home
Recording Sessions
Essential lists
Elvis The Man And His Music
Elvis Monthly
Elvis The Story
Video footage
Elvis website links
May 6 1960
(+ means you need both    ~ means same material    °° means stereo or binaural    ° means mono)
(SFS = Short False Start | FS = False Start | LFS or BD (Breakdown) = Long False Start | PB (Playback) or Complete = Complete Take)

Radio Recorders Studio B - Hollywood, California
Soundtrack Session for 'G.I. Blues'
Producer : Joseph Lilley
Engineer : Thorne Nogar
(1.00pm - 7.00pm / 8.15pm - 10.00pm)

Musicians:   Backup Vocals:
Guitar: Scotty Moore The Jordanaires: Gordon Stoker; Neal Matthews; Hoyt Hawkins; Ray
Guitar: Neal Matthews Walker
Mandolin / Guitar: Hilmer J. 'Tiny' Timbrell  
Bass: Ray Siegel  
Drums: D.J. Fontana  
Drums: Bernie Mattinson  
Piano: Dudley Brooks  
Accordion: Jimmie Haskell  
Tambourine: Hoyt Hawkins  

Big Boots (Medium Tempo)
WPA5 2545
 M10-X May 6 1960
Take 1 Complete 1:18   Close Up 2°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 2 M 1:14   Cafe Europa Sessions 3 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°° (Count-in)
~GI Blues Volume 1 (FTD)°°~La Legende - GI Blues°° (BMG France)
~GI Blues (BMG '97)°°~GI Blues Anniversary Edition°°

Shoppin' Around
L2PB 3684
 B0-X May 6 1960
Take 1 FS 0:17   Cafe Europa Sessions 3 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 2 Complete 2:40   Cafe Europa Sessions 3 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues
Anniversary Edition°°
Take 3 FS 0:37   Cafe Europa Sessions 3 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues
Anniversary Edition°°
Take 4 FS 0:19   Close Up 2°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues Anniversary Edition°°
Take 5 Complete 2:34   Close Up 2°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues Anniversary Edition°°
Take 6 FS 0:31   Cafe Europa Sessions 3 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 7 M 2:36   Complete Elvis Presley Masters 5 (Sony)°°~Soldier Boy (Franklin Mint
Complete Masters Collection 15)°°~GI Blues (Remastered Soundtrack)°°
~GI Blues Vol. 1 (FTD)°°~GI Blues (24 Bit)°°~(BMG '97)°°~Command
Performances°°~La Legende - GI Blues°° (BMG France)~Cafe Europa
Sessions 1 (MRS)°°~GI Blues Anniversary Edition°°~From Memphis To
Hollywood (FTD)°+Cafe Europa Sessions 3 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sess.
4°° (Count-in)

Shoppin' Around (Movie Version)
   
Overdub (M) 1:49 (Overdubbed instruments & backing vocals - Edited) GI Blues - The Alternative Album Version (MRS)°~Soundtrack°

Pocketful Of Rainbows
L2PB 3683
 N0-X May 6 1960
Take 1 FS 1:03   Cafe Europa Sessions 3 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues
Anniversary Edition°°
Take 2 M 3:07   Complete Elvis Presley Masters 5 (Sony)°°~Soldier Boy (Franklin Mint
Complete Masters Collection 15)°°~Elvis 75 - Good Rockin' Tonight 2
(Legacy)°°~GI Blues (Remastered Soundtrack)°°~GI Blues Vol 1 (FTD)°°
~GI Blues (24 Bit)°°~(BMG '97)°°~La Legende - GI Blues°° (BMG France)
~Cafe Europa Sessions 1 (MRS)°°~GI Blues Anniversary Edition°°
~From Memphis To Hollywood (FTD)°+Cafe Europa Sessions 3 (MRS)°°
~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°° (Count-in)
Take 3 Complete 3:08   Today, Tomorrow & Forever 2°°+Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues
Anniversary Edition°° (Count-in)

Pocketful Of Rainbows (Movie Version)
   
