FTD

Pieces of our lives: A look at modern Elvis fans

/ TY

The Elvis Today Blog (book)
By Thomas Melin
274 pp. Blurb. $9.95

The Elvis Today Blog (2011)

The Elvis Today Blog (2011)

Full Disclosure: I wrote a guest post for the Elvis Today Blog back in 2009, and it appears in this book (p. 224). The last thing I want to do is start reviewing my own material, though, so the following review covers the other 99% of this compilation.

Don’t let the title of this book fool you. The Elvis Today Blog is not a book about an Elvis site. Without a doubt, The Elvis Today Blog is a book about Elvis.

However, it turns out that The Elvis Today Blog is also a book about us – modern Elvis fans.

By relating his personal experiences, author Thomas Melin crafts a unique volume that follows the triumphs and trials of being an Elvis fan in the post-1977 era.

“Sometimes it just hits me how much I love Elvis music and what a great feeling I get from listening to it,” writes Melin in “The Wonder Of Elvis” (p. 56), one of his best entries. “On the highway I put the fourth CD from the Today, Tomorrow & Forever box set in the car stereo and there was ‘See See Rider’ from February 1970 blasting through the speakers. It’s hard to explain what I felt, but I remember thinking ‘Man, I’m gonna listen to Elvis and his music until the very day I die,'” he states.

A major contribution of The Elvis Today Blog is the “Special Moments With FTD” series, Melin’s focus on specific songs released on Sony’s Follow That Dream collectors label for Elvis fans:

  • “Love Me Tender,” Dixieland Rocks (1975) – p. 65
  • “The Sound Of Your Cry,” The Nashville Marathon (1970) – p. 78
  • “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” So High (1967) – p. 92
  • “Mexico,” Out In Hollywood (1963) – p. 107
  • “It’s Easy For You,” The Jungle Room Sessions (1976) – p. 116
  • “Hey Little Girl,” Out In Hollywood (1965) – p. 182
  • “I Just Can’t Help Believin’,” One Night In Vegas (1970) – p. 182
  • “My Boy,” Dixieland Rocks (1975) – p. 183
  • “Young And Beautiful,” Elvis On Tour: The Rehearsals (1972) – p. 238
  • “Suspicious Minds,” Memphis Sessions (1969) – p. 265

Most notable of the above entries are those dealing with “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” “It’s Easy For You,” and “Suspicious Minds,” where the author uses powerful descriptions to take you inside the various studios to watch Elvis at work.

Modern Elvis fans aren’t just listening to records and CDs, though. They also enjoy listening to Elvis on their iPods or other portable music devices. “I too like buying and collecting CD’s, reading the liner notes and listening to the tracks on my stereo. But that doesn’t stop me from downloading the music into my iPod and taking it with me whenever I’m traveling somewhere. To me, that’s the real benefit of owning an iPod, that I always have access to the Elvis Presley catalog, wherever I happen to be,” Melin says (“Ku-u-i-pod,” p. 37).

I don’t normally comment on cover design and page layout of books (unless they are awful), but these elements by Staffan Melin, a brother of the author, warrant special mention. The cover is a creative take-off of the 1975 Elvis Today album cover. The interior page layout makes for easy reading, featuring the Deja Vu Serif Condensed font. Kudos to the designer.

It’s no secret that I’m a huge fan of the web version of the Elvis Today Blog. In fact, I often find inspiration there, and the Mystery Train Elvis Blog would probably not exist in its present form without the Elvis Today Blog’s influence. It has been a joy rediscovering favorite or forgotten posts as I read them in book format.

Needless to say, I’m hoping that Melin releases additional volumes of his Elvis works. One enhancement suggestion I have for the next volume would be to include an index, to make it easier to find all of the references to certain topics. If that could not be done on a large scale, it seems that at least the Labels feature in use on the web version could be converted into a short index for the book version.

Another way to enhance future volumes would be if Melin included supplemental information that was not part of the original blog posts. Using an example from this book, he mentions meeting drummer DJ Fontana (p. 28), who shared some Elvis stories with him. Maybe one or two of those stories could be noted as bonus content.

Those are just minor suggestions, though. The Elvis Today Blog is not only a great book about Elvis, but an essential examination of contemporary Elvis fandom. Highly recommended.

