Elvis 56 is a compilation album of studio master recordings by American singer and musician Elvis Presley made during 1956, released by RCA Records in 1996. The original sessions took place at RCA Studios in Nashville and New York, and at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.

Elvis 56
Compilation album by Elvis Presley
Released	March 5, 1996 (1996-03-05)
Recorded	January–September 1956
Genre	Rock
Length	50:31
Label	RCA Records
Elvis Presley chronology
Walk a Mile in My Shoes: The Essential '70s Masters (1995) Elvis 56 (1996) An Afternoon in the Garden (1997)

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]

Contents

The disc presents five singles with five B-sides, five tracks from his debut album, and six tracks from his second long-player, Elvis. All were both recorded and released in the title year of the disc, 1956, except for "Too Much," released in January 1957. An alternate and earlier take of "Heartbreak Hotel" included is previously unreleased. "Elvis '56" also contains much more reverb and tape echo than the original recordings.

By concentrating on the rhythm numbers rather than the country material and the ballads, this compilation showcases Presley the early icon of rock and roll in the 1950s, also arguing for this particular year as being his most notable in the decade, and perhaps even that of his entire career.

Track listing

Chart positions for LPs and EPs from Billboard Top Pop Albums chart; positions for singles from Billboard Pop Singles chart.

Personnel

• Elvis Presley – vocal, guitar
• Scotty Moore – guitar
• Chet Atkins – guitar
• Floyd Cramer – piano
• Shorty Long – piano
• Gordon Stoker – piano, backing vocals
• Bill Black – bass
• D.J. Fontana – drums
• The Jordanaires – backing vocals
• Ben Speer – backing vocals
• Brock Speer – backing vocals

Charts

References