Music

New and upcoming Elvis releases focus on slices of a diverse career

Posted on May 16, 2013 by Troy Yeary

Get those sound systems (and wallets) ready, folks, new Elvis releases are on the way.

Stay Away, Joe (concept cover art)

May 2013

Follow That Dream Records, Sony’s collectors label for Elvis fans, is releasing this month:

From Elvis In Memphis (2-CD): One of Elvis’ best albums finally receives the FTD Classic Album treatment. This should make an excellent companion to the recent Back In Memphis release. Surely an “imaginary album” will be in the works at some point to feature the rest of the recordings from the 1969 American Sound Studio sessions.
Stay Away, Joe (CD): Speaking of imaginary albums, here is one that compiles October 1967 and January 1968 sessions. In addition to the Stay Away, Joe soundtrack, it includes “Too Much Monkey Business” and “US Male.” The January session features Jerry Reed on guitar, which is why I consider this a follow-up of sorts to the fantastic Elvis Sings Guitar Man.
On Stage-February 1970 (2-LP): This vinyl release includes the original On Stage-February 1970 album, recorded live in 1969 and 1970, as well as additional material Elvis recorded during his early 1970 Las Vegas engagement.
Summer of ’61 (Book & CD): In conjunction with Flaming Star publications, this book primarily focuses on the making of the movie Follow That Dream. A brief CD containing previously released Elvis tracks and two demos for “What A Wonderful Life” is also included.

June 2013

FTD has scheduled the following for release in June:

Sold Out! (2-CD): The ambiguous title of this one could refer to almost any Elvis concert from 1956 and beyond. [May 19, 2013, Update: The concerts on this release will be March 1, 1974, Tulsa, Oklahoma and June 21, 1974, Cleveland, Ohio.] This one is from the creative team behind Forty-Eight Hours To Memphis: Recorded Live On Stage In Richmond, Virginia – March 18, 1974 and 3000 South Paradise Road, so a quality presentation is expected.
Hot August Night (CD): This one features the August 25, 1969, Midnight Show in Las Vegas. The 1969 shows are all must-haves. Portions of this one contributed to the From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis (Elvis In Person) release in 1969. Many tracks are previously unreleased, however.
Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis (2-LP): This vinyl release features the complete March 20, 1974, Memphis concert, from which selections made up the original 1974 version of this album. I have to admit, I enjoy the truncated version of this show more than the full version. Other than “Steamroller Blues,” the songs edited out of the 1974 1-LP release featured some disappointing performances by Elvis.
Best of British: The HMV Years (Book): This is a reprint of the popular book exploring Elvis’ 1956-1958 releases on the HMV label in Great Britain, which sold out upon release in February. Though not noted in the press release, presumably the two CDs of previously released Elvis material from the original printing are also included.

The only physical store in the US authorized to sell FTD releases is Good Rockin’ Tonight, a Graceland gift shop in Memphis. However, FTD products may be obtained online from a variety of other stores, including Graceland’s ShopElvis.com and Elvis Australia’s excellent Elvis Presley Shop.

August 2013

Sony has scheduled Elvis At Stax: Deluxe Edition, a 3-CD boxed set, as a main label, wide release in August. The set will include all of the masters Elvis recorded in Memphis at Stax Recording Studio in July and December of 1973. It will also include alternate takes of many of the songs. Here is the track listing:

DISC 1: The R&B and Country Sessions – The Outtakes

1. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body – take 1
2. Find Out What’s Happening – take 8/7
3. Promised Land – take 4
4. For Ol’ Times Sake – take 4
5. I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby – take 14
6. It’s Midnight – take 7
7. If You Talk In Your Sleep – take 5
8. Loving Arms – take 2
9. You Asked Me To – take 3A
10. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues – take 8
11. Talk About The Good Times – take 3
12. There’s A Honky Tonk Angel – take 1
13. She Wears My Ring – take 8
14. Three Corn Patches – take 14
15. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body – take 4
16. If You Don’t Come Back – take 3
17. Promised Land – take 5

