A Mess Of Blues (the 1960 UK hit single)

[jetblack]

Elvis' magnificent recording of 'A Mess Of Blues' (RCA 1194) was a huge UK hit in 1960. It charted for eighteen weeks, peaking at position #2 for two weeks. It was kept off the top spot by The Shadows instrumental, 'Apache' which spent five weeks at the top.

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'A Mess Of Blues' was only released as a stop-gap single in the UK as the release of 'It's Now Or Never' was being delayed due to copyright problems in Europe. 'A Mess Of Blues' was confined to the B side of 'It's Now Or Never' in the U.S. whereas in the UK the flip of 'It's Now Or Never' would be 'Make Me Know It'.

'A Mess Of Blues' would make it's album debut on the 1968 release of 'Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4'.

(Rare UK sleeve listing 'Never Ending' instead of 'Love Letters').

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Andy

[jurasic1968]

Thanks.

[Greystoke]

Despite the reason for A Mess of Blues being released as a single in the U.K., it's a terrific recording and one that was obviously good single material at the time. Although practically anything Elvis released in the early-sixties would have made an impression on the charts.

Elvis's singing is so very expressive here, though. And colourful. His phrasing is delicious, from the way he sings certain lines and stretches vowels as he enunciates some of the words. To the way he surely understands and conveys the lyrics. It's a song that could be superficial in some hands, but not here. It deserved to be a hit.

Speaking of the charts, A Mess of Blues was still at No. 11 in the UK when It's Now or Never accomplished that rare feat at the time, of debuting at No. 1. It actually spent a week longer in the top-ten than It's Now or Never. With Elvis is Back! and G.I. Blues making an impression in their own right and at the same time, on the album charts.

Thanks, Andy. Great song to highlight.

[jurasic1968]

Right.

[jeanno]

Of all Pomus/Schuman compositions, A MESS OF BLUES is my favorite. It's a fun and tasteful combination of Rock and Pop with an elegante bluesy touch. Elvis' vocals are of course perfect, with a great falsetto at the very end that always reminds me of another masterpiece: MYSTERY TRAIN.

To my point of view, RCA got it wrong when chosing STUCK ON YOU over AMOB for the first post-army lead single. SOY may be catchy and a little bit more on the Rock side, but AMOB is more ambitious, classier... and full of Rhythm And Blues.

[Greystoke]

RCA trade advertisement from December, 1960, highlighting the hit singles and albums on the label for the year that was about to end. Elvis had a few!

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[jurasic1968]

Some Elvis singles were hits in UK but not in the USA, like Wooden Heart and The Girl of My Best Friend.

[billy jack]

Unbelievable that this gem didn't end up on ''Elvis Is Back!''. After Floyd Cramer's great intro, what follows is pure rhythmic R&B. This is one of those songs that never gets boring. D.J. Fontana is on top of his game. If you listen carefully, Elvis is singing ''A Mess Of The Blues''.

Due to copyright problems (It'' Now Or Never''), RCA UK first released ''A Mess Of Blues''/''The Girl Of My Best Friend'' on July 22, 1960 and it wasn't until October 28, 1960 that ''It's Now Or Never'' was released (with '' 'Make Me Know It'') on the market. The American B-side of ''It's Now Or Never'' therefore becomes the A-side in Europe.

[jetblack]

Some Elvis singles were hits in UK but not in the USA, like Wooden Heart and The Girl of My Best Friend.

This also happened previously with notable songs like Blue Suede Shoes (#9), Paralyzed (#8) and King Creole (#2).

Andy

[Igotstung]

Beautiful beautiful beautiful song.

Phrasing is exquisite. Who else can sing " oops there goes a teardropppp". That "ppp" is so Elvis.

[chop983]

That's some pairing

[drjohncarpenter]

Of all Pomus/Schuman compositions, A MESS OF BLUES is my favorite. It's a fun and tasteful combination of Rock and Pop with an elegante bluesy touch. Elvis' vocals are of course perfect, with a great falsetto at the very end that always reminds me of another masterpiece: MYSTERY TRAIN.

To my point of view, RCA got it wrong when chosing STUCK ON YOU over AMOB for the first post-army lead single. SOY may be catchy and a little bit more on the Rock side, but AMOB is more ambitious, classier... and full of Rhythm And Blues.

If RCA's choosing a track that went to #1 in the U.S. and a least six other countries barely a month after it was recorded, and sold over a million copies domestically, is getting it "wrong," they don't ever want to be right.



Every tune Elvis waxed at that first post-Army session on March 20th is filled with the joy, energy and power of a guy who couldn't wait to get back to his singing career.

RCA Nashville
Sunday, March 20, 1960

Make Me Know It
Soldier Boy
Stuck On You
Fame and Fortune
A Mess of Blues
It Feels So Right

Pomus and Shuman's "A Mess of Blues" was perfection, and the first Presley recorded by the team. They wrote another two that year for the Drifters, each absolutely magnificent. I'm sure Elvis heard them, too.

This Magic Moment
Save The Last Dance For Me

[jeanno]

STUCK ON YOU was clearly a hit but the song was not as classy as A MESS OF BLUES, at least to my ears.
I'd say that SOY was the safe way to secure a #1 hit record.

