1968

Electric Dawn

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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

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

Elvis At Christmas

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The Elvis Odyssey

Interlude: Elvis At Christmas

Listen along on Spotify.

C1. O Come All Ye Faithful (Alternate-1971)
Memories Of Christmas
Nashville, TN Takes 1 & 2 [splice]

C2. Silver Bells (Alternate-1971)
Back In Nashville
Nashville, TN Take 2 [undubbed master, alternate mix]

C3. Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees (1971)
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas
Nashville, TN

C4. Santa Bring My Baby Back (1957)
Elvis’ Christmas Album
Hollywood, CA

C5. On A Snowy Christmas Night (Alternate-1971)
Back In Nashville
Nashville, TN [undubbed master, alternate mix]

C6. It Won’t Seem Like Christmas (1971)
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas
Nashville, TN

C7. I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day (1971)
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas
Nashville, TN

C8. Winter Wonderland (1971)
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas
Nashville, TN

C9. Santa Claus Is Back In Town (1957)
Elvis’ Christmas Album
Hollywood, CA

C10. I’ll Be Home For Christmas (1957)
Elvis’ Christmas Album
Hollywood, CA

C11. O Little Town Of Bethlehem (1957)
Elvis’ Christmas Album
Hollywood, CA

C12. White Christmas (1957)
Elvis’ Christmas Album
Hollywood, CA

C13. If I Get Home On Christmas Day (1971)
Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas
Nashville, TN

C14. Here Comes Santa Claus (1957)
Elvis’ Christmas Album
Hollywood, CA

C15. If Every Day Was Like Christmas (1966)
If Every Day Was Like Christmas (Single)
Nashville, TN

C16. The Wonderful World Of Christmas (Alternate-1971)
Back In Nashville
Nashville, TN [undubbed master, alternate mix]

C17. I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day (Remake-1971)
Memories Of Christmas
Nashville, TN

From “I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day”: “If I could only borrow one dream from yesterday, I’d be on that train tomorrow. I’d be home on Christmas Day.”

C18. Santa Claus Is Back In Town/Blue Christmas (Live-1968)
Tiger Man
June 27 8 PM Show, Burbank, CA

C19. Merry Christmas Baby (Informal-1971)
Back In Nashville
Nashville, TN Take 1 [undubbed/unedited master, alternate mix]

C20. Silent Night (1957)
Elvis’ Christmas Album
Hollywood, CA

Yesterday's Dream - Artwork created for The Mystery Train with assistance from ChatGPT

“Yesterday’s Dream” (Artwork created for The Mystery Train with assistance from ChatGPT)

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.”
Luke 2:11 KJV

Elvis Presley’s mic-drop moment

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The world needs this song now more than ever.

Thank you, Elvis.

“He always spoke the truth”

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On August 28, 1963, civil rights leader Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., stands at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, and delivers his famous “I Have A Dream” speech during the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

In Elvis Day By Day, Peter Guralnick and Ernst Jorgensen note, “Dr. King’s ‘I Have A Dream’ speech is one of Elvis’ favorite rhetorical pieces, something he recites often over the years” (p. 239).

At the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee, on April 4, 1968, King is silenced by an assassin’s bullet at the age of 39.

Longtime Elvis friend Jerry Schilling describes the singer’s reaction to King’s death when they see the news:

“I’d heard him recite [King’s] beautiful, hopeful words many times. I looked over at Elvis now and saw that he was staring hard at the TV. There were tears in his eyes. ‘He always spoke the truth,’ he said quietly” (Me And A Guy Named Elvis, p. 187).

Elvis is in Hollywood finishing up his 28th movie, Live A Little, Love A Little, and is devastated that the murder took place in his hometown. He also believes it will confirm “everyone’s worst feelings about the South” (Careless Love, Guralnick, p. 297).

Actress Celeste Yarnall, who had a small role in Live A Little, Love A Little, states that she watched King’s funeral on TV with Elvis and held him in her arms as he cried (The Elvis Encyclopedia, Victor, p. 289).

Only nine weeks later, Senator Robert F. Kennedy is assassinated at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles while running for President. This time, Elvis is in nearby Burbank – less than ten miles away. Rehearsals have begun for his ELVIS television special.

A few days later, W. Earl Brown writes “If I Can Dream” for Elvis to close the show. The song can be interpreted as a tribute to both fallen leaders, particularly King. “If I can dream of a better land, where all my brothers walk hand-in-hand, tell me why can’t my dream come true?” pleads Elvis in the song, echoing King’s 1963 speech.

