Elvis's 40 Year Reign (1973-1975)

Stax was founded in the mid-’50s and operated out of a converted movie theater. The studio retained the sloped floor from the cinema which made for some unique acoustics (trained musicians are even able to distinguish the distinct “Stax sound” as a result). It distinguished the studio from the very crisp sound produced by Motown in Detroit. Stax’s sound was raw and its singers always felt more distant than those found on Motown’s records, like they were singing from a mountain top. The instruments had a unique flavor on Stax records, particularly the brass section. In fact, arguably, the horn-section is what makes the Stax sound so unique (especially as opposed to Motown’s heavy-emphasis on back-up singers).

Naturally, Felton Jarvis would do everything in his power to mitigate it and make the sound as much like everything Elvis had previously done as possible.

The so-called “Stax” sound was shaped, not only by its distinctive environment, but also by the house band that worked alongside the various artists. Booker T and the MG’s (rhythm section) and The Memphis Horns (Wayne Jackson and Andrew Love) made Stax iconic. Chips Moman even recruited The Memphis Horns to play on Elvis’s “In the Ghetto” single. But Felton Jarvis simply brought in the band Elvis was comfortable with; the band he’d been playing with on the road for years to this point. They were a great band, to be sure: James Burton was one of the slickest electric guitar plays on the planet and Ronnie Tutt was one of the finest drummers around. But they were at Stax: They should have taken advantage of what the studio had been famous for. They didn’t.

Elvis was at Stax, but nothing more.

The session was supposed to begin at 8pm on Friday, July 20th, but Elvis never showed. He finally arrived at 11pm looking disinterested in doing any actual work. He spent an equal amount of time goofing off with the Karate instructor he brought along with him, and complaining about how much extra work was needed to convert the Stax studio into something usable. Traditionally recordings at Stax featured all the various parts being recorded one layer at a time and then assembled together at the end. Elvis however favored a “live” recording with everyone together doing one combined recording over and over until it was right. Chips Moman had insisted on the Stax approach when he helped found American Sound and “1969 Elvis” was committed enough to go along with it. “1973 Elvis” wasn’t and Felton Jarvis didn’t even suggest it. After goofing off for a few hours, Elvis left without recording anything.

He showed up late again the next night, but at least recorded something.

“If you Don’t Come Back” demonstrates a singer sleepwalking through a song. He’s mumbling and slurring through the number, which has the makings of a very good record, but the central performance is too lifeless, the tempo too slow and the background singers too under-mixed (you can barely understand what they’re saying). It adds up to an inauspicious start.

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