Monday, October 31, 2022

October 31 - Nominations!

The movie ELVIS by Baz Luhrmann and the actor Austin Butler has been nominated in 3 categories for The People’s Choice Awards!! Please vote for Elvis and Austin Butler to win every nominated category! 

The Movie of 2022

https://www.votepca.com/movies/the-movie-of-2022?source=eonline&cmpid=content

The Drama of 2022

https://www.votepca.com/movies/the-drama-movie-of-2022?source=eonline&cmpid=content

The Drama Movie Star of 2022: Austin Butler as Elvis:

https://www.votepca.com/movies/the-drama-movie-star-of-2022?source=eonline&cmpid=content 

You can vote by providing your email address or by logging into Facebook. 

(Source: Facebook)


Sunday, October 30, 2022

October 30 - The King of Rock and Roll

Forbes listed "The Highest-Paid Dead Celebrities Of 2022". Classic literature and Rock and Roll, with the support of an energy drink, dominate this year of celebs making bank in the afterlife. 

Without even leaving his secret hideaway Elvis did allright! The magazine noted: "Elvis Presley may have left the building, permanently, but the King of Rock N’ Roll is still an economic powerhouse. Forty-five years after his death, Elvis’ estate generated US$110 million in income. The lion’s share was made from box office and merchandise sales at Graceland, Presley’s Memphis home - just $5 million of that came from rights for Elvis, the Baz Luhrmann-directed biopic." 

The Top 5:

#1 J.R.R. Tolkien (US$500 Million)
#2 Kobe Bryant (US$400 Million)
#3 David Bowie (US$250 Million)
#4 Elvis Presley (US$110 Million)
#5 James Brown (US$100 Million)

The magazine added: "The King benefited handsomely from Covid cooped-up tourists ready to treat themselves to a vacation at his Graceland mansion and resort. At least US$80 million of Presley’s earnings came from tour tickets, shows, and merch, according to sources close to the estate. The estate didn’t make a ton directly off the smash Elvis biopic, but the hit film is expected to lift Presley’s earnings for at least the next 18 months as fans, new and old, look to own their own piece of the King. Even sales of Disney’s Stitch plush animals dressed in Elvis jumpsuits are up from last year."

The King of Rock and Roll

Jeremiah Hamilton published his 47-page booklet 'The King of Rock and Roll'. Summarized as "a fascinating account of the life and astonishing career of Elvis Presley".

Note: this book is probably a quick grab of Elvis info, taken from on-line sources.

(Source: Forbes / Amazon)

Saturday, October 29, 2022

October 29 - Charts October 2022 - Week 5

The weekly Elvis Presley chart update. In the United Kingdom and the United States almost all of Elvis albums dropped on the charts. 

The listing for 'The Essential Elvis Presley' all disappeared while the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' compilation appeared on the charts ... 

Great news from Greece, 'Aloha From Hawaii' made a re-appearance on the Album Top 75.

Elvis Presley is currently listed on the charts in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland and Greece.

Not featured on this overview are the charts of the many on-line retailers where Elvis is ruling the various DVD and Blu-ray charts with Baz Luhrmann's 'ELVIS'. New statistics will be added when available.

U.S. Billboard charts:

  • Billboard Top 200 Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #94 to #103.
  • Billboard Top 200 chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack dropped from #161 to #188.
  • Billboard Catalog Albums chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #25 to #28.
  • Billboard Soundtrack Album chart: the 'ELVIS' Soundtrack dropped from #4 to #5. 
  • Billboard Top Country Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' remained steady at #12. 
  • Billboard Top Rock and Alternative Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' remained steady at #20.
  • Billboard Top Rock and Alternative Album chart: the 'ELV1S' Soundtrack dropped from #33 to #40.
  • Billboard Top Rock Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' remained steady ay #16. 
  • Billboard Top Holiday Album chart: 'The Classic Christmas Album' climbed from #46 to #20. 

    

Official U.K. charts:

  • Official Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #27 to #32. 
  • Official Compilation Albums chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack dropped from #42 to #51.  
  • Official Streaming Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #20 to #22.   
  • Official Soundtrack Album 100 chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack album dropped from #3 to #4.  
  • Official Country Compilations chart Top 20: 'From Elvis In Nashville' dropped from #7 to #8.
  • Official Film Chart Top 40 chart: 'ELVIS' remained steady at #5. 
  • Official Video Chart Top 100 chart: 'ELVIS' remained steady at #3.
  • Official Blu-ray Chart Top 100 chart: 'ELVIS' movie dropped from #9 to #11. 
  • Official DVD Chart Top 100 chart: 'ELVIS' remained steady at #2. 
  • Official Film on Disc Chart Top 100 chart: 'ELVIS' remained steady at #2.
  • Official Music Video Chart Top 50: 'The Elvis Collection' re-entry at #28. 
  • Official Music Video Chart Top 50: 'Elvis The Searcher' dropped from #21 to #44. 
  • Official Music Video Chart Top 50: 'The '68 Comeback Special' re-entry at #45.

