#322 Elvis Presley, 'From Elvis in Memphis' (1969)

Previously #190

“I had to leave town for a little while/You said you'd be good while I'm gone,” belts out Elvis in the first line of ‘From Elvis in Memphis.’ Following a stint in the army, in 1960 Colonel Tom Parker, Elvis’s manager, shifted Elvis’s focus from studio albums to films and their respective soundtrack albums. Elvis had become more and more disillusioned with his work and his popularity throughout the ‘60s was waning. Music was changing, The Beatles were dominating. Parker arranged for a Christmas special on NBC in front of a live audience for Presley, but the producer of the show suggested that instead of Christmas songs, Presley sings originals. The show was a success and re-established Presley’s popularity. This encouraged him to make a comeback to studio albums with original music. Presley went back to Memphis and instead of his usual musicians, he recorded with the Memphis Boys.

The result was less rock ‘n roll, more country, soul, gospel and pop. A new direction for Elvis and a career resurgence that would last up until his death 8 years later. This album gave us the megahits ‘In The Ghetto’ and arguably one of his signature songs, ‘Suspicious Minds.’ The song would be Elvis’s last #1 single. His voice sounds great on this record. Interesting to hear a completely different side to him following his debut album at #332.

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