Elvis Live at His Las Vegas Peak

/ TY / Leave a comment

This is Part 8 of an occasional series reviewing Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection.

Well, as I was saying, volume 10 of Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection is called Live In Las Vegas and compiles Elvis In Person and On Stage, two of Elvis Presley’s best albums.

When Elvis made his debut at the International Hotel in Las Vegas on July 31, 1969, it had been 3,050 days since his last public concert. With that in mind, the 1,935 days that have elapsed since my last entry in this review of Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection don’t sound so bad, do they?

ELVIS: THE COMPLETE MASTERS COLLECTION – VOLUME 10 CD front sleeve - 2009, from TY's collection

ELVIS: THE COMPLETE MASTERS COLLECTION – VOLUME 10 CD front sleeve (2009, from TY’s collection)

CD Vol. 10: Live In Las Vegas

As I’ll talk about later, the compilers had an opportunity to do something really creative with the sequencing of this CD, but they took the easy route instead.

The first 12 tracks are the 1970 album Elvis In Person At The International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada, which was actually first released as record 1 of From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis in 1969. Do you think the RCA folks got paid by the character for their album titles back then?

The final 10 tracks are the album On Stage – February, 1970. One of my favorite little tidbits about that album, besides the unnecessary comma in the title, is that Elvis’ name does not appear anywhere on the front or back cover.

Elvis In Person pulls together recordings from Elvis’ August 1969 engagement at the International, whereas On Stage primarily assembles songs from his February 1970 return engagement but tosses in a couple more highlights from August 1969.

01. Blue Suede Shoes (August 25, 1969 Midnight Show [MS]): Trumpets blare, the rhythm group springs into action, and then Elvis takes the stage as Elvis In Person begins with a rocking rendition of Carl Perkins’ “Blue Suede Shoes.”

02. Johnny B. Goode (August 24, 1969 MS): From one rock ‘n’ roll anthem to the next, Elvis rips into Chuck Berry’s “Johnny B. Goode,” with his strongest version of the song from a vocals perspective released to date. James Burton on lead electric guitar is killing it in the right channel. The Sweet Inspirations sound great, too!

03. All Shook Up (August 25, 1969 MS): Elvis next launches into “All Shook Up,” certainly one of his finest performances of the 1957 classic. Ronnie Tutt on drums really drives this one. After the song, Elvis mentions that this is his first live appearance in nine years.

04. Are You Lonesome Tonight? (August 24, 1969 MS): Elvis sings a compelling version of his 1960 hit “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” with Sweet Inspiration Cissy Houston’s vocals soaring throughout. At the end of the track, in an excerpt from the August 24, 1969 Dinner Show (DS), Elvis introduces his “message song” for the night, which turns out to be . . .

05. Hound Dog (August 25, 1969 MS): Elvis attacks the opening of this song so forcefully that I’m just now getting up from the floor to try to type my thoughts as Burton completes his mid-song guitar solo. Best version from the 1968-1977 era.

06. I Can’t Stop Loving You (August 25, 1969 MS): This is a pretty enough version of Don Gibson’s “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” but Elvis would do it better from August 1970 through 1972 when he put a little more oomph into it. Bizarrely dubbed-in from another moment, an audience member screaming incoherently near the end doesn’t help this version, either. Elvis’ voice is gorgeous here, though, don’t get me wrong.

Listening closely to Elvis In Person as an album for the first time in awhile, it also becomes apparent that this is really a showcase for the incredible Sweet Inspirations as well.

If I play this performance of “I Can’t Stop Loving You,” I grab the one from disc 9 of 2019’s ELVIS LIVE 1969: International Hotel, Las Vegas, Nevada. Note that the tradition has carried on and that the Sony folks must get paid by the character for their titles, too. Anyway, the August 25, 1969 MS is one of Elvis’ greatest recorded concerts and the one that provided most of the masters for Elvis In Person.

07. My Babe (August 25, 1969 MS): Elvis rocks “My Babe,” his best version of Willie Dixon’s blues number. I love the extra guitar flourish by Burton at the end, too.

08. Mystery Train/Tiger Man (August 25, 1969 MS): The problem with a review of a fantastic album like Elvis In Person is that you run out of superlatives. Here is a no-holds-barred take on the “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” medley – possibly the best version of this combination ever recorded.

Elvis’ 1955 Sun master of “Mystery Train” is surely among his top five recordings ever. No live version has a chance of beating it, but the song still works perfectly here in tandem with “Tiger Man.” As always, this medley also spotlights Burton and Tutt. The best track on this CD.

09. Words (August 25, 1969 MS): Now, Elvis slows things way down with “Words,” a 1968 Bee Gees song. This is a great version, though I do prefer Elvis’ August 1970 take on the song.

This CD sounds fantastic, by the way. If I close my eyes I can pretend, just for a moment, that I’m in the showroom. At the end of the track, in a moment from the August 26, 1969 DS, Elvis introduces the next number as, “A record that just did very well for me recently, ladies and gentlemen.”

10. In The Ghetto (August 26, 1969 DS): That record, of course, is “In The Ghetto,” which made it to number 3 on the charts. This is a solid live version that remains true to the studio version, outside of being a tad faster. This, of course, was the true message song for the night.

11. Suspicious Minds (August 26, 1969 DS): It’s not that this is a bad version of “Suspicious Minds,” but there are a few others from the August 1969 engagement that I would have chosen ahead of this iteration. Really, any Midnight Show version probably would have been better than this Dinner Show version.

When Elvis’ producer Felton Jarvis witnessed the live version of “Suspicious Minds” earlier in this engagement, he went back and added similar horns and a fading down/up/down effect to the January 1969 studio master to attempt to replicate the feel. Backed with “You’ll Think Of Me” from the same sessions, the “Suspicious Minds” studio single hit the streets on August 26, literally the day of this Elvis In Person live recording, and made its way to number one.

12. Can’t Help Falling In Love (August 26, 1969 DS): After the two versions recorded in front of the small studio audiences of the 1968 ELVIS special, this is the next greatest live version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Similar to “Are You Lonesome Tonight,” Houston’s vocals are near-operatic. This would be a fantastic end to a CD, except our CD doesn’t end here.

ELVIS: THE COMPLETE MASTERS COLLECTION – VOLUME 10 CD (2009, from TY’s collection)

13. See See Rider (February 18, 1970 MS): On Stage kicks off with “See See Rider,” which Elvis actually wouldn’t begin using as an opening song in his concerts for another couple of years. Did he get the idea from the sequencing of this album? This is one of my favorite Burton guitar solos. It is also Elvis’ best version of “See See Rider,” though the one on 2002’s Today, Tomorrow & Forever from this same engagement comes pretty close.

14. Release Me (February 18, 1970 MS): Elvis sings a committed version of “Release Me” and everyone does a great job backing him up. Despite all of that, this well-worn classic is just not a song I often enjoy very much.

15. Sweet Caroline (February 16, 1970 DS): Up next, Elvis takes on Neil Diamond’s 1969 hit “Sweet Caroline.” I actually like Elvis’ version of “Sweet Caroline” better than Diamond’s, and it’s pretty cool to watch him sing it in Elvis: That’s The Way It Is, too. Elvis sounds like he’s having fun, so that makes it enjoyable as well. This is Elvis’ best version of “Sweet Caroline.”

