December 12 - A Lifetime On The Piano

Here is the cover art for the upcoming biography on Glenn D. Hardin by Julie Yeardie, titled 'A Lifetime On The Piano'. 

The book is set for publication in 2025 by the Danish Memphis Mansion.

Congratulations! 

Steve Binder, the director and producer of the 1968 'Elvis TV Special', celebrates his 92nd. birthday today. Congratulations!

(Source: Henrik Knudsen / UEPS)

December 11 - Presley Released

The French RDM-Edition record label released the new Mono II Stereo set 'PRESLEY - The Essential 50's Masters'.

Publicity stated: Rediscover 109 of the King's tracks with a new stereo mix! This 4-CD box set brings together the essential tracks from the 50s. Tracks from Elvis' albums, but also from his film soundtracks, including some rarities such as versions used for the films and different from the versions released on album. 

Please note this box set is a Limited Edition including an 8-page booklet and a slipcase.

A few words from the producer Anthony Stuchbury: When producing these Mono II Stereo 50s Masters, I "tried" to make the mixes consistent with how they would have been mixed at the time, if they had originally been recorded in stereo. I used various resources, including tracks from the period, which were recorded in this way, usually with the drums panned. A good comparison would be the hits of Neil Sedaka, also an artist recorded by RCA, whose masters from that era are mixed in this manner, and continued to be so until the early 1960s when he worked for the label. 

Between 1954 and 1958, Stereo recording techniques began to evolve, which led to a possible change in the way songs were mixed. A common misconception is that the Jordanaires' backing vocals were mixed to the side, usually to the right, but there is no evidence that this was the case on Elvis' hits in the 1950s. Generally, this is the type of mix that was used on Elvis' recordings from 1960 onwards, but even then it was not always the case, as can be heard in the May 1963 recordings, where the backing vocals can be heard in the center. 

Ultimately, mixing is the producer's job, and it's always subjective. So I used that freedom to create what I like best, including occasionally panning the backing vocals and centering the drums. I hope these four discs take you back to Elvis's 1950s era and that you enjoy the transformation of audio and mixes. 

You can listen to previews of all songs on the >>> RDM-Edition website. 

(Source: RDM-Edition)

December 10 - Golden Boy Elvis

The Golden Boy Elvis magazine will be available mid-December 2024. 

This edition contains the second part of the review of the FTD release 'Guitar Man - The ‘67 /’68 Sessions', with a special focus on the Masters, also reviewed in all its facets is the 'Memphis' box-se and we get part 1 of the review of the 4-CD FTD set 'The Last Tours Vol. 1' 

The magazine continues with the sixth part of our series 'Authentic Elvis - The Story of a Style Icon' and in 'Believing in the Dream' the quarterly magazine takes readers on an exciting journey back in time to the Fifties. For the fans of vinyl there is the Rillen-Revue-Remake section, which focuses on the single 'The Walls have Ears / Song of the Shrimp'.

For more information on the magazine visit the publisher's website at: >>> www.goldenboyelvis.de or contact them by mail at service@golden-boy-elvis.de.

Dynamite!

The December-January issue of the German Dynamite! magazine features the article "Cooking like the King: Elvis' X-Mas Dinner".

(Source: Golden Boy Magazine / Elvis Club Berlin)

December 09 - California Vinyl

According to the Elvis Australia website the Follow That Dream record label has released their special edition of Elvis' 1966 soundtrack 'California Holiday' as a Limited Edition double LP. The Elvis Shop London no longer has it as "pre-order". The LP was was supposed to be released back in September 2024.

The Australian site also mentions that 'The Making of King Creole', 'The Last Tours vol. 2' and 'The Girl Happy Sessions' have veen released. 

Other web-shops haven't listed it yet. 

About the LP: In October 1966, an MGM UK representative announced that 'California Holiday' would have its world premiere in London, and that the original U.S. title, 'Spinout', was changed because it was felt that would have more appeal to British and overseas audiences. 'Spinout' was only used in the U.S. and Canada. 

This unique FTD limited edition is based on the original UK release and features the red dot RCA Victor label. The double album includes the original soundtrack masters, studio outtakes and bonus tracks.

(Source: Elvis Australia / Elvis Shop London / Facebook)

Review Ooh Las Vegas

The Millbranch import record label released another audio / video set, taking us back to February 1973. Let's head back to the first half of the seventies to 'Ooh Las Vegas'! 

Design

Like we’ve come to expect from this label, the packaging is top-notch, both modern and reflective of the time. The pictures of Elvis on the front and on the CD in his Blue Pinwheel suit are a nice bonus. Missing are the liner notes, which would have completed the package.  

The title is a fun reference to Gram Parsons,  considering the likes of Tutt, Burton and Hardin played with him in the same period they were backing Elvis.

Content

Many concerts have been released from this engagement, but we did not have this Midnight Show on a silver disc. We did have the Dinner Show on the CD-R 'The Battle Of Vegas, February 11, 1973'. 'It’s great' to get another complete show in "OK" audio quality from a Soundbooth recording, sourced from U.K. superfan Rex Martin.  

