Bringing It Back
"Bringing It Back"[A] is a song written by Gregg Gordon and originally recorded by Elvis Presley for his album Today.[1][2] However, the first version released as a single was by Brenda Lee in July 1975. Her version was a top 30 US and Canadian country single that year. Presley's version was issued as a single in September 1975 and reached the US Hot 100 top 70.
Brenda Lee version
[edit]| "Bringing It Back" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single by Brenda Lee | ||||
| B-side | "Papa's Knee" | |||
| Released | July 1975 | |||
| Genre | Country[3] | |||
| Length | 3:07 | |||
| Label | MCA | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Greg Gordon | |||
| Producer(s) | Owen Bradley | |||
| Brenda Lee singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Brenda Lee had been a pop music artist during the 1960s with songs like "Sweet Nothin's" and "I'm Sorry" but was marketed towards the country field in the 1970s. She had a string of US top ten singles during the decade. Among them was two charting singles from 1975, one of them being "Bringing It Back".[4] Lee's version was produced by Owen Bradley.[5] Her version received positive reviews from magazines, with Cash Box calling it "a strong lyric set"[3] while Billboard called it "a lovely ballad".[5] "Bringing It Back" was issued as a single by MCA Records in July 1975, incorrectly spelling the writer's name as "Greg Gordon".[6] It reached the top 30 on the North American country song charts, rising to number 23 on the US Hot Country Songs chart[7] and number 26 on the Canadian Country Tracks chart.[8]
Track listing
[edit]7" vinyl single[6]
- "Bringing It Back" – 3:07
- "Papa's Knee" – 3:07
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Canada Country Tracks (RPM)[8] | 26 |
| US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[9] | 23 |
Elvis Presley version
[edit]| "Bringing It Back" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Elvis Presley | ||||
| from the album Today | ||||
| B-side | "Pieces of My Life" | |||
| Released | September 20, 1975 | |||
| Recorded | March 12, 1975 | |||
| Studio | RCA Studio C, Hollywood | |||
| Genre | Country | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Gregg Gordon | |||
| Producer(s) | Felton Jarvis | |||
| Elvis Presley singles chronology | ||||
| ||||
Although first recorded by Presley, his version was not released until Lee's version had already been issued as a single. Released as a single (with "Pieces of My Life" on the opposite side) on September 20, 1975,[10] the song reached number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100.[11]
Composition
[edit]The song was written by Gregg Gordon.[1]
Recording and release
[edit]Elvis recorded the song on March 12, 1975, at RCA's Studio C in Hollywood for his album Today.[10][2] The session featured James Burton, John Wilkinson and Charlie Hodge on guitar, Duke Bardwell on bass, Ronnie Tutt on drums, Glen D. Hardin and Tony Brown on piano, David Briggs and Greg Gordon on clavinet; the recordings were later overdubbed by Johnny Christopher and Chip Young on guitar, Norbert Putnam and Mike Leech on bass, Richard F. Morris on percussion, Charles L. Rose on saxophone, Harvey L. Thompson on trombone, Harrison Calloway on trumpet, Ronald Eades on junior baritone saxophone and The Holladays on additional vocals.[10][2]
On September 20, 1975, "with absolutely nothing new to release, and no prospects of another recording session in sight", RCA Victor released "Bringing It Back" and another song from the same album, "Pieces of My Life", as a single.[10] As the Elvis Presley official website states it, "the strategy was not lost on a public that had already bought well-worn material once in numbers that were unlikely to be repeated".[10] "Bringing It Back" reached number 65 on the Billboard Hot 100,[11] and "Pieces of My Life" number 33 on the Billboard country chart.[12]
Track listing
[edit]| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Bringing It Back" | Greg Gordon | 2:58 |
| 2. | "Pieces of My Life" | Troy Seals | 3:59 |
Charts
[edit]| Chart (1975) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[14] | 65 |
Notes
[edit]- 1. A Titled "Bringin' It Back" on the 2005 Follow That Dream re-issue of the album Today
References
[edit]- ^ a b "Original versions of Bringing It Back written by Greg Gordon". SecondHandSongs. Retrieved 2021-02-15.
- ^ a b c "Today". Elvis Presley official website "Elvis the Music". Retrieved 2020-02-15.
https://elvisthemusic.com/music/today-legacy-edition/ - ^ a b "Cashbox country reviews: Singles" (PDF). Cash Box. August 2, 1975. p. 38. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ Stambler, Irwin; Landon, Grelun (2000). Country Music: The Encyclopedia. St. Martin's Press. p. 250-251. ISBN 9780312264871.
- ^ a b "Billboard's Top Single Picks: Country" (PDF). Billboard. August 2, 1975. p. 58. Retrieved 25 July 2025.
- ^ a b Lee, Brenda (July 1975). ""Bringing It Back"/"Papa's Knee" (7" vinyl single)". MCA Records. MCA-40442.
- ^ Whitburn, Joel (2004). The Billboard Book Of Top 40 Country Hits: 1944-2006, Second edition. Record Research. p. 196.
- ^ a b "Search results for "Brenda Lee" under 'Country Singles'". RPM. Archived from the original on 2012-10-15. Retrieved 2010-06-17.
- ^ "Brenda Lee Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
- ^ a b c d e "Bringing It Back". Elvis Presley official website "Elvis the Music". Retrieved 2021-02-09.
- ^ a b "Elvis Presley". Billboard.
- ^ "Elvis Presley". Billboard.
- ^ "Elvis Presley - Bringing It Back / Pieces Of My Life". Discogs. 1975. Retrieved 2021-02-09.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2019-01-16.
External links
[edit]- "Bringing It Back / Pieces Of My Life" at Discogs (list of releases)
- Bringing It Back on the Elvis Presley official website
