Laughing with Elvis [Pastimescapes blog]

January 8, 2017February 5, 2026 / TY / 2 Comments

Elvis Presley fans tend to take a moment to remember him on January 8, for today would have been his 82nd birthday.

I was 9 years old when I first became aware of Elvis’ birthday. Either the weekend before or after January 8, 1985, local radio station AM 1140 WRVA hosted guest DJ Steve Christopher to play an entire show of Elvis songs, in celebration of what would have been the singer’s 50th birthday.

I recorded about 60 minutes of the show on cassette tape, diligently pausing it between songs to get rid of the annoying talking and commercials. I still have it around here somewhere. In retrospect I wish I had recorded the commercials and talking, too, because that would be a lot of fun to hear 32 years later.

The big set-up of Christopher’s Elvis show was that at various intervals, a designated caller could request an Elvis song live on the air in the hopes that Christopher did not have it. If he failed to play the song, then the caller would win a new car.

At the time, I could not conceive of someone having every Elvis song. Christopher probably had every song officially released to that point, though, so there was little to no chance of someone actually winning.

Essentially, the only chance of winning, probably, was if Christopher forgot to bring one of his records along to the studio and you happened to ask for a song from that exact record which was not present on any other record Christopher had brought with him.

Not to mention that the people who managed to participate in the contest always asked for famous songs, rather than obscure ones. The final contest caller, for instance, was convinced Christopher did not have “My Way” because he had never honored the request during the non-contest portions of the show.

WRVA itself probably had “My Way” in its own archives at that time, without even having to resort to Christopher’s collection even if the DJ had somehow forgotten to bring any copies of the tune along to the station that day.

It was definitely a neat idea for a contest. The only trouble I could see would be if a caller asked for a song that had, in fact, never been released by Elvis, such as “Not Fade Away.” An advantage we have in 2017 over 1985 is that it would be fairly easy to fact check something like that, though.

Like most AM stations, 1140 WRVA unfortunately no longer plays music. Instead, it long ago converted to the “talk radio” format, which I can no longer stomach to hear.

Though his website appears not to have been updated in 17 years, Steve Christopher might still be around. I tried emailing him a few years ago for a story on The Mystery Train, but never heard back. If you ever get the chance to stump him, though, please don’t request “My Way.”

Elvis Presley in 1969

In any event, the reason Christopher’s Elvis show is so memorable to me is not the car contest. Instead, it marked the first time I heard the “laughing” version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight.”

I have to say, my life was just a little bit better after that. Anytime I have needed a lift since then, that song is there.

After nearly wearing the cassette tape out, it took me years to find a legitimate copy of the performance – which I finally achieved when I bought Collectors Gold in 1991 – my first of (too) many Elvis boxed sets.

My family was actually visiting friends in Pittsburgh when I found the CD set at a shopping mall there that summer. The only CD player I had was at home, 350 miles away. Though I had my Walkman with me, it only played cassettes. Needless to say, I was ready for the trip to be over at that point.

Fortunately, the family friend had a CD player and recorded parts of the set for me on cassette to tide me over. I can remember playing the song over and over that night, listening on headphones.

The song is a live version, recorded at a 1969 Midnight Show in Las Vegas. It can also be found on the Elvis Aron Presley boxed set, A Legendary Performer: Volume 4, and the All Shook Up: Recorded Live In Las Vegas, August 26, 1969 FTD CD. All four releases are unfortunately out of print, though.

I hope the laughing version of “Are You Lonesome Tonight” shows up again in some future Legacy release, because these days, we all could use the laugh.

Before I sign off and get back to the winter wonderland that arrived here this weekend, I first want to direct you to a few other sites with Elvis posts.

Up first is The Sheila Variations, a site that covers a wide spectrum of topics.

Sheila is one of my favorite writers, and I consider myself fortunate that one of her recurring topics happens to be Elvis Presley. Today, she has reposted a few of her past entries. All of her Elvis Essays are worth a read, though.

Wellsy, a frequent commenter here, has written a 7-part series on Elvis over at his Soulride blog. Be sure to check it out.

Finally, my friend Thomas over at the Elvis Today Blog recently wrote his first post in nearly two years, covering The World of FTD – a new book set from Elvis expert Keith Flynn. It’s always great to read a new post from Thomas.