The sound is okay, with the occasional talking by Rex’s girlfriends, and so is the show. Elvis delivers the goods, but there are no real highlights that stand out on this night; it sounds a bit tame overall. But the audience doesn’t seem to mind. You can hear the interaction between Elvis, the laughter, and appreciation for the shaking hips, scarves, and singing, of course.  

To name a few “highlights”: a too-fast ‘Johnny B. Goode,’ but the mean guitar work by Burton makes up for it! Other enjoyable performances are ‘Can’t Stop Loving You’ and ‘An American Trilogy’, but they usually are, I would have been disapointed if Elvis hadn't delivered on these concert classics.   

I’m more enthusiastic about the DVD; this is where the label distinguishes itself from the competition. On the second disc, we get footage from 7 shows, 1 documentary, and 2 video clips.  

From all the shows on the DVD, the footage of the show we get on the CD is missing, unfortunately. I thought I did hear an 8mm camera running during ‘Fever’ on the CD, but the footage hasn’t surfaced.  

The DVD opens with a newly created clip of ‘An American Trilogy,’ using alternative angles from the ‘Aloha’ broadcast. From the Sunshine State, we head down to ‘Ooh Las Vegas,’ and traveling by car, we see the big billboards with Elvis - and popular stars like Tom Jones and Glenn Campbell - who took up residence in Sin City.  

I’ve read that Elvis was everywhere when he was in town, but these images confirm that: everywhere you look, his name is up in lights and on billboards. A nice way to “set the scene” for the concerts.  

During the documentary section, we get a short introduction and learn that, despite a sore throat and against doctor’s advice, he performed the shows. Later on, we see him cancel and then continue the show, not wanting to disappoint his audience! The 8mm footage with overdubbed sound shows that he could “sing around his vocal problems.”  

But that wasn’t the only problem he faced, as there was also an attempt to attack him on stage. Fortunately, he took care of business with his Mafia friends. If these attackers had paid any attention to the show they were watching, they would have seen that Elvis took his karate seriously, so it was a bad idea to enter the stage!  

Illustrated with small stories that happened during this period, like his meeting with Muhammad Ali and a member of the American boxing team - inspired to go into  boxing after seeing Elvis in 'Kid Galahad' - who had just lost to the Russians during a tournament in Vegas.  

Overall, a nice way to “set the scene” for the main course, the concerts.  

The editors have to work with what’s available, most of it shot secretly and unfortunately – due to the cost and short running time of the tapes – we get many fragments of Elvis’ performances, sometimes with only a second between two black screens connecting the fragments while the music continues. I wonder why the persons holding these recorders used them like a photo camera.  

Fortunately for us, it is all nicely edited with the overdubbed audio holding it all together. It’s basically a compilation of fragments with some additional complete songs like ‘Steamroller Blues,’ ‘Polk Salad Annie,’ ‘Johnny B. Goode,’ ‘Love Me Tender,’ and ‘Trilogy.’ The latter was a favorite of the audience, as they grabbed their 8mm camera to catch the performance. That means that fifty years later, we get various renditions of the song, but that’s no punishment presented like this.  

The footage is very good for 8mm, and not presented full-screen; it comes across very well. Although I must admit I wish that the editor had picked a different effect, as this one has a distracting reflective line at the top of the screen. Together with the occasional added sound of a running film projector, I found that distracting. Fortunately, the editor stuck to just one graphic effect, making all the fragments look like a whole.  

Looking at the footage, which covers 10 days in February 1973 through the eyes of the audience, we learn that Elvis’ performance on stage was a totally different one from what we had seen on the Hawaiian stage. Okay, there is a big difference between 8mm footage shot from the audience and a professional TV broadcast using all means possible, but besides that, Elvis is more active on stage, obviously feeling more at home. Also interesting: during ‘Fever,’ he only has to wiggle half a leg to get a reaction. So it seems odd that I don’t seem to hear this active performer when I played the CD we get in this set …  

One of the highlights is, of course, the extremely rare footage in stunning quality of Elvis appearing in his Blue Pinwheel suit at the February 20th Dinner Show. This shows that the editors really made an effort for this set, because next to the editing and audio-overdubbing, they also found new material.  

Presented like this, we literally get another perspective of Elvis on stage in early 1973. Of course, we all know the ‘Aloha’ show(s), but here it looks less staged than the staged concert movies like 'On Tour', 'That’s The Way It Is', and Aloha'. It comes across as more natural. Even handing out the scarves doesn’t look tacky, as it does when I see other artists do this. Having heard many audio recordings, I now got a better understanding and appreciation of the February 1973 Vegas stint. I enjoyed watching a coherent collection of 8mm footage, presented in the correct order to create a concert experience. At well over one and a half hours of footage, you can really sit down and enjoy this Vegas engagement.  

Conclusion

With the addition of these DVDs, the Millbranch label found a great way to present fans with an entertaining and insightful package, a little time capsule, you could say.  

Compilations like this are not everyone’s taste, but I found it insightful to get a pretty complete overview of this engagement: the show, the stage - with the band and backing vocalists standing on brown/red high-pile carpet and the same logo as on the billboard and menu projected behind the orchestra (new to me) - but, more importantly, Elvis’ act during the various songs we know so well, the suits, and everything else.  

