(+ means you need both
~ means same material
°° means stereo or binaural
° means mono)
(SFS = Short False Start | FS = False Start | LFS or BD (Breakdown)
= Long False Start | PB (Playback) or Complete = Complete Take)
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Paramount Sound Stage - Hollywood, California |
Soundtrack Session for Paramount's King
Creole |
Paramount Producer : Walter Scharf |
Engineer : N/A |
(6.00pm) |
Musicians: |
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Vocals: |
Orchestra: |
? |
Blanche Thomas, Unknown
& Unknown ('Turtles, Berries, Gumbo') |
Guitar: |
Scotty Moore |
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Piano: |
Dudley Brooks |
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Paramount Seal
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1SS |
January 28 1958 (Tue) |
Take 1 |
(M) |
0:06 |
(not used) |
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Finale (End Title)
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1XX |
January 28 1958 (Tue) |
Take 1 |
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Take 2 |
(M) |
0:19 |
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Soundtrack° |
Paramount Seal - Alternate (Turtle Theme)
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1SSA |
January 28 1958 (Tue) |
Take 1 |
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Take 2 |
(M) |
0:07 |
(used for 1AATD - 'Opening Scenes') |
(Soundtrack°)~(The Making Of King Creole 1 (FTD)° - 1st part of track 1) |
Crawfish (movie version)
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1D |
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Spliced |
(M) |
2:43 |
Composite of FS-2 & FFV-1
Unedited movie version (used for 1AATD - 'Opening Scenes') |
Acetate°~(The Making Of King Creole 1 (FTD)° - 3rd part of track 1) |
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Edit |
(M) |
1:57 |
Edited movie version |
(Soundtrack°)~The Best Of British - 1957-1958°+The Complete '50s Movie
Masters And Session Recordings 2 (MRS)° |
"Main Title" - String Bridge
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1CCS |
January 28 1958 (Tue) |
Take 1 |
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Take 2 |
(M) |
1:31 |
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Turtles, Berries, Gumbo
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A |
January 28 1958 (Tue: 6.30pm) |
Take NA |
"Opening" |
0:17
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(Blanche Thomas, Unknown &
Unknown)
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Take NA |
"Turtles" |
0:39 |
(Blanche Thomas) |
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Take NA |
"Berries" |
0:33 |
(Unknown male vocalist) |
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Take NA |
"Gumbo" |
0:33 |
(Unknown male vocalist) |
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Take NA |
"Ending" |
0:22 |
(Blanche Thomas, Unknown &
Unknown) |
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Turtles, Berries, Gumbo (movie version transfer)
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ATD |
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Take 1 |
(M) |
2:26 |
Complete acetate of above sections |
King Creole (FTD)°~The Making Of King Creole 1 (FTD)° (track 34) |
Turtles, Berries, Gumbo
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1B1 |
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Unedited |
(M) |
2:07 |
Edit of ATD-1:
Spliced from "Turtles" verse,
"Berries" verse, "Gumbo" verse & "Ending" (used for 1AATD - 'Opening Scenes') |
Acetate°~(The Making Of King Creole 1 (FTD)° - 1st part of track 1) |
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Edit |
(M) |
1:11 |
Edit of ATD-1:
1st verse of "Turtles",
2nd verse of "Berries",
2nd verse of "Gumbo" & "Ending" |
(Soundtrack°)~The Best Of British - 1957-1958°
(faded)+Acetate° |
"Main Title" - Brass Sweetener
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1CCB |
January 28 1958 (Tue) |
Take 1 |
(M) |
1:31 |
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"Main Title" And Opening Scenes (movie version opening)
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1AATD |
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Take 1 |
(M) |
6:31 |
Composite of 1SSA, 1B, 1B1, 1C & 1D
Unedited movie version
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The Making Of King Creole 1 (FTD)° (track 1) |
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Edit |
(M) |
4:37 |
Composite of 1SSA, 1B, 1B1, 1C & 1D
Edited movie version
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Soundtrack° |

The song 'Turtles, Berries, Gumbo' was originally titled 'Crawfish, Berries, Gumbo' but was changed when the song 'Crawfish' was chosen to be used too. The acetate cut at the time wrongly has FTD printed on it (track F = 'Crawfish') which is scratched out and ATD written on it instead. The song was recorded by Blanche Thomas and two unknown male singers.
