His Hand in Mine
His Hand in Mine is the fifth studio album by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono and stereo, LPM/LSP 2328, on November 23, 1960. It was the first of three gospel music albums that Presley would issue during his lifetime. Recording sessions took place on October 30 and 31, 1960, at RCA Studio B in Nashville, Tennessee. It peaked at #13 on the Top Pop Albums chart. It was certified Gold on April 9, 1969 and Platinum on March 27, 1992 by the Recording Industry Association of America . Background. Presley had a lifelong, fundamental love of church music, and often used it to rehearse and loosen up before concerts and at the beginning of recording sessions. Presley had earlier devoted an extended play single, "Peace in the Valley", to his love for gospel songs, and was eager to record a full album of this music. This fit well with the plans of Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker, to steer his client into a family-friendly image as he switched Presley's career concentration toward movie stardom in Hollywood. Content. All the selections for "His Hand In Mine  were completed in one fourteen-hour session. The songs Surrender" and "Crying in the Chapel" were recorded during the session, but withheld for issue as singles. "Surrender" would be his first single of 1961 and top the chart, but "Crying in the Chapel" would wait until April 1965 to be issued, going to #3 on the chart. The song "In My Father's House" was arranged and adapted by Elvis Presley which was published by Elvis Presley Music. Presley later re-recorded "Swing Down Sweet Chariot" (not to be confused with the popular "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot") for the soundtrack  of his 1969 film, "The Trouble with Girls". Single releases. "His Hand In Mine" is a gospel song written by "Mosie Lister" and first recorded by the "Statesmen Quartet" in 1953. "Elvis Presley's" version was recorded on October 30, 1960 and was the title track of his 1960 gospel album. The song was released 9 years later as a Easter single on March 25, 1969. The B-side was a more recent recording of "How Great Thou Art""." Neither side charted and the record sold poorly. Reissues. In 1976, RCA reissued the album in its lower priced "Pure Gold  series, with new cover art under a new catalogue number, ANL1-1319. This reissue contains the same tracks as the original release. RCA first reissued the original 12 track album on compact disc in 1990, utilizing the revised cover art from the Pure Gold" series LP reissue. On March 11, 2008, RCA issued a remastered version of this album on CD, adding as bonus tracks the four songs which had originally appeared on that 1957 EP single "Peace in the Valley," its contents later incorporated into "Elvis' Christmas Album". The Presley fan-club label "Follow That Dream" issued an extended  two-disc version the same year. Personnel. Credits sourced from Keith Flynn’s research of AFM contracts and RCA paperwork.