March 17 - The Freedom of Chains For Vinyl

Alan R. Tranter published 'The Freedom of My Chains: The Recordings of Elvis Presley 1968 - 1977'

Description: Between 1968 and 1977, Elvis Presley recorded some of the most urgent, defiant, tender and puzzling performances of his career. This was the era of reinvention and resistance, of artistic rebirth and gradual retreat. From the raw electricity of the television “comeback” to the orchestral sweep of the concert years, from the creative blaze of Memphis to the twilight recordings in the Jungle Room, the story is neither simple triumph nor easy decline.

The Freedom of My Chains examines every master recording from these final nine years with clarity and candour. Each session is placed in context, each song weighed on its own merits, each triumph celebrated and each misstep considered without sentimentality. Producers, songwriters, studios and circumstances all play their part in a narrative that is as much about control and compromise as it is about voice.

This is not a book about myth. It is about work. About choices. About a man still capable of greatness, sometimes soaring, sometimes faltering, always compelling.

For anyone who wants to listen more closely, and hear the story in the grooves ...

The book is available from >>> Amazon (associate link). 

Heading Down To Sunset Boulevard

The ReelTrax import record label released a vinyl version of their 'Heading Down To Sunset Boulevard' album.

Publicity stated: This time we are focused 100% on Elvis' legendary rehearsal for the “Summer Festival” engagement in 1974. Yes, it has been released before, but ... You won ́t believe your ears when you hear the sound quality on the new ReelTrax release! It is more than likely that you will enjoy listening to it more than ever before!

The August 16th, 1974 rehearsal, presented here has been carefully and newly mixed. Previous editions suffered from a problem where the music dropped to a very low volume whenever Elvis began singing. Using the latest state-of-the-art studio technology, we have worked to create a much more balanced recording that does justice to both the musicianship and Elvis’ performance. Each song has been carefully mixed for the best presentation.

The rehearsal has also been speed-corrected, as earlier releases ran far too slow. This important correction changes the whole rehearsal in the sense of that it does not sound any longer like a tired Elvis at work, and the band having gone to waste as soon as Elvis starts singing.

The LP is available on black and on clear vinyl, 200 copes per color and can be pre-ordered from the >>> Bennies Fifties webshop.

Side A: 01. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) – Version 1 / 02. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) – Version 2 / 03. Promised Land – Version 1 / 04. Promised Land – Version 2

05. Down In The Alley – Version 1 06. Down In The Alley – Version 2 07. It's Midnight – Version 1.

Side B: 01. It's Midnight – Version 2 / 02. Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming / 03. Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues / 04. Softly, As I Leave You – Version 1 / 05. Softly, As I Leave You – Version 2 / 06. I'm Leavin’.

Side C: 01. I ́m Leavin ́ (Reprise) / 02. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face / 

03. Proud Mary / 04. If You Talk In Your Sleep / 05. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) – Version 3.

Side D: 01. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) – Version 4 / 02. The Twelfth Of Never / 

03. Faded Love / 04. Just Pretend / 05. The Twelfth Of Never (David Briggs overdub).

(Source: Amazon / Bennies Fifties)

Interview with Gravel Road on Elvis In Concert

The Gravel Road Music record label has been operating for 20 years, releasing many very collectable releases along the way, including 'You Know It Don't Have To Be Strictly Country', 'The Return Of A Prodigy'(recently re-released on vinyl), 'Plugged In and Geared Up', 'Good To Be Back' and last year the Deluxe box-set 'Elvis: August 1969 By Invitation Only'. 

Last year they announced the release of a vinyl version of their presentation of 'Elvis In Concert'. Many fans of Elvis in concert have been waiting for this LP set. It was originally set for release in October 2025, but it was delayed. 

Because the LP is finally due around March 20, 2026 we thought this was a good moment to catch up with the man behind the record and the label. Kees Mouwen and Nigel Patterson (Elvis Information Network) asked the questions. 

Kees: Nice to catch up again, it has been a while since we last talked. I had hoped to talk to you in October last year, for the release of the LP version of 'A Study of Elvis In Concert'. What happened over the past six months?
 
Gravel Road: Hello guys, nice to catch up again! Yes, we expected it too. We had serious unexpected difficulties with the quality of the pressing, it didn't meet the audio quality we had in mind. 
 
Normally one or sometimes a second test pressing should be enough, but somehow each time new issues occurred, so we weren't happy with the result and ended up doing three different masters before we had it right, and no less than five different test pressings! For today's standards, five test pressings is really unheard of! 

