imaginary album

On The Elvis Beat: “A Touch Of Gold” is actually platinum

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On The Elvis Beat

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Elvis Reconfigured: 1969-1976 (The Edge Of Reality #10/Playlist Recipes #8)

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Time sure has slipped away since my last post. In the course of many wonderful blessings currently going on in my life, I have been listening to plenty of Elvis Presley music even if I haven’t been writing.

I enjoy making music playlists, and I created a series of them recently that I call Elvis Reconfigured. The concept for these was, what if The Powers That Be had taken more care when compiling and sequencing albums of Elvis’ non-soundtrack studio work from 1969 to 1976?

I was happy with most of the results, so I thought I’d share the track-listings with you. Incidentally, I attempted something similar for the rest of his master recordings, but it just didn’t work out. So, there won’t be a Part 2 to this post. However, feel free to suggest your own alternates in the comments below!

Blessings,
TY

We’re traveling into an amazing land whose borders are only that of imagination. Look! There’s the station up ahead. Our next stop . . . the edge of reality.

The Edge Of Reality

Through the lens of time, submitted for your consideration are the following albums from the later years of The Memphis Flash.

Back In Memphis (Recorded 1969)
Side A

  1. Stranger In My Own Home Town
  2. Power Of My Love
  3. My Little Friend
  4. I’ll Be There
  5. Any Day Now
  6. Suspicious Minds

Side B

  1. Wearin’ That Loved-On Look
  2. Do You Know Who I Am
  3. After Loving You
  4. Rubberneckin’
  5. In The Ghetto
  6. Hey Jude

Elvis Country: Walking In The Rain (1969)
Side A

  1. Gentle On My Mind
  2. Only The Strong Survive
  3. Kentucky Rain
  4. It Keeps Right On A-Hurtin’
  5. Don’t Cry Daddy
  6. I’m Movin’ On

Side B

  1. Long Black Limousine
  2. You’ll Think Of Me
  3. Inherit The Wind
  4. If I’m A Fool
  5. Mama Liked The Roses
  6. The Fair Is Moving On

Elvis Now: Stranger In The Crowd (1970)
Side A

  1. Stranger In The Crowd
  2. I’ve Lost You
  3. How The Web Was Woven
  4. You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me
  5. Sylvia
  6. The Sound Of Your Cry

Side B

  1. Patch It Up
  2. Twenty Days And Twenty Nights
  3. Just Pretend
  4. The Next Step Is Love
  5. Mary In The Morning
  6. Bridge Over Troubled Water (Heart & Soul mix)

Tomorrow Never Comes: Elvis Country – Volume 2 (1970)
Side A

  1. The Fool
  2. Little Cabin Home On The Hill
  3. Tomorrow Never Comes
  4. Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
  5. Funny How Time Slips Away
  6. I Really Don’t Want To Know

Side B

  1. It’s Your Baby, You Rock It
  2. Faded Love
  3. Snowbird
  4. There Goes My Everything
  5. I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water
  6. Make The World Go Away

Still Here (1971)
Side A

  1. Early Morning Rain
  2. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face
  3. It’s Only Love
  4. Help Me Make It Through The Night
  5. Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right
  6. Until It’s Time For You To Go

Side B

  1. I’m Leavin’
  2. For Lovin’ Me
  3. It’s Still Here
  4. I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen
  5. I Will Be True
  6. We Can Make The Morning

Home On Christmas Day (1971)
Side A

  1. O Come All Ye Faithful
  2. The First Noel
  3. On A Snowy Christmas Night
  4. If I Get Home On Christmas Day
  5. The Wonderful World Of Christmas
  6. Winter Wonderland

Side B

  1. Silver Bells
  2. It Won’t Seem Like Christmas
  3. Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees
  4. I’ll Be Home On Christmas Day (Remake)
  5. Merry Christmas Baby

Amazing Grace (1970-1971)
Side A

  1. I’ve Got Confidence
  2. Seeing Is Believing
  3. He Touched Me
  4. Put Your Hand In The Hand
  5. Lead Me, Guide Me
  6. Bosom Of Abraham

