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I Forgot to Remember to Forget

"I Forgot to Remember to Forget" is a 1955 rockabilly and country song, first recorded by Elvis Presley and written by Stan Kesler and Charlie Feathers. It was Elvis' first no. 1 record nationally. The single was the fifth and final single released on Sun Records before Elvis moved to RCA Records.

"I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
Single by Elvis Presley
B-side"Mystery Train"
ReleasedAugust 20, 1955
RecordedJuly 11 1955
StudioSun, Memphis
Genre
Length2:28
LabelSun 223
Songwriter(s)Charlie Feathers and Stan Kesler
Producer(s)Sam Phillips
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"Baby, Let's Play House"
(1955) 		"I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
(1955) 		"Heartbreak Hotel"
(1956)

Background

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The song was recorded at Sun Studio on July 11, 1955, by Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, and Johnny Bernero[1] on drums, and released on August 20, 1955, along with "Mystery Train" (Sun 223).[2][3] It was first re-released along with "Mystery Train" by HMV in New Zealand in November 1955, the first appearance of Elvis Presley on 12” vinyl internationally (MCLP 6001). It was re-released by RCA Victor (#47-6357) in December, 1955, after Elvis switched to that label.

Scotty Moore's guitar had a Nashville steel guitar sound, and Bill Black played a clip-clop rhythm. Elvis sang a brooding vocal. This is the closest the trio came to a traditional country song while at Sun.[4]

The song reached the Billboard national country music chart #1 position on February 25, 1956, on the Billboard C&W Best Sellers in Stores chart, and remained there at #1 for 2 weeks, and spent 5 weeks at #1 on the Billboard C&W Most Played in Juke Boxes chart. The record reached #4 on the Billboard Most Played by Jockeys chart.[5][6][7][8] It was the first recording to make Elvis Presley a nationally known country music star.[9][10] The song remained on the country charts for 39 weeks.[11]

The single reached no. 2 on the Cash Box Country singles chart on the March 10, 1956 Top 15 Country Best Sellers Chart.

The flip side of this release, "Mystery Train", peaked at the #11 position on the national Billboard Country Chart.[12]

The Beatles version

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"I Forgot to Remember to Forget"
Song by The Beatles
from the album Live at the BBC
Released30 November 1994 (UK)
5 December 1994 (US)
Recorded1 May 1964, for the BBC radio show, From Us to You
Length2:09
LabelApple
Songwriter(s)Kesler-Feathers
Producer(s)Terry Henebery[13]

The Beatles covered this song once for the BBC radio show, From Us To You, on 1 May 1964, with George Harrison on lead vocals. The song is notable for being the last time the Beatles performed a song for the BBC that wasn't recorded for EMI. The song is also notable for its double-time rhythmic changes during the bridge. The band was becoming more experimental at the time; after they recorded "I Call Your Name", they used that song's ska-influenced middle section again for "I Forgot to Remember to Forget". The song was not officially released until 1994, when it was included on Live at the BBC.[13]

Personnel

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Personnel per The Beatles Bible.

Other cover versions

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Jerry Lee Lewis recorded the song in 1957 and the 1960s. Johnny Cash covered and released this song in 1959 on the Sun LP Greatest! and on the album The Survivors Live in 1981. B. J. Thomas included this song on his 1972 album, B. J. Thomas Country. Chuck Jackson, Ral Donner, Robert Gordon, Johnny Hallyday, The Deighton Family, Hicksville Bombers, and Wanda Jackson recorded this song as well.[14] Chris Isaak also covered this song on his 2011 album, Beyond the Sun. Bob Dylan and The Band recorded this song in 1967; it was released on the 2014 album, The Bootleg Series Vol. 11: The Basement Tapes Complete. Composer Charlie Feathers has also recorded the song.

References

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  1. ^ "Johnny Bernero". Rockabilly.nl. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
  2. ^ "(RCS Artist Discography)". Rcs-discography.com. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  3. ^ "SUN Records, Memphis Tennessee". Boija.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  4. ^ The Blue Moon Boys – The Story of Elvis Presley's Band. Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. page 47. ISBN 1-55652-614-8
  5. ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 272.
  6. ^ ""I Forgot to Remember to Forget" … Elvis Presley's First #1 Record". Elvis-history-blog.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  7. ^ "Billboard". Nielsen Business Media, Inc. 25 February 1956. Retrieved 28 October 2020 – via Google Books.
  8. ^ "Elvis-TheKingsCourt > 1955 -" FORGOT To REMEMBER To FORGET ~ over 6 months on Billboards Charts.. (longer chart run than H Hotel/HoundDog/J.Rock !)". Elvis-tkc.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
  9. ^ "Elvis Presley's Sun Recordings". Elvis.com.au. Archived from the original on 2007-09-02. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
  10. ^ Collins, Ace (1996). The Stories Behind Country Music's All-time Greatest: 100 Songs. New York: The Berkeley Publishing Group. pp. 94–96. ISBN 1-57297-072-3.
  11. ^ The Blue Moon Boys – The Story of Elvis Presley's Band. Ken Burke and Dan Griffin. 2006. Chicago Review Press. page 46. ISBN 1-55652-614-8
  12. ^ "about the flip side @ Elvis Australia". Elvis.com.au. Archived from the original on 2007-09-02. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
  13. ^ a b "I Forgot To Remember To Forget". The Beatles Bible. 15 March 2008. Retrieved 2011-08-21.
  14. ^ "Original versions of I Forgot to Remember to Forget by Johnny Cash". Secondhandsongs.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
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