Elvis Songs: A Mess of Blues

Written by: Doc Pomus, Mort Shuman

Recorded: March 21, 1960, RCA Nashville Studios

Single: w/ "It's Now Or Never", 47-7777, July , 1960 (Million Seller)
Also re-released as Gold Standard Series, 447-0628, February 1962

Highest U.S. Charts Position:
#32 on Billboard Hot 100

1st LP release: Elvis' Gold Records, Volume 4 - February 1968

Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman wrote "A Mess Of Blues" for Elvis, who recorded it during his first set of post-army sessions in March of 1960. These were also Elvis' first true stereo recordings. "A Mess Of Blues" is a pure upbeat blues song, and Elvis gives it the full treatment! The melody in the middle section has Elvis soaring and diving...

Oops, there goes a teardrop rolling down my face
If you cry when you're in love, it sure ain't no disgrace

...and the ending builds to a nice finale, Elvis repeating the title phrase, "Since you're gone I've got a mess o' blues", and slipping into a smoothe falsetto at the very end, something the Beatles would make their trademark in a few years.

As the flip-side of Elvis' huge international hit, "It's Now Or Never", "A Mess Of Blues" was a bit overlooked on the U.S. charts, and peaked at #32. It may also be the case that the pop music charts weren't as receptive to a pure blues song as they were to a pure Italian pop song. After all, this was 1960. Although its hit flip-side showed up on Elvis' Golden Records, Vol. 3 in 1963, "A Mess Of Blues" wouldn't show up on an album until 1968's Elvis' Gold Records, Vol. 4.