16. Runaway (August 25, 1969 DS): Elvis has a solid take on Del Shannon’s 1961 classic.

17. The Wonder Of You (February 18, 1970 MS): I love Elvis’ version of “The Wonder Of You,” a song first released by Ray Peterson in 1959. This live version was released as a single by Elvis and peaked at number nine. I love Elvis’ vocal interplay with Burton’s guitar solo on this.

18. Polk Salad Annie (February 18, 1970 MS): The only real competition for best track on this CD versus “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” is right here – “Polk Salad Annie.” Elvis begins the song with his “little story” that explains the lyrics. Tony Joe White’s 1969 classic is a perfect choice for Elvis’ live show. Jerry Scheff owns this song on electric bass. A similar rendition filmed a few months later for Elvis: That’s The Way It Is should not be missed, though this February version is superior.

19. Yesterday (August 25, 1969 DS): And now, Elvis sings The Beatles with a solid version of their 1965 hit “Yesterday.” This live version is actually one half of a medley that concluded with “Hey Jude,” but the original compiler of On Stage wisely left it off. Elvis’ “Yesterday” is stronger without it.

20. Proud Mary (February 16, 1970 DS): Next, Elvis sings Creedence Clearwater Revival by taking on their 1969 hit “Proud Mary.” While I prefer Elvis’ 1972 versions of “Proud Mary,” this is certainly a spirited and worthy take.

21. Walk A Mile In My Shoes (February 19, 1970 MS): Joe South first released the incredible “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” on his 1969 album Don’t It Make You Want To Go Home? and the single came out just a few weeks before Elvis’ live version was captured.

When Elvis sang “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” in this engagement, it was the first half of a medley with “In The Ghetto,” which was an inspired combination. For On Stage, the original compiler unfortunately excised the “In The Ghetto” portion. Nevertheless, “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” is another of my favorite songs on this CD.

Elvis notes at the end of this track that the next song had been released by a few different people.

22. Let It Be Me (February 17, 1970 MS): Elvis does a phenomenal job on this song, but so do the Sweet Inspirations – who were actually one of the groups that had released “Let It Be Me” prior to Elvis taking a turn at the song. Their 1967 version, which can be heard on their self-titled album, is not to be missed.

In terms of song selection and sequencing, this Franklin Mint set of Elvis’ complete masters does not strictly adhere to a session or album chronology. Those two approaches were later covered by re-releases of this material by Sony/RCA.

With that in mind, I think it would have been a much more interesting listening experience to put the first side of Elvis In Person, tracks 1-7, at the beginning, then both sides of On Stage, tracks 13-22, followed by the second side of Elvis In Person, tracks 8-12. This essentially would give you the feel of one incredible concert covering both seasons rather than two separate albums thrown together.

No matter how you sequence it, though, if you want to hear the Elvis Presley Show at its peak in Las Vegas, this CD just about covers it. The August 1970 engagement would begin at this same level, broadening the setlist to include new material from his June 1970 sessions.

I’ve been listening to the live masters from this disc for 15 years now, and Vic Anesini’s work continues to hold up as a stellar representation of the original releases of Elvis In Person and On Stage.

I hope to see you in 1,935 days or less for our next installment.

ELVIS: THE COMPLETE MASTERS COLLECTION – VOLUME 10 CD back sleeve (2009, from TY’s collection)

“We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.”
Proverb 16:9 NLT

Keeping the Footage. Losing the Baggage.

/ TY / 3 Comments
Elvis Presley in 1970, from the EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert trailer - 2026, NEON

Elvis Presley in 1970, from the EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert trailer (2026, NEON)

When I watched the full trailer that NEON dropped back on January 13 for Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert, I realized a couple of things.

One is that I’ve been writing about this darned lost footage for 35 years. This brief newsletter article about Elvis: That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour outtakes was actually one of the first things I ever wrote about Elvis.

You see, I had read about the possibility of such footage existing in one of my brother’s old Elvis magazines from 1987. Naturally, I wrote to Graceland about it. Because that’s what you do.

And Graceland was nice enough in 1991 to provide the few available details, which I incorporated into my article the following year.

The second realization is that I’ve been carrying around almost as many years’ worth of baggage over this lost footage.

Oh, the mismanagement! Oh, the falsehoods! Oh, the missed opportunities!

As I watched the brilliant preview trailer for EPiC, I finally accepted that it’s time to let all of that go. I don’t want to weigh EPiC down with my lost footage baggage.

Writing is a catharsis for me, so I’m going to air out this baggage one last time, and then it’s gone forever. And if you see me mention it again, friends, I want you to call me out on it.

THAT'S THE WAY IT IS home video cover (1988)

ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS home video cover (1988)

1992

Event: Elvis: The Lost Performances arrives on VHS and Laserdisc. This compilation of outtakes from Elvis: That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour was just about perfect for its time. It primarily focused on the songs that mattered to Elvis, not necessarily his biggest hits. Songs were presented in full. With no narration in between, the music was allowed to speak for itself.

THE LOST PERFORMANCES home video cover (1992)

ELVIS: THE LOST PERFORMANCES home video cover (1992)

Associated Baggage: The release of Turner Home Entertainment’s Elvis: The Lost Performances was initially delayed by a year or more due to the 1990 home media release of Buena Vista’s Elvis: The Great Performances. Though they played nice in terms of release dates, I guess no one noticed that a mere four letters distinguish one title from the other. Among casual fans and, most assuredly, the general public, this was potential confusion. The Lost Performances cover art also used a reverse image of the same underlying Elvis: That’s The Way It Is pose as the 1988 VHS release of that film. More potential confusion. To top it off, one month before Elvis: The Lost Performances hits shelves, CBS airs, get this, a television version of Elvis: The Great Performances. I guess that whole playing nice in the marketplace thing didn’t work both ways.

1997

Event: Among other Elvis titles, Turner/MGM re-releases Elvis: That’s The Way It Is, Elvis On Tour, and Elvis: The Lost Performances on home video.

Associated Baggage: All of the “new” VHS videos are in pan & scan to fit square televisions of the day, though many consumers, including this particular Elvis fan, were educated enough by this time to know that widescreen/letterboxed was a superior format for such movies in order not to lose large portions of the image. While Elvis: That’s The Way It Is earns a DVD release at this time as well that contains a widescreen option in this new format, there are inexplicably no DVDs for Elvis On Tour or Elvis: The Lost Performances.

2001

Event: And here’s the big one. If you follow this kind of stuff, you knew it was coming. Warner Brothers releases Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition on home video. The 2000 film uses some of the once-lost footage from Elvis: The Lost Performances, other lost footage, and some of the original footage as part of an entirely new cut of the classic documentary.

2001 VHS and DVD editions of THAT'S THE WAY IT IS: SPECIAL EDITION

2001 VHS and DVD editions of ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS – SPECIAL EDITION

Associated Baggage
Where to start? First, the name. The fact that this is almost an entirely new movie is not at all obvious by adding “Special Edition” to the title of the original documentary that many Elvis fans already owned by this point.

Next, the day before the VHS version goes on sale, Turner Classic Movies airs Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition on cable television. As long as you had the channel, you could record it with your VCR for free. You even get a few bonus songs after the movie not included on the retail VHS.

Ah, but the DVD! It will have all of those bonus songs and even more as special features, right? Well, it was supposed to, but someone apparently didn’t obtain all of the proper clearances. So there was a delay as the DVDs were re-made to exclude all of the bonus songs. Oh, and then just as they are about to hit store shelves (and possibly a few do), someone realizes that the DVD case still has references to those bonus songs that aren’t actually on the DVD. So, another delay while the cases are re-made. Finally, months after the VHS, the DVD comes out. Not with a bang, but with a whimper.

