It Happened at the World's Fair is the seventeenth album by Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2697, in April 1963. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on August 30 and September 22, 1962. It peaked at number four on theBillboard Top Pop Albums chart.[1]
Contents[]
Content[edit][]
Initially booked for August 28 and 29, sessions were delayed as Presley had taken ill, and only two numbers were completed satisfactorily on the first night of August 30.[2] Ten songs were tackled for the soundtrack, the standouts being two written by one of Presley's favorite songwriters, Don Robertson (who took an active part in the sessions by playing keyboards), and one by Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott, the team that had written the #2 hit single "Return to Sender" the previous year.[3] All three of these songs, "I'm Falling In Love Tonight", "They Remind Me Too Much of You", and "One Broken Heart for Sale", would be included on the 1995 compilation CD Command Performances: The Essential 60's Masters II.
"One Broken Heart for Sale" and "They Remind Me Too Much of You" would be released ahead of time on January 29 as a single to promote both the album and the film. "Broken Heart" just missed the top ten, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Hot 100, with the b-side charting independently at number 53. Truncated with a verse excised to a very short length of 1:35, "Broken Heart" was the first RCA single of Presley's career that did not make the top five, excluding "Shake Rattle and Roll" which did not chart at all after being released on August 31, 1956, simultaneously with Presley's debut album divided up into six singles.[4]
Originally a deluxe - priced gatefold sleeve album was planned, but with 20 minutes of music and the failure of One Broken Heart For Sale the idea was abandoned.
Personnel[edit][]
- Elvis Presley – vocals
- The Jordanaires – backing vocals
- The Mello Men – backing vocals
- Clifford Scott – saxophone
- Scotty Moore, Billy Strange – electric guitar
- Tiny Timbrell – acoustic guitar
- Dudley Brooks, Don Robertson – piano, organ
- Ray Seigel – double bass
- D. J. Fontana, Frank Carlson – drums
Track listing[edit][]
| Side one | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "Beyond the Bend" | Fred Wise, Ben Weisman, Dolores Fuller | September 22, 1962 | 1:50 | ||||||
| 2. | "Relax" | Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett | August 30, 1962 | 2:19 | ||||||
| 3. | "Take Me to the Fair" | Sid Tepper and Roy C. Bennett | September 22, 1962 | 1:34 | ||||||
| 4. | "They Remind Me Too Much of You" | Don Robertson | September 22, 1962 | 2:30 | ||||||
| 5. | "One Broken Heart for Sale" | Otis Blackwell and Winfield Scott | September 22, 1962 | 1:45 | ||||||
| Side two | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length | ||||||
| 1. | "I'm Falling In Love Tonight" | Don Robertson | September 22, 1962 | 1:39 | ||||||
| 2. | "Cotton Candy Land" | Ruth Bachelor and Bob Roberts | September 22, 1962 | 1:33 | ||||||
| 3. | "World of Our Own" | Bill Giant, Bernie Baum, Florence Kaye | September 22, 1962 | 2:14 | ||||||
| 4. | "How Would You Like to Be" | Ben Raleigh, Mark Barkan | September 22, 1962 | 3:26 | ||||||
| 5. | "Happy Ending" | Ben Weisman and Sid Wayne | August 30, 1962 | 2:08 | ||||||