Memphis! Elvis no stranger to hometown hits

/ TY / 2 Comments

Of those released during his lifetime, Elvis recorded over 100 songs in his adopted hometown of Memphis, Tennessee. Though this represented only 15% of his total output, there is no doubt that many of his greatest recordings originated from Memphis. Below is my personal ranking of his best Memphis songs.

#1 Suspicious Minds (1969)
Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Volume 1

#2 Mystery Train (1955)
For LP Fans Only

#3 Baby, Let’s Play House (1955)
A Date With Elvis

#4 Kentucky Rain (1969)
Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Volume 1

#5 Promised Land (1973)
Promised Land

#6 Good Rockin’ Tonight (1954)
A Date With Elvis

#7 That’s All Right (1954)
For LP Fans Only

#8 In The Ghetto (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#9 Any Day Now (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#10 Pledging My Love (1976)
Moody Blue

#11 Don’t Cry Daddy (1969)
Worldwide 50 Gold Award Hits, Volume 1

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

#13 Stranger In My Own Home Town (1969)
From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis [Back In Memphis]

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

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

#16 Rubberneckin’ (1969)
Almost In Love

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

#18 Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues (1973)
Good Times

#19 Way Down (1976)
Moody Blue

#20 It’s Midnight (1973)
Promised Land

#21 Blue Moon (1954)
Elvis Presley

#22 Long Black Limousine (1969)
From Elvis In Memphis

#23 Moody Blue (1976)
Moody Blue

#24 You Asked Me To (1973)
Promised Land

#25 Thinking About You (1973)
Promised Land

Besides being recorded in Memphis, another thing that most of these songs have in common is that their associated albums have not yet received the Classic Albums treatment by Sony’s Follow That Dream collectors label.

In fact, it was wishing for albums such as Promised Land, Moody Blue, From Elvis Presley Boulevard, The Sun Sessions, and From Elvis In Memphis that inspired me to create this list in the first place.

So, if not Memphis, where did Elvis record the most?

Some might guess Nashville, but it turns out that Elvis recorded most often in Hollywood, representing about 275 songs released during his lifetime (around 38% of his total output).

A last bit of trivia, Elvis recorded the song “Memphis, Tennessee” in Nashville, rather than Memphis, so it fails to even qualify for consideration on today’s Memphis list.

REVIEW – Live In Vegas: August 26, 1969 Dinner Show CD (FTD)

/ TY

Live In Vegas: August 26, 1969 Dinner Show CD (Follow That Dream Records, 2011)

If you believe some fans, surely we’ve already heard enough 1969 Las Vegas concerts. Now that Live In Vegas: August 26, 1969 Dinner Show is available from FTD, let’s take a closer look at their claims.

Claim: If you’ve heard one 1969 show, you’ve heard them all.
Verdict: FALSE

For those who believe there are no more revelations to discover in these shows, I can easily pull one example of many from this release alone. For over 40 years now, Elvis fans have listened to the 1969 compilation Elvis In Person. How many ever realized that Elvis dedicated the specific performance of “Suspicious Minds” contained on that album to Barbara McNair, one of his Change Of Habit co-stars?

Elvis evidently thought a lot of McNair, who played Sister Irene, for he plugged her upcoming TV series, The Barbara McNair Show, when presenting her to the audience. As mentioned, Elvis’ introduction of the familiar version of “Suspicious Minds” is now slightly different: “A new record that just came out, ladies and gentlemen, I hope you like it, I’d like to do this especially for Barbie, it’s called ‘Suspicious Minds.'”

Though it is the sixth full-length show released from this engagement, Live In Vegas actually marks the first release of a concert that contributed songs to the Elvis In Person compilation (“Suspicious Minds” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love”). One of the joys of being able to hear complete 1969 shows like this one is re-discovering a song within its original context.

Claim: Every 1969 show had the same set list.
Verdict: FALSE

Live In Vegas is actually the first full show released thus far to include “My Babe” (previously compiled on Elvis Aron Presley) or “Inherit The Wind” (previously compiled on Collectors Gold). This is also the first full show so far where Elvis omits “Are You Lonesome Tonight” and only the second where he omits “What’d I Say.”