Oh, and Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition uses that same underlying Elvis image as the 1997 & 1992 releases of Elvis: The Lost Performances and the 1988 release of Elvis: That’s The Way It Is.

Apparently, Warner is disappointed by the sales of the Special Edition (gee, I wonder why sales would suffer), so it cancels a similar project around Elvis On Tour.

But wait, there’s even more baggage here. The release of Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition and its use of some of the same songs seems to have buried Elvis: The Lost Performances, which Warner never releases again.

2007

Event: A 2-DVD re-release of That’s The Way It Is: Special Edition that includes the original film and some of the excised bonus features from 2001 on the second disc.

Associated Baggage: The long-awaited bonus features were in embarrassing video quality for a mainstream release, as apparently a backup videotape copy was used when the master tapes from 2001 could not be found. While definitely watchable, the 1970 theatrical cut was also in lesser condition relative to the 2001 edit. And I’m not even going to mention what underlying cover image they decided to go with. Because even if you don’t know, you already know.

2010

Event: Elvis On Tour finally gets a DVD release! And. . . can this be. . . a Blu-ray release! It almost sounds too good to be true.

Associated Baggage: Well, it turns out that it almost is. At the last moment, Warner reveals that the opening song that plays over the credits, a rehearsal of “Johnny B. Goode,” ran into issues with obtaining clearance. From most accounts, it seemed out of their hands this time. Fair enough. What do they do? They replace it with a lacklustre live version of “Don’t Be Cruel.” Oh. . . and just to really give me nightmares, they also edit in a poor loop of the song since it wasn’t long enough to cover the opening credits sequences. So you get to hear Elvis’ “Please let’s forget the past, before I kick your–” joke not once, but twice, ladies and gentlemen. And, more relevant to this post, no bonus features. Nothing.

2014

Event: Elvis: That’s The Way It Is gets a Blu-ray release! 2001 bonus songs master tapes located and to be included!

Associated Baggage: Well, here’s what actually happened back in 2014 if you bought the Elvis: That’s The Way It Is Blu-ray. You did indeed get a Blu-ray of Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition. The promised improved quality bonus songs? I wish I could say otherwise, but not so much. I really don’t know what they were thinking. As for the original Elvis: That’s The Way It Is movie? It is included as a second DVD, using the same master as way back in 1997. But hey, at least the art department was on top of things. When they envisioned what the cover art for this first-ever That’s The Way It Is Blu-ray should be, a certain underlying image immediately came to mind. . . .

2014 Blu-ray edition of THAT'S THE WAY IT IS: SPECIAL EDITION

2014 Blu-ray edition of ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS – SPECIAL EDITION

2026: Letting it go

We could all probably think of more blunders around the handling of the lost and not-so-lost footage originally captured for Elvis: That’s The Way It Is and Elvis On Tour, but it is indeed time to let it all go.

So, here’s what I propose. That abandoned salt mine in Kansas that people keep finding this lost footage in? Let’s lock our baggage in there. Gone. Forever.

Did I mention the full EPiC trailer is brilliant? Surely, you have watched by now? If not, you better check it out over on YouTube.

Wow.

Just wow. That’s all I’ve got.

Around the same time as the trailer, NEON also released a new poster. I mean, even if EPiC somehow turns out to be a dud, that is one awesome Elvis poster that I had to have!

Being the understanding woman that she is, my bride ordered one for me. When the package ran into shipping issues due to the recent weather events, I heard her laughing as she looked at the tracking image.

Wondering what gave her that reaction, I took a look. The tracking uses a close-up of the poster, so it looks like Elvis’ face on the map.

Sure, that’s mildly humorous, but I didn’t see why she thought it was so funny.

Then I looked again at the map.

That’s right, Elvis is stuck in Memphis!

EPiC hits IMAX theaters worldwide on February 20, with early access showings beginning on February 18, and then expands to wide release on February 27 globally.

“A Touch Of Gold” is actually platinum

/ TY / 1 Comment

On The Elvis Beat

Today, I want to point you over to an Elvis site I’ve been enjoying for a few years now. Neal Umphred’s Elvis – A Touch Of Gold is one of those factual deep-dive yet personal blogs that I love. Here are just a few of my favorite pieces:

From Graceland To Burbank To Graceland: Covers the 1968 ELVIS (Comeback) special and its aftermath. There’s a wonderful anecdote near the beginning of the post that you must read. Ironically, this same sort of thing happened to me when a couple of months back I read a great post by Neal about Mac Davis and wanted to comment on it. When I scrolled to the comments, I found that I had already responded to it years ago. The same thing has happened to me over on Sheila O’Malley’s blog as well. It’s actually kind of unnerving.

An Alternative “Back In Memphis” Album: The post title explains it, but this isn’t solely an alternate tracklisting. It includes an in-depth look at the original album, first released as one half of the double LP From Memphis To Vegas/From Vegas To Memphis, and why Neal would have released a different album.

Collecting Elvis 78 RPM Singles From The ’50s: Did I mention Neal likes to deep-dive? This fantastic post reveals his methodology around determining the rarity of Elvis’ 78 RPM singles.

Facts And Fallacies About Elvis’ Gold Records Volume 4: Ever wonder why the fourth volume in this series seemed a little different from its predecessors? This post explains it.

Neal has an affinity for using footnotes in his posts, which actually inspired me to try that technique in my recent The Elvis Odyssey series. Neal even sent me some help on one such footnote, which you can read about here. Footnotes are fun, so you’ll probably see more of them here on certain types of posts in the future.

Neal has several other blogs, which you can access via his homepage. He is also the author of multiple record pricing guides, including two focused on Elvis.

A lot of people out there write a lot of things about Elvis. Neal’s words are worth reading.

The Look

/ TY / 5 Comments

Last month, NEON released the official teaser trailer for Bazz Luhrmann’s latest project, EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert. Check it out over on YouTube.

As Elvis Presley fans we could say a lot of things about that trailer, couldn’t we? We could quibble over dates, for instance, or debate the definition of “lost.”

None of that matters.

There’s a blink-and-you-miss-it moment in the trailer that clinches EPiC for me. Watching Elvis over the years, you become familiar with a certain look in his eyes. It’s a quick glance. Sometimes directly to fans. Sometimes to cameras. He seems to say, “You’re in on this with me, aren’t you?”

In the EPiC teaser, it occurs at 0:58. Here it is:

Elvis Presley in 1970, from the EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert teaser, 2025, NEON

Elvis Presley in 1970, from the EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert teaser (2025, NEON)

The film hits IMAX theaters worldwide on February 20, with early access showings beginning on February 18, and then expands to wide release on February 27 globally.

While there have been limited-run screenings over the years, EPiC represents the first wide release of an Elvis documentary in cinemas since 1981’s This Is Elvis.

We’ve lost many first generation Elvis fans since that time. For many second (and beyond) generation fans, like myself, events like EPiC are the closest we’ll ever come to experiencing Elvis in person.

EPiC allows Elvis to tell his own story, using audio from multiple sources. It also features fully restored video of previously released and unreleased content. Most of the footage used was originally filmed for the documentaries Elvis: That’s The Way It Is (1970) and Elvis On Tour (1972).

The film left stellar reviews in its wake after the world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival in September last year, the European premiere at the Zurich Film Festival in September and October, and the United States premiere in Memphis at the TCB Showroom on January 8, the 91st anniversary of Elvis’ birth.

