"Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)"

[Juan Luis]

Aaron Schroeder's and Cliff Owens' penned "Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will be)", was recorded on July 2, 1956 in New York, New York at RCA Studios with Steve Sholes and Elvis Presley producing, and Ernie Oehlrich behind the console. The third track waxed after the rock n' roll classics, "Hound Dog" and "Don't Be Cruel" respectively. What a way to cap the New York City sessions!

According to Peter Guralnick; Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires was not impressed with Elvis Presley as a singer until he recorded "Any Way You Want Me", stating words to the effect of "this guy can really sing"!
In my opinion, this recording shows how vast and fast Elvis Presley was improving his ballad singing, he was already well on his way in becoming one of the greatest ballad singers of all time for this fan.
Elvis communicates and evokes such feeling that makes you want to listen to the words of the song regardless of his diction. Pure emotion came out of his mouth in a way that attracts interest, attention, and almost a need to listen again and again until (speaking for myself), one is hooked, line, and sinker with the record! I feel the recording does not do justice to how Elvis sounded in the studio. We are lucky in my opinion, to get at least some of the "magic" via the recording. It must have been an intense experience (for those present), seeing and hearing him sing live in the studio while wringing out every ounce of emotion, take- after-take until realizing (to Elvis' satisfaction), the master at take twelve! I love it!

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[colonel snow]

Too much echo added; the "dry" version without echo sounds better in my opinion.



colonel snow

[Domino]

Aw.....a favorite for sure.Loved it when he did songs like this.Thanks for another great topic.

[GERRY]

Elvis Golden records vol 1 reprocessed stereo is wherei first heard this amazing track, worethat album out on my grans radio gram.
Enjoying these posts of Juans with the info.thanks.

[brian]

This song is great it has always been underrated and underappreciated because it wasn't a hit single.
It was one of several songs that Elvis probably should have performed on stage in the seventies. I would have liked that.

[elvis-fan]

Next to Can't Help Falling In Love, this is my (2nd) favorite Presley ballad. Never tire of hearing this classic. July 2, 1956 was one of the finest days in music history!!

[jacob]

Along with Trying To Get To You my top two Elvis tunes.

[When In Rome]

Fantastic song. Fantastic vocal performance. One of my all time favourites and probably always will be-he-heee...

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk

[OnStage55]

I first heard this wonderful ballad on Elvis Golden Records, i loved it the first time and love it now.

[r&b]

Another classic rock-a-ballad. A style he excelled in, and we had so much of in the 50's. I played this much more than the A side back in the day. These styled ballads basically disappeared after 1960, when the beat took a back seat in his ballads and a more countrified or Latin influenced sound emerged by 1961 with some exceptions (It Hurts me for example). And oh yes, another classic song totally ignored in the concert yeas. Elvis, I just dont get it.

[drjohncarpenter]

Interestingly, I recently discovered that Elvis was slated to sing this B-side at CBS-TV in Los Angeles, on 9-09-1956 (Sun). The original song line-up noted in some TV listings for his appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" was:

Don't Be Cruel
Ready Teddy
Any Way You Want Me

[norrie]

Love it.Although it's a ballad thanks mainly to the Jordanaries and Elvis' vocal it packs a punch.

norrie

[Juan Luis]

"Cliff Owens" one of the co-writers, is in fact the pen-name for Clyde Otis, who wrote many songs with Brook Benton, including "Doncha' Think It's Time," & of course "Ain't That Loving You Baby" with Ivory Joe Hunter. A friend just sent me this information. Thanks very much!

[Dixieland Rocks]

Too much echo added; the "dry" version without echo sounds better in my opinion.



colonel snow

Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be) and I Want You, I Need You , I Love You are two very under appreciated songs in my opinion. When I was growing up (before I was a fan) my mother had The Elvis' Golden Records LP and those two songs hold their own with the rest of the songs on the LP. It just seems they don't get as much notoriety as the others on the album.

Where can I find the "dry" version?

[stevelecher]

I just never cared for I Want You, I Need You, I Love You. Any Way You Want Me is fantastic. What a vocal from the 21 year old.

