Overdub Session for RCA?, October 10?, 1965?

Studio :

RCA Studio, New York, New York?

Producer :

-

Engineer :

Ed Begley

Santa Lucia (overdub)

SPA1 6893

October 10? (Sun.)

overdub

(M)

2:23

Overdub of 2007-03

UN

Santa Lucia (overdub)

SPA1 6898 (sic)

October 10? (Sun.)

overdub

(M?)

2:23?

Overdub of 2007-03

UN

Musicians:

Guitar :

Al Caiola

Guitar, Harmonica :

Dominic Contese


Notes:

This overdub session of Santa Lucia (2007-03, originally recorded in 1963) was first listed in Tunzi's Elvis Sessions II and later confirmed by Ernst Jorgensen, so there can be no doubt that it did take place. The date combined with the second matrix number is a mystery though. The number SPA1 6898 is identical to that of the usual master, first released on "Elvis for Everyone". The problem is that the album was released in July 1965 and that this matrix number should have been assigned by then. The Viva Las Vegas soundtrack version seems to have the same guitar/harmonica parts as the released master, but it's hard to tell. So one guess is that there is something wrong with the information of the number SPA1 6898 being reused in October 1965. Another theory is that the overdub session may have taken place earlier than October, that this SPA1 6898 is the released master and that it was overdubbed in the first place. It is strange if the song was overdubbed 3 months after release and did the union allow studio musicians to work on a Sunday? It's even possible that the true date is October 10, 1963 (Thursday, would fit, the NY studio would not), although the numbers weren't assigned until 1965. Jorgensen lists the same musicians as overdubbed on the 1963 session. The fourth digit '1' is unique and therefore difficult to solve.