The DVD ends with the announcement of a volume 2, so fingers crossed for more!  

In the past, DVDs were added as the bonus on a Deluxe release; here it is the other way around for me. Like the previous CD/DVD packages from the Millbranch label, this is an entertaining set that really adds something to your collection, especially if you want to experience Elvis live or if you’re a fan of 8mm footage.  

The CD is available from >>> Bennies Fifties.

December 07 - Book on Glenn D. Hardin

During a Christmas breakfast event with fans, Julie Yeardie, formerly known as Julie Mundy, author of 'Elvis Fashion - From Memphis to Vegas', shared that she is working on a book on Elvis former piano player Glenn D. Hardin. 

The book is set for publication in 2025 by the Danish Memphis Mansion Publishing. 

Vote for Your Ultimate Elvis Song

BBC Radio 2 is celebrating the music and legacy of Elvis Presley - the King of Rock'n'Roll - in January 2025 to mark the 90th anniversary of his birth. In honor of the occasion the BBC is looking for Your Ultimate Elvis Song from the shortlist of Elvis Presley's 90 U.K. Top 20 hits.

They've included both tracks from all Elvis double a-sides that reached the Top 20, plus all the Jailhouse Rock EP. You can vote up to five times - either all on one song or you can spread your votes across multiple tracks.

Voting closes at 12 noon on Friday 13 December 2024. The results will be revealed in a special countdown show, hosted by Vernon Kay, to be broadcast on Radio 2 on New Year's Day 2025 and available for the following 30 days on BBC Sounds.

Go to the >>> BBC site to vote - you need to have a BBC account but anyone can join in.

New Vinyl

Due from the Wax Time record label on February 14, 2025 is another vinyl re-issue of Elvis' debut album. 
Set for release on the same date from the IMT record label is the LP 'Rockin' '57'. 

More information when available

(Source: Dorhte Bach Larsen / Elvis Information Network / Various)

December 07 - Charts December 2024 - Week 1

Elvis Presley can almost always be counted on to appear on the Billboard charts, and around this time of the year, his holiday recordings become must-hears again, helping him to return to several charts this week.

U.S. Billboard charts: 

His 'The Classic Christmas Album' reappeared on four different Billboard tallies and was already listed on one other chart. The 2012 Holiday compilation made a re-entry at No. 17 on Billboard's Top Rock Albums chart, and at No. 24 on the Top Rock & Alternative Albums tally. On Billboard's Top Country Albums ranking the compilation settled at No. 26 while the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' compilation dropped 3 places to No. 43.

'The Classic Christmas Album' performed well enough to land at No. 123 on the main Billboard Top 200 chart, and remained steady at No. 17 on the Top Holiday Album chart this week.

On the Country Streaming Songs chart, 'Blue Christmas' made a re-entry at No. 18 and on the Holiday Streaming Songs chart the song landed at No. 23 this week. On the Holiday 100 chart, 'Blue Christmas' was listed at No. 22 while 'Here Comes Santa Claus (Right Down Santa Claus Lane)' settled at No. 81 the Holiday 100 overview.

US Book Charts: 

Extra charts from the U.S. this week, for the Lisa Marie Presley biography. On the New York Times 'Combined Print and E-Book Nonfiction' bestsellers lists, 'From Here To The Great Unknown' returned to the Top 10, landing at No. 10. On the nonfiction hardcover bestsellers list the memoir almost made up for lat week's loss, and climbed back to No. 9. On the Audiobook bestsellers list for November, the book dropped from No. 2 to No. 9 (this is a monthly list).

The New York Times compiled a list of the best (audio) books for 2024, stating "From vertiginous, ensemble-cast excursions through the dark web and French Polynesia to searing inner monologues of the antebellum South, the Brooklyn rave scene and American music royalty: The year’s best audiobooks are exceptional not just for their writing, but for the vocal performances that make these narratives particularly absorbing in your ear." Lisa's memoir, as read by Riley Keough and Julia Roberts made the list. 

The newspaper stated: When she died in 2023, Presley left behind an unfinished memoir and hours of interviews she recorded for it, shards of a life that have been gathered into a tortured and mesmerizing whole by her daughter. It is the story of a little girl who has everything she wants except, eventually, her father; who is sexually abused and thrown out of school and falls hopelessly in love, again and again and again. Presley’s life is so slippery and complex it feels right to hear it through a prism of multiple viewpoints. Roberts gives a pained and powerful expression to Presley’s writing; Keough fills in the gaps with her own memories, her delicate voice laden with fresh grief; and Presley’s own recordings interrupt with the haunting effect of a ghost. 

The book dropped off the Publisher's Weekly Top 25 Non Fiction Hardcover list.

Official U.K. charts:

• Official Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from No 55 to No. 56. 
• Official Streaming Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped 4 places, from No. 38 to No. 42. 
• Official Music Video chart: 'Elvis The King of Rock and Roll' dropped off the  video chart after last week's re-entry at No. 46. 
• Official Singles Chart: 'Blue Christmas' makes a re-entry at No. 93. 
• Official Streaming Singles Chart: 'Blue Christmas' makes a re-entry at No. 75. 

