Tell Me Why / Blue River 

Modified: May 4, 2022

Artist: Elvis Presley
Release: RCA Victor 47-8740 Tell Me Why / Blue River (45)
Release Date: 12/3/1965

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Cover: (12/1965) picture sleeve front and back.

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Disc: (12/1965) White label, NOT FOR SALE. First letter of each word in with the Jordanaires is not capitalized. Times on left side.1
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-1S A2 / SPKM-7357-1S A4 (machine stamped) (Rockaway pressing)2
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-2S A1 / SPKM-7357-1S A3 (machine stamped) (Rockaway pressing)3

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Disc: (12/1965) White label, NOT FOR SALE. First letter of each word in with the Jordanaires is not capitalized. Times on left side. Note the “4” is different font than the Rockaway pressing.4
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-3S A2 / SPKM-7357-3S A2 (machine stamped) (Indianapolis pressing)4

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Disc: (12/1965) Black label, dog on side. On the Tell Me Why side, BMI on shared line. On the Blue River side, Inc., and ASCAP on shared line. First letter of each word in with the Jordanaires is not capitalized. Times on left side.
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-1S A4 / SPKM-7357-1S A5 (machine stamped) (Rockaway pressing)
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-2S A2 / SPKM-7357-1S A3 (machine stamped) (Rockaway pressing)67

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Disc: (12/1965) Black label, dog on side. On the Tell Me Why side, BMI on shared line. On the Blue River side, Inc., and ASCAP on shared line. First letter of each word in With The Jordanaires is capitalized. Times on right side.
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-3S A1 / SPKM-7357-2S A1 (Indianapolis pressing)
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-3S A4 / SPKM-7357-3S A1 (Indianapolis pressing)
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-4S A3 / SPKM-7357-2S A4 (Indianapolis pressing)8

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Disc: (12/1965) Black label, dog on side. On the Tell Me Why side, BMI on separate line. On the Blue River side, Inc on one line and ASCAP on another line. First letter of each word in with the Jordanaires is not capitalized. Times on right side.
Matrix numbers: H2WW-0254-6S / SPKM-7357-5S (Hollywood pressing)

Promotional Material

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This is a store banner used to promote Elvis Elvis’ New Single on RCA Victor.9

Re-released by RCA Records on 45 RPM as Tell Me Why / Blue River on the Gold Standard Series label.

  1. Images from a collection of Internet images that date back to 1998.
  2. eBay reference 221890816151 (June 19, 2016)
  3. Matrix numbers from the collection of Christian (of France).
  4. eBay reference 371639657828 (June 19, 2016)
  5. eBay reference 371639657828 (June 19, 2016)
  6. eBid reference 36656684 (January 25, 2012)
  7. eBay reference 221813476637 (January 2, 2016)
  8. Matrix numbers from the collection of Roberto.
  9. Image from a collection of Internet images dating back to 1998.