Because we didn't get the sound right, we decided with the last cut to do a lacquer mastering instead of the direct metal mastering. Lacquer masters are known for a warm, analogue sound and a more prominent low-end signal compared to direct metal mastering which sounds a little brighter. We've been called crazy by others, but listening to the end result proves it was the right decision. All this caused the largest part of the delays.
 

The ‘Elvis in Concert’ badges also proved to be more difficult than we expected, they turned into a serious time-consuming headache. We wanted these backstage ‘Elvis in Concert’ badges to be an almost exact reproduction of the original ones, in color, material and size. Well, let me tell you, that is difficult, we seriously underestimated this. 

The material used for this has changed over time, like many things, but it had to be the same look and feel. Perhaps it would have been easier to track down the original and include those!

The second problem was the ink. The modern ink is different due to health regulations, which means that the original colors can no longer be obtained, and a 100% match wasn't always possible. So we had to find the closest approximation, sometimes it was spot on, but sometimes it was difficult to determine the exact color as the originals varied too as they aged over time and colors faded. So, a simple bonus item changed into a serious challenge! But these were the rules we had set for ourselves. 
 

Now the real problem occurred, the printer had a newer material that looked more like plastic folio and lacked gloss. What should we do now? Everything had already been announced, and we didn't want to disappoint anyone. With great difficulty, the printer managed to obtain the original material, and it was printed... the digital printing didn't work out. CMYK couldn’t get the colors right. 
 
Please note, we're now already in December now. But we decided to do whatever it took to get everything right, again, quality takes time and there are no short cuts here. We quickly needed an old-school printer who knows the material and could also do PMS screen printing and mixing color by eye … we did and we just received the end-result this month! 
 
And wow! seeing them all together was really awesome. By the time fans hold the end-result in their hands, they will realize this wasn't an overnight release. Treasure it, we won't repeat this part! 
 
Nigel: Good to have that out of the way, let's dive deeper into this new set, what is the reason to do this release?
 

Gravel Road: We wanted to do it already together with our 'A Study of Elvis Presley in Concert' book, but we weren't sure back then. The release of our 1969 VIP box set made us realize, that there should be an album version of 'A Study of Elvis Presley in Concert'. It just had to be. And requests from various sides made it even more obvious. 
 
Since our book is still in high demand at the moment, it was wise to do it now. We've created a beautiful, vintage vinyl edition to complete the 1977 in concert set. The two backstage badges from us added a touch of the 1977 sentiment.
 
Nigel: What makes this version different from the original version most fans have in their collection?
 
Gravel Road: It is the soundtrack from our book without the fan comments, the sequence of the songs is now in correct order of the Rapid City performance. 
 

We basically did what many fans were hoping for over the years, release it without the comments and with the songs in the right order as they appeared in the show, in the best sound possible. The 'Elvis In Concert' album from 1977 was a soundtrack cut to one LP and a second LP that contained a compilation of songs taken from two different shows not used in the TV Special.
 
Kees: According to the general perspective, Elvis had become a caricature of himself in 1977, but fans keep buying releases from this era, apparently FTD's 'The Last Tours' series does very well, the label had to do a quick reprint of Volume 1 immediately. What do you think about Elvis fans' fascination with his rather sad final year?
 
Gravel Road: As you said, his final year is charged with Elvis's death. Personally, whenever I hear or read about 1977, I always think of Elvis consciously or unconsciously, so I suspect there's also some kind of emotional connection. It's personal, of course, but it somehow connects all the fans. Because you love Elvis, you defend it more than usual. 
 
On the other side, whatever you think of Elvis, his voice was better than ever as if it only kept improving. When the time would have been in his favor, he would have come back in (better) shape eventually. It must have been hard for Elvis, since he was always aware of his appearance and now, he had less control.
 

Nigel: Talking about Elvis's last concerts, his final performance is being released by the Petticoat label on vinyl, and the Follow That Dream Collectors label will release a cleaned and restored version on CD. What is your opinion on those releases?
 
Gravel Road: When we made the book, the idea was to help fans and non-fans to understand Elvis' situation and the negative approach by the media at the time. We are very happy that 1977 is now getting the attention it deserves. Elvis was really good in 1977, maybe not as active as in previous years, but he certainly made up for it with great vocal performances, and as I said, if given the time, he would have had the rest in order again. Yes its great they do this.
 

