to decline. Production Concurrent with his box-office earnings decline, Presley was insisting that RCA work on a new gospel album, but his requests were rejected each time. As Presley's records failed to match his earlier albums' profits, his 1960 gospel album His Hand in Mine sold well. Meanwhile, the April 1965 release of "Crying in the Chapel," recorded during the His Hand in Mine sessions, reached number 3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. RCA and Parker reconsidered Presley's idea and they arranged the date for the next recording sessions. The recordings would be Presley's first non-soundtrack album in more than two years, and the production was assigned to Felton Jarvis, marking his first collaboration with Presley. Chet Atkins, producer and manager of Nashville's RCA Studio B, assigned Jarvis because of Presley's preference to record at night. To prepare his voice, Presley worked with members of his entourage -- Charlie Hodge and Sonny West -- at Graceland. Together they reviewed the material that Presley's publisher Hill & Range sent, but they settled on recording songs that Presley liked that were not owned by the company. Presley requested that the label hire singer Jimmy Jones to appear on the album, but he could not be located by Parker's assistant nor Hill & Range's representative Freddy Bienstock. Presley's management then hired the singer's favorite gospel quartet: The Imperials, led by Jake Hess. Additionally, the Jordanaires and a backing group that consisted of Millie Kirkham and two other female session backup singers completed the vocal section. According to the Jordanaires, member Ray Walker suggested that Presley record the song "How Great Thou Art" based on the success of George Beverly Shea's recording that was used on Billy Graham's events. Meanwhile, Presley's assistant Charlie Hodge claimed Presley decided to record the song after he played version by Sons of the Pioneers for Presley. The selected songs that were in the public domain were rearranged to meet requirements to register the copyright by Presley's management. The recording of How Great Thou Art took place in May 1966. On the first day, May 25, 1966, Presley practiced the songs with the backup singers on the piano. After two hours, he started the first take of "Run On." Presley sang the song using the same vocal techniques the Golden Gate Quartet used on their performances of the song. The first number took seven takes, then Presley moved