DISC 2

Part 1 – The Pop Sessions – The Outtakes

1. Mr. Songman – take 2
2. Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming – take 4
3. Spanish Eyes – take 2
4. Take Good Care Of Her – takes 1,2,3
5. It’s Diff’rent Now (unfinished recording)
6. Thinking About You – take 4
7. My Boy – take 1
8. Girl Of Mine – take 9
9. Love Song Of The Year – take 1
10. If That Isn’t Love – take 1

Part 2 – The July 1973 Masters

11. Raised On Rock
12. For Ol’ Time Sake
13. I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby
14. Take Good Care Of Her
15. If You Don’t Come Back
16. Three Corn Patches
17. Girl Of Mine
18. Just A Little Bit
19. Find Out What’s Happening
20. Sweet Angeline

DISC 3: The December 1973 Masters

1. Promised Land
2. It’s Midnight
3. If You Talk In Your Sleep
4. Help Me
5. My Boy
6. Thinking About You
7. Mr. Songman
8. I Got A Feelin’ In My Body
9. Loving Arms
10. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues
11. You Asked Me To
12. There’s A Honky Tonk Angel
13. Talk About The Good Times
14. She Wears My Ring
15. Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming
16. Love Song Of The Year
17. Spanish Eyes
18. If That Isn’t Love

I have mixed feelings on this release. I think it is wonderful for the main label to focus on an overlooked period in the recording career of Elvis Presley. For those fans who do not already have the corresponding FTD Classic Album 2-CD sets (Raised On Rock, Good Times, and Promised Land), this is an excellent, budget-conscious alternative to hear highlights of this material.

However, the first thing I noticed is that Sony really blew the sequencing of these tracks. Why, oh, why would the compiler of this collection choose to kick things off with the dreadful “I Got A Feelin’ In My Body”? Especially when “Promised Land” is sitting there, practically begging to begin this set in the right manner?

Short of starting from scratch, one simple alternative that I can suggest would be the following:

Swap Disc 1 with Disc 3
Swap Disc 2 – Part 1 with Disc 2 – Part 2

Just making the simple changes above would result in a much better listening experience from start to finish. Again, it is great to see a release focusing on 1973, but it should not just be grudgingly thrown together. While Sony’s Elvis team may disagree, some of us love this material. Treat it right.

Sony is also releasing in August a 1-CD version and a 2-LP version collecting some of the above Stax material.

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Friends, be sure to check out my new, old blog: Pastimescapes.

Categories: Music, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: CDs, elvis, elvis presley, follow that dream, from elvis in memphis, FTD records, on stage, presley, sony, sony legacy, stax, stay away joe, vinyl | 2 Comments

Never say goodbye to Aloha From Hawaii

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Troy Yeary

NBC aired the Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii special on April 4, 1973

Welcome to a rare “full-color edition” of The Mystery Train Blog. Yesterday marked the 40th anniversary of the United States television broadcast of Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii on NBC. The special had been taped in January 1973 during a “live via satellite” broadcast to certain parts of the world. With all of the hype surrounding the first live satellite broadcast by an entertainer, many Americans to this day wrongly believe they saw 38-year-old Elvis perform the show live. Little did they know that he was watching the TV special, too.

The NBC version of Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii aired from 8:30 PM to 10:00 PM on April 4, 1973. It became the most-watched show of the week. Among the viewers was indeed Elvis himself, who tuned-in from his home in Los Angeles. This edition of the show included the one-hour January 14 concert as well as four post-concert insert songs that Elvis recorded after the audience emptied from the venue.

Among Elvis fans today, the show receives mixed reviews. Some see it as the pinnacle of his career and success, while others see it as one of the first indicators of his decline. My Mom is one of those who adores Aloha From Hawaii. An Elvis fan since 1956, Aloha From Hawaii represents her ideal version of Elvis. I have a hard time getting her to watch anything else Elvis-related with me, unless we look at this one first.

As a second-generation fan, I wasn’t even born when Aloha first aired. In fact, I’m now the same age (almost to the day) Elvis was when he performed this show. While I prefer the ’68 ELVIS special and 1970′s That’s The Way It Is, I definitely enjoy Aloha From Hawaii. Though it was not his best show ever, in many ways it represented his final triumph in the eyes of the world.

Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, 2004 Deluxe Edition

Though the show had appeared on home media several times before, Elvis Presley Enterprises and BMG released an ultimate version in 2004 as the 2-DVD set Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii – Deluxe Edition. Here are the contents:

DVD 1
1. January 9, 1973: Elvis Arrives and Greets Fans (17:30)
2. January 12, 1973: Rehearsal Concert (56:39)
3. January 14, 1973: Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii Concert (1:04:18)

DVD 2
1. January 14, 1973: Post-Concert Insert Songs Session (27:00)
2. April 4, 1973 (broadcast): Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii NBC TV Special Version (01:16:39)

Contents of Elvis Aloha From Hawaii, 2004 Deluxe Edition

2004 was a milestone year for Elvis fans. On the same day as the above, EPE and BMG also released the 3-DVD ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – Deluxe Edition set. I could barely contain my excitement when both sets arrived at my house nearly a decade ago now.

Executive Produced by Gary Hovey and the late Todd Morgan, both of these deluxe sets turned out to be among the most important Elvis releases ever. For obsessive Elvis fans like me, these DVDs represent essential viewing. I return to them often.

Though DVD 2 also holds interest, when it comes to Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii – Deluxe Edition, I tend to watch DVD 1 most often. The 2004 re-edits of the rehearsal and satellite shows represent the best releases of this material to date.

Last night, however, I plopped in DVD 2 in order to watch the April 4, 1973, version of Aloha From Hawaii. Before “Burning Love” could even finish, to my horror, the image on my screen began pixelating. It finally froze. An examination of the disc revealed scratches. I skipped ahead to the next song, but the problem kept occurring. I ended up watching about twenty minutes of the show in fits and starts.

I think I am very careful with my discs, so I’m not sure how these phantom scratches sometimes occur. I guess I have to chalk it up to equipment oddities. Either that or my dog plays my CDs and DVDs when I’m not around.

In any event, the reason I was horrified was not due to having to halt my 40th anniversary viewing of Aloha From Hawaii, but because I knew Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii – Deluxe Edition was now hard-to-find.

In fact, only a few months ago I had searched for it as a potential Christmas gift for someone. At that time, it was only available from third-party sellers at three times the original price. I love Elvis, but I refuse to pay exorbitant prices to such speculators. A quick check last night revealed the pricing to be the same.

Naturally, I did what any self-respecting fan would do in such a situation. I took to twitter to whine.

By this time, it was around midnight. I do not always get along with the twitter late at night, so I managed to tweet the following message to myself: My 2004 Aloha From Hawaii Deluxe Edition is giving out. If only @ElvisPresley would re-release this essential 2-DVD set.

Tweeting to myself

I wish I could blame tweeting to myself on having a few too many, but I never drink. I don’t need to imbibe in order to do stupid things, it seems.

Fortunately, my message somehow managed to get through to @ElvisPresley, the official Elvis Presley Enterprises twitter account. Apparently the people over there at EPE actually know how to work twitter, for they sent me a link via direct (private) message to where the Deluxe Edition was still available on ShopElvis.com.

Now, why didn’t I think of that? I spend more money than I will ever admit on ShopElvis.com, but missed checking for the Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii – Deluxe Edition in this most obvious of places last night. Sure enough, it was there, in stock, and at a fair price.

Replacement copy of Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii – Deluxe Edition? Ordered.
Backup copy of ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – Deluxe Edition? Ordered. [This one is also now "hard-to-find" and is at crazy prices from third-party sellers.]

There is an Aloha From Hawaii for everyone. If you are not quite as obsessive as me when it comes to wanting to view all possible footage, 2006′s Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii – Special Edition DVD features only the 2004 edit of the January 14 main show. It is less expensive than the 2-DVD version and will certainly satisfy more casual fans.

Last month, Sony released the Legacy Edition of the Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite soundtrack album as a 2-CD set. Note that this is only the music, no video.

I’ve not picked this one up as of yet, but be sure to read this fantastic review of the Legacy Edition of Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite over on The Second Disc.