That’s it. Thanks for the laughs, Elvis!

Vinyl Elvis: 1982’s MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS Inspires Nostalgia for Holidays Past [Pastimescapes blog]

December 19, 2016February 27, 2026 / TY / 9 Comments

MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS (RCA, 1982) [Photo by the author]

Memories Of Christmas
Label: RCA
Catalog Number: CPL1-4395
Recorded: 1957-1971 | Nashville, Hollywood
Released: 1982
Ranked: #15 in Pastimescape’s 50 Greatest Elvis Albums of All Time

Other than listening to the radio, Christmas music at my family’s house as I was growing up consisted of this 1982 record album and Merry Christmas From Elvis (1987, cassette tape). Though my family also had a decades-old copy of Elvis’ Christmas Album, that record was not often played in my childhood due to being in poor condition.

Memories Of Christmas is a perfectly named album for me, because it indeed fills me with nostalgia for many special Christmases in the 1980s. My brother recently gave me the album, along with the rest of his Elvis records, and this marks the first time I have played Memories Of Christmas on vinyl in over 20 years.

Side A of MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS (RCA, 1982) [Photo by the author]

Side A

O Come, All Ye Faithful (1971)
This previously unreleased version is a splice between the master (Take 1) and Take 2. It actually proves to be better than either take alone, making it my “go to” version of the song by Elvis. Fantastic performance and a perfect opener to the album. Sound quality on the record itself is excellent.
Silver Bells (1971)
Another stellar Christmas performance, first heard on Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas (1971). I love the acoustic guitar here.
I’ll Be Home on Christmas Day (1971)
Here it is, the highlight of the album–the previously unreleased re-recording of “I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day.” Attempted in June 1971, this is a bluesier take on the Michael Jarrett song than the May 1971 version that became the official master on The Wonderful World Of Christmas. For my money, this is Elvis at his best.
Blue Christmas (1957)
It is apparently unlawful for RCA to release an Elvis Christmas compilation without this worn-out tune, featuring the grating background vocals of Millie Kirkham. I would have preferred the use of a live version from 1968. In fact, what would have been at the time the previously unreleased June 27 6 PM Show performance captured for the ELVIS special would have been perfect.
Santa Claus Is Back in Town (1957)
Side A finishes up in style with the greatest Elvis Christmas song of all, the down and dirty “Santa Claus Is Back In Town,” arguably the only real competition against “Reconsider Baby” (1960) as his finest blues performance.

Side B of MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS (RCA, 1982) [Photo by the author]

Side B

Merry Christmas Baby (1971)
Speaking of bluesy Elvis Christmas songs, here is another fine entry. This is the previously unreleased extended version of “Merry Christmas Baby,” over two minutes longer than the album master (Wonderful World Of Christmas) and nearly five minutes longer than the single version. As a kid, I loved hearing Elvis ad-lib, “Gave me a diamond ring for Christmas; now I’m putting it through Al’s mike.” Unfortunately, there are a couple of pops/crackles on the record on this song, but nothing too distracting. Side A had no noise at all! Like the 1969 live versions of “Suspicious Minds,” “Merry Christmas Baby” just goes on forever. In both cases, a very, very good thing.
If Every Day Was Like Christmas (1966)
This is the previously unreleased “undubbed” version of the master. The piano is beautiful here, and I believe more prominent than on the CD version I have of this performance. There is a “raw” sound to this version, but it makes for a very beautiful and effective performance.
Christmas Message from Elvis/Silent Night (1967/1957)
The opening message was recorded for Season’s Greetings From Elvis, his 1967 Christmas special that aired on radio stations across the United States. My only gripe here is that the message originally flowed into “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” (1957). The compilation producers decided to splice “Silent Night” on instead. I am assuming it is because they wanted to “bookend” the album with traditional religious songs. You can actually hear “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” begin during Elvis’ message before the segue into “Silent Night.” Unfortunately, this has never been corrected on subsequent releases of the message. The label has even released “Silent Night” on at least one Christmas compilation since then that did not contain the message, yet had the beginning of the song chopped off due to apparently using this version. Sloppy. I knew and recognized none of this when I first heard this album back in the 1980s. I loved hearing the message from Elvis, and I must admit, I still find it pretty cool today. Overall, this record sounds incredible, with the only extraneous noise being those two pops on “Merry Christmas Baby.”

