Paralyzed (Elvis Presley song)
"Paralyzed" is a 1956 song recorded by Elvis Presley for his album Elvis. The song was recorded on September 2, 1956, and has been well received by modern music critics.[1] The song was written by Otis Blackwell, with Elvis receiving partial song-writing credit.
| "Paralyzed" | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Song by Elvis Presley | |
| from the album Elvis | |
| Released | October 19, 1956 |
| Recorded | September 2, 1956 |
| Genre | Rock and roll |
| Length | 2:18 |
| Label | RCA Victor |
| Songwriter(s) | Otis Blackwell |
Chart history
"Paralyzed" reached #59 on the Billboard pop singles chart in 1956. The song was off of the Elvis album. The song was released as an EP by RCA Victor in the U.S.: Elvis Volume 1, RCA EPA-992, which was released on October 19, 1956. The EP peaked on the Billboard EP Chart at #4.
In the UK, "Paralyzed" reached no. 8 after its release in August, 1957 in a 10-week chart run as an HMV single, 45-POP 378, backed with "When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again".[2]
Album appearances
Elvis Presley performed the song on the 1956 Million Dollar Quartet sessions and live in concert in 1956. A live version is featured on the 5-CD box set The Young Man with the Big Beat (2011). The song also appears on the 1990 BMG collection The Million Dollar Quartet and The Complete Million Dollar Quartet. The song is also on the box set The King of Rock and Roll: The Complete 1950s Masters by RCA/BMG. The song was also performed on the December 16, 1956 Louisiana Hayride.[3]
Personnel
The song was recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California, produced by Steve Sholes and engineered by Thorne Nogar.
Musicians:
- Guitar: Elvis Presley
- Guitar: Scotty Moore
- Bass: Bill Black
- Drums: D.J. Fontana
- Piano: Elvis Presley
- Backup Vocals: The Jordanaires: Gordon Stoker; Neal Matthews; Hoyt Hawkins; Hugh Jarrett
Other recordings by notable artists
Dave Edmunds recorded the song in 1986 as part of his live album I Hear You Rockin'.[4] Ronnie McDowell, Graham Parker, Johnny Earl and The Jordanaires, Alan Merrill and Billy Fury have also recorded the song.[5]
References
- Elvis Collectors. Joey Kent interview: "... nice gems like 'Paralyzed' ...".
- Song artist 1 - Elvis Presley.Tsort.org.
- Elvis Collectors.
- Poore, Billy (1998). Rockabilly: A Forty-Year Journey. Hal Leonard Corporation. p. 229. ISBN 9780793591428. Retrieved November 22, 2011.
- Paralyzed. Second Hand Songs.
Sources
- Victor, Adam. The Elvis Encyclopedia. Overlook Duckworth; 2008. ISBN 1-58567-598-9.
- Wadey, Paul. "Jake Hess". The Independent. January 8, 2004 [cited December 28, 2009].
- Warwick, Neil; Kutner, Jon; Brown, Tony. The Complete Book of the British Charts: Singles & Albums. 3rd ed. Omnibus Press; 2004. ISBN 1-84449-058-0.
- Waters, Lindsay. "Come Softly, Darling, Hear What I Say: Listening in a State of Distraction—A Tribute to the Work of Walter Benjamin, Elvis Presley, and Robert Christgau". Boundary 2. Spring 2003.
- Whitburn, Joel. Billboard Top 1000 Singles 1955–1992. Billboard Books; 1993. ISBN 0-7935-2072-X.
- Whitburn, Joel. The Billboard Book of Top 40 Hits. 8th ed. Billboard Books; 2004. ISBN 0-8230-7499-4