Here are the contents of the Legacy Edition:

CD 1
January 14, 1973: Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite (original album, 1973 vintage mix, remastered by Vic Anesini)

CD 2
1. January 12, 1973: Rehearsal Concert (2013 mix and mastering by Steve Rosenthal and Rob Santos)
2. January 14, 1973: Post-Concert Insert Songs

Elvis Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite, 2013 Legacy Edition

Categories: Music, Television, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: aloha from hawaii, BMG, CDs, DVDs, elvis, elvis presley, elvis presley enterprises, hawaii, presley, sony, sony legacy, twitter | 10 Comments

3,510: An Elvis Obsession

Posted on March 16, 2013 by Troy Yeary

In 2008, my wife gave me a gift that revolutionized how I listen to Elvis. She had been wanting to get me an iPod for some time, but I kept putting her off. “I mostly listen to CDs,” I told her.

Once I had that iPod in my hands, though, an obsession slowly took hold. I found that listening to Elvis in shuffled mode gave me a much broader view of his career than simply relying on whatever CD I happened to spin. Over time, it also allowed me to rediscover songs from CDs that I otherwise did not play very often.

I have been collecting Elvis music since 1987 and have purchased hundreds of his CDs. The iPod has allowed me to truly experience the power of that collection, rather than just having it sit on a shelf.

In iTunes, I created a series of smart playlists to make various shuffle themes for my iPod. I think of these as my own private radio stations. They are not completely random, as I build out the smart playlists with certain rules.

For example, one of the rules in my Elvis Mix avoids 1-star songs. I only want to hear those in the context of their original albums.

In my Best Mix, I have Elvis set to play about 10% of the time. Otherwise, he would dominate that list due to how many Elvis songs I have. I also control the percentages of songs in certain genres that play. I tweaked this through the years until I made a Best Mix shuffle that suits my quirky taste.

Over time, I slowly began backing up more of my Elvis collection to iTunes. By May 2010, I had over 1,200 Elvis songs in iTunes for my iPod. This included the 711 masters released during his lifetime. At that point, rather than continuing to pick and choose from my CDs, I decided to go back and back up every unique track from every Elvis CD I owned.

I began on June 1, 2010, and figured I would be finished by the end of that year.

I finished yesterday, March 15, 2013.

This extended time period was not due to lack of diligence on my part. In fact, if anything, I have been too diligent. With only a few breaks, this has consumed more of my spare time over the last few years than I care to admit. Other things that I could have been doing, such as writing, have suffered.

So, why did it take me so long? For one thing, it turns out that I have many more Elvis songs than I realized.

I also did not simply throw in each CD, allow iTunes to look up the track names, and be done with it. If only it had been that easy. The first feature I turned off was the auto-look-up of track names, because I found this often had errors or formatting inconsistencies. Instead, I hand-typed all of that stuff in. If there were going to be errors, at least they would be my errors.

iTunes “Get Info” window

For each song, I researched its first album appearance and other tidbits, such as recording location and take number. For this, I primarily used the comprehensive Elvis Recording Data/Session Notes section of the Elvis In Norway site.

For live songs and other tracks without clean breaks in between, I added fade-ups and fade-downs. I also removed any uninteresting “false starts” and chatter from studio outtake/alternate tracks. When a false start proved to be of interest, I split it out to its own separate track.

Along the way, I also replaced those 711 core masters with new versions in better sound quality.

After all of that, I have 3,510 unique Elvis tracks, representing nearly 160 hours of music.

In an amazing coincidence that I really cannot believe, it turns out that I also have exactly 3,511 non-Elvis tracks backed up to iTunes, representing 208 more hours of music. I have often said Elvis represents about half of the tracks on my iPod, but I had no idea that was so precise. Over time, the non-Elvis tracks will likely grow at a faster rate now than the Elvis ones, though. [However, I am not going to start a similar project for my non-Elvis CDs. Never again.]

To keep my smart playlists working the way I like, I also rated each track. The analytical side of me has all kinds of number-crunching ideas around this, but here is a fun breakdown for starters:

5 Stars: 938 tracks (27%) [example: "Always On My Mind" (1972)]
4 Stars: 909 tracks (26%) [example: "It's Now Or Never" (1960)]
3 Stars: 853 tracks (24%) [example: "Love Me Tender" (1956)]
2 Stars: 556 tracks (16%) [example: "Wear My Ring Around Your Neck" (1958)]
1 Star: 254 tracks (7%) [example: "A Dog's Life" (1966)]

It astonishes me that, thanks to my iPod, I can now fit the entirety of my Elvis music collection in the palm of my hand. I can literally take it with me anywhere and listen to any song at any time.