Back cover of MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS (RCA, 1982) [Photo by the author]

Elvis recorded less than 25 Christmas songs during his entire career. Every year, though, it seems there is a “new” Elvis Christmas compilation that rearranges those songs with a new, cheap cover. Memories Of Christmas offers not only beautifully conceived cover art, but unique album content that is truly worthy of standing alongside the two Christmas albums that Elvis released in his lifetime, Elvis’ Christmas Album (1957) and Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas.

Calendar insert from MEMORIES OF CHRISTMAS (RCA, 1982) [Photo by the author]

Christmas has been called “the most wonderful time of the year.” While I would agree, it is also the busiest time of the year. This is probably the last post I’ll be able to squeeze in until after the big day.

With that in mind, I’d like to wish you and your family a Christmas full of joy and peace.

Thank you to my brother for giving me the Elvis records that inspired this series of posts.

Vinyl Elvis: SUSPICIOUS MINDS (1982) [Pastimescapes blog]

October 18, 2016February 27, 2026 / TY / 1 Comment

For some modern fans, enjoying the music of Elvis Presley is a family experience. This has certainly been the case with me. Mom became a fan in 1956. She later passed her “Elvis gene” on to both my older brother and me. Some of my best memories involve listening to Elvis music with my family. By the time I was in middle school, my brother allowed me to borrow his Elvis records. I would take albums one at a time from his bedroom and carefully play them.

I heard so many Elvis songs for the first time via my brother’s albums. As much as I enjoy listening to CDs and iTunes, there is nothing quite like hearing Elvis on vinyl. These days, my brother no longer has a turntable. Since he felt they would be in good hands, he gave me all of his Elvis albums. His touching generosity more than doubled my Elvis record collection. It has also inspired this series of posts that will examine a variety of Elvis records – starting today with one I received from my brother.

SUSPICIOUS MINDS (Camden, 1982; from TY’s collection)

Suspicious Minds
Label: Camden
Catalog Number: CDS 1206 (Label) / CDSV 1206 (Outer Sleeve)
Recorded: 1956-1969 | Nashville, Hollywood, Memphis
Released: 1982

Since the title song is one of my brother’s favorites (mine as well), I have decided to kick off this series with Suspicious Minds, a 1982 compilation album released by the United Kingdom’s Pickwick International on the Camden label.

I remember loving the “in your face” cover of this album when I first played it around 1988.

As far as I have been able to determine, there was not a United States version of this album. This appears to be a German pressing that somehow made its way here to the US.

Side 1 of SUSPICIOUS MINDS (Camden, 1982; from TY’s collection)

Side 1

Suspicious Minds (1969)
Though a great choice to open the album, the sound is slightly “muddy.” This is the stereo version, which actually had only first been released a year earlier on Greatest Hits, Volume One. I remember noticing the horns and the double fade-out on this version way back when, as the only studio version I had probably heard to that point was on The Number One Hits and The Top Ten Hits. Rather than use the vintage mono or stereo mixes, those albums used a 1987 mix with an early fade and no horns that was created for The Memphis Record.
Got A Lot O’Livin’ To Do (1957)
This one sounds great! I cleaned up the record prior to playing it, and I have yet to hear a crackle or static on it at all. Though it was recorded in mono, I suspect this version is electronically processed to simulate stereo. If so, I am surprised to admit that I actually do not mind the effect at all.
Return To Sender (1962)
Good sound quality continues. Definitely a nice series of opening selections for this album – despite being all over the map in terms of when recorded. That is actually part of the fun of some of these older compilations, though. The only theme here is “Elvis Music,” and that is enough. There seems to be a little edit or something on the sax solo as the song fades that I am not used to hearing.
A Big Hunk O’ Love (1958)
This one sounds really loud! It also sounds like the treble is turned way up. Welcome to the 1980s, Elvis. Really loving this album, though.
In The Ghetto (1969)
The pace finally lets up, with the beautiful “In The Ghetto.” The treble still sounds high to me, oddly enough.
One Night (1957)
One of Elvis’ best songs, and it sounds incredible here. What an extraordinary first side to a record.