Official Irish IRMA charts:

  • Official Irish Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' climbed from #31 to #29.
  • Official Irish Compilation album chart: 'ELVIS' soundtrack remained steady at #25.
  • Official Irish Video chart: 'ELVIS' dropped from #2 to #4. 
Official Greek IFPI charts:
  • Official IFPI Album Top 75 chart: 'Aloha From Hawaii' made a re-entry at #57. 
  • Official IFPI Album Top 75 chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' climbed from #53 to #30. 

(Source: Official Chart Company / IRMA / UK Mix Forum  / Billboard  Austrian Charts / Box Office Mojo / IFPI)

Friday, October 28, 2022

October 28 - The Last Man Standing Died

Jerry Lee Lewis, the last man standing, whose hammering boogie-woogie piano, unleashed-tomcat voice, and unapologetic bad-boy persona made him an architect of Rock and Roll and an early rival of Elvis Presley, has died. 

Lewis’ publicist confirmed his death to Rolling Stone, but a cause of death was not immediately available; he was 87.

Lewis passed away at his home in Desoto County, Mississippi, with his seventh wife, Judith Coghlan, by his side.

Jerry Lee Lewis achieved dazzling early success as a defining hero of Rock 'n' Roll, when he muscled in among Elvis Presley, Little Richard and Chuck Berry, creating Rock 'n' Roll piano from honky-tonk and hymn, as if doing so were as natural as breathing, and commandeering rhythm and blues with a casual authority achieved by no other white performer except Elvis Presley. With 'Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On', 'Great Balls of Fire' and 'High School Confidential, he made three of the genre's indispensable classics. 

Elvis jammed with Jerry on the "Million Dollar Quartet". Elvis recorded and performed 'End Of The Road' and 'Whole Lotta Shaking Going On'.

"The Killer" Jerry Lee Lewis, one of the original Sun Record artists, was unable to attend his induction at the Country Music Hall of Fame. Kris Kristofferson had to collect the ‘prize’ for him and delivered it to his home.

Thanks you for the great music! R.I.P. (although it will be a little louder in Musical Heaven ...). 

Christmas Vinyl

The Vinyl Passion recordlabel re-issued the 12-track 'Elvis For Christmas' on 180 Gr. silver colored vinyl. 

Side A 1. Santa Claus Is Back In Town 2. White Christmas 3. Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Lane) 4. I'll Be Home For Christmas 5. Blue Christmas 6. Santa Bring My Baby Back (To Me) .

Side B 1. O Little Town Of Bethlehem 2. Silent Night 3. (There'll Be) Peace In The Valley (For Me) 4. I Believe 5. Take My Hand, Precious Lord 6. It Is No Secret (What God Can Do).

Magazine / Movie Pack

Release in France is the magazine / movie pack, containing the 'ELVIS' movie. 

Description: This legendary tale explores the life and musical work of Elvis Presley through the prism of the complex relationship he has with his mysterious manager, Colonel Tom Parker.

The Wonder of Gold

Elvis Presley received another B.P.I. Gold Record Single Award for 'The Wonder Of You' for selling over 400,000 copies, streams and  / or downloads since November 14, 2022. 

Elvis News Report

Emiel Maier posted his monthly Elvis Presley News Report video. Help ELVIS win an AMA award, Sofia Coppola's new movie, James Burton's health, FTD new releases, "Prodigy of Sun" new book plus a good discussion about Priscilla - a friend or foe? and much more.

(Source: Rolling Stone / Amazon / Pascal Matteo / Emiel Maier)

Thursday, October 27, 2022

October 27 - Pop Star Book, Video and Vinyl

Behemoth Comics published the 108-page comic paperback 'Pop Star Assassin Vol. 1' by Ed Lavallee.

Description: The year is 1977. The King is dead, and the world mourns. But...When a mysterious briefcase turns up in his dressing room, Bruce, a coke-addled Elvis impersonator finds himself wedged between a Mob boss out to avenge the death of his only son, and a government conspiracy with far-reaching, world-ending ramifications, all in an attempt to discover the true identity of his father's killer. 

Questioning whether or not his entire life up until that moment has been a lie, Bruce sets out on a mission to discover the truth behind his own identity and that of his father. His mission throws him headlong into the heart of a government conspiracy perpetrated by a shadow agency known as 'The Chamber'. Their endgame: world domination at the hands of an unstoppable army of dead celebrity Look-A-Like(TM) robot assassins. 

With his life unraveling around him, Bruce joins forces with a rag-tag troupe of unlikely misfits willing to do whatever it takes to uncover the truth behind The Chamber,  and make those responsible pay. Fighting their way to The Chamber's inner sanctum, Bruce and company set into motion a chain of events that lead them to a final confrontation with the mysterious, nigh-omnipotent figure, Nietzsche. The encounter  forever transforms Bruce and leaves him a marked man on the run.

Boston Vinyl

The U.K. based Memphis Recording Service released the vinyl edition of 'Like A Black Tornado - Live at the Boston Garden'.

Publicity stated: A captivating performance from one of Elvis’ earliest tours of the 1970s. Performed and recorded in Boston on 10th November 1971, this show demonstrates the raw energy and spirit Elvis displayed when performing away from his Las Vegas engagements, reminding everyone that, finally, he was back!