Footage from other eras is also featured to help round out the narrative. Most notably, color footage of Elvis performing in Hawaii in 1957 is included–30 seconds of which was first released by Graceland with little fanfare on the Aloha From Hawaii: 40th Anniversary Edition DVD (2013).

Sony on January 8 announced plans for the EPiC soundtrack, which will be available February 20 on digital and CD and April 24 on vinyl.

You can preview one of the songs on YouTube here: “Wearin’ That Night Life Look.”

This mashup combines elements from “Wearin’ That Loved-On Look,” “Night Life,” “Let Yourself Go,” and “I, John.” On paper it sounds like a mess, but it manages to work. I love it. As Elvis says, “Just play the hell out of it!”

Luhrmann produced and directed EPiC. He also co-produced, co-wrote, and directed ELVIS (2022), a fictionalized account of the singer’s life that starred Austin Butler (Elvis Presley), Tom Hanks (“Colonel” Tom Parker), and Olivia DeJonge (Priscilla Presley). That film earned nearly $300 million worldwide in its box office run. Butler won a Golden Globe for his portrayal and the movie earned eight Academy Award nominations, including Best Picture and Best Actor (Butler).

That the editor of the teaser trailer included “the look” gives me confidence that EPiC will do Elvis justice. We need to experience and support this one at our local theaters. Don’t make the mistake of waiting to watch it at home. Find it at a theater near you.

And, yes, we’re still in on it with you, Elvis.

Electric Dawn

/ TY / 1 Comment
Anticipation - Artwork created for The Mystery Train with assistance from ChatGPT

“Anticipation” (Artwork created for The Mystery Train with assistance from ChatGPT)

The Elvis Odyssey

Part V: Electric Dawn

With his movie career beginning to flounder and his recent singles receiving little notice, Elvis Presley is at a crossroads. As part of a package deal with yet another movie, he signs on to his first television appearance since a brief guest spot in 1960.

Slated to air on the NBC television network in December 1968, the pre-recorded special is supposed to feature Elvis singing Christmas songs for an hour.

Executive Producer Bob Finkel, however, convinces principal sponsor The Singer Company, NBC, and Elvis’ manager, Tom Parker, to widen the scope of the program beyond Christmas music. Finkel also meets with Elvis, who tells Finkel he wants the special to be completely different than anything in his past, especially his movies.

Elvis: “I want everyone to know what I can really do.”AM

Finkel then hires Steve Binder as Producer/Director of the Singer Presents ELVIS special.

Pre-production begins on June 3 with two weeks of informal rehearsals at NBC Studios in Burbank. Elvis and the crew are working 12-16 hour days, followed by jam sessions in the star’s dressing room.

On June 5, Senator Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated about thirty minutes away in Los Angeles while campaigning for President. Binder is taken with Elvis’ reaction to the news as well as his commentary on the assassination of Reverend Doctor Martin Luther King, Jr., in Memphis only two months earlier.

As a nation mourns, the rest of June is consumed with production of the ELVIS special. Elvis practically lives at NBC while making the program, even moving into his dressing room for a period of time. . . .

Listen along on Spotify.

#183 Trouble/Guitar Man (Alternate-1968)
Memories
June 22, Burbank, CA Master [alternate mix]

The ELVIS special begins with a tight close-up on Elvis’ face as he announces, “If you’re lookin’ for trouble, you came to the right place.” The opener is one of multiple production numbers in the show and begins a light storyline through the motif of “Guitar Man.”

I can only imagine what it must’ve been like to be an Elvis fan in 1968. To tune into this special after all of those years of mostly silly movies and see Elvis practically assault the television screen. Within seconds, it was obvious that he had something to prove.

#184 That’s All Right (Live-1968)
Tiger Man
June 27 8 PM, Burbank, CA

Elvis’ dressing room jam sessions inspire Binder to incorporate something similar into the special. When taping in the dressing room proves unfeasible, Binder instead plans to seat Elvis and his friends on a small stage completely surrounded by a studio audience. Elvis agrees to the concept on the condition that the surviving members of his original band, Scotty Moore (guitar) and DJ Fontana (drums), join him as well.

However, shortly before the first show, Elvis changes his mind and decides he cannot go on for what would be his first appearance since the Pearl Harbor concert in 1961. Binder convinces him to go out there, telling him he can come right back if he wants. Clad entirely in black leather, Elvis even jokes, “Well, goodnight!” shortly after the audience applauds his entry.

In addition to Moore and Fontana, on stage are Elvis’ friends Charlie Hodge and Alan Fortas. Lance LeGault, another friend, plays tambourine at the edge of the audience near Elvis.

Elvis: “It’s more important to try to surround yourself with people who can give you a little happiness because you only pass through this life once, jack. You don’t come back for an encore.”AN

Though dozens are recorded, only five or six of the informal songs make it in the actual special and album.

Among those left out is a rousing performance of “That’s All Right,” the song that started it all for Elvis.

The night, which includes tapings of two “sit-down” shows with similar setlists, is unlike any other in Elvis’ entire body of work.

#185 Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Live-1968)
Tiger Man
June 27 8 PM, 2nd version, Burbank, CA

Early on in both shows, Elvis trades his acoustic guitar for Moore’s burnt-orange electric guitar.19 Producing a raw, raucous sound, Elvis then drives the shows hard, including multiple versions of the Jimmy Reed blues number “Baby, What You Want Me To Do.” This particular rendition also goes unused.

#186 Blue Suede Shoes (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM,20 Burbank, CA

“Blue Suede Shoes” is not used in the special or album.

#187 Lawdy, Miss Clawdy (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, Burbank, CA

For the special and album, the 8 PM version of “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy” is used.

From the 6 PM show, this live version manages to be even better than Elvis’ 1956 studio master of “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy.”

#188 Tryin’ To Get To You (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, Burbank, CA

“Tryin’ To Get To You” is not used in the special or album.

Again, Elvis improves upon his original 1955 studio master of “Tryin’ To Get To You” with this rock-infused live version.

#189 One Night (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, 1st version, Burbank, CA

This particular rendition of “One Night” is not used in the special or album.

#190 Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, 3rd version, Burbank, CA

A portion of this rendition of “Baby, What You Want Me To Do” is used in the special, though it does not appear on the album.

It is difficult to choose between this one and the version already covered from the 8 PM show (track 185 above), but this is probably Elvis’ best-ever version of “Baby, What You Want Me To Do.” While he would return to the song in his first engagement at the International Hotel in Las Vegas the next year, it just was not the same.

#191 No Strap/One Night (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, 2nd version, Burbank, CA

As the sit-down show nears its end, Elvis declares that he wants to stand up–an idea he had been flirting with throughout the performance. He asks Moore if he has a strap for the borrowed electric guitar that Elvis has been using for most of the show. Moore says there is no strap, leading Elvis and the gang to begin singing joking lyrics to the tune of “One Night”:

“No strap today is what I’m now looking for. The things I did and I saw would make the dream–where, where, where, where’s the strap?”

Finally, Elvis stands up, props his foot on his chair and the guitar on his knee and completes another rendition of “One Night” which appears in both the special and on the album.

A truly incredible performance.

#192 Memories (Alternate-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 24, Burbank, CA Take 2 Master [stereo mix]

#193 Saved (Alternate-1968)
Let Yourself Go!
June 22, Burbank, CA Take B7

Among its production numbers, the ELVIS special includes a nine-minute gospel medley.21 For the first minute of the medley, Elvis steps aside such that the spotlight can shine on dancer and choreographer Claude Thompson and the voice of Darlene Love. In addition to Elvis, the segment then features the Blossoms vocal group (Love, Jean King, Fanita James) and a host of other spirited dancers.

