RCA/Legacy reissued From Elvis in Memphis just in time for Elvis Week. The 40th anniversary double-CD edition features 36 tracks recorded at American Sound Studio, which was located at 827 North Thomas Street, just past the intersection at Chelsea.
Midtown-based husband-and-wife writing team Robert Gordon and Tara McAdams collaborated on the liner notes for the reissue, tapping into Elvis’ psyche and documenting the dynamics of Memphis’ burgeoning studio scene in the late 1960s.
This afternoon, I sat down for a brief interview with McAdams, author of Elvis Handbook and numerous articles about Memphis, music, and pop culture.
Flyer: Who was Elvis when he walked into the door at American Sound Studio?
McAdams: He was someone who, at the first part of the session, was very comfortable in not trying. Resting on his laurels, like any poor kid would have, and getting away with very little. But at the same time, I think that the act of the ’68 Comeback re-energized him. It gave him enough confidence to be able to be scared again, and i think he was scared when he walked into American. It’s like he was nervous and arrogant at the same time. Elvis had a lot of respect for the people in that room. They made him try.
I’d be interested to know if Elvis got that his retinue, his entourage, was so off-putting and ridiculous, so self-indulgent. With the situation at American, he was able to go into a room with people that he respected, that he could expect some real feedback from. He had proven that he could still sing, still perform, but he hadn’t been in a recording studio with real material for a long time. It was a real challenge. I’m sure he was worried about what the fuck he was doing there, instead of just sitting at home watching TV.