Ain’t that loving you baby

[MikeFromHolland]

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For more info on the fast version, see:
https://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=92864&view=unread#p1484938


In December 1955 Jimmy Reed recorded his song Ain’t that lovin’ you a.k.a. Ain’t that lovin’ you baby, which was released in March 1956:





It’s however a different song than Elvis recorded. His version was written by Ivory Joe Hunter (1914-1974) and Clyde Otis (1924-2008). According to Ernst Jorgensen in his book, "Elvis Presley: A Life In Music," they wrote it especially for Elvis’ June 10, 1958 session in which he recorded the song. But that’s not right for Eddie Riff recorded it in July 1956 already:





For one reason or another Elvis’ version was kept on the shelve till it’s release on September 22, 1964 as a single backed by Ask Me. It reached #16 on the Billboard charts and would find his album debute in January 1968 on Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 4, which peaked at #33 on the Billboard Album Top 200.

056CF0A6-37F0-4979-BA38-7C528AAD087F.jpeg

Within a month after Elvis’ single release, Rikki Handerson and The Beatmen released their version of the song:





As a tribute to Elvis, Wanda Jackson added her version to her 2006 album I Remember Elvis:







Sources
https://secondhandsongs.com/work/28680
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_Joe_Hunter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clyde_Otis
https://davidneale.eu/elvis/originals/list1.html#S3297
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ain't_That_Lovin'_You%2C_Baby
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elvis%27_Gold_Records_Volume_4

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[Spellbinder]

Didn't the Evs release Jimmy Reed's Ain't that lovin' you baby on a single?

[MikeFromHolland]

Didn't the Evs release Jimmy Reed's Ain't that lovin' you baby on a single?

Yes, they did.

FFD9AE95-7B38-4A35-9E4B-82F96BA93ECA.png

It had more covers than the Ivory Hunter one had:

https://secondhandsongs.com/work/37358/versions#nav-entity

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[brian]

His version was written by Ivory Joe Hunter (1914-1974) and Clyde Otis (1924-2008). According to Ernst Jorgensen in his book, "Elvis Presley: A Life In Music," they wrote it especially for Elvis’ June 10, 1958 session in which he recorded the song. But that’s not right for Eddie Riff recorded it in July 1956 already:

They may have wrote the song specifically for Elvis. Once a song is published its out there for anyone to record. When A&R people are looking for songs for their artists to record they put the word out to song publishers that they are looking for material. Ivory Joe Hunter and Clive Otis could've written this song for Elvis in 1956 but he didn't get around to recording it until 1958. In the meantime Eddie Riff's A&R representative at his record label found the song ''Ain't that loving you baby'' for him to record before Elvis got around to it. That's a possible scenario. It didn't matter Eddie Riff's version didn't chart and its so obscure. Elvis got a hit record with it when RCA released it in 1964. It would've been a different deal if Eddie Riff had a top 20 hit with it. Elvis's version wasn't released until 1964 because he never got a satisfactory master completed. It had to be edited and spliced together before it could be released in 1964.

[LSP-4445]

I have never cared for this song BUT that changed when we got the fast version in 1985.

[bajo]

I have always liked the original! But, I must admit that the splice made for the Reconsider Baby album, was a real cracker imo!
I use them both in my compilations of greats!

[brian]

In December 1955 Jimmy Reed recorded his song Ain’t that lovin’ you a.k.a. Ain’t that lovin’ you baby, which was released in March 1956: It’s however a different song than Elvis recorded.

There are a lot of songs with the same titles. That's not unusual. Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote a song in 1961 called Devil in Disguise that a singer named Stan Mitchell recorded. The Pomus & Shuman song is obscure compared to the Elvis song.

