Surrender

[MikeFromHolland]

.


"Torna a Surriento" is a Neapolitan song composed in 1902 by Italian musician Ernesto De Curtis to words by his brother, the poet and painter Giambattista De Curtis. The song was copyrighted officially in 1905, and has since become one of the most popular songs of this traditional genre, which include others such as O sole mio, Funiculì, funiculà, and Santa Lucia.


Dean Martin recorded his Italian version of Torna a Surriento on November 19, 1951:
..



Just like Frank Sinatra did, in Italian:
..



Being a Lanza fan, Elvis might have heard the Italian version of Mario Lanza though:
..



Claude Aveling wrote the English language lyrics, which are titled "Come Back to Sorrento". Here's an early version (1947) by Josef Locke:
..



Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman re-arranged it and wrote a new set of lyrics for Elvis under the name of "Surrender". This was one of 25 songs Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote for Elvis. He recorded it on Sunday, October 30, 1960:
..


The single, backed with "Lonely Man", reached #1 in the UK as well as in the US.


Not many people might know that another set of lyrics was written somewhat later by Joseph J. Lilley for Dean Martin, who recorded his version as "Take Me In Your Arms" on September 8, 1961. It was released on February 5, 1962:
..



To close this topic off, here's a Russian version called Вернись в Сорренто as sung by Жанна Агузарова:
..




Sources
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torna_a_Surriento
http://davidneale.eu/elvis/originals/list8.html#S1468
https://secondhandsongs.com/work/146682

.

[jetblack]

Dino's versions are excellent but Elvis stamps his authority all over this 1960 CLASSIC holding the listener captive with the power of his voice until that soaring ending.

Some interesting details are found in this article:-

http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-surrender.html

Cheers Mike.

Andy

[Juan Luis]

Thanks Mike! IIRC, this is the song Bill Porter had some stomach problems and was not on top of the sound because of it. Clearly another Italian inspired song to try to capture the "It's Now Or Never" lightning, for a second time. Not quite. But great performance by Elvis.

[GERRY]

I would like totally Isolate vocals to compile a new version with new guitars etc. That Zep version is an inspiration.

[Steve Morse]

Sheer perfection by Elvis and the assembled musicians.

[Domino]

Dino's was cool but Elvis's rendition was ultimate cool.

[goldbelt]

Surrender is a favourite, wonderful phrasing from Elvis, great dramatic instrumentation and once again Millie Kirkham adding some lovely vocal touches. The whole track builds to a spectacular powerful finish from Elvis. Millie's backing vocals as the track fades are just beautiful.

Seemingly it was at Elvis' request that the new lyrics were written.

Early takes of Surrender feature a much more low key ending to the song though, and it seems that vocal technique advice from Jordanaire Ray Walker during a break in recording led to Elvis working on creating the powerhouse ending that one hears on the master. Eventually, one of those work part endings would be spliced to the end of take 4 to create the completed master.

The FTD of 'His Hand In Mine' contains all the outtakes for the song plus approx four and a half minutes of Elvis doing take after take of just the work part - strip your gears ending of the song - great stuff!

The original ending of take 4 however does not seem to feature on this release and I am not sure whether the original ending of take 4 has ever surfaced.

[Stvimpe]

Great song! Thanks, Mike.

Here are some YouTube clips of alternate takes. As well as an awkward 'live remix' and Anna Calvi's live's version of Surrender.

Take 1

..


Take 6

..


Take 9

..


A awkward 'live remix' - though it has some nice Elvis in concert shots

..


Anna Calvi's live version of Surrender- Music Hall of Williamsburg in New York on 13 December 2011

Anna Margaret Michelle Calvi (born 24 September 1980) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in the United Kingdom in 2011 and was nominated for the Mercury Prize and earned her a nomination for British Breakthrough Act at the 2012 Brit Awards. Her second album One Breath was released in 2013 through Domino Records and was also nominated for the Mercury Prize.

..

[colonel snow]

here a few of the oldest recordings of the song:

00-06-05 - Mario Massa (Odeon 37125) = original version; 61
31-12-06 - Vincente Barile (Victor 3802 / 62599);
00-00-06 - Francesco Daddi (Edison cylinder BA 3377);
00-00-07 - Francesco Daddi (Edison cylinder 19069);
26-03-08 - Francesco Daddi (Victor 3813 / 62427);
00-00-08 - Francesco Daddi (Gramophone 52497);
31-01-10 - Carmen Melis (Edison cylinder 40020).

colonel snow

[skatterbrane]

Just checked out Anna Calvi on line. Well, as with so many of today's great talent, their recordings suffer from extreme compression, tons of cavernous echo and noise. I really like her music and singing and was considering buying her CDs but upon sampling I find the production obnoxious. This is the norm and I have refrained from buying many new artist who sound good on live TV shows or on live performances on YouTube, but their CDs sound horrible. Another example would be Lucius.