Side B

  1. Only Believe
  2. I, John
  3. Life
  4. Amazing Grace (Take 2)
  5. I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago
  6. An Evening Prayer

Burning Love (1970-1972)
Side A

  1. Burning Love
  2. Separate Ways
  3. Love Me, Love The Life I Lead
  4. Where Do I Go From Here
  5. Got My Mojo Working/Keep Your Hands Off Of It
  6. Rags To Riches

Side B

  1. It’s A Matter Of Time
  2. Heart Of Rome
  3. Where Did They Go, Lord
  4. I’ll Never Know
  5. Fool
  6. Always On My Mind

Promised Land (1973)
Side A

  1. Promised Land
  2. Lovin’ Arms
  3. I’ve Got A Thing About You, Baby
  4. You Asked Me To
  5. If You Talk In Your Sleep
  6. For Ol’ Times Sake

Side B

  1. Thinking About You
  2. It’s Midnight
  3. Help Me
  4. My Boy
  5. Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues
  6. Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming

Bringing It Back (1973, 1975)
Side A

  1. T-R-O-U-B-L-E
  2. Love Song Of The Year
  3. There’s A Honky Tonk Angel
  4. Fairytale
  5. Are You Sincere
  6. Bringing It Back

Side B

  1. And I Love You So
  2. Sweet Angeline
  3. Pieces Of My Life
  4. Mr. Songman
  5. Green, Green Grass Of Home
  6. Shake A Hand

Moody Blue: From Elvis At Graceland (1976)
Side A

  1. For The Heart
  2. Solitaire
  3. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain
  4. She Thinks I Still Care (Take 2B)
  5. Danny Boy
  6. Way Down

Side B

  1. Hurt
  2. Never Again
  3. It’s Easy For You
  4. Moody Blue
  5. He’ll Have To Go
  6. Pledging My Love

The music never ends on . . . the edge of reality.

[With apologies to Serling.]

“Blessed are those who trust in the LORD and have made the LORD their hope and confidence. They are like trees planted along a riverbank, with roots that reach deep into the water. Such trees are not bothered by the heat or worried by long months of drought. Their leaves stay green, and they never stop producing fruit.”
Jeremiah 17:7-8 NLT

Elvis: It’s Only Live [Pastimescapes blog]

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Elvis Presley's 1972 RCA single version of "An American Trilogy." (From the author's collection.)

Elvis Presley’s 1972 RCA single version of “An American Trilogy.” (From the author’s collection.)

I thought it might be interesting to start a list of live Elvis Presley songs officially released for which no formal studio recordings are available. It turned out longer than I expected – over 50 songs so far, and that is not including any that I might have missed.

  • Hearts Of Stone
  • Tweedlee Dee
  • Little Mama
  • Maybellene
  • Flip, Flop & Fly
  • Baby, What You Want Me To Do
  • Tiger Man [according to legend, Elvis recorded a studio version at SUN but it has yet to surface]
  • Yesterday
  • Runaway
  • My Babe
  • I Can’t Stop Loving You
  • Johnny B. Goode
  • Words
  • Proud Mary
  • Let It Be Me
  • Walk A Mile In My Shoes
  • Sweet Caroline
  • Polk Salad Annie
  • See See Rider
  • Release Me
  • The Wonder Of You
  • I Just Can’t Help Believin’
  • Something
  • You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’
  • When The Snow Is On The Roses
  • The Impossible Dream
  • An American Trilogy
  • Never Been To Spain
  • You Gave Me A Mountain
  • It’s Impossible
  • It’s Over
  • What Now My Love
  • I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
  • Welcome To My World
  • Steamroller Blues
  • Mama Don’t Dance
  • Softly, As I Leave You
  • Why Me, Lord
  • Let Me Be There
  • You Can Have Her
  • Turn Around And Look At Me
  • Aubrey
  • Alright, Okay, You Win
  • You’re The Reason I’m Living
  • If You Love Me
  • Little Darlin’
  • Jambalaya
  • School Days
  • America The Beautiful [“studio” version recorded in Graceland den, but only a small fragment survives]
  • O Sole Mio
  • Auld Lang Syne
  • Unchained Melody
  • You Better Run

