FTD

How Great Thou Art up next for FTD Classic Album Series

/ TY

Hey folks,

I’m more than a little under the weather, so I won’t be able to do a real post this week. I did want to mention FTD’s next Classic Album release, the Grammy-winning How Great Thou Art.

As well as the May 1966 sessions that made up the original album, there will also be bonus tracks drawn from June 1966 and September 1967. Definitely will make for an interesting release.

It will be available internationally later this month, usually about a month later for the US.

I hope to be back next week. I have lots of post ideas, just no energy to do them up right.

Perfection, Remixed: Applying the Rules of Elvis to Beyoncé

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Beyoncé Knowles live on stage in Las Vegas, 2009

Beyoncé Knowles live on stage in Las Vegas, 2009

So, I recently bought Above And Beyoncé: Dance Mixes, which features remixes of songs from Beyoncé Knowles’ I Am… Sasha Fierce album.

I’m a Beyoncé fan, but my initial reaction to playing the remixes through a couple of times was disappointment.

The dance rhythms became repetitive and the whole listening experience was tiring by the end. Besides, the original versions were better, so why bother?

However, I stuck them on my iPod anyway and they became part of my normal shuffle rotation. I soon found what I should have realized all along: The remixes were much better out of context.

In other words, a remix of “Sweet Dreams” can sound incredible when you’ve not just heard six other remixes right in front of it.

Why should I have realized this? Because I realized the same thing about Elvis Presley remixes years ago. Elvis remixes date back to 1980’s Guitar Man LP. It featured new background tracks for the following songs:

  • Guitar Man/What’d I Say
  • After Loving You
  • Too Much Monkey Business
  • Just Call Me Lonesome
  • Lovin’ Arms
  • You Asked Me To
  • Clean Up Your Own Back Yard
  • She Thinks I Still Care
  • I’m Movin’ On

Though the “Guitar Man/What’d I Say” single hit #1 on the Country chart in 1981, it became fashionable over the years to hate this album for daring to alter the original versions.

In 2000, FTD apologetically re-released the above songs on CD, along with others from the same remix sessions. The sarcastically-titled Too Much Monkey Business entered my CD collection as soon as it became available. The previously unreleased remixes from that album were:

  • Burning Love
  • I’ll Be There
  • I’ll Hold You In My Heart
  • In The Ghetto
  • Long Black Limousine
  • Only The Strong Survive
  • Hey Jude
  • Kentucky Rain
  • If You Talk In Your Sleep
  • Blue Suede Shoes

Between Guitar Man and Too Much Monkey Business, were any of the remixes better than the originals? Probably not, though there may have actually been one or two contenders (“Clean Up Your Own Back Yard” comes to mind).

Why do they have to be better, though? The fact that they are different and sound “new” is what makes them fun. They do not replace the originals, but stand beside them as another interpretation. You see, I already knew this about Elvis remixes. I just didn’t think at first to apply that line of reasoning to Beyoncé as well.

2002’s “A Little Less Conversation” remix by JXL brought Elvis back to the top of the charts for the first time since, well, Guitar Man! To this day, the JXL remix gets tons of airplay in various media.

I loved the Elvis vs. JXL “A Little Less Conversation,” as well as its follow-up, 2003’s Paul Oakenfold “Rubberneckin'” remix. An alternate remix of “Rubberneckin'” by Jason Nevins from that same time period is also fantastic.

In 2008, DJ Spankox remixed Elvis songs for an entire remix album, Elvis vs. Spankox Re:Versions. Rather than taking relatively obscure songs like “A Little Less Conversation,” Spankox took a bolder approach and went after some of Elvis’ better-known songs, including some of the original Sun masters. Since then, he’s even released a sequel album of additional remixes.

Much like Above And Beyoncé, listening to Too Much Monkey Business or Elvis vs. Spankox Re:Versions as albums in their entireties is really not that enjoyable.

Take the remixes out of that context, though, mix them in with your other music, and suddenly remixes of “Lovin’ Arms” or “Too Much” can sound incredibly fresh. Just don’t play all of your remixes back to back.

* * *

A lot of you are already familiar with the Elvis Today blog, but if you haven’t already done so, be sure to read Thomas’ recent reviews of the book Elvis: Still Taking Care of Business and the Sony Legacy CD On Stage. As usual, Thomas is spot-on in his analysis.

Elvis On Tour: The Official Audio Releases

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Elvis On Tour (1972)

Elvis On Tour (1972)

This is an updated re-posting of an item I first placed on my sci fi/pop culture blog back in January – prior to rolling out The Mystery Train Elvis Blog.

