Promised Land (Elvis Presley album)

Promised Land is the twenty-first studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released by RCA Records on January 8, 1975. It was recorded in December 1973 at Stax Records studios in Memphis and released on Presley's 40th birthday in January, 1975. In the US the album reached number 47 on the Billboard Top 200 chart and number 1 in Billboard's Top Country LPs chart. The album rose to number 1 in the Country Cashbox albums chart. In the UK the album reached #21.

Promised Land
Studio album by
Elvis Presley
ReleasedJanuary 8, 1975 (1975-01-08)
RecordedDecember 10–15, 1973
GenreCountry
Length28:17
LabelRCA Records
ProducerFelton Jarvis
Elvis Presley chronology
Having Fun with Elvis on Stage
(1974)		 Promised Land
(1975)		 Today
(1975)
Singles from Promised Land
  1. "If You Talk in Your Sleep"
    Released: May 10, 1974
  2. "Promised Land"
    Released: September 27, 1974
Professional ratings
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[1]
Christgau's Record GuideB[2]
MusicHound[3]
Rough Guides[4]

Content

The material was the second pick from the December 1973 session, as the songs considered strongest had been issued on Good Times. The title track, a cover of the 1965 hit by Chuck Berry, was issued earlier as a single on September 27, 1974, and hit number 14 on the Billboard Hot 100 and the UK top ten. Its flip side, "It's Midnight", reached 9 on the Country Charts. Another hit single from the album was "If You Talk in Your Sleep" reaching 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Promised Land" was used for the 1997 film Men in Black.

Reissues

In 2011, the FTD (Follow That Dream) collectors label released an expanded, 48-track version of the album including outtakes.

Track listing

Original release
Side A
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."Promised Land"Chuck BerryDecember 15, 19732:57
2."There's a Honky Tonk Angel (Who'll Take Me Back In)"Troy Seals, Denny RiceDecember 15, 19733:01
3."Help Me"Larry GatlinDecember 12, 19732:27
4."Mr. Songman"Donnie SumnerDecember 12, 19732:08
5."Love Song of the Year"Chris ChristianDecember 12, 19733:33
Side B
No.TitleWriter(s)Recording dateLength
1."It's Midnight"Billy Edd Wheeler, Jerry ChesnutDecember 10, 19733:21
2."Your Love's Been a Long Time Coming"Rory BourkeDecember 15, 19733:47
3."If You Talk in Your Sleep"Red West, Johnny ChristopherDecember 11, 19732:35
4."Thinking About You"Tim BatyDecember 12, 19733:00
5."You Asked Me To"Waylon Jennings, Billy Joe ShaverDecember 11, 19732:52

Follow That Dream CD reissue
Disc one
No.TitleLength
1."Promised Land" 
2."There's A Honky Tonk Angel" 
3."Help Me" 
4."Mr. Songman" 
5."Love Song Of The Year" 
6."It's Midnight" 
7."Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming" 
8."If You Talk In Your Sleep" 
9."Thinking About You" 
10."You Asked Me To" 
11."Promised Land" (takes 3, 4) 
12."There's A Honky Tonk Angel" (take 4/composite 5, 3, 8) 
13."Help Me" (take 1 remixed) 
14."Mr. Songman" (take 2) 
15."Love Song Of The Year" (take 1) 
16."It's Midnight" (take 7) 
17."Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming" (take 10) 
18."If You Talk In Your Sleep" (take 5) 
19."Thinking About You" (take 4) 
20."You Asked Me To" (take 3A) 
21."Promised Land" (take 5) 
22."Love Song Of The Year" (takes 3, 4, 6, 7) 
23."It's Midnight" (take 11) 
24."You Asked Me To" (take 2B) 
Disc two
No.TitleLength
1."It's Midnight" (takes 1-4, 8, 9) 
2."Love Song Of The Year" 
3."Thinking About You" (takes 2, 3) 
4."You Asked Me To" (take 1) 
5."Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming" (takes 2, 3, 4) 
6."Promised Land" (take 2) 
7."Mr. Songman" (take 1) 
8."There's A Honky Tonk Angel" (take 1) 
9."If You Talk In Your Sleep" (takes 6, 9 undubbed) 
10."It's Midnight" (take 10) 
11."Thinking About You" (takes 5, 6) 
12."Love Song Of The Year" (take 2) 
13."You Asked Me To" (take 3B) 
14."There's A Honky Tonk Angel" (takes 6, 7, 8 rough mix) 
15."Mr. Songman" (takes 3, 5) 
16."Promised land" (take 6 undubbed) 
17."Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming" (takes 8, 9 unedited undubbed) 

Personnel
  • Elvis Presley – lead vocals, harmony vocals on “Promised Land”
  • James Burton – lead guitar
  • Johnny Christopher – rhythm guitar
  • Charlie Hodge – acoustic rhythm guitar
  • Jeannie Green – backing vocals
  • David Briggs – piano, Hammond organ, overdubbed tambourine on “Promised Land”
  • Per Erik "Pete" Hallin – piano on “Help Me” and “Love Song of the Year”, Wurlitzer electric piano on “I’ve Got a Feelin’ In My Body”, clavinet on "Promised Land"
  • Mary and Ginger Holladay – backing vocals
  • Susan Pilkington – backing vocals
  • Norbert Putnam – bass guitar
  • Ron Tutt – drums
  • Voice (Donnie Sumner, Sherrill Nielsen, Tim Baty, Per Eric "Pete" Hallin) – backing vocals
  • JD Sumner & The Stamps (Bill Baize, Ed Enoch, David Rowland) – backing vocals
  • Kathy Westmoreland – backing vocals

Overdubbed

  • Dennis Linde, Alan Rush – guitar on “Promised Land”
  • Bobby Ogdin – piano on “Promised Land”
  • Randy Cullers – cowbell on “Promised Land”
  • Mike Leech – string and brass arrangements
  • Bobby Taylor – oboe

Technical

  • Felton Jarvis – producer
  • Mike Moran, Dick Baxter, Al Pachucki, Mickey Crofford – engineers

References
  1. Allmusic review
  2. Christgau, Robert (1981). "Consumer Guide '70s: P". Christgau's Record Guide: Rock Albums of the Seventies. Ticknor & Fields. ISBN 089919026X. Retrieved March 10, 2019 – via robertchristgau.com.
  3. Graff, Gary; Durchholz, Daniel (eds) (1999). MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide. Farmington Hills, MI: Visible Ink Press. pp. 892. ISBN 1-57859-061-2.CS1 maint: extra text: authors list (link)
  4. Simpson, Paul (2004). The Rough Guide to Elvis. London: Rough Guides. p. 150. ISBN 1-84353-417-7.
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