New ‘Memphis’ Box Set, A Celebratory Compilation of Elvis Presley’s Hometown Recordings Announced
Elvis Presley’s most uniquely powerful work was captured in his hometown of Memphis. Despite a distinguished career of recording in top studios globally, notably in New York, Nashville, and Hollywood, RCA Records and Legacy Recordings have decided to shed light on the importance of the singer’s roots with the announcement of a new Elvis box set titled “Memphis.”
Release Date and Features of the Set
The scheduled release date for the box set is August 9, and it is currently available for pre-order. The five-CD set will be released digitally and in a reduced two-LP vinyl package. This collection will mark the first “fully comprehensive collection” of the recordings Presley made in the Bluff City.
Celebrating A Milestone
This announcement coincides with the 70th anniversary of Presley’s first sessions at Sun Records in 1954. Celebrating this milestone, the “Memphis” compilation includes 111 tracks, encompassing Presley’s recordings in the city. Notably, 88 of these tracks have been freshly remixed by local Grammy-winning engineer/producer Matt Ross-Spang at his Crosstown studio, Southern Grooves.
Deluxe Package Treats for Fans
The deluxe package is a delight for fans, featuring liner notes from Robert Gordon, a fellow Grammy winner and a celebrated Memphis author/essayist. It is produced by Ernst Jørgensen, a well-known Elvis archivist.
Preserving the Timeline of an Era
It’s important to note that the box set keeps a chronological account of Presley’s 1954 and 1955 sessions at Sun, his comeback at American Sound studios in 1969, the music he created at Stax Records in 1973, live recordings from a 1974 show at the Mid-South Coliseum, and a final chain of songs recorded in the Jungle Room of his Graceland home in 1976, a year before his death.
Apart from the iconic Sun recordings, all the tracks on “Memphis” were refreshed and mixed by Ross-Spang. He managed to remove overdubbed strings, horns, and additional backing vocals, providing a unique ‘fly-on-the-wall’ experience of what it sounded like to Elvis when recording these songs.
The Resulting Intimate Mixes
These newly-intimate mixes are set to offer musical revelations, “from Elvis’ intuitive chemistry with “The Memphis Boys” at American (especially remarkable on “Long Black Limousine”), to the subtle way he adjusts his vocal phrasing around his backing singers in the Stax sessions.
Elvis Week 2024
The “Memphis” set will be celebrated as part of Elvis Week 2024 later this summer, with events planned around Graceland. The Graceland Soundstage will host an “Elvis: Back in Memphis” concert on Aug. 13, incorporating live performances with stories from the musicians and vocalists part of these historical recording sessions.
Another event lined up is a special “Memphis” listening party and Q&A at The Guest House at Graceland’s theater scheduled for Aug. 14. The event’s full details and guest roster are yet to be announced. Free tickets can be reserved at Graceland.com.