[rollinson1]

One of the greatest two minutes ever cut to vinyl, bar none.Absolute perfection.

[MikeFromHolland]

here a few of the oldest recordings of the song:

00-06-05 - Mario Massa (Odeon 37125) = original version; 61
31-12-06 - Vincente Barile (Victor 3802 / 62599);
00-00-06 - Francesco Daddi (Edison cylinder BA 3377);
00-00-07 - Francesco Daddi (Edison cylinder 19069);
26-03-08 - Francesco Daddi (Victor 3813 / 62427);
00-00-08 - Francesco Daddi (Gramophone 52497);
31-01-10 - Carmen Melis (Edison cylinder 40020).

colonel snow

Thank you colonel snow!

Mario Massa
..

Francesco Daddi
..


One of my favorite versions. Luciano Pavarotti in Roma during the historical Three Tenors concert at the opening of the 1990 FIFA World Cup Final. I saw it live on tv at the time and it send shivers through my spine. Pavarotti has that effect on me more often. You feel his torments. Wonderful:
..

How I wished Elvis would have re-recorded it like this in his later years. Imagine him singing this to Priscilla:

"Ma nun mme lassá,
nun darme stu turmiento...
Torna a Graceland:
famme campá!"

"Don't leave me,
Don't give me such torments...
Come back to Graceland,
Bring me back to life!"


The Lyrics:

Torna a Surriento

Vide 'o mare quant'è bello!
spira tanta sentimento...
Comme tu, a chi tiene mente,
ca, scetato, 'o faje sunná!

Guarda guá' chistu ciardino,
siente sié' sti sciure 'arancio...
nu prufumo accussí fino,
dint''o core se ne va...

E tu dice: "Io parto, addio!"
T'alluntane da stu core...
Da la terra de ll'ammore,
tiene 'o core 'e nun turná?!

Ma nun mme lassá,
nun darme stu turmiento...
Torna a Surriento:
famme campá!...

Vide 'o mare de Surriento
che tesore tene 'nfunno:
Chi ha girato tutt''o munno,
nun ll'ha visto comm'a ccá!

Guarda, attuorno, sti Ssirene
ca te guardano 'ncantate
e te vònno tantu bene:
Te vulessero vasá!...

E tu dice: "Io parto, addio!"
T'alluntane da stu core...
Da sta terra de ll'ammore,
tiene 'o core 'e nun turná?!

Ma nun mme lassá,
nun darme stu turmiento...
Torna a Surriento:
famme campá!...


Translated

Look at the sea, how beautiful it is!
It inspires with a great feeling..
Like you
It dreams.

Look down, at this garden,
Smell these flowers of orange trees...
So fine fragrance,
It is penetrating straight into the heart.

And you are saying: “I am leaving. Good-bye!”
You are moving away from this heart,
From the earth of love.
Do you dare not to come back?

Don't leave me,
Don't give me such torments...
Come back to Sorrento,
Bring me back to life!...

Look, the sea in Sorrento,
What treasures it keeps on the bottom.
Who travelled all over the world
Didn't see something like here!

Look around, these sirens,
Bewitched they are looking at you
And love you so much:
They would like to kiss you!

And you are saying: “I am leaving. Good-bye!”
You are moving away from this heart,
From the earth of love.
Do you dare not to come back?

Don't leave me,
Don't give me such torments...
Come back to Sorrento,
Bring me back to life!...

.

[MikeFromHolland]

Great song! Thanks, Mike.


Anna Calvi's live version of Surrender- Music Hall of Williamsburg in New York on 13 December 2011

Anna Margaret Michelle Calvi (born 24 September 1980) is an English singer-songwriter and guitarist. Her eponymous debut album was released in the United Kingdom in 2011 and was nominated for the Mercury Prize and earned her a nomination for British Breakthrough Act at the 2012 Brit Awards. Her second album One Breath was released in 2013 through Domino Records and was also nominated for the Mercury Prize.

..

Thank you Stvimpe!

Never heard Anna Calvi's live version before. Here's her studio version:

..



Another recent version of "Surrender", by Il Volo this time:

..

.

[r&b]

Great song. Almost as good as Never. Should have been sung in concert dont you think?

[goldbelt]

I prefer 'Surrender' to 'It's Now Or Never', and it would have been a great choice to add to the live set list.

There are at least 2 shows where he vocalised along to some of the melody to 'Surrender' before abandoning it.

