From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis

Last updated
From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis
ElvisPresleyFromMemphisToVegasLPCover.jpg
The cover of side one and side two, known as Elvis In Person at the International Hotel
Studio album and live album by
ReleasedOctober 14, 1969 (1969-10-14)
RecordedJanuary, February,
August 24–26, 1969
Venue International Hotel (Winchester)
Studio American Sound (Memphis)
Genre Rock, soul, country, pop
Length32:06 (Studio LP)
36:38 (Live LP)
68:44 (Total)
Label RCA Victor
Producer Chips Moman Studio LP
Felton Jarvis Live LP
Elvis Presley chronology
From Elvis in Memphis
(1969)
From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis
(1969)
Let's Be Friends
(1970)
Alternative cover
From Vegas to Memphis.jpg
The cover of side three and side four, known as Back in Memphis
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [1] & Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar half.svg [2]
Robert Christgau B+ [3]
MusicHound Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svgStar empty.svg [4]
Rolling Stone (unfavourable) [5]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [6]
Rough Guides Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar empty.svg [7]

From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis is the 10th studio album and the second live album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley. It was released on October 14, 1969, by RCA Records. It is a double album: the first album, titled In Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, contains the live recordings of Presley's hits at the International Hotel in Winchester, Nevada, while the second album, titled Back in Memphis, contains entirely new material recorded at American Sound Studio in Memphis. The album peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard 200, and was certified Gold on December 13, 1969, by the Recording Industry Association of America. [8]

Contents

Content

Issued to capitalize upon the response to From Elvis in Memphis and its hit singles, and his newfound success as a headliner in Las Vegas, Vegas/Memphis is Presley's first double album and his first official live album. [9] Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, secured a month-long engagement at the International Hotel, and in keeping with the "clear-the-decks" philosophy of the previous album, Presley jettisoned his long-serving 1960s sidemen in favor of musicians who would become his Taking Care of Business band. [10] The musicians used on the second LP were assembled by Chips Moman dating back from early 1969 at the American Sound Studios sessions in Memphis.

The first album consisted of recordings from those shows, Elvis' first live performances since his March 1961 benefit concert in Hawaii. [11] Signature hits from his 1950s and early 1960s repertoire appeared alongside a cover of "Words" by The Bee Gees, his recent hit single "In The Ghetto" and an extended version of "Suspicious Minds", the single of which had only just been released during the engagement.

The second album consisted of ten recordings from the winter of 1969 sessions at American Sound not used for From Elvis in Memphis. [12] Although drawn from what were basically leftovers, still "Stranger in My Hometown" equaled the intensity of the already issued songs. [13] Of these remainders, "The Fair's Moving On" and "You'll Think of Me" had previously appeared as b-sides respectively to "Clean Up Your Own Backyard" and "Suspicious Minds" earlier in the year. [14]

Reissues

In November 1970, RCA reissued the set as individual albums, only in the US, identified by the subtitles that appeared on the original double LP, In Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada as LSP 4428, and Back in Memphis as LSP 4429. [15] They have been issued separately ever since. However, the double LP LSP 6020 was also available concurrently through the 1970s. In the United Kingdom this has only ever been released as the double LP set, keeping the integrity of the original project. The entirety of Back in Memphis can be found on the box set From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60s Masters , and on the double-disc compilation of recordings at American Sound Studio, Suspicious Minds .

On July 28, 2009, Sony Music Entertainment issued Back in Memphis on the second disc of its Legacy Edition of From Elvis in Memphis. A similar Legacy Edition of On Stage released on March 23, 2010, features the entirety of In Person at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada on its second disc.

The collectors' label Follow That Dream has released several of the full performances from Presley's August 1969 season in Las Vegas. The full August 22 performance was included on a reissue of the live album, titled In Person. [16] The full midnight show from August 23 was released under the title Elvis At The International, [17] while the midnight show from August 26 was released as All Shook Up. [18] The August 24 show is available on the first disc of the 2001 box set Live in Las Vegas . In 2013, FTD released the complete midnight show from August 25.

