"Elvis", also known as Elvis Presley No. 2, is the second studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor on October 19, 1956, in mono. The recording sessions took place on September 1, 2, and 3 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, with one track left over from the sessions for Presley's debut album recorded on January 30 in New York. The album spent four weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart, making Presley the first artist to have both his debut and second albums reach number one in the same year. In total, it spent five weeks at No. 1 and was certified Gold on February 17, 1960, and Platinum on August 10, 2011, by the Recording Industry Association of America.
Originally released in the UK in 1957 as Elvis Presley No. 2, it had a different front cover and was also cataloged as Rock 'n' Roll No. 2. The original U.S. release marked the beginning of the practice of crediting Presley only by his first name on album sleeves, although his full name continued to be used on labels.
RCA Victor producer Steve Sholes commissioned two new songs for this album, "Paralyzed" by Otis Blackwell and "Love Me" by Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller, who had written Presley's summer hit "Hound Dog." Presley chose three covers from Little Richard and three new country ballads from songwriters Boudleaux Bryant, Stan Kesler, and Aaron Schroeder with Ben Weisman. The album also included "Old Shep," a song Presley had performed as a child.
Most tracks on the album were recorded during the three-day session in September, with Presley and his band, including Scotty Moore, Bill Black, D.J. Fontana, and The Jordanaires, recreating the loose feel of his Sun Studio recordings. The sessions were attended by a few guests, including his girlfriend Natalie Wood and actor Nick Adams. Steve Sholes was present to handle paperwork, but Elvis led the sessions and chose the songs.
The piano player for the album is not officially registered, but Gordon Stoker of The Jordanaires claimed he played on most tracks. Some sources suggest Elvis himself played piano on several songs, including "Love Me," "Old Shep," and "How's the World Treating You."
RCA first reissued the album on compact disc in 1984, but it was quickly withdrawn due to its reprocessed stereo sound. It was reissued in mono, and an expanded edition was released in 1999, adding six bonus tracks and altering the running order. The 2005 reissue was remastered using DSD technology and included the six bonus tracks in standard order. This remaster received acclaim for its quality.
In 2014, Elvis was reissued on the Follow That Dream label in a deluxe edition with two discs. The first disc contains the original album and all known outtakes from the 1956 sessions, while the second features a live concert held on December 15, 1956, at Hirsch Coliseum in Louisiana.