Note that many of these songs have non-live versions available – including rehearsals that are similar to formal recordings. For example, “Never Been To Spain” appears on Elvis On Tour: The Rehearsals, which was actually recorded at RCA’s Hollywood studio. However, I still consider the recording to be of an informal nature for the purposes of this list.

You've just crossed over into... the edge of reality. (With apologies to Serling.)

You’ve just crossed over into… the edge of reality. (With apologies to Serling.)

Most of the above songs actually work best for Elvis in a live context, but there are about a dozen for which I wish he had made formal studio recordings as well.

From the edge of reality, here is the track listing for an imaginary album of my picks.

Elvis: What Does It Matter

Side A

  1. Johnny B. Goode
  2. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
  3. Never Been To Spain
  4. I Just Can’t Help Believin’
  5. Walk A Mile In My Shoes
  6. When The Snow Is On The Roses

Side B

  1. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
  2. Maybellene
  3. My Babe
  4. I Can’t Stop Loving You
  5. Tiger Man
  6. Unchained Melody

How about you? From his live recordings, which do you feel Elvis should have tackled in the studio?

Thanks to reader Michel Cornec for inspiring this topic as well as performing some of the initial research.

MORNING SKY by Elvis Presley (Playlist Recipe)[Pastimescapes blog]

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One of the things I enjoy doing in iTunes is creating playlists for my iPod. Below is the recipe for one I recently baked. For fun here on Pastimescapes, I have divided it up as an imaginary 2-record set.

All songs are the master versions, unless otherwise indicated. For those Elvis fans baking along at home, feel free to substitute your favorite version if you are missing a specific ingredient, as I know everyone’s spice collection is slightly different.

Elvis Presley in 1970

Morning Sky – Elvis Presley

Side A

  • Burning Love
  • Early Morning Rain
  • Where Did They Go, Lord
  • I’m Leavin’
  • We Can Make The Morning
  • The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Rehearsal) [Elvis On Tour: The Rehearsals]

Side B

  • I Shall Be Released (Informal) [Walk A Mile In My Shoes]
  • Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right (Informal-Master, Extended, Alternate Mix) [Our Memories Of Elvis: Volume 2]
  • It’s Only Love
  • For Lovin’ Me
  • It’s Still Here (Master, Extended, Alternate Mix) [Walk A Mile In My Shoes]

Side C

  • I Just Can’t Help Believin’ (Live) [That’s The Way It Is (2014 Deluxe Edition) (Disc 5)]
  • Patch It Up (Live Master, Alternate Mix) [That’s The Way It Is (2014 Deluxe Edition) (Disc 5)]
  • I’ve Lost You (Live Master, Alternate Mix) [That’s The Way It Is (2014 Deluxe Edition) (Disc 3)]
  • You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feelin’ (Live) [That’s The Way It Is]
  • Johnny B. Goode (Rehearsal) [Elvis On Tour: The Rehearsals]

Side D

  • Separate Ways
  • My Way [Walk A Mile In My Shoes]
  • Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (Master, Alternate Mix) [Walk A Mile In My Shoes]
  • Amazing Grace
  • For The Good Times (Re-recording) [Elvis On Tour: The Rehearsals]
  • Always On My Mind (Re-recording/Overdubbed) [This Is Elvis]

Elvis Live Wire: Ernst Jorgensen acquires “I Forgot To Remember To Forget”

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Silvertone wire recording of Elvis Presley

Silvertone wire recording of Elvis singing “I Forgot To Remember To Forget”

One of the feel-good Elvis stories of 2012 will have an encore after all. Audio collector amberola1b, who discovered a 1955 live recording of Elvis singing “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” on the Louisiana Hayride radio program, recently remarked that he has sold the recording to Ernst Jorgensen. Jorgensen heads up Sony Music’s Elvis team and helms their Follow That Dream collectors label. This means, at some point, there will undoubtedly be an official release of this incredible find.