 This is a Limited Edition release and will be available in both Black and Clear 180 Gr. vinyl. Please note, the clear vinyl is only available from Elvis fan clubs and exclusive Elvis dealers and will not be available to the mainstream public and stores.

Side A: Also Sprach Zarathustra / That's All Right / I Got a Woman - Amen / Proud Mary / You Don't Have to Say You Love Me / You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin' / Polk Salad Annie / Love Me / Heartbreak Hotel / Blue Suede Shoes / One Night

Side B: Hound Dog / I'm Leavin' / Bridge Over Troubled Water / I Can't Stop Loving You / Love Me Tender / Suspicious Minds / Coming Home Baby (instrumental) / Funny How Time Slips Away / Can't Help Falling in Love.


Burning Love Video

Sony / EPE published a new official promo video for ’Burning Love’ today, unfortunately, not without errors (again). Try to spot them in the video below. 


(Source: Amazon / Elvis Chanel Music / UEPS / Sony / EPE)

Wednesday, October 26, 2022

October 26 - ELVIS Le Magnifique

Warner Bros. France released new double Blu-ray and DVD sets containing the two Baz Luhrmann movies 'ELVIS' and 'Gatsby Le Magnifique' ('The Great Gatsby').


Elvis Presley Biography

Damon C. Blanchard published his 128-page paperback book 'Elvis Presley Biography: A Comprehensive History of Elvis Presley's Effectual Life'

Synopsis: In this book you would get the full details of The King of Rock and Roll's successful life. Read about his achievements, his relationship and marriage with Priscilla Beaulieu , his health, his death and his T.V. shows. 

Note: this book is probably a quick grab of Elvis info, taken from on-line sources.

(Source: Amazon)

Tuesday, October 25, 2022

October 25 - Italian Christmas Vinyl

A new vinyl re-issue of the classic 'Elvis' Christmas Album', released by the from the Stone Music record label, hit newsstands in Italy. 

Publicity stated: 'Elvis' Christmas Album', the LP that - with over ten million copies sold in the United States alone - is the best-selling Christmas album of all time has been on newsstands since October 25, 2022.

First released in 1957, the vinyl comes in a valuable collector's edition and contains twelve Christmas songs (remastered original mono audio), made even more magical by the extraordinary interpretation of the king of rock 'n' roll, Elvis Presley. The 'Elvis' Christmas Album' box also contains an exclusive 12-page illustrated booklet and makes a perfect gift idea for any music lover.

In the 1950s, the music produced for the album market was not, as you might think, that related to Rock 'n' Roll, black or country music. The rankings reflected the tastes of the affluent part of Americans. Tastes mainly aimed at the sound of a bygone era: from Rodgers and Hammerstein to Frank Sinatra and Johnny Mathis, from Mantovani and Mitch Miller to Ray Conniff.

On the other hand, the albums cost more than the singles which, instead, more represented the taste of a rebellious youth, dedicated to listening to rock'n'roll which, for many commentators, was the devil's music. Only three young artists were an exception: Elvis Presley, Ricky Nelson and Pat Boone.

Elvis in particular was at the peak of popularity in 1957. In that year, at his countless concerts, thousands of delirious teenagers often caused accidents after each of his performances. People got hold of everything they could, from mic stands to instruments.

Of course, the press, TV, and radio all launched a massive smear campaign against him. Perhaps also for this reason, after the publication of his first two albums, basically a compilation of his singles, his artistic director of RCA, Steve Sholes, decides to have him record an album containing songs related to the Christmas holiday.

Elvis entered the Hollywood Radio Recorders studios and, in just three days, (September 5, 6 and 7th 1957), records the disc. The songs, initially, are only eleven and, only at the last, a composition by Leiber and Stoller is added, inserted at the beginning of the album: 'Santa Claus is Back in Town'. Interpreters and collaborators are: Elvis himself, Scotty Moore, Bill Black, D.J. Fontana, The Jordanaires and finally, arrived especially for this session, the soprano Millie Kirkham.

Elvis, in the songs lasting a total of thirty minutes, transfers all his love towards religious songs, through his unmistakable warm and convincing voice. For 'White Christmas', he reprises part of the Drifters arrangement, recorded two years earlier. In 'Blue Christmas', he makes Millie Kirkham sing a soprano obligate.

In October, the album that bears his name ('Elvis Christmas Album'), is put on sale and a certain press denounces this release as an attempt to desecrate the Christian religion. Just think that Irving Berlin, composer of 'White Christmas', promoted an initiative to block the radio broadcasting of his song. Despite everything, the young "thug of Rock 'n' Roll" wins his battle and the album is a resounding success. It will be, by far, the best-selling of the 1950s, with 7,000,000 copies.

The cover is a photo taken in the recording studio where, for the occasion, Steve Sholes had placed some Christmas gift boxes. The album, released in the USA, has a gatefold cover with five pages of beautiful photos. Under the holidays, a gold sticker with “to… from…” was added to the package.

Elvis, with this album, consecrated himself absolute master of the American music scene in the 50s and will be for a long time, until his untimely death. You will never forget the splendid voice of him, the miraculous interpreter of 'That 's All Right', or any other song by him. He will forever live in the hearts of his countless fans, having given us the opportunity to release those emotions that are too often repressed.