We know there are soundboards of the last two shows but until then we should be very happy, they are giving us these releases. That a label like Petticoat releases it on vinyl is nice, I don't expect that FTD would release an audience recording on vinyl, it doesn't fit their policy.
 
Kees: Why not wait until the 50th anniversary of this concert, or do you want to beat the competition?
 
Gravel Road: We have no competitive urge, we just wanted to tell a story about the CBS TV Special and set the record straight, hoping some writers will glean information from it to portray 1977 in a more nuanced way, especially with the bullshit sold online by YouTubers to gain more followers. 
 
Elvis has been in the wrong light more than enough times. Since he can't put it into words, it's up to fans and researchers to present the correct facts. Elvis deserves to be recognized for his great legacy and maybe even more importantly for the great person he was. Once you get to know Elvis, you discover how special he was.
 
Nigel: What did you learn from studying these last concerts, and what should fans pay attention to when they listen to Elvis during his last shows? And what do these recordings reveal about Elvis' voice and stage presence in the final months of his life?
 
Gravel Road: If you are in the position to listen to other concerts from previous years, you hear steady progress of his voice, anybody in the music field, even if they don't like Elvis' music says that his voice was impressive. Besides talent, only hard work, rehearsing and the drive to keep improving yourself will take you to that level as a performer. Many well-known singers recognized his exceptional talent. Placido Domingo once stated that Elvis' voice was the one he wished he had, and Andrea Bocelli admired Elvis' extraordinary talent.
 

Kees: How does this 1977 concert performance compare to the (audio) presentation of Elvis live in concert in the 'EPiC' movie?
 
Gravel Road: I think the 1977 concert is a completely different outing of Elvis at his vocal peak. You could say that 'EPiC' shows Elvis’ continuing drive to develop himself. It is more of a continuation of greatness.
 
The music as used in 'EPiC' is tailored to fit the way the footage is cut, which benefits the movie greatly. 
 
Elvis' music is way too good and not really in need of a modern twist. Like 'In The Ghetto', I see young listeners being surprised when hearing it for the first time and being impressed and loving it, so why change it. But for the movie it works .
 
Kees: Is there a moment from this 1977 concert that stands out to you personally?
 
Gravel Road: That would be 'How Great Thou Art' because he really lifts the song to the next level! It is so extremely powerful, in our opinion it is the best rendition he did on stage. I also enjoy 'I Really Don't Want To Know' because he is really into the performance, so controlled balancing the words, wow, this is real craftmanship!
 
Nigel: Gravel Road is known for the quality audio of their releases. What can you tell us about the source for this new outing?
 
Gravel Road: If you enjoyed the audio enclosed with the book, you should be pleased with the vinyl, only difference is, it is now mastered and cut for vinyl old school, so it has that vinyl presentation many fans love so much. 
 
Nigel: How was the audio mixed and mastered, and what challenges came with working from live concert recordings?
 
Gravel Road: The two different shows have different settings and audio ratios, so we had to match them and get them at the same audio level. After that, we had to make the transitions sound as natural as possible. By transferring and mastering the sound like we did, we brought out more details that were hidden in the recording, we also brought out more of the surroundings and corrected flaws that were previously covered by the overdubs. This greatly added to the overall live atmosphere of the concert.
 
Kees: Were there any overdubs or studio enhancements added, or was the goal to keep it purely as-is from the performances? In other words, did you include the overdubs?
 
Gravel Road: The original overdubs are audio repairs, just to fix the weak parts of the original recording. The music performance itself was great but during the recording some was not good audible in the mix. So they needed attention and with the possibilities of today we can do it even better, audio solutions which were a compromise back then we are now able to solve. 
 
We didn't add extra compression, reverb or other effects, we believe this is - as close as we could get - to the real deal.
 

Kees: Looking back, do you feel - the new presentation of - the album represents Elvis fairly as an artist at that stage of his career?

Gravel Road: Absolutely this is a very good and worthy presentation. If you want to show a non-fan about Elvis in 1977, use this and you convert them. It's the power of Elvis, just let the music do the "talking"!
 
Nigel: Is there material from that era that remains unreleased? We mostly have audience recordings from the last months of Elvis on tour in 1977, do you think it should ever come out from FTD?
 
Gravel Road: Most of it has been recorded and we know that some collectors own these unreleased soundboards. Once they become available to the general public, we could hear these concerts in better quality. But will they reveal anything new? I don't think so. But it wouldn't hurt to hear them, as audience recordings aren't everybody's cup-of-tea. I would like to hear them for sure!
 
