The Mystery Train 1.0 Blog

iTunes Speedway: Race for the Elvis Cup

/ TY / 12 Comments
Elvis Presley is Steve Grayson in SPEEDWAY (1968)

Elvis Presley is Steve Grayson in SPEEDWAY (1968, MGM)

On the iTunes Speedway

Ever since I finished backing up all of my Elvis music to iTunes, I have been wanting to do some number-crunching. I usually rate a song when I first place it on iTunes, using the built-in star ratings of 1-5 (I reserve 0 stars to mean “not yet rated”). I then update the rating, if necessary, whenever the track plays.

For updates, I only allow myself to move the song one star rating in either direction per play. That way, if I am in an extremely bad or good mood, it will not overly influence the rating of a given song.

I now have nearly five years worth of data about how I really feel about the songs within my Elvis collection. This will allow me to determine which individual years and multi-year spans are truly my favorites, at least according to the numbers.

My Picks

Before crunching those numbers, though, I used my heart to answer some basic questions. I thought this would make for an interesting comparison against the iTunes race results.

Favorite Elvis Year: 1970
Top Five Elvis Years: 1970, 1968, 1969, 1957, 1955
Favorite 5-year Elvis Span: 1968-1972
Elvis Decade Ranking: 1970s, 1950s, 1960s

Race for the Elvis Cup: The Rules

For this analysis, I eliminated any years for which I had less than 40 Elvis tracks. This resulted in the removal of 1953 (2 tracks) and 1959 (19 tracks). I also eliminated all non-musical tracks (e.g., “Introductions By Elvis,” “Elvis Talks”).

For each of the remaining 23 years, I determined the average star rating for all applicable tracks. I also determined the percentage of tracks from that year that earned a perfect 5-star rating. For instance, the results for 1956 were:

1956
Total Tracks: 164
Average Rating: 3.91 (out of 5)
Perfect 5-star Tracks: 40.24%

The year with the highest average rating received 23 points on down to the year with the lowest average rating, which received 1 point. I then applied this same logic down the line by year for the percentage rankings for perfect 5-star tracks.

This gave each year a score ranging from a low of 2 to a high of 46. However, there were several ties down the line. The tie-breakers were:

1.) Average Rating (i.e., the tied year with the highest average rating wins the position)
2.) (If necessary) Perfect 5-Star Tracks (i.e., the year with the highest 5-star tracks percentage wins the position)

Victory Lane

The results were interesting. Leading the pack was the year 1968, with a perfect score of 46 points.

Nearly 85% of the Elvis tracks I had from 1968 were connected to the ELVIS television special project in some way, so that definitely helped stack the deck. Among them were “If I Can Dream,” one of my all-time favorite songs, and other tracks from Memories: The ’68 Comeback Special, a stellar album that includes the full June 27, 6 PM “Sit Down” show.

Top Five Elvis Years
#1 1968 (46 points)
#2 1970 (43 points, wins 2nd position over 1969 on Average Rating tie-breaker)
#3 1969 (43 points)
#4 1967 (38 points)
#5 1955 (37 points, wins 5th position over 1957 on Average Rating tie-breaker)

The real surprise for me was 1967 making the Top Five. Highlights for 1967 included the September sessions in Nashville that produced standouts like “Guitar Man,” “You’ll Never Walk Alone,” and “You Don’t Know Me.” In fact, alternate takes from that session, many of which are collected on FTD’s Elvis Sings Guitar Man, helped propel 1967 ahead due to the number of five-star ratings.

1965 came in last place, with a minimal score of 2 points (no surprise there). I was surprised that 1977 (5 points) was not able to overtake 1964 (8 points) and wound up as Elvis’ second-worst year.

5-Year Mission

I was also interested in determining my favorite 5-year span. As noted above, I usually say my favorite Elvis time period is 1968-1972, with 1954-1958 running a close second. How did the numbers match against my picks?

To my surprise, it turned out that my favorite 5-year Elvis span was actually 1966-1970, which came in at a whopping 198 points. 1968-1972 earned a collective 183 points, while 1954-1958 came in at 146 points. In other words, this race was not even close.

I often state that the opening salvos of Elvis’ comeback were actually fired in 1966 during the How Great Thou Art sessions, so perhaps I should have seen this coming. 1969 included the Memphis sessions that produced “Suspicious Minds,” “Kentucky Rain,” and “In The Ghetto,” his return to live performances, and even a strong soundtrack on the Change of Habit film. 1970 featured the That’s The Way It Is project, including the Nashville sessions, the summer rehearsals, and the August live performances.

The five-year span that earned the least points was 1961-1965, with a combined total of only 50, barely more than the single year of 1968.

Elvis Decades

Now, to answer that age-old question, what is your favorite Elvis decade? Though 1964 and 1965 are hard to love, I otherwise enjoy Elvis’ entire career. When pressed, however, I state that my favorite decade is the 1970s. What did the numbers say?

Again, they proved me wrong. The 1950s won out, with an average of 29.2 points. Second place was the 1970s, well behind at an average of 22.88 points. This barely edged out the 1960s, which had an average of 22.3 points.