Side 2 of SUSPICIOUS MINDS (Camden, 1982; from Tygrrius’ collection)

Side 2

Good Luck Charm (1961)
Another hit opens this side of the record, though not nearly as perfect as “Suspicious Minds.” This also marks the first time I have heard any popping noises on this record.
U.S. Male (1968)
This is a fun song. Sound quality slightly lower here than I am used to, though. It is kind of “tinny.” This might be another instance of the treble being increased. I am pretty sure this record was the first time I had ever heard this song. I remember getting a kick out of it back then, and I still do. “You’re talkin’ to the U.S. male. The American U.S. male,” Elvis says in his best country voice.
Party (1957)
And it is back to 1957 with this rocker from Loving You. This was also “new to me” back when I first played this record. Still sounds great all these years later.
Fever (1960)
In 1988, I only knew “Fever” from the live Aloha From Hawaii version (1973). I remember not liking the studio version nearly as much, though finding the additional lyrics of interest.
Old Shep (1956)
This song about a loyal dog can be a difficult listen for dog lovers like me. It does exemplify the variety of songs included on Suspicious Minds.
You’re The Devil In Disguise (1963)
Though it gets repetitive, it is hard not to like “Devil In Disguise.” It is an odd choice to close this album, though. I was ready for another song!

Back cover of SUSPICIOUS MINDS (Camden, 1982; from TY’s collection)

While Suspicious Minds did not contain any previously unreleased material, it is an entertaining album that is well worth picking up if you ever come across it in vinyl format. Thank you to my brother for giving me the Elvis records that inspired this series of posts.

The End of Elvis Was Only the Beginning [Pastimescapes blog]

August 17, 2015August 9, 2026 / TY / 13 Comments

While the soundtrack of my life has varied over the years, there has been one constant – Elvis Presley.

Some of my earliest memories involve listening to 45-RPM Elvis records that Mom played loudly on her record player console. I was about 2-years-old.

This was not only a record player, but also a massive piece of wooden furniture with record storage and integrated speaker(s). You could also stack albums or singles so that it automatically played the next record after one finished.

Years later, that console finally gave out, and we dumped it to free up space. How I wish we had saved it.

I must have fancied myself quite the Elvis impersonator as a toddler, because I remember singing along to those records while holding a blue stick with a red ball on top – a toy’s handle that served as my “microphone.” To “dance,” I simply turned around in circles. Sadly, my dance moves have not improved since then.

Another early memory is Mom crying as she told me that Elvis had died. At 2, I did not really understand death. I believe she explained it to me as a kind of permanent sleep. She probably mentioned Heaven, too. I do not remember for sure.

What I do remember for sure, though, was the innocent question I asked next, “Will his voice still be on the records?” My heart sank as I imagined playing records of silence.

“Yes, his voice will always be there,” Mom said. This made me feel better.

I remember our family watching press conferences and tributes that night. There was more talking than music, and I understood little of the talking.

I remember watching the funeral procession with Mom a couple of days later on TV. Reporters wore large headsets with microphones, as if covering a sports event.

Surrounded by motorcycle officers, a white hearse led a trail of white cars from Graceland, while thousands of people lined the streets of Memphis trying to catch a final glimpse.

From that moment on, Elvis was gone forever.

Gone, but the story continued.

Goodbye From Elvis

Yesterday marked 38 years since Elvis passed away. Along with millions of others, that little 2-year-old is still listening.

Due to alternate takes, outtakes, and live recordings, exponentially more Elvis music has been released since his death than ever came out during his lifetime.

I own over 4,000 different Elvis tracks. If I were to play Elvis constantly without sleeping, I could go for over a week without hearing a duplicate track.

This is a staggering number, yet I do not even have every Elvis track officially available. Not even close.

When it comes to the music, it truly is as if Elvis never died.

After 38 years, that magic vault of unreleased music is no doubt starting to look barren. However, I believe there will still be a few genuine Elvis surprises to emerge in coming years.

If I am wrong, and all the valuables have already escaped, it is hard to dispute that 38 years makes for a long encore.