Incidentally, the inane argument that the set lists were always the same wasn’t even true of the first five shows released. Don’t get me wrong – of course, the core set lists are similar. These shows were all recorded within less than a week’s time, after all. The amusing part is that some fans apparently expect that Elvis should have completely revamped his show night after night. The 1969 concerts were about as perfect as any Elvis did in his career, but that’s not good enough for some.

Claim: If you’ve already heard the Midnight Show from this same date on All Shook Up, Live In Vegas will just be more of the same.
Verdict: FALSE

Though indeed recorded just a few hours apart from one another, the shows captured on All Shook Up and Live In Vegas are quite different from one another and do not play like repeats of the same show. The biggest difference is tone. While Elvis seems unable to control his infectious laughter through much of All Shook Up – including the fantastic “Are You Laughing Tonight” – he is much more focused on Live In Vegas. In fact, other than a few snickers here and there, there is little foreshadowing in the Dinner Show as to what will occur in the Midnight Show.

As far as the songs performed for these specific shows, the Dinner Show (Live In Vegas) features “Memories,” “My Babe,” and “Inherit The Wind,” which are not present on the later show. The Midnight Show (All Shook Up), on the other hand, features “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” “Rubberneckin’” and “This Is The Story,” which are not present on the earlier show.

I find being able to listen to two shows from the same day during this incredible time of Elvis’ career to be one of the most positive aspects of this release, certainly not a drawback. It is fascinating to imagine being there for that single day, somehow fortunate enough to have tickets to both shows.

Show & Sound Quality

I’m just glad Ernst Jorgensen and the rest of Sony’s Follow That Dream team do not subscribe to the sort of claims refuted above. If they did, we might have missed out on Live In Vegas.

With that out of the way, we can now move on to more important things, like show and sound quality. The first few times I played this disc, my opinion was that no 1969 show had ever sounded this vibrant.

I have played all six full shows this week and part of me believes that Live In Vegas is the best of the complete 1969 shows released so far, in terms of Elvis’ performance. I am not quite ready to say that yet, though. I want to give more time for the newness to wear off and allow myself to compare the various shows more objectively. Like all of the other 1969 shows thus far released, though, this is without a doubt one of Elvis’ greatest concerts.

Elvis treats his classics with more respect in 1969 than he would in later years. “Blue Suede Shoes,” “All Shook Up,” “Love Me Tender,” “Jailhouse Rock,” and “Don’t Be Cruel” are all contenders as his best 1969 versions.

“You see, they fixed these lights up for Nancy Sinatra. They wouldn’t do it for me. That shows where the pull is. . . . I’ll show ’em, I won’t come back,” Elvis states shortly after welcoming the audience early on. Nancy’s engagement on the same stage would begin on August 29, just a day after Elvis’ would end. Elvis stuck around and caught her show and, despite his joke, returned to the International for another engagement just six months after this first one.

“Hound Dog” is also great, once you get past his cringe-inducing introduction of the song that also plagues every other version released so far from this engagement.

There are two tracks I always pay close attention to on the 1969 shows. One is “Suspicious Minds” – already a known factor on this album – and the other is the “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” medley. Elvis does a kickin’ rendition of this medley on Live In Vegas.

While Ronnie Tutt’s jungle drums are the focus in the first bits of “Tiger Man” before the second guitar break, the mix turns over to James Burton’s rockin’ guitar riffs for the other half of the song. It makes for a great compromise and one of the best versions of the song yet released.

I have yet to hear a bad version of “Runaway” from these shows, and this one is no exception. What a terrific performance from Elvis, driven again by James Burton. Too bad it was dropped from the show after 1969.

“Yesterday” is the typical “I’m not half the stud…” version and, as usual, the tacked on “Hey Jude” ending is no help.

After introducing the band, Elvis has Barbara McNair stand and introduces her as “a young lady that I just got through making a picture with called Change Of Habit, and I found her to be one of the nicest, warmest, lovingest people I’ve ever met.” When audience members complain they could not see her, he has the lights turned back on so she can stand up again.

It’s really cool hearing Elvis promote one of his movies on stage. Since he took a break from concerts through most of the 1960s, when he made the bulk of his movies, this was not an opportunity he had very often.

“In The Ghetto” is beautiful, similar to the Elvis In Person version.

On both of his August 26 shows, Elvis omits his breakneck speed version of “What’d I Say” and, in my opinion, the shows are all the better for it. “Suspicious Minds” is the ideal penultimate song, segueing perfectly into “Can’t Help Falling In Love.”