Overdub (M) 2:43 (Vocal Overdub of N0-X-02 by
Loulie Jean Norman - Lip-Synched
in movie by Juliet Prowse)		 GI Blues - The Alternative Album Version (MRS)°~Soundtrack°

Frankfort Special (Medium Tempo)
L2PB 3680
 H0-X May 6 1960
Take 1 FS 0:48   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 2 LFS 1:44   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues
Anniversary Edition°°
Take 3 FS 0:55   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues
Anniversary Edition°°
Take 4 FS 0:56   Close Up 2°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues Anniversary Edition°°
Take 5 Complete 3:13   Close Up 2°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues Anniversary Edition°°
Take 6 LFS 2:14   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 7 LFS 0:25   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 8 Complete 3:13   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 9 LFS 1:15   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 10 M 3:18   Complete Elvis Presley Masters 5 (Sony)°°~Soldier Boy (Franklin Mint
Complete Masters Collection 15)°°~GI Blues (Remastered Soundtrack)°°
~GI Blues Vol. 1 (FTD)°°~GI Blues (24 Bit)°°~(BMG '97)°°~Cafe Europa
Sessions 1 (MRS)°°~La Legende - GI Blues°° (BMG France)
~From Memphis To Hollywood (FTD)°+Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°
~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°° (Count-in)

Frankfort Special (Movie Version)
   
Overdub (M) 2:29 (Overdubbed instruments & backing vocals - Edited) GI Blues - The Alternative Album Version (MRS)°~Soundtrack°

Tonight's All Right For Love
WPA1 8124
 R-10 May 6 1960
Take 1 Complete 1:33   GI Blues Vol. 1 (FTD)°°+Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa
Sessions 4°°~GI Blues Anniversary Edition°°
Take 2 FS 0:15 (KPA5 9559) Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~Elvis Aron Presley 2°°
Take 3 LFS 1:19 (KPA5 9559) Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~Elvis Aron Presley 2°°~GI Blues Anniversary
Edition°°
Take 4 FS 0:19 (KPA5 9559) Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~Elvis Aron Presley 2°°~GI Blues Anniversary
Edition°°
Take 5a LFS 0:58 (Announced - Take 5) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues
Anniversary Edition°°
Take 5b Complete 1:39 (Announced again as Take 5) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~GI Blues
Anniversary Edition°°
Take 6 Complete 1:33 (Announced - Take 6) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 7 FS 0:31 (Announced - Take 7)
(KPA5 9559)		 Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~Elvis Aron Presley 2°°
Take 8 Complete 1:31 (Announced - Take 8) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 9 LFS 1:11 (Announced - Take 9) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 10 Complete 2:00 (Announced - Take 10)
(Used for Composite Master)		 Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 11 FS 0:13 (Announced - Take 11) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 12 Complete 1:34 (Announced - Take 12) "Loving You" Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 14 FS 0:19 (No Take 13 Announcement) Close Up 2°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 15 Complete 1:37   Close Up 2°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 16 FS 0:38   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 17 Complete 1:48 (KPA5 9559) Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°~Elvis Aron Presley 2°°

Tonight's All Right For Love (Insert)
R-20 May 6 1960
Take 1 Complete 0:51   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 2 FS 1:03 (Used for composite master) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°

Tonight's All Right For Love (Composite)
L2PB 3975
   May 6 1960
Spliced M 1:21 (Spliced from R10 Take 10
& R20 Take 2) (WPA1 8124)		 Complete Elvis Presley Masters 5 (Sony)°°~Soldier Boy (Franklin Mint
Comp. Masters Collection 15)°°~GI Blues Vol. 1 (FTD)°°~A Legendary
Performer Volume 1°~Single°+GI Blues (BMG '97)°°~La Legende - GI
Blues°° (BMG France) (Different Splice) +Elvis In Germany°° (German
Record Club - Extended 2:10)

Big Boots (Slow Tempo 2)
M0-X May 6 1960
Take 1 FS 0:16   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 2 FS 0:37   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 3 FS 0:32   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 4 FS 0:30   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 5 FS 0:31   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 6 FS 1:28 (Solo) (Not Used) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°

