February 24th in Elvis History

It's February 24, and on this day in 1965… Elvis Presley returned to the recording studio for the first time in eight months, but it wasn’t exactly a triumphant comeback. A last-minute soundtrack session was arranged for his upcoming film *Harum Scarum*, but with his usual musicians unavailable, Elvis found himself backed by a fill-in group that included Charlie McCoy on guitar, Henry Strzelecki on bass, and Kenny Buttrey on drums. To match the film’s exotic theme, flute and oboe players Rufus Long and Ralph Strobel were brought in to lend a “Middle Eastern” sound. The session turned grueling fast—Elvis was visibly disinterested in the material, and by 3:30 a.m., after 38 takes of “Shake That Tambourine,” he called it a night.