Master Section Description

_

Session Description/Session Section Link

Studio

_

Date of session

City, State

_

Matrix

no.-Take no.

Song title [(version, additional info)]

Time

Date of song

Matrix no.:

Master serial number issued by RCA. See Session Section Description

Take no.:

Take No. in gray color

Elvis didn't produce a master for one of the following reasons:

1. Only the instrumental track was recorded

2. Recordings were aborted

Additional info:

v.o.

Vocal overdub by Elvis

overdub

Instrumental or background vocal overdub

composite

Master spliced from two or more selections

Time:

minutes:seconds

Timing notes on masters sometimes include additional studio talk. It is the intention to extract the the true time for the Masters Section in the future.

Session Section Description

Session Description, Date of Session/Master Section Link

Studio :

Studio, City, State

Producer :

Producer

Engineer :

Engineer

Song title [(version, additional info)]

ID when recorded

Date of recording

Take No.

Take code

Time

[Notes or link to notes]

[Matrix no.]

Source

Additional info:

v.o.

Vocal overdub by Elvis

overdub

Instrumental or background vocal overdub

composite

Master spliced from two or more selections

ID when recorded:

Same as RCA matrix number when RCA recorded and paid for the session.

Movie companies usually had their own numbering system.

RCA

Four symbols followed by a four figure number.

1st symbol: Indicates year that serial number was issued.
F=1955, G=1956, H=1957, J=1958, K=1959, L=1960, M=1961, N=1962, P=1963, R=1964, S=1965, T=1966, V=1967, W=1968,X=1969, Z=1970, A=1971, B=1972, C=1973, D=1974, E=1975,F=1976, G=1977, H=1978, I=1979, J=1980, K=1981, L=1982, M=1983, N=1984, O=1985
(Letters 'I' and 'O' were not used until 1979, probably because figures '1' and '0' would look the same on handwritten notes.)

2nd symbol: Label symbol.
1955-1962: 2=RCA Victor
1963-1975: P=RCA Victor
1976-1982: W=RCA Victor

3rd symbol:
1955-1962: Origin symbol
W=Recorded by RCA ("within"?)
P=Recorded by other than RCA ("purchased"?)
1963-1977: Primary Release Format symbol?
A

4th symbol:
1955-1962: Primary Release Format symbol
B=10" 78 RPM (even if not considered for 78 RPM)
W=7" 45 RPM mono (even if not considered for 45 RPM)
1963-1967: Origin symbol?
3=Recorded by or for other than RCA
4=Recorded by RCA
1968-1977: Origin symbol?
1=Recorded by or for other than RCA
3=Recorded by RCA, Studio C, Hollywood
4=Recorded by RCA, Studio B, Nashville (except ZPA4 1055-1058*)
5=Recorded for RCA (American Sound, live/rehearsals, Stax, Graceland...)
*Let's Forget About the Stars & Change of Habit soundtrack (possibly overdubbed in Nashville)

4-digit number:
Usually reserved and issued before RCA sessions.
Issued after purchase for soundtracks.

SUN

U- 3-digit number. Only releases were given numbers.

Paramount

1-3 letters (Exceptions occur -Big Boots for instance)

1st letter alphabetically, 'A'-'H', 'J'-'N', 'P'-'Z'. ('I' and 'O' were never used, probably because figures '1' and '0' would look the same in handwriting.)

[ 2nd letter ] 'O': Orchestra

[ 3rd letter ] 'V': Vocals (vocal overdub)

M.G.M.

2001, 2002,... except Harum Scarum, recorded by RCA: continuous numbering of takes regardless of songs. C2001,C2002,... This numbering system was not applied to Kissin' Cousins although the soundtrack was recorded in Nashville.

Take No.:

[Gray color]

No information available on a particular Take No.

Take NA

Take No. not available

Spliced

Spliced from two or more takes.

Take code:

M

Master. Considered master today. Doesn't necessarily mean it was when recorded.

Complete

Complete take, often listed as PB("Play Back") or NG("No Good") on original tape legends.

FS

False Start. Sometimes referred to as SFS(Short False Start) on tape legends.

LFS

Long False Start. Normally past 1st verse.

Incomplete

End or beginning is not on the tape or on released version. (Full version either erased or never recorded.)

Time:

minutes:seconds

Timing notes after pitch corrections, including available studio talk.

Notes:

"Within quotes"

Original session log note

"Within quotes blue color"

Original tape note (when different from session log note)

"Within quotes gray color"

Note not belonging to this take, but original note on same line

[Matrix no.]:

Listed when a certain take was given a master serial number by RCA after the session. This mostly applies to recordings not done by RCA, i.e.Sun recordings or movie soundtracks.

Source:

Name or part of name of CD and vinyl sources.

Gray color

Not the best available source. (May change to paranthesis when and if link to source is to be implemented.)

"Within quotes"

Studio dialogue only

/

Or

+

And

°°

Stereo (listed when not obvious)

°

Mono (listed when not obvious)

"°°"

Reprocessed "ape-stereo" (recordings released in this format only listed when necessary)

tape

Never released, but available on 7-8th generation cassette copies at 106-107% speed.

Soundtrack

As song appeared in movie with additional overdubs and sound effects (Mono)

(O)

Original master (2-channel or mono)

(R)

Remastered (from multichannel tapes)