Song of the Week #100 – “In The Ghetto”
Written by admin on April 2, 2012 – 9:00 pm - |
The 100th Classic Pop Icons Song of the Week is Elvis Presley’s timeless hit “In The Ghetto.”
“In The Ghetto” was released on single in April 1969, backed with “Any Day Now.” The song also featured on the album “From Elvis In Memphis,” which was released two months later. |
Elvis Presley was on the comeback trail when he recorded “In The Ghetto” during his mammoth Memphis sessions in January 1969. After years making increasingly poor Hollywood movies, with soundtracks that rarely did justice to his talent, Elvis had made a one-man television special in the summer of 1968, which aired in December to rave reviews. The first single from the special, “If I Can Dream,” was a clear reaction to the tumultuous social and political problems of the era, including the tragic assassinations of Martin Luther King, Jr and Robert F Kennedy. “If I Can Dream” reached number 13 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was Elvis’ biggest hit since 1965. It was also the first real “message song” that Elvis had recorded and so paved the way for “In The Ghetto.”
“In The Ghetto” tells the story of a child born into poverty in the Chicago ghetto, who turns to crime and is gunned down in the street after stealing a car. As the young man dies, we are told that “another little baby child is born/In the ghetto,” thus completing the “Vicious Circle” that was originally the sub-title of the song.
In the 2006 FTD book “Writing For The King,” songwriter Mac Davis discussed the origins of “In The Ghetto” and his thoughts on Elvis’ recording:
| “A friend of mine, Freddy Weller, showed me a lick on the guitar. For some reason or another I had to learn it. I was messing around with it after he left and I just went (sings) “In the ghetto.” I thought, man, that just fits. I had always wanted to write a song called ‘The Vicious Circle.” |
| “When I had finished the last line in “In The Ghetto,” I knew that I had written a hit. I didn’t know that it was important but I just knew that it was a hit if the right person cut it.” |
| “I think Elvis took a huge chance in doing ‘In The Ghetto.’ It was a big risk. When they released it I was totally surprised that he saw fit to put that out as a single. That was not his image at all. He was always middle of the road when it came to controversy. The Colonel was on top of all of that stuff.” |
| “Elvis improved on ‘In The Ghetto.’ In fact, it was Elvis’ idea to add another ‘and his mama cries’ at the end of that song. I didn’t write that in there originally. The song originally finished (sings) ‘And another little baby child is born …in the ghetto.’ That was the end of it. Elvis threw in (sings) “and his mama cries.” To me the circle had been done but he just emphasized it by saying “and his mama cries” again. I think he definitely improved it by doing that. It would have been a hit without him doing it but I still think he improved it… Elvis really opened all the doors for me. I give him all the credit, him, and Johnny Carson, Sandy Gallin and Billy Strange for introducing me to Elvis.” |
“In The Ghetto” would have been a popular song in the hands of many artists, but Elvis Presley’s recording is a masterpiece. His vocals are commanding, but also unforced and without cheap gimmicks that would detract from the message. Elvis makes you listen and he makes you believe the story – proof positive that there is more to great singing than vocal gymnastics.
The mood of the song is set before Elvis is heard, with a sedate acoustic guitar intro and foreboding strings that are such an important part of the recording. The string and horn arrangements on Elvis’ Memphis recordings, including “In The Ghetto,” were conceived by Glen Spreen and Mike Leech. In the acclaimed 1999 Elvis biography, “Careless Love – The Unmaking of Elvis Presley,” Spreen told author Peter Guralnick:
| “I wanted to give Elvis a different image. I wanted to use the violas to play the same lines as the French horns so they could blend together as a color and then be complemented by the strings. I used syncopation with the strings – they’re bowing – and I used a lot of cellos down deep and dark, especially on ‘In The Ghetto,’ because I wanted to bring out the darkness, the passion, as opposed to the force. I wanted to give [the voicings] some realism, because I thought Elvis had a real, very soulful voice, and [I wanted to] pay attention to the feeling in his voice.” |
Mention should also be made of the great female backing vocals, which echo the line “In the ghetto” throughout the song and, with hypnotic effect, repeat the line as the song fades. This brings to mind a crowd of sympathetic mothers who have witnessed the death of the young man.