Elvis: “Rock ‘n’ roll music is basically gospel or rhythm & blues, or it sprang from that. And people have been adding to it, adding instruments to it, experimenting with it.”AO

It’s an exciting sequence, and I get breathless on behalf of all of the dancers just watching it. The medley was recorded in segments prior to the taping. This particular version of “Saved” is actually an outtake, but it’s my favorite.

#194 Heartbreak Hotel/Hound Dog/All Shook Up (Live-1968)
Memories
June 29 6 PM, Burbank, CA

Two days after the sit-down shows, Elvis appears alone on the same stage in his black leather suit to perform two formal stand-up shows featuring updated arrangements of many of his biggest hits. Elvis is again surrounded by a small studio audience, but this time a full band and orchestra are set just beyond one side of the stage.

This medley of “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” and “All Shook Up” is featured in both the special and on the album.

This is a powerhouse moment in the ELVIS special, particularly the reinvention of “Heartbreak Hotel” as a rock anthem. Elvis never sang it like this again, preferring a bluesy approach in 1969 and onwards.

#195 Can’t Help Falling In Love (Live-1968)
Memories
June 29 6 PM, Burbank, CA

This version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love” is used in both the special and the album.

This is a beautiful rendition of the song that is on par with his original studio master (1961).

#196 Jailhouse Rock (Live-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 29 8 PM, Burbank, CA

This version of “Jailhouse Rock” is used in both the special and the album.

Though not quite as stellar as his original studio version (1957), this is, by far, Elvis’ best live recording of “Jailhouse Rock.”22

#197 Love Me Tender (Live-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 29 8 PM, Burbank, CA

This version of “Love Me Tender” is used in both the special and the album.

This is another example of a 1968 live version exceeding the original studio master (in this case, 1956).

#198 Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Live-1968)
Memories
June 29 6 PM, Burbank, CA

Once the main portion of each stand-up show concludes, Elvis works on a couple of segments intended for larger production numbers in front of the same audience. During the 6 PM show, there is a brief pause while pre-recorded music is being cued. Left standing with nothing to do, Elvis begins to appear uneasy. “Give me my guitar, man. I’ll play something,” he says. He picks up yet another borrowed electric guitar, this time a cherry red one from session musician Al Casey, and riffs into his go-to comfort song, “Baby, What You Want Me To Do,” eventually dropping to his knees as he plays to an audience member. This rendition is not used in the special or album.

#199 Trouble/Guitar Man (Live-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 29 8 PM, Burbank, CA

To serve as a conclusion to the storyline that began at the opening, a new verse is written for Jerry Reed’s “Guitar Man”:

“Well, I come a long way from the carwash, got to where I said I’d get. Now that I’m here, I know for sure I really ain’t got there yet. So, I think I’ll start all over, sling my guitar over my back. I’m gonna get myself back on the track, I ain’t never, ever gonna look back. I’ll never be more than what I am, oh, wouldn’t you know, I’m a swingin’ little guitar man? Take it home, son, take it home.”23

A portion of this live reprise of “Trouble/Guitar Man” is used in the special.

#200 If I Can Dream (Alternate-1968)
Memories
June 30, Burbank, CA TV-Take 4 Master

After ELVIS was restructured into something more than a Christmas special, “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” was at first still intended as the closing song. Based on Elvis’ reactions to the murders of King and Kennedy, Binder is convinced that Elvis should make a statement of some sort after singing the song. Earl Brown, who is creating vocal arrangements for the show, suggests using “You’ll Never Walk Alone” instead of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas.” When this idea is rejected, Brown writes the music and lyrics of an original song, “If I Can Dream,” which allows Elvis to make his statement in the medium he is most comfortable, music.

From “If I Can Dream”: “If I can dream of a better land where all my brothers walk hand in hand, tell me why, oh why, oh why can’t my dream come true?”

Taped on the last day of the special’s production, with Elvis dressed in a white double-breasted suit, “If I Can Dream” represents for me the greatest musical achievement of Elvis’ life.24

The ELVIS special airs on Tuesday, December 3, at 9:00 PM Eastern and becomes the most-watched program of the week and the highest-rated television special of the year.

“If I Can Dream” climbs to #12 on the charts, while the ELVIS-TV Special album makes it to #8.

Elvis: “I’m never going to sing another song I don’t believe in. I’m never going to make another picture I don’t believe in.”AP

It has been a long night, but the sun is starting to rise. You are back in your seat in one of the Mystery Train’s passenger cars. “So, this is it?” you ask. “The end of the line?”

I smile and shake my head. “Not at all. That’s the beauty of Elvis. There’s no end to his odyssey. Just when you think he’s done, you start all over.”

Somewhere, you hear a familiar song. Faint. Something from your childhood.

As the train rumbles along, you make your way into the dining car and enter a new world.

Elvis Presley returns in The Elvis Odyssey: A New Summit.

Dialogue from a teleplay, father to son: “Maybe there’s only one summer to every customer.” Only one summer? Only one ride? Only one Elvis? Experience them while you can between Heaven, the Earth, and . . . the edge of reality.

[With apologies to Serling.]

Assorted Rambles

19While some out there have tried to insinuate this was some kind of power play by Elvis, the trading of guitars is a scripted moment, as evidenced by a recording of Binder discussing it with Elvis and Moore during a rehearsal.↩︎

20I really could have added the entire June 27 6 PM Show to The Elvis Odyssey, but I had to at least attempt to control myself. The video of the complete 6 PM show made its debut on the fantastic HBO special Elvis: One Night With You (1985). Missing the boat at that time, RCA/BMG finally released the full audio of the show on Memories: The ’68 Comeback Special (1998) CD. Don’t get me wrong, the 8 PM show is great, too, but there’s something special about that first show. The full audio of the 8 PM show was first released on the Tiger Man CD (1998) and the full video on ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – Deluxe Edition DVD set (2004).↩︎

21The full medley consisted of “Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child,” “Where Could I Go But To The Lord,” “Up Above My Head,” “I Found That Light,” and “Saved.”↩︎

22I hope that a 1957 live version of “Jailhouse Rock” will see the light of day at some point in my lifetime, for I suspect it would top even the 1968 one.↩︎

23For me, this new verse sums up the entire ELVIS special. In fact, I’d rather they call it ELVIS: Back On The Track today than ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special.↩︎

24The version of “If I Can Dream” for the album and single was recorded at Western Recorders studio a week earlier and is just as good as the television version. According to Brown in Elvis Presley: Writing For The King – The Stories Of The Songwriters by Ken Sharp, all three of the Blossoms were in tears at the conclusion of Elvis’ performance of “If I Can Dream” with Love stating, “He really believes in the song and means every word of it.”

Once Parker saw the rough cut of ELVIS in August 1968, he was reportedly outraged that no Christmas songs remained in the special. To appease him, a live performance of “Tiger Man” from the 8 PM sit-down show was dropped from the special in favor of an edited version of “Blue Christmas” from that same show.↩︎

I’ve also created a Spotify version of the complete playlist for The Elvis Odyssey, incorporating all five parts of the series.

I originally planned for this series to be a single post, but my bride wisely convinced me that I needed to split it. Thank you to her for ongoing prayers and encouragement and for reading every word I ever write.

