Okay, they didn't re-mix, but this time the original, flat mix is fine with me - works along the lines of the lean and light musical that Paramount presented back in the Kennedy era, when all was happy and hopeful, and Elvis was engaged during filming and recording of under-appreciated teen flicks.

I agree about the clunkers, but Elvis' singing and some terrific melodies and beats make it a groovy, uplifting listen. More demanding fans might note that the musical soundtrack has nothing "Hawaiian" about it - I cannot detect a ukelele, etc. on the whole l.p.

Title tune, of course, is a fantastic Lieber-Stoller mirthful uptempo, interestingly enough, a semi-flop for the great Coasters, the year before. All the fast songs are hip and infectious. Ballads are really beautiful, especially the deleted after-hours, poignant lament "I Don't Want To" (fans note that the movie trailor has a snippet from the deleted movie scene!); the ethereal "Where Do You Come From?", another song edited from the story. (Elvis *speaks* the title in a nicely lit scene).

Cool price-tag for this CD.

The soundtrack for Girls! Girls! Girls! was a big hit in the US when it was released in late 1962 reaching number 3 on the album chart and was certified GOLD by the RIAA. This CD includes one of Elvis' signature songs, Return to Sender, which was a huge hit worldwide. It peaked at number 2 on the US singles chart and was certified PLATINUM. It's flip side, Where Do You Come From, was a minor hit just cracking the top 100. The title song was a hit in other countries including France. This release includes numerous alternate takes not available on the original release.

There are a number of commonly held misconceptions about Elvis Presley's film career: Elvis couldn't act, his movies were all throwaways, and the soundtracks were populated entirely with substandard material. But key films in the King's catalog show that he could indeed act, if called upon, there are several high-quality dramatic and musical films in Elvis' oeuvre, alongside many good lightweight romantic musical comedies, and his soundtracks are laced with hits and terrific albums sides. To measure the highpoints of Elvis' soundtrack catalog by virtue of the low points (of which there are admittedly many) is to miss out on a valuable dimension of Presley's musical career.

1962's

was Elvis' eleventh film, the first of three with "Girls" in the title, and the only in his filmography to be nominated for an award (a Golden Globe for Best Musical, losing to

). Like most of Elvis' soundtracks, this one was recorded in Hollywood with a mix of West Coast studio players (including legendary Wrecking Crew drummer Hal Blaine) and Elvis regulars (including Scotty Moore, D.J. Fontana, and the Jordanaires). The catchy title track was written by Leiber and Stoller and was previously a hit for the Coasters. Sped up and rearranged into smoother pop, it still has the Coasters' characteristic bounce and a fine sax solo from Bobby Keys. The album's standout is Otis Blackwell's "Return to Sender," which was also the soundtrack's only hit, peaking at #2 on the Billboard chart and hitting #1 on Cashbox.

The bulk of the album features good-if-not-great rock `n' roll numbers and several forgettable ballads. The band cooks and The Jordanaires add zing to "I Don't Wanna Be Tied," and "Thanks to the Rolling Sea" makes up for mediocre lyrics with the energy of seafaring folk music. The otherwise bland "We'll Be Together" is spiced with Spanish-style guitar and backing vocals from the Amigos, but the faux-Japanese "Earth Boy" can't be saved. Others, like "Because of Love" sound as if they were hurriedly written on the back of an envelope with a rhyming dictionary close at hand. The album closes with an Otis Blackwell tune, "We're Coming in Loaded," that's more atmosphere than substance, but at least it rocks.

By 1962 Elvis movies were quickly becoming an assembly line of uninventive plots and forgettable music. The dispensability of Elvis' movie music is highlighted by the parallel quality of his regular material, which in 1962 included "Good Luck Charm" and "She's Not You." Elvis rose to the occasion when given quality material, and could make magic happen with mediocre songs, but even the King couldn't turn lead into gold. Sony's reissue features a four-panel booklet, no bonus tracks, and no liner notes discussing the music or its making. The 29-minute running time suggests the earlier

or Follow That Dream's

might be more compelling to Elvis diehards. Still, the budget price and remastered sound make this reissue quite attractive. 2-1/2 stars, if allowed fractional ratings. [©2010 hyperbolium dot com]

This CD is not as good as Blue Hawaii and GI Blues, but much better than any of the movie CDs after 1964. The title song, Girls!, Girls!, Girls!, is infectious and well-sung. Return to Sender, of course, is a wonderful classic song. Where Do You Come From?; We'll Be Together; and A Boy Like Me, A Girl Like You; Earth Boy; and Because of Love are all plesant tender ballads, with Where Do You Come From being the best of these. Thanks to the Rolling Sea and We're Coming in Loaded have little value apart from the movie. Song of the Shrimp is also tied to the movie, but it's better because of its cute lyrics and nice melody. The Walls Have Ears is unique with clever lyrics. I bought the CD for I Don't Wanna Be Tied and I Don't Want To, which are both very nice love songs, the first more humorous and the second more serious. They are the best on the CD, other than Return to Sender. They should have been put on Elvis' Command Performances movie CD set.

IF YOU WANT TO BUY SONGS FROM THIS MOVIE, I SUGGEST BUYING INDIVDUALLY FROM AMAZON, VS THE WHOLE SOUNDTRACK, OR LISTEN TO CLIPS FIRST FROM AMAZON THEN DECIDE. I CAN RECOMMEND: RETURN TO SENDER (BIG SONG!); GIRLS,GIRLS,GIRLS (TITLE TRACK); THE REST OF THE SONGS ARE NOT OF THE SAME "WORTHY OF BEING PLAYED ON THE RADIO" CALIBER.

PROBLEM WITH ELVIS SOUNDTRACKS (NOT ELVIS HIMSELF) IS THE MATERIAL HE WAS GIVEN, AND LIKE OTHER SOUNDTRACKS (MANY OF SINATRAS MOVIES) THE SONGS WERE WRITTEN FOR THE SITUATION IN THE FILM, AND NOT INTENED TO BE MORE THAN THAT. I WILL SAY THAT MOST OF THE SONGS ARE CATCHY TUNES (COMING IN LOADED, ROLLING SEA, ETC), AND IF YOU SAW THE MOVIE FIRST, YOU WILL LIKE THE 2ND RATE SONGS.

I WOULD APPROACH ALL OF THE SOUNDTRACKS THIS WAY.