Last July, amberola1b caused a sensation among Elvis fans when he briefly posted the recording on YouTube, without being aware that it was so unique. Sourced from a Silvertone wire recording, the performance had never been heard by the public since the original broadcast.

Elvis appeared on the Hayride about fifty times from 1954 to 1956. Though similar to Nashville’s Grand Ole Opry, the show was more receptive to new talent – including Elvis’ groundbreaking style. Compared to most of the other Hayride recordings released in the past, the audio quality on “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” was stunning.

The discovery made headlines on the eve of the release of the Elvis masterpiece A Boy From Tupelo: The Complete 1953-1955 Recordings, Ernst Jorgensen’s book and music project covering the SUN years. A Boy From Tupelo included several other recordings from the Louisiana Hayride, but “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” was found too late for consideration. “Wow – it’s unbelievably beautiful. I’m still trying to recover from the shock,” Jorgensen said at the time.

Audio grabs of amberola1b’s YouTube video have appeared on a couple of “gray market” releases, but a professional transfer from the wire, properly mastered, should yield much more impressive sound quality.

On January 12, amberola1b posted the following comments on YouTube about his interaction with Jorgensen:

“I did sell the rights to him but the way it went was that I didn’t even know Ernst and was directed to him thru other utubers that were Elvis fans. I didn’t even know there was a big anniversary album or book being put together about The King, I just merely decided at that moment in time to do the utube video, and just happen to post it during the summer. If luck had been on my side and I had known about what was being planned […] I would have made the video months before, and it would have been included in the album that was included in the book ‘A Boy From Tupelo’. But as it turned out he sent me a copy of the book and it just blew my mind to see all the wonderful pictures that had been compiled of Elvis and the stories written about him.”

[Thank you to Greg1995 on the For Elvis CD Collectors Forum, who first posted about amberola1b’s recent confirmation of the sale.]

I only listened to the live “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” once. It was so incredible, I knew I wanted to wait for an official release. Out of respect for amberola1b, I also never posted links to the multiple copies of this video that showed up after his original post (I made an exception for the copied version in the story linked above, since that is where he chose to post his comments).

I’m thrilled that Jorgensen has acquired this fantastic discovery. So, to amberola1b: Thank you for making a deal that will allow Elvis fans to hear this recording in the best sound quality possible for generations to come.

So, the question is, what should Jorgensen do with this recording now that he has it?

Ideally, this would be a terrific opportunity for Sony to release a mainstream version of A Boy From Tupelo, which was a limited run on the FTD collectors label. Every Elvis and rock ‘n’ roll fan should have the opportunity to own A Boy From Tupelo – one of the most important Elvis releases since his death in 1977. Scooting the two interviews over to the end of Disc 2 would free up enough space for “I Forgot To Remember To Forget” to join the other Hayride performances on Disc 3.

If a full-blown re-release of A Boy From Tupelo is not possible for some reason, I think 2013 or 2014 would be the perfect time for a 2-CD set on the main Sony label covering 1953-1955. After all, 2013 marks the 60th anniversary of Elvis paying to record his first demo (“My Happiness” b/w “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin”), while 2014 marks the 60th anniversary of his first professional release (“That’s All Right” b/w “Blue Moon Of Kentucky”).

For fun, here’s how I would approach such a 2-CD set.