Sources for Elvis Quotes

AMMay 14, 1968 Private Conversation (as reported in Elvis Presley: A Life In Music – The Complete Recording Sessions by Ernst Jorgensen)↩︎

ANca. September 1962, Interview, Hollywood, CA↩︎

AOJune 27, 1968, 6 PM Show, Burbank, CA↩︎

APca. June 23, 1968 Private Conversation, Burbank, CA (as reported in Elvis Presley: A Life In Music – The Complete Recording Sessions by Ernst Jorgensen)↩︎

Additional Sources For The Entire Series/Further Reading

Any mistakes you might find in this series are purely my own. As for the stuff I got right, I primarily consulted the following sources for this series of posts. I also consider them as recommended reading if you want a deeper dive into the career and life of Elvis Presley than I could provide here.

  • Keith Flynn’s Elvis Presley Pages.
  • Elvis Presley: A Life In Music – The Complete Recording Sessions by Ernst Jorgensen, St. Martin’s Press, New York, 1998.
  • Elvis Day By Day: The Definitive Record Of His Life And Music by Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen, Ballantine Books, New York, 1999.
  • Last Train To Memphis: The Rise Of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick, Little, Brown And Company, Boston, 1994.
  • Careless Love: The Unmaking Of Elvis Presley by Peter Guralnick, Little, Brown And Company, Boston, 1999.
  • Elvis Presley: Writing For The King – The Stories Of The Songwriters by Ken Sharp, Follow That Dream Records, Denmark, 2006.
  • Elvis Presley In Concert.

Thank you for reading. May your 2026 be full of peace, love, and health.

Blessings,
TY

Update

January 18, 2026

Out of the installments for The Elvis Odyssey, Electric Dawn is the one that has continued to feel unsatisfying to me in terms of representing the 1968 ELVIS special. I’m happy with the text of the post, but I had to leave out some music selections in order to maintain my arbitrary overall 200 song count for the Odyssey.

Blogging is inherently a self-indulgent exercise. Sure, I hope a reader or two out there enjoys my thoughts on Elvis, but I’m really just doing this for fun. With that in mind, I decided to make an expanded edition.

ELVIS: Back On The Track – Electric Dawn (2026 Expanded Edition)

01. Trouble/Guitar Man (Alternate-1968)
Memories
June 22, Burbank, CA Master [alternate mix]

02. That’s All Right (Live-1968)
Tiger Man
June 27 8 PM, Burbank, CA

BONUS: 03. Heartbreak Hotel (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, Burbank, CA

BONUS: 04. Love Me (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, Burbank, CA

05. Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Live-1968)
Tiger Man
June 27 8 PM, 2nd version, Burbank, CA

06. Blue Suede Shoes (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, Burbank, CA

07. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, Burbank, CA

BONUS: 08. Are You Lonesome Tonight (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, Burbank, CA

BONUS: 09. Tiger Man (Live-1968)
Tiger Man
June 27 8 PM, Burbank, CA

10. Tryin’ To Get To You (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, Burbank, CA

11. One Night (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, 1st version, Burbank, CA

12. Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, 3rd version, Burbank, CA

13. No Strap/One Night (Live-1968)
Memories
June 27 6 PM, 2nd version, Burbank, CA

14. Memories (Alternate-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 24, Burbank, CA Take 2 Master [stereo mix]

15. Saved (Alternate-1968)
Let Yourself Go!
June 22, Burbank, CA Take B7

16. Heartbreak Hotel/Hound Dog/All Shook Up (Live-1968)
Memories
June 29 6 PM, Burbank, CA

17. Can’t Help Falling In Love (Live-1968)
Memories
June 29 6 PM, Burbank, CA

18. Jailhouse Rock (Live-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 29 8 PM, Burbank, CA

BONUS: 19. Don’t Be Cruel (Live-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 29 8 PM, Burbank, CA

BONUS: 20. Blue Suede Shoes (Live-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 29 6 PM, Burbank, CA

21. Love Me Tender (Live-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 29 8 PM, Burbank, CA

22. Baby, What You Want Me To Do (Live-1968)
Memories
June 29 6 PM, Burbank, CA

23. Trouble/Guitar Man (Live-1968)
ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – 50th Anniversary Edition
June 29 8 PM, Burbank, CA

24. If I Can Dream (Alternate-1968)
Memories
June 30, Burbank, CA TV-Take 4 Master

I’ve also created a new Spotify playlist with this version of Electric Dawn. I left the original out there as well.

But wait, there’s more!

Once I broke the 200 barrier, I went back and added even more songs to make an expanded edition of The Elvis Odyssey overall. It’s not as tight as the original, but it gives more of the story. Check it out over on Spotify. I also left the original version of this playlist out there. While I will leave the original version alone, I will keep updating the expanded version as the mood strikes me.

“The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.”
John 1:5

Lost and Found and Lost and Found and Lost and Found

/ TY / 1 Comment

Presented without comment.

From Elvis: The Lost Performances (1992, MGM/UA Home Video, Turner Entertainment Co.):

“The performances you are about to see were rescued from discarded outtakes MGM had stored in an underground salt mine in Kansas.

“They were taken from two of Elvis’ live concert movies, ‘Elvis—That’s The Way It Is,’ and ‘Elvis On Tour,’ produced in 1970 and 1972, respectively.

“Also included in this program is a rehearsal that Elvis did on the MGM lot in 1970.

“None of these performances have ever been seen by the public except, of course, by those who were present when they happened.”

From Elvis: That’s The Way It Is – Special Edition (2001, Warner Home Video, Turner Entertainment Co.):

“In November 1970 MGM released the documentary film ‘Elvis: That’s The Way It Is,’ directed by Denis Sanders. It chronicled Elvis Presley as he returned to the live performances he had abandoned while making movies in Hollywood during the sixties.

“Most of the footage shot was unused in the final film and remained lost in studio vaults.

“Until Now.”

From EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert Official Teaser (2025, NEON, Universal):

“In 1969, Elvis returned to the stage to begin a legendary residency in Las Vegas.

“For 40 years there have been rumors of lost footage.

“During the production of Baz Luhrmann’s ELVIS, it was found.

“This is more than a documentary.

“This is more than a concert film.

“This is Baz Luhrmann’s EPiC: Elvis Presley In Concert.”

VHS covers for ELVIS: THE LOST PERFORMANCES (1992) and ELVIS: THAT'S THE WAY IT IS - SPECIAL EDITION (2001); teaser poster for EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT (2025)

VHS covers for ELVIS: THE LOST PERFORMANCES (1992) and ELVIS: THAT’S THE WAY IT IS – SPECIAL EDITION (2001); teaser poster for EPiC: ELVIS PRESLEY IN CONCERT (2025)

Valley Of Echoes

/ TY / 4 Comments

You’re traveling through a curious dimension of ideas . . . the edge of reality.

Where Nothing's Real - Artwork created for The Mystery Train with assistance from ChatGPT

“Where Nothing’s Real” (Artwork created for The Mystery Train with assistance from ChatGPT)

The Elvis Odyssey

Part IV: Valley of Echoes

It is a time of transition. Fresh from two years of military service, Elvis Presley has returned to the top of the music world, his voice more powerful than ever.

As the industry begins to shift, however, a quiet threat emerges. Lucrative movie deals bring steady success, but at the cost of creative fire.

For loyal fans, glimpses of the dwindling spark that once ignited almost every recording can still shine through. . . .

Listen along on Spotify.

#145 I’m Comin’ Home (1961)
Something For Everybody
Nashville, TN

This song. Wow, just wow. Give me a second, I need to turn the jukebox up again.