Besides, as a wise woman once said, “His voice will always be there.”

“Slow versions” support Theory of Relativelvisity

January 14, 2012February 8, 2026 / TY / 6 Comments

The Theory Of Relativelvisity How we perceive something is often relative to our starting point. For instance, people who became fans when Elvis first rose to fame in the mid-1950s often view him differently than those who became fans after his comeback of 1968 or his death in 1977.

Many of those earliest fans seem to favor the 1950s recordings. That is, after all, how they first discovered Elvis. Being the rebel that she is, my mom is actually an exception to that generalization. She became an Elvis fan in 1956, but she definitely favors his 1968-1977 recordings – often to the exclusion of anything else.

I’ve mentioned before that the first Elvis record I can remember listening to is “My Way” backed with “America, The Beautiful,” recorded live in 1977 and 1975 respectively. I had definitely heard Elvis music before that record came out, but those are the earliest specific songs I can remember.

After that, the next major Elvis recording in my life was a cassette tape of 1972’s As Recorded At Madison Square Garden. My mom played that tape just about every time we went for a car ride in the early-to-mid-1980s. It may still hold the record as the concert I’ve heard most often.

She would always crank it up when certain songs came on, especially “Suspicious Minds.” She still does that, in fact. If you are ever in my town and a car drives past you blaring Elvis, it is far more likely to be my mom than me behind the wheel.

Eventually, the Madison Square Garden tape began to wear thin. She next switched to a tape copy of the 1977 album Elvis In Concert. Though it lost a few points for not including “Suspicious Minds,” she played that one almost as much as she did Madison Square Garden.

For the longest time, other than the occasional radio song or record album that my family played around the house, those two live concerts tapes were Elvis to me.

Eventually, I started to collect my own albums. One of the first ones I acquired was Elvis’ Golden Records, which compiles some of his hits from 1956 and 1957.

Keeping in mind that my perception of most of them was based almost entirely on As Recorded At Madison Square Garden and Elvis In Concert, I was sure in for a shock when I played the original studio versions of some of the songs from those live albums:

Hound Dog
All Shook Up
Heartbreak Hotel
Jailhouse Rock
Love Me
Don’t Be Cruel
Teddy Bear
Love Me Tender

Though I loved the overall sound of the record, many of the songs initially seemed “off” to me. I began to think of them as the “slow versions.” It took years for my perception of those songs to change.

While I came to love and appreciate the 1950s material, I am glad that my Elvis journey started like it did. I believe it allowed me to be much more sympathetic towards his later years than I otherwise might have been.

Besides, I wouldn’t trade those memories for anything. Thanks, Mom. Keep cranking it up!

The official Elvis On Tour video outtake releases

July 15, 2010May 5, 2026 / TY / 2 Comments

Elvis On Tour Countdown: 2 weeks to theater event, 19 days to Blu

The Graceland/Elvis Presley Enterprises communications department must have loved me back in the early 1990s. I was 15 or 16 years old and somehow got into the habit of sending them letters through the mail with questions about Elvis.

As I started to build my Elvis music collection, I also began reading whatever material I could get my hands on about him. Among these were tribute magazines collected by my brother celebrating Elvis’ 50th birthday in 1985 and commemorating the tenth anniversary of his death in 1987.

In one of those magazines, I read an article titled something like “The Elvis Movies: Have We Really Seen Them All?” It mentioned Bill Randle’s infamous Pied Piper of Cleveland short film (1955), but it also focused on potential outtakes from the documentaries That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis On Tour (1972).

As a huge fan of both of the documentaries, I had to know if there was more footage in the vaults. So, I did what any self-respecting Elvis fan would do – I fired off a letter to Graceland and asked them about it. I had been to Graceland, and I was pretty sure that if anyone would know, it would be the people who worked there.

To his or her credit, and my surprise, someone there actually took the time to write me back. (I was unable to dig up the letter in time for this entry, but I know I still have it somewhere in my archives.) Receiving a letter from Graceland was quite the thrill.

Even more thrilling, though, was their answer. Not only did such footage exist, but Turner Entertainment had even compiled it together for video release. Unfortunately, the release was on hold as to not conflict with the 1990 Elvis: The Great Performances videos.