"The number that had been selected as the A-Side of the single was an easy-going mid-tempo rocker with a confortably commercial hook (STUCK ON YOU was a palatable enough substitute for ALL SHOOK UP, even if it didn't offer much in the way of panache) (...)."
(Peter Guralnick, "The Essential 60's Masters", 1993)

[minkahed]

I think I read somewhere that someone, a critic, had proclaimed that a A Mess Of Blues was just another middle of the road affair when listening to the album Elvis’ Gold Records, Volume 4.

I’m gonna have to go back and check that out.

I disagree, (What a vocal), but hey, I’m just a fan.

[chop983]

Stuck on you, had over 1million pre-orders before it was even recorded, He was going to no.1 no matter what.

[billy jack]

Of all Pomus/Schuman compositions, A MESS OF BLUES is my favorite. It's a fun and tasteful combination of Rock and Pop with an elegante bluesy touch. Elvis' vocals are of course perfect, with a great falsetto at the very end that always reminds me of another masterpiece: MYSTERY TRAIN.

To my point of view, RCA got it wrong when chosing STUCK ON YOU over AMOB for the first post-army lead single. SOY may be catchy and a little bit more on the Rock side, but AMOB is more ambitious, classier... and full of Rhythm And Blues.

It is rare that a single is so impatiently awaited. The pre-orders are above 1.2 million. Relive times like 1956-1958. Billboard: ''Presley's back and he's as hot as ever''. It takes ''only'' three takes to achieve this future million seller.

''Stuck On You'', the melody is catchy with an audibly mature voice from Elvis, even if it is minimal. In any case, it is very easy for Elvis to put this on record. Five days after recording in the studio, ''Stuck On You'' is sung live during Frank Sinatra's show.

I understand RCA's choice to release ''Stuck On You'' as the first single because of the country-pop/soft-rock genre, to play it safe versus ''A Mess Of Blues'', which is a completely R&B track. From any music platform, their compiled Elvis playlist, I would skip ''Stuck On You'' and listen to ''A Mess Of Blues'' in its entirety.

[jurasic1968]

Stuck on You was the right choice for the A side single. RCA was right. Elvis was back.

[jeanno]

Of all Pomus/Schuman compositions, A MESS OF BLUES is my favorite. It's a fun and tasteful combination of Rock and Pop with an elegante bluesy touch. Elvis' vocals are of course perfect, with a great falsetto at the very end that always reminds me of another masterpiece: MYSTERY TRAIN.

To my point of view, RCA got it wrong when chosing STUCK ON YOU over AMOB for the first post-army lead single. SOY may be catchy and a little bit more on the Rock side, but AMOB is more ambitious, classier... and full of Rhythm And Blues.

It is rare that a single is so impatiently awaited. The pre-orders are above 1.2 million. Relive times like 1956-1958. Billboard: ''Presley's back and he's as hot as ever''. It takes ''only'' three takes to achieve this future million seller.

''Stuck On You'', the melody is catchy with an audibly mature voice from Elvis, even if it is minimal. In any case, it is very easy for Elvis to put this on record. Five days after recording in the studio, ''Stuck On You'' is sung live during Frank Sinatra's show.

I understand RCA's choice to release ''Stuck On You'' as the first single because of the country-pop/soft-rock genre, to play it safe versus ''A Mess Of Blues'', which is a completely R&B track. From any music platform, their compiled Elvis playlist, I would skip ''Stuck On You'' and listen to ''A Mess Of Blues'' in its entirety.

I couldn't agree more. A MESS OF BLUES is an amazing R&B recording. STUCK ON YOU was a pop hit.

[Greystoke]

1960 was undoubtedly a banner year for Elvis, and this was certainly one of his best years in the industry. With much of that success continuing into 1961.

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[Mister Mike]

It took me a few years to realize that Elvis never sings the actual title of the song.

Great song, BTW.

[drjohncarpenter]

It took me a few years to realize that Elvis never sings the actual title of the song.

Great song, BTW.

Wish we could hear the demo submitted to the session.

Did the vocalist sing the title as written, or did Elvis improvise during the recording?


Some interesting covers followed the Presley original, including a 1964 track by Peter and Gordon -- with Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones providing harmonica -- and a much bluesier arrangement by Delbert McClinton in 1979.

[r&b]

Pomus/Shuman were at their peak in the early 60's, and this is one of their best. Probably should have been an A side, but what was going to stop 'Its Now Or Never' from being massive in the U.S.? nothing. As for Stuck On You, RCA didnt even know the title of his first post Army single and just printed a picture sleeve with no song titles. Its was a fine rocker akin to his 50's style and that is probably why it was picked. With all those pre-orders it couldnt miss and any of those fine 1960 songs would have been a huge hit. However why not such a massive response to Elvis Is Back? Here we had an album of 12 all new songs, some of his best ever album cuts. I'll never understand why this album didnt hit #1 and stay there for weeks. Was he such a singles artist that he needed a single on that album in order for it sell more?

[jetblack]

In 1983 Status Quo released 'A Mess Of Blues' as a single. The song title was tweaked to 'A Mess Of The Blues'. It peaked at position #15 on the UK chart.



Andy

[Igotstung]

Did Elvis pick singles in 1960 as he used to pre-army?

[jurasic1968]

Sometimes he did.