Author: TY

And all four speakers were blaring Elvis

/ TY / 2 Comments

The latest FTD release, Live In Vegas: August 26, 1969 Dinner Show, arrived at my house yesterday. I resisted the urge to give it a quick listen last night so that I can give it proper attention this weekend. I’ll be reviewing this one soon, and I can’t wait to hear it. I wonder if my neighbors would mind if I blared an Elvis concert at 6:30 in the morning? Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time.

* * *

Came across a nice little Elvis mention courtesy of Google News while web surfing last night. I started to post a link here, but was too sleepy to type coherently. I’m definitely a morning person, you see. Anyway, over on JSOnline, the web site of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, someone wrote the following comment and question to “Mr. Music:”

I know the peak time for quadraphonic albums is around 1975. But the first quad LP I bought was ‘Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite,’ the soundtrack of Elvis Presley’s 1973 Honolulu concert. Since this came out before quad’s heyday, is it the first quad album? I’ll bet it is the top-selling quad release. Also, did anyone ever make quad singles?”- Jeremy Norbert, Milwaukee

Quadraphonic sound was an early consumer version of what we now call surround sound. In stereo sound, the audio is separated into two distinct channels. In quadraphonic sound, the audio was separated into four distinct channels – meaning you would listen with four speakers. Though it was indeed used for Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite, the format did not catch on.

I didn’t even notice this last night, but another perusal of the article just now reveals that “Mr. Music” is none other than renowned record collecting and Elvis expert/author Jerry Osborne. No wonder I was so impressed with his response. I was surprised last night that a “mainstream media” member could give such a knowledgable reply without tossing in snide comments or jokes about Elvis in the 70s. Now it all makes sense.

Check out Osborne’s reply: “Elvis in Hawaii helped take sound to a new level” — JSOnline. I’ll definitely be keeping an eye on Osborne’s Mr. Music column in the future.

An updated version of Osborne’s Elvis: Like Any Other Soldier book is available now. You can find out more information about his publications over at Jerry Osborne’s site.

FTD to release Elvis Sings Guitar Man

/ TY / 2 Comments

Just learned terrific news. The next Follow That Dream Records release is going to be the “imaginary album” Elvis Sings Guitar Man, filling in its Classic Album series with songs recorded in Nashville in 1966 and 1967 (“Elvis Sings Guitar Man” — Elvis Today). These songs originally found their homes as bonuses on various movie soundtracks. This 2-CD set will fit in perfectly with The Mystery Train’s ongoing tribute to Elvis events of the year 1967.

The CD is due out in April. From ElvisNews.com, here’s the tracklisting:

DISC 1

01) Guitar Man 2:22
02) Tomorrow Is A Long Time 5:24
03) Big Boss Man 2:54
04) Love Letters 2:52
05) Indescribably Blue 2:50
06) Fools Fall In Love 2:08
07) Hi-Heel Sneakers 2:48
08) Down In The Alley 2:54
09) Come What May 2:03
10) Mine 2:39
11) Just Call Me Lonesome 2:08
12) You Don’t Know Me 2:32
13) Singing Tree 2:22
14) I’ll Remember You 2:48

Bonus Song
15) Beyond The Reef (overdubbed version)

First Takes
16) Guitar Man – takes 1,2,5 4:22
17) Tomorrow Is A Long Time – takes 1,2 6:15
18) Big Boss Man – take 2 3:35
19) Love Letters –take 2 2:53
20) Fools Fall In Love – takes 1,4 2:40
21) Hi-Heel Sneakers – take 5 4:58
22) Down In The Alley – take 1 3:13
23) Come What May – take 2 2:12
24) Singing Tree – take 1 3:11
25) I’ll Remember You – vocal overdub take 2 4:14

DISC 2

May 1966 Sessions
01) Down In The Alley – takes 2,3,4 2:18
02) Down In The Alley – take 6 2:51
03) Love Letters – takes 3,4,5,7 4:39
04) Love Letters – take 8 3:12
05) Beyond The Reef – takes 1,2 (undubbed master) 5:42
06) Come What May – takes 3,4 2:27
07) Come What May – take 6 2:07
08) Come What May – take 7 – 2:21

June 1966 Sessions
09) Indescribably – (vocal overdub) take 1 2:55
10) I’ll Remember You – (unedited master) vocal overdub 1 4:10