Elvis professionally recorded during only five years in the 1950s, and the quality of his output was much more consistent in that time than in the 1960s and 1970s. The 1970s were brought way down by outliers like 1977 (5 points) and 1974 (10 points), while the same occurred for the 1960s with 1965 (2 points), 1962 (8 points), and 1964 (8 points). However, even the 1950s had its own outlier of 1958 (10 points).

Awarding the Elvis Cup

The analytical side of my personality loved reviewing these numbers. The emotional side of me, though, still believes that 1970 is my favorite Elvis year, no matter what iTunes says.

For me, feelings always rule out in the end, so the Elvis Cup is hereby awarded to 1970, the reigning champion.

Triple Elvis powers a fresh vision of ALOHA FROM HAWAII

/ TY / 8 Comments

WARNING: This review contains major spoilers for Aloha From Hawaii: 40th Anniversary Edition.

Elvis Presley’s 1973 Aloha From Hawaii television special still stands as a significant milestone in his legendary career. The January 14 concert aired live via satellite to certain parts of the world.  Over the next several months, it aired in other locations, including the United States on April 4.

NBC’s US version of the broadcast featured a slightly edited concert, but also included several additional “insert” songs taped after the main show when the audience left the building. With only slight modifications, this was essentially the “standard” version used for rebroadcasts and home video releases through the 1990s.

2004’s Aloha From Hawaii: Deluxe Edition DVD from Elvis Presley Enterprises and BMG featured a new edit of the full concert. In addition to showcasing some new camera angles, it removed many of 1973’s split screen techniques – which had become dated over the years. The set also contained a January 12 rehearsal show taped as a backup, the January 14 insert song session, and the April 4 NBC broadcast. This 2-DVD set is the definitive release of Aloha From Hawaii.

“Definitive” does not always mean “final,” though. On Monday, EPE released a new 2013 edit of the main show on DVD. Originally created for an Elvis celebration in Honolulu that marked the 40th anniversary of the TV event in January of this year, this edition features a wider presentation that makes use of split screens to show multiple camera angles at once.

Unfortunately, EPE has thus far spent very little effort marketing this new version of Aloha From Hawaii. Press releases and product descriptions have been high on hyperbole but low on detail. Therefore, before getting into the fun stuff, I want to start this review by explaining exactly what to expect with the new Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii – 40th Anniversary Edition DVD.

Specifications

Unlike 99% of DVDs professionally released in the last 10 to 15 years, Aloha 40th contains no technical specifications on the back cover, or anywhere else for that matter.

There are no indications of aspect ratio, running time, or audio channels. There is a “Dolby Digital” logo, but that is as close as it comes to giving technical information. Lack of standard details such as these made the product packaging appear amateurish.

Here are the key technical specifications for the main feature (concert), which I derived on my own:

  • Visual format: Anamorphic widescreen (enhanced for 16:9 widescreen TVs)
  • Aspect ratio: 3:1 (approximate)
  • Running time:  77 minutes
  • Audio: English 5.1 Surround (Dolby Digital)
  • Closed captioned: No
  • Disc region: All
  • Disc format: NTSC

Explanation of Aspect Ratio

Aloha 40th has a radically different aspect ratio compared to previous versions. To this point, Aloha From Hawaii has always been presented in its original television aspect ratio of 1.33:1 (also known as 4:3). This means that for every 1.33 units of width, there is 1 unit of height. This new version is over twice as wide, at about 3:1. For every 3 units of width, there is now only 1 unit of height. This is actually wider than most films of today, which are usually 2.75:1.

What all of this means is that there are black bars at the top and the bottom of the Aloha 40th image, no matter the kind of television used to watch it. Old-style 4:3 televisions will have much thicker bars, however, than modern 16:9 televisions.

Below are simulations that compare the standard 1.33:1 Aloha with the widescreen 3:1 Aloha 40th, in terms of image space used on each kind of television. This is not intended to illustrate relative image quality.

Simulation of original 1973 ALOHA FROM HAWAII image on an old-style 4:3 television

Simulation of original 1973 ALOHA FROM HAWAII image on an old-style 4:3 television

Simulation of 2013 ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION image on an old-style 4:3 television

Simulation of 2013 ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION image on an old-style 4:3 television

Simulation of original 1973 ALOHA FROM HAWAII image on a modern 16:9 widescreen television

Simulation of original 1973 ALOHA FROM HAWAII image on a modern 16:9 widescreen television

Simulation of 2013 ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION image on a modern 16:9 widescreen television

Simulation of 2013 ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION image on a modern 16:9 widescreen television

Hanging Out Upstairs at Graceland

When I place Aloha 40th in the disc player for the first time, I do not know what to expect. I am always excited to watch a new Elvis DVD, but I am also afraid that this one will be disappointing. Will the contents be treated in the same amateur fashion as the packaging?

At first, the opening moments are fantastic, with bits of the Aloha press conferences interspersed with shots of the Earth from space.

Then, it zooms down to Graceland in Memphis, Tennessee, and things quickly go awry.