Irish IRMA charts: (to be updated on IRMA site this week)

• Official Irish Album chart: 'ELV1S 30#1 Hits' won 5 places, climbing to No. 77. 

Elvis Wrapped

Elvis 2024 Spotify Wrapped: Spotify Wrapped is all about celebrating the fans and artists who helped make 2024 the fandom-shaking year it was. No surprise that Taylor Swift was the most streamed artist with The Weeknd, Bad Bunny, Drake and Billy Eilish as the Top 5.

Elvis did pretty well for himself getting over 1.23Billion Streams. That's not bad for an artist who first recorded back in 1954 and hasn't recorded any new material since 1977! Last year Elvis had 71Million listeners on Spotify so his listener numbers have gone up by 23 million. 

Graceland posted the results for Elvis.

(Source: Billboard / Official Chart Company / IRMA / UK Mix Forum/ IPFI / Amazon / NY Times / Publisher's Weekly / Entertainment Weekly / Forbes) 

December 06 - Best Holiday Home Tour

Graceland has been voted the "Best Holiday Home Tour" for the 7th year in a row by voters in the annual USA Today poll. Congrats!

Graceland stated: The results are in and we couldn't be more thrilled to announce that Graceland has been named the #1 "Best Holiday Historic Home Tour" by USA Today 10Best Readers' Choice Awards! Thank you, Thank you very much to all the Elvis fans out there, for making this seven years in a row! 

(Graceland)

The Mono to Stereo Interview with Anthony Stuchbury

The question of whether Elvis' Mono classics from the fifties should be re-released in newly created Stereo Mixes is hotly debated among hard-core collectors. With a new Mono II Stereo set - covering all of the essential Elvis Presley Masters from the 50's - coming out on December 11, 2024, it is time to ask to the man behind the mixing desk some tricky questions. 

Piers Beagley (Elvis Information Network) and Kees Mouwen try to get the backstory behind this recent development - some say craze - of mixing Elvis’ original Mono recordings into Stereo.

Piers: Hi Anthony, good to sit down virtually and catch up in this interview. What fans really can’t wait to know about is your up-coming' PRESLEY- The Essential 50’s Masters' box-set but you seem to have been working non-stop on this kind of releases the past few years. 

So, first off, can you share a little about yourself and your Elvis story and explain how you became a Mono to Stereo producer?

Anthony: Just a little bit? I’ve been an Elvis fan since I was 5 years old, dancing to ‘Jailhouse Rock’ on its, at the time, UK TV premiere. So, I’ve been listening to Elvis for quite a few years. 

I’ve always been interested in audio, not just the ‘sound’ but the technical aspects and recording techniques. It’s just always fascinated me, going way back to my father’s old 78’s and reel to reel recorder. I learnt by doing frankly.

Kees: Your name has been associated with several labels releasing Elvis material. Can you explain how you have ended up working with a few different Elvis labels and which is the product that you are so far most proud of?

Anthony: I’m a very independent person. If you don’t try to reach goals, you’ll never know what you might, or might not have achieved, so I just kind of go for it. Some is also down to friends who have encouraged and spurred me on, for example Henrik Knudsen at Memphis Mansion, and even yourself Kees, who pointed RDM-Edition towards me, remember?

Up to now, but maybe not for much longer, my favorite release would be the ‘Welcome Home Elvis’ black vinyl box set from Memphis Mansion. It was such a thrill to work on those mono acetates, and to be able to bring them up to a standard for a professional vinyl pressing. 

The picture shows Anthony Stuchbury with the original acetates and the Memphis Mansion box-set.

It was also gratifying to be able to supply my basic restoration file to the Memphis Recording Service label, and to see and hear that it was used as the basis for all their own reiterations on CD and vinyl of ‘Welcome Home Elvis’.

Piers: That was a good box-set indeed, the best presentation of that material at the time I think. Talking about box-sets, did we spot your name on the new 'The Making of King Creole' box from the Follow That Dream label? 

Anthony: Yes, you did. I was sent a recording of an acetate containing the whole opening production number from the movie by Keith Flynn, belonging to David English. They weren’t going to use it because it wasn’t up to par, but me being me I had to have a play around with it and sent it back to Keith. I think he knew I’d do that to be honest.

He was so impressed that I hadn’t converted it to stereo (that’s an in joke) he sent it to David who then contacted me directly to ask if they could use it.

In my younger days I always thought that the opening of the movie was too long, I wanted the movie to get to Elvis. As I restored the acetate, which is track 1 on the new release, I was amazed to find it was originally going to be even longer!

Listen to the 'King Creole' A-B comparison:

Piers: Are you open to do more restoration work? You did work on the recently found Toledo recording from 1956. There are some tracks out there that could benefit from a little magic. Songs like ‘Little Mama’, ‘Heart of Stone’ and a 1960 concert from Hawaii come to mind.

Anthony: Yes, and my version of ‘Toledo’ without Ron Ross is still yet to be heard. The people who have it are the people who should. It’s not my ball to kick around in all fairness, it was shared confidentially, so I will continue to hold that confidence.