Warner Home Video is releasing Elvis On Tour on Blu-ray and DVD on August 3. The MGM movie features Elvis on the road and in rehearsals in the spring of 1972.

Sandwiched between 1970’s colossal That’s The Way It Is and 1973’s Aloha From Hawaii, the Golden-Globe-winning documentary often seems to be overlooked among Elvis events.

At the time, Elvis On Tour ultimately did not even garner a soundtrack album release – trumped by the As Recorded At Madison Square Garden and Aloha live albums.

Nevertheless, Elvis On Tour shows Elvis in good form, with the effects of his marriage problems with Priscilla only beginning to show their toll. It is a well-assembled film, capturing an important moment in the entertainer’s life. The second documentary produced about him, Elvis On Tour also represents Elvis’ 33rd and final completed movie.

When Warner Home Video remade That’s The Way It Is in 2000, RCA/BMG released a corresponding boxed set of audio material recorded during the filming of the movie. There have since been a number of other That’s The Way It Is themed audio releases.

Since the record label also recorded many of the rehearsals and concerts during the filming of Elvis On Tour, it seems likely that this Blu-ray release will open the floodgates for related audio material.

To celebrate the Blu-ray release, this is one of a series of Elvis On Tour related posts this year. Today, I want to take a look back at what has been officially released to this point on audio from the material recorded for this movie.

Most of these performances were not used in the actual film, though some were. Believe it or not, this is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the audio recordings made for Elvis On Tour. 2010 may turn out to be a very good year indeed for Elvis fans.

This Is Elvis (1981)
Always On My Mind (Rehearsal)
An American Trilogy (Live-April 9, 1972, Hampton Roads, Virginia)

Amazing Grace (1994)
Bosom of Abraham (Rehearsal)
I, John (Rehearsal)
Lead Me, Guide Me (Rehearsal)
Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus/Nearer My God To Thee (Rehearsal)
You Better Run (Rehearsal)

From The Heart (1998)
Separate Ways (Rehearsal)

6363 Sunset (2001)
A Big Hunk O’ Love (Rehearsal)
All Shook Up (Rehearsal)
Heartbreak Hotel (Rehearsal)
See See Rider (Rehearsal)
Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel (Rehearsal)
Until It’s Time For You To Go (Rehearsal)

Close Up: Live In Texas 1972 (2002)
(Live-April 18, 1972, San Antonio, Texas)
All Shook Up
An American Trilogy
Burning Love
Can’t Help Falling In Love
For The Good Times
Funny How Time Slips Away
Heartbreak Hotel
Hound Dog
How Great Thou Art
I Can’t Stop Loving You
Love Me
Love Me Tender
Never Been To Spain
Polk Salad Annie
Proud Mary
See See Rider
Suspicious Minds
Teddy Bear/Don’t Be Cruel
Until It’s Time For You To Go
You Gave Me A Mountain

Elvis On Tour: The Rehearsals (2005)
A Big Hunk O’ Love
Burning Love
For The Good Times
Funny How Time Slips Away
Help Me Make It Through The Night
Hound Dog
Johnny B. Goode
Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
Love Me
Never Been To Spain
Polk Salad Annie
Proud Mary
Release Me
See See Rider
Separate Ways
The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
Young And Beautiful

(The Elvis Session Notes by Oven Egeland site was a valuable resource in compiling this information.)

Could 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Have Been Wrong?

/ TY
Cover of 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong

Cover of 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong

When I order a new Elvis CD on Sony’s Follow That Dream Records collectors label, I usually pick up one of their older releases as well. This month’s release was an upgraded Classic Albums edition of 1972’s Elvis Now. If you haven’t already done so, be sure to check out Thomas’ great review of Elvis Now over on Elvis Today.

My backfill purchase this time to go along with Elvis Now was a 2007 entry in FTD’s Classic Album series, 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong: Elvis’ Gold Records – Volume 2. RCA released the original LP album version in December 1959, near the end of Elvis’ stint in the US Army. The original consisted of the following songs:

Side A
I Need Your Love Tonight (1958)
Don’t (1957)
Wear My Ring Around Your Neck (1958)
My Wish Came True (1957)
I Got Stung (1958)

Side B
One Night (1957)
A Big Hunk O’ Love (1958)
I Beg Of You (1957)
A Fool Such As I (1958)
Doncha’ Think It’s Time (1958)

I’ve actually never bought this specific album in any form until now. When I bought The King of Rock ‘n’ Roll: The Complete 50s Masters set in 1993, I assumed it contained all of the tracks from this album.