Track listing

Elvis in Person

Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Blue Suede Shoes" Carl Perkins August 25, 19692:06
2."Johnny B. Goode" Chuck Berry August 24, 19692:12
3."All Shook Up" Otis Blackwell, Elvis PresleyAugust 25, 19692:15
4."Are You Lonesome Tonight?" Lou Handman, Roy Turk August 24, 19693:16
5."Hound Dog" Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller August 25, 19691:53
6."I Can't Stop Loving You" Don Gibson August 25, 19693:19
7."My Babe" Willie Dixon August 25, 19692:12
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Mystery Train" / "Tiger Man" Junior Parker, / Joe Hill Louis, Sam Phillips (as Sam Burns)August 25, 19693:46
2."Words" Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb August 25, 19692:46
3."In the Ghetto" Mac Davis August 25, 19692:56
4."Suspicious Minds" Mark James August 26, 19697:46
5."Can't Help Falling In Love" George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore August 26, 19692:12

Back in Memphis

Side three
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Inherit the Wind" Eddie Rabbitt January 15, 19692:56
2."This Is the Story"Chris Arnold, David Martin, Geoff Morrow January 13, 19692:28
3."Stranger in My Own Home Town" Percy Mayfield February 17, 19694:23
4."A Little Bit of Green"Chris Arnold, David Martin, Geoff Morrow January 14, 19693:21
5."And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind" Neil Diamond February 17, 19693:08
Side four
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Do You Know Who I Am?" Bobby Russell February 18, 19692:49
2."From a Jack to a King" Ned Miller January 21, 19692:23
3."The Fair's Moving On" Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett February 21, 19693:09
4."You'll Think of Me" Mort Shuman January 14, 19694:01
5."Without Love (There Is Nothing)"Danny SmallJanuary 22, 19692:51

Personnel

Elvis in Person at the International Hotel

Back in Memphis

Charts

Charts (1969–1970)Peak
position
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista) [20] 20
UK Albums (OCC) [21] 6
US Billboard 200 [22] 12

Related Research Articles

<i>On Stage</i> (Elvis Presley album) 1970 live album by Elvis Presley

On Stage is a live album by American singer Elvis Presley, released by RCA Records in June 1970. It was recorded between February 17 and 19, 1970 and August 22 and 25, 1969 at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. The album reached number 13 on both the Billboard 200 and country music charts. It was certified Gold on February 23, 1971, and Platinum on July 15, 1999, by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>His Hand in Mine</i> 1960 studio album by Elvis Presley

His Hand in Mine is the fifth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on November 23, 1960 by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, catalog number LPM/LSP 2328. It was the first of three gospel albums that Presley would issue during his lifetime. Recording sessions took place on October 30 and 31, 1960, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. It peaked at #13 on the Top Pop Albums chart. It was certified Gold on April 9, 1969 and Platinum on March 27, 1992 by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>Elvis Golden Records Volume 3</i> 1963 greatest hits album by Elvis Presley

Elvis' Golden Records Volume 3 is a greatest hits album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor as LPM/LSP-2765 on August 12, 1963. The album was the third volume of an eventual five volume collection, and his eighteenth altogether. It is a compilation of hit singles released in 1960, 1961, and 1962.

<i>Elvis for Everyone!</i> 1965 compilation album by Elvis Presley

Elvis for Everyone! is a compilation album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, issued by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3450, on August 10, 1965. Recording sessions took place over a ten-year span at Sun Studio in Memphis, RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, and Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. It peaked at number 10 on the Top Pop Albums chart.

