Discord & Rhyme: An Album Podcast

Discord and Rhyme is a podcast where we discuss the albums we love, song by song.

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 

Discord & Rhyme Roll Call 

  • Phil Maddox (host)

  • Rich Bunnell (moderator)

  • Ben Marlin 

From Elvis in Memphis tracklist 

  1. Wearin' That Loved On Look

  2. Only the Strong Survive

  3. I'll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)

  4. Long Black Limousine

  5. It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'

  6. I'm Movin' On

  7. Power of My Love

  8. Gentle On My Mind

  9. After Loving You

  10. True Love Travels on a Gravel Road

  11. Any Day Now

  12. In the Ghetto

  13. Suspicious Minds (bonus track)

  14. 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.

This website and all episodes' discussion/commentary © 2018—2024 Discord & Rhyme. Excerpts from recordings appearing in episodes are included for purposes of review only, and all rights to such material remain property of their copyright holders. Please note that we make a good-faith effort to ensure all information included in these episodes is accurate, but if we get something wrong, let us know at discordpod@gmail.com and we will print a correction in the show notes. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. Website design by Amanda Rodgers. Thank you for visiting, and keep as cool as you can.

Powered by Squarespace