As the camera closes in on Elvis’ bedroom window, there is a knock on the door. The scene cuts inside and the camera takes on the point-of-view of someone exiting his room upstairs at Graceland.

Jerry Schilling is waiting in the hallway for this person, who turns out to be an Elvis imitator wearing an American eagle jumpsuit. Though shot in the present day, the footage is made to look vintage. In fact, it is made to look much older than 1973 for some reason.

In the background, the annoying “Also Sprach Zarathustra” substitute song that was used during backstage portions of Elvis On Tour (1972) and This Is Elvis (1981) plays. With fake “Also Sprach Zarathustra” as his introduction, is fake Elvis about to take the stage for a concert right there in real Graceland?

Not quite. The real Jerry takes fake Elvis down the stairs, through the den, and out real Graceland’s back door.

In the backyard, the real Joe Esposito is waiting to take them to a blue and white helicopter that has landed in the pasture.

These opening moments are reminiscent of both This Is Elvis and Elvis Lives: The 25th Anniversary Concert (released 2007). Ignoring for a moment that the unnecessary use of an Elvis imitator made me queasy, the new opening also left me with more questions than answers:

  • Jerry and Joe are both their present-day selves, so if this footage represents 2013, who exactly are they supposed to be retrieving from Elvis’ bedroom? His spirit?
  • If this footage is supposed to represent 1973, then why is (fake) Elvis already wearing his jumpsuit? Graceland is over 4,000 miles from Honolulu.
  • Where is that helicopter supposed to be taking fake Elvis anyway? To the airport? Elvis always took a car to the airport.

Surely, the creators of this segment are not trying to imply that fake Elvis, after being put out to pasture wearing his fake jumpsuit, rides that helicopter all the way to Honolulu? Everyone knows that when (real) Elvis arrives in Honolulu, he is in a green helicopter and wearing a corduroy suit.

Besides, if they really wanted to impress me, they would have loaded fake Elvis on the real Lisa Marie airplane and used CGI to show the plane take off for Hawaii right from Elvis Presley Boulevard. Sure, Elvis had not yet acquired his own plane at the time of Aloha, but why try to introduce logic into this insanity now?

Yes, I am nitpicking what is obviously supposed to be a fun little segment played for laughs. However, I watch Aloha to see the genuine article, not an imitation, so this poor opening almost spoiled the DVD for me.

Almost.

Then, the scene cuts to the familiar 1973 show opening – enhanced for widescreen. As the satellite graphic appears on screen, morse code begins to spell out E-L-V-I-S.

Soon enough, fake Elvis is wiped from memory as real Elvis takes the stage in all his dazzling glory. Except now, there are three of him!

The Triple Elvis Threat

Example of the split screen technique used in ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Example of the split screen technique used in ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

Throughout most of Aloha 40th, there is a main camera angle in the middle section of the screen, with two slightly smaller, cropped angles on the left and right sections of the screen. This configuration is used in one of three ways:

  • One angle: Same angle repeated in all three sections
  • Two angles: One angle in middle section, a second angle repeated on both sides
  • Three angles: A different angle in each section

I did not attempt to measure this, but my rough observation is that the two angle configuration of the three sections is used most often, while the three angle configuration is used least often.

The real power of Aloha 40th is being able to view multiple angles at once, so I found the one angle use to be disappointing in most cases. However, when used appropriately, it could still be effective.

With at least two different camera angles on screen at most times, there are undoubtedly some new angles mixed in there that have not been seen on previous releases. One of my favorites that I have noticed so far is Elvis giving a nervous look directly into the camera during James Burton’s “Steamroller Blues” guitar solo. I love moments like this, which humanize Elvis. He has become such a legend, such an icon in death, that his underlying humanity is sometimes lost. He was a real man, after all, who could get nervous on stage.

Watching the split screen angles is a treat, but it also gives my eyes a real workout. I keep scanning back and forth, trying not to miss anything. Meanwhile, the fast, modern editing techniques, including many jump-cuts, also leave me trying not to blink.

While the screen contains three sections most of the time, there are also segments where it splits into dozens of images at once – though still only one or two different angles. Those segments, which are thankfully brief, look like cheap gimmicks, as if someone was allowed to play with Microsoft Movie Maker too long.

"There is nothing wrong with your television set." Visual overloads, such as the above, are thankfully rare in ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

“There is nothing wrong with your television set.” Visual overloads, such as the above, are thankfully rare in ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION

To be fair, I am certain that the visual overload segments look far better in the environment for which this edit was originally created: Display on a huge movie screen in a large concert arena.

As for the concert, the complete version is used, meaning it includes the “lying like a rug,” “general flunky,” Jack Lord introduction, and other small lines cut from the NBC version.

All of the concert songs appear, including “Johnny B. Goode,” the song Warner Home Video was unable to secure usage rights for in its 2010 Blu-ray and DVD release of Elvis On Tour. EPE was either better at securing a deal with Chuck Berry than Warner, or the terms of its circa-2004 deal allowed for this release as well.

Insert Songs

Most of the “insert” songs from the NBC version of the special are included as well. Different imagery appears in these songs than in the 1973 versions, though.