Elvis Begins: The 1953-1955 Recordings

Disc 1

  1. That’s All Right (45 RPM SUN single version)
  2. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (45 RPM SUN single version)
  3. Good Rockin’ Tonight
  4. I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine
  5. Milkcow Blues Boogie (78 RPM SUN single version)
  6. You’re A Heartbreaker (78 RPM SUN single version)
  7. Baby, Let’s Play House
  8. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone
  9. I Forgot To Remember To Forget
  10. Mystery Train
  11. Harbor Lights
  12. I Love You Because
  13. Blue Moon
  14. I’ll Never Let You Go
  15. Just Because
  16. Tryin’ To Get To You
  17. My Happiness (Demo)
  18. That’s When Your Heartaches Begin (Demo)
  19. I’ll Never Stand In Your Way (Demo)
  20. It Wouldn’t Be The Same Without You (Demo)
  21. Harbor Lights (Take 7)
  22. I Love You Because (Take 3)
  23. I Love You Because (Take 5)
  24. That’s All Right (Takes 1, 2)
  25. That’s All Right (Take 3)
  26. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Take 3)
  27. Blue Moon (Take 4)
  28. Blue Moon (Take 5)
  29. Blue Moon (Take 8)
  30. Tomorrow Night (Undubbed/unedited version)
  31. That’s All Right (Live-Shreveport, LA-October 16, 1954)
  32. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Live-Shreveport, LA-October 16, 1954)

Disc 2

  1. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 1)
  2. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 2)
  3. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 3)
  4. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 5)
  5. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Slow version, Take 6)
  6. Shake, Rattle & Roll (Demo-Lubbock, TX-January 6, 1955)
  7. Fool, Fool, Fool (Demo-Lubbock, TX-January 6, 1955)
  8. Hearts Of Stone (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 15, 1955)
  9. That’s All Right (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 15, 1955)
  10. Tweedlee Dee (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 15, 1955)
  11. Money Honey (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 22, 1955)
  12. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 22, 1955)
  13. I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 22, 1955)
  14. That’s All Right (Live-Shreveport, LA-January 22, 1955)
  15. Tweedlee Dee (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  16. Money Honey (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  17. Hearts Of Stone (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  18. Shake, Rattle & Roll (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  19. Little Mama (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  20. You’re A Heartbreaker (Live-Shreveport, LA-March 5, 1955)
  21. Good Rockin’ Tonight (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  22. Baby, Let’s Play House (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  23. Blue Moon Of Kentucky (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  24. I Got A Woman (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  25. That’s All Right (Live-Houston, TX-March 19, 1955)
  26. How Do You Think I Feel (1955 version, Take 1)
  27. Tweedlee Dee (Live-Gladewater, TX-April 30, 1955)
  28. That’s All Right (Live-Meridian, MS-May 26, 1955)
  29. I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (Live-Shreveport, LA-July 2, 1955)
  30. Baby, Let’s Play House (Live-Shreveport, LA-August 20, 1955)
  31. Maybellene (Live-Shreveport, LA-August 20, 1955)
  32. That’s All Right (Live-Shreveport, LA-August 20, 1955)
  33. I Forgot To Remember To Forget (Live-Shreveport, LA-October 1, 1955)
  34. When It Rains, It Really Pours (1955 version, Take 5)
  35. When It Rains, It Really Pours (1955 version, Take 8)

Ghouls, Ghouls, Ghouls: Elvis’ New Halloween Album Scares Up A Review (The Edge Of Reality #8)

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You’re journeying into a fantastic realm whose limits are only that of imagination. There’s the station up ahead. Your next stop… the edge of reality.

The Edge Of Reality

The original version of Elvis’ Halloween Album has served us well for years, but RCA recently released a reconfigured version on their Camden budget label. With gas prices soaring to 40 cents a gallon and first-class postage stamps at an unbelievable 8 cents, 1971 is turning out to be a very expensive year for everyone. Elvis fans have it even worse, though, as this “new” record is just the latest in a series of Presley releases this year.

This time out, RCA/Camden has dropped the non-Halloween selections that filled out the original version of Elvis’ Halloween Album and replaced them with a couple of newer chilling tracks – including the weirdest Elvis song ever released.

I’m referring to the leadoff song, “Moonlight Sonata.” While someone plays the Beethoven piece on the piano, Elvis and others accompany with various vocal tones: “Duhhhh duhhhh duhhhhhh….”