Speaking of “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” the Elvis In Person version has always been my favorite from 1969, and it sounds even better here.

* * *

Live In Vegas showcases Elvis Presley at his best on stage in a sound presentation that is richly mastered and crystal clear.

Sony reportedly has another six full shows from this engagement in its vault, including three more that contributed songs to the Elvis In Person album: the August 25 Dinner Show and the August 24 & 25 Midnight Shows.

There will always be complainers–even when Elvis was alive, he couldn’t please everyone, not even in 1969–but here’s hoping the rest of those 1969 shows, particularly the Elvis In Person ones, are eventually released. I’m looking forward to hearing each and every one of them.

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.

By Any Other Name

/ TY

A couple of weeks ago, I told you about the forthcoming Follow That Dream Records release White Knight In Vegas. FTD, which is Sony’s collectors label for Elvis fans, announced yesterday that the CD has been retitled to Live In Vegas: August 26, 1969 Dinner Show. Content is the same as previously reported. The February 15 release date is apparently unaffected, though I would not be surprised if there turns out to be a slight delay.

One of the best music blogs around is The Second Disc, which I visit daily. It focuses on catalog releases across a full spectrum of genres. Though I am not likely to create a blog devoted to anyone else, my music tastes go far beyond Elvis, and I always find something of interest there.

The Second Disc also does a good job of covering Elvis’ Sony releases. I was glad to see earlier this week that FTD is now on their radar as well, with a story about the then-titled White Knight In Vegas release.

It’s always good to see Elvis releases covered on sites that are not specifically about him. For other artists, I find out about and purchase many releases I would not otherwise know about due to The Second Disc, and the same may hold true for more casual Elvis listeners who visit that site.

Does every FTD release warrant such exposure? No, but Live In Vegas certainly does, as well as titles in the FTD Classic Album series, which features reissues of original albums with tons of outtakes.

Last month, FTD completed its Classic Album coverage of the November 1957 Jailhouse Rock Extended Play album with the two-disc Jailhouse Rock, Volume 2. Between the two volumes, this means that FTD devoted four CDs to what was originally a five-song EP. Now, that’s what I call a collectors label!

FTD’s next Classic Album entry has not yet been announced, but I’m hoping for coverage of the January 1975 LP album Promised Land (recorded in 1973).

The FTD label began in 1999 and has released nearly 100 titles so far, more albums in eleven years than Elvis released during his entire twenty-three year career. FTD releases are available from ShopElvis.com and other online Elvis retailers. Since they originate in Denmark and then ship to retailers, there is usually a two or three week delay after the “release date” before the CDs arrive for those of us in the United States – though that delay seems to be less lately. FTD releases are usually worth the wait.

Elvis Is Back! Legacy Edition coming in March

/ TY

The Second Disc yesterday posted a write-up and track listing for the forthcoming Sony Legacy Edition of Elvis Is Back! (“‘Elvis is Back’ is back” — The Second Disc). The Legacy Edition is a 2-CD set containing the LP albums Elvis Is Back! (1960) and Something For Everybody (1961). Also included are the associated singles from those albums. Singles were often left off of Elvis’ main LP releases during that time because they were saved instead for the Golden Records compilation LP series.

Recorded just after his return from the Army, Elvis Is Back! represents one of Elvis’ all-time greatest albums. I haven’t covered the Elvis Is Back! Legacy Edition here until now because both featured albums have already received separate two-CD deluxe set treatments on Sony’s Follow That Dream Elvis collectors label.

The FTD editions contained tons of alternate takes and the like in addition to the master takes, while the Legacy Edition sticks only to the master takes. Hardcore fans will want the FTD releases instead, but the Sony Legacy edition looks to be perfect for more mainstream fans, or perhaps those who are just starting to explore Elvis’ catalog beyond the typical greatest hits collections.

Previous Legacy Edition releases for Elvis were From Elvis In Memphis (coupled with Back In Memphis) and On Stage-February 1970 (coupled with Elvis In Person). Elvis Is Back! Legacy Edition (coupled with Something For Everybody) hits stores on March 1.

If you are interested in the Sony Follow That Dream editions instead, you can look for them at ShopElvis.com and other online Elvis retailers.