Burning Love
"Burning Love" is a 1972 song written by Dennis Linde, originally released by Arthur Alexander in April 1972 and covered by Elvis Presley four months later that same year as a single. Interestingly, Linde released the third version of the song himself in 1973.
Arthur Alexander's original recording
[edit]| "Burning Love" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Arthur Alexander | |
| from the album Arthur Alexander (album) | |
| Released | April 1972 |
| Recorded | November 1971 |
| Studio | FAME Studios, Muscle Shoals, Alabama |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:41 |
| Label | Warner Records |
| Songwriter(s) | Dennis Linde |
| Producer(s) | Tommy Cogbill |
Arthur Alexander, known for his influence on artists such as The Beatles and The Rolling Stones,[2] recorded "Burning Love" during his final years at Warner Bros. Records. Alexander's version was released in April 1972 on his self-titled album Arthur Alexander (album), and was released as a single after Elvis' single cover release. Alexander's recording featured a more country-soul feel than the later rock-oriented Presley version and was praised for Alexander’s emotive vocal delivery.
Musical Style
[edit]Critics describe Alexander’s take as “tight and funky,” drawing parallels to Stax-era Otis Redding with its gospel-tinged soul and layered instrumentation.[3] His smooth, controlled vocal allows the backing elements to gradually build, eschewing full-throttle intensity for an introspective burn.
Critical Commentary
[edit]- Cover Me Songs notes, “In Alexander’s hands… horns and backing singers convey the song’s theme of… erotic deliverance.” [3]
Commercial Outcome
[edit]Despite artistic success, Alexander’s single failed to chart, overshadowed by Elvis’s cover later that year—presumably hampering its commercial prospects. [3]
Musicians
[edit]Lead Vocals
[edit]- Arthur Alexander
Keyboards
[edit]- Bobby Wood (piano)
- Thomas Cain (piano)
- Shane Keister (keyboards)
- Bobby Emmons (keyboards)
Guitars
[edit]- Johnny Christopher
- Eddie Hinton
- Reggie Young
Bass
[edit]- Tommy Cogbill
- Mike Leech
Drums
[edit]- Hayword Bishop
- Gene Chrisman
- Kenny Malone
Arrangements
[edit]- Charles Chalmers (horn arrangements)
- Mike Leech (string arrangements)
Elvis Presley version
[edit]| "Burning Love" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| B-side | "It's a Matter of Time" | |||
| Released | August 1, 1972 | |||
| Recorded | March 28, 1972 | |||
| Studio | RCA, Hollywood, California | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 2:50 | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Dennis Linde | |||
| Producer(s) | Felton Jarvis | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Music video | ||||
| "Burning Love" on YouTube | ||||
Elvis Presley's version was released as a single on August 1, 1972, with the B-side "It's a Matter of Time", and it reached number 36 in the country charts. Elvis had recorded it at RCA's Hollywood studios on March 28, 1972. It was his final Top 10 big hit in the American Hot 100 or pop charts, peaking at number 2 (it was kept out of the top spot by Chuck Berry's "My Ding-a-Ling").[6] The electric guitar opening and riffs were overdubbed and played by Dennis Linde himself.
For the week of October 28, 1972, "Burning Love" rose to number 2 on the Billboard Hot 100.[7][8] It reached number 1 on Billboard's rival Cashbox's pop charts during the week of November 11, 1972.[9] The song was Elvis's 40th and final Top Ten hit on the Billboard US charts.
He performed it in at least two high-profile productions: the concert film Elvis on Tour (during which he had to use a lyric sheet as the song was still new to him), and the later Aloha from Hawaii concert. Despite its popularity among his fans, he rarely performed the song live, the exception being in 1975 when it was included in his setlist during the majority of the year’s performances, both in Las Vegas and on the road.
The song was also released on an album titled Burning Love and Hits from His Movies, Volume 2 on November 1, 1972. Despite this album's subtitle, the only actual hit on the album was the title song.[6]
A new backing track for the song was recorded in 1980, intended for the Guitar Man album. It went unreleased until 2000. In 2015, a new orchestral arrangement for the song was recorded accompanied by the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and was released on album If I Can Dream.
Personnel
[edit]Partial credits from Keith Flynn and Ernst Jorgensen's examination of session tapes and RCA and AFM union paperwork.[10]
- Elvis Presley – lead vocals
- James Burton, Dennis Linde – guitar
- John Wilkinson – rhythm guitar
- Emory Gordy Jr. – bass
- Glen D. Hardin – piano
- Ronnie Tutt – drums
- J. D. Sumner & the Stamps (Bill Baize, Ed Enoch, Donnie Sumner, Richard Sterban) – backing vocals
- Jerry Carrigan – percussion, cowbell[11]
1980 version
[edit]- Elvis Presley – lead vocals (archived from original recording)
- Jerry Shook – guitar
- Larry Byrom – electric guitar
- Mike Leech – bass
- David Briggs – piano
- Larrie Londin – drums
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts[edit]
|
Year-end charts[edit]
|
Certifications
[edit]| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| New Zealand (RMNZ)[18] | Platinum | 30,000‡ |
| Spain (PROMUSICAE)[19] | Gold | 30,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Platinum | 600,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA)[21] | Platinum | 1,000,000^ |
|
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone. | ||
Uses
[edit] |
- The song was recorded for the 1979 television movie Elvis, starring Kurt Russell and Ronnie McDowell as the singing voice of Elvis. The song was not released for a soundtrack.
