Elvis Presley: From Elvis In Memphis

Release Date: August 1969. Label : RCA. Producer: Chips Moman. Running Time: 45 minutes

Thirty years ago Record Mirror, in reviewing this album, said: "Take down yourThis Is Soul album and replace it with From Elvis In Memphis. " That just may be the single most succinct, prescient and truthful review in the history of pop.

There’s no getting around it – this album is one of the greatest soul albums of all time. To add the proviso "by a white singer" is totally unnecessary. Despite the hyping ofThe Sun Collection which is, after all, merely a collection of singles (however seminal), From Elvis In Memphis, is also the greatest album ever recorded by Elvis Presley.

So, first, the background. Presley’s ’68 Comeback had been screened in December of that year, receiving this review, in the NME. "A new dimension has just been added to the annals of American pop history. A single male singer, whose name is Elvis Presley, this week closed a 12-year gap, and embarked on a second career with the grandest slam we’re ever likely to experience in music. Forget Jim Morrison and Mick Jagger. At best they couldn’t emote in an entire performance the excitement Elvis generated with one toss of his black, black, hair and long sideburns, his body writhing in a skin tight black leather suit."

Similar reviews appeared all over the planet. And so, after nearly a decade of making mostly dumb movies that not only came close to destroying Presley’s soul but made him drug-dependent, Elvis knew he had to clean up his act, and consolidate his comeback, in every sense.

But, more than that, the man knew he had to prove, to himself, that he was still a positive and vibrant force – artistically and spiritually. It was while discussing plans to record what turned out to be From Elvis In Memphis, that Presley was finally told that one of the reasons he’d been getting mostly mediocre songs to record was because pressure was placed on all songwriters to relinquish their publishing royalties if he recorded their songs.

When he heard this, Elvis, sitting at home, having dinner in Graceland, slammed his fist off the table and said "in future I want to hear all songs, no matter the fuck who gets the publishing." Another motivating factor was that he wanted to show his wife Priscilla, who’d become a mite too excited by Tom Jones’ soul album, 13 Smash Hits, that he himself was still the man. In other words, Elvis had nearly every reason you can think of to produce a classic album.

The first right move in that direction was to record in Chips Moman’s studio in Memphis, rather than return to Nashville (or LA, as had been the pattern since 1960). Chips had recently produced mega-hits such as ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’ for Dusty Springfield; surely he could do something similar for Presley.

His studio was also blessed with one of the tightest and most improvisational soul bands this side of the cats at Stax. Guitarist, Reggie Young; bass players Tommy Leech and Tom Cogbill; pianist, Bobby Wood; organist, Bobby Emmons; drummer, Gene Chrisman; harmonica player, Ed Hollis and steel guitarist John Hughey. Presley himself also brought on board a gospel choir of up to nine singers, played piano and guitar, added harmony vocals to some tracks and later agreed to overdubs being added by the Memphis Horns.

Having heard most of the official and unofficial recordings from these sessions, I can honestly state that there is no doubt they were dominated by Elvis Presley’s almost superhuman desire to create the greatest music of his life. And this he did.

Often he would do up to thirty takes on any one song, then, weeks afterwards, having listened to his "demo", go back to the studio and started all over again. But this dedication to perfection obviously shows through in the finished product, which was magnificently mixed by Moman. So much so that, starting on January 13th 1969 and ending February 22nd, the sessions produced enough material for two albums and singles such as ‘Kentucky Rain’ and ‘Suspicious Minds’ – neither of which appears on From Elvis In Memphis.

But what does appear – like apparitions from some musical heaven – is a vast array of gospel-like, emotional, orgiastic, yearning songs like ‘Wearin’ That Loved On Look’ and the shamelessly phallic ‘Power Of My Love.’ There are also plenty of bass-driven, fuck-you-babe rockers like ‘I’m Movin’ On.’

Elsewhere, on a song like Jerry Butler’s ‘Only The Strong Survive’ Elvis shows that not only can a white man sing soul and blues but do it more soulfully than a black man – at least, Elvis could.

The same is true of ‘Long Black Limousine’ where Presley sings/weeps, as if staring into his mother’s coffin, and fully aware that those ol’ hellhounds who stalked Robert Johnson are on his own trail. It is psycho-drama of the most sublime kind.

These recordings really do ripple with such resonances, as with the greatest poetry, the greatest art. In fact, let’s leave it at that. Let’s be content to say, simply, that this album contains some of the finest art ever sculpted in the name of pop. I could go further and whet your appetite by mentioning that it also features the definitive reading of Bacharach & David’s ‘Any Day Now’, or merely mention that it ends with ‘In The Ghetto.’ But if youstill don’t believe me when I say From Elvis In Memphis is one of the most perfect albums ever made, then, to quote the movie Cool Hand Luke: "What we have here is a failure to communicate!"

And not only on this writer’s part.

Six of the best:

ODD FACT This album is normally omitted from all lists of ‘Great Pop Albums.’

WHAT HE DID NEXT Second volume of same, on the From Memphis To Vegas double album.

STAR TRACK ‘Long Black Limousine.’

ACE LYRIC LINE "He buys a gun, steals a car, tries to run, but he don’t get far" from ‘In The Ghetto."

MAGIC MOMENT Presley’s anguished cries on the outro of ‘Long Black Limousine’.

RELATED ALBUMS Dusty In Memphis – Dusty Springfield.