056: Elvis Presley - From Elvis in Memphis (1969)
“When [Elvis Presley] went to Memphis in 1968 to record with a fine musical wrecking crew of accomplished studio musicians, he sounded, once again, as though he was actually interested in what he was singing.”
—Allen Lowe, The Oxford American
Get ready for an Elvis podcast that doesn’t contain “Hound Dog,” “Jailhouse Rock,” “Heartbreak Hotel” “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” or “All Shook Up.” Come on, you’ve already heard those songs on a hundred movie soundtracks and diner mini-jukeboxes. Instead, Phil is leading Elvis obsessee Ben and utter Elvis novice Rich through From Elvis in Memphis, the 1969 album that briefly put him back in the spotlight after almost a full decade of starring in terrible movies. Buoyed by his hit comeback special, the King adopted a “country soul” sound that blends country songwriting with the sonic palette of gospel, soul, doo-wop and R&B. Elvis has a truly frustrating discography where the iconography often overshadows the actual music, but From Elvis in Memphis is one for us album nerds, and one for the ages.
Miscellany
We gave “In the Ghetto” a collective “meh” and wave of the hand, but this three-part article on Medium by John Ross really digs into the importance of a song like this coming from the world’s most prominent white Southerner in 1969, corny as it may sound by today’s lyrical standards.
Elvis’s film career is generally regarded as a disaster, but for what it’s worth, the Library of Congress added his 1957 screen debut Jailhouse Rock to the National Film Registry in 2004.
“Moody Blue” actually has sentimental significance in the Elvis discography, as the title track to his final album, released in July 1977 just four weeks before his death.
Rich somehow forgot to mention “Always on My Mind,” which is easily the Elvis-performed song he knows best, thanks to the smash hit 1987 Pet Shop Boys cover.
Amanda isn’t on the panel for this episode, but she ran the Zoom session, and registered a look of pure shock and disgust when Ben dissed Hank Snow’s original “I’m Movin’ On.”
Other links
Champion or copycat? Elvis Presley’s ambiguous relationship with black America (The Conversation)
Segregated from its history, how 'ghetto' lost its meaning (NPR)
Discord & Rhyme Roll Call
Phil Maddox (host)
Rich Bunnell (moderator)
Ben Marlin
From Elvis in Memphis tracklist
Wearin' That Loved On Look
Only the Strong Survive
I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)
Long Black Limousine
It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'
I'm Movin' On
Power of My Love
Gentle On My Mind
After Loving You
True Love Travels on a Gravel Road
Any Day Now
In the Ghetto
Suspicious Minds (bonus track)
Kentucky Rain (bonus track)
Other clips used
Elvis Presley:
Moody Blue
Blue Suede Shoes
My Happiness
That’s All Right
Old MacDonald
Queenie Wahine's Papaya
Fort Lauderdale Chamber Of Commerce
Dominick
Stranger in My Own Home Town
Crying in the Chapel
Others:
Genesis - Down and Out
Elvis Costello and the Attractions - Pump It Up
Dallas Frazier - Space Command
The Oak Ridge Boys - Elvira
Jerry Butler - Only the Strong Survive
The O'Jays - Love Train
Eddy Arnold - I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)
Vern Stovall - Long Black Limousine
Public Enemy - Fight the Power
MDC - John Wayne Was a Nazi
Johnny Tillotson - It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'
Hank Snow - I'm Movin' On
Ray Charles - I'm Movin' On
Celine Dion - The Power of Love
John Hartford - Gentle On My Mind
Glen Campbell - Gentle On My Mind
Leonard Nimoy - Gentle On My Mind
Eddy Arnold - After Loving You
Duane Dee - True Love Travels on a Gravel Road
Percy Sledge - True Love Travels on a Gravel Road
Chuck Jackson - Any Day Now
Mark James - Suspicious Minds
Dusty Springfield - Don't Forget About Me
Band/album personnel
Live recording band:
Elvis Presley – vocals, guitar, piano on "I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)"
Mike Leech and Glen Spreen – string and horn arrangements
Ed Kollis – harmonica on "Power of My Love" and "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road"
John Hughey – pedal steel guitar (on "In the Ghetto")
Reggie Young – lead guitar
Bobby Wood – piano
Bobby Emmons – Hammond organ
Tommy Cogbill – bass guitar
Mike Leech – bass guitar
Gene Chrisman – drums
Overdubbed:
Wayne Jackson – trumpet
Dick Steff – trumpet
R.F. Taylor – trumpet
Ed Logan – trombone
Jack Hale – trombone
Gerald Richardson – trombone
Tony Cason – French horn
Joe D'Gerolamo – French horn
Andrew Love – saxophone
Jackie Thomas – saxophone
Glen Spreen – saxophone
J.P. Luper – saxophone
Joe Babcock – backing vocals
Dolores Edgin – backing vocals
Mary Greene – backing vocals
Charlie Hodge – backing vocals
Ginger Holladay – backing vocals
Mary Holladay – backing vocals
Millie Kirkham – backing vocals
Ronnie Milsap – backing vocals
Sonja Montgomery – backing vocals
June Page – backing vocals
Susan Pilkington – backing vocals
Sandy Posey – backing vocals
Donna Thatcher – backing vocals
Hurschel Wiginton – backing vocals
Credits
“Discord & Rhyme (theme),” composed by the Other Leading Brand, contains elements of:
Duran Duran - Hungry Like the Wolf
Amon Düül II - Dehypnotized Toothpaste
The Dukes of Stratosphear - What in the World?? ...
Faith No More - Midlife Crisis
Herbie Hancock - Hornets
Kraftwerk - Autobahn
Talking Heads - Seen and Not Seen
Elvis Presley - Suspicious Minds (this episode only)
You can buy or stream From Elvis in Memphis and other albums by Elvis Presley at the usual suspects such as Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and Amazon. Follow Discord & Rhyme on Twitter @DiscordPod for news, updates, and other random stuff. Editing is by Rich Bunnell, and special thanks to our own Mike DeFabio, the Other Leading Brand, for production and original music. See you next album, and be ever wonderful.