It is a huge departure for Elvis, who has thus far avoided public commentary on social issues. His manager even tries to nix the song, but in a rare moment of defiance, Elvis insists on recording it.

NBC airs the ELVIS special on December 3, 1968, and it becomes the highest-rated program of the week and one of the most-watched specials of the year. “If I Can Dream” turns out not only to be the perfect song to close the special, but also an appropriate way to reflect on a tragic chapter in American history.

Martin Luther King, Jr., would have turned 84 on January 15. Today, the United States observes this hero’s birthday with a national holiday. His words, his ideas, his dreams live on.

New winner takes the victory seat for Elvis Trivialities #13

/ TY

Congratulations to George Millar, who sat his way to victory in Elvis Trivialities #13.

A first-time winner, he receives a freshly baked slice of bragging rights and a chair among The Mystery Train’s Night Riders.

And the answer is…

“NBC” is printed on the backrest of the chair Elvis used during the “sit-down” shows portion of the ELVIS (’68 comeback) television special.

Now, folks, don’t feel bad if you didn’t get this one. For one thing, Elvis is sitting on his chair for most of this segment, so the “NBC” is covered.

I’ve been watching the Comeback Special for over 25 years, but never noticed the chair had anything written on it until my last viewing.

The “NBC” is most noticeable just before Elvis takes his seat in “Black Leather Sit-down Show #1” on DVD 1 of the excellent ELVIS: ’68 Comeback Special – Deluxe Edition.

Elvis and his NBC chair, 1968

Elvis and his NBC chair, 1968

Presumably, all of the chairs on stage carry the NBC designation, but the Elvis one is most visible because the other guys generally remain seated.

* * *

George can now brag to his friends and family that he can conquer obscure Elvis trivia questions like the above against the most knowledgable of fans. If you would like the same opportunity, subscribe to The Mystery Train Blog using the feature in the menu bar to the right. That way, you’ll be notified whenever there is a new post – because you never know when the next trivia challenge will come along.

The Mystery Train’s Night Riders

  • 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)

Empty And Bare: Elvis Trivialities #13

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Welcome to the first Elvis Trivialities of 2013. On June 27, 1968, Elvis Presley performed two shows in the round at NBC Studios in Burbank, California, for his ELVIS television special. Known today as the “sit-down” shows, they featured Elvis on electric guitar jamming with friends and bandmates.

Your question is…

What was printed on the backrest of the chair Elvis used during this portion of the ’68 Comeback Special?

If you’re lookin’ for trivia, you came to the right place! The first person to answer this question correctly in the comments below gets a huge slice of freshly baked bragging rights.

Good luck!

Elvis Trivialities On TheMysteryTrainBlog.com

REVIEW: Elvis – The Complete Masters Collection (Part 5)

/ TY

This is Part 5 of an ongoing series reviewing Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection. Read Part 4.

I’m planning to significantly scale back this review series. I’m actually up to Volume 17 now in listening, as I gave up trying to review them as I go. This is mostly because I was not patient enough to wait. The process was just going too slow and taking away from the enjoyment. However, since I already had a draft of the below review for weeks now, I figured I might as well share it with you.

CD Vol. 7: Complete 1968 Comeback Special

This volume of The Franklin Mint‘s 36-disc Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection (mastered by Vic Anesini) presents songs recorded for the ELVIS television special in June 1968.

Elvis: The Complete Masters Collection - Volume 7

01. Trouble/Guitar Man: This was the perfect way to open both the ELVIS special and the accompanying soundtrack album. Culled from 1958’s King Creole, “Trouble” has never sounded better than it does in this performance a decade later.

In the setting of the special, “Guitar Man” bares little resemblance to Elvis’ 1967 country recording. This version rocks.

Though true to the original album, I would have preferred that the overdubbed applause at the end of this studio track had been omitted for this release. Exceptions were made for other recordings on this set, including on this very CD, and this is another exception I would have welcomed.

02. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy [Live]: In the live, “sit down” segment of the show, Elvis tears into “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy.” This is a terrific rendition that helps set the tone for the entire album. Elvis is back.

Baby, What You Want Me To Do [Live]: Elvis performs a brief snippet of “Baby, What You Want Me To Do” and then launches into a fun bit of reminiscing.