I’ve loved “I’m Comin’ Home” since first hearing it in 1987. Floyd Cramer’s magnificent piano absolutely drives this one. The song takes interesting lyrical turns between an almost blues quality and a hopeful note.

This stretch of three songs–“I’m Comin’ Home” through “I Want You With Me”–is another of my favorite sequences in The Elvis Odyssey. All three were recorded in March 1961 at RCA’s Nashville studio.

#146 I Feel So Bad (1961)
I Feel So Bad (Single)
Nashville, TN

“I Feel So Bad” peaks at #5.

In the stereo version of “I Feel So Bad,” listen out for the sax of Boots Randolph moving from left to center in the midst of his solo. This was reportedly due to Elvis being so enthralled by Randolph’s performance that he walked over to him, causing the sax to be picked up through his vocal microphone.

#147 I Want You With Me (1961)
Something For Everybody
Nashville, TN

More Cramer goodness on piano here. That man could play! You’ll hear him on many songs in today’s segment of The Elvis Odyssey. Elvis was blessed to be able to surround himself with top-notch musicians for most of his recordings.

#148 No More (1961)
Blue Hawaii
Hollywood, CA

As Elvis soundtrack albums go, Blue Hawaii is certainly one of the better ones. It is cohesive and has several great songs.

#149 Can’t Help Falling In Love (1961)
Blue Hawaii
Hollywood, CA

“Can’t Help Falling In Love” peaks at #2.

#150 Rock-A-Hula Baby (1961)
Blue Hawaii
Hollywood, CA

After recording the Blue Hawaii soundtrack in Hollywood, Elvis arrives in Hawaii. Before location shooting begins, he performs a benefit concert for the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, which gives the long-stalled tribute to fallen heroes the final push it needs after more than a decade of fundraising struggles.

#151 His Latest Flame (1961)
His Latest Flame (Single)
Nashville, TN

“His Latest Flame” peaks at #4.

#152 Little Sister (1961)
His Latest Flame (Single)
Nashville, TN

“Little Sister” peaks at #5.

#153 Follow That Dream (1961)
C’mon Everybody
Nashville, TN

#154 Good Luck Charm (1961)
Good Luck Charm (Single)
Nashville, TN

“Good Luck Charm” earns Elvis a number one hit.

#155 Night Rider (1961)
Pot Luck With Elvis
Nashville, TN

“Night Rider” is yet another stellar Elvis album cut that should have been a single.

#156 King Of The Whole Wide World (Alternate-1961)
Return Of The Rocker16
Hollywood, CA M7-Take 4 [unedited master]

This extended version of “King Of The Whole Wide World” included the full Randolph sax solo that was unfortunately truncated in the released master.16A Randolph was another key session player from this period that featured on a number of highlights from this timeframe.

#157 You’ll Be Gone (1962)
Do The Clam (Single)
Nashville, TN

I’m not saying that “You’ll Be Gone” would have lit up the charts when it was finally released in 1965, but surely it would have made a better A-Side than “Do The Clam” from the Girl Happy movie? Of course, that would have gone against the approach of Elvis’ manager, Tom Parker, to let the music sell the movies and the movies sell the music.

#158 Suspicion (1962)
Pot Luck With Elvis
Nashville, TN

#159 She’s Not You (1962)
She’s Not You (Single)
Nashville, TN

“She’s Not You” peaks at #5.

#160 Return To Sender (1962)
Return To Sender (Single)
Hollywood, CA

“Return To Sender” peaks at #2.

Elvis: “I’d like to do something someday where I feel that I’ve really done a good job as an actor in a certain type role, but I feel that it comes with time and a little living and a few years behind you. I think that, really. I think that it will come, eventually. That’s my goal.”AF

#161 Bossa Nova Baby (1963)
Bossa Nova Baby (Single)
Hollywood, CA

“Bossa Nova Baby” peaks at #8.

#162 Devil In Disguise (1963)
Devil In Disguise (Single)
Nashville, TN

“Devil In Disguise” peaks at #2.

#163 Witchcraft (1963)
Bossa Nova Baby (Single)
Nashville, TN

#164 Long Lonely Highway (1963)
I’m Yours (Single)
Nashville, TN

Elvis: “[My mother] never really wanted anything, anything fancy. She just stayed the same all the way through the whole thing. I wish–there’s a lot of things happened since she passed away that I wish she could have been around to see that would’ve made her very happy and very proud, but that’s life. I can’t help it.”AG

#165 Viva Las Vegas (1963)
Viva Las Vegas (Single)16B
Hollywood, CA

“Viva Las Vegas” is a stone-cold Elvis classic.

#166 It Hurts Me (Alternate-1964)
Kissin’ Cousins (Single-Italy)16C
Nashville, TN [master, alternate mix]

From “It Hurts Me”: “If you ever tell him you’re through, I’ll be waiting for you. Waiting to hold you so tight. Waiting to kiss you goodnight. Yes, darling, if I had someone like you.”

Elvis is now averaging three movies a year. His music begins to take a backseat to those demands. Other than three songs recorded in January 1964, including “It Hurts Me,” 1964-1965 consists only of movie soundtrack sessions for Roustabout, Girl Happy, Harum Scarum, Frankie and Johnny, and Paradise, Hawaiian Style.17

Meanwhile, the Beatles arrive in America and begin the “British Invasion” with an appearance on the Ed Sullivan Show in February 1964.

Elvis: “At a certain stage, I had no say-so in it. I didn’t have final approval of the script, which means I couldn’t say, ‘This is not good for me.’ . . . I don’t think anybody was consciously trying to harm me. It was just Hollywood’s image of me was wrong, and I knew it, and I couldn’t say anything about it. I couldn’t do anything about it.AH

#167 Run On (1966)
How Great Thou Art
Nashville, TN

In 1966, Elvis’ passion for music finally begins to re-emerge with the recording of How Great Thou Art, a gospel album that earns him his first Grammy Award.

Elvis: “Gospel is really what we grew up with, more than anything else.”AI

#168 In The Garden (1966)
How Great Thou Art
Nashville, TN

#169 Indescribably Blue (1966)
Indescribably Blue (Single)
Nashville, TN

“Indescribably Blue” is one of those midnight brooding Elvis songs, in the vein of “Blue Moon” or “Mystery Train.”

On May 1, 1967, 32-year-old Elvis marries Priscilla Beaulieu in Las Vegas, shortly before her 22nd birthday.

#170 You Don’t Know Me (1967)
Elvis Sings Guitar Man
Nashville, TN

#171 Speedway (1967)
Speedway
Hollywood, CA

Elvis: “I was doing a lot of pictures close together. And the pictures got very similar. A lot of them got very similar. If something was successful, they’d try to re-create it the next time around. So, I’d read the first four or five pages, and I knew it was just a different name with twelve new songs in it. The songs were mediocre in most cases. You can’t get good songs.”AJ

#172 Suppose (Alternate-1967)
Double Features: Easy Come, Easy Go/Speedway
Hollywood, CA Take 1

#173 Guitar Man (1967)
Clambake
Nashville, TN

When no one can duplicate rising country star Jerry Reed’s original guitar style for Elvis’ cover of his “Guitar Man,” producer Felton Jarvis calls in Reed himself, who then plays in a couple of Elvis sessions.

#174 Mine (1967)
Speedway
Nashville, TN

#175 High Heel Sneakers (1967)
Guitar Man (Single)
Nashville, TN

With “High Heel Sneakers,” we hear a hint of the raw, bluesy voice that Elvis will spotlight in his 1968 television special.