The acetate containing the 'Main Title And Opening Scenes' (1AATD-1) contains 'Turtles, Berries, Gumbo' (A-SP), 'Main Title Instrumental' (R-08) and 'Crawfish' (F-07), with additional score, but not exactly as how they are heard in the movie. 'Turtles, Berries, Gumbo' is the full version of the song including the parts edited out in the movie. 'Crawfish' is also the full version with complete Kitty White vocals (additional vocals (FFV-1) as heard in the movie) but all with upfront vocals (FTD-1 & FTD-2), where they are lower in the mix in the movie. It also contains the complete ending where it was faded in the movie.
The original unedited acetate of 'Main Title And Opening Scenes' (1AATD-1 - 6:31) is compiled and edited as follows:
Paramount Seal (0:06)
Turtles, Berries, Gumbo (Track "A" spliced - 2:15), consisting of:
(opening) Turtles, Berries, Gumbo
(Turtles) Turtles, sweet ole turtles, I got turtles for you ladies
Turtles jumping in my pan, to hold them in takes a mighty man
Now don't you settle for the rest, 'cause ma'am i've got the very best.
(Berries) Berries, nice fresh berries, I got berries for you ladies
I've got berries nice and fine, I just took 'em from the vine
Took me 'bout a thousand trips, but none are sweet as your lips.
(Gumbo) Gumbo, yes, it's gumbo, I've got gumbo for you ladies
I've got gumbo steaming hot, and it comes straight from the pot
I cooked and stirred it all the day for you pretty girls to take away.
(ending) Turtles, Berries, Gumbo
Segue into Main Title Instrumental (Track "R" Take 8 - 1:31)
(brass sweetener, overdubbed to R-08)
(string bridge overdubbed from fadeout, to connect to 'Crawfish')
Segue into Crawfish (Track "F" Take 7, High Elvis vocal, High Kitty White vocal & Kitty White "Duet" passages - 2:45)
(Kitty White) Crawfish, crawfish See I got 'em, see the size, stripped and cleaned before your eyes
Sweet meat, look, fresh and ready to cook.
(Elvis) Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
(Elvis) Well I went to the bayou just last night There wasn't no moon but the stars were bright Put a big long hook on a big long pole And I pulled Mr Crawfish out-a his hole Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
(Elvis & Kitty White) See I got 'em, see the size, stripped and cleaned before your eyes
Sweet meat, look, fresh and ready to cook.
(Elvis) Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
(Elvis) Now take Mr Crawfish in your hand
He's gonna look good in your fryin' pan
If you fry him crisp or you boil him right
He'll be sweeter than sugar with every bite
Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
(Elvis & Kitty White) See I got 'em, see the size, stripped and cleaned before your eyes
Sweet meat, look, fresh and ready to cook.
(Elvis) Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
See I got 'em, see the size, stripped and cleaned before your eyes
Sweet meat, look, fresh and ready to cook.
The version of the 'Main Title And Opening Scenes' used in the movie is edited down to 4 minutes and 40 seconds, and is edited as follows:
Paramount Seal
Turtles, Berries, Gumbo consisting of:
(opening) Turtles, Berries, Gumbo
(Turtles) Turtles, sweet ole turtles, I got turtles for you ladies
(Berries) I've got berries nice and fine, I just took 'em from the vine
Took me 'bout a thousand trips, but none are sweet as your lips.
(Gumbo)
I've got gumbo steaming hot, and it comes straight from the pot
I cooked and stirred it all the day for you pretty girls to take away.
(ending) Turtles, Berries, Gumbo
Segue into Main Title Instrumental
Segue into Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish, crawfish, fresh and ready to cook.
(Elvis) Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
(Elvis) Well I went to the bayou just last night
There wasn't no moon but the stars were bright
Put a big long hook on a big long pole
And I pulled Mr Crawfish out-a his hole
Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
(Elvis & Kitty White) See I got 'em, see the size, stripped and cleaned before your eyes
Sweet meat, look, fresh and ready to cook.
(Elvis) Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
(Elvis) Now take Mr Crawfish in your hand
He's gonna look good in your fryin' pan
If you fry him crisp or you boil him right
He'll be sweeter than sugar with every bite
Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
(Elvis & Kitty White) See I got 'em, see the size, stripped and cleaned before your eyes
Sweet meat, look, fresh and ready to cook.
(Elvis) Crawfish
(Kitty White) Crawfish
See I got 'em, see the size, stripped and cleaned before your eyes.
Thanks to David English for research.
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Musical Breakdown
King Creole
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Acetate
Turtles, Berries, Gumbo
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Acetate
"Main Title" & Opening Scenes
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Music Sheet
Turtles, Berries, Gumbo
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