1967 Sessions
11) Guitar Man – takes 7,9 2:52
12) Guitar Man – take 10 2:55
13) Guitar Man – takes 11, 12 (unedited/undubbed master) 4:02
14) Big Boss Man – takes 1,3,4,5 3:19
15) Big Boss Man – takes 7, 9 3:48
16) Singing Tree – takes 2,4 3:28
17) Singing Tree – take 8 3:03
18) Singing Tree – takes 10,13 3:44
19) Just Call Me Lonesome – takes 3,4 2:55
20) Just Call Me Lonesome – takes 5,6 2:31
21) Hi-Heel Sneakers – takes 1,6 2:51
22) Hi-Heel Sneakers – take 7 – (unedited master) 4:57
23) You Don’t Know Me – take 2 2:57
24) Singing Tree – (remake) takes 1,2,3 3:21

FTD is Sony’s collectors label for Elvis fans. The releases are available from various online stores. Since they originate in Denmark and then ship to retailers, there is sometimes a two or three week delay after the “release date” before the CDs arrive for those of us in the United States.

Introducing a new page: Elvis Presley Discography

/ TY

I’ve added a new reference page to The Mystery Train Elvis Blog, Elvis Presley Discography. It lists the Elvis singles and LP albums released in the United States during his lifetime.

View The Mystery Train Elvis Blog’s Elvis Presley Discography page. You can also access it using the Elvis tab at the top of the page.

From Blogs To Books/From Books To Movies

/ TY / 2 Comments

Thanks again to Thomas for taking over as guest conductor last week. I decided to just take the whole week off from keeping up with Elvis news and writing the blog. Honestly, what I learned during my week away from The Mystery Train is that I need time off from here more often, despite how much I love it. Taking a few steps back made me realize that sometimes this fun little hobby consumes too much of my life.

Last Train To Memphis: The Movie That Wouldn’t Die

With that being said, I did have a chance to go back and catch up on the news. One of the main stories to hit the Elvis sites last week was talk of a movie version of Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley, Peter Guralnick’s definitive early Elvis biography. The book was first released in 1994, seventeen years ago. I believe Hollywood has been trying to turn this into a movie for almost that long.

I can actually remember covering the Last Train To Memphis movie for the fan club newsletter I wrote back in the early to mid 1990s. My last story on the subject was something to the effect of “Unfortunately, plans for a movie version of Last Train To Memphis have been put on hold.”

Over the years, the project has continued to garner a mention out here in web land every now and then. IGN Movies even reviewed a rough draft script for Last Train To Memphis by Jim Uhls (Fight Club) back in 2000. None other than The New York Times listed a now-abandoned Last Train To Memphis incarnation with Mike Newell directing, Leonardo DiCaprio producing, and John Goodman appearing in an unidentified role (perhaps Colonel Tom Parker?). Long-time Elvis friend Jerry Schilling was also attached to the project as co-producer.

Here we are, well over a decade later, and plans for the movie have apparently been put back on the track, with John Fusco set to write a new adaptation for producer Steve Bing (“John Fusco Takes His Shot At Early Elvis” — Deadline Hollywood). Fusco‘s biggest credit to date is 1988’s Young Guns, while a few of Bing’s past productions have been documentaries. He also wrote the Chuck Norris Missing In Action series of movies.

My hope is that Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley will not be yet another conventional dramatization of Elvis’ life, but instead a definitive documentary using archival music, footage, and photographs to tell the story. After all, the only person who can really do Elvis justice is Elvis himself. Johnny Depp need not apply.

An ultimate Elvis documentary would fill the void left by the now-dated This Is Elvis and Elvis: The Great Performances. If they do this movie right, there’s a sequel already waiting in the wings in the form of Careless Love: The Unmaking of Elvis Presley, Guralnick’s somewhat disappointing 1999 follow-up that covered the remainder of Elvis’ life.

Sometimes, initiatives take flight right out of the Projects That Will Never Happen Department, and maybe that will be the case with Last Train To Memphis.

Live like Elvis – at any budget

ElvisBlog was one of several sites to cover one of Elvis’ former homes going on the rental market. The southern California residence that then-newlyweds Elvis and Priscilla used in 1967 can be yours for just $25,000 a month and includes, amazingly enough, “floor-to-ceiling walls throughout.”

If $25,000 a month is too much for you, then perhaps you might want to furnish your own version of Graceland instead by perusing eBay’s local classified advertisements (“Recreate Graceland Forever!” — The eBay Classifieds Blog). The Jungle Room is pretty cool, especially since two of my favorite albums were recorded there, but I think Elvis’ TV Room is more my style.

Judging a blog by its book cover

Finally, be sure to check out the ultra-slick cover to Thomas’ forthcoming book, which compiles his first 271 posts on the Elvis Today blog. It also features one never-before-published article. Hey Thomas, I’m just wondering, who is going to star in the inevitable movie version of the Elvis Today blog?