Kees: Everybody seems to be jumping on the ‘Mono to Stereo’ bandwagon and we have heard both good and unbelievably terrible Elvis ‘Mono to Stereo’ releases. Some fans that should know better have even posted that your stereo remasters are only done by “fiddling around on a home PC”. What do you think when you read this?

Anthony: It amuses and entertains me, because no one knows what I’m using, and probably wouldn’t believe me if I told them anyway. I prefer to let my work speak for itself, and it already has.

Piers: In the past collectors have always held the ERIC record label up as the gold standard for their ‘Mono II Stereo’ releases. What is your opinion and have they ever contacted you?

Anthony: A lot of people don’t know this, but I was the person responsible for the Memphis Recording Service record label dipping their toes into Mono to Stereo in the first place. You could say it’s my fault. I’d been pestering Joseph Pirzada to try and see what his guy could do for about three or four years after first being impressed by things I’d heard on Eric Records.

And yes, I’ve had communication with them, back in November 2023, I helped them out with a track.

Kees: Can you say something about the differences you hear in the various new Stereo versions of the same material? 

Anthony: Primarily it would be placement of the individual instruments and backing vocals.

Piers: You have updated some of your early SUN Stereo Masters on more recent releases. How has your technique developed from the first to your most recent releases?

Anthony: The first SUN tracks were a private project and were never initially intended for release. I changed them after taking on board some friendly and constructive criticism, so before you ask, yes, I do think they are better now. 

Kees: Remixing old SUN mono masters to Stereo is considered to be sacrilege, so do you think that are you rewriting history?

Anthony: They’re not meant to replace the original classic masters or rewrite history in any shape or form. They give a freedom to go with whatever you prefer. It’s easy to knock it, but unless you plan to buy and listen to them it really won’t make any difference to you.

If you prefer mono, my mixes shouldn’t change what you enjoy, so the short answer to your question is no. 

Piers: You've said that you consider your work "audio archaeology", can you explain that, and what were your major finds?

Anthony: Lots of detail you don’t hear because it’s buried in the mono mix. A couple of examples being the drum brush beat missed by D.J. Fontana on ‘I Was The One’ and his squeaky bass drum pedal on ‘Don’t’.

Other than that, I enjoy being able to focus in on and hear each musician more clearly. I get a new appreciation of how great they were and how hard they worked.

Kees: The recent SONY / RCA ‘Memphis’ box-set included remixes of most of Elvis SUN mono masters. This was surely where RCA should have released the SUN recordings in stereo?

Anthony: Looking back, I thought that too, but in hindsight I’m glad they were not. When SONY eventually do get around to it, I think a dedicated mono to stereo release would be better than to be part of a legacy compilation.

Piers: To follow up on that, it was only a few months after the ‘Memphis’ release that Ernst Jorgensen then did an interview suggesting that he wanted to release Elvis’ mono masters in Stereo! Has he been in contact with you? Has he heard your work, and if so, can you tell us what he thought?

Anthony: Yes, yes, and no (shy grin!). That said, he was asked at a fan meeting in Denmark what he thought of mono to stereo and replied that he had “heard some that are really good”. 

I’ll let you work that one out for yourselves.

Kees: The Beatles have been using Digitally Extracted Stereo (DES) mono to stereo separation on their updated releases for a while now. If they can do it what’s holding RCA back with updating Elvis’ work? 

Anthony: I’m unable to answer that with any authority because I don’t know. I could make assumptions and guesses, but that’s all they would be.

Kees: Well, let’s assume, I’ve read figures of US$10,000 per track if done correctly. Do the Beatles sell that much more copies that it is viable and Elvis doesn’t? 

Anthony: I read it was $10.000 per master, so that’s not necessarily one track, but I really don’t know. I think the whole Beatles catalogue is more condensed, and therefore not as fragmented as Elvis’ own. I think that makes it a lot easier to target the market and make it work. 

Piers: In 1992 RCA released ‘The Complete 50’s Masters’ produced by Ernst Jorgensen. Coincidentally in a few weeks RDM will be releasing 'PRESLEY- The Essential 50’s Masters' in STEREO and produced by you! You seem to have beaten RCA to the punch with updating this set. How long have you been working on this set and have you had any feedback from Ernst?

Anthony: Around 18 months in total, approximately. It’s been a massive project, but was in my mind right from the start, and in fact it was turned down twice, before finally getting the go ahead from, and on RDM-Edition. 

Financially it’s a big release for any label to commit to, so I understand that. Fortunately each RDM-Edition release has been very successful for them, so I’m grateful they were willing to give ‘PRESLEY’ a chance. 

You might like to know that Sylvain Mallet, the guy who I work with there, is a big Elvis fan himself, so that has been a great help. I basically had to prove myself, which I could never have done without the help of a few friends, but most importantly another good friend, my graphics guy David Parker. I think I’ve driven him to distraction with some of the things I’ve insisted on, but he always comes up trumps. Top bloke.

Kees: Well, I can’t wait to see and listen to the set, can you confirm the date it is coming out, and tell us more about the packaging? 

Anthony: The official release-date is December 11, 2024, but you can already pre-order the CD. It’s a four CD set with an eight-page booklet, liner notes by David Parker. It’s all presented in a fat box jewel case within a gloss card slip case.