<i>Elvis Gold Records Volume 4</i> 1968 greatest hits album by Elvis Presley

Elvis' Gold Records Volume 4 is a greatest hits album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, issued by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3921, in January 1968, with recording sessions taking place over an eight-year span at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, and at RCA Studios and Radio Recorders in Hollywood. It is a compilation of hit singles released between 1961 and 1967, peaking at number 33 on the Billboard 200. It was certified Gold on March 27, 1992, by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>Thats the Way It Is</i> (Elvis Presley album) 1970 studio album by Elvis Presley

That's the Way It Is is the 12th studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Records, LSP 4445, in November 1970. It consists of eight studio tracks recorded at RCA Studio B in Nashville, and four live in-concert tracks recorded at The International Hotel in Las Vegas. It accompanied the theatrical release of the documentary film Elvis: That's the Way It Is, although it is not generally considered a soundtrack album. The album peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200 and at number eight on the country chart. It was certified Gold on June 28, 1973, by the Recording Industry Association of America and up-graded to Platinum, for sales of a million copies on March 8, 2018.

<i>Pot Luck</i> (Elvis Presley album) 1962 studio album by Elvis Presley

Pot Luck with Elvis is the seventh studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2523, in May 18, 1962. Recording sessions took place on March 22, 1961, at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, and on June 25 and October 15, 1961, and March 18 and March 19, 1962, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. It peaked at number 4 on the Billboard Top LP's chart.

<i>From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential 60s Masters</i> 1993 box set by Elvis Presley

From Nashville to Memphis: The Essential '60s Masters is a five-disc box set compilation of studio master recordings by American singer and musician Elvis Presley during the decade of the 1960s; it was released in 1993 on RCA Records, catalogue number 66160-2. In its initial long-box release, it included a set of collectable stamps duplicating the record jackets of every Presley LP on RCA Victor, and those of the singles pertinent to this box set. The set also includes a booklet with an extensive session list and discography, as well as a lengthy essay by Peter Guralnick. It was certified Gold by the RIAA on November 30, 1993, and Platinum on January 6, 2004. This set followed an exhaustive box set of Presley's 1950s output and was followed by a more selective box set of his work in the 1970s.

<i>Blue Hawaii</i> (soundtrack) 1961 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Blue Hawaii is the fourth soundtrack album by the American singer Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2426, on October 20, 1961. It is the soundtrack to the 1961 film of the same name starring Presley. In the United States, the album spent 20 weeks at the number one slot and 39 weeks in the Top 10 on Billboard's Top Pop LPs chart. It was certified Gold on December 21, 1961, Platinum and 2× Platinum on March 27, 1992, and 3× Platinum on July 30, 2002, by the Recording Industry Association of America. On the US Top Pop Albums chart, Blue Hawaii is second only to the soundtrack of West Side Story as the most successful soundtrack album of the 1960s.

<i>Double Trouble</i> (soundtrack) 1967 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Double Trouble is the fifteenth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3787, in June 1967. It is the soundtrack to the 1967 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders and at Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer studios in Hollywood, California, on June 28, 29, and 30, 1966. It peaked at number 47 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Suspicious Minds</i> (album) 1999 compilation album by Elvis Presley

Suspicious Minds: The Memphis 1969 Anthology is a two-disc compilation of Elvis Presley's studio recordings at American Sound Studio during the winter of 1969, released in 1999, RCA 67677-2. This set features all of the master recordings made by Presley that would eventually feature on multiple singles as well as the albums From Elvis in Memphis and the studio disk of From Memphis to Vegas/From Vegas to Memphis. Original recordings produced by Chips Moman and Felton Jarvis.

<i>Roustabout</i> (soundtrack) 1964 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Roustabout is the ninth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2999, in October 1964. It is the soundtrack to the 1964 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on March 2 and 3, and April 29, 1964. It peaked at number one on the Billboard Top LPs chart. It was certified Gold on May 20, 1988 by the Recording Industry Association of America. The album would be Presley's final soundtrack to reach number one and his last number one album until 1973's Aloha From Hawaii: Via Satellite.

<i>Girls! Girls! Girls!</i> (soundtrack) 1962 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Girls! Girls! Girls! is the fifth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2426, in November 1962. It accompanied the 1962 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on March 26, 27, and 28, and May 23, 1962. It peaked at number three on the Top LPs chart. It was certified Gold on August 13, 1963 by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>It Happened at the Worlds Fair</i> (soundtrack) 1963 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

It Happened at the World's Fair is the sixth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2697, in April 1963. It is the soundtrack to the 1963 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood on August 30 and September 22, 1962. It peaked at number four on the Billboard Top Pop Albums chart.