We buy all the FTD releases, we're Elvis fans and love hearing something new of course. But the question we should ask ourselves is "do you play these concerts often?". And the honest answer is probably "no". We mostly play the original albums, those songs are selected for being the best renditions of the songs or performances. The 'In Concert' release is the 'go to' album for most fans when they want to listen to a concert from 1977. 
 
Kees: Besides the musical content, Gravel Road has become known for creating collector packages, what can fans look forward to this time? And will the price be affordable for the casual fan?
 

Gravel Road: As I said at the beginning, the backstage badges became serious items, when looking at photos of Elvis on tour, you'll notice them on jackets, briefcases, flight cases and so on. 

We originally started with the idea to add just two badges, but when the printer said it would not be very expensive to change colors we thought it would be cool to add them all. As these are so very recognizable, we decided to make them available apart from the LP. 
 
We always want to give the best and as much as possible, always considering feasibility and the unusual. If it's financially feasible, we'll do it. We also look at original items to see if they are rare or very expensive. This way, we make these items more accessible to casual fans. But many original items are still expensive and replicas are sometimes also expensive to realize when you want to do it as perfectly as possible. So that's always a consideration as you have to remember, you can't build a Ferrari with Fiat prices. That's why we do everything we can to make the impossible achievable. 

Like the backstage badges, originals cost between US$150-400, some reproductions online are offered for US$40 excluding shipping. That is expensive, but to obtain all 17 different ones in this high almost 1:1 quality for half of the price of an original sound like a good deal to us. We don't believe anybody else would does this on this level, you most likely get a normal sticker or it looks kind of like it.
 
Nigel: Sales of the import and "grey" market releases have fallen in the past decade. Even the Follow That Dream label has apparently experienced a general slide in sales. In response, labels including Gravel Road, have responded (evolved) to this decline with innovative products such as vinyl, test pressings, multi-media sets, and bonus extras. One trend is the release of very limited (e.g. 3 to 11 sets) multi-part editions, for instance, ‘Rockin' in Georgia’, at exorbitant prices. Is this trend likely a passing fad and is it good for how the bootleg market is viewed? 
 

Gravel Road: We believe the Elvis world is overloaded with all sorts of things, and that doesn't make it any easier for Elvis fans to choose the right items. Kees’ 'Day By Day' yearbooks illustrates that year over year. 

Gravel Road always did something extra, simply because it was fun. We started the books because we needed the space to tell a story and a nice, secure way to package everything as completely as possible. 

The vinyl has been on our wish list for some time. And because there was so much demand for it, we took a chance with the VIP box. Looking back, you can already see a modest attempt with our 3-pack set ‘ELVIS 1969’. We are fans and want to create what we can't get from other labels, and do it as well as possible. 
 

A good example are the backstage badges, instead of just two. We try to find and create them all, which is a lot of extra work; two badges would have been enough. This shows again that we are fans and a bit crazy. 
 
We haven't experienced a decline in interest since we offer reliable quality, limited editions, and no reprints to keep it collectible. The only thing we're guilty of is upgrading a release, and this has to be a real upgrade. We will release older titles on vinyl in the future and new material. But these will also remain limited to protect the collector. 
 
As you can see, we invest a lot of time in our products. We believe Elvis should always be presented with quality, not quantity. There was a lot of discussion about us adding the backstage badges to this set, the original badges are simply too rare and too expensive. In this way, these kind of items become in reach for those who love it.
 
Overall, physical sales of CDs, LPs etcetera are down, streaming is now the main source of income for companies, they don't lose money it just shifts into a different way. Although vinyl made a serious comeback, they are already talking about the comeback of the CD. Just look at the success of the 'EPiC' soundtrack. 
 
Creating three to eleven pressings of an item and then offering them for a very high price is taking advantage of the collector; and it is very easy to do. It only becomes interesting when there are many of one album or item and only one or two that are truly different; then it becomes special. 
 
For example, and some of you may know this already; with the 1969 box set, we created 25 custom numbered box sets for people who meant something to the project, we did this as a "thank you", they differ from the black and colored sets. These are transparent and have extra content with a gold printing on the box. Like that, you do a very limited edition for a good reason.
 
Kees: Reportedly, FTD, the official Elvis collectors label, was introduced to combat and eliminate the bootleg market. Some have suggested that two decades on, the Elvis bootleg world is dead. What is your response to this view?
 
