356: FROM ELVIS IN MEMPHIS | ELVIS PRESLEY
From Elvis in Memphis is the tenth studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley. It was released by RCA Records on June 17, 1969. It was recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis in January and February 1969 under the direction of producer Chips Moman and backed by its house band, informally known as "The Memphis Boys". Following the success of Presley's TV special Elvis and its soundtrack, the album marked Presley's return to non-soundtrack albums after the completion of his film contract with Paramount Pictures.
Presley's entourage convinced him to leave the RCA studios and record this album at American Sound, a new Memphis studio at the peak of a hit-producing streak. The reason for going to Moman's studio was for the soul sound of the house band, 'the Memphis Boys'. The predominance of country songs among those recorded in these sessions gives them the feel of the "country soul" style. This impression is emphasized by the frequent use of the dobro in the arrangements. In any case, the Memphis Boys have a solidly southern soul sound.
From Elvis in Memphis was released in June 1969 to favorable reviews. The album peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200, number two on the country charts and number one in the United Kingdom, and its single "In the Ghetto" reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100. The album was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America in 1970. In later years, it garnered further favorable reviews, while it was ranked number 190 on Rolling Stone magazine's 2003 list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
After Presley's 1960 return from military service, his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, shifted the focus of the singer's career from live music and albums to films and soundtracks. In March 1961, he performed what would become his last live concert for the next eight years: a benefit for the construction of the USS Arizona Memorial at Boch Arena in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. During the first half of the 1960s, three of Presley's soundtrack albums reached number one on the pop charts and a number of his most popular songs were from his films, including 1961's "Can't Help Falling in Love" and 1962's "Return to Sender".
After 1964, Parker decided that Presley should only record soundtrack albums. He viewed the films and soundtracks as complementary, with each helping to promote the other. As it turned out, the commercial success of Presley's films and soundtracks steadily diminished (Paradise, Hawaiian Style; Easy Come, Easy Go; Speedway), while he was increasingly disappointed with the quality of his work. From 1964 to 1968, Presley had just one top-ten hit: "Crying in the Chapel" (1965), a gospel number recorded in 1960. Only one LP of new material by Presley was issued: the gospel album How Great Thou Art (1967), which won him his first Grammy Award in the Best Sacred Performance category.
In 1968, Colonel Parker arranged a deal with NBC for a Christmas television special starring Presley in front of a live audience. Parker originally planned to have Presley sing Christmas carols only, but producer Steve Binder convinced the singer to perform songs from his original repertoire. The high ratings received by the special and the success of its attendant LP re-established Presley's popularity. During the making of the special, Presley said to Binder: "I'll never sing another song that I don't believe in, I'm never going to make another movie that I don't believe in." As part of his decision to refocus on music rather than film, Presley decided to record a new album. Read more