Presley left his usual musicians and studios (
Radio Recorders in
Hollywood, California and
RCA Studio B in
Nashville, Tennessee), recording new material in Memphis. After the special he approached
Scotty Moore and
D. J. Fontana, who had played with Presley during his early hit-making career, and who rejoined him on the television show. Presley asked Moore about using
Music City Recorders in
Nashville, but that suggestion never came to fruition. During a January 1969 meeting at
Graceland, Presley told his usual producer,
Felton Jarvis, that he did not want to record his next album at RCA Studios. Two of Presley's friends, DJ
George Klein and Marty Lacker, suggested that he use
American Sound Studio, an up-and-coming studio with which Lacker was involved. RCA contacted the studio's producer
Chips Moman. Willing to work with Presley, Moman postponed a session with
Neil Diamond after being asked to produce the sessions with Felton Jarvis as second producer. It was agreed that Presley's recordings would take ten days and cost $25,000. He would be backed by the studio's house band, the 827 Thomas Street Band (informally known as the Memphis Boys), which consisted of
Reggie Young on guitar,
Tommy Cogbill and Mike Leech on bass,
Gene Chrisman on drums, Bobby Wood on piano, and Bobby Emmons on organ. Although RCA Records oversaw their company policy to record only in their own studios, the label sent their personnel out to American Sound. Recording began on January 13, 1969, when Presley arrived at the studio nursing a cold. In addition to his personal entourage, he was accompanied by
Hill & Range publisher
Freddy Bienstock, Colonel Parker's assistant Tom Diskin, producer Felton Jarvis, executive Harry Jenkins and engineer Al Pachucki, representing RCA Records. With Pachucki on the board, American Sound engineer Ed Kollis joined the musicians on harmonica. The session, which produced recordings of "
Long Black Limousine", "Wearin' That Loved On Look" and several non-album songs, continued until 5:00 am. After the first day's recording, Moman and his colleagues expressed discomfort with the size of Presley's entourage, and Presley was accompanied by fewer people for the remaining sessions. The next day Presley recorded "
I'm Moving On" and "
Gentle on My Mind", leaving the studio while working on the latter to rest his throat. The following night, he did not appear, as his cold worsened, and on January 15 and 16 the house band recorded backing tracks for subsequent sessions. Presley returned on January 20, recording "
In the Ghetto" in 23 takes and finishing the vocal track for "Gentle on My Mind". On January 22, he recorded
Eddy Arnold's "
I'll Hold You in My Heart (Till I Can Hold You in My Arms)" and the non-album single "
Suspicious Minds". Presley then took a break from recording for a vacation trip to
Aspen, Colorado to celebrate his daughter
Lisa Marie's first birthday. During Presley's absence, Moman was approached by Bienstock, who was concerned about possible future disputes concerning the songs' publication. Moman and Presley decided not to record Hill & Range compositions, instead using songs by American Sound writers. Bienstock, particularly interested in the non-album "Suspicious Minds" and "
Mama Liked the Roses", warned that Moman would have to surrender the publishing rights to release the songs. In response, Moman told Bienstock to take all the recordings and leave the studio. RCA vice-president Harry Jenkins interceded, siding with Moman and ordering Bienstock to stay away from the studio and let Presley work with the staff. Meanwhile, Diskin informed Presley about the publishing issues. Presley supported Moman, assuring Diskin that he and the producer would handle the session work. Diskin contacted Parker, who told him to return to California. Moman retained the publishing rights, and the sessions were scheduled to resume several weeks later. Presley returned on February 17, recording "
True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" and "Power of My Love", and
Eddy Arnold's "After Loving You" and "Do You Know Who I Am?" the following day. On February 19, he devoted most of the session to the non-album single "Kentucky Rain", one of the few Hill & Range songs used on the American Sound recordings. Presley followed with a recording of "
Only the Strong Survive", a hit for
Jerry Butler the previous year, which took twenty-nine takes. On February 20, he recorded
Johnny Tillotson's "It Keeps Right on a Hurtin'" in three takes and "Any Day Now" in six. Presley's final session was on February 22, when he recorded vocal overdubs for "True Love Travels on a Gravel Road" and "Power of My Love" and vocals for several non-album cuts. The following month, Mike Leech and Glenn Spreen began work on the string and horn overdubs to finish the album; several brass overdubs were recorded by
the Memphis Horns. ==Music==