Gravel Road: Sony and FTD have the market covered with their releases and that is good, we hear and see things we normally won't get and they make it available to us. Some material we will never hear simply because they don't have it or not the quality needed to release it. For the diehard fans it's a blessing that somebody else releases these audience recordings, it won't hurt them as the quantities are limited. And if the Follow That Dream label would find better quality they will release it anyway, the fans will want it because it is better. No loss either.
 
We are not in favor of releases with known material in all colors of the rainbow and other crazy ideas, although there are of course some nice ones in between the myriad of titles released "almost every week" so to speak. In the end we think, live and let live, enjoy it. 
 
We focus mainly on content believing the quality of it should do the work, but for some that's just what they like to collect, that's also great.
 

Nigel: And what do you think of the Memphis Recording Service, operating in the grey market between bootlegs and official releases in Europe? Is it serious competition for FTD or Sony? Do you think they should step in and release upgraded concerts on CD and vinyl?
 
Gravel Road: It would be a good move but expensive for FTD, keep in mind they have to answer to Sony about the sales and with an overflow of releases people get picky and it has to remain affordable.
 
You cannot compare the Memphis Recording Service with the Follow that Dream or Sony labels, as these are totally different in company structure. MRS has found their niche with their stereo offering and they have their fans. Many fans buy various releases of the same concert anyway. A Follow That Dream release probably stands next to the MRS outing of the same recording on many fans' shelf. 
 
Kees: Being an audio expert, what do you think of the newly created MRS Stereo mixes? 
 
Gravel Road: Some of the releases are very nice, they benefit from the approach. In the end it's a matter of personal taste and I think it is a good thing that fans can choose. 

Kees: Looking ahead, in your 1969 box-set there was an announcement for a vinyl version of the 1961 Hawaii Benefit Show, when can we expect that set?
 
Gravel Road: The 'Hawaii Benefit' release is intended for release this year. We didn't expect such a delay with the release of the vinyl version of 'A Study of Elvis Presley In Concert'. We think fans should enjoy a release not shelf it directly after the release date, by releasing titles one after another. We also don't want to give a date yet, since things can change as we experienced with our latest set. 
 
Kees: Next to the already announced Hawaiian set, are there other projects on the horizon you can share?
 
Gravel Road: The Hawaii project was a very old promise and we wanted to get it out and done. But a 1970 VIP box on the same level as our 1969 set with book would be a nice! Another project for the near future is a vinyl version of the Boston show. We are fans, we aim for quality, so we do need our time with something big like that.
 
Nigel: Thanks for catching up again, we look forward to hearing the end-result!
 
Gravel Road: My pleasure, until we meet again, adios.

Buy the album

The album is available for pre-order from the >>> Bennies Fifties webshop.

Details for the 'Elvis in Concert' LP:

The original announcement stated: After the tremendous success of our first vinyl release, 'The Return of a Prodigy,' which we presented in our 'Elvis 1969' box set, we received many requests to "please, release 'A Study of Elvis Presley's 'In Concert' on vinyl." Since 'For God and Country' (Hawaii 1961) is still being worked on, and we've already completed the vinyl mastering for 'In Concert,' we are able to surprise you with this fantastic release and even have some really great extras: a large poster of the October 3, 1977, CBS announcement in color and two faithful reproductions of the backstage badges from the tours.

Gravel Road Music is very pleased to offer you the soundtrack of our book 'A Study of Elvis Presley's In Concert' on vinyl. These records are of the highest quality clear vinyl. Weighing 180 grams, the excellent finish features a very glossy surface. Everything is housed in a full color gatefold sleeve with extra printed inner sleeves and Japanese anti-static inner covers to protect the vinyl.

Our version is without the fan comments and with the addition of the previously missing, impressive 'Unchained Melody'. All done with the same technique as in 1977. Also, the set list has been re-arranged to have a correct set list of Omaha with some extra songs from Rapid City in the right spot. We strive for the best quality and affordability within those limits. We won't compromise on quality. That's our promise.

Since we're known to do something extra at times, we included a large poster of the October 3, 1977, CBS announcement in color. And, as if it wasn't special enough, we've made reproductions of all the backstage badges, like the ones you see the Memphis Mafia wearing on their jackets - "IN CONCERT ELVIS BUILDING PERSONNEL" - and even on Elvis' private briefcase. They are made of the same textile material and are 100% true to the originals.

We've tried to use all the known colors - 17 badges in total - of which two random colors are included in 'A Study of Elvis Presley's 'In Concert' LP set. We've made all the known 11 round sticker badges, as well as the six rectangular ones. 