[colonel snow]

Too much echo added; the "dry" version without echo sounds better in my opinion.



colonel snow

Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be) and I Want You, I Need You , I Love You are two very under appreciated songs in my opinion. When I was growing up (before I was a fan) my mother had The Elvis' Golden Records LP and those two songs hold their own with the rest of the songs on the LP. It just seems they don't get as much notoriety as the others on the album.

Where can I find the "dry" version?

The dry version is circulating on tape in collector's circles.

colonel snow

[MikeFromHolland]

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Great song!

How it may have sounded back in the day:

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[MikeFromHolland]

"Cliff Owens" one of the co-writers, is in fact the pen-name for Clyde Otis, who wrote many songs with Brook Benton, including "Doncha' Think It's Time," & of course "Ain't That Loving You Baby" with Ivory Joe Hunter. A friend just sent me this information. Thanks very much!

True!


Cliff Owens aka Clyde Otis

After serving in the Marines during World War II, Otis moved to New York and began writing songs. Otis' first success was Nat King Cole’s recording of his song “That’s All There Is to That”, which reached the Billboard Top 20 in 1956.

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He also worked with the likes of Dinah Washington, Timi Yuro and Sarah Vaughan. His songs have been recorded by such artists as Elvis Presley, Johnny Mathis and Aretha Franklin. And in 1994, Natalie Cole’s Take A Look, won him a Grammy as producer. Clyde Otis was 83 when he passed away on January 8, 2008.


Source: http://themusicsover.com/tag/brook-benton/


Clyde Otis himself, together with his orchestra in 1961:

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"Jungle drums" was at the 12th position in the Belgian Hit-Parade Top 100 in 1961.

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[Domino]

Interestingly, I recently discovered that Elvis was slated to sing this B-side at CBS-TV in Los Angeles, on 9-09-1956 (Sun). The original song line-up noted in some TV listings for his appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" was:

Don't Be Cruel
Ready Teddy
Any Way You Want Me

Wow...wish that had of happened.

[minkahed]

This track is absolutely amazing !!!

Elvis' vocal is stellar.

How this 21 year old singer was able to reach and drench such rawness, depth and pure emotion, is beyond comprehension.

An Elvis failed music class ?

It's definitely one of my favorite Elvis songs of all time.

Definitely should have been a number one smash.

[Tmorelli01]

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Great song!

How it may have sounded back in the day:

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Awesome - I have several Victrola's as well but I would never put an Elvis 78 on the turntable and play it with one of those steel needles. By the 1950's the 78's were made to be played with a finer (and lighter) diamond stylus. The steel needle will dig a very deep groove in your record. I have a few Sun 78's that must have been played on one of these older machines and they don't sound good at all on a modern turntable - even with a wider stylus that is made for the deeper grooves on a 78.

[Davelee]

Love this song its a classic, flawless. I like most of his 50s ballads.

[Mike Windgren]

Hi there!! .

Amazing vocal of Elvis on this song .

Would give an arm to be a fly on the wall to have witnessed the recording of it. Has been rumoured that Elvis attempted Only You too! .

Thanks for the topic as usual Juan Luis!. Bye for now .

Source: http://www.keithflynn.com/recording-sessions/560702.html#03

[drjohncarpenter]

Interestingly, I recently discovered that Elvis was slated to sing this B-side at CBS-TV in Los Angeles, on 9-09-1956 (Sun). The original song line-up noted in some TV listings for his appearance on the "Ed Sullivan Show" was:

Don't Be Cruel
Ready Teddy
Any Way You Want Me

Wow...wish that had of happened.

Nice to read at least someone else was interested to learn we almost got a live TV performance of this song in 1956.

It's fun to share.

[poormadpeter2]

After serving in the Marines during World War II, Otis moved to New York and began writing songs. Otis' first success was Nat King Cole’s recording of his song “That’s All There Is to That”, which reached the Billboard Top 20 in 1956.

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Wow. That brought back memories. When I was a kid someone gave me about 100 78rpm records from the 50s, and this was one of them. Probably haven't heard it since I left home twenty years ago - not sure what happened to the records, come to think of it. Used to the love B-side too - Love Me As Though There Were No Tomorrow. Must hunt them down on a CD.