I’M LEAVIN’ – HEART OF ROME
EDITED 21-JUN-1971
SINGLE, STUDIO B RCA NASHVILLE
Reference:47-9998
Side A: I’m Leavin’
Recording: May 20, 1971 RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee
Author: Michael Jarret & Sonny Charles
B-Side: Heart Of Rome
Recording: June 6, 1970 RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee
Author: Stephens, Blaikley & Howard
Publication date: June 22, 1971
INFORMATION
The single I’m Leavin’/Heart Of Rome was released in June 1971. Despite the large number of songs recorded in June 1970, a new recording session was planned for March 1971. There were several reasons, the two main ones being to supply the busy release schedule that Elvis had with RCA and, on the other hand, Felton Jarvis was very happy with the results of June 1970, and intended to repeat the marathon sessions carried out only 9 months earlier.
The sessions were fruitful, but due to Elvis’ eye problems they were carried out in two separate sessions, between March and June. At that time Elvis had in mind to make a folk style album, a genre that captivated him, and in fact the first songs from March 1971, prove it. Unfortunately that project was not completed, and Elvis returned to the reality imposed by RCA and focused on the recording of a gospel album, another Christmas album and several more songs destined to be singles or fillers for future projects.
I’m Leavin’ comes from the sessions of May 1971. It was a contemporary song, pop style, with two very different marked rhythms, which he fell in love with. Felton Jarvis who also believed in the song (they firmly believed that it would be a success) encouraged Elvis to work on it, and he immersed himself with great intensity. The song deserves several listens, given that as we have said before, it is clear that Elvis worked on it and put his soul into it. Its problem lies in the length. The lyrics are short, for what the song lasts, being at certain moments very condensed from the famous “lalalala“. Unfortunately, it was not the expected success.
The B-side, Heart Of Rome, came from the June 1970 sessions and is largely the work of the authors of “I’ve Lost You“. This time we are faced with a song that seems more like a rehearsal. It cannot be classified. The added arrangements could not improve the song much either. It was not a song to be put on a single. Given this situation, one wonders who decided which songs were to go on the singles and albums, given the lack of tact with the chosen choices. It did not seem to be Elvis himself. This policy was already beginning to harm Elvis (and would do so in the future) commercially, since a certain drop in sales of his releases was noticeable.
This single reached number 36 on the Billboard charts, selling over 300,000 copies.
Information provided by Club Elvis Spain http://www.clubelvis.org
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