Energized by his success of the 68 TV Special and the fact that he "still had it" in front of a live audience, Elvis then fell into one of those great bits of serendipity that would become a hallmark of his recording career. Influenced by his Memphis Mafia buddies who had connections to American Recordings studio in Memphis, in 1969 Elvis decided to skip returning to Nashville and to record in his hometown for the first time since 1955. The resulting sessions, directed by producer/studio owner .