Big Boots (Slow Tempo - Insert)
M20-X May 6 1960
Take 1 Complete 0:59   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 2 LFS 0:43   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 3 FS 0:18   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 4 Complete 0:53 (Used for composite master) Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°

Big Boots (Slow Tempo - Composite)
L2PB 3685
 S0 May 6 1960
Take 1        
Take 2        
Take 3 M 1:32 (Spliced from M0 Take 4
& M20-X Take 4)		 Complete Elvis Presley Masters 5 (Sony)°°~Soldier Boy (Franklin Mint
Complete Masters Collection 15)°°~GI Blues (Remastered Soundtrack)°°
~GI Blues Vol. 1 (FTD)°°~GI Blues (24 Bit)°°~(BMG '97)°°~Cafe Europa
Sess. 1 (MRS)°°~La Legende - GI Blues°° (BMG France)~From Memphis
To Hollywood (FTD)°
Take 4        
Take 5 (M) 1:27 (Spliced from M0 Take 4
& M20-X Take 4, with last line
repeated)		 Acetate°

Big Boots (Movie Version)
   
Overdub (M) 1:35 (S0-05 with overdubbed instruments) GI Blues - The Alternative Album Version (MRS)°~Soundtrack°

Tonight's All Right For Love (Music & Chorus)
WPA1 8125
 R0 May 6 1960
Take 1 FS 0:31   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 2 FS 0:33   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 3 FS 0:21   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 4 Complete 2:30   Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°°
Take 5 M 2:20   La Legende - GI Blues°° (BMG France)+Cafe Europa Sessions 4 (MRS)°°
~Cafe Europa Sessions 4°° (Count-in)

Notes

The movie version of Shoppin' Around has some extra vocals / instruments overdubbed to the record version and is edited by cutting off the last verse.

The movie version of Frankfort Special has some extra vocals / horns and is edited to 2:20 (the repeated last verse in the record version is cut off).

The ending of the movie version of Big Boots is extended, where Elvis sings the last line twice in the movie.

Some of the take numbers listed for Tonight's All Right for Love (R10) on 'Elvis Aron Presley' and 'Rare Elvis Volume 2' are incorrect. The correct take order is 3, 4, 2, 7 (announced as Take 7) and 17.

The master of Tonight's All Right for Love as released on a single in 1960 (Europe only) and 'A Legendary Performer Volume 1' is spliced at 0:59, but on the 1997 'G.I. Blues' version it is spliced at 1:10. The original splice is used on Sony's 'Complete Elvis Presley Masters' collection and the Franklin Mint package.

A 2:10 minute extended master of Tonight's All Right For Love was issued on the German / European pressing of the 'G.I. Blues' LP in 1960 in stereo, and can also be found on the German Record Club RCA CD 'Elvis In Germany' (18565-2).

Most of these sessions are available on the UK based 'Memphis Recording Service' official release 'GI Blues - The Cafe Europa Sessions'. Due to public domain copyright issues, this set does not contain tracks officially released by RCA in the last 50 years.

FTD's Classic Album releases of 'G.I. Blues' are undoubtably the best source for these sessions, although edited.

In March of 2007, Sony decided to go through all of Elvis' masters. They retransferred everything and remastered all tracks including repairing as many clicks, pops, bad edits and dropouts as they could. They have used these newly mastered recordings on their new releases since 2007 including budget soundtracks, 'Legacy' releases, the 30 disc 'Complete Elvis Presley Masters' collection and the Franklin Mint package.

Thanks to Ray Reeves for the Big Boots comparisons.

Thanks to David English for info regarding Loulie Jean Norman providing the vocal for the movie version of Pocketful Of Rainbows.

Session Logs
Recording Information
G.I. Blues (April / May 1960)
G.I. Blues
Tape Legend
May 6 1960
Tape Legend - May 6 1960
Acetates
May 6 1960
GI Blues

back