1950s

Elvis releases show no signs of slowing [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 22 when I wrote this article back in 1997 for The Elvis Beat #16, which turned out to be the final issue of my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

This year, which marks the 20th anniversary of Elvis’ death, may prove to be one of RCA’s busiest yet, with several new Elvis releases and re-issues planned.

Scheduled for release in June is the new 4-CD boxed set Platinum: A Life In Music, which will include over 70 previously unreleased tracks. Elvis recorded six of the new tracks on a home tape recorder in the 1960s at Graceland. Also included will be some rehearsals for his 1968 television special ELVIS and for his August 1970 Las Vegas shows, captured for the Elvis: That’s The Way It Is documentary. Newly released alternate takes and live performances will also be featured.

A new live concert album from 1972, An Afternoon In The Garden, was released on CD in March and is reviewed on page 3.

In April, the movie soundtracks not covered in the Elvis Double Features series were issued on CD, along with bonus tracks. These albums are:

  • Loving You
  • Jailhouse Rock/Love Me Tender
  • King Creole
  • GI Blues
  • Blue Hawaii

The five-volume Elvis’ Golden Records series will be re-issued on CD in July.

Currently expected for re-release by the end of 1997 are CD re-issues of the boxed sets Elvis Aron Presley (1981) and A Golden Celebration (1985). However, sources indicate they may be delayed until 1998.

ELVIS 56 CD out now; LAST TRAIN TO MEMPHIS movie coming soon [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 21 when I wrote this article back in 1996 for The Elvis Beat #14, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

In March, RCA released a new compilation album, Elvis 56. As the title indicates, the CD features Elvis songs from the year 1956, including a previously unreleased alternate take of “Heartbreak Hotel.” [. . . .]

A movie version of Peter Guralnick’s book Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley is in pre-production stages, according to Elvis World magazine. Last Train To Memphis is the definitive book about Elvis’ early life and career, spanning 1935-1958. Guralnick is now at work on the second volume, covering 1959-1977.

The movie will be released in theaters, with filming to begin in Memphis as early as 1997. [. . . .] Jerry Schilling, long-time Elvis friend and associate of Elvis Presley Enterprises, has been hired as a consultant to the film. Schilling was co-producer of the excellent 1990 ABC television series Elvis, which also covered his early years. [. . . .]

Elvis World also reports that the movie will include the first release of “I’ll Never Stand In Your Way.” This is one of two songs performed by Elvis in 1954 on his second amateur record, which he paid to record at the Memphis Recording Service prior to being discovered.

Answer to last issue’s Elvis Trivia Challenge [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 21 when I wrote this piece back in 1996 for The Elvis Beat #14, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

“Reconsider Baby” is the only song to appear on all three of the main Elvis boxed sets. A studio jam version was released on ELVIS: The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters. A formal studio recording of the song was on ELVIS: From Nashville To Memphis – The Essential 60s Masters I, and a live concert version was included on ELVIS: Walk A Mile In My Shoes – The Essential 70s Masters.

Volume IV, Issue 1: Elvis Trivia Challenge [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 20 when I wrote this piece back in 1995 for The Elvis Beat #13, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

Name the only song to appear on all three of the main Elvis boxed sets:

  • ELVIS: The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters
  • ELVIS: From Nashville To Memphis – The Essential 60s Masters I
  • ELVIS: Walk A Mile In My Shoes – The Essential 70s Masters

The answer will appear in the next issue.

The long wait ends: Elvis’ 70s MASTERS arrives [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 20 when I wrote this article back in 1995 for The Elvis Beat #13, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

A little late, Elvis’ new boxed set hit the stores on October 10. The 5-CD release from RCA is titled ELVIS: Walk A Mile In My Shoes – The Essential 70s Masters. The set contains 26 previously unreleased tracks, including seven new songs.

The Essential 70s Masters features 120 tracks in all, many of which have never been available on CD. An accompanying 94-page booklet contains many rare photographs as well as liner notes by Dave Marsh. A sheet of stamps depicting some of Elvis’ LP album covers from the period is also in the boxed set. Each of the 5 CDs is pressed with a different photograph of Elvis on the top.

Discs 1 and 2 contain all of Elvis’ 1970s singles, with the exception of those released after his death. Discs 3 and 4 contain other studio highlights of the era. Disc 4 is devoted to a sampling of his 1970s concert performances and rehearsal tracks.

Among the previously unreleased tracks are studio versions of “My Way” and “For The Good Times,” prior releases of which had been concert recordings.

