Love Me Tender is a 1956 ballad recorded by Elvis Presley for the 20th Century Fox film of the same name. The tune uses the melody of the Civil War era song Aura Lea by George R. Poulton, with new lyrics credited to Vera Matson and actual lyricist Ken Darby; Presley also received a small co writing credit under his publishing deal. It was recorded on August 24, 1956 at 20th Century Fox Studios in Los Angeles and released September 14, 1956 as a single from the Love Me Tender EP, with the B side Any Way You Want Me, and is typically listed as folk, rockabilly, and pop. The song reached number one on the Billboard Best Sellers in Stores and Cash Box charts in 1956 and later became a multi platinum hit in the United States; it also charted in the UK and other places. The studio renamed the film to Love Me Tender to capitalize on the song, and Presley performed it on The Ed Sullivan Show before the film’s release; the backing on the recording came from the Ken Darby Trio rather than Presley’s usual band. The tune has been covered by artists such as Richard Chamberlain and Percy Sledge, and it remains one of Elvis’s best known early hits, even ranking on Rolling Stone’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