Inserted between “You Gave Me A Mountain” and “Steamroller Blues,” “Early Morning Rain” contains various shots of Hawaii while Elvis is shown singing on stage after the audience has left.

“Blue Hawaii” features Elvis on stage again, but this time the additional sections are used as a scrapbook of sorts, showing various still photos of Elvis in Hawaii over the years, including production photos from Blue Hawaii, Girls! Girls! Girls!, and Paradise, Hawaiian Style. There are several images that I do not recall seeing before. However, I am not a photo collector, so they might be common.

Since Elvis sings most of “Blue Hawaii” with his eyes closed, the impression is given that he is thinking back on the events shown in the montage. It is an extremely effective sequence, though, in reality, Elvis is probably thinking, “Man, I just finished the biggest show of my career, why am I still stuck here singing to an empty room?”

While previously inserted between “Hound Dog” and “What Now My Love,” “Blue Hawaii” is now placed between “I Can’t Stop Loving You” and “Hound Dog” for some reason. Perhaps the “lying like a rug” line seemed too abrupt of a stopping point to move to the insert. I prefer it in its original position, though.

“Hawaiian Wedding Song” is omitted (as is “No More,” technically, but that was left out of the 1973 broadcast as well, so I am not counting that one). It is the only missing song, and its absence after “I’ll Remember You” does not leave near the same hole as the absence of “Johnny B. Goode” did for the opening of Elvis On Tour.

The remaining insert song is “Ku-u-i-po,” which appears in its traditional spot after “Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On.” At first, I am annoyed that only two sections of screen appear, neither of which include Elvis singing in 1973.

Then, it happens.

The Surprise

Right there, in the middle of “Ku-u-i-po,” with no fanfare, no preparation, comes footage of Elvis appearing live in Hawaii.

In 1957.

In color.

It is 30 seconds long.

But . . . wow.

This previously unreleased footage is part of a new exhibit at Graceland, called Elvis’ Hawaii: Concerts, Movies and More.

While the split screen techniques of Aloha 40th will someday seem as dated as the 1973 versions did by 2004, the real legacy of this release, what it will be remembered for long-term, will be those 30 seconds of 1957 footage.

Audio

In no way do I claim to be an audio expert, so all I can do is present my subjective opinion on this topic as a layman. My first impression of Aloha 40th‘s 5.1 audio was that I did not like the new mix.

For instance, there seemed to be little use of the rear speakers, except for background singers. In addition, Elvis’ vocal was far too prominent for my taste.

As a comparison, I played “An American Trilogy” from the original pressing of the 2004 edit of Aloha versus the same song on the 2013 edit. While the 2004 mix also has room for improvement, it is far better, in my view, than the 2013 mix. The 2004 mix has a fuller sound with more ambience.

The difference in mixes is best exemplified by what I refer to as the musical “cannon fire” portion of “Battle Hymn of the Republic,” the part where the orchestra goes, boom! Boom!! BOOM!!!

On the 2004 mix, you are the one under fire. In the 2013 mix, the cannons are merely firing off at someone else in the distance.

My primary listening for Aloha 40th was on a six-speaker surround system that used the Dolby Digital encoding (left, center, right, left rear, right rear, and sub). I also listened to selections on a standard two-speaker stereo setup (left and right).

Unlike the 2004 edition, there is not a dedicated stereo track available. Presumably, this means it is left to one’s audio equipment to convert the 5.1 sound to 2.0. In my case, it sounded fine. In some ways, I enjoyed it more than the true 5.1 version, but that might be due to having lower expectations.

Video

As shown in the aspect ratio image examples above, the tradeoff of the multiple angles on Aloha 40th is that the visuals are now smaller overall, using less screen space.

That being said, video quality never jumped out at me as a significant issue on this release. I also do not claim to be a video expert, though, so I only present my perspective as a fan who has watched and enjoyed Aloha From Hawaii for years.

Overall image quality is about the same as the 2004 edition, which was very clean. Once again, I used “An American Trilogy” to make most of my comparisons.

Some of the video footage this time out has an occasional darker look, though, but that may be an intentional effect. Though I noted it, it was not distracting.

Coloring sometimes varies from angle to angle. For instance, Elvis’ jumpsuit sometimes looks white, while other times it is an off-white. Due to the many factors that could cause this, though, I am not prepared to blame the variances on this release in particular. In fact, I am almost sure this has always been the case. The split screens simply make it easier to detect.

One of the things that surprised me was that the 2013 image often appeared crisper than the 2004 version. Since I was watching on a high-definition television, this unexpected benefit was likely due to the comparatively low-resolution image not having to be artificially expanded as much for the increased resolution of modern TVs.

My primary viewing of Aloha 40th was on a 73-inch widescreen TV, from a distance of about ten feet. I also viewed selections on a 27-inch widescreen monitor, from a distance of about three feet. Unfortunately, I did not have ready access to an old-style TV to test how Aloha 40th appears in that format.

Due to the extremely wide aspect ratio and split screen technology, larger, widescreen televisions will obviously have better results than smaller units. However, even on the 27-inch widescreen, Aloha 40th was still enjoyable.