Follow That Dream Session Sets Re-issued

Once again available from the Follow That Dream collectors label are the sessions sets 'American Sound Sessions', 'Elvis Is Back Sessions', 'Pot Luck Sessions', 'Something For Everybody Sessions' and the 'Viva Las Vegas Sessions'. The sets should be available in November.

(Source: Classic Rock Italy / UEPS)

Monday, October 24, 2022

Review From Sea To Shining Sea

The Millbranch import record label released ‘From Sea To Shining Sea’, the follow up to their successful ‘Kansas City ’75 Revisited’ 2021. A set aimed at fans of Elvis live in the seventies. Will this new escape match the previous one? 

 

Design

 

The set comes as a six-panel digi-pack with a neat design. Some good color pictures of our man on the covers of the digi-pack and bonus disc, inside black and white images behind the trays for the CDs. Unfortunately no liner-notes. And I do wonder why the bonus disc was added in a separate sleeve. Why not create an eight-panel digi-pack?

 

Content

 

The producers made it clear in their press release, the DVD is the main attraction from this set, the CDs are added bonusses. As the label was able to obtain high-quality 8mm footage, they decided to add the soundboard of the June 3rd and July 3rd 1976 concerts to the set. Both shows have been released on CD various times, with the Madison release ‘Holding Down The Fort’ as the main reference for the June show for most fans and the FTD book / CD ‘Rockin' Across Texas’ as the go-to set for the July performance. 

 

The November 30, 1976 concert, also previously released by the FTD label on ‘The West Coast Tour 76’, was added as a separate bonus, because it has its own feature on the DVD. This way creating a complete package. 

 

The DVD - From Sea To Shining Sea

 

The producers have set the bar high for themselves with their previous release ‘Kansas City ´74 Revisited’. Just like the last time, they decided to create an audio / visual documentary, using all material available. Over two hours of footage and photos, covering Elvis Presley on the road from ‘Sea to Shining Sea’ in 1976, the bicentennial year. 

 

A good idea from the editors was using the Bruce Jackson tapes, in which he shared his adventures as sound engineer on tour with Elvis with his family back home in Australia. The beauty is that these ware recorded back in the day when it happened, and not many years later, it’s all original from a man on the inside.

 

The documentary covers all aspects of Elvis on the road, so we see Elvis at airports, the Lisa Marie, hotels, news reports and various concert venues with fans entering the show. One of the eye-openers for me was the footage of The Stamps doing the pre-show. The quality of the footage from June 3, 1976 in Fort Worth is great and their show was less tame than I remember seeing before, with JD doing a “chicken walk”.

 

Fortunately we get Elvis in this quality too, with a good view of the stage This is HD footage as I love to see it, we don’t get just Elvis, but the entire band perform ‘See See Rider’, ‘Amen’ with JD’s Dive Bomber routine, ‘Love Me’, but also a rockin’ ‘Polk Salad’ and much more. The introductions aren’t even boring when you watch this clear footage on your big screen television. Come on, seeing James Burton playing his guitar behind his head and Jerry picking some mean blues on his bass is hard to beat! All this with the nicely synced remastered soundboard audio.

 

Oddly enough Elvis sings ‘School Day’s’ together with the band, with his back to the audience. Really something that brings the band back together after all the solo introductions. Another highlight is the performance of ‘Hurt’. Having mainly listened to this classic many times, I had expected some more movement from our man when he goes for those high notes. 

 

These first 50 minutes are worth the price of this set alone, it really has been a while since I enjoyed Elvis from 1976 this much! 

 

The next concert is from June 28, 1976 from The Spectrum in Philadelphia. The footage and audio aren’t as good as the first chapter, a bit grainy, but still way above average as we don’t see just Elvis, but also some the other musicians on the stage. Unfortunately we get more “black screens, pictures and incomplete songs. A pro is wet footage from various perspectives. Guess we’ll have to enjoy ourselves with the material available, just like on the ‘Sold out!’ DVDs. Fun to watch, but less a concert experience than the first segment. 

 

Up next is footage from July 30, 1976, filmed from the audience at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum in New Haven, Connecticut. The quality of the footage varies, ‘If You Love Me’ is grainy, ‘Hound Dog is much better. Unfortunately Elvis doesn’t look that great. As Bruce Jackson commends in his tapes, Elvis wasn’t in the best shape, but this was “easy money”. 

 

Perhaps more interesting are him mentioning that Elvis has a twisted colon issues and liver problems, something Sally Hoedel brought back to light in 2020 in her book ‘Destined To Die Young”. Fortunately Bruce also sees Elvis pulling himself together in October and we see the proof in the footage of ‘And I Love You So’ from Chicago (October 14th). The fans lining up trying to get tickets prove Elvis still draws huge crowds. 

 

Up next is the Anaheim Convention Center on November 30, 1976. Unfortunately most songs are incomplete, many performances and songs are fragmented, but we get a good impression of the show. To drive the girls crazy, all our man has to do is wiggle his legs a bit, it worked on the Sullivan Show, it still works in Anaheim. Fortunately we see some more punch(es) and moves and he even does half a high-kick. 