Elvis in iTunes

With those 3,510 tracks, I could listen to Elvis for six days straight, without sleeping, and never hear a repeated track.

I would never do that, though. I am not that obsessive of a person.

The fact that my next post will be coming out in about six days is a complete coincidence.

Honest.

Categories: Music, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: elvis, elvis playlist, elvis presley, ipod, ipod playlist, itunes, playlist, presley | 4 Comments

For Trivia Fans Only: Thomas wins Elvis Trivialities #14

Posted on February 23, 2013 by Troy Yeary

Y’all had plenty of chances, but Thomas proved yet again to be an unstoppable force when it comes to Elvis trivia by winning Elvis Trivialities #14.

Thomas’ trophy shelf of bragging rights must be getting really crowded, for this marks his seventh victory. He also maintains a spot of honor in The Mystery Train Blog’s Hobo Jungle.

And the answer is…

For LP Fans Only was the first Elvis Presley album to receive a Grammy nomination.

For LP Fans Only was nominated for “Best Album Cover” of 1959. The honoree of this art direction nomination was none other than Tom Parker, Elvis’ manager.

Front and back covers of For LP Fans Only

I have no idea if this contributed to its nomination, but For LP Fans Only is distinctive among Elvis releases in that it was the first of only two RCA albums released during his lifetime that did not include his name on the front or back covers (the second was On Stage).

For LP Fans Only lost out on the Grammy to Shostakovich: Symphony No. 5, also an RCA release.

Front and back covers of Shostakovich Symphony No. 5

* * *

Do you think you have enough Elvis power to beat Thomas next time? Subscribe to The Mystery Train Blog using the feature in the menu bar to the right. Then, you’ll be notified whenever there is a new post – because you never know when the next trivia challenge might come along.

The Hobo Jungle

February 22, 2013: Thomas (13:36)
January 11, 2013: George Millar (4:19)
December 23, 2012: Thomas (0:36)
October 9, 2012: David (14:38)
February 4, 2012: Thomas (13:52)
February 3, 2012: Thomas (2:18)
December 21, 2011: Wellsy (2:37)
October 31, 2011: Thomas (17:32)
October 1, 2011: Jimmy Cool (1:01)
September 9, 2011: Steve Brogdon (0:17) <— Record time
August 6, 2011: Thomas (2:26)
July 9, 2011: Thomas (5:26)
June 23, 2011: Fred Wolfe (0:18)
June 22, 2011: Troy stumps the train (no winner)

Next week: The Elvis Movie of the Quarter revealed!

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Follow The Mystery Train Blog on twitter for additional Elvis and pop culture content.

Categories: Music, Pot Luck, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: elvis, elvis presley, grammy, presley, shostakovich symphony no 5, the hobo jungle, tom parker, trivia | 6 Comments

Elvis Trivialities #14

Posted on February 22, 2013 by Troy Yeary

Welcome to Elvis Trivialities.

Elvis Trivialities On TheMysteryTrainBlog.com

Your question is…

What was the first Elvis Presley album to receive a Grammy nomination?

The first person to answer this question correctly in the comments below will take home the ultimate trophy – bragging rights.

Good luck!

Categories: Music, Pot Luck, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: elvis, elvis presley, grammy, presley, trivia

It’s Valentine’s Day, Elvis Presley

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Troy Yeary

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.

Elvis in 1967

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

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

#5 Pledging My Love (1976)
Moody Blue

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

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

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

#9 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You (1956)
Elvis’ Golden Records

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

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

Categories: Music, The Mystery Train Elvis Blog | Tags: elvis, elvis presley, list, love, love songs, presley, ranking, valentine, valentine's day | 14 Comments

Music

New and upcoming Elvis releases focus on slices of a diverse career

May 2013

June 2013

August 2013

Never say goodbye to Aloha From Hawaii

3,510: An Elvis Obsession

For Trivia Fans Only: Thomas wins Elvis Trivialities #14

Elvis Trivialities #14

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