Because they're so special, we're giving dealers the opportunity to offer them all separately or as a set. Note that these additional badges are not included in the LP set, just a cool extra if you want them). The colors in the LP sets are random. Ask your dealer for the complete set of 17 badges.

Note: If for any reason another color should surface, we will add it to the existing ones to keep the collection up to date. We think we have them all, but you'll never know.

Tracks Side A: 1. Also Sprach Zarathustra / 2. See See Rider / 3. I Got A Woman - Amen  / 4. That’s Allright / 5. Are You Lonesome Tonight? - Dialogue.

Side B: 1. Love Me / 2. Fairytale* / 3. Little Sister* / 4. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) / 5. You Gave Me A Mountain / 6. And I Love You So* / 7. Jailhouse Rock.

Side C: 1. How Great Thou Art* / 2. O Sole Mio - It’s Now Or Never / 3. Trying To Get To You / 4. Hawaiian Wedding Song / 5. Medley: (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear - Don’t Be Cruel* / 6. My Way

Side D: 1. Early Morning Rain / 2. What’d I Say / 3. Johnny B. Goode / 4. I Really Don’t Want To Know / 5. Elvis Introduces his father, Vernon Presley / 6. Hurt / 7. Hound Dog / 8. Unchained Melody / 9. Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Riff* / 10. Special Message from Vernon

All songs are from Rapid City, June 21st, 1977. Songs marked with* are from Omaha, June 19th, 1977. Tracks: 3, 5 t/m 9, 14, 16, 19, 20, 26 were overdubbed on August 29th, 1977.

Coming soon to the Elvis Information Network and Elvis Day By Day websites, a chance to win a copy of this new Gravel Road Music vinyl set!

March 16 - Ray Walker

Elvis former backing vocalist Ray Walker celebrates his 92nd birthday, congratulations!

Walker is the last man standing from the famous Jordanaires who were essential during the first part of Elvis career. 

Effetto Elvis

Effetto Elvis (Laure Limongi): Due for publication on April 9 is this new Italian language book. The title translates as "The Elvis Effect" and the book description on Amazon translates as:

"Elvis Presley is the mutant god, the icon of a world, ours, oscillating between the sublime and the disastrous. Unifying and polemical, provocative and candid, a paradox that has become our function, our unknown. 

"Here, in 80 pages—intense, edgy, and rhythmic like a rock song—is all Elvis, all the Elvises: the good Southern boy, the "angel face," "Presley with the velvet lips," "the white man with the black voice," the affectionate son, the sexual demon, Elvis the soldier, Elvis in love, Elvis dressed in gold sequins, Elvis in the black leather jacket, the fringed jacket, "the first atomic singer," the Hollywood hunk, the emperor of Graceland, and the chubby Las Vegas attraction—the legend, the mysteries. 

"Tracing the stages of his life like the stations of a myth, from his birth in Tupelo to his mysterious end in Graceland, The Elvis Effect tells the story of a man who embodies the ideal enunciated by Andy Warhol, that of complete reproducibility: a man who still lives today, after his death, through the thousands of lookalikes who imitate him at various periods of his life."

(Source: UEPS / Elvis Book Discussion Group)

March 15 - Rebirth of the Golden Boy Elvis

The first edition of the German Golden Boy Elvis for 2026 has been published and is on its way to dealers and fans. 

This glossy magazine edition is packed with news, reviews and background articles covering FTD's 65th Anniversary Box-set of 'G.I. Blues', in addition to the (very) in-depth review readers also get treasures from 'G.I Blues' from Josef Ehrler vast collection. 

In the Rillen Revue Remake series the editors present 'It Hurts Me / Suspicion', 'Kissin' Cousins / It's hurts Me' and 'Kissin' Cousins / One Boy, Two Little Girls'. More background on Elvis' recorded legacy follow with 'Faded Love' and 'Fairytale' in the 'Songs From A To Z' series. 

If you're interested in this magazine, visit the magazine's website at >>> 

www.golden-boy-elvis.de or contact the editors by email at >>> service@golden-boy-elvis.de.

Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll

The German publisher Taschen announced another re-release of 192-page hardcover book 'Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll' by Robert Santelli (author), Chris Murray (editor) and Alfred Wertheimer (photographer) on July 18, 2026. 

