Saxophonist Boots Randolph

Lore & Background

Randolph's connection to Elvis Presley was through his work as a session musician in Nashville. He played on many recording sessions with Elvis Presley and also performed on soundtracks for a number of Presley's motion pictures, one popular song being "Return to Sender." Randolph was part of the Nashville A-Team, a group of elite session musicians, and was signed to RCA Victor by Chet Atkins in 1958. His career included performing on recordings by artists such as Chet Atkins, Roy Orbison, Brenda Lee, and Al Hirt, and he appeared on television shows including The Ed Sullivan Show and The Tonight Show Starring Johnny Carson.

In Their Own Story

In the RCA studios of Nashville, Boots Randolph stood among the Nashville A-Team, his tenor saxophone ready. When Elvis Presley stepped up to the microphone, the session musicians fell into place. Randolph's saxophone wove through the arrangement, adding a smooth, soulful layer to tracks like "Return to Sender." These were not one-off appearances; Randolph played on many recording sessions with Presley and contributed to the soundtracks of several of his motion pictures, helping to shape the polished sound of those recordings.

Reader's Guide

Boots Randolph's role with Elvis Presley was strictly as a session musician in the studio. He was not a member of Elvis's touring band, the TCB Band, nor did he perform live with Presley on a regular basis. His contributions were focused on RCA studio sessions in Nashville, where he played tenor saxophone on many of Presley's recordings and motion picture soundtracks. Randolph's style, rooted in pop, rock, jazz, and country, added a versatile and polished horn texture to the tracks he played on. Notable specific contributions include the song "Return to Sender" and work on soundtracks for Presley's films, though the source does not list every film or song.

Did You Know?

• Boots Randolph's 1963 saxophone hit 'Yakety Sax' became the signature tune of The Benny Hill Show.
• He was a member of the Nashville A-Team, a group of elite session musicians.
• Randolph played on Brenda Lee's 1958 hit 'Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree'.
• He performed on Johnny Cash's 1965 cover hit of 'Orange Blossom Special'.
• Randolph opened a 275-seat nightclub in downtown Nashville's Printer's Alley in 1977, which operated until 1994.