Piers: Keen-eyed fans have noted that tracks such as ‘Tell Me Why’ and 'One Night Of Sin' are missing, yet some interesting alternate takes are included. Can you please explain how you assembled your final track list?

Anthony: I make no bones about those tracks, and others, not being included. Legally they cannot. Although recorded in the ‘50’s they were not first released until the mid ‘60’s, this excludes them and means they are not in the public domain. All 109 tracks on the release, alternates included, were first released or broadcast originally in the 1950’s which means they are good to go. 

There is a view that the ‘PRESLEY’ release could have been called ‘The Complete ‘50’s Masters’, it contains every master released in the ‘50’s after all. I can well imagine the furor that would entail from those that don’t understand the simplicity of the situation, or just want to knock it. 

As it stands, they are the ‘Essential ‘50’s Masters’ because they are what were released in the 1950’s.

Kees: Separating the piano from the guitar track and separating Elvis’ vocal from the Jordanaires backing-vocals on a mono master is always one of the toughest jobs. Have you now got this down to perfection?

Anthony: Yes, and I’ve included some new mixes on the ‘PRESLEY’ set to illustrate this, ‘Don’t’ being the perfect example. When you listen to this new version you’ll hear a mix that you’ve been pre-conditioned to hear over the years, with the Jordanaires on the right  and instruments on the left. It’s completely different to the version on Golden Elvis! which, for the record, is the one I personally prefer.

Piers: A question that is always up for discussion, whether The Jordanaires are on the right channel or in the middle behind Elvis? How do you decide?

Anthony:  I’ll not go into great detail here, but there are some insightful notes from myself included in the sleeve notes of the ‘PRESLEY’ release giving a lot more information about this.

But when producing these Mono II Stereo 50s Masters, I “tried" to make the mixes consistent with how they would have been mixed at the time, if they had originally been recorded in stereo. I used various resources, including tracks from the period, which were recorded in this way, usually with the drums panned. A good comparison would be the hits of Neil Sedaka, also an artist recorded by RCA, whose masters from that era are mixed in this manner.

A common misconception is that the Jordanaires' backing vocals were mixed to the side, usually to the right, but there is no evidence that this was the case on Elvis' hits in the 1950s. Generally, this is the type of mix that was used on Elvis' recordings from 1960 onwards, but even then it was not always the case, as can be heard in the May 1963 recordings, where the backing vocals can be heard in the center. 

Kees: What songs were the major challenges to recreate as Stereo and what were the difficulties you had to overcome?

Anthony: How long have you got? Way too many, and way too much to go into here.

But let me pick just one, ‘Trouble’ for example. There is so much more going on in this number than you can pick out by listening to the original mono master, which itself was a dub down from a binaural recording, which would have had its own limitations. Deconstructing the elements was a nightmare, in particular the horns and wind, but tucked in there is a tiny bit of piano. It doesn’t feature throughout, but where it does I wanted to highlight it.

Piers: There are plenty of Elvis 50s sessions released in ‘Binaural’ with Elvis’ vocal totally separate on one channel. The 1988 'Essential Elvis Vol. 2' mastered by Bob Jones was a revelation at the time. Can you explain to fans, what is the main difference between these ‘non-mono’ tapes and your mixes? And are they a better starting point for your work? 

Anthony:  Binaural recordings, basically two tracks, are not suitable for what I do. Every track I’ve ever mixed from mono to stereo has been derived from a mono master. Nothing more, nothing less.

Piers: So, it really is all really mono to stereo, nice. Ernst Jorgensen recently noted that he asked Emile de la Rey (from the Peter Jackson Beatles documentary team) to attempt an Elvis test Stereo remix of ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’. What are your thoughts on this and why ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ a track you have reworked yourself?

Anthony: Good that you ask this, because I was a part of that journey. The reason he has that perfect stereo version of ‘Good Rockin’ Tonight’ is because of me. I’ve been sharing some of my work with him, and there have been many conversations on mono to stereo, which led to me to suggesting the only people I know who could possibly do it better, at this moment in time, would be Peter Jackson’s people.

Ernst asked which track would be a good test for them, so I suggested ‘Good Rockin’ because I could do everything other than separate the frequency for the acoustic guitar. He got in touch with them, and after a number of months, voila!
I’m the rebel hero and should enjoy the moment it has been said.

Kees: Do you think we’ll ever get to hear that version (and hopefully more?)

Anthony: That’s up to Sony

Piers: ‘King Creole ‘with its dominant brass jazz-band is always going to be a tricky soundtrack to get right in Stereo. Previous attempts that have been put out by others have sounded very poor and fake. Are you happy with what you have achieved with ‘King Créole’?  

Anthony: Those tracks are some of the ones I’m most proud of on this set, especially after the weeks and months I’ve put into them. 

You’re correct about the brass and wind being difficult to work with, as we’ve all heard on other releases, but I developed a new ‘combination technique’ thanks to Sylvain Mallet, my friend at RDM records in France pushing me on another unrelated project. Let’s just say we have the French to thank for this one.

Piers: Which of your new stereo tracks on this box-set do you think fans are going to be most impressed with? 