Extras

Aloha 40th also includes the following bonus content:

  • 40th Anniversary Aloha From Hawaii Celebration: A four-minute documentary, which, combined with the main show, certainly makes this DVD a fine souvenir for those fortunate enough to participate in Graceland’s Elvis-themed Hawaiian vacation package earlier this year. It just makes the rest of us jealous, though.
  • Elvis’ Hawaii: Concerts, Movies, and More! Exhibit: A five-minute documentary about Graceland’s new exhibit, narrated by Angie Marchese, EPE’s Director of Archives, who created the exhibit. This documentary does a great job in the time allotted explaining what went into creating the new exhibit, as well as giving a nice walkthrough of its contents. This is another chance to see that spectacular 1957 concert footage, by the way. This documentary also reminds me that I really need to go back to Graceland one day.
  • Aloha From Hawaii Press Conferences: Five minutes worth of footage from Elvis’ September and November 1972 press conferences. I have seen this footage elsewhere in better condition.

Though I will not watch them very often, the extras are fine. I especially enjoyed the one about the exhibit, which acts as a commercial for Graceland without being obvious about it.

The only additional item I would have preferred in a release of this nature would have been a “making of” documentary about the 2013 edit.

Booklet

The booklet that accompanies the Aloha 40th DVD is actually a modified version of the program given at the 40th anniversary event in January. Though it is nicely assembled, the 12-page booklet contains typical information and pictures. It contains no further details about the DVD. Even the song-listing included is noted as supposedly being for the 1973 NBC broadcast version.

Overall Verdict

Ultimately, the wide format and split screens of Aloha 40th work better than I imagined they would, and they serve to shed new light and energy upon a concert that has become so familiar to Elvis fans. Use of split screen technology returns Aloha to its roots, albeit in modern form.

Aloha 40th should not replace previous edits of Aloha From Hawaii, though. Instead, it should stand alongside them as another viewing alternative.

I know there are some fans who do not enjoy Aloha From Hawaii. They criticize it for a multitude of reasons: Elvis is sluggish, Elvis is nervous, Elvis disrespects his older hits, etc.

While many of those kinds of observations are indeed valid to some extent, I cannot help but love Aloha From Hawaii anyway. While Elvis was alive, it was really his last moment in the international spotlight. Though it might never be in serious contention as his best show, I still find it hugely entertaining and compelling.

If you have not been a fan of Aloha From Hawaii to this point, this DVD is not likely to change your mind. No amount of special editing could ever do that.

If, on the other hand, you already enjoy Aloha From Hawaii and are willing to embrace change, then the Elvis: Aloha From Hawaii – 40th Anniversary Edition DVD is a must.

Once Elvis took the stage, I had a big smile on my face the entire time.

It’s Elvis. It’s fun. What more could I ask?

Booklet cover for ELVIS: ALOHA FROM HAWAII - 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (2013)

Booklet cover for ELVIS: ALOHA FROM HAWAII – 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (2013)

A fleeting moment

/ TY
Elvis, 1958

Elvis Presley: January 8, 1935—August 16, 1977

“To live in the hearts we leave behind is not to die.” –Thomas Campbell

We can solve the mystery if we try

/ TY / 10 Comments

Frequent commenter Ray Faithfull recently emailed me the following mystery:

I watched a clip posted on facebook for the song “We Can Make The Morning”….then it dawned on me that it was longer than the Now album release and the FTD release by almost 30 seconds..I figured you would be the person to go to for some insight as to how many takes of this song were actually done and what and where have they been released??

Was take 1 the master take that went for over 4:30 and was simply faded at 3:48 for the final cut ??

I have included the link to the video i am referring to with the version i had not heard or at least not completely?? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GGIMKq-qwOM

Though I did not know the answer right off the top of my head, Ray had obviously placed a lot of faith in me (no pun intended . . . I think), so I felt compelled to research this for him.

First, I checked iTunes, where I have meticulously cataloged every unique Elvis track I own. To my surprise, the only version of “We Can Make The Morning” I have is the master recording, as released on Elvis Now.  My iTunes version of the 1971 track, sourced from the circa-2007 Vic Anesini remastering effort as released on Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection, clocks in at 3:59. However, the last five seconds of that are silence.

"We Can Make The Morning" on iTunes

“We Can Make The Morning” on iTunes

I pulled out my vintage 1972 vinyl edition of the Elvis Now album, and it indicated a run time of 3:54 for “We Can Make The Morning.” So, I had approximately six seconds more song than Ray’s 3:48 source, but nowhere near the 4:44 of the YouTube video. Though I am fairly obsessive about obtaining alternate takes of songs that Elvis formally recorded between 1969 and 1976, I certainly do not own every Elvis release. Perhaps this extended version was on an album I did not have.

Checks of the Elvis Now FTD edition liner notes and Ernst Jorgensen’s essential Elvis Presley: A Life In Music – The Complete Recording Sessions book provided no useful information in this case. Next, I went to my favorite source for alternate take information, the incredible Elvis Recording Data/Session Notes section of the Elvis In Norway site. There, I also found only one entry for “We Can Make The Morning,” the master recording (B-side single), with time listed as 3:54.

