From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis is the tenth 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]
| From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 The cover of side one and side two, known as Elvis In Person at the International Hotel | ||||
| Studio album and live album by | ||||
| Released | October 14, 1969 | |||
| Recorded | January, February, August 24–26, 1969 | |||
| Venue | International Hotel (Winchester) | |||
| Studio | American Sound (Memphis) | |||
| Genre | Rock, soul, country, pop | |||
| Length | 32:06 (Studio LP) 36:38 (Live LP) 68:44 (Total) | |||
| Label | RCA Victor | |||
| Producer | Chips Moman Studio LP Felton Jarvis Live LP | |||
| Elvis Presley chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Alternative cover | ||||
 The cover of side three and side four, known as Back in Memphis | ||||
| Review scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [1] &  [2] |
| Robert Christgau | B+[3] |
| MusicHound | [4] |
| Rolling Stone | (unfavourable) [5] |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | [6] |
| Rough Guides | [7] |
Content
editIssued 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
editIn 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
editElvis in Person
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Blue Suede Shoes" | Carl Perkins | August 25, 1969 | 2:06 |
| 2. | "Johnny B. Goode" | Chuck Berry | August 24, 1969 | 2:12 |
| 3. | "All Shook Up" | Otis Blackwell, Elvis Presley | August 25, 1969 | 2:15 |
| 4. | "Are You Lonesome Tonight?" | Lou Handman, Roy Turk | August 24, 1969 | 3:16 |
| 5. | "Hound Dog" | Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller | August 25, 1969 | 1:53 |
| 6. | "I Can't Stop Loving You" | Don Gibson | August 25, 1969 | 3:19 |
| 7. | "My Babe" | Willie Dixon | August 25, 1969 | 2:12 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Mystery Train" / "Tiger Man" | Junior Parker, / Joe Hill Louis, Sam Phillips (as Sam Burns) | August 25, 1969 | 3:46 |
| 2. | "Words" | Robin Gibb, Barry Gibb, Maurice Gibb | August 25, 1969 | 2:46 |
| 3. | "In the Ghetto" | Mac Davis | August 25, 1969 | 2:56 |
| 4. | "Suspicious Minds" | Mark James | August 26, 1969 | 7:46 |
| 5. | "Can't Help Falling In Love" | George Weiss, Hugo Peretti, Luigi Creatore | August 26, 1969 | 2:12 |
Back in Memphis
edit| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Inherit the Wind" | Eddie Rabbitt | January 15, 1969 | 2:56 |
| 2. | "This Is the Story" | Chris Arnold, David Martin, Geoff Morrow | January 13, 1969 | 2:28 |
| 3. | "Stranger in My Own Home Town" | Percy Mayfield | February 17, 1969 | 4:23 |
| 4. | "A Little Bit of Green" | Chris Arnold, David Martin, Geoff Morrow | January 14, 1969 | 3:21 |
| 5. | "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind" | Neil Diamond | February 17, 1969 | 3:08 |
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Recording date | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Do You Know Who I Am?" | Bobby Russell | February 18, 1969 | 2:49 |
| 2. | "From a Jack to a King" | Ned Miller | January 21, 1969 | 2:23 |
| 3. | "The Fair's Moving On" | Guy Fletcher, Doug Flett | February 21, 1969 | 3:09 |
| 4. | "You'll Think of Me" | Mort Shuman | January 14, 1969 | 4:01 |
| 5. | "Without Love (There Is Nothing)" | Danny Small | January 22, 1969 | 2:51 |
Personnel
editElvis in Person at the International Hotel
- Elvis Presley – vocals, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, overdubbed backing vocals on “Johnny B. Goode”[19]
- James Burton – lead guitar
- John Wilkinson − rhythm guitar
- Charlie Hodge − harmony and backing vocals, acoustic rhythm guitar
- Larry Muhoberac − keyboards
- Jerry Scheff – bass
- Ronnie Tutt − drums
- Millie Kirkham − backing vocals
- The Imperials − backing vocals
- The Sweet Inspirations − backing vocals
- Bobby Morris and his Orchestra – orchestra
Back in Memphis
|
Overdubbed:
|
Charts
edit| Charts (1969–1970) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[20] | 20 |
| UK Albums (OCC)[21] | 6 |
| US Billboard 200[22] | 12 |
References
edit- ^ From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis at AllMusic
- ^ From Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis at AllMusic
- ^ Christgau, Robert. "Elvis Presley (Consumer Guide Reviews)". robertchristgau.com. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Leimbacher, Ed (27 December 1969). "Records". Rolling Stone. No. 49. San Francisco: Straight Arrow Publishers, Inc. p. 60.
- ^ "Elvis Presley: Album Guide". rollingstone.com. Archived from the original on September 18, 2013. Retrieved June 20, 2015.
- ^ Simpson, Paul (2004). The Rough Guide to Elvis. London: Rough Guides. pp. 133–34. ISBN 1-84353-417-7.
- ^ 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"
- ^ 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.
- ^ Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 283.
- ^ Jorgensen, Ernst. op. cit., p. 154
- ^ Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 289.
- ^ Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 289.
- ^ Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 419.
- ^ Jorgensen, op. cit., p. 420.
- ^ shopelvis.com
- ^ shopelvis.com
- ^ shopelvis.com
- ^ "Elvis Presley Recording Sessions: September 26, 1969".
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Elvis Presley – Memphis to Vegas / From Vegas to Memphis". Hung Medien. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 3, 2021.
- ^ "Elvis Presley Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved April 3, 2021.