Because of Love (Elvis Presley song)

"Because of Love"
Song by Elvis Presley
from the album Girls! Girls! Girls!
ReleasedNovember 9, 1962 (1962-11-09)
RecordedMarch 27, 1962[1]
StudioRadio Recorders Studio B, Los Angeles, California
GenrePop
Length2:31
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)
  • Ruth Batchelor
  • Bob Roberts
Producer(s)Joseph Lilley

"Because of Love" is a song by Elvis Presley, released on his soundtrack album Girls! Girls! Girls! in November 1962.

Recording

"Because of Love" was recorded on March 27, 1962, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, which was the second day of recording sessions for the album. It took six takes to record the version on the album and it features backing vocals from the Jordanaires.[1]

It was released as a single in Greece in June 1963, with the flip side being another song from Girls! Girls! Girls!, "The Walls Have Ears".[2]

Billy Fury version

"Because of Love"
Single by Billy Fury
B-side"Running Around"
Released19 October 1962 (1962-10-19)
Recorded5 June 1962[3]
StudioDecca Studios, London
GenrePop
Length2:31
LabelDecca
Songwriter(s)
  • Ruth Batchelor
  • Bob Roberts
Producer(s)Mike Smith
Billy Fury singles chronology
"Once Upon a Dream"
(1962) 		"Because of Love"
(1962) 		"Like I've Never Been Gone"
(1963)

Whilst Presley was the first to record "Because of Love", it was first released by English singer Billy Fury in October 1962 as a single. It peaked at number 18 on the Record Retailer Top 50.[4]

Release and reception

Earlier in 1962, Fury and Larry Parnes flew to Los Angeles to give Presley his gold and silver discs for Decca UK sales. They spent the day on the Girls! Girls! Girls! film set and as a result, Fury decided to record a version of "Because of Love".[5]

"Because of Love" was originally half-released in mid-September, before being withdrawn.[6] It was then properly released a month later with the B-side "Running Around", written by Ernie Maresca and Ricky Shaw, and originally released by Shaw as "A Fool's Memory" in May 1962.[7]

Reviewing for Disc, Don Nicholl wrote that Fury "sings darkly for the upper half here with a very Presley-like intonation. The ballad itself is the sort which Elvis had taken to in recent months. A slow compulsive ballad with a Latin beat in it, "Because of Love" should stir up plenty of emotions in young hearts".[8] In New Record Mirror, it was described as "deep down Billy emoting soulfully about the effects of love upon him – which are considerable. The tempo is a notch above slow and the backing includes girl chorus and a multitude of strings".[9]

Track listing

7": Decca / F 11508

  1. "Because of Love" – 2:31
  2. "Running Around" – 2:01

Charts

Chart (1962) Peak
position
UK Singles (OCC)[4] 18
UK Disc Top 30[10] 16
UK Melody Maker Pop 50[11] 20
UK New Musical Express Top 30[12] 19
UK Record Retailer Top 50[4] 18

References

  1. ^ a b "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions". www.keithflynn.com. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  2. ^ "Elvis Presley With The Jordanaires – The Walls Have Ears / Because Of Love (1963, Vinyl)". Discogs. 13 June 1963. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  3. ^ "Best of Billy Fury". www.nic.fi. Retrieved 2021-08-26.
  4. ^ a b c "Billy Fury: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company.
  5. ^ Parkinson, Michael (2021-03-26). Amazing Audition: An exciting anthology of stories about Liverpool legend Billy Fury, whose life and music has affected people in so many ways. Paragon Publishing. p. 61. ISBN 978-1-78222-831-8.
  6. ^ "Discussion" (PDF). Pop Weekly. 20 October 1962. p. 16. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  7. ^ "Ricky Shaw - A Fool's Memory". 45cat. Retrieved 2021-08-27.
  8. ^ "Disc Date" (PDF). Disc. 29 September 1962. p. 8. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  9. ^ "An Emotional Billy Fury" (PDF). Record Mirror. 22 September 1962. p. 8. Retrieved 27 August 2021.
  10. ^ "Top 30" (PDF). Disc. 10 November 1962. p. 3. Retrieved 26 August 2021.
  11. ^ "Pop Fifty". Melody Maker. 17 November 1962.
  12. ^ "NME Top Thirty" (PDF). New Musical Express. 23 November 1962. p. 5. Retrieved 26 August 2021.