more than twenty singles in a row without managing a substantial hit. Even his songs with a more contemporary sound, like 1968’s “Guitar Man” and “U.S. Male,” had failed to gain much traction. What if the television special had been a blip, merely the last tremors of a dying career? During a newspaper interview during the sessions, the unsure singer was moved to look to his producer and wonder aloud, “We have some hits, don’t we, Chips?” In April 1969, “In the Ghetto” hit number three. The song was Elvis’s first top-ten pop single—and first gold record—in four long years. When it was released in the fall, “Suspicious Minds” went all the way to number one. From Elvis in Memphis was hailed as the singer’s best work since the 1950s. After Elvis, things quickly returned to normal at American. The ses- sions were a success, but the singer’s departure had little lasting effect on the musicians, who were simply too busy for much in the way of reflection. “We had so many people coming through in those days that there wasn’t any time to stop and think,” says Chrisman. “As soon as Elvis left, somebody else came in. It wasn’t until I lis- tened to the music years later that it hit me how good it really was.” Elvis himself never returned to American. From Elvis in Memphis would forever remain a one-time success. “The Colonel’s agenda didn’t involve having Elvis back at American,” says Dickinson. “The
work until he got it right, sometimes ordering upwards of twenty takes. “Elvis didn’t mind a bit when he had to sing things over and over,” says Gene Chrisman. “He was willing to do however much work it took to get the songs where they needed to be. He was try- ing as hard as he could.” He was also having fun. “You could tell Elvis loved working in material he could be proud of,” remembers Wayne Jackson, who was there to see Elvis bullshit with his fellow musicians, practice karate moves between takes, and bring the ses- sions to a close by sitting at the piano, singing his favorite gospel songs late into the night. After a short Aspen vacation with his wife Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie, Elvis returned to American for another round of record- ing on February 17, 1969. The ass-kicking continued. Elvis’s take on the Stax hit “Only the Strong Survive” (complete with his preach- erly spoken-word intro) arguably outfunks the original; “Kentucky Rain” is a gorgeous, gleaming country-rock gem; “Power of My Love” finds Elvis burning through the blues; and pop gospel uplift doesn’t come any purer than “Any Day Now.” When the last day of recording was done on February 22, Elvis had completed thirty-four new songs, twelve of which were cherry-picked for From Elvis in Memphis , the remainder set aside for release as singles or inclusion on future albums. But despite all the sterling work, Elvis still had doubts. After all, the so-called King of Rock and Roll had released
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