The Memphis Boys
“American Sound Studio was a recording studio located at 827 Thomas Street in Memphis, Tennessee. More than one hundred hit songs were recorded there between its founding 1967 and its closing in 1972, The music for these hits was played by the house band ‘The Memphis Boys’, also known as the ’827 Thomas Street Band’. Artists who recorded at American Sound Studio included Elvis Presley, Merrilee Rush, Aretha Franklin, Neil Diamond, Dusty Springfield, B. J. Thomas, Joe Tex, Roy Hamilton and The Box Tops.” — wikipedia
Memphis Boys – The Story Of American Studios [playlist – 24 tracks]
This was the ‘soundtrack’ to a book by Roben Jones (9781617031991, U. of Mississippi Press, 2011)
Here’s a playlist, only 8 tracks, rounding up some of the songs mentioned in American Sound Studio’s wikipedia entry —
“Memphis Underground is a 1969 album by jazz flautist Herbie Mann, that fuses the genres of Jazz and Rhythm & Blues (R&B). While Mann and the other principal soloists (Roy Ayers, Larry Coryell and Sonny Sharrock) were leading jazz musicians, the album was recorded in Chips Moman’s American Studios in Memphis, a studio used by many well-known R&B and pop artists. The rhythm section was the house band at American Studios. The recording was engineered and produced by Tom Dowd.
“Three of the five songs on the album were covers of songs originally released by Soul music artists. ‘Hold On, I’m Comin’ (by Sam & Dave), who recorded at Stax records (with the Stax rhythm section), and ‘Chain of Fools’ (by Aretha Franklin) who recorded that song with the classic Muscle Shoals Rhythm Section at Atlantic Studios in New York.” — wikipedia
“From Elvis in Memphis is the ninth studio album by American rock and roll singer Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor. The recording took place at American Sound Studio in Memphis, between January 13–16 and 20–23, and February 17–22, 1969, under the direction of producer Chips Moman and with the backing of the house band, informally known as ‘The Memphis Boys’. A direct consequence of the success of Presley’s 1968 Christmas television special and its soundtrack, the recording marked the definite return of Presley to non-soundtrack albums, after finishing his movie contract with Paramount Pictures.
“Deciding to leave his usual settings at the RCA studios, Presley was convinced by his entourage to record his next album at American Sound, a new and renowned Memphis studio that at the time enjoyed a successful hit-producing streak. On the production of the record, Moman and his arrangers decided to change Presley’s music from his usual pop sound aimed for older audiences, to a new sound to provide him of a new image. His early influences in country, rhythm and blues, and gospel were blend with soul, the latest music trend in Memphis. The arrangements were inspired by the Memphis soul, a use of the rhythm section with reduced use of strings, brass and woodwind sections.” — more wikipedia
see also: Elvis At Stax — but Stax is a past (and future) post
Listen to these instrumental tracks – unfinished Elvis masters:
Elvis – American Sound Studio, 1969 Tour Rehearsals (59 min)
* NSFW language warning – Elvis uncensored, and a little rough.
The Boys are still working, and touring – The Memphis Boys And Terry Mike Jeffrey, Live In Knokke : Part 1, 20 min – Part 2, 20 min – Part 3, 30 min – not the best audio quality, it’s an obvious bootleg—which is why it’s linked, rather than embedded—but a decent set to put in the background today.
