Peace in the Valley (EP)

Peace in the Valley
EP by Elvis Presley
Released	April 1957
Recorded	January 12, 13 & 19, 1957
Genre	Gospel
Length	12:36
Label	RCA Victor
Producer	Steve Sholes

Peace in the Valley is an extended play single by American singer and musician Elvis Presley, released on RCA Victor Records in mono, catalogue number EPA 4054, in April 1957. The recordings included were taken from sessions on January 12, 13, and 19 at Radio Recorders in Hollywood, California. It reached number three on the short-lived Billboard EP chart, and number three on the album chart, and number 39 on the singles chart.

By the 1950s, Presley's hometown of Memphis, Tennessee had become a center for gospel music in the United States. Presley grew up listening to this music, and maintained an abiding love for gospel singing his entire life. This EP initiated Presley's commercial presentation of this interest. Presley would go on to make many more recordings of spiritual music, including the issue of the gospel albums His Hand In Mine, How Great Thou Art, and He Touched Me.

All four selections are gospel classics, including two by Thomas A. Dorsey 'the father of black gospel'. The four songs are all reverential in spirit, rather than celebratory, uptempo gospel songs. Six months after the appearance of this EP, the four songs issued here would be added to eight recordings of Christmas songs for his first holiday album.

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