 

One of the highlights of the DVD is ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’ as performed on December 29, 1976 at the Civic Centre Coliseum in Birmingham, Alabama, in which we see Elvis singing this touching song very sincerely, almost acapella with the electric piano. He is concentrated enough to even squeezing in a “shut up” when someone in the audience breaks the momentum he build. The footage could be better, but glad I’ve seen this great performance. 

 

From there to the Omni in Atlanta on December 30, 1976 for some entertaining ‘Fairytale’, ‘My Way’ by a request from the audience. He needs the lyrics on paper, but somehow it makes more sense now why he does this. This is one of the gains of watching Elvis perform, and not just listening. Elvis does a great version, filmed nice up close, all focus on our man who did it his way. Up next is ‘Polk Salad Annie’ with some nice split level editing, from two perspectives adding more power to the performance. Another highlight of the DVD. 

 

CD 1 - June 3, 1976

 

The story of Elvis On Tour in 1976 is told using the Bruce Jackson tapes. This first CD opens with Jackson, sharing the story of Elvis singing  ‘Happy Birthday’ to him in Fort Worth, a nice link to the DVD, but for me not the ideal opener of a show, certainly not as we get an audience recording of the ‘S.W.A.T. Theme’ opening and the ‘Happy Birthday it is also featured at the original spot in the concert too. 

 

Where the Madison release was a big upgrade from their previous ‘Cajun Tornado’ CD with partly the same content, this Millbranch release offers a different sound as the CD comes in a new stereo mix. A “bonus” from the restauration of the audio, the producers were able to present this concert in a stereo mix, offering something new compared to the previous outings of the show. If the latter is an improvement is up for debate, as both versions have their own characteristics. The original sounds more like a whole, but on the new release you can hear the individual elements a bit better. The distortion is also less in the new mix, but repairing that took away part of the sound to, just listen to ‘Hurt’. 

 

As for the show itself. Elvis is very upbeat, and so is the audience, the “well, well, well’ are received with screams from a few ladies near the stage. Elvis jokes “You stood in line all this time just to hear me to this?”. Later on he even gives away a ring to one very “desperate housewife”. 

 

The original review of the Madison release of this show by Mike Sanders for the For Elvis CD Collectors sums it up nicely: “a surprisingly enjoyable performance in good sound, from a year when Elvis was known to be far below his vocal peak. That said, he sings reasonably well throughout this show and there are some good performances. However, what makes this show especially enjoyable for me is his relaxed mood and engaging manner throughout. His indefinable charisma is all over this recording and I therefore recommend it to all likeminded fans.

 

CD 2 - July 3, 1976

 

The second CD features the July 3rd Afternoon Show, recorded one month later the show from CD 1. The audio on this CD is better than on the first disc, an enjoyable stereo mix. This shows that the effect of applying new techniques like Digitally Extracted Stereo is in part determined by the original source used.  

 

The show itself is an entertaining show with Elvis more awake than on disc 1 and obviously enjoying himself on stage. Where ‘America the Beautiful’ was missing from the set-list the previous month is was back, and our man sung his heart out with this “bicentennial anthem”. The crowd loved it, I never heard an audience’s reaction like this. Even Elvis is astonished saying, “That really makes it all worthwhile, it really does. Wow!

 

From the remainder of the show a mean ‘Polk Salad Annie’ - just listen how the TCB band and Tony Brown play their instrument down dirty! – and a strong ‘Hurt’ are the highlights. The oldies are dismissed and the introductions drag a bit just listening to it, although it must have been great to see James Burton play ‘Johnny Be Goode’ with the guitar behind his head. 

 

CD 3 - November 30, 1976

 

The bonus disc that came with this set contains Elvis’ performance from November 30, 1976 as recorded at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, California, the closing show of this short 7 date tour. 

 

This concert was previously released on the FTD label CD ‘The West Coast Tour 76’. That CD sounded good, but on this new outing the sound is a little more crisp due to the newly created stereo mix separating the various elements and emphasizing the high a little more. 

 

The concert has been reviewed various times. It is an upbeat show for late 1976, Elvis starts a bit sluggish, but when he got to ‘You Gave Me A Mountain’ he was up to the challenge and the performance improves. 


The early rockers are 1976 throw-a-ways, but ‘And I Love You So’ is a good version and Jerry Scheff takes the spotlight in ‘Fever’, a nice version. The intro is very long, probably something happened on stage, so we mainly get Jerry, playing the bass, but that’s no problem as it is such a classic bass-line. This is not the only interrupted song, ‘Bridge over Troubled Water’ is stopped by Elvis. 

 

‘Polk Salad Annie’ and ‘Hurt’, the latter with a strong ending as Elvis apparently loved to finish this one on a high note, are received well by the audience. And just before the standard Hawaiian ending, Elvis throws in his Christmas hit ‘Blue Christmas’, a rockin’ ‘That’s All Right’ and - hardly audible - even a few bars of ‘Lonesome Cowboy’ as a reaction to a suggestion from the audience. 

 

Overall a pretty enjoyable concert and a good choice by the producers to close the set with a closing show. 


