A Mess of Blues
The Girl of My Best Friend
RCA 1194 (45 rpm)
Track Listing:
Side 1:
1. A Mess Of Blues
Side 2:
1. The Girl Of My Best Friend
Released: July 1960:
Sound Format: mono
UK Single No: (29)
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These songs were taken from the mono album: "Elvis Is Back!" (RD 27171). The A-side is a brilliant bluesy tune where Elvis sounds completely in control of things. The B-side is a very catchy ballad with Elvis in fine voice.
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NOTE: This single was issued using the matrix number L2WW/PW, part of the RCA system.
(L2 = 1960)
Side 1: L2WW 0085 Side 2: L2PW 8066
RCA 1194 (78rpm)
(Sleeve Variation 4 - Front)
Type 4: (April 1960 - October 1960)
This sleeve was red with white print,
​
White Tags Across The Top (Both Sides)
Large RCA Red Dot Logo. (Top Left - Both Sides)
​
White Banner Across The Centre
Circled 45 R.P.M
MADE IN ENGLAND (Bottom Right - Both Sides)
(Sleeve Variation 4 - Rear)
Identical to Front
(Test Pressing/Factory Sample/Demo/Promo)
(Factory Sample - Side 1)
(Green Label)
45 R.P.M.
Stamped Large RCA Black Dot Logo
Side 1 "A MESS OF BLUES"
Single Sided
DEMONSTRATION SAMPLE NOT FOR SALE
(Solid Centre)
(1960 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
(Stamped Details)
(Factory Sample - Side 2)
(Blank Rear)
​
(Thanks To Andy Honeywell For The Images)
(Test Pressing/Factory Sample/Demo/Promo)
(Factory Sample - Side 1)
(Green Label)
45 R.P.M.
Stamped Large RCA Black Dot Logo
Side 1 "THE GIRL OF MY BEST FRIEND"
Single Sided
DEMONSTRATION SAMPLE NOT FOR SALE
(Solid Centre)
(1960 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
(Stamped Details)
(Factory Sample - Side 2)
(Blank Rear)
​
(Thanks To Andy Honeywell For The Images)
(Black Label, RCA Large Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 1 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA Large Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1960 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
45-RCA-
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 1 - Side 2)
MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN
Trade Mark(s) ® Registered
No Tax Code
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
Parallel Lines (Both Sides)
N.C.B.
B.I.E.M. (Boxed)
Hill & Range
(Between Lines On Left)
(Black Label, RCA Large Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 2 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA Large Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1960 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
45-RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Correctly)
(Variation 2 - Side 2)
MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN
Trade Mark(s) ® Registered
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
E/T Tax Code (Below High Fidelity)
Parallel Lines (Both Sides)
N.C.B.
B.I.E.M. (Boxed)
Hill & Range
(Between Lines On Left)
(Black Label, RCA Large Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 3 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA Large Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1960 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
45-RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 3 - Side 2)
MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN
Trade Mark(s) ® Registered
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
E/T Tax Code (Below High Fidelity)
Parallel Lines (Both Sides)
Hill & Range
BIEM NCB (Boxed)
(Between Lines On Left)
(Black Label, RCA Large Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 4 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA Large Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1960 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
45-RCA-
1187
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Larger Centre)
(Variation 4 - Side 2)
MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN
Trade Mark(s) ® Registered
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
E/T Tax Code (Below High Fidelity)
Parallel Lines (Both Sides)
Hill & Range
BIEM NCB (Boxed)
(Between Lines On Left)
(Black Label, RCA Large Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 5 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA Large Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1960 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
45-RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 5 - Side 2)
MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN
Trade Mark(s) ® Registered
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
Larger E/T Tax Code (Positioned Closer To Centre Hole)
Parallel Lines (Both Sides)
Hill & Range
BIEM NCB (Boxed)
(Between Lines On Left)
(Black Label, RCA Large Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 6 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA Large Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1960 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
45-RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 6 - Side 2)
MADE IN GREAT BRITAIN
Trade Mark(s) ® Registered
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
E/T Tax Code (Positioned Further Right)