The “new” songs never before released by Elvis in any form are:

  • A Hundred Years From Now
  • Lady Madonna
  • I Shall Be Released
  • It’s Diff’rent Now
  • The Twelfth Of Never
  • Alla’ En El “Rancho Grande”
  • Froggy Went A Courtin’

All of the new songs are either informal jams or rehearsals.

With the releases of ELVIS: The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters in 1992 and ELVIS: From Nashville To Memphis – The Essential 60s Masters I in 1993, many fans anticipated seeing the 70s set last year. Instead, the 2-CD Elvis Presley: Amazing Grace – His Greatest Sacred Performances collection was released and The Essential 70s Masters was pushed back a year.

This year, RCA originally scheduled the 70s set’s release to be September 12 – which was soon moved to September 26. When the release date was changed once again, this time to October 10, many fans undoubtedly wondered if it would ever be released.

On the tenth of October, what seemed like the “Twelfth Of Never” was finally here.

According to posts to an Elvis newsgroup on the Internet, Roger Semon of RCA states the next big Elvis project will be a boxed set for his legendary 1968 ELVIS “comeback” television special.

RCA to release 70s MASTERS boxed set [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 20 when I wrote this article back in 1995 for The Elvis Beat #12, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

RCA plans to release The 70s Masters boxed set in September. The 5-CD set will contain a studio version of “My Way,” a song previously available only in live performances. According to Graceland Express, “This studio recording gets a much softer vocal treatment from him, and seems more intimate, and in its quiet way maybe even more powerful” than the live versions.

Possibly my most eagerly anticipated release since Elvis’ death, right up there with the Elvis: The Lost Performances video, The 70s Masters CD set follows the 1992 release of ELVIS: The King Of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters and 1993’s ELVIS: From Nashville To Memphis – The Essential 60s Masters I, both of which were also 5-CD boxed sets. The sets are part of RCA’s commitment to release all of Elvis’ songs, from the best available masters, in the CD format. However, cassette versions are also available.

Scheduled to be released on July 18, ELVIS: Command Performances – The Essential 60s Masters II will contain 62 of his movie tunes from 1960 to 1969. An RCA press release stated, “Whereas the previous volume focused on Elvis Presley’s secular studio sessions (in the 1960s), Command Performances documents the highlights of his movie recording career.” Elvis made 27 movies in the 1960s. [. . . .] The set also comes with a 24-page booklet of liner notes.

ELVIS: Command Performances – The Essential 60s Masters II seems to be following rather closely on the heels of the Elvis Double Features soundtracks, which were also devoted to his 1960s movie tunes. In March, three new Elvis Double Features CDs were released:

  • Flaming Star/Wild In The Country/Follow That Dream
  • Easy Come, Easy Go/Speedway
  • Live A Little, Love A Little/Charro/The Trouble With Girls/Change Of Habit

With the new CDs completing the series, there are now ten CDs in RCA’s Elvis Double Features collection. So, is it really time for the ELVIS: Command Performances – The Essential 60s Masters II set? Probably not, but RCA has been doing such a great job the last five years that they can be easily forgiven for one small mistake, especially since The 70s Masters is finally almost here.

Elvis’ new CDs highlight gospel, Christmas, and love songs [The Elvis Beat newsletter]

/ TY

I was 20 when I wrote this piece back in 1995 for The Elvis Beat #11, my official Elvis Presley Fan Club newsletter.

RCA has issued three new Elvis albums since the last Elvis Beat newsletter.

Elvis Presley: Amazing Grace – His Greatest Sacred Performances is a two-CD set containing over 50 songs from his gospel releases. It also contains a previously unreleased jam session captured in 1972 for Elvis On Tour, including the songs “You Better Run,” “Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus,” and “Nearer My God To Thee.”

If Every Day Was Like Christmas contains 24 recordings and, and for the first time, gathers all of his Christmas songs on one CD. It also contains four previously unreleased versions. Some editions of this album include a 3-D Graceland pop-up, featuring the mansion as it is decorated for Christmas.

Elvis’ latest album, Heart & Soul, made its debut in February. It contains previously released love songs from the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. There are only two or three songs of real interest to long-time fans. “Love Me Tender” and “I’ve Lost You” are in stereo for the first time. The studio version of “Bridge Over Troubled Water” is without the artificially-dubbed applause used on its original That’s The Way It Is release.

The long anticipated boxed set for The 70s Masters is due to be released by the end of this year.