Heartbreak Hotel/Hound Dog/All Shook Up [Live]: The album then transitions to the “stand up” segment with a rocking “Heartbreak Hotel,” combined with strong versions of “Hound Dog” (I love the Native-American-inspired percussion) and “All Shook Up.”

This is the best live version of “Heartbreak Hotel.” Too bad it is part of a medley and incomplete. Years ago, I made an edit of this recording and the one at his first sit down show in order to create a “complete” version for my own personal use (inspired by a similar edit of “Blue Suede Shoes” on This Is Elvis, except mine began with the stand up show and ended with the sit down show).

Sound quality is so excellent on Complete 1968 Comeback Special that it makes a recording flaw in this medley more obvious – a microphone or amplifier feedback sound is present in the background through much of the medley, beginning with “Hound Dog.” When I went back to check, I was surprised to find that this actually existed on previous release sources as well – though not as obvious.

Can’t Help Falling In Love [Live]:  Hands-down, this is the best live version of “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” Absolutely beautiful. Again, here we have excellent sound quality, but that feedback tone is also present at times in the background. I fear it is one of those things where, now that I have heard it, I will not be able to “un-hear” it.

Jailhouse Rock [Live]: For my money, there are really only two killer versions of “Jailhouse Rock.” The 1957 original and this 1968 live recording. Even just a year later, Elvis had lost the raw edge to this song.

Unfortunately, there is noticeable distortion near the end of “Jailhouse Rock,” almost like garbled tape (not the feedback tone discussed earlier). What a disappointment. Not present on previous releases, this issue was first introduced on 2008’s ELVIS: The Complete ’68 Comeback Special boxed set (Disc 3, Track 21). Also on that set, the same version of “Jailhouse Rock” can be heard without the distortion on Disc 1 – which presents the original ELVIS-TV Special album. However, the overall recording is in much lesser sound quality. I understand that tapes can be damaged, but surely a better effort could be made for one of the pivotal moments of Elvis’ career? As this also affected The Complete Elvis Presley Masters, a pricier incarnation of the complete masters [7], Sony should be embarrassed.

Love Me Tender [Live]: I have to admit, though some may not be able to comprehend this, I am not a big fan of Elvis’ original 1956 recording of “Love Me Tender.” It bores me to tears. I definitely prefer his 1968 live versions. As with “Can’t Help Falling In Love” earlier in the show, I love the velvet sound of his voice on this.

03. Where Could I Go But To The Lord/Up Above My Head/Saved: This track begins with Elvis discussing the gospel and rhythm & blues origins of rock ‘n’ roll at one of the sit down shows. It then segues into a medley of studio-recorded inspirational songs. In the actual television special, the medley is a huge production number with Elvis surrounded by dancers while the Blossoms, including Darlene Love, provide backing vocals. Though the recording is great, I find this one much more interesting to watch than only hear.

04. Blue Christmas [Live]: In both the original broadcast version of the ELVIS special and its accompanying soundtrack, creative editing inspired a myth. “I’d like to do my favorite Christmas song, of all the ones I’ve recorded,” Elvis says. He then launches into “Blue Christmas.” For years, people justifiably believed that “Blue Christmas” was Elvis’ favorite Christmas song.

It was not until the 1998 release of Tiger Man, containing the unedited version of the sit down show from which the recording was taken, that the truth became known to a wider audience. It turned out that Elvis did not sing “Blue Christmas” as his favorite but “Santa Claus Is Back In Town.” In fact, though he could not remember some of the words, he sang a bluesy version that was a highlight of that particular show. Not only that, but when he did finally launch into “Blue Christmas,” it was an extended version compared to the original master. So, not only did the TV special and original album create the “Blue Christmas” as Elvis’ favorite Christmas song myth, they even artificially shortened said song.

True to the original master as released in Elvis’ lifetime, the recording here on Complete 1968 Comeback Special matches that of the original album. Elvis performs a terrific version of “Blue Christmas,” far exceeding his 1957 studio recording. I’ll stick to the real story and full-length version on Tiger Man, though.

One Night [Live]: “I think I’ll put a strap around this and stand up,” Elvis says near the end of the first sit down show, but there is no strap to be found for the electric guitar he has borrowed from Scotty Moore. Drummer DJ Fontana announces the next song as “No Strap” and Charlie Hodge, also on stage, sings “No strap today. . .” which Elvis immediately turns into a brief parody of “One Night” by picking up with “. . . 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?”