I only collect official releases, so my next thought was that the 4:44 version might be from a bootleg. Elvis In Norway’s Session Notes section fortunately does not muddy the water by including those, so I went to another reliable source that does incorporate bootleg information, the Recording Sessions section of Keith Flynn’s Elvis Presley Pages site.

There I found three matches for “We Can Make The Morning”:

A note on the May 20 / 21 page indicates, “Tape reel #2 from this session is missing, and this is the reel that would have included […] the outtakes of We Can Make The Morning,” so that effectively ruled out an alternate take of the song.

The undubbed master has apparently never been released, nor has the May 25 string overdubs version. Only the completed June 21 version, with overdubbed brass and strings, has been released (i.e., the one from Elvis Now).

However, the site lists the track as 4:11. That’s 17 seconds closer to 4:44, but still not enough. The 4:11 version of the song was released on the bootleg Unedited Masters: Nashville 1971 by the Venus label. There, “We Can Make The Morning” is listed as the “unedited, overdubbed master.” I do not have the album to verify whether the track fades at the end but, assuming the Venus information is correct, that leaves at least 33 unaccounted seconds that are in the video.

After all of this, I finally decided to take a listen to the YouTube video, which had been created by a fan. The visual imagery, interspersing photos of Elvis in life with photos of fans at candlelight vigils in the years after his death, was not to my liking, so I stopped paying attention to the video and just listened to the audio. Not only did it go to 4:44, but the song had not even fully faded at that point.

What was going on here? Though I did not detect anything the first time through, my guess was that a portion of the song had been re-looped somewhere (i.e., a part of the recording had been replayed to artificially make the song longer). On my second listen to the 4:44 video, I played the Elvis Now version at the same time. Whatever potential monkey business had occurred within the song was definitely happening near the end.

My third and fourth listens revealed that 3:28 in the video is a repeat of 2:48. For example, listen how Elvis draws out “night” at 3:33, which is an exact duplicate of how he sings it at 2:53 in the video.

Essentially, someone has artificially added at least 40 seconds to the audio track on the “We Can Make The Morning” YouTube video by repeating a portion of the song – most likely to suit the purposes of the photo montage. Other than the abrupt ending, the audio editing is actually quite seamless. However, I will stick with the original version.

Thanks for the great question, Ray, and for inspiring today’s post.

Case closed.

Close-up of ELVIS NOW back cover (1972)

Close-up of ELVIS NOW back cover (1972)

Elvis Presley Enterprises to release ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD in mid-August

/ TY
ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD (2013)

ALOHA FROM HAWAII: 40th ANNIVERSARY EDITION DVD (2013)

This product snuck up on me in the recent official Elvis products catalog. As far as I can tell, there has been absolutely no publicity thus far about a DVD release of Aloha From Hawaii: 40th Anniversary Edition. Nevertheless, Elvis Presley Enterprises is set to release the new DVD in less than two weeks, on August 16.

It will contain the 2013 edit of the concert as shown earlier this year in Hawaii. The new edition features split screen visuals that expand the viewing area, resulting in a more theatrical presentation than the standard television editions seen in the past. Time will tell, but I’m hopeful this expanded width will look terrific on modern 16:9 widescreen TVs.

Here is the item description:

Elvis Presley made television and entertainment history with his “Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii” concert television special. The performance took place at the Honolulu International Center, now known as the Neal Blaisdell Arena, on January 14, 1973. It was beamed live via Globecam Satellite to various countries, on a delayed basis to approximately 30 European countries and first aired in the U.S. on April 4 on NBC. The viewing audience was estimated at over one billion worldwide.

In celebration of the 40th anniversary of “Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii,” fans from around the world gathered in Honolulu in January 2013 for five days of celebrations. The highlight of the week was a screening of a special re-edited version of “Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii,” that was shown at the Blaisdell Arena on January 14, exactly 40 years to the day Elvis performed there.

The re-edited version, which includes rarely-seen footage and audio, received rave reviews from critics and fans alike. This special 40th anniversary edition offers a new look at Elvis during one of his most outstanding concert performances of his career.

ELVIS ALOHA FROM HAWAII
• Re-edit of “Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii” as seen at the Blaisdell Arena in Honolulu on January 14, 2013

BONUS FEATURES • Event footage from the “40th Anniversary Aloha from Hawaii Celebration” in Honolulu in January 2013
• A Look Inside the New “Elvis’ Hawaii: Concerts, Movies and More! Exhibit” at Graceland
• Clips from Elvis’ “Aloha from Hawaii” Press Conferences
• Replica Booklet of Program from January 14, 2013 Screening Event

I’ve read this a few times, and it sounds almost too good to be true. In the back of my mind, there is a nagging question that I wish would go away: Have any songs been removed from the 2013 edit of the concert?

August 7, 2013, Update: According to a Shop Elvis email blast that went out today, the release date on this item is now August 19. Unfortunately, no further details on the the technical specifications.