[MikeFromHolland]

His version was written by Ivory Joe Hunter (1914-1974) and Clyde Otis (1924-2008). According to Ernst Jorgensen in his book, "Elvis Presley: A Life In Music," they wrote it especially for Elvis’ June 10, 1958 session in which he recorded the song. But that’s not right for Eddie Riff recorded it in July 1956 already:

They may have wrote the song specifically for Elvis. Once a song is published its out there for anyone to record. When A&R people are looking for songs for their artists to record they put the word out to song publishers that they are looking for material. Ivory Joe Hunter and Clive Otis could've written this song for Elvis in 1956 but he didn't get around to recording it until 1958. In the meantime Eddie Riff's A&R representative at his record label found the song ''Ain't that loving you baby'' for him to record before Elvis got around to it. That's a possible scenario. It didn't matter Eddie Riff's version didn't chart and its so obscure. Elvis got a hit record with it when RCA released it in 1964. It would've been a different deal if Eddie Riff had a top 20 hit with it. Elvis's version wasn't released until 1964 because he never got a satisfactory master completed. It had to be edited and spliced together before it could be released in 1964.

As written in mentioned book:

7B52951D-0CFA-4FE1-9654-99D5AE3B4B09.jpeg

And, more specific what was referred to in the OP:

D0BF932B-CC96-418A-96A8-EC476BEAB8DA.jpeg

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[brian]

True. That didn't happen. It wasn't written specifically for the June 1958 Nashville sessions. Faulty memories.

[drjohncarpenter]

Elvis's version wasn't released until 1964 because he never got a satisfactory master completed. It had to be edited and spliced together before it could be released in 1964.

No. The June 1958 recording that was issued by RCA in late September 1964 was not edited in any manner. It was a completed master the record company issued as a B-side out of desperation.

At the original session, the Presley and the musicians worked on that mid-tempo version first, and had a master by take 4. That's the one RCA pulled off the shelf six years later.

But in 1958 Elvis wasn't thrilled with the result, so he decided to try a wild and exciting up-tempo arrangement, but he left it uncompleted, and they moved on.

RCA made a silk purse out of a sow's ear in 1985 by splicing some of the uptempo takes together to create a thrilling master for the wonderful Reconsider Baby compilation, produced by Gregg Geller.

It was such a surprise when it came out. Blew me away.

[drjohncarpenter]

It’s however a different song than Elvis recorded. His version was written by Ivory Joe Hunter (1914-1974) and Clyde Otis (1924-2008). According to Ernst Jorgensen in his book, "Elvis Presley: A Life In Music," they wrote it especially for Elvis’ June 10, 1958 session in which he recorded the song. But that’s not right for Eddie Riff recorded it in July 1956 already:

As noted on a earlier topic of yours, this single probably did not appear in 1956:

. . . the Eddie Riff single of "Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby" (Dover Records 102) appeared around February 1957, and could not have been written for, or originally recorded by, Elvis. It featured Mickey Baker on guitar, but the disc never charted.

I based this on a review of the first release on Dover, Sherry Parsons "Whispering Heart" (Dover Records 101):

Billboard - December 1, 1956
https://books.google.com/books?id=hgoEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA37


The Eddie Riff single was probably made closer to this time frame.

However, I feel that, given that there is no sign of Dover 102 in any trade magazine of the time, and given that the Parsons single was re-released barely a month later on a new label (Jubilee 5625), the Riff single probably never made it to retail at all.


Billboard - January 5, 1957
https://books.google.com/books?id=WyAEAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA40


Which means that when the songwriters delivered "Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby" to Presley's team, they could call it "specially written" for him.

[brian]

No. The June 1958 recording that was issued by RCA in late September 1964 was not edited in any manner. It was a completed master the record company issued as a B-side out of desperation.

At the original session, the Presley and the musicians worked on that mid-tempo version first, and had a master by take 4. That's the one RCA pulled off the shelf six years later.

Alright thanks.

[eric c]

always enjoyed this song.
fun tune.

[eric c]

hunk1.jpg

recorded at his great june session in '58.
•i need your love tonight
•a big hunk o love
•ain' that lovin' you baby
•a fool such as i
•i got stung

woulda been amazing to have witnessed these sessions on 10/11 in june of '58.
some historic rockin' awesomeness.

[On Stage]

I have never cared for this song BUT that changed when we got the fast version in 1985.

Totally agree with you. This is one of the few songs where I prefer the alternate take.