Parallel Lines (Both Sides)
BIEM.NCB
Hill & Range
(Between Lines On Left)
(Black Label, RCA Large Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(LABEL COMBINATION)
(Side 1: Variation 3)
(LABEL COMBINATION)
(Side 2: Variation 5)
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 7 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1962 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
45-RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 7 - Side 2)
MADE IN ENGLAND BY THE DECCA RECORD CO LTD
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
Z/T Tax Code (Below High Fidelity)
No Parallel Lines (Both Sides)
​
​
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 8 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1962 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
45-RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 8 - Side 2)
MADE IN ENGLAND BY THE DECCA RECORD CO LTD
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
P/T Tax Code (Positioned Further Right)
​
​
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 9 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1963 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 9 - Side 2)
MADE IN ENGLAND BY THE DECCA RECORD CO LTD
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
M/T Tax Code (Below High Fidelity)
S (Above The Matrix Number)
​
​
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 10 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1964 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 10 - Side 2)
MADE IN ENGLAND BY THE DECCA RECORD CO LTD
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
K/T Tax Code (Centre Left)
S (Above The Matrix Number)
​
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 11 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1964 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 11 - Side 2)
MADE IN ENGLAND BY THE DECCA RECORD CO LTD
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
K/T Tax Code (Below High Fidelity)
S (Below 1194)
​
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 12 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1964 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
Belinda
(London) Ltd.
RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 12 - Side 2)
MADE IN ENGLAND BY THE DECCA RECORD CO LTD
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
"New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
K/T Tax Code (Below High Fidelity)
S (Below 1194)
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 13 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1965 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
Belinda
(London) Ltd.
RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 13 - Side 2)
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
45 Symbol (Top Right)
New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
K/T Tax Code (Centre Left)
Hill & Range
BIEM NCB (Boxed) (Below Tax Code)
S (Below 1194)
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 14 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1965 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 14 - Side 2)
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
â„— 1960 (Centre Left)
K/T Tax Code (Below â„— 1960)
45 Symbol (Top Right)
New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Top Right)
H (Below 1194)
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(Variation 15 - Side 1)
(Black Label)
RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo
(Knockout Centre)
(1968 Decca Pressing)
(Mono)
RCA
1194
(Shuman Spelt Incorrectly)
(Variation 15 - Side 2)
Trade Mark(s) Registered Marca(s) Registada(s)
â„— 1960 (Centre Left)
K/T Tax Code (Below â„— 1960)
45 Symbol (Top Right)
New Orthophonic" High Fidelity (Centre Right)
J/T (Below 1194)
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(LABEL COMBINATION)
(Side 1: Variation 12)
(LABEL COMBINATION)
(Side 2: Variation 13)
(Black Label, RCA VICTOR Small Silver Dot Logo, Knockout Centre)
(LABEL COMBINATION)
(Side 1: Variation 10)
(LABEL COMBINATION)
(Side 2: Variation 13)
​UK Chart Information:
​
This single entered the UK charts on August 3, 1960, peaking at no. 2.
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Chart Run: (18 Weeks)
03/08/1960 - 19
10/08/1960 - 08
17/08/1960 - 04
24/08/1960 - 04
31/08/1960 - 03
07/09/1960 - 03
14/09/1960 - 03
21/09/1960 - 02
28/09/1960 - 02
05/10/1960 - 03
12/10/1960 - 04
19/10/1960 - 06
26/10/1960 - 08
02/11/1960 - 08
09/11/1960 - 11
16/11/1960 - 20
23/11/1960 - 28
30/11/1960 - 42
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Information: www.officialcharts.com
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Recording Information:
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A Mess of Blues
(March 20/21, 1960: RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee)
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The Girl Of My Best Friend
(April 3/4, 1960: RCA Studio B, Nashville, Tennessee)
​
Elvis UK RCA Single Ad
used by kind permission: (Thanks to Paul Alner)
Elvis UK RCA Single Promo Ad
used by kind permission: (Thanks to Paul Alner)