August 22, 2013, Update: Check out my full review of Aloha From Hawaii: 40th Anniversary Edition DVD.

REVIEW: Elvis – The Complete Masters Collection (Part 6)

/ TY

This is Part 6 of an occasional series reviewing Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection. Read Part 5.

CD Vol. 8: Country Roots

This volume of The Franklin Mint‘s 36-disc Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection (mastered by Vic Anesini) presents songs that the booklet describes as follows:

“Elvis’ renditions of some of the biggest country songs ever. His tribute to country music and the legends who created it: Hank Williams, Red Foley, and many others.”

This sounds like a potential winner to me, but let’s see how it plays out.

Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection - Volume 8

Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection – Volume 8

01. I Love You Because: Of the 21 songs that make up this CD, the compiler could not have made a choice worse than “I Love You Because” to use as the lead-off track. When Elvis Presley made this recording at SUN Records in 1954, owner and producer Sam Phillips wisely rejected it. Shortly thereafter, Elvis, bassist Bill Black, and guitarist Scotty Moore “stumbled upon” the rock ‘n’ roll sound when horsing around with “That’s All Right.” Unfortunately, RCA Records – beginning a trend that would last for the rest of Elvis’ life – dug “I Love You Because” out of the rejects pile and issued a spliced version in 1956 not only on the Elvis Presley LP but as the A-Side of a single! The single failed to chart, and this recording is of interest only as a historical curiosity. (Recorded: 1954)

02. Blue Moon Of Kentucky: “Blue Moon Of Kentucky,” on the other hand, is a perfect representation of “Elvis Country.” A rhytym & blues-infused take on a country/bluegrass song, “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” served well as the B-Side of “That’s All Right” (a country-infused take on a rhythm & blues number). In some markets, “Blue Moon Of Kentucky” was more popular than the A-Side – likely because the song was a little more conventional for those audiences than the comparatively wild “That’s All Right.” (Recorded: 1954)

03. I’ll Never Let You Go: “I’ll Never Let You Go” is another 1954 SUN reject that RCA issued in 1956 on the Elvis Presley LP and as an A-Side single. While not stellar, this one is far more listenable than “I Love You Because.” This one features a slow start before eventually speeding up – a precursor of what Elvis would do not only on “Milkcow Blues Boogie” later that year, but also on live versions of “Hound Dog” years later in 1972. (Recorded: 1954)

04. How’s The World Treating You: “How’s The World Treating You” is a decent recording by Elvis. This one is slow and sleepy, as with the beginning of “I’ll Never Let You Go.” Unlike that track, however, this one stays slow and sleepy. (Recorded: 1956)

05. Old Shep: Elvis had been singing Red Foley’s “Old Shep” since childhood before he formally recorded it in September 1956. As a dog-lover, I find this melodramatic yet effective song hard to listen to at certain points in my life – depending on how my dog is doing at the time. I take these things to heart. A great, classic Elvis recording. (Recorded: 1956)

06. Your Cheatin’ Heart: I love Elvis’ take on Hank Williams’ “Your Cheatin’ Heart,” though I slightly prefer a more enthusiastic alternate take over this master. It would be years before Elvis made such an overtly country recording again. (Recorded: 1958)

07. A Fool Such As I: There is very little country left in Elvis’ iconic version of “A Fool Such As I,” a song that had been previously recorded by Hank Snow. (Recorded: 1958)

08. It’s A Sin: “It’s A Sin” was first recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1947. Elvis’ version is pretty, but a little lethargic for my tastes. (Recorded: 1961)

09. Just Call Me Lonesome: In addition to the How Great Thou Art sessions, another early sign of the comeback was Elvis returning to country music. “Just Call Me Lonesome” is a great representative of that return. What I love about “Elvis Country” is that instead of whining sounds sometimes associated with the genre, Elvis usually provides velvet vocals. (Recorded: 1967)

10. You Don’t Know Me: Elvis’ moving rendition of Eddy Arnold’s “You Don’t Know Me” was unfortunately buried on the Clambake soundtrack album. The first version I ever heard of “You Don’t Know Me” was actually by Ray Charles. The first time I heard it, in the original theatrical cut of Groundhog Day, I remember wishing that Elvis had recorded it. I was pleasantly surprised a few years later when the unknown-to-me Elvis recording surfaced on From Nashville To Memphis: The Complete 60s Masters I. Incidentally, Elvis also recorded a different version of “You Don’t Know Me” for the Clambake movie, but it is far inferior to this re-recording and was not released until after his death (other than in the actual movie). (Recorded: 1967)

11. I’m Movin’ On: Next up are some songs recorded at American Sound Studios in Memphis in early 1969, not long after the successful airing of the ELVIS television special. At first, “I’m Movin’ On” sounds a little too country, but then Elvis rocks into it to produce a spectacular version. (Recorded: 1969)

12. I’ll Hold You In My Heart (Till I Can Hold You In My Arms): “I’ll Hold You In My Heart” is an appealing little song that Elvis sings into the ground, ultimately going nowhere. (Recorded: 1969)