[L Ray]

For me the slow version is by far the best. When I first heard it on the radio in 1964 I remember telling my mom that Elvis had gone back to his original style. She said, ‘why not he invented it.’ Later I found out that it was an older recording. I’ve never understood why Elvis didn’t favor it. I’ve always loved it.

[Buddy]

I have always liked the original! But, I must admit that the splice made for the Reconsider Baby album, was a real cracker imo!
I use them both in my compilations of greats!

Is that spliced fast Version (from the Reconsider Baby album) different than the one we know?

[MikeFromHolland]

It’s however a different song than Elvis recorded. His version was written by Ivory Joe Hunter (1914-1974) and Clyde Otis (1924-2008). According to Ernst Jorgensen in his book, "Elvis Presley: A Life In Music," they wrote it especially for Elvis’ June 10, 1958 session in which he recorded the song. But that’s not right for Eddie Riff recorded it in July 1956 already:

As noted on a earlier topic of yours, this single probably did not appear in 1956:

(..)

I didn’t write it appeared in 1956, I wrote it was recorded in July 1956. Based on one of the sources I mentioned.

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[bajo]

I have always liked the original! But, I must admit that the splice made for the Reconsider Baby album, was a real cracker imo!
I use them both in my compilations of greats!

Is that spliced fast Version (from the Reconsider Baby album) different than the one we know?

As far as I know, the RB version is the only fast version in a complete form! The outtakes are incomplete!

[L Ray]

We have the sessions on FTD Elvis Gold vol2. Yes the takes are incomplete but a couple come pretty close to complete. Wish they had included the spliced one with the set.

[drjohncarpenter]

I didn’t write it appeared in 1956, I wrote it was recorded in July 1956. Based on one of the sources I mentioned.

It's implied by the sentence you write: "Eddie Riff recorded it in July 1956 already."

And three of the sources you mention indicate a 1956 release.

Hope you appreciated more in my reply that just this, most importantly my suggestion that the Dover single never made it to retail. Which means that the songwriters were indeed giving Presley a fresh piece of material to record for RCA.

[MikeFromHolland]

I didn’t write it appeared in 1956, I wrote it was recorded in July 1956. Based on one of the sources I mentioned.

It's implied by the sentence you write: "Eddie Riff recorded it in July 1956 already."

And three of the sources you mention indicate a 1956 release.

Hope you appreciated more in my reply that just this, most importantly my suggestion that the Dover single never made it to retail. Which means that the songwriters were indeed giving Presley a fresh piece of material to record for RCA.

Yes, they recorded it in July 1956 ALREADY, so the song couldn’t have been written especially for this June 1958 session, as was stated by our big hero in A Life in Music:

89B474D0-3396-4882-B4CA-DE11419E08B3.jpeg

It was NOT written especially for this session. That’s the only point I wanted to make. If you want to hold on to the false believe it was, and it was fresh, while the 1956 recording proofs otherwise, it’s totally up to you. It would be silly though, but fine with me.

.

[drjohncarpenter]

Yes, they recorded it in July 1956 ALREADY, so the song couldn’t have been written especially for this June 1958 session, as was stated by our big hero in A Life in Music:



It was NOT written especially for this session. That’s the only point I wanted to make. If you want to hold on to the false believe it was, and it was fresh, while the 1956 recording proofs otherwise, it’s totally up to you. It would be silly though, but fine with me.

Let me try again.

Many songs delivered to Elvis were created long before the session where they were taped, that's a fact. Since something with Eddie Riff was done in late 1956, of course "Ain't That Lovin' You, Baby" was composed before June 1958.

However, none of this would not stop Clyde Otis or Ivory Joe Hunter from telling Freddy Bienstock their submission was written for Elvis.

What is most pertinent, though, is my research strongly indicates the likelihood their song did not reach retail or radio until the 1964 RCA single.

[colonel snow]

Ain't that lovin' you baby - Eddie Riff 78 rpm acetate


colonel snow

[Walter Hale 4]

The Everly Brothers 1964 rendition ain't bad.

Worth a listen !