Turns out, I was wrong. When I researched the albums for my recent marathon of Elvis songs released during his lifetime, I found that RCA released two slightly different versions of “Doncha’ Think It’s Time” back then.

The first version was the actual single (a splice of takes 47, 40, and 48), and it’s the one I had on The Complete 50s Masters. For whatever reason, they released a second version (a splice of takes 40 and 39) on the 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong album. The second version was the one I was missing.

I don’t try to keep up with each of the thousands of song variations released since Elvis’ death – I pick and choose on those – but I do feel it is important to have all of the ones released while he was alive. I still have variants of four other songs to track down, including one on an FTD release that is no longer available (I waited too long to backfill that one).

The original 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong album is a strong follow-up to 1958’s Elvis’ Golden Records. It contains several classic performances, including “One Night,” one of the best recordings of his career. Other highlights include “Don’t,” “A Big Hunk O’ Love,” and “A Fool Such As I.” The only weak spots are “My Wish Came True” (which needs a Jordanaires & Millie Kirkham mute button) and the lightweight “I Got Stung.”

Outtakes

The FTD edition of 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can’t Be Wrong contains 88 tracks on two CDs. Compared to other Classic Albums releases I’ve bought, I have to say that I love the way FTD presents the outtakes on this release.

Instead of in the somewhat random fashion of other releases, FTD instead presents each one chronologically in order of recording. Each take, even false starts, gets its own track. That means you get to hear the same song several times in a row, which to me is the entire point of this kind of collectors label release.

Okay, so it’s not always a good thing. In the case of “I Got Stung,” you get to hear it 23 times in a row, which is about 22 times too many. For most songs, though, this is usually a great way to hear how Elvis and the band worked until it was just right. To be fair, even “I Got Stung” is better on the last take.

Unfortunately, they were apparently a lot faster to turn off the tape when recording Elvis in the 1950s versus the 1960s and 1970s. When a take is blown, someone usually cuts the tape quickly, so missing for the most part is a lot of the in between song banter that makes this kind of release so much fun.

Incidentally, most of the outtakes presented here are from Elvis’ June 1958 session in Nashville, which took place only three months after his induction in the Army. The weekend session was the only time he formally recorded while in the service.

Bonus Tracks

FTD adds “Ain’t That Loving You, Baby” and “Your Cheatin’ Heart” to the album for this release. “Ain’t That Loving You, Baby” gets 11 takes, including some versions at superspeed.

Beyond the masters, the best tracks for me on this album were actually the three that made up the 1958 Elvis Sails Extended Play album. This was a “talking album only” that consisted of three interviews conducted with Elvis while he was in the Army, shortly before leaving for Germany. It reached #2 on the EP charts.

It contains one of my all-time favorite Elvis quotes. A reporter asks the probing, in-depth question of, “Elvis, what’s your idea of the ideal girl?”

Elvis doesn’t miss a beat, answering, “Female, sir.” The press members erupt in laughter.

In a more serious segment, Elvis talks about his mother, who had passed away only weeks before:

My mother, I suppose since I was an only child that we might have been a little closer […] and Mother was always right with me all my life. And it wasn’t only like losing a mother, it was like losing a friend, a companion, someone to talk to. I could wake her up any hour of the night, and if I was worried or troubled about something, she’d get up and try to help me.”

Though the outtakes are occasionally interesting, it was Elvis Sails and the LP variant of “Doncha’ Think It’s Time” that made this release worthwhile for me.

So, were 50,000,000 Elvis fans wrong? Of course not. This is a great album, whether you bought it in 1959, 2007, 2010, or any other year.

With FTD Elvis Collector Releases, Do You Get What You Pay For? (Conductor’s Reflections #2)

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A comment from Ray on my previous post inspired today’s entry, making me ask, “Are CDs in the Follow That Dream Records collector series worth the price for Elvis fans?”

I’m going to discuss this issue in terms of American dollars and prices because that is the information to which I have easiest access. However, I’m sure that the underlying concepts of what I’m talking about will be applicable in whichever currency you choose to deal in. You’ll just have to do the conversion for yourself, because I’m too lazy to do that.

The cost of your average FTD collector release CD is about $29.98 US. At least here, these releases are not available in stores, so you’re also likely going to be paying for shipping. Standard shipping is going to run you about $6.85. If you buy more than one at a time, which I tend to do, you can often save on overall shipping.

However, to keep our example simple, I’ll include shipping in the price of the CD and assume we’re talking about buying just one release at a time. That brings our grand total to $36.83. For convenience, we’ll even round that up to $37.