Note: The first pressing of this set contained an error in the live CDs, there is a 2-second gap between the tracks. As the label announced that this would be corrected, I left it out of the review.

 

Conclusion

 

I’m not a of fan of Elvis in the late seventies, but seeing this DVD, listening to the concerts again afterwards, gave me quite a few new insights of Elvis live on the road in 1976. This DVD keeps you engrossed; it is not the type of documentary where you quickly want to skip to the next song.

 

The CDs, remastered and mixed to stereo, are nice bonusses completing the picture and the set. My compliment the producers with this result, this is a nice addition the Elvis in 1974 from last year. Now let’s see if they can do something with the year in between. 

Saturday, October 22, 2022

October 22 - Charts October 2022- Week 4 (Updated)

The weekly Elvis Presley chart update. In the United Kingdom and the United States almost all of Elvis albums dropped on the charts. 
Billboard added the Holiday charts again, Elvis was listed with 'The Classic Christmas Album'. In the U.K.'The '68 Comeback Special' re-entered the Official Music Video chart.

Elvis Presley is currently listed on the charts in the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and Greece.

Not featured on this overview are the charts of the many on-line retailers where Elvis is ruling the various DVD and Blu-ray charts with Baz Luhrmann's 'ELVIS'. New statistics will be added when available.

U.S. Billboard charts:

  • Billboard Top 200 Album chart: 'The Essential Elvis Presley' dropped from #62 to #69.
  • Billboard Top 200 chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack dropped from #149 to #153.
  • Billboard Catalog Albums chart: 'The Essential Elvis Presley' remained steady at #13.
  • Billboard Soundtrack Album chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack remained steady at #4.
  • Billboard Top Country Album chart: 'The Essential Elvis Presley' dropped from #10 to #11. 
  • Billboard Top Rock and Alternative Album chart: 'The Essential Elvis Presley' remained steady at #11.
  • Billboard Top Rock and Alternative Album chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack remained steady at #30.
  • Billboard Top Rock Album chart: ''The Essential Elvis Presley' climbed from #10 to #9. 
  • Billboard Top Rock Album chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack dropped from #23 to #25,  
  • Billboard Top Holiday Album chart: 'The Classic Christmas Album' climbed from #19 to #17. 

Billboard Canadian charts:

  • Billboard Canadian Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' climbed from #79 to #77.

    


Official U.K. charts:

  • Official Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #24 to #27. 
  • Official Compilation Albums chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack dropped from #40 to #42.  
  • Official Streaming Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #17 to #20.   
  • Official Soundtrack Album 100 chart: 'ELVIS' Soundtrack album remained steady at #3.  
  • Official Country Compilations chart Top 20: 'From Elvis In Nashville' climbed from #10 to #7.
  • Official Film Chart Top 40 chart: 'ELVIS' remained steady at #5. 
  • Official Video Chart Top 100 chart: 'ELVIS' remained steady at #3.
  • Official DVD Chart Top 100 chart: 'ELVIS' remained steady at #2. 
  • Official Blu-ray Chart Top 100 chart: 'ELVIS' movie dropped from #4 to #9. 
  • Official Film on Disc Chart Top 100 chart: 'ELVIS' climbed from #3 to #2.
  • Official Music Video Chart Top 50: 'Elvis The Searcher' climbed from #23 to #21. 
  • Official Music Video Chart Top 50: 'The '68 Comeback Special' re-entry at #45.

Official Irish IRMA charts:

  • Official Irish Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #23 to #31.
  • Official Irish Compilation album chart: 'ELVIS' soundtrack dropped from #14 to #25.
Official Greek IFPI charts:
  • Official IFPI Album Top 75 chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from #25 to #47. 

(Source: Official Chart Company / IRMA / UK Mix Forum  / Billboard  Austrian Charts / Box Office Mojo / IFPI)

Friday, October 21, 2022

October 21 - Never Been To Hampton Roads

RCA Records / Sony released new previews for the upcoming 'Elvis On Tour' 6-CD / 1-DVD set. Listen to Elvis sing 'Never Been To Spain' as recorded live at the Richmond Coliseum and 'How Great Thou Art' as recorded live on April 9, 1972 at the Hampton Roads Coliseum in Hampton Roads, VA. 



(Source: RCA / SONY / Facebook)

 

Thursday, October 20, 2022

Review Blue Hawaii 45 RPM LP

In 1961 the soundtrack album for 'Blue Hawaii' entered the Billboard chart for a year-and-a-half run, remaining at No. 1 for 20 weeks, second best to 'G.I. Blues' as the biggest album of Elvis' career on the Billboard charts. It also yielded the No. 2 single destined to become an Elvis classic, 'Can't Help Falling in Love'. 

61 years later, the Mobile Fidelity record label released a Super Audio CD and a numbered Limited Edition double LP of the 'Blue Hawaii' soundtrack on 180 Gram and playing at 45RPM. 

What does this vinyl edition add to the SACD we just got? 

Design

 

This new outing of the classic soundtrack comes in a sturdy gate-fold cover with almost all graphic elements of the original album art. Fans looking for little differences to the original, the RCA logo is missing on the front, but is present on the back. 