Description: "Elvis who?" was photographer Alfred Wertheimer's response when, in early 1956, RCA Victor asked him to photograph an up-and-coming crooner from Memphis. Little did Wertheimer know that this would be the job of his life: just 21 years old, Elvis Presley was, as we now know, about to become a legend.

A fly on the wall in Presley's presence, Wertheimer took nearly 3,000 photographs of Elvis that year, creating a penetrating portrait of a man poised on the brink of superstardom. Extraordinary in its intimacy and scope, Wertheimer's Elvis project immortalized a young man in the very process of making history.

'Elvis and the Birth of Rock and Roll' collects Wertheimer's most remarkable Elvis shots from that magical year, along with a selection of his historic 1958 pictures of the star being shipped off to an army base in Germany. Each chapter is illustrated with a poster by Hatch Show Print, one of the oldest letterpress print shops in America, which created many early Elvis posters in the 1950s.

(Source: Golden Boy Elvis / Amazon)

March 14 - Liquid In South Bend

The German TCB Shop announced the release of an Exclusive Limited Edition Double Liquid Vinyl Edition of the new Memphis Recording Service 'South Bend' album. 

Publicity stated: The mystical dragon silhouettes float in the liquid and are a direct homage to the legendary 'Chinese Dragon' suit that Elvis wore during his triumphant performances in 1974. This dynamic visualization perfectly captures the energy of his stage presence and offers a new and captivating spectacle with every movement.

This edition, with a red colored and a green colored disk, both containing "floating dragons", is limited to 50 copies worldwide.

Description: Early in his summer tour of 1974, Elvis Presley made a memorable stop in Amarillo, Texas. On June 19th, he performed for one night only at the Civic Auditorium, captivating the audience with his legendary stage presence. This show presented here has been newly remastered in stereo for the first time ever.

Visit the >>> TCB Shop to pre-order this exclusive edition. 

(Source: TCB Shop)

March 14 - Charts March 2026 - Week 2 - Updated

 

The U.K Elvis fans appear to be the most loyal fans. Elvis' chart presence with a wide selection of albums and even the return of a single, shows that they keep buying and streaming Elvis' music and movies more than fans in other countries. 

The 'ELV1S 30 No. 1 Hits' album climbed another seven places on the Official Album Top 100 chart, from No. 64 to No. 57. The album also won five places on the Streaming chart, landing at No. 53. On the Chart Update chart it gained 21 spots and rose to 54 this week.

The 'EPiC' Soundtrack album has peaked already, it lost no less than 46 spots on the Album Sales chart, falling to No. 72 this week. On the Album Download chart the soundtrack lost 14 places and landed at No. 22. The '50 Greatest Hits' compilation made up for last week's loss and bounced back from No. 76 to 52. The 'ELV1S 30 No. 1 Hits' album re-entered this chart at No. 93. 

On the Physical Album chart the 'EPiC' soundtrack made a nosedive, losing 63 places and crashing at No. 89 this week. The soundtrack album did better on the Soundtrack Album chart and remained steady at No. 2. The 2022 'ELVIS' soundtrack album lost seven spots on the same chart and dropped to No. 48.  

On the Singles Download chart 'Burning Love' made a re-entry at No. 73. On the Singles Sales chart it breaks back in at No. 78.

The 'From Elvis In Nashville' album compensated for the loss and made a re-entry at No. 16 one the Country Compilation chart. 

The 'The Complete Story' lost five places and dropped to No. 35 on the Music video chart this week. The 'Elvis The Searcher' documentary exited the chart after last week's re-entry at No. 26, it was replaced by 'The Kong of Rock and Roll' compilation DVD that re-entered the chart once more at No. 33 this week.

Irish charts

The 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' album won back two spots and climbed to No. 95. 

U.S. Billboard charts

The 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' soundtrack fell from No. 13 to No. 35 on Billboard's Top Album Sales chart. On the Soundtrack Album chart, it exited the Top 10 and fell from No. 6 to No. 13. The album fell off the Top Country Album chart after just two weeks. 

The 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' compilation won back four places on Billboards Country Album chart and climbed from No. 39 to No. 35 this week. 

Worldwide charts

The 'EPiC' soundtrack dropped from No. 34 to No. 47 on the Australian ARIA Album chart.

The 'EPiC' soundtrack dropped from No. 29 to No. 83 (Wallonia), and from No. 23 to No. 47 (Flanders) on the Belgian UltraPop charts. Also in Flanders, the vinyl re-issue of 'Elvis Now' by the Music on Vinyl record label, entered the Album chart at No. 186. 

