"Charro" is a

song A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetitio ...

first recorded by

Elvis Presley Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...

as part of the soundtrack for his 1969 motion picture ''

Charro! ''Charro!'' is a 1969 American Western film starring Elvis Presley, shot on location at Apacheland Movie Ranch and Old Tucson Studios in Arizona. This was Presley's only film in which he did not sing on-screen; the film featured no songs at all ...

'', a western directed by

Charles Marquis Warren Charles Marquis Warren (December 16, 1912 – August 11, 1990) was an American motion picture and television writer, producer, and director who specialized in Westerns. Among his notable career achievements were his involvement in creating the ...

. It was its title song and the only song featured in the film, as it was Presley's first film where he didn't sing.

Writing and recording

The song was written by

Billy Strange William Everett Strange (September 29, 1930 – February 22, 2012) was an American singer, songwriter, guitarist, and an actor. He was a session musician with the famed Wrecking Crew, and was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame and M ...

and Mac Davis specially for the movie ''

''. The recordings took place at the Samuel Goldwyn Studio in Hollywood in October–November 1968. Presley probably overdubbed his vocals on October 15. Takes 5 and 9 were spliced together to form the vocal master.

Release

The song was first released on a single (in March 1969) with "

Memories Memory is the faculty of the mind by which data or information is encoded, stored, and retrieved when needed. It is the retention of information over time for the purpose of influencing future action. If past events could not be remembered, ...

", a song from Elvis' 1968 NBC TV comeback special, on the opposite side. "Charro!" didn't chart on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100, while "Memories" charted, peaking at number 35. "Charro"'s first LP release was on the album '' Almost in Love'' in late 1970. On December 1, 1970, the single was re-released as part of RCA Victor's Gold Standard Series (together with 9 other Presley's singles).

Musical style and lyrics

It is a western-style song.

Track listing

7" single RCA 47-9731 (March 1969) # "Memories" # "Charro"

References

External links

Elvis Presley – Charro / Memories
at Discogs {{authority control 1969 songs 1969 singles Elvis Presley songs RCA Records singles Songs written by Billy Strange Songs written by Mac Davis Songs written for films