#176 Singing Tree (1967)
Clambake
Nashville, TN

#177 You’ll Never Walk Alone (Alternate-1967)
A Life In Music
Nashville, TN Take 2

“You’ll Never Walk Alone” features Elvis on the piano, and in this alternate take he just won’t let the song go. A beautiful performance. While “You’ll Never Walk Alone” is technically a non-secular song, Elvis transforms it into a spiritual song of inspiration.

#178 All I Needed Was The Rain (1967)
Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star And Others
Nashville, TN

Elvis: “I was never indifferent [about the movies]. I was so concerned until that’s all I talked about. It worried me sick. . . . It was nobody’s fault except maybe my own. I didn’t know what to do. I just felt I was obligated very heavy at times to things I didn’t fully believe in, and that was very difficult.”AK

#179 Stay Away (1968)
US Male (Single)
Nashville, TN

On February 1, 1968, Lisa Marie Presley is born in Memphis to Priscilla and Elvis.

#180 Wonderful World (1968)
Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star And Others
Hollywood, CA

From “Wonderful World”: “Heaven is found right here on the Earth. It surrounds us in wonderful things all around in this wonderful, wonderful, wonderful, wonderful world.”

#181 Edge Of Reality (Alternate-1968)
Double Features: Live A Little, Love A Little / Charro / The Trouble With Girls / Change Of Habit
Hollywood, CA [unedited master]

Elvis: “So, I had thought they would try to get a new property for me or give me a chance to show some kind of acting ability or do a very interesting story, but it did not change. It did not change. And so I became very discouraged. They couldn’t have paid me no amount of money in the world to make me feel any self-satisfaction inside.”AL

#182 A Little Less Conversation (Alternate-1968)
Memories
Hollywood, CA Take 2 [acetate version]18

Recorded for the movie Live A Little, Love A Little, the single version of “A Little Less Conversation” barely makes it into the top 70.

With Elvis’ movies and records no longer attracting the audiences they once did, no one is sure how an upcoming television special devoted to the star will turn out.

Elvis Presley will return in The Elvis Odyssey Part V: Electric Dawn.

Assorted Rambles

16Return Of The Rocker (1986) was the first Elvis album I ever personally owned. I was 11-years-old. It obviously influenced me for I realized just now that all 12 songs on that compilation made The Elvis Odyssey. Not even That’s The Way It Is, another favorite album of mine, can say that.

Return Of The Rocker is another well-edited and sequenced release from the Gregg Geller era. It really is a perfect compilation of the 1960-1963 timeframe for Elvis, managing to blend his soundtrack and non-soundtrack recordings in an effective way.

While Ernst Jorgensen’s much broader ELVIS: From Nashville To Memphis – The Essential 60s Masters I (1994) was revelatory in that it resurrected tons of Elvis’ non-soundtrack recordings from being filler cuts on albums otherwise devoted to often poor movie tunes, it also can feel a bit antiseptic. Intersperse the tracks of ELVIS: Command Performances – The Essential 60s Masters II into the former’s sequence, though, for quite a different and improved listening experience. Adhering so strictly to the 5-CD format established by the ’50s set was a detriment to both the ’60s and ’70s sets.↩︎

16AThough I don’t know that it was really publicized at the time, Return Of The Rocker actually featured the debut of this extended master of “King Of The Whole Wide World” with the full concluding sax solo by Randolph. The standard version fades way too early and always sounds incomplete to me. Unfortunately, Spotify had only the standard master and an inferior outtake to choose from so I went with the standard master on that variant of this playlist.↩︎

16BDecember 21, 2025 Original Text and Footnote: The fact that a stone-cold Elvis classic like “Viva Las Vegas” was apparently released as a B-Side to an inferior cover of a Ray Charles tune [“What’d I Say”] boggles my mind.

I say “apparently” because some sources list “Viva Las Vegas” as the A-Side, but I’m going by Ernst Jorgensen’s definitive Elvis Presley: A Life In Music – The Complete Recording Sessions from 1998 for this kind of information. However, I have discovered in life that “definitive” does not always mean “perfect.”

January 19, 2026 Update: Neal Umphred of Elvis: A Touch of Gold pointed me to a scan of the single’s RCA listing notice hosted on Keith Flynn’s Elvis Presley Pages site that indicates “Viva Las Vegas” was the intended A-Side. I’ve accordingly updated the reference above. Thank you to Neal and Keith!↩︎

16CWhen “It Hurts Me” was first released as a single in Italy, it sounded quite different from its U.S. counterpart. It turned out that solely the left channel from the stereo recording had been accidentally used for the mono version in Italy, rather than including the right channel as well. This had the distinct advantage of leaving out the Jordanaires, which makes it my go-to version of the song. Though I had to use the standard version on the Spotify playlist, the standard version actually would not have made The Elvis Odyssey and we would have jumped from 1963 to 1966. ↩︎

171964-1965 was the true nadir of Elvis’ career. Though The Elvis Odyssey is essentially a career-spanning retrospective, it is, admittedly, a bit of a cheat. It is most noticeable here in the “valley.” We skip more than 95% of 1964 and 100% of 1965. I could have included a couple of those songs, I suppose. Despite how bad the movie and most of the tunes are, there are actually two or three good songs on the Paradise, Hawaiian Style album, for instance. But are they better than any of the 200 songs of The Elvis Odyssey? Not to me, anyway. At least not at this time in my life when I am compiling this list.

The problem with skipping all of these low points, though, is that it makes the slow comeback a little less noticeable when playing through. A false impression could be given listening to the tracks the way I have arranged them here that Elvis was solid throughout the 1960s. The thing to keep in mind, though, is that these are the fleeting “glimpses” of his old creative fire that will soon be returning in force. Whereas this 1961–March 1968 stretch produced a whopping 43% of his lifetime studio masters, I’ve cherrypicked to such a degree that this timeframe represents only 19% of the tracks of The Elvis Odyssey.↩︎

18When first released in 1998, this backup acetate recording of “A Little Less Conversation” was reported to be an unused vocal from a remake of the song dropped from Elvis’ 1968 television special. The previously unreleased performance soon took on a life of its own far beyond the original single. It was included in the remake of Ocean’s Eleven (2001) and became the theme song to the television series Las Vegas (2003-2008). It has also shown up in multiple other projects.

In 2002, most notably, the track was remixed by DJ and producer Junkie XL (JXL) for a Nike commercial and later released as a single that topped the charts in multiple countries. While the remix reached only #50 in the US, its inclusion on ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits (2002) helped propel that compilation to the top of the US album charts.

Though it is often still wrongly associated with the June 1968 recordings for the television special, the acetate recording of “A Little Less Conversation” was later revealed to be take 2 from the original March 1968 studio session, whereas the single master had been take 16 from the same date. I have to say, Take 2 has a heck of a lot more bite to it than Take 16 or even Take 10, the version used on the Almost In Love (1970) album. It is unfortunate that the blander takes were chosen for release during his lifetime.↩︎

Sources for Elvis Quotes

AFca. September 1962, Interview, Hollywood, CA↩︎

AGca. September 1962, Interview, Hollywood, CA↩︎

AHca. July 1972 Interview↩︎

AIca. July 1972 Interview↩︎

AJca. July 1972 Interview↩︎

AKca. July 1972 Interview↩︎

ALca. July 1972 Interview↩︎

“But those who trust in the LORD will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Isaiah 40:31