Jailhouse Rock (EP)

Jailhouse Rock is an EP by American singer Elvis Presley, featuring songs from the movie of the same name. It was released by RCA Victor, with catalogue EPA 4114, on October 30, 1957. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on April 30 and May 3, 1957, with an additional session at the Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Soundstage in Hollywood on May 9 for "Don't Leave Me Now". It peaked at #1 on the newly inaugurated Billboard EP chart where it remained at #1 for 28 weeks. The EP album was the best selling EP album of 1958 according to Billboard.

Content
Unlike Loving You (1957) but like Love Me Tender (1956), a full long-playing album soundtrack was not devised for Jailhouse Rock. The title song "Jailhouse Rock" had already been released as a single on September 24, 1957, and went to #1 on the singles chart. The sixth soundtrack song "Treat Me Nice" was not included on the EP, a new recording from September 5 at Radio Recorders was instead placed as the B-side to the "Jailhouse Rock" single where it peaked at #18 on the singles chart independently. The writing and production team of Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller played prominent roles in the making of the soundtrack, writing four of its songs and working closely with Presley in the studio. Other than both sides of the single and "I Want to Be Free", the fourth song by the pair "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care" became a minor standard, receiving cover versions by Buddy Holly, Cliff Richard, Joni Mitchell, and Brian Setzer.

"Don't Leave Me Now" had also appeared on the Loving You (1957) album, but in a different version from an earlier set of recording sessions. Additional original music for the film was composed by producer Jeff Alexander, and the song sung by the Hunk Houghton character, "One Day", was by Roy C. Bennett and Sid Tepper.

Reissues
All five songs from the EP are available on The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50s Masters released in 1992. On April 15, 1997, RCA released a compact disc comprising versions appearing in the feature film and versions that had been commercially released on records of the songs from both Jailhouse Rock and Presley's first movie, Love Me Tender. Three tracks were previously unreleased alternate takes, along with two newly mixed stereo versions of "Love Me Tender" and "Poor Boy".

Personnel
The Blue Moon Boys
 * Elvis Presley – vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar, electric bass on "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"
 * Scotty Moore – electric lead guitar
 * Bill Black – double bass, electric bass
 * D. J. Fontana – drums

The Jordanaires
 * Gordon Stoker – backing vocals
 * Neal Matthews – backing vocals, double bass (uncertain)
 * Hoyt Hawkins – backing vocals
 * Hugh Jarrett – backing vocals

Additional musicians and production staff
 * Dudley Brooks – piano
 * Mike Stoller – piano on "I Want to Be Free", production assistance
 * Jeffrey Alexander - producer
 * Jerry Leiber - production assistance
 * Thorne Nogar - engineer ("Jailhouse Rock", "Young and Beautiful", "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care", "I Want to Be Free")
 * Fred Mulculpin - engineer ("Don't Leave Me Now")

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Session #1 (April 30, 1957):
 * Elvis Presley - lead vocals; acoustic rhythm guitar (uncertain); (guitar) percussion on "Treat Me Nice" (first movie version)
 * Scotty Moore - electric lead guitar
 * Bill Black - electric bass on "Jailhouse Rock" and double bass on "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"
 * DJ Fontana - drums
 * Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Hugh Jarrett of the Jordanaires - backing vocals
 * Neal Matthews of the Jordanaires - backing vocals; double bass on "Jailhouse Rock"
 * Dudley Brooks - piano
 * Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller - production assistance
 * Jeffrey Alexander - producer
 * Thorne Nogar - engineer

Session #2 (May 1, 1957) - takes 1-4 of "I Want to Be Free" only plus listening to a demo of "Young Hearts" which was not recorded by the group:
 * Elvis Presley - lead vocals; acoustic rhythm guitar (uncertain)
 * Scotty Moore - electric lead guitar
 * Bill Black - electric bass
 * DJ Fontana - drums
 * The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews, Hugh Jarrett) - backing vocals
 * Dudley Brooks - piano
 * Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller - production assistance
 * Jeffrey Alexander - producer
 * Fred Mulculpin - engineer

Session #3 (May 3, 1957):
 * Elvis Presley - lead vocals; acoustic rhythm guitar (uncertain); electric bass on "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"; piano on "Don't Leave Me Now" (1st version - piano version)
 * Scotty Moore - electric lead guitar
 * Bill Black - electric bass (except "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"); double bass on "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"
 * DJ Fontana - drums
 * The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews, Hugh Jarrett) - backing vocals
 * Dudley Brooks - piano on "I Want to Be Free" (prison TV version), "Don't Leave Me Now" (2nd version - hit record version - unused); possible piano on "Treat Me Nice" (2nd movie version); possible additional piano on "I Want to Be Free" (record version)
 * Jerry Leiber - production assistance; guide vocal on "(You're So Square) Baby I Don't Care"
 * Mike Stoller - production assistance; piano on "I Want to Be Free" (record version) and possibly also "Treat Me Nice" (2nd movie version)
 * Jeffrey Alexander - producer
 * Thorne Nogar - engineer

Session #4 (May 9, 1957):
 * Elvis Presley - lead vocals; acoustic rhythm guitar (uncertain); piano on "Don't Leave Me Now" (#1 movie version)
 * Scotty Moore - electric lead guitar
 * Bill Black - electric bass
 * DJ Fontana - drums
 * The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews, Hugh Jarrett) - backing vocals
 * Dudley Brooks - piano on "Don't Leave Me Now" (#2 movie version, and movie set version)
 * Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller - production assistance
 * Jeffrey Alexander - producer
 * Fred Mulculpin - engineer

Session #5 (early September 1957) - "Treat Me Nice" (record version) only
 * Elvis Presley - lead vocals; acoustic rhythm guitar (uncertain); (guitar) percussion (uncertain)
 * Scotty Moore - electric lead guitar
 * Bill Black - electric bass or double bass
 * DJ Fontana - drums
 * The Jordanaires (Gordon Stoker, Hoyt Hawkins, Neal Matthews, Hugh Jarrett) - backing vocals
 * Dudley Brooks - piano
 * Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller - production assistance (?)
 * Steve Sholes (?) - producer
 * Thorne Nogar - engineer -->