Valentines From Elvis: His Top Ten “Love” Songs

/ TY

In honor of Saint Valentine’s Day, here is my top ten list of Elvis songs released during his lifetime that contained some form of the word “love” in the title. Can you believe I had about 70 different songs to choose from to compile this list? Here are the best of the best.

#1 Can’t Help Falling In Love (1961)
Blue Hawaii
Other notable versions: 1968 live (ELVIS-TV Special); 1969 live (From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis).

#2 Love Me (1956)
Elvis
Other notable version: 1968 live (A Legendary Performer, Volume 1).

#3 You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Live-1970)
That’s The Way It Is

#4 Burning Love (1972)
Burning Love And Hits From His Movies, Volume 2
Other notable version: 1973 live (Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite).

#5 Pledging My Love (1976)
Moody Blue

#6 Love Me Tender (Live-1968)
ELVIS-TV Special

#7 After Loving You (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#8 Wearin’ That Loved-On Look (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#9 Power Of My Love (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#10 Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming (1973)
Promised Land

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

“It’s the music and not the value of the collection that counts”

/ TY / 4 Comments

Thomas over at the Elvis Today blog has a real talent for summing up the experience of being an Elvis fan. In today’s post, “The Truth About Me,” he reflects on when he first became a fan, including a reprint of an article he wrote 21 years ago for a Swedish Elvis fan club.

“During the years me and my other brother have built a record collection that we’re proud [of],” he wrote in 1990. “Not because it includes a lot of valuable editions, but because we think we own most of the stuff released officially by Elvis, and to us it’s the music and not the value of the collection that counts.”

In the end, the music is all that really matters. Whether you are listening on vinyl records, MP3s, cassette tapes, CDs, or even 8-tracks, Elvis is still there. His music is what brings us all together. His music is our shared experience. And no matter what classless jokes or baseless claims people want to lob at him, Elvis always wins in the end because his music pounds through all of that noise and demands to be heard.

“The image is one thing, and a human being is another,” Elvis said in 1972. “It’s very hard to live up to an image.” While the image of Elvis has morphed over the years, the underlying truth of his statement remains. Like Thomas says, you don’t need an expensive collection to explore the music and go beyond the image.

After all, a scratched-up record of seemingly no value can in fact be priceless.

Elvis Presley Enterprises and fans help raise $85,000 in Super Bowl benefit

/ TY

One of the stories I’ve enjoyed covering most here on The Mystery Train is Elvis Presley Enterprise’s Super Bowl watch party, held February 6 on the front lawn of Graceland. At $500 a ticket, the catered event benefited St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. The day also featured Elvis-style football games on the lawn and a silent auction of sports and Elvis items. According to St. Jude, this ultimate Super Bowl party raised nearly $85,000.

As I mentioned Monday, Elvis’ rendition of “That’s All Right” could briefly be heard in the background during the Super Bowl TV broadcast while it played over stadium loudspeakers. I wondered at the time if those partying at Graceland picked up on this.

I decided to contact Elvis Presley Enterprises and find out. It turns out that the attendees did indeed hear Elvis during the game. “We also got emails from fans around the world who also heard the music clip being played,” said Alicia Dean, Media Assistant for EPE.

Dean also cleared up another one of my questions about the event. EPE’s original announcement stated that it was “only the second time an event has been held on the lawn, or anywhere on the property, since Elvis’ passing” (“Super Bowl Watch Party at Graceland to Benefit St. Jude” — Elvis.com). According to Dean, the first event was a party benefiting the TJ Martell Foundation on Ocotober 7, 1994, which was the day before the Elvis Aaron Presley: The Tribute concert at the Pyramid.

Elvis Aaron Presley: The Tribute was a live, pay-per-view television event featuring various music stars performing Elvis songs, including Faith Hill, Chris Isaak, Michael Hutchence, and Cher. It also resulted in the album It’s Now Or Never: The Tribute To Elvis, which contained a few of the songs from the show. Some footage of the concert also appeared in the December 1994 ABC TV special Elvis: The Tribute, hosted by John Stamos.

In life, Elvis always gave time and money to good causes, and EPE has done a terrific job of continuing that tradition over the years since his death. Many of Elvis’ fans have also continued in that spirit as well. As I’ve mentioned before, one organization worth checking out is the Elvis Presley Charitable Foundation, which is run by Lisa Marie Presley and the rest of the EPE management team and includes projects such as Presley Place.

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