Rock-A-Hula Baby
{{Infobox song
| name = Rock-A-Hula Baby
| cover = Elvis - Rock a Hula.jpg
| caption = Original US picture sleeve
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Elvis Presley
| album = Blue Hawaii
| A-side = Can't Help Falling in Love
| released = November 21, 1961
| recorded = March 23, 1961, Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = {{hlist|Pop, rock and roll}}
| length = 1:58
| label = RCA Victor
| writer = {{hlist|Ben Weisman|Fred Wise|Dolores Fuller{{cite book|first=Jo|last=Rice|year=1982|title=The Guinness Book of 500 Number One Hits| edition= 1st| publisher= Guinness Superlatives Ltd|location=Enfield, Middlesex|page=64|isbn=0-85112-250-7}}}}
| producer = Steve Sholes
| prev_title = Little Sister
| prev_year = 1961
| title2 = Can't Help Falling in Love
| next_title = Good Luck Charm
| next_title2 = Anything That's Part of You
| next_year = 1962
}}
"Rock-A-Hula Baby ("Twist" Special)" is a 1961 song recorded by Elvis Presley and performed in the 1961 film Blue Hawaii. The song was also released as a single.
Background
The song was recorded on March 23, 1961 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. The RCA Victor 45 single was released on November 21, 1961, with Can't Help Falling in Love as the A-side.{{Cite web |title=Can't Help Falling in Love |url=https://www.elvisthemusic.com/music/cant-help-falling-in-love/ |access-date=October 4, 2024 |website=Elvis The Music}} Steve Sholes produced the studio recording session. The Jordanaires provided the backing vocals. The song was published by Gladys Music, Inc., Elvis Presley's publishing company and was written by Ben Weisman, Fred Wise, and Dolores Fuller, it is a genre mix of Hawaiian folk and rock and roll. It was the first song published by Fuller, who would eventually co-write a dozen songs for Presley. The title song of the 1991 film Rock-a-Doodle, which featured Elvis Presley's original backing vocal group The Jordanaires, parodied "Rock-a-Hula Baby".
Charts
"Rock-A-Hula Baby" peaked at No. 23 in the U.S. on the Billboard pop singles chart, No. 1 in Australia, No. 4 in Canada, and No. 1 in the Philippines.{{cite news|title=Hits of the World|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FyIEAAAAMBAJ|access-date=May 23, 2020|work=Billboard Music Week|publisher=Billboard|date=January 20, 1962|page=14}} In the United Kingdom (UK), where it was a double A-sided release with "Can't Help Falling in Love", it peaked at No. 1 in the UK Singles Chart in February 1962, and spent four weeks at the chart summit.{{cite book|first=David|last=Roberts|year=2006|title=British Hit Singles & Albums|edition=19th|publisher=Guinness World Records Limited|location=London|isbn=1-904994-10-5|page=134}} When re-released in March 2005, it reached No. 3 in the UK in a four-week chart run.[https://tsort.info/music/mfeu1b.htm Song artist 2 - Elvis Presley.tsort.]
Other recordings
Paul Rich, Werner Müller and The London Festival Orchestra & Chorus, Tulsa McLean, Pop Will Eat Itself, Martin Fontaine, Stephen Collins, John Stamos, Terry Buchwald, and Steven Pitman have also recorded the song.[https://secondhandsongs.com/performance/50889 Rock-A-Hula Baby. Second Hand Songs.]
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Elvis Presley}}
{{Elvis Presley singles}}
{{Authority control}}
Category:Songs about rock music
Category:UK singles chart number-one singles
Category:Songs with music by Ben Weisman
Category:Songs with lyrics by Fred Wise (songwriter)
Category:Songs written by Dolores Fuller