He then launches into the song proper, including some of the original “One Night Of Sin” lyrics that had been too risque for 1957. He soon stands up, placing one foot on his chair to prop the guitar on his knee, while Charlie (and later Lance LeGault) holds the microphone for him. While some of the “ad-libs” earlier in the night were indeed scripted, Elvis wanting to stand up with the guitar during the sit down show is not one of them. For the second sit down show, though the guitar still had no strap, it was obvious they had worked out more of the logic – including how to adjust the microphone stand, allowing Elvis to stand up a few times. It is this off-the-cuff moment in the first show that holds the real magic, though. All the fun aside, it is also a great, raw performance of “One Night.”

05. Tiger Man [Live]: Though it originally appeared neither on the ELVIS-TV Special album nor the broadcast, “Tiger Man” was actually the first recording released from those made for the 1968 ELVIS special, on the album Singer Presents Elvis Singing Flaming Star And Others. “Tiger Man” was originally slated for the special, but was replaced by “Blue Christmas” at the insistence of Elvis’ manager due to the December air date. “Tiger Man” is another wonderful performance that Elvis drives with the electric guitar. The compiler made a good choice placing it back in context with other songs from the special rather than saving it for a separate disc.

[Side note: Elvis only performed “Tiger Man” on the second sit down show. Near the end of the first sit down show, Elvis states, “We’d like to do one more song for you because we have another audience waiting to come in” and then proclaims, “Man, I just work here,” when the audience sounds disappointed. He then starts looking for the guitar strap as described with “One Night” above. While he was apparently not referring to the closer “Memories” as the “one more song,” I wonder if it was actually “Tiger Man” that he was planning to sing before being inspired to do the impromptu reprise of “One Night”? Most of the renditions on the first sit down show are superior to those of the second, so a first show “Tiger Man” might have been quite the performance if the proper guitar strap had been available.]

06. Memories [Stereo Version]: Though Elvis performed two live versions of “Memories” during the special tapings, they were not nearly as good as his studio master. Rather than use the live recording featured on the television broadcast, the ELVIS-TV Special soundtrack album featured a mono version of the studio recording with overdubbed applause. RCA sure did love faking live versions with overdubbed applause in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

In this instance, the compiler makes an exception and uses a stereo version of the studio recording, fortunately without the fake audience. Technically, this mix was never released in Elvis’ lifetime, though, for even his 1968 single of the studio version was in mono.

Written by Mac Davis, “Memories” is a beautiful song and this is, by far, my favorite version. 1968’s “Memories” would go on to play over the closing credits of 1972’s Elvis On Tour, as well as posthumous documentaries – including This Is Elvis.

07. Nothingville/Big Boss Man: I have often wondered if “Nothingville” was slamming Nashville or Hollywood (“phony little two-bit town where nothing’s real”). If “Nothingville” is about Hollywood and the movies, that puts an interesting spin on this segment of the special – which is more than a little reminiscent of Elvis’ movies anyway.  In any event, the song fits within the context of one of the show’s production numbers, but it is almost too short to really matter. Next up is a carny barker inviting passers-by to experience an exotic dancer. Elvis launches into an altered version of “Big Boss Man” where the one being worked to death is actually the dancer rather than the singer. The song loses most of its blues roots here, but the arrangement is still effective.

Guitar Man/Little Egypt/Trouble/Guitar Man: To be honest, all of track 7 is really a letdown compared to the quality of the rest of the special.

08. If I Can Dream [Stereo Version]: Always a contender for his greatest performance, “If I Can Dream” caps off the special just right – with Elvis moving forward. As with “Memories,” a stereo mix is used here that was not released during Elvis’ lifetime. The album version was in mono and included overdubbed applause on the studio recording, while the single version of the studio recording was in mono as well.

All-in-all, due to the sound issues on “Jailhouse Rock,” and, to a lesser extent, “Hound Dog,” “All Shook Up,” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love,” Complete 1968 Comeback Special turns out to be the most disappointing volume of this set thus far. A real travesty since this is some of his best material. Does anyone bother to listen to Elvis CDs prior to release?

Though a minor issue, the CD also has a misleading title, for it would take several CDs to truly represent the “complete” 1968 “Comeback Special” recordings. This is but a small sampling. Even a few Comeback recordings released during Elvis’ lifetime, if restricted to that, have been left out.

Sources

(7) “Complete Masters compared/contrasted with Franklin Mint” by elvissessions, For Elvis CD Collectors Forum, 2010.

Read Part 6.