Anthony: That’s subjective, and you can’t please everyone, so I really can’t say.

Piers: I understand it is hard to pick favorites from your own work, but if you had to create a showcase for the set, which songs would you include? 

Anthony: C’mon, how can you pick your favorite child? Lol 
Just enjoy what you enjoy.

Kees: Looking back are there any of your previous Mono to Stereo releases that you would now do differently?

Anthony: Other than the SUN tracks, which I’ve already done, not really. I tried to mix according to era, there’s more on that in the box set booklet too. 

I could do them differently, but I’m happy with them how they are, so this new set puts the ‘50’s mono to stereo to bed for me.

Piers: With your look at Elvis’ 50s recordings wrapped up, have you any future plans you can tell us about? Any vinyl releases or re-working any early sixties Elvis to sound better in stereo?

Anthony: I have future plans, and options, and have just completed something that could well make a release next year, but it’s way too soon to go into detail.

Piers: The original ‘Girls, Girls, Girls’ featured a woeful “soundtrack” stereo mix of all-the-instruments on the left channel and only Jordanaires on the right. Is that in the Public Domain and can you please upgrade it for us?

Anthony: Sadly most of Elvis’ 1960’s soundtracks have poor mixes, but with the majority not being in the public domain it’s going to be up to Sony to decide if they want to do that. ‘Girls! Girls! Girls!’ is in the public domain, but not all the songs recorded for that movie are. It’s a tough one, but never say never.

Kees: And what about the '68 Comeback Show’ in stereo? Several bootleggers have released some average sounding stereo versions but it is surely imperative that all Elvis’ sit-down and stand-up shows be released in true stereo at some point.

Anthony: I only work within the public domain, and the labels I use pay all the publishing royalties as legally required. The ’68 tracks are not public domain, so I’m not interested.

Piers: Have you considered working with other artists to create Mono to Stereo work? Both Ricky Nelson and the French rocker Johnny Hallyday come to mind especially with your connections to the French RDM label?

Anthony: I’ve already done some work for RDM with Johnny Hallyday, it’s just been released on 10-inch vinyl. 

There’s more to follow on that, along with a Rock ‘n’ Roll compilation on a different label, which has yet to be announced by them.

I honestly thought things would slow down now I’ve finished with Elvis in the 1950’s, but it doesn’t seem to be the case.

Kees: In your wildest dreams which material would you want to re-mix and then have released as a special FTD set?

Anthony: How could I choose, it’s all Elvis, even the poorer movie soundtracks. I wouldn’t mind having a go at one of those to be honest, purely from, and as a technical challenge. ‘Paradise Hawaiian Style’ comes to mind, with its poor backing vocal separation and tied together instruments. There’s got be something that can be done with it!

Piers: Thanks for answering all our questions Tony, is there any final words of wisdom that you’d like to impart to our readers?

Anthony: Alea lacta est, carpe diem.

Kees: I think the ‘the die will have been cast’ when I hold the new ‘PRESLEY – The Essential 50’s Masters’ in my hand, it is kind of your “Opus Magnum”. 

Anthony: Indeed it is, seize the moment.

Previews for 'The Essential 50's Masters'

You can listen to previews of all songs on the >>> RDM-Edition website, and pre-order this set while you're there. 

2024 Reviews & Interviews

A selection of reviews for relevant releases: 

• Review: "Golden Elvis" (CD) released September 2024.
• Review: "For LP Fans Only & A Date With Elvis" (CD) released June 2024.
• Review: "Rock and Roll No. 2" (CD) released March 2024.
• Review: "Rock and Roll No. 1" (CD) released October 2023.
• Review: "Welcome Home Elvis" (CD) released May 2021.

December 05 - Ooh Las Vegas

The Millbranch Music import record label releasedthe CD and DVD set 'Ooh Las Vegas' featuring a soundbooth recording of the February 11, 1973 Midnight Show performance is Las Vegas and previously unreleased video footage on DVD. 

Publicity stated: Millbranch Music is back with a very strong CD and DVD combo containing unreleased “Soundbooth” Audio and Video (in unbelievable, simply stunning quality)! And we are completely focused on Elvis' first “After Aloha from Hawaii” Las Vegas engagement in early 1973!

'Ooh Las Vegas' is a CD and a DVD in a deluxe 2-panel Digi-Pack. We are delighted to be able to present a completely new show on CD (February 11th, 1973 - Midnight Show). Recorded by UK's super fan Rex Martin, we are able to fill another hole in all our collections of Elvis´ Las Vegas concert legacy! 

And we are lucky for sure, since this recording - taken from the original cassette tape - presents an absolutely complete show in stunning “Soundbooth” quality. Starting with music from Joe Guercio's Orchestra about half a minute before the 'Also Sprach Zarthustra' Intro begins, you can even hear a couple of female voices greeting Rex Martin (and a little bit of conversation between them). He clearly had already built up and running his recording devices (both audio and video). Then there is the complete show until the very end, when you hear the announcer talk about the souvenir stand in the lobby. It doesn't get much better!