13. After Loving You: One of the huge highlights of the American sessions, “After Loving You” features the “new” Elvis at his best. Elvis had been playing around with this song at home for years, even taking a stab at piano on an earlier take at this session before giving up the keys. One of the best recordings of his career. (Recorded: 1969)

14. It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’: “It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin'” is another pretty song that really does little to stand out among Elvis’ stellar 1969 recordings. (Recorded: 1969)

15. Little Cabin On The Hill: Versions of the next five songs were featured on the 1971 album I’m 10,000 Years Old: Elvis Country, often considered one of his finest. However, these mixes and edits are actually from the 1995 Walk A Mile In My Shoes boxed set. They do not match the original masters from Elvis Country. Here, Elvis launches into a Bill Monroe impersonation he had been fooling around with since at least 1956, as evidenced by the Million Dollar Quartet jam session. Good stuff. (Recorded: 1970)

16. I Really Don’t Want To Know: Elvis owns “I Really Don’t Want To Know,” one of the best on Elvis Country or any of his other albums. I love the piano work on this one by David Briggs. (Recorded: 1970)

17. Faded Love: I much prefer the shorter edit of “Faded Love” as released during Elvis’ lifetime than this overly long 1995 version. Anyway, Elvis does a fine, if forgettable, job on the Bob Wills classic. (Recorded: 1970)

18. Tomorrow Never Comes: Elvis delivers one of his most powerful performances on “Tomorrow Never Comes.” The song starts softly and slowly builds into a breathtaking, accusatory crescendo that Elvis actually had to re-record as an insert. Again, one of the very best songs of his career. (Recorded: 1970)

19. Make The World Go Away: I love hearing Elvis’ version of well-known songs, and “Make The World Go Away” is no exception. That voice. You gotta listen to James Burton on guitar on this one, too. Burton helped define the sound of Elvis’ final decade, and it is no wonder Elvis was reluctant to take the stage without him. (Recorded: 1970)

20. Green, Green Grass Of Home: I first heard Elvis’ version of “Green, Green Grass Of Home” on an RCA cassette tape I had in the 1980s called Elvis Country, one of two tapes by that name I owned – both of which had completely different lineups from each other as well as his 1971 album of the same name. Though recorded five years later for the Today sessions, this song would have fit in well on the real Elvis Country album as well. As with the much-maligned “My Boy,” this is the kind of dramatic song that often spoke to Elvis and that I, for one, enjoy hearing him sing. (Recorded: 1975)

21. Are You Sincere: Coming right after “Green, Green Grass Of Home,” Elvis’ voice sounds comparatively weaker on “Are You Sincere.” This goes against conventional Elvis wisdom, as this one was recorded two years earlier. They were recorded in different studios with different equipment, so any number of factors could be involved. Still, “Are You Sincere” is a worthy performance, first released on his 1973 album Raised On Rock. (Recorded: 1973)

While it contains a number of terrific country songs, the individual parts of this CD do not add up to a high-quality whole. Whether due to kicking off with the lackluster “I Love You Because” or the uneveness of the remaining selections, Country Roots never takes off as a compilation. Instead, it feels more random than anything else.

[Read Part 7.]

King Creole: Alec falls just short of record in Elvis Trivialities #15 victory

/ TY / 1 Comment

Danny Fisher’s fake name did not fool Alec, who answered Elvis Trivialities #15 correctly before anyone else. Alec came just a minute short of tying Steve’s record time, which has stood for nearly two years.

And the answer is…

“George” is the name that Elvis Presley’s character first introduces himself as to Nellie (Dolores Hart) in the movie King Creole.

Though Danny meets her earlier in the film, he does not introduce himself to Nellie until he has her right outside of Room 205. Rather than give his real name, he tells her it is George. Within moments, however, he feels so guilty for propositioning her that he reveals his true identity. For a detailed breakdown of this scene, I refer you to the always fantastic work of Sheila O’Malley at the Sheila Variations blog.

Nellie (Dolores Hart) and "George" (Elvis Presley) outside of Room 205 in KING CREOLE

Nellie (Dolores Hart) and “George” (Elvis Presley) outside of Room 205 in KING CREOLE

First-time winner Alec not only gets a big batch of Southern Creole Bragging Rights, but also a spot among The Mystery Train’s Night Riders. An honorable mention also goes out to Gary Wells (AKA Wellsy) for giving the correct answer while Alec’s earlier comment was invisible due to being held for moderation.

* * *

Will you use your real name or a fake one if you win Elvis Trivialities next time? Subscribe to The Mystery Train Blog using the feature in the menu bar to the right. Then, you will be notified whenever there is a new post – because the next trivia challenge could come along at any moment. For all you know, I am typing it out right now.

The Mystery Train’s Night Riders

  • June 14, 2013: Alec (0:18) | Honorable Mention: Wellsy (3:01)
  • 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) | Honorable Mention: John (22:06)
  • 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: Ty stumps the train (no winner)

My grandmother worked in the ticket booth of a theater for decades. I dedicate this series of movie posts to her, who would have turned 103 this year. I often remember her when I watch movies.