We spent the past few weeks discussing the turmoil that was taking place in Muscle Shoals, so for this show, we return to American Studios in Memphis.

We start the show with a quick tribute to some of the songwriters that emerged from American Studios, as a way of setting up one of the studio’s biggest recording sessions. After years of recording ‘paint-by-numbers’ tracks in Nashville, some of Elvis’ handlers were growing restless and hoping for a change to rejuvenate his career. The answer came when they learned of the crew at American. American was as fundamentally different from the Nashville method as you could get. It was smaller – ‘funkier’, as Elvis called it – and it was dedicated to quality. For Elvis, it meant work, but the result was a return to relevance and a new onslaught of hit recordings, songs that stand among the best work of his life.

Featured tracks include:

Spooky – Classics IV

Stormy – Classics IV

Traces – Classics IV

Games People Play – Joe South

Suspicious Minds – Elvis Presley

Mama Liked the Roses – Elvis Presley

 Long Black Limousine – Elvis Presley

Angelica – Roy Hamilton

Wearin’ That Loved on Look – Elvis Presley