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Memories (Elvis Presley song)

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"Memories"
Single by Elvis Presley
from the album Elvis
A-side
ReleasedFebruary 25, 1969
RecordedJune 24, 1968[1]
StudioWestern Recorders, Hollywood
GenreBaroque pop
LabelRCA Victor
Songwriter(s)Billy Strange, Mac Davis[2][3][4]
Elvis Presley singles chronology
"If I Can Dream"
(1968)
"Memories" / "Charro"
(1969)
"How Great Thou Art"
(1969)
Elvis Presley UK singles chronology
"Almost in Love" / "A Little Less Conversation"
(1968)
"If I Can Dream" / "Memories"
(1968)
"In the Ghetto"
(1969)
Music video
"Memories" (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, 2016)
(official audio)
on YouTube

"Memories" is a 1968 song originally recorded by Elvis Presley.

It was written by Billy Strange and Mac Davis demo sang by Phil Johnson (Last Freight Train, Lying Cheating Stealing, Lonely One) specially for Presley to perform on Elvis, his comeback TV special that would air on NBC on December 3, 1968. Later Mac Davis recalled to Billboard: "They had asked for a song about looking back over the years, and oddly enough, I had to write it in one night. I stayed up all night at Billy Strange's house in Los Angeles. He had a little office set up in his garage. I wrote it right there."[3]

Released in the United States in 1969 accompanied by "Charro", the title song from the movie Charro!,[5] on the B-side, "Memories" reached number 35 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of April 12, 1969.[6][7]

The song is also included on the album Elvis, the soundtrack album for the NBC TV special at which it was first performed.[2] For the TV show itself the song was recorded live, but the album features a studio version recorded on June 24.[1]

The book Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era calls the song "Memories" the "hallmark of Elvis' later period".[2]

Charts

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Elvis Presley
Chart (1969–70) Peak
position
Australia 19
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[8] 7
Canada RPM Top Singles[9] 15
US Billboard Hot 100[6][7] 35
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[10] 7
US Country 56
US Cash Box Top 100[11] 24
The Lettermen (medley)
Chart (1969–70) Peak
position
Canada RPM Adult Contemporary[12] 3
Canada RPM Top Singles[13] 37
US Billboard Hot 100[6][7] 47
US Billboard Adult Contemporary[14] 3
US Cash Box Top 100[15] 51

Re-release

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On December 1, 1970, the single was re-released as part of RCA Victor's Gold Standard Series (together with 9 other Presley's singles).[16]

Cover versions

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References

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  1. ^ a b Gillian G. Gaar (1 March 2011). Return of the King: Elvis Presley's Great Comeback. ReadHowYouWant.com. pp. 62–. ISBN 978-1-4587-3190-6.
  2. ^ a b c Bruce Pollock (18 March 2014). Rock Song Index: The 7500 Most Important Songs for the Rock and Roll Era. Routledge. pp. 239–. ISBN 978-1-135-46296-3.
  3. ^ a b "Memories by Elvis Presley Songfacts". Songfacts.com. Songfacts, LLC. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  4. ^ Harris M. Lentz III (24 April 2013). Obituaries in the Performing Arts, 2012. McFarland. pp. 276–. ISBN 978-0-7864-7063-1.
  5. ^ "Elvis Presley - Charro / Memories at Discogs". Discogs. 1969. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  6. ^ a b c David F. Lonergan (2005). Hit Records, 1950-1975. Scarecrow Press. pp. 146–. ISBN 978-0-8108-5129-0.
  7. ^ a b c "Elvis Presley - Chart history". Billboard. Retrieved 2016-12-14.
  8. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-05-05. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  9. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-04-28. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  10. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 192.
  11. ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, April 26, 1969
  12. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-01-31. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  13. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1969-02-07. Retrieved 2019-07-11.
  14. ^ Whitburn, Joel (1993). Top Adult Contemporary: 1961–1993. Record Research. p. 139.
  15. ^ Cash Box Top 100 Singles, January 31, 1969
  16. ^ Nielsen Business Media, Inc. (9 January 1971). Billboard. Nielsen Business Media, Inc. pp. 36–. ISSN 0006-2510. Elvis Presley Charro Memories. {{cite book}}: |author= has generic name (help)
  17. ^ "www.allmusic.com". allmusic.com. Retrieved March 30, 2023.
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