Maps of Music

Elvis Now (1972)

Where the lyrics of Elvis Now take you, and where it was really made.

Despite the title, most tracks on Elvis Now were recorded one to three years before its February 1972 release.

Key places

Hey Jude left over from Memphis sessions (1972)

Recording site American Sound Studio — Hey Jude was a leftover from sessions at this Memphis studio in early 1969 and appears on this album. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Main sessions at RCA Studio B (1972)

Recording site RCA Studio B — Most of the remaining songs on the album were recorded at this Nashville studio in March, May and June 1971. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Elvis Now: sixteenth studio album by American singer Elvis Presley
• Released February 1972
• Entered Billboard on February 12, peaked at No. 43
• Only single: "Until It's Time for You to Go" / "We Can Make the Morning"
• Single reached No. 9 on the US Easy Listening chart in March 1972
• Single reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart in April 1972
• Certified Gold by the RIAA on March 27, 1992
• Tracklist spans country, gospel, soul and pop

Background

• Title says "now", but tracks were recorded one to three years before release
• "Hey Jude" was a leftover from sessions at American Studio, Memphis, in early 1969
• "Sylvia" and "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago" were recorded in Nashville in June 1970
• "I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago" had earlier appeared in fragmentary form on Elvis Country
• Remaining songs came from RCA Studio B sessions in Nashville in March, May and June 1971
• Other albums of that period were each dedicated to one genre: Elvis Country, He Touched Me, Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas
• Elvis Now differs from them by mixing several genres within one album

Recording

• James Burton played lead guitar, Norbert Putnam played bass, David Briggs played piano
• Jerry Carrigan played drums, Charlie McCoy played harmonica and organ
• Reggie Young played lead guitar on "Hey Jude"
• Chip Young played rhythm guitar, Charlie Hodge played acoustic rhythm guitar

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Formation

• Born January 8, 1935 in Tupelo, Mississippi; family moved to Memphis, Tennessee when he was 13.
• Began his career in 1954 at Sun Records with producer Sam Phillips, who wanted to bring African-American music to a wider audience.
• Recorded "That's All Right" with guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black in July 1954.
• A pioneer of rockabilly, a fusion of country music and rhythm and blues.

Members

• Classic quartet: Presley (vocals, guitar), Scotty Moore (lead guitar), Bill Black (bass), and D. J. Fontana (drums), who joined in 1955.

Career

• RCA Victor acquired his contract in 1955 for $40,000; "Heartbreak Hotel" hit number one in the US in 1956.
• Became a leading figure of rock and roll, though his style was considered a threat to white American youth by some.
• Made his film debut in Love Me Tender (1956) and devoted much of the 1960s to Hollywood films.
• Returned to the stage with the 1968 NBC special Elvis, followed by a Las Vegas residency and tours.
• Gave the first solo-artist concert broadcast worldwide, Aloha from Hawaii, in 1973.
• Died August 16, 1977 at Graceland, aged 42.
• Estimated to have sold 500 million records worldwide; won three Grammy Awards.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Reception

At release

• Album entered Billboard on February 12, 1972
• Peak position No. 43 on Billboard
• Single reached No. 9 on the US Easy Listening chart, March 1972
• Single reached No. 5 on the UK Singles Chart, April 1972

Reappraisal

• "Sylvia" became a hit for Presley in Brazil in the 1970s
• Mixed-genre tracklist of country, gospel, soul and pop, unlike the single-genre albums of the same period

Records

• RIAA Gold certification on March 27, 1992
• Lead single: "Until It's Time for You to Go" / "We Can Make the Morning"
• Chart run: US Easy Listening No. 9, UK Singles No. 5

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• "Hey Jude" was left over from the early 1969 Memphis sessions and ended up on this album.
• "Sylvia" became a hit for Presley in Brazil during the 1970s.
• Most tracks came from RCA Studio B sessions in Nashville in 1971, while two songs came from June 1970 sessions.
• In 2010, an extended version of the album was released as part of the FTD collector series.
• Elvis Now is a rare Presley album of the period that mixes genres instead of focusing on one.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

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