<i>Kissin Cousins</i> (soundtrack) 1964 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Kissin' Cousins is the eighth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2894, in April 1964. It is the soundtrack to the 1964 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee, on May 26 and 27, and September 29 and 30, 1963. It peaked at number six on the Billboard Top LPs chart. The album was certified Gold on March 27, 1992 by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>Frankie and Johnny</i> (soundtrack) 1966 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Frankie and Johnny is the twelfth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3553, in April 1966. An excursion into Dixieland and ragtime music, it is the soundtrack to the 1966 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on May 12, 13, and 14, 1965. It peaked at number 20 on the Top LP's chart. It was certified Gold and Platinum on January 6, 2004, by the Recording Industry Association of America.

<i>Paradise, Hawaiian Style</i> (soundtrack) 1966 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Paradise, Hawaiian Style is the thirteenth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3643, in June 1966. It is the soundtrack to the 1966 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on July 26 and 27, and August 2, 1965. It peaked at number 15 on the Top LP's chart.

<i>Spinout</i> (soundtrack) 1966 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Spinout is the 14th soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3702, on October 31, 1966. It is the soundtrack to the 1966 film of the same name starring Presley. Recording sessions for the film songs took place at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California, on February 16 and 17, 1966. The album was augmented with three non-film songs recorded earlier in the year. It peaked at number 18 on the Top Pop Albums chart.

<i>Clambake</i> (soundtrack) 1967 soundtrack album by Elvis Presley

Clambake is the sixteenth soundtrack album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Victor in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 3893, in October 1967. It is the soundtrack to the 1967 film of the same name starring Presley. He entered RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee on February 21, 1967, for recording sessions for his twenty-fifth film. Supplemental material sessions took place on September 10 and 11, 1967. It peaked at number 40 on the Billboard 200.

<i>Viva Las Vegas</i> (EP) 1964 EP (soundtrack) by Elvis Presley

Viva Las Vegas is an EP by American singer Elvis Presley, containing four songs from the 1964 motion picture, Viva Las Vegas. It was released by RCA Victor in May 1964 to coincide with the film's premiere. The soundtrack EP made the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 92, the lowest-charting release of Presley's career to this point. RCA had not released a Presley EP single in two years; given the format's decreasing popularity in the United States and the disappointing chart performance of Viva Las Vegas, the company would only issue two more for the remainder of Presley's career.

References

  1. From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis at AllMusic
  2. From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis at AllMusic
  3. Christgau, Robert. "Elvis Presley (Consumer Guide Reviews)". robertchristgau.com . Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  4. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel, eds. (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide . Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. p.  892. ISBN   1-57859-061-2.
  5. Leimbacher, Ed (27 December 1969). "Records". Rolling Stone . No. 49. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. p. 60.
  6. "Elvis Presley: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
  7. Simpson, Paul (2004). The Rough Guide to Elvis. London: Rough Guides. pp. 133–34. ISBN   1-84353-417-7.
  8. Sources:
    • "Pop Albums". Elvis Presley: The Official Site of the King of Rock 'n' Roll. 2013. Archived from the original on November 8, 2010. Retrieved May 25, 2013.
    • "Searchable database". RIAA. Recording Industry Association of America. 2013. Retrieved May 25, 2013. Note: Enter search for "From Memphis to Vegas"
  9. Jorgensen, Ernst. Elvis Presley A Life in Music: The Complete Recording Sessions. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1998; ISBN   0-312-18572-3, p. 289.
  10. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 283.
  11. Jorgensen, Ernst. op. cit., p. 154
  12. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 289.
  13. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 289.
  14. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 419.
  15. Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 420.
  16. shopelvis.com
  17. shopelvis.com
  18. shopelvis.com
  19. "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions".
  20. "Norwegiancharts.com – Elvis Presley – Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  21. "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
  22. "Elvis Presley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2021.