 

The inside of the gate-fold is almost as empty as an Hawaiian beach after all tourists are gone, only a few leaves of a palm tree are lost in the sand. Why not use the promotional text from the website or some details on the mastering and/ or equipment used? That would have fit in perfectly for an high-end release as this one as audio enthusiasts surely would enjoy reading about the magic the engineers and other technicians involved in this release did mixing an mastering this album.

 

The LP's, featuring a MoFi label and not a copy of the original RCA labels, are safely housed in thick plastic protective sleeves. I wish vinyl came standard with sleeves like this, the disc s are protected and they slide in and out of the gatefold jackets.

 

Content


The content of the LP is the same as on the SACD release, see my >>> review of the SACD for that. 

 

The reason to consider to add this edition of Elvis' first Hawaiian soundtrack to your collection is of course the remastered audio and vinyl playing at 45 RPM. For the mastering of this CD Klaus Wunderlich, assisted by Rob Laverde, used DSD 256 transfers of the original analog master tapes. 


There has been some serious discussion and even controversy when record buyers discovered that Mobile Fidelity had switched from using original master tapes to DSD copies. 


In a response, MoFi President Jim Davis, stated: “Some record label tape vaults changed policy regarding shipment of mastertapes. At that point our only option for those recordings was to go to the mastertapes. Once we were able to access these masters, the dilemma was how can we best retrieve the information from the master? 

We experimented with making analog copies from the master. Various tape stocks (½**, 1**) and speeds (15ips, 30ips) were tried but rejected. There was no way to overcome the noise-floor disadvantages of copying from one analog tape to another. 


When we tried DSD, it was immediately clear this was a vastly superior method for maximizing information retrieval. Developed as an archival format, DSD is sonically transparent, with a very low noise floor. Combined with the painstaking transfer process … the capture is a virtual snapshot of the master, revealing detail and nuance at a level that conventional methods could not. Counterintuitively, this capture yields, in our evaluation, superior sonics compared to a cut that is direct from the analog tape to the lathe.

 

The process of achieving these captures at a remote studio location is expensive and time consuming. We ship our proprietary gear, including our Tim de Paravicini-modified Studer A80 tape machine, to the studio, rent studio time, and fly and lodge our engineer for several weeks at a time. The process of making a DSD capture using our techniques takes a day or more alone for each tape.

 

We did extensive evaluations of all aspects of the mastering process and found that using our proprietary gear with these steps yields the best sonic results. In the end it's up to each individual listener to make his or her own decision as to what sounds best. 

 

So what do we hear when we play these Hawaiian tunes? Assuming the label used the same source for both the SACD and 45 RPM vinyl releases, this is th eensame clear mix with good stereo separation. Playing the LPs and listening closely, I even thought I heard briefly the sound of a banging bracelet from one of the musicians on ‘Can’t Help Falling In Love’, never noticed that before. And listen to the female voice backing and “answering” Elvis on ‘Moonlight Swim’, she sounds clear as glass. The harmonica on ‘Hawaiian Beach Boy’ cuts in very sharp! 

 

Listening to the discs closely, the vinyl does add a touch of warmth compared to the SACD edition, leaving in all the details you expect to hear in a high-end release like this.

 

Conclusion

 

Overall this is a quality release that will please Elvis fans and audio-enthusiasts. It won’t make ‘Ito Eats’ a better listening experience, but let’s be honest, what could? Summing it up, it’s a classic album that looks good in this gatefold cover, feels good holding the solid flat vinyl in your hand and sound good, as quality vinyl should! Having the choice between fun colored vinyl from Russia on the DOL label, black vinyl with a colored bonus single from the wrong picture as released in Europe (Glamourama Records) or solid black vinyl from the States, I know which one to select. 

 

Compared to the Super Audio CD by Mobile Fidelity, this outing of the soundtrack comes a bit closer to the original album, simply because it is on vinyl. And although you have to pay the price of nostalgia as you do keep flipping the disc every three songs, doing so made me more aware I was listening to music, not just putting on a CD or starting a playlist. That’s priceless!


For more information on the album and SACDs visit the >>> Mobile Fidelity website.


October 20 - Retro Error Nominations

The Australian Academy of Cinema and Television Arts (AACTA) has announced the nominees for its technical awards. Baz Luhrmann’s 'ELVIS' leads the charge with nominations in all nine categories. 

Catherine Martin is also up for both the production and costume design gongs for Elvis.

 The full list of AACTA nominations received by ELVIS:

  1. Best Casting - Elvis – Nikki Barrett, Denise Chamian
  2. Best Cinematography in Film - Elvis – Mandy Walker
  3. Best Costume Design in Film - Elvis – Catherine Martin
  4. Best Editing in Film - Elvis – Matt Villa, Jonathan Redmond
  5. Best Hair and Makeup - Elvis – Jason Baird, Mark Coulier, Louise Coulston, Shane Thomas
  6. Best Original Score in Film - Elvis – Elliott Wheeler. 
  7. Best Production Design in Film - Elvis – Catherine Martin, Karen Murphy, Beverley Dunn
  8. Best Sound in Film - Elvis – David Lee, Wayne Pashley, Andy Nelson, 
  9. Best Visual Effects or Animation - Elvis – Tom Wood, Fiona Crawford, Julian Hutchens, Joshua Simmonds, Adam Hammond

This year’s AACTA Awards are to be held in Sydney December 7, 2022.


