Maps of Music

Elite Hotel (1975)

Where the lyrics of Elite Hotel take you, and where it was really made.

Harris' second album of 1975 became the one that reached number one on Billboard's country albums chart, passing the acclaimed Pieces of the Sky.

Key places

Where Elite Hotel was recorded (1975)

Recording site Motown Recording Studios — Discogs credits Enactron Truck as the place where the album was recorded and also mixed. The pin uses Los Angeles city centre, not the exact building. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Cover photo location in Mojave (1975)

Album cover 2259 Inyo Street (Mojave) — The cover photograph was taken by Tom Wilkes at 2259 Inyo Street in Mojave, California. The pin uses Mojave city centre, not the exact address. Google Maps · Apple Maps

How to get there: See the map for directions.

Album story

Overview

• Elite Hotel: third studio album by American country artist Emmylou Harris
• Released in December 1975 by Reprise Records
• Her second album released in 1975, after Pieces of the Sky
• Produced by Brian Ahern, who also engineered
• Covers include Harris' version of the Patsy Cline hit Sweet Dreams
• Also includes Together Again, One of These Days, and a version of the Beatles' Here, There and Everywhere

Background

• Harris' eclectic tastes shaped her song choices: Hank Williams, The Beatles, Gram Parsons and Buck Owens
• Three Gram Parsons songs are covered: Sin City, Ooh Las Vegas and Wheels
• Parsons was her former partner and a member of the Flying Burrito Brothers, and died in 1973
• Chris Hillman, formerly of The Byrds and then with the Flying Burrito Brothers, introduced Harris to Parsons
• After Parsons' death in 1973, Harris went back to Washington and formed the Hot Band
• Pieces of the Sky was produced by Brian Ahern, whom she married soon after

Recording

• Recorded and mixed at Enactron Truck, according to the Discogs release credits
• Engineers: Bradley Hartman, Rudy Hill, Stuart Taylor and Miles Wilkinson
• Brian Ahern credited as producer and engineer

Cover

• Cover photograph taken by Tom Wilkes at 2259 Inyo Street, Mojave, California

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · www.discogs.com · es.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org · fr.wikipedia.org

Tracklist

Sources: musicbrainz.org

Artist

Career

• Born April 2, 1947 in Birmingham, Alabama; American singer, songwriter, musician, bandleader and activist.
• Regarded as a leading artist of the country rock genre in the 1970s and of Americana in the 1990s.
• Began in the Greenwich Village folk scene in the late 1960s; first album Gliding Bird (1970) under the name "Emmy Lou Harris".
• Discovered by Gram Parsons in 1971; sang harmony on his GP (1973) and worked with him on Grievous Angel before his death in 1973.
• Breakthrough with Pieces of the Sky (1975); five US country number-one singles by 1980.
• Trio (1987) with Dolly Parton and Linda Ronstadt became her best-selling album; At the Ryman (1992) renewed interest in the Ryman Auditorium.
• Wrecking Ball (1995), produced by Daniel Lanois, is seen as a turning point toward Americana.
• Estimated over 15 million records sold; 13 Grammy Awards; inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2008.
• Founded the dog rescue Bonaparte's Retreat in Nashville; organizes the Concerts for a Landmine-Free World benefit tour since 1999.

Reception

At release

• Followed Pieces of the Sky, which was widely acclaimed
• Elite Hotel surpassed it on the Billboard charts and became Harris' first number one country album
• The album produced two number one country singles: Together Again and Sweet Dreams
• One of These Days reached number three
• The Beatles' Here, There and Everywhere, performed here, entered the pop charts at number 65

Records

• Billboard country albums chart: number one, Harris' first album to top it
• Number one country singles: Together Again and Sweet Dreams
• One of These Days: number three
• Here, There and Everywhere: number 65 on the pop charts
• Harris' vocals earned her the Grammy Award for Best Country Vocal Performance, Female

Sources: en.wikipedia.org

Trivia

• The album contained two number one country singles, Together Again and Harris' version of Sweet Dreams.
• A Beatles song, Here, There and Everywhere, performed on the album, entered the pop charts at number 65.
• Chris Hillman, a former member of The Byrds, introduced Harris to Gram Parsons, who needed a female singer.
• The Hot Band Harris formed after Parsons' death later recorded most of her following albums.

Sources: en.wikipedia.org · pt.wikipedia.org

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