Elvis Presley – Raised on Rock / For Ol’ Times Sake (1973)
Studio Album • Released: October 1, 1973 • RCA Victor • Producers: Elvis Presley & Felton Jarvis
Raised on Rock / For Ol’ Times Sake is the nineteenth studio album by American music icon Elvis Presley, released in autumn 1973. It combines material recorded at Stax Studios in Memphis and at his Palm Springs home, showcasing a mix of rock, country, soul, and blues‑influenced tracks from Elvis’s later‑career sessions.
📀 Tracklist (Original LP)
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Raised on Rock
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Are You Sincere
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Find Out What’s Happening
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I Miss You
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Girl of Mine
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For Ol’ Times Sake
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If You Don’t Come Back
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Just a Little Bit
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Sweet Angeline
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Three Corn Patches
🎤 Album Credits
Artist: Elvis Presley
Producer: Elvis Presley & Felton Jarvis
Label: RCA Victor
Recorded: July 21–24, 1973 (Stax Studios, Memphis) & September 22–23, 1973 (Elvis’s home, Palm Springs, CA)
Genres: Rock • Country • Pop • Soul • Blues
Musicians & Personnel Highlights:
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Elvis Presley – Lead vocals
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James Burton, Bobby Manuel, Reggie Young, Johnny Christopher, Dennis Linde – Guitars
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Tommy Cogbill, Donald “Duck” Dunn, Tom Hensley – Bass
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Bobby Wood, Donnie Sumner – Piano
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Bobby Emmons – Organ
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Ron Tutt, Jerry Carrigan, Al Jackson Jr. – Drums
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Mary & Ginger Holladay, Kathy Westmoreland, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps – Backing vocals
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Glen Spreen – String arrangements
🖼️ Cover Art & Design
The album’s original cover features Elvis Presley in a reflective pose, typical of his early‑1970s releases — often wearing stage attire or a candid promotional shot — against a stylized backdrop that hints at the album’s introspective and somewhat roots‑oriented direction. This aesthetic matches the era’s trend of capturing Elvis during his Stax and post‑Stax recording period rather than using conceptual art or elaborate graphic design. (general album design context)
📈 Chart Performance & Reception
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Billboard Hot 100 (Single “Raised on Rock / For Ol’ Times Sake”): Peaked at #41 in October 1973.
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Billboard Easy Listening: “Raised on Rock” reached #27.
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Billboard Hot Country Singles: “For Ol’ Times Sake” peaked at #42.
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UK Singles Chart: The single reached #36 in November 1973.
The album itself did not crack the Billboard Top 200 but remains a notable entry in Elvis’s 1970s output due to its Stax sessions history and mix of covers and originals.
🎵 Popular Tracks & Standouts
✔ Raised on Rock – Lead single written by Mark James; a nostalgic rocker about being shaped by the early days of rock and roll.
✔ For Ol’ Times Sake – Country‑leaning B‑side by Tony Joe White, recorded at Stax.
✔ Are You Sincere – Classic ballad covered with gentle sincerity.
✔ Find Out What’s Happening – Upbeat cover showing Elvis’s feel for soul‑influenced pop.
✔ Just a Little Bit – R&B‑tinged performance with a bluesy feel.
🎉 Fun Facts & Trivia
🔹 Raised on Rock / For Ol’ Times Sake was recorded during Elvis’s late‑career Stax sessions, which were part of his attempt to reconnect with a rawer sound and southern soul.
🔹 The title track “Raised on Rock” was written by Mark James, the same songwriter responsible for Elvis’s 1969 hit “Suspicious Minds.”
🔹 Despite being a studio album, some tracks were laid down informally at Elvis’s Palm Springs home, reflecting his growing preference for relaxed recording environments.
🔹 The original LP has 10 tracks, making it one of Elvis’s shorter full‑length releases but packed with stylistic variety.
🔹 In 2007 the album was reissued in an expanded edition by the Follow That Dream collectors’ label with alternate takes and session material.
🤔 Did You Know?
🎸 The song “Raised on Rock” paints a picture of someone discovering rock and roll through radio as a child — an ironic touch, given that Elvis himself was a pioneer of the genre and a contemporary of artists he mentions in the lyrics.
🎤 The Stax sessions from which this album draws material are often discussed by fans as an underrated late‑era chapter in Elvis’s career, even if opinions vary on the performances.
🎧 Although the album didn’t produce a major chart hit, Raised on Rock remains a beloved deep cut among many Elvis collectors and 1970s rock aficionados.
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