Error (Corrected)

Due to a misunderstanding in the communication with the pressing plant, the Millbranch import 3-CD / 1 DVD set 'From Sea To Shining Sea' was released with an error. There is a 2-second gap between the tracks on all three CDs. 

The label apologized for the inconvenience this might have caused their dealers and customers and announced that they have already ordered a (corrected) re-pressing of the audio CDs which should be shipped out within 10 days.


Retro Magazine

Elvis Presley is featured on the cover of the German Retro magazine. Inside the article 'Elvis Presley and Ann-Margret: Sie war die echte Liebe seines Lebens' on how Ann-Margret really was the love of ELvis' life, according to the editor that is ...

(Source: Elvis Club Berlin / Millbranch Records / Facebook / Elvis Information Network)

Tuesday, October 18, 2022

October 18 - Movie Soundtrack Vinyl and Video

The French Big Beat Records announced the November 18, 2022 re-release of the Limited Edition box sets '1956-1957 In Hollywood Volume 1' and '1957-1958 In Hollywood Volume 2'. 

Publicity stated: Two sets with the "Complete Alternative Album Collection" for the albums 'Jailhouse Rock', 'King Creole' and 'Love Me Tender' and 'Loving You. The boxes contain two 10-inch LPs, a black vinyl LP and a picture discs, both housed in a gate-fold cover,  2 CDs, and two posters. 

Jailhouse Rock side A:  Jailhouse Rock - Jailhouse Rock (Movie Version) - I Want To Be Free - Don't Leave Me Now (Movie Version Recording Studio V1) - Don't Leave Me Now (Movie Version Recording Studio V2) - Treat Me Nice (Alternative Movie Master) - Young And Beautiful (End Title Version) - Young And Beautiful (Movie Jail Version).

Side B: Baby I Don't Care (Movie Edit) - Young Ant Beautiful (Florida Club Version) - Jailhouse Rock (Alternate Movie Master) - Don't Leave Me Now (Alternate Movie Master) - Treat Me Nice (Movie Version) - Baby I Don't Care (Alternate Movie Master) - Jailhouse Rock (Movie Trailer).

King Creole side A: King Creole (Take 13 - Revisited Version) - Crawfish (Take 7 - Unedited Master) - Hard Headed Woman (Take 10 - Master) - As Long As I Have You (Take 4 - Short Version) - As Long As I Have You (Take 8 - Long Version) - Trouble (Take 5 - Master) - Don't Ask Me Why (Take 12 - Master) - Dirty, Dirty Feeling - Steadfast, Loyal And True (Movie Version) - Steadfast, Loyal And True (Undubbed Record Master).

Side B: King Creole (Take 3 - First Version) - Danny (Unedited) - Dixieland Rock (Take 4 - Master) - Lover Doll (Take 7 - Unedited, Undubbed Master Movie Version) - New Orleans (Take 5 - Master) - Young Dreams (Take 8 - Master) - King Creole (Take 18 - First Version).

Love Me Tender side A:  Love Me Tender (Stereo Masters) - Let Me (Stereo Masters) - Poor Boy (Stereo Masters) - We're Gonna Move (Stereo Masters) - We're Gonna Move (Take 4) - We're Gonna Move (Take 9) - Love Me Tender (Movie End Title Version).

Side B: Love Me Tender - Let Me - Poo Boy - We're Gonna Move - Let Me (Original Mono Soundtrack) - Poor Boy (Original Movie Soundtrack).

Loving You side A: Mean Woman Blues (Movie Version) - Loving You (Main Movie Version) - Party (Alternative Movie Version) - Teddy Bear - Blueberry Hill - Got A Lot Livin' To Do (Alternate Movie Master) - True Love - Hot Dog.

Side B: Lovin' You (Studio Version) - Party (The Jordanaires Backing Vocal Version) - Lonesome Cowboy - Have I Told You That I Love You? - I Need You So - Got a Lot Livin' To Do (Final Movie Version) - Lovin' You (Final Movie Version).


Behind The Track

EPE / Sony uploaded a new promo video for the 'On Tour' box-set titled 'Behind the Track: Always On My Mind' (Elvis On Tour Interviews), featuring Ernst Jørgensen and Matt Ross-Spang talking about this great song. 

Note: It's interesting that the song is dated incorrectly as 1973 ...


Birthday Celebrations

EPE announced the Elvis 2023 Birthday Celebration details. 

EPE posted: Join us in Memphis on January 5-8 as we celebrate Elvis' birthday with concerts, movies, conversations and much more! 

This year's festivities include our annual Elvis Birthday Proclamation Ceremony, The Memphis Symphony Orchestra's annual Elvis Pops Concert with Terry Mike Jeffrey, Conversations on Elvis, plus an extraordinary Elvis screen show to mark the 50th anniversary of Aloha from Hawaii!

More details at the >>> Graceland website

(Source: Amazon Spain, Elvis Club Berlin / FNAC / Big Beat Records / EPE)