Released on October 21, 1958, under catalog number 20/47-7410, the single “One Night / I Got Stung” holds a unique place in Elvis Presley’s discography. It was not just another new release: it was a strategic record issued at a decisive moment in his career, when the singer was already serving in the military and RCA needed to preserve his presence in the marketplace. Elvis’s official music website itself emphasizes that the single ultimately sold 1.5 million copies, making it his strongest commercial performance since “Jailhouse Rock.”
Technical data of the single
In the official sources consulted, the release appears identified as single 20/47-7410, issued on October 21, 1958, with “One Night” as the A-side and “I Got Stung” as the B-side. The official release page also confirms that track order, while the official page for “I Got Stung” notes that both songs were later included on the album 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records Vol. 2, released in November 1959.
Track listing
1. “One Night”
“One Night” had a prior history before its release as a single. Elvis’s official website explains that the song had originally been recorded in January and February 1957, but its release was repeatedly delayed and ultimately held back. According to that same source, the reasons were Elvis’s dissatisfaction with the recording and the alteration of the lyrics: what had originally been “One Night of Sin”, following Smiley Lewis’s version, was eventually transformed into the softened formulation known to the general public as “One Night” or “One Night With You.”
The official song page dates the master take of “One Night” to February 23, 1957, at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, with Scotty Moore and Elvis Presley on guitars, Bill Black on bass, D.J. Fontana on drums, Dudley Brooks on piano, and The Jordanaires on backing vocals. Musically, it is a performance that shows a more restrained and elegant Elvis, built on a slow blues pulse and a vocal tension that is far more sensual than explosive. That mixture of control, romance, and magnetism made “One Night” one of the most memorable performances in his late-1950s repertoire.
2. “I Got Stung”
If “One Night” provided the nocturnal and seductive mood, “I Got Stung” served as the perfect counterweight: urgency, speed, and rockabilly energy. Elvis’s official page credits the composition to Aaron Schroeder and David Hill and dates the recording to June 10, 1958, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, with Hank Garland, Chet Atkins, and Elvis Presley on guitars, Bob Moore on bass, D.J. Fontana and Buddy Harman on drums, Floyd Cramer on piano, and The Jordanaires on backing vocals.
Graceland adds an important detail that helps explain the atmosphere of that session: “I Got Stung” was recorded between 2:00 and 5:00 a.m., during the studio session Elvis completed before leaving to fulfill his military duties. The official release page itself describes the song as a kind of double-speed variation on the spirit of “Don’t Be Cruel,” supported by a top-level group of Nashville musicians. Heard today, it still sounds like a short, sharp, and fully effective burst of rock and roll.
Sales, impact, and reception
In commercial terms, the official sources are clear on the essential point: “One Night / I Got Stung” sold 1.5 million copies, and Graceland describes it as Elvis’s first major hit during his Army period and as his most significant single since “Jailhouse Rock.” I have not found a detailed territorial breakdown of those sales in the official sources consulted, but there is a clear consensus regarding the release’s scale within Elvis’s 1958-1959 catalog.
The impact of the single was not limited to the United States. Graceland’s official blog notes that “I Got Stung,” on the B-side of the single, reached number 1 on the UK singles chart, proof that this release worked as a very strong two-sided package rather than as a one-song single. Added to that is Graceland’s awards archive, where “I Got Stung” is listed as a Gold Record and “One Night” appears recognized in the American Bandstand Poll as the Best Record of 1958.
Final conclusion
“One Night / I Got Stung” was not just another single in Elvis Presley’s career: it was proof that his commercial appeal and artistic authority could survive even a pause as delicate as his military service. “One Night” brought maturity, sensuality, and a highly sophisticated vocal performance; “I Got Stung,” meanwhile, delivered rhythmic punch, urgency, and the spark of Elvis at his most electric. Together, the two songs formed a balanced, memorable, and commercially powerful single. That is why, more than six decades later, catalog number 20/47-7410 remains a key release for understanding how Elvis held on to the throne even while he was away from the stage.
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