Words & Music:
Dave Bartholomew
Pearl King
Don't do that, please stop it
Please stop it now
You know I can't take it
Please stop it now
My head is spinning a spell on me now
My head is spinning around and around
My head is spinning around and around
Your witchcraft has got me
Keep going down and down
Let me forget her, don't mention her name
You know it brings back that old burning flame
It hurts to know that she doesn't feel the same
I can't go on since she left me alone
My one desire now is to cry, now to cry
She might come back one day by and by and by
Recordingdate: 1963/05/26, first released on: single (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Witchcraft:
(guitar)
(guitar)
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(drums)
(piano)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(shakers)
(vibes)
(sax)
Availability
Find available albums with Witchcraft.
Great rocker. When I bought this in 1963, I thought it was the Sinatra song. Im so glad it wasnt. Super sax solo. One of the best studio tracks from the early 60's. I remember this getting as much airplay as Bossa Nova Baby at the time. It prob could have been an A side for a 1963 single. Perhaps a follow up to Devil. The mismanagement of Elvis' 1963 studio recordings are perhaps one of the worse missteps of his career. The Colonel was out of touch at this time and should have been canned.
There is no doubt this song deserved to be an A-side. This is Elvis at his rockin' best and while coupled with "Bossa Nova Baby" it made a great single, it could have been a top 5 hit had it been the A-side of a ballad (maybe "Never Ending" or "Echoes Of Love"). The mishandling of his '63 recordings were a travesty; but even worse was the next single when the splendid "It Hurts Me" was hidden away as the B-side of the inferior "Kissin' Cousins". "Witchcraft", "It Hurts Me" and "I Met Her Today" were three recordings that if they had been properly released when have given Elvis three more top 5 hits.
Spot on Deano! A great 60`s track and the 63 sessions were badly misused by RCA. The Memphis Tennessee FTD proves that in 63 Elvis was still a force.
Good track and single choice. A blaring sax solo from Boots gives it an extra boost. In fact, the last great double sided single from Elvis until Guitar Man/Hi-Heel Sneakers.
I LOVE THIS SONG!! One of the greatest and lesser known tracks that Elvis ever recorded. I can't believe this song was not released as an A-side single-it could have easily reached #1. Those people at RCA and the colonel were such a travesty! But this song was a shining example of what E could've been in the 60's had he not had bullies managing his career at the time. ROCK ON ELVIS!!
"The King" in top form while "Boots"Randolph in my opinion is the greatest sax player of all-time. I also like the piano on this song.
Great track! I agree with those who see the 60' singles somehow mishandled. Elvis could have had even more top 5 singles if coupled differently. This one is mentioned. Take His Latest Flame/Little Sister, knocking eachother off the top slot, maybe? But, at the time one saw the movies as today's videos for promoting the singles. As such history cannot be rewritten. This one has always been a favourite of mine. I held it above Bossa Nova Baby for my own pleasure as the A side of that record. I was pleased to find it included in Golden Records volume 4 back then!
A good song probably A side material C/W a good ballad. I think Bossa Nova Baby was probably more commercial at the time of release though.
This is such a tremendous, electrifying, energetic, groovy, fun and catchy song and it should definitely be way better known than it actually is. This is such an exciting song to dance to as well. This song should've definitely been a massive hit for Elvis here in the United States, but it wasn't.
I agree with everyone here, this is a solid (great) performance and a fun song.
As much as I like it, I am not as enthused as others here but really dig the sax solo so give it 4 stars. Thought the A side was much better and totally out of the ordinary for releases at that time.
When I was 12, I bought my OWN first Elvis LP (my mom had me listening to Elvis while I was in the womb) and it was Gold Records V4. Even though I bought it mosly for Devil In Disguise, Witchcraft was one of the other standouts. I love this song. Bossa Nova Baby is good, (and one of his best music scenes in a 60's movie) but Witchcraft is a better song.
Love this song and love the GR4-album too. Another of the many songs one could play for people who thinks that only the Elvis songs that get airplay on the radio are great.
Great rocker with a superb Boots. Maybe we can judge the Sinatra song here also, because he outsang Frank at his own turf. Poor Frank.
Both sides of this 45 RPM record back in 1963 weren't exactly to my liking, but I bought it anyway as an Elvis fan from the start back in 1956. I agree with the sentiments of others his recording output was definitely mismanaged during the 1960's, especially the inclusion of "It Hurts Me" with "Kissin' Cousins" on 45 RPM. Bad decision and RCA and the Colonel both should have been "canned" (at least the Colonel for allowing this kind of commercial misstep/release aka lets push the film song which in turn pushes the actual movie). Bad decision all around.
Should have been released as a "double A sided single" to Radio. I too, like "Withcraft" a bit better than the original version of "Bossa Nova Baby". But at the time, from what I read.. "Bossa Nova" was the current dance craze, and because of this, and the fact, that "Bossa Nova Baby" was featured in Elvis Presley's next movie, it was decided,that this would be the "A" side, for radio airplay. Both sides of this single, were real good, however, I wish "Witchcraft" had charted as a big as "Bossa Nova Baby".
I Like this song a lot, and Elvis Golden Records 4 too! It's a great song and, unfortunately since 1961 Presley only had a couple of hands of songs like this!
This non-LP (at that time) studio track got more airplay than the movie-related A-side on New York City-area Top 40 radio, and that was just fine by me since it seemed to work perfectly as a kind of natural follow-up to the great, great (You're the) Devil in Disguise single. The groove is right in the pocket, and that shifting tempo set-up, though not as drastic as in Devil, amps up the vocal surprise of Elvis's own shift from subdued to rocking lead. Only its lack of consistently strong lyrics keeps this R&B-based '63 gem from achieving stone classic status.
This is one that Elvis sings without much enthusiasm. The hot music doesn't make up for the fact that Elvis' heart wasn't into it.
Love it! Simply can't get enough of it! Wish Elvis had recorded more takes of it...
The best parts of this song isn't Elvis' singing, but the awesome saxophone playing by Boots Randolph, and the incredible vocals by Millie Kirkham and The Jordanaires!