The first example of this (21st August 1969 ms) was released originally on the 'Collectors Gold' set as part of the 1969 live compilation (disc 3). Subsequently it was also released in it's correct sequence within the context of the original show on the BMG 2 disc set 'Viva Las Vegas' (disc 2).

Secondly, on an audience recorded bonus track from Straight Arrow's 'High Sierra Fever', he revisits the melody to 'Surrender' during the 6th May 1973 Lake Tahoe show - this time with some accompanying piano, before stating it's the "wrong song" and announcing "'It's Over', and let's go home".

Surrender (excerpt) - Las Vegas (21st August 1969 ms)
..

[Eggrert]

Great song, great topic! Somehow I never realized that Surrender has the same melody as Come Back to Sorrento.

[jeanno]

Great track, awesome singing: I prefer it to IT'S NOW OR NEVER and all the other latino-songs from our man.
I feel that, just like IF I CAN DREAM, it would have been pretty tough for Elvis to give a good live rendition on stage.
Maybe back in 1969...

[drjohncarpenter]

Great song. Almost as good as Never. Should have been sung in concert dont you think?

Elvis apparently delivered the full song in concert, once:





Ellis Auditorium - Sunday, February 25, 1961 AS
http://www.elvisconcerts.com/earlyconcerts/Concert_expand.php?id=644

February 1961 Charity Shows -> Mysterious!
http://www.elvis-collectors.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=8&t=37048

At the time it was #4 in the charts, hitting the top a month later.

Alan Hanson's wonderful blog devoted one entry to this A-side a few years back. Some highlights:

Initially Doc [Pomus] viewed “Surrender” as nothing more than just another job, but Elvis’s delivery of the song astonished him, according to Halberstadt. “Presley imbued ‘Surrender’ with sly humor and an almost maniacal ardor, transforming it into a dramatic showcase for his genuinely amazing chops … Doc was humbled by the result. He had to admit that Elvis was a songwriter’s dream. He could make a mediocre song distinctive, make a good one great, and make a great one indelible. When he wanted to, he sang anything—from spirituals to novelty pop—brilliantly, finding just the right emotional shading.”

...

Ironically, though, although it was Elvis’s twelfth #1 single and his fifth straight chart-topper, “Surrender” can also be viewed as the end of Presley’s singles chart domination. He would only have two more #1 singles over the remaining 16 years of his career.

See more here:
http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-surrender.html

[r&b]

that would be the time to hear it live . 1961. not the 70's. No tapes exist I presume?

[drjohncarpenter]

that would be the time to hear it live . 1961. not the 70's. No tapes exist I presume?

Sadly, there are no known tapes for the Memphis shows given on 2-25-1961. Oh, the pain.

[jetblack]

See more here:
http://www.elvis-history-blog.com/elvis-surrender.html

I already posted that link on this very page. You really should pay attention.

Andy

[drjohncarpenter]

Great track, awesome singing: I prefer it to IT'S NOW OR NEVER and all the other latino-songs from our man.
I feel that, just like IF I CAN DREAM, it would have been pretty tough for Elvis to give a good live rendition on stage.
Maybe back in 1969...

I agree Elvis could have done a lovely job on "Surrender" in the summer of 1969. He certainly had the #1 song on his mind at the time. As noted, during the "sit down" section of these performances he sometimes did a one-liner of it, for example on All Shook Up (Follow That Dream, 2005), which contains the 8-26-1969 MS from the RCA multi-tracks.

[DearGeorgie]

He also "sang" the melody during a recording session in December '73....it was tacked onto the beginning of "If You Don't Come Back (take 3)" on both Essential Elvis 5 and Elvis at Stax :

..

[poormadpeter2]

Great song. Almost as good as Never. Should have been sung in concert dont you think?

No. If you have to work that hard to get the ending in the studio, why risk missing that ending on stage and looking like a fool? The slightly easier its now or never was the more sensible option.

[goldbelt]

I agree Elvis could have done a lovely job on "Surrender" in the summer of 1969.

Agreed! And thanks for the info about the possible 1961 show performance.

As noted, during the "sit down" section of these performances he sometimes did a one-liner of it,

Other than the 21st August 1969 ms, which other show(s) did he vocalise the melody to Surrender that year?

for example on All Shook Up (Follow That Dream, 2005), which contains the 8-26-1969 MS from the RCA multi-tracks.

Not on the 26th August 1969 ms he didn't.

The 21st August excerpt of Surrender was however edited onto the Are You Laughing Tonight from the 26th August show on the Collectors Gold box set, but as noted previously, was eventually released in context on disc 2 of BMG's Viva Las Vegas.