Words & Music:
Sid Tepper
Roy C. Bennett
Western Union
Oh, Western Union clickety clack
I had a fight with my baby
Ooh how sorry I am
She won't talk to me no how
I'm gonna send a telegram
Western Union oh yeah
Send my lovin' baby back to me
She won't open my letters
She won't answer the phone
When I'm a-ringin' her doorbell
She says there ain't nobody home
Western Union oh yeah
Send my lovin' baby back to me
Western Union oh yeah
Send my lovin' baby back to me
I love you is my message
Just three words and no more
If she won't let you deliver
Slip it underneath her door
Western Union oh yeah
Send my lovin' baby back to me
Western Union oh yeah
Send my lovin' baby back to me
Recordingdate: 1963/05/27, first released on: Speedway (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Western Union:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(shakers)
(vibes)
(sax)
Availability
Find available albums with Western Union.
This is a really fun song that reminds me a bit of Dan Hicks and His Hot Licks or Manhattan Transfer. You can hear Elvis singing various parts during the song in addition to the lead and that's always a blast for me because I always get the sense he's just really enjoying himself.
It's a listenable Elvis 60's tune, but already with a "soundtrack" sound that will mark the end of Elvis's creativity in that period of time (63/67) with very few exceptions. The song writers team says it all.
This song & Blue River were in my opinion the 2 weakest songs from the otherwise stellar 1963 Nashville sessions. Maybe RCA & Elvis felt that way also since it took 5 years to release. Its fun but would have fared better on a 1963 LP instead of a 1968 soundtrack where it was horribly out of date. Its an OK early 60's song, sort of a poor man's Return To Sender. Certainly nothing special. I think Elvis sounds bored instead having a good time with it. He probably thought it was teeny bopper fluff.
Nothing special yes, but enjoyable though !
A very listenable song. I enjoy it. A soundtrack sound? Yes, but I don't have a problem with that because overall I ENJOY the soundtracks (some more than others). Long live the '60s "Elvis movie" and their soundtracks.
Always remember that at times Elvis sang (recorded) a song just because he liked it, regardless of whether it was going to be a hit or not. This was true of "fluff" stuff as well as serious pieces. After all, he was paying the bill. He could do what he wanted. None of us actually know what went through his mind when he recorded most of this music.
Oh well they can't all be classics. This is a decent movie song.
Not a bad song by any means, I just love the guitar solo!
I almost never listen to this one. Compared to other great songs at the time this really is nothing special. But it´s allright
Just OK - would have made a good B side in the early 60's. Dated by the time it came out.
I guess, I'm one of the few that likes this song. Its "Return to Sender-Revisited" and its fun ! The Harmonies, the music, its all good. If it had been released earlier than it had been it would have been a "good single" choice.
Like many of the movie songs they served a purpose within that framework. As I like to watch his movies from time to time so goes for the sound tracks (which I listen often). Easy listening. Most of the songs I like and this is one of them.
I like this one! In fact, i like it a lot :-)
Very similar to Return to Sender I should think that's why it was shelved for so long. Nothing special but harmless enough
People, Western Union is NOT a movie song!! It was added to Speedway as a bonus song in order to fill it up. However, it's not that bad. Not good, but not bad, easy listening :-) :-) But then again, better than most of the songs from Speedway - phew!!!!
I decent track. Might have been a hit if "Return to Sender" did not already exist; as many people have mentioned, this song is basically the same song. Still, fun light rock. Nothing serious, but good fun
To me this is a quinticental Elvis gem that was overlooked when it should have been a hit. There are many that were missed. Simply put if it was buried in an otherwise forgettable set of situation songs from the movies it is skipped over. Elvis could make the song his and nobody will replace him
After great success with "Return To Sender" in 1962, there seemed to be a race by Elvis' songwriters to give re-create it's sound. The first of these attempts was "One Broken Heart For Sale". It was recorded right around the time RTS hit the charts and it is written by the same writers (Blackwell / Scott). Then In May of '63 Elvis recorded three more tunes that are very similar to RST. "Please Don't Drag That String Around" (Blackwell/Scott wrote this one too), "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers" (written by Dory and Ollie Jones) and finally "Western Union" by the infamous Tepper/Bennett. This one is about the same as the other four RTS knock-offs, good, fun, but not overly memorable. RCA did not release this one for five years when it was released as a bonus song on the LP "Speedway". 3 stars
Could have been a hit single, if it had been released earlier than 1968.
Return To Sender - Part 2. If one listens to Elvis singles, especially in the 1960's, there is a repetitive rhythm or sound to most of his songs... aka Stuck On You compared with All Shook Up, etc. Western Union could have been a decent single in it's day to be honest.
Not bad, perhaps too much like Return to Sender to have done anything as a single but a good some.
I always loved this one ! The "Outakes" are even better ! This song would have been a great followup to "Return to Sender". Since its very similiar in getting a message, to a loved one. RCA, once again, waitied too long, to get the record out, and it appeared quietly as a bonus track, on the "Speedway" soundtrack, 5 years after it was recorded.
Nice smooth song but not at par with Return to Sender or Devil in Disguise. Should have been used to lift Roustabout to twelve songs. It was outdated in 1968.
This is such a marvelous, fun and underrated song and I've never skipped it. This is one of so many very little known about gems that Elvis recorded.
A good song, but as said, done already and better with Return to sender.
Not as good as Return to Sender, but then again not many tracks were around this period. It is a medium paced song with a controlled punch, drive and a certain charm. nicely sung by Elvis. - 3 1/2 stars
A cool pop song by The King. Dated? Depends on who you ask. A great song is a great song no matter what year it's released.
I never made the connection to Return to Sender until reading other posts: "She won't open my letters", "She wrote upon it, return to sender". To me, it's a fun song that captures the early 60s (post Elvis is Back LP) Elvis. When one looks at Elvis' concert set list in the 70s, it's as though 1962 to 1967 did not exist.
Way too similar to "Return To Sender"; way too similar and that's an understatement. It's not objectionable but like a lot of his other songs, there's a certain musical format or rhythm he tended to fall into; you can hear it in a great many of his tunes.
Nothing special about this song. Album filler. But I still like the song. I don't hit the skip button.