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

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

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

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

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

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