The DVD presents Millbranch's typical premium quality approach. You'll get more than 90 minutes of Video material, also including a great documentary about Elvis' early 1973 appearances, with both information and entertainment. But most of all you will get unreleased Video! See extremely rare footage in stunning quality with Elvis appearing in his Blue Pinwheel suit! And so much more! Quality wise this DVD easily represents the best picture quality of any Las Vegas 8mm footage that has been seen before.

CD: Orchestra Introduction / Also Sprach Zarathustra - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me Tender - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Fever - Love Me - Blue Suede Shoes - Heartbreak Hotel - Johnny B. Goode - Hound Dog - What Now My Love - Suspicious Minds - Introductions - Introduction Of Jack Lord / Hawaii Five-O Theme - I'll Remember You - I Can't Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - Can't Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp / Announcements

The CD is available from >>> Bennies Fifties.

Content DVD:

1. An American Trilogy (different Camera angles) – January 12, 1973
2. Ooh Las Vegas (Documentary)
3. Elvis At The Hilton (8 mm footage with sound) – February 10, 1973 MS
4. Elvis At The Hilton (8 mm footage with sound) – February 12, 1973 DS
5. Elvis At The Hilton (8 mm footage with sound) – February 15, 1973 DS
6. Elvis At The Hilton (8 mm footage with sound) – February 17, 1973 DS
7. Elvis At The Hilton (8 mm footage with sound) – February 17, 1973 MS
8. Elvis At The Hilton (8 mm footage with sound) – February 18, 1973 MS
9. Elvis At The Hilton (8 mm footage with sound) – February 20, 1973 MS

The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership that Rocked the World

Little, Brown and Company announced the August 5, 2025 release of the 752-page hardcover book 'The Colonel and the King: Tom Parker, Elvis Presley, and the Partnership that Rocked the World' by Peter Guralnick.

Publicity stated: From the award-winning biographer of Elvis Presley, The Colonel and the King is a groundbreaking dual portrait of the relationship between the iconic artist and his legendary manager, Colonel Tom Parker, drawing on a wealth of Parker's never-before-seen correspondence to reveal that this oft-reviled figure was in fact a confidant, friend, and architect of his client's success.

 

In early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker - the manager of the number-one country musician of the day - heard that an unknown teenager from Memphis had just drawn a crowd of more than 800 people to a Texas schoolhouse, and headed south to investigate. Within days, Parker was sending out telegrams and letters to promoters and booking agents: “We have a new boy that is absolutely going to be one of the biggest things in the business in a very short time. His name is ELVIS PRESLEY.” Later that year, after signing with RCA, the young man sent a telegram of his own: “Dear Colonel, Words can never tell you how my folks and I appreciate what you did for me.... I love you like a father.”

 

The close personal bond between Elvis and the Colonel proved impossible for outside observers to understand—not during their lifetimes, and not in the decades since. It was a long-standing, deeply committed relationship, founded on mutual admiration and support. As the Colonel wrote to Elvis in July 1973, several years before the star’s tragic death: “Without a doubt you are by far the greatest artist I have ever known, and can be even greater if you just believe in yourself half as much as I believe in you.” From the outset, the Colonel defended Elvis fiercely and indefatigably against RCA executives, Elvis’ own booking agents, and movie moguls. But in their final years together, the story grew darker, and the relationship strained, as the Colonel found himself unable to protect Elvis from himself—or to control growing problems of his own.

 

Featuring troves of never-before-seen correspondence from the Colonel’s own archives, revelatory both for their insights and -particularly with respect to Elvis - their emotional depth, The Colonel and the King provides a unique perspective on not one but two American originals. A tale of the birth of the modern-day superstar (an invention almost entirely of Parker’s making) by the most acclaimed music writer of his generation, it presents these two misunderstood icons as they’ve never been seen before: with all of their brilliance, humor, and flaws on full display.

The book is available for pre-order from >>> Amazon (associate link).

Guitare Sèche Le Mag

Elvis Presley is featured on the cover of the French Guitare Sèche Le Mag magazine (#67, December 2024)

Description: The notion of guitar hero is generally linked to the electric virtuosos of the 1960s and 70s. However, if we generalize the concept a little, Elvis Presley is one of the first who made a whole generation of teenagers want to pick up the guitar. His television appearances did not only cause teenage swoons and outcry from the leagues of right-thinking people in the USA. 

The King also shook the image that we could have of black music by making it acceptable to the majority, thus bringing the blues and its derivatives into popular culture. However, we can wonder what remains of the subversive character of an art when it becomes an industry. 

The vocal jazz of Billie Holiday and Bessie Smith ultimately suffered the same fate, ending up in the throats, admittedly talented, of Sinatra and Dean Martin. We won't talk about pop or rap that exploded where in the end young musicians were allowed to do pretty much what they wanted to do to become cash machines, stifling emerging proposals by the systematic search for a deadly commercial consensus. There remains the dream and the memory of what a young man from the working classes saved by music (and his mother's love) can transmit to an entire continent, and it is undoubtedly a part of this dream that pushed us all to one day pick up a guitar. 

Victor Pitoiset looks back on Elvis' journey through his favorite guitars that tell as much about his career as the uses of musicians in America during the Trente Glorieuses. 

(Source: Millbranch / Amazon / Guitare Sèche Le Mag)