__Elvis Presley - Studio Recording Sessions

When you look in the lead out grooves of a LP you'll see a matrix number;
When you look in a recording sessions book you'll see that recordings have got a matrix number;

I will explain what the matrix number means;

There is a Year Code:

1955 – F
1956 – G
1957 – H
1958 – J
1959 – K
1960 – L
1961 – M
1962 – N
1963 – P
1964 – R
1965 – S
1966 – T
1967 – U
1968 – W
1969 – X
1970 – Z
1971 – A
1972 – B
1973 – C
1974 – D
1975 – E
1976 – F
1977 – G
1978 – H
1979 – J
1980 – K
1981 – L
1982 – M
1983 – N
1984 – O
1985 – P
1986 – R
1987 – S
1988 – T
1989 – U
1990 – V
1991 – W
1992 – Z
1993 – A
1994 – B
1995 – C
1996 – D
1997 – E
1998 – F
1999 – G
2000 – H
2001 – J
2002 – K
2003 – L

Letter Code:
P = Popular
I = International
W = Country and Western

Size and Speed:
A = Master Tape
K = 7 inch 45 rpm
L = 7 inch 33 1/3 rpm
R = 12 inch 33 1/3 rpm

Description:
A = EP Stereo
B = EP Mono
M = Mono
S = Stereo

Studio:
A 3 = Film Company
A 4 = RCA Nashville
A 5 = not RCA studio

In 1963 the system changed - Before 1963 some codes had a different meaning:

Second Character - 2 indicates commercial popular music release
Second Character - 7 on singles it mean promo recording only
Second Character - 8 means promo only recording only
Second Character - Q means promo only compact 33 1/3 single
Third Character - P on single indicates song supplies by Film Company
Third Character - P on LP indicates 12 inch 33 1/3 rpm 1956/1962

Later on the sytem of matrix numbers has changed several times and when you're looking and comparing matrix numbers you'll see that RCA doesn't always apply its own rules.
With this explanation I hope to make clear what matrix numbers means and you'll be surprised what is to be discovered.

Let us look now:
Heartbreak Hotel got matrix G2WB 0209
G = 1956
2 = Commercial Popular Music
W = Country & Western (???)
B = EP Mono (There is an EP release ?)

LP 'It Happened At The Worlds Fair'
Matrix PPRM 2727/28 Mono
Matrix PPRS 2729/30 Stereo

P = 1963
P = Popular
R = 33 1/3 rpm
M = Mono where S = Stereo

The matrix numbers from the LP come after the last recording Relax (PPA3-2726)

P = 1963
P = Popular
A3 = Film Company

When you compare matrix numbers you'll discover a lot:
One example - The LP 'Girls Girls Girls' got the matrix N2 PP 3293/94 (Mono) and N2 PY 3295/96 (Stereo)

The song with the highest matrix is We're Coming In Loaded (N2 PB 3288)

This means matrix numbers 3289-3290-3291-3292 are missing; In the past there were rumours about missing songs from this session.
It could be that these matrix numbers 3289-3290-3291-3292 are given to songs that were not recorded after all, or a second possiblity is that the matrix numbers are for Earth Boy (Movie Version) - Plantation Rock - Girls Girls Girls (End Title) - Mama. These 4 songs got a new matrix number when released for the first time (except Earth Boy = Unreleased).

Several times a new matrix number was given to songs with an excisting matrix numbers (August 1969 recordings when released on 'Collector's Gold').

As you see there are a lot of surprises