Playing for Keeps (Elvis Presley song)
[4] The song was written by Sun Studio house band steel guitar and bass player Stan Kesler (words and lyrics), who wrote or co-wrote five songs in total for Elvis Presley: "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone", "I Forgot to Remember to Forget", "Thrill of Your Love", "Playing for Keeps", and "If I'm a Fool (For Loving You)".[15] Billboard picked the single "Two Much"/"Playing for Keep" for its "Spotlight" section and then (in its January 19, 1957, issue) as one of "This Week's Best Buys":[2][16] Advance orders put this disk in the best seller class even before it was generally available.At this early stage, it is hard to determine which side rates top listing.[2]Mike Eder states his opinion of the side "Playing for Keeps" in his book Elvis Music FAQ: All That's Left to Know About the King's Recorded Works: "Playing for Keeps" is one of the few early single sides that wasn't worthy of the spotlight it was given.He tries too hard at putting feeling into the track, pushing his voice into an awkward whine.