It sounds like it was recorded on a personal tape recorder at Elvis’ home, but the lower sound quality actually adds to the haunting effect. Only Elvis could get away with putting this out on record, yet it works!

Another new addition is “Cotton Candy Land,” which was recently featured in Clint Eastwood’s directorial debut, Play ‘Cotton Candy Land’ For Me. I won’t spoil the movie, since it features one of Elvis’ best roles since King Creole, except to say that you know bad things are about to happen whenever a certain character plays this song.

There are still a couple of months left in 1971, and RCA is not finished with us yet. That’s right, even more new Elvis releases are on the way. As for the new version of Elvis’ Halloween Album, I give it an 8 out of 10. Worth picking up if you don’t already have the original or if you want to hear the bizarre “Moonlight Sonata.”
Elvis' Halloween Album (1971 Reissue)

Elvis’ Halloween Album (1971 Edition)

Side A
Moonlight Sonata
Devil In Disguise
Night Rider
Ghost Riders In The Sky
Edge Of Reality

Side B
Dark Moon
Witchcraft
Mystery Train
Blue Moon
Cotton Candy Land

This imaginary album is available only in… the edge of reality.

[With apologies to Serling.]

I Am An Elvis Fan (So Why Can’t I Choose My Own Songs?) [Conductor’s Reflections #12/Playlist Recipes #5]

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In case you haven’t noticed, I am an Elvis fan. Maybe you are, too.

Of late, marketing campaigns by Elvis Presley Enterprises and Sony Music Entertainment have centered around the phrase “I Am An Elvis Fan.” You can buy an “I Am An Elvis Fan” t-shirt or even an “I Am An Elvis Fan” poster – an image of Elvis formed by a mosaic of fan photos.

The centerpiece of this campaign, though, is a new CD that Sony will release on July 31. As you have probably guessed, the title of the album is I Am An Elvis Fan.I Am An Elvis Fan

This one is different than most albums because an online vote last month determined the contents. Next week, Sony unveils the winning tracks.

Elvis released over 700 different recordings in his lifetime. Since then, thousands more have escaped the vaults. Rather than being able to vote for any Elvis song, fans were unfortunately constrained to choosing from pre-determined lists of songs in seven different categories. For each category, a fan had to choose three out of thirteen songs. Some of the songs even showed up in multiple categories.

While a few rarities made the process, most songs were of the typical “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Hound Dog,” and “All Shook Up” variety. I’m sure those will be the types of songs to make the CD as well. In any event, it was still fun to choose songs. For the record, here is how I voted (bold), given the available choices:

’50s
1. That’s All Right
2. Good Rockin’ Tonight
3. Baby Let’s Play House
4. I Got A Woman
5. Hound Dog
6. Don’t Be Cruel
7. Mystery Train [naturally!]
8. Blue Suede Shoes
9. Money Honey
10. Heartbreak Hotel
11. Shake, Rattle & Roll
12. All Shook Up
13. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy

’60s
1. In The Ghetto
2. Suspicious Minds
3. Gentle On My Mind
4. Don’t Cry Daddy
5. Surrender
6. Good Luck Charm
7. Devil In Disguise
8. She’s Not You
9. Suspicion
10. The Girl Of My Best Friend
11. His Latest Flame
12. Love Letters
13. Memories

GOSPEL
1. Peace in the Valley
2. Crying in the Chapel
3. How Great Thou Art
4. If I Can Dream [gospel?]
5. Amazing Grace
6. Swing Down Sweet Chariot
7. Joshua Fit The Battle
8. Take My Hand Precious Lord
9. Lead Me, Guide Me
10. He Touched Me
11. Milky White Way
12. You’ll Never Walk Alone
13. Where Could I Go But To The Lord

LOVE SONGS
1. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You
2. Any Way You Want Me
3. You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me
4. One Night
5. Can’t Help Falling In Love
6. Love Me Tender
7. Always On My Mind [actually, a love lost song]
8. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
9. Unchained Melody
10. Loving You
11. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling [again, a love lost song]
12. It’s Now Or Never
13. The Wonder Of You

