Elvis Presley was dead in the late 60s. He was languishing in Hollywood, making inane travelogues where he played race car drivers and water ski instructors. His movies always made a profit at the box office, but the soundtrack albums weren’t selling like they used to. His last major hits were in 1962, with “Good Luck Charm” and “Return to Sender.” Elvis seemed resigned to his fate as a banal leading man, until NBC approached Colonel Tom Parker with an idea for a television special.
The show was originally going to be a Christmas special, cementing Elvis’ role as a non-threatening member of the establishment. However, producer Steve Binder had other ideas. He remembered the hip-shaking innovator of the 1950s, and wanted to bring the “Hillbilly Cat” back. Elvis loved the idea, but the Colonel balked at the suggestion. Elvis overruled him. It was one of the only times Elvis went against the Colonel’s wishes.
The special aired on December 3, 1968 and became a milestone in American popular culture. The official title was Singer Presents: Elvis, but history would remember it as the ’68 Comeback Special. From the moment he stepped onstage that evening, Elvis Presley was the undisputed King of Rock n’ Roll. His hair was piled high in a glorious jet-black pompadour. His movie star garb was ditched in favor of a tight black leather suit. The music was not sedate, silly or schmaltzy. He belted out gutsy versions of his old classics: “Jailhouse Rock,” “Hound Dog,” and “Lawdy Ms. Clawdy.” There were new songs too, like “Guitar Man” and “If I Can Dream,” a beautiful plea for togetherness and understanding. America was reminded why they loved Elvis Presley so much in the first place. Elvis was invigorated by the special, and was no longer content to sing “Do the Clam” and “Rock-a-Hula Baby.” It was time to go back to where it all began, Memphis Tennessee.
In the late ‘60s, Memphis was the soul capital of the world. Motown had more stars, but Stax and Hi Records were raw, soulful and cutting edge, home to Sam and Dave, Otis Redding and Al Green. A month after the ’68 Comeback Special, Elvis and his entourage rolled into American Recording Studios with producer Chips Mornan and made the best music of his career.
The Legacy Edition of From Elvis in Memphis is a bit of a misnomer, since it is actually comprised of two albums, the former and its sequel Back in Memphis. This music has been released and rereleased a myriad of times, most notably the 1999 collection Suspicious Minds, which included every track and alternate takes. The Legacy Edition distills that collection into two albums, along with his important singles from the era. It’s not necessary for hardcore fans, but for casual fans, it is absolutely essential. The greatness of From Elvis in Memphis can be boiled down into three simple elements: Vocals, musicianship and song selection.
Elvis’ voice was a magnificent instrument in the late 1960s. In the 1950s, his voice was unpolished and raw. When he came back from the army, he started to sing like the romantic crooners he admired, like Bing Crosby, Dean Martin and Mario Lanza. Elvis made some great music in the early ‘60s, but some his voice could sound a tad schmaltzy. On From Elvis in Memphis, his voice is still smooth and rich, but doesn’t have a trace of schmaltz. By combining the smooth crooning of his work earlier in the decade with the raw soul of his earlier work, his voice is much more complex. People also tend to forget about his confidence on this record. Elvis knows how good he is, and he shows off. On “I’ll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms),” there are two false starts. Elvis sings “I said I’ll hold” twice, pausing slightly each time. When he completes the phrase on the third time, his voice is in full bloom. It’s like a kiss-off to the critics that left him for dead.
The musicianship takes Elvis’ voice to another level. Elvis was backed by The Memphis Boys, American’s crack session band, which played on a mind-boggling 125 top 40 hits between 1967 and 1971. The raw, earthy music they played was a far cry from the glitzy pap that Elvis had been recording in Los Angeles. Elvis’ voice was also bolstered by fantastic backup singers, who spiced up the arrangements without overshadowing Elvis. Chips Morman was the perfect producer for Elvis, taking his ideas and molding them into a cohesive album.
The musicianship and vocals would be meaningless without the right songs. When people want to dismiss Elvis, they always bring up that he never wrote his own songs. This is true, but it doesn’t matter. Picking and interpreting songs is a talent that is often overlooked. Elvis had a knack for picking quality material, which is why his versions become definitive.
Elvis wasn’t stupid. He was aware that he was losing ground to The Beatles, Bob Dylan and The Rolling Stones. He also knew that he couldn’t be anything but Elvis Presley. He didn’t go psychedelic and sing about incense and peppermints. Soul music appealed to his R&B and gospel background and also allowed him to flex his vocal muscles.
Elvis may not have written anything he sang on From Elvis to Memphis, but if you read between the lines, he reveals the person behind the icon. One of the album’s highlights is “Long Black Limousine,” about a woman who leaves her hometown in search of fortune, and achieves her dream, but returns in a hearse. The arrangement begins simply, growing more dramatic as the song goes on. Elvis starts out smooth, but by the end his voice is overcome by emotion. He was afraid of the same fate.
Love is also a recurring theme, but never as a source of happiness. Elvis is lonely (“It Keeps Right on A-Hurtin’”), paranoid (“Wearin’ That Loved on Look”), but still hopeful (“True Love Travels on a Gravel Road”). Everything comes to a head on “Suspicious Minds,” Elvis Presley’s masterpiece. Elvis voice is full of passion and pathos, but never self-pity. He acknowledges that he is at fault as much as his lover, and begs her to get back together again. The song is an emotional roller coaster, and just when you think it’s over, there is one last gut-wrenching chorus. Things were clearly not well within the gates of Graceland.
In a way, From Elvis in Memphis is Elvis’s second debut album. For the first time in years, he had something to prove. Because he was challenged, he made the best music of his entire career. From Elvis in Memphis is not about the celebrity, iconography or tragedy that has overshadowed the music since his death. It shows Elvis for what he was; one of the greatest interpreters of music who ever lived. If you have ever wondered what made Elvis great, this is it. When Elvis Presley was motivated, there was no one else in the building.
Factual background and statistical information provided by: Peter Guralnick, Tara McAdams, Robert Gordon and Susan Doll.