The first fully comprehensive collection of Elvis Presley’s hometown recordings arrives today, Friday, August 9th with ‘MEMPHIS’ (RCA Records / Legacy Recordings) – a 111-track box set spanning from his earliest sessions at Sun Studio (which celebrate their 70th anniversary this summer) to his final recordings in Graceland’s Jungle Room. Along the way, the Bluff City serves as both home and muse to Presley, playing a pivotal role as he finds creative rebirth at American Sound in 1969, overcomes personal struggles at Stax in 1973, and brings his most extravagant and spellbinding live show to the Mid-South Coliseum in 1974.
The new ‘MEMPHIS’ collection will be celebrated at Elvis Week next week, including two special events at Graceland. On Tuesday, August 13th, Graceland Soundstage will host an “Elvis: Back in Memphis” concert – blending live performances with storytelling from the musicians and vocalists who were part of these legendary recording sessions. Confirmed participants include American Sound drummer Gene Chrisman and vocalist Donna (Rhodes) Morris; and Larry Strickland from the Jungle Room Sessions.
On Wednesday, August 14 at 2pm CT, Sony Music will host a special ‘MEMPHIS’ listening event and Q&A at Graceland’s Guest House Theater featuring broadcasting legend Tom Brown, MEMPHIS producer Ernst Jørgensen, Grammy award-winning record producer Matt Ross-Spang and Grammy award-winning music historian Robert Gordon to discuss how this box set was brought to life and the story behind ‘MEMPHIS.’ The event will be live streamed on both Elvis’ Facebook and YouTube channels.
Produced by noted Elvis authority Jørgensen, with rare archival material and new liner notes by Gordon, ‘MEMPHIS’ is available in 5CD, 2LP, and digital configurations, giving fresh insight into the bond between Elvis and his eternal home. Earlier this week in a feature at Billboard, Jørgensen and Matt Ross-Spang spoke to the task of imbuing the set with reverence and building where appropriate on Presley’s artistic sensibilities.
With the exception of the Sun recordings, all tracks on ‘MEMPHIS’ were newly mixed by Ross-Spang at Southern Grooves in Memphis, with overdubs stripped away – leaving the listener with only what Elvis heard live in the studio. With this intimacy, new revelations abound – from Elvis’ intuitive chemistry with “The Memphis Boys” at American, to the subtle way he builds his vocal phrasing around his backing singers in the Stax sessions, or the palpable joy he brings to his final sessions in the Jungle Room. Through it all, the listener is standing next to Elvis – hearing exactly what he is hearing.
5-CD Track Listing:
DISC 1 – SUN SINGLE MASTERS
01 That’s All Right
02 Blue Moon Of Kentucky
03 I Don’t Care If the Sun Don’t Shine
04 Good Rockin’ Tonight
05 Milkcow Blues Boogie
06 You’re A Heartbreaker
07 Baby Let’s Play House
08 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
09 I Forgot To Remember To Forget
10 Mystery Train
THE SUN RCA LP MASTERS
11 I Love You Because (RCA LP version)
12 Just Because
13 Tryin’ To Get To You
14 I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’)
15 Blue Moon
16 Harbor Lights
17 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, aka My Baby’s Gone)
18 When It Rains It Pours
19 Tomorrow Night
20 My Happiness
21 That’s When Your Heartaches Begin
22 I’ll Never Stand In Your Way
23 It Wouldn’t Be The Same Without You
DISC 2 – American ’69
01 In The Ghetto
02 Suspicious Minds
03 Don’t Cry Daddy
04 Kentucky Rain
05 Mama Liked The Roses
06 Do You Know Who I Am?
07 You’ll Think Of Me
08 True Love Travels On A Gravel Road
09 Long Black Limousine
10 After Loving You
11 I’ll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms)
12 From A Jack To A King
13 Without Love (There Is Nothing)
14 It’s My Way / This Time / I Can’t Stop Loving You (studio jam)
15 It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’
16 I’m Movin’ On
17 Power Of My Love
18 Stranger In My Own Home Town
19 Wearin’ That Loved On Look
20 Any Day Now
21 Only The Strong Survive
22 Gentle On My Mind
23 The Fair’s Moving On
24 Hey Jude
DISC 3 – Stax ’73
01 Promised Land
02 Raised On Rock
03 I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby
04 If You Talk In Your Sleep
05 My Boy
06 Spanish Eyes
07 Help Me
08 I Got A Feelin’ In My Body
09 It’s Midnight
10 Find Out What’s Happening
11 If You Don’t Come Back
12 For Ol’ Times Sake
13 Just A Little Bit
14 Talk About The Good Times
15 Loving Arms
16 You Asked Me To
17 Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues
18 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming
19 There’s A Honky Tonk Angel (Who Will Take Me Back In)
20 Take Good Care Of Her
21 She Wears My Ring
22 If That Isn’t Love
23 Three Corn Patches
DISC 4 – The Homecoming Concert
01 Also Sprach Zarathustra
02 See See Rider
03 I Got A Woman / Amen
04 Love Me
05 Trying To Get To You
06 All Shook Up
07 Steamroller Blues
08 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel
10 Medley: Long Tall Sally / Whole Lot-ta Shakin’ Goin’ On / Mama Don’t Dance / Flip, Flop And Fly / Jailhouse Rock / Hound Dog
11 Fever
12 Polk Salad Annie
13 Why Me Lord
14 How Great Thou Art
15 Suspicious Minds
16 Introductions
17 Medley: Blueberry Hill / I Can’t Stop Loving You
18 Help Me
19 An American Trilogy
20 Let Me Be There
21 My Baby Left Me
22 Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
23 Funny How Time Slips Away
24 Can’t Help Falling In Love
25 Closing Vamp
DISC 5 – Graceland ’76
01 Hurt
02 Never Again
03 Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
04 Danny Boy
05 The Last Farewell
06 For The Heart
07 Bitter They Are, Harder They Fall
08 Solitaire
09 Love Coming Down
10 I’ll Never Fall In Love Again
11 Moody Blue
12 She Thinks I Still Care
13 Way Down
14 He’ll Have To Go
15 Pledging My Love
16 It’s Easy For You