MOVIES
1. King Creole
2. Jailhouse Rock
3. Trouble
4. Return To Sender
5. A Little Less Conversation
6. Viva Las Vegas
7. G.I Blues
8. Follow That Dream
9. Bossa Nova Baby
10. Rubberneckin’
11. Blue Hawaii
12. Loving You
13. Teddy Bear

COUNTRY
1. I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water
2. Kentucky Rain
3. For The Good Times
4. Guitar Man
5. Blue Moon of Kentucky
6. Just Because
7. Long Black Limousine
8. I’ll Hold You In My Heart (Until I Can Hold You in My Arms)
9. She Thinks I Still Care
10. I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
11. Welcome to My World
12. Funny How Time Slips Away
13. There Goes My Everything

IN CONCERT
1. Polk Salad Annie
2. Suspicious Minds
3. Just Pretend
4. You’ve Lost That Lovin’ Feeling [to help ease the split vote, since it is in two categories]
5. Bridge Over Troubled Water
6. See See Rider
7. Walk A Mile In My Shoes
8. I Can’t Stop Loving You
9. You Gave Me A Mountain
10. An American Trilogy
11. Burning Love
12. My Way
13. A Big Hunk of Love

You will notice that even I chose some “typical” songs. Certain Elvis songs have personal, sentimental associations for me, and I just couldn’t skip them when they were on the list.

Even if you buy into this whole select by category business, they left out a couple of important categories. Where is the ’70s category for songs like “Promised Land,” “Stranger In The Crowd,” and “I’ve Lost You”? Where is the Blues category for songs like “Reconsider Baby” and “Baby, What You Want Me To Do”?

In a sense, Sony loaded the deck. The opportunity to present a truly unique Elvis CD will probably just devolve into releasing yet another typical compilation. Even casual Elvis fans will already have the majority of the winning songs. Is the intent of this disc to attract new fans, then? If so, maybe they should have called it I Might Be An Elvis Fan instead.

While the rest of us cannot be trusted to choose our own songs, Australian Elvis fans, on the other hand, will get to do an Elvis CD up right. The content for Sony Music Australia’s Elvis By Request album will also be determined by online fan voting (still in progress through July 13). Except this time, there is just one vote, and it is from the full list of recordings released during his lifetime, as well as many tracks released since then.

Australian fans who pre-order the CD by July 13 will even have their names included on a poster. While you have to live in Australia to get your name on the poster, you don’t have to live there to vote or buy the CD. In fact, I’ve already cast my ballot for my favorite song. Elvis By Request is due out on August 16.

Both concepts are reminiscent of the 1976 album Elvis In Demand, a project where members of the Official Elvis Presley Fan Club of Great Britain mailed in lists of five songs to vote for the content. The resulting record album made it to number 12 on the UK charts.

My main complaint about Elvis compilations tends to be that the same fifty or so songs are used in various combinations over and over. While I Am An Elvis Fan may end up looking like yet another similar compilation, Elvis By Request has the potential to be something special. It may very well turn out to be this generation’s Elvis In Demand.

* * *

While writing this post, I started thinking about what kind of Elvis compilation I would put together if Sony knocked on my door looking for help (someday, right?). Limiting myself to only masters released during his lifetime, it would probably look something like this.

Strangers No More

  • Money Honey
  • Like A Baby
  • For The Heart
  • How The Web Was Woven
  • Indescribably Blue
  • Clean Up Your Own Backyard
  • Early Morning Rain
  • Power Of My Love
  • Blue Moon
  • Stranger In The Crowd
  • Thinking About You
  • Baby, I Don’t Care
  • I Was The One
  • My Babe (Live)
  • Wearin’ That Loved-On Look
  • Witchcraft
  • I’ve Lost You
  • Make The World Go Away
  • Let Yourself Go
  • As Long As I Have You
  • Run On
  • Bringing It Back