At first glance, that seems like a hefty price for a CD release. However, whether it is worth it depends on which FTD you are buying. The recent Good Times release contained 47 tracks spread over two CDs. That works out to about $0.79 a track.

The average price for downloading a music track on iTunes or Amazon is $0.99. You’ve saved $0.20 a track, plus received the full-fledged CD versions in perfect sound and a booklet packaged in a nice case about the length and width of an old 45 RPM record sleeve. In addition, many of these tracks are not even available on iTunes or Amazon (they should be, but that’s an editorial for another day).

The single disc releases, of course, give you less overall value per track. The High Sierra concert release I was talking about in my last post is one CD at 28 tracks. That works out to about $1.32 a track. If it turns out to be a great concert, that is probably worth it. If it’s a dud, then you’re probably better off saving your money for a different release. We won’t know for sure until it’s released and the online reviews start rolling in.

Most of the single disc releases come in a smaller case and do not include a booklet. Coming in at 21 tracks, last year’s single disc The Wonder of You works out to $1.76 a track.

That’s a steal, worth every single penny. This August 13, 1970, performance is one of the best FTD releases thus far. I would have been willing to pay double the price or more.

I don’t buy every FTD release, though. Far from it. At around 12 releases a year, the $37 price tag prevents me from doing that. This is probably a good thing, because it makes me be selective rather than blindly buying every release simply because it has the name “Elvis” on it.

I have found that the best Elvis purchases are CDs and DVDs, so if you’re debating between an FTD CD and an Elvis “collectible” rubber ducky, PEZ dispenser, bobble head, or what have you, do yourself a favor and spend the money on the CD. At least you’re getting something that Elvis had some hand in creating. Who cares about a bobble head?

When you’re buying FTDs, especially those that have already been out for awhile, it’s always a good idea to check online for reviews. Find a reviewer out there that you trust. For me, I go with the opinions of Thomas over at Elvis Today. We tend to agree on most things Elvis – so if he likes a release, I’ll probably like it, too. (By the way, if you haven’t already, be sure to check out his great FTD-related post this week.)

With over 80 FTDs to choose from so far, you’ll find that some are well worth the price and others may spend more time on your shelf than in your CD player.

Finally, we have to remember that this is a collectors label with a very limited distribution. We pay a premium at times, but it sure beats only being able to buy mainstream releases like Elvis 75: Good Rockin’ Tonight or 30 #1 Hits. Or, worse, Elvis bobble heads.

* * *

Thanks, Ray, for inspiring today’s post!

Experience Elvis in Lake Tahoe with High Sierra

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High Sierra cover (concept art)

High Sierra cover (concept art)

In May, Follow That Dream (FTD) Records is releasing High Sierra, a new CD containing Elvis’ May 21, 1974, show at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel (now the Horizon Casino Resort). Rounding out the set are six bonus songs from the same engagement, as well as an 8-page booklet. The track listing certainly has my attention:

01 See See Rider
02 I Got A Woman/Amen
03 Love Me
04 Trying To Get To You
05 All Shook Up
06 Love Me Tender
07 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me
08 Hound Dog
09 Fever
10 Polk Salad Annie
11 Why Me Lord
12 Suspicious Minds
13 Introductions
14 I Can’t Stop Loving You
15 Help Me
16 Bridge Over Troubled Water
17 Let Me Be There
18 The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
19 Big Boss Man
20 Can’t Help Falling In Love
21 Closing Vamp
Bonus Tracks
22 Johnny B. Goode
23 Steamroller Blues
24 Spanish Eyes
25 How Great Thou Art
26 It’s Now Or Never
27 I’m Leavin’
28 Introducing Billy Eckstine

What a great and varied collection of songs! I don’t collect every FTD CD, but this one looks like a potential must-have to me. I’m especially looking forward to hearing “I’m Leavin’,” “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” “It’s Now Or Never,” “Spanish Eyes,” “Bridge Over Troubled Water,” and “You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me.”

FTD is Sony’s Elvis collectors label, aimed directly at fans rather than the general public. FTD releases are like official versions of bootlegs. The Elvis bootleg industry is huge, but FTD provides a legal alternative with releases focusing on alternate takes and live performances. While the mainstream is listening to yet another greatest hits compilation, the hardcore fans are listening to FTD releases. The FTD releases are available from ShopElvis.com and other online Elvis retailers.

Also coming in May is Showtime! Birmingham/Dallas ’76, a two CD set containing Elvis’ December 28 (Dallas) and December 29 (Birmingham), 1976, concerts.

For those of us in the United States, FTD releases (which are imports) are normally about one month behind. So, we can expect to see these two titles in June.