.[ Before the creation of the 'Billboard' Hot 100 chart in 1958, there were a number of charts including Jukebox plays, Store charts, and Airplay charts; the song reached number 1 on the 'Billboard' Top Sellers in Stores chart.]
Recording
During April 1956, 'Variety' reported that Presley's sixth RCA Victor single, "Heartbreak Hotel", had sold one million copies.[Guralnick/Jorgensen (1999), 'Elvis: Day by Day', p. 69.] RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes wanted a strong single for the next release, aware that there was not much good material available.[ Due to Presley's busy touring schedule, Sholes needed to get him into the studio as soon as possible. Presley and his band chartered a small propeller airplane to Nashville for one day of recording between shows.][
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En route from Amarillo, the airplane developed engine trouble and fell through the sky several times.[ Upon arrival in Nashville on the morning of April 14, all four were disconcerted.][ Presley arrived at the RCA Victor Studios without ideas for the recording session and therefore had no choice but to use Sholes' suggestions, one of which was "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You".][
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Being used to later working hours, coupled with his traumatic experience during his overnight flight, the recording session was bad.[ Take after take was ruined for one reason or another and the band was not relaxed. Presley, usually a very quick study with a song, could not get the lyrics right. After 17 takes in three hours,][ Sholes decided Presley and the band were not able to record properly and sent them home.
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After the session, Sholes listened to the takes again. He was not happy with the results of what he considered to be an unprofessional and wasted session.[Guralnick/Jorgensen (1999), 'Elvis: Day by Day', p. 70.] It had cost $1,000 to fly Presley and his band in by a private flight, and Sholes let Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, know that he was unsatisfied with the work and required material urgently for a second album.[ He knew that with Presley's busy touring schedule it could be months before RCA Victor got him back into a studio. Performing what was a very rare and generally unsuccessful procedure for the 1950s, Sholes took parts of two takes he liked (takes 14 and 17), cut and spliced them together to create a take worthy of release.][ His cuts were so seamless, nobody at RCA Victor could tell it was not from a single take.
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Reception
"I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" was backed with "My Baby Left Me" and was released on May 4, 1956.[Guralnick/Jorgensen, p. 73.] Pre-orders of over 300,000 were the biggest ever in the history of the company. At the time of its release, Presley had three songs in the Top 20: "Heartbreak Hotel/I Was the One," "My Baby Left Me", and "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You". On June 5, 1956, Presley performed the song on 'The Milton Berle Show', as well as an early version of "Hound Dog"[ that resulted in both overwhelmingly favorable audience reaction and outrage.][
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Despite the heated public controversy, the single was generally well received, reaching No. 3 on the 'Billboard' Top 100 chart, and scoring No. 1 on the country music chart.[ The song earned a second gold record for Presley, with sales in excess of 1.3 million.][
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Cover versions
Robby Krieger performed an instrumental version of the song on his 1989 solo album, 'No Habla'.
The Swedish group Sven-Ingvars made a cover in 1966 on the EP record "Sg inte nej, sg kanske" (Philips Records PE 433 475 Mono).
References
Category:Elvis Presley songs
Category:1956 singles
Category:Song recordings produced by Stephen H. Sholes
Category:1956 songs
Category:RCA Victor singles
Category:Rock ballads
Category:1950s ballads
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