Emmylou Harris’s Discography – Elite Hotel (1975) 

In 1975 Emmylou was reportedly unhappy with an Esquire magazine feature about her new album Elite Hotel. The article didn’t mention her ‘Hot Band’, so she took out an advert in a trade press to credit the players she felt were so central to her sound. 

The Hot Band, of course, were brilliant. No question this album benefits from her working with such high calibre musicians. Emmylou had invested a considerable amount of money in getting the best musicians who deserve acclaim. 

However there’s something about that decision which feels very 1975. What woman nowadays would take out a press release crediting her male collaborators? It almost reads like Emmylou felt the need to downplay her own talent and give men the spotlight. Maybe she was just trying to keep her band happy. Or maybe this was honestly how she felt about herself – still suffering from the lack of self-confidence which stalled her early career after the release of Gliding Bird (and led her to mainly becoming an ‘interpreter’ of songs rather than a writer). 

Emmylou’s name is on this record for a reason. Listening to Elite Hotel you know this album wouldn’t have succeeded without that voice. Emmylou was going to be a star with or without this band, as great as they are. 

Elite Hotel was Emmylou’s second album of 1975 after her official country debut Pieces of the Sky and even though it was made up of mainly covers it begins with the brilliant Amarillo, the only song Emmylou has a writing credit on (co-written with Rodney Crowell). The song tells us how she’s lost her love to gambling, drinking and country music. There are some brilliant references to Dolly & Porter here too, foreshadowing her future collaborator. When you hear how good this one is you just wish Rodney and Emmylou could have written more songs together in this era. 

The album instead shows her absolutely brilliant ability as a finder of songs that work for her voice and fit together seamlessly. ‘Together Again’ is genuinely one of the most beautiful songs I’ve ever heard in my life. Her voice, the pedal steel, together are perfection. The original Buck Owens’ version made Jerry Garcia want to learn pedal steel. After Emmylou’s version hit number one, Owens was inspired to write a sequel (and invited Emmylou to sing on it). 

‘Feelin’ Single – Seein’ Double’ is a brilliant cheating song – somehow sung by a woman this one still feels revolutionary. You can feel how this one influenced the woman of country yet to come, with its rebellious, hard drinking, no regrets core.

Sin City is a sweet acoustic number written by Gram. I’ve always thought that more artists should do this – just sing a song from your favourite songwriter every album. Of course Emmylou had the personal connection which makes it even more poignant but there’s so many songs fading out of memory waiting on a singer to keep them alive just like Emmylou has done for Gram. 

One of these Days was first recorded by George Jones. Emmylou’s version made it to number 3 in the country charts. Afterwards Tammy Wynette recorded a version (there’s much similarity in the way those two singers convey the sadness in country music). 

The other song written by Crowell on the album is Till I Gain Control Again and Emmylou said of the song: “Till I Gain Control Again’ is made of pure, simple imagery, which are the hardest songs to write. That’s what is brilliant about the classic country songs: you can’t get too wordy.” Crystal Gayle went on to record a version of the song which hit number 1 in 1982 and there is a hint of the polished 80s sound in this understated version too.  

Here There and Everywhere is sung beautifully, with Emmylou’s voice creating a sense of intimacy beguiling enough to make anyone listening fall in love with her. At the time she worried including this Beatles cover might give the country purists ammunition against her. Surely one listen to the track would have those idiots all swooning at her feet. 

Ooh Las Vegas was another song in Gram’s repertoire and brings the tempo of the album back up nicely. She doesn’t change the pronouns either, letting the hard drinking, hard gambling, hard living man live on through her.

We then have her other number one hit from this album – a live version of Patsy Cline’s ‘Sweet Dreams’ which would surely silenced anyone who thought she couldn’t sing country music. She then doubles down on her country credentials with her cover of Hank Williams’s ‘Jambalaya.’ This one along with Cajun Born (a bonus track on the 2004 re-issue) may come across now as somewhat culturally inauthentic but they’re fun to listen to all the same. 

Satan’s Crown Jewel was a Louvin Brothers song which Emmylou reinterpreted (and her version went on to be covered by Bruce Springsteen at a couple of live shows). Emmylou brings an eerie quality to this version and I’d highly recommend this performance from 1978 to see how stunning her voice is. 

Wheels was of course a Flying Burrito Bros song and Emmylou leads her band in delivering a gorgeous version, her harmony singing with Jonathan Edwards making this one a stand out on an already classic album. 

The influences and songs may have come from an eclectic range of sources but the sound feels harmonious. Elite Hotel is country rock at its finest. The album won Emmy her first Grammy for Best Female Country Vocal Performance and cemented her place in the genre.