Recorded February 15 / 1965 at Bell Sound Studios - New York. Line Up : Bill Haley [vocal]:Johnny Kay [Lead guitar]: Nick Masters [Steel Guitar]: Al Rappa [Bass]: Dave Francis [Drums]: Ernie Henry [Organ]: Rudy Pompilli [Tenor Sax]
The song was later recorded by Elvis for his movie
California Holiday - or Spinout 1966.
As played in the film
Although the song is credited to Joy Byers - there is a debate about how many of her credited songs were written by the legendary producer Bob Johnson - who discovered Bob Dylan. I don;t know the answer but you can read about it here http://theelvisforum-phoenix.com/viewtopic.php?t=2833
The Meanest Girl in Town, also known as Yeah, She's Evil! is a rock and roll song written by Joy Byers, which was recorded in June 1964 by both Elvis Presley, as The Meanest Girl in Town for the soundtrack to the 1965 film release Girl Happy, and by Bill Haley & His Comets as Yeah, She's Evil! for a Decca Records single release.
Haley's recording was released during the summer of 1964, predating Presley's release (on the soundtrack to Girl Happy in 1965), although Presley actually recorded his version several days before Haley: on June 10, 1964, versus June 16, 1964 for Bill Haley & His Comets.
Bill Haley's one off deal for Decca in 1964 resulted in Yeah! She's Evil / Green Door. Recorded 16th June in New York and released on the 27th July 1964 - Dave Martin was on piano & Abie Baker on bass. Another single was released in Stereo - THE GREEN DOOR - Coupled with Corrine Corrina which was used on the Bill Haley's Chicks album. Unfortunately the 64' session produced no hit records and Decca did not offer another recording contract. The disc in the video is the British Brunswick release.
The Presley track is speeded up by the sounds of it as the title track Girl Happy.
The film version fromGirl Happy 1965
Nashville Songwriter Joy Byers
Joy Byers died on May 10 2017 at the age of 82.
Byers had her first hit as a songwriter in 1962 with What's a Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You)
which Timi Yuro took to number 12 on the Hot 100 and 16 on the R&B charts.
A number of her songs were also recorded by Elvis Presley including It Hurts Me, Please Don't Stop Loving Me and Let Yourself Go.
She was married to producer Bob Johnston who worked with Bob Dylan (Highway 61 Revisited, Blonde on Blonde), Johnny Cash (At Folsom Prison, At San Quentin), Simon & Garfunkel (Sounds of Silence, Parsley Sage Rosemary & Thyme) and Leonard Cohen (Songs From a Room, Songs of Love and Hate) among others. He died in 2015.
Songs written or co-written by Joy Byers:
What's a Matter Baby (Is It Hurting You) by Timi Yuro (1962 / #12 Pop / #16 R&B) It Hurts Me by Elvis Presley (1964 / #29 Pop) When You Loved Me by Brenda Lee (1964 / #47 Pop / #8 Adult Contemporary) Wishing It Was You by Connie Francis (1965 / #57 Pop / #14 AC) (No, No) I'm Losing You by Aretha Franklin (1965 / #34 AC) Ring Dang Doo by Sam the Sham and the Pharaohs (1965 / #33 Pop) Gardenias In Her Hair by Marty Robbins (1967 / #9 Country) Here Comes Heaven by Eddy Arnold (1967 / #91 Pop / #15 AC / #2 Country) Let Yourself Go by Elvis Presley (1968 / #71 Pop / #15 U.K.)
From http://www.smokestacklightnin.com/bios/junior%20parker.htm " Junior Parker, also known as Little Junior Parker or "Mr Blues" (May 27, 1932–November 18, 1971) was a successful and influential Memphis blues singer and musician. He is best remembered for his unique voice which has been described as "honeyed," and "velvet-smooth. Junior Parker was born in either Clarksdale, Mississippi or West Memphis, Arkansas as Herman Parker, Jr. He sang in gospel groups as a child, and played on the various blues circuits beginning in his teenage years. His biggest influence as a harmonica player was Sonny Boy Williamson, with whom he worked before moving on to work for Howlin' Wolf in 1949. Around 1950 he was a member of Memphis's ad hoc group, the Beale Streeters, with Bobby 'Blue' Bland and B.B. King.
In 1951 he formed his own band, the Blue Flames, with guitarist Auburn 'Pat' Hare. Parker was discovered in 1952 by Ike Turner, who signed him to Modern Records. He put out one single on this record label, "You're My Angel."[ This brought him to the attention of Sam Phillips, and he and his band signed onto Sun Records in 1953. There they produced three successful songs: "Feelin' Good" (which reached # 5 on the Billboard R&B charts), "Love My Baby," and "Mystery Train" ,with Floyd Murphy (Matt "Guitar" Murphy's brother) on guitar, later covered by Elvis Presley.[ For Presley's version of "Mystery Train", Scotty Moore borrowed the guitar riff from Parker's "Love My Baby"
Later in 1953, Parker toured with Bobby Bland and Johnny Ace, and also joined Duke Records. Parker and Bland headed the highly successful Blues Consolidated Revue, which became a staple part of the southern blues circuit. He continued to have a string of hits on the R&B chart, including the smooth "Next Time You See Me" (1957); re-makes of Roosevelt Sykes' songs, "Sweet Home Chicago" (1958) and "Driving Wheel" (1961); Guitar Slim's "The Things That I Used to Do" (1963); Don Robey's "Mother-in-Law Blues" (1956); and his own "Stand by Me." (1961)
His success was limited after he left the Duke label in 1966. He recorded for various labels, including Mercury, Blue Rock, Minit, and Capitol.