- The song was used during the Miss Universe 2010 swimsuit competition, where Ximena Navarrete from Mexico won the title.
- A remix was made for the Cirque du Soleil show Viva Elvis, which began in 2010, and found on its soundtrack. During the live show, it is played during a montage of Elvis's best love scenes on the rear-projection screen, while the band has a spotlight. This remix puts more emphasis on drums and guitars, with a sound similar to The Who.
- The song was used in the 2011 video game Homefront in the mission "Night Raid" where members of the American Resistance launch white phosphorus on soldiers of the Korean People's Army.
- The song is one of six possible soundtracks on the Disney California Adventure attraction Guardians of the Galaxy - Mission: Breakout!, which opened in 2017.
- "Burning Love" was used as a wake-up song on the space shuttle mission STS-123.
- The song was frequently used by comedian Conan O'Brien to warm up his audience prior to taping his talk show Late Night with Conan O'Brien, with the host singing the lyrics with musical accompaniment by the house band.
- Various films and television series have included performances of and references to the song, including The Golden Girls (1988), The Simpsons (2001), The Game Plan, Crazy Love (2007), Ghosts of Girlfriends Past (2009), The Newsroom, New Girl, The Mistle-Tones (2012), Planes: Fire & Rescue (2014), Fuller House (2016), Avengers: Infinity War, Zombieland: Double Tap (2019), The Boogeyman (2023) and Agent Elvis (2023).
- Presley's recording was used in Baz Luhrmann's 2022 Presley biopic Elvis, and is featured on its soundtrack.
Song versions (chronological order)
[edit]| Release Date | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| April 1972 | Arthur Alexander | Original |
| August 1972 | Elvis Presley | U.S. Billboard Hot 100 #2 |
| 1972 | Springbok | |
| 1972 | The Top of the Poppers | |
| 1973 | Dennis Linde | Electra Records |
| 1973 | Борис Гуджунов (Boris Godjunov) | Song title: "Shte Plamne Ogan Nov" |
| 1975 | Rupert | |
| 1975 | Johnny Hallyday | Song title: "Promesses" |
| 1989 | The Residents | |
| 1992 | Clouseau | Song title: "In Vuur en Vlam" |
| 1992 | Travis Tritt | |
| 1996 | The Porkers | |
| 1997 | Andy Lee Lang | |
| 2002 | Café Quijano | Song title: "Ardiente Amor"; Lilo & Stitch soundtrack |
| 2002 | Wynonna Judd | Closing song of Lilo & Stitch (2002). The song itself would later play a role in an episode of Lilo & Stitch: The Series, with main character Lilo Pelekai naming a hummingbird-like love-inducing experiment, "Hunkahunka". |
| 2006 | Christer Sjögren | |
| 2010 | Craig Duncan | |
| 2010 | Rockabye Baby! | |
| 2011 | Patrick Thomas and Tyler Robinson | From "The Voice" TV show |
| 2015 | Elvis Presley and The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra | |
| 2018 | Black Stone Cherry | |
| 2018 | Twinkle Twinkle Little Rock Star | |
| 2018 | Midnite String Quartet | |
| 2019 | Ivana Raymonda Van Der Veen | |
| 2019 | Woody Harrelson | |
| 2021 | Johnny Hansen | |
| 2025 | Nyjah Music and Zyah Rhythm |
References
[edit]- ^ "That's A Cover?: "Burning Love" (Elvis Presley / Arthur Alexander)". 20 November 2021.
- ^ Haglund, David (2013-02-12). "The Forgotten Songwriter Who Inspired the Beatles". Slate. ISSN 1091-2339. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ a b c "That's A Cover?: "Burning Love" (Elvis Presley / Arthur Alexander)". Cover Me. 2021-11-12. Retrieved 2025-07-06.
- ^ "THE STORY BEHIND THE SONG: «Burning Love» by Elvis Presley". 22 April 2021.
- ^ Breihan, Tom (March 12, 2019). "The Number Ones: Chuck Berry's "My Ding-A-Ling"". Stereogum. Retrieved June 17, 2023.
...Elvis Presley was at #2 with the unapologetically hammy country-soul workout "Burning Love".
- ^ a b "Burning Love - Elvis Presley". AllMusic. Archived from the original on March 3, 2015. Retrieved March 21, 2023.
- ^ "Burning Love" by Elvis Presley (Hot 100 chart history) – Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2017
- ^ The Hot 100, Week of October 28, 1972 – Billboard. Retrieved November 18, 2017
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, November 11, 1972". Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ^ Flynn, Keith; Jorgensen, Ernst. "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions: March 28-29, 1972". KeithFlynn.com. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions".
- ^ "Go-Set Australian Charts". Go-Set.
- ^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Burning Love". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
- ^ "South African Rock Lists Website - SA Charts 1969 - 1989 Songs (A-B)".
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 192.
- ^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles, November 11, 1972". Archived from the original on May 11, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ^ "Cash Box Year-End Charts: Top 100 Pop Singles, December 30, 1972". Archived from the original on September 28, 2018. Retrieved September 24, 2017.
- ^ "New Zealand single certifications – Elvis Presley – Burning Love". Recorded Music NZ. Retrieved December 15, 2024.
- ^ "Spanish single certifications – Elvis Presley – Burning Love". El portal de Música. Productores de Música de España. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
- ^ "British single certifications – Elvis Presley – Burning Love". British Phonographic Industry. Retrieved July 23, 2022.
- ^ "American single certifications – Elvis Presley – Burning Love". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved October 6, 2020.
