Elvis Presley – It’s Still Here: A Private Moment Captured on Tape
In the early hours of May 20, 1971, eight hours into a recording session that began at 6:00 p.m. the previous evening in Nashville, Elvis Presley sat alone at the piano and quietly sang one of his most cherished songs: Ivory Joe Hunter’s It’s Still Here. It was around 2:00 a.m., and the room had thinned out. Recognizing the intimacy and honesty of the moment, producer Felton Jarvis made a simple but crucial decision—to turn on the tape machine.
What followed was not a polished studio performance, but a deeply personal interpretation. Elvis had been playing It’s Still Here for years at home, intending one day to record it. In this late-night setting, free from arrangement or expectation, he approached the song with remarkable vulnerability. His voice is unguarded, reflective, and unhurried, carrying a sense of emotional truth that transcends technical precision.
Accompanied only by piano, the performance strips Elvis down to his musical core. The absence of a full band allows every breath, pause, and inflection to register fully, reinforcing the confessional nature of the recording. Rather than projecting outward, Elvis sings inward, as if unaware that anyone else is listening.
It’s Still Here stands today as one of the most revealing moments in Elvis Presley’s recorded legacy. It captures not the public figure or seasoned performer, but a solitary artist reconnecting with a song that held deep personal meaning. In preserving that moment, the recording offers listeners rare access to Elvis at his most honest and emotionally exposed.