Not understanding the marketing and contractual issues behind the delay, I quickly resented The Great Performances for holding up the outtake footage. Though it contained two or three newly released numbers, most of The Great Performances was just a slightly modernized re-hash of 1981’s This Is Elvis.

Promotional flyer for Elvis: The Lost Performances (1992)

It seemed like decades later to me, but 1992 arrived, and there were two big Elvis releases that year – which marked the 15th anniversary of his death. One was ELVIS: The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll – The Complete 50s Masters, the now legendary 5-CD boxed set that chronicled his studio recordings from that era. Until I had a little help the following year, that one was temporarily out of my financial reach.

It did not matter one bit to me, though, for it was the other big release of 1992 about which I was most excited. Released the same day as the CD set, Elvis: The Lost Performances was a one-hour VHS videotape that finally delivered those promised outtakes from That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour.

Watching Elvis: The Lost Performances for the first time was, perhaps, the best hour of my entire Elvis fan experience – including all the way up until the present day. I remember coming to the end of the tape, rewinding it impatiently, and immediately starting it over again. I must have watched it at least three times that first day, maybe even four.

The majority of the video focused on incredible material filmed for That’s The Way It Is, but it also included a few songs filmed for Elvis On Tour:

All Shook Up
Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel
Are You Lonesome Tonight
I Can’t Stop Loving You
How Great Thou Art
Release Me

The Lost Performances was actually not the first time that Elvis On Tour outtakes became available to Elvis fans, though. Back in 1981, a couple of songs were prominently featured in the movie This Is Elvis:

Always On My Mind (rehearsal)
An American Trilogy

That movie also included some miscellaneous outtake footage, such as the recently separated Elvis boisterously indulging in guy talk with his entourage.

Thursday, July 29, will offer fans another chance to see Elvis outtakes, as previously unreleased footage will be shown as part of a special screening event in US theaters. Elvis On Tour: 75th Anniversary Celebration will also feature the newly restored Elvis On Tour.

Go to Fathom Events to find out if a theater is showing the event near your area. On August 3, Elvis On Tour will make its DVD and Blu-ray debuts. All of us who can need to be there in both cases to support Elvis and encourage future releases of additional Elvis On Tour and That’s The Way It Is footage.

Elvis: The Lost Performances never made it to DVD, so let’s make sure that these and dozens of other hours of Elvis footage from the two films are not lost forever.

Elvis On Tour Countdown

14 days until Elvis On Tour 75th Anniversary Celebration theater event
19 days until Elvis On Tour Blu-ray and DVD releases

* * *

For more information (official sites):

Selected posts about Elvis On Tour from The Mystery Train:

Elvis On Tour, VHS Style

July 9, 2010February 8, 2026 / TY

Elvis On Tour Countdown: 20 days to theater event, 25 days to Blu

You may find this hard to believe, but I often associate Elvis On Tour with Christmas. That’s because the first time I ever saw the movie was on Christmas Day 1989. I was 14-years-old, and Elvis On Tour on VHS tape was one of the gifts my Mom gave me that day.

Elvis On Tour VHS box, 1988

While waiting for my family to finish unwrapping their presents, I studied the box art. I noticed that the box featured images from That’s The Way It Is. As soon as all the presents were done, I placed the VHS tape in the VCR and fired it up.

Elvis On Tour was the first Elvis video I ever owned. The ’68 Comeback Special, One Night With You, That’s The Way It Is, and Aloha From Hawaii videos that I had already so often watched actually belonged to my brother.

Elvis On Tour was different from the others, though. It featured Elvis on the road across the country, performing in sold-out coliseums. While the crowds in the other videos were often reserved, these fans treated Elvis to thunderous applause and cheers. During a montage sequence, we were all shocked to see images of our hometown.

Seeing Elvis On Tour for the first time was special to me. Now that it is going to show in US theaters as well as be released for the first time on Blu-ray and DVD, there are other Elvis fans out there who have never seen it before who will finally get the chance. Christmas or otherwise, they will be in for a real treat.

Elvis On Tour Countdown

20 days until Elvis On Tour 75th Anniversary Celebration theater event
25 days until Elvis On Tour Blu-ray and DVD releases

* * *

For more information:

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