“In The Ghetto” – Elvis Presley
Authorship
“In The Ghetto” was written by Mac Davis. Elvis also recorded Mac Davis’ “A Little Less Conversation,” “Clean Up Your Own Backyard,” “Memories” and “Don’t Cry Daddy”.
Recording date/location
“In The Ghetto” was recorded at American Sound Studios in Memphis, TN on January 21, 1969, with backing vocal overdubs the following day, and string and brass overdubs on March 18. The Memphis sessions were produced by Chips Moman.
Elvis with producer Chips Moman at American Sound Studios
Musicians
The following musicians played on “In The Ghetto”:
- Elvis Presley – vocals
- Reggie Young – guitar
- John Hughey – steel guitar
- Bobby Wood – piano
- Bobby Emmons – organ
- Tommy Cogbill – bass
- Mike Leech – bass
- Gene Chrisman – drums
- Mary ‘Jeannie’ Greene, Mary Holladay, Donna Thatcher, Susan Pilkington – backing vocals.
Elvis Presley and the American Sound Studios house band
The following musicians were present at the brass/strings overdub sessions in the afternoon and evening of March 18, 1969, but with more than one song overdubbed at the sessions it isn’t clear whether all feature on “In The Ghetto”:
- Wayne Jackson – trumpet
- R.F. Taylor – trumpet
- Joe D’Gerolamo – French horn
- Tony Cason – French horn
- Jackie Thomas – trombone
- Jack Hale – trombone
- Glen Spreen – saxophone, viola
- Mary Snyder – viola
- John Wehlan – viola
- Nono Ravarino – viola
- Vernon Taylor – viola
- Noel Gilbert – violin
- Gloria Hendricks – violin
- Albert Edelman – violin
- Robert Snyder – violin
- Anna Oldham – violin
- Hal Saunders – violin
- Edward Freudberg – violin
- Anne Kendall – cello
- Peter Spurbeck – cello.
Chart performance
“In the Ghetto” reached number three on the Billboard Hot 100 chart on June 8, 1969. This was the highest chart placing for Elvis since “Crying In The Chapel” hit number three in 1965. The number one hit “Suspicious Minds” would soon follow.
“In The Ghetto” peaked at number two in the UK and again was the biggest hit for four years. It also achieved a number one chart placing on the N.M.E Top 40 Singles chart.
The “From Elvis In Memphis” album on which “In The Ghetto” appeared reached number 13 on the Billboard album chart, and topped the UK album chart.
Notable versions
“In The Ghetto” – Mac Davis
After Elvis had a hit with “In The Ghetto,” Mac Davis recorded his own version for his 1970 album “Song Painter.” It’s a very good recording, with the familiar guitar part in place and a strong vocal from Davis. The overall effect is less dramatic than Elvis’ recording though, due to the slightly peppier arrangement and lead vocal, and the omission of both the dark cello lines and sympathetic female backing vocals.
“In The Ghetto” – Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton opened her fourth album “My Blue Ridge Mountain Boy” (1969) with her cover of “In The Ghetto.” It retains the core elements of the original and receives a suitably serious vocal from Parton, but someone should have thought again when they decided to add what sounds like a prominent hi-hat to the percussion as it irritates on repetition.
“In The Ghetto” – Nick Cave & The Bad Seeds
Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds’ debut single was their 1984 cover of “In The Ghetto,” backed with “The Moon Is in the Gutter.” This opens with a solemn piano, before elements of the original string arrangement are incorporated into a dramatic stop/start arrangement. Cave acts his vocal part and some will get a real kick out of his unconventional performance, but there is none of the gravitas that Elvis brings to the proceedings.
There will be a new Song of the Week on April 9.
Elvis Presley’s “In The Ghetto” is available on the highly recommended “From Elvis in Memphis – Legacy Edition” which includes the original album, plus the “Back in Memphis” album and original mono singles. If you only have an Elvis greatest hits album and are keen to hear more, this is a very good place to start.
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From Elvis in Memphis – Legacy Edition (2 CDs) |
Buy Now | Buy Now | Buy Now |
Tags: Elvis Presley, From Elvis in Memphis, In the Ghetto
Posted in Elvis, Song of the Week |
One Comment to “Song of the Week #100 – “In The Ghetto””
January 8th, 2015 at 11:24 am
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