The album exited the Austrian, Scottish and Swiss Album charts. 

Movie charts

The 'EPiC: Elvis Presley in Concert' still got its mojo working according to the Box Office Mojo website that keeps track of the financial gross of all movies. 'EPiC' grossed US12,545 million domestically and US9,83 though cinemas outside the United States. This makes for an impressive US22,44 million result after four weeks at the Cinemas worldwide. 

(Source: Billboard / Official Chart Company / UK Mix Forum / IMDB / Bo Office Mojo)

March 12 - Live At The Boston Garden '71

Due from the MRS Camden record label on May 22, 2026 is a budget edition of the 'Live at the Boston Garden '71' album. This is a re-issue of the November 10, 1971 concert was first released on the Memphis Recording Service record label in 2022 on CD and on vinyl.

Description: A compelling performance from Elvis’ early 1970’s touring period, recorded in Boston on 10th November 1971. The show captures the energy and intensity of his non - Las Vegas  appearances, reaffirming his return to peak form. The concert was remixed into Stereo and the package includes 8-page photo gallery.

Tracks: 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 - Coming Home Baby (Instrumental) - Love Me - Heartbreak Hotel - Blue Suede Shoes - One Night - Hound Dog - How Great Thou Art (In Part) - Introductions (In Part) - 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

Happy Birthday

Mike Stoller, of one Rock and Roll's most famous songwriters of hits like 'Hound Dog', 'Loving You', 'Jailhouse Rock', 'Stand By Me' and 'Love Potion n° 9,' celebrated his 93rd birthday. Congratulations!

(Source: Plastic Head)

March 11 - The Last Rockabilly Show In Lake Tahoe

The ReelTrax import record label announced the release of ‘The Last Show In Lake Tahoe’.

Publicity stated: Right in time for the 50th Anniversary of Elvis Presley's very last show he played in Lake Tahoe on Mother's Day 1976. ReelTrax continues with its high quality products and releases this show for the first time on vinyl and made for the real fan. 

As usual these titles are Limited Edition: 200 copies made on black vinyl and on three colors transparent vinyl (yellow, green and blue). This release will also be available as a Deluxe three-panel double CD-set.

‘The Last Show In Lake Tahoe’ is a beautiful deluxe 3-LP set with printed inner-sleeves, containing intensive liner notes, and containing a newly remastered audience recording of the May 9th, 1976 show performance at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel in Lake Tahoe! 

Back in 1993 the MAC import record label released this show on CD, using a stunning long-box format, but unfortunately incomplete. Because this set sold out within a few months - being a real collector’s item since then – the well-known quality label Rainbow Records decided to give the very interesting content of the show another chance to be listened by as many fans as possible and released a 2-CD set in 2008, then containing the complete show and in better sound. 

One thing seems to be clear: This show is a real must to listen to. Elvis was obviously in a very relaxed mood, not caring at all that the hotel’s management was (still) desperately wanting to force him to do much shorter concerts. In fact Elvis gave the crowd more than they probably expected, being on stage for the longest performance he ever did (a stunning two-hours set), singing, laughing and talking as if he would be together with a couple of friends right at his living room at Graceland!

The recording has now been painstakingly worked on with the newest technology, and ReelTrax is now proud to present a newly remastered version in the best possible sound which reveals details never heard before!

A few words regarding the content. Of course, you will find the track list at the end of this announcement, but we want to point out some real beauties of this set. A rare and unrehearsed version of ‘Return To Sender’ must be mentioned as well as another rarity: ‘Young And Beautiful’. ‘The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face’, dedicated to Linda Thompson and sung with passion. 

Elvis tells a very funny story about the “Boat Scene” in the movie ‘Blue Hawaii’ and even sings a few lines of his SUN classic ‘Blue Moon of Kentucky’. So all in all there is a lot to discover while listening to Elvis’ not only longest, but also very unusual show!

Tracklist 3-LP SET: 

LP 1 - Side A (19:37): Also Sprach Zarathustra / C.C. Rider / I Got A Woman / Amen / Love Me.

LP 1 Side B (20:31): When The Saints Go Marchin In (Excerpt) / If You Love Me (Let Me Know) / You Gave Me A Mountain / All Shook Up / Teddy Bear - Don’t Be Cruel / Blue Suede Shoes / Return To Sender / Heartbreak Hotel / Elvis Talks / Hawaiian Wedding Song.

LP 2 - Side C (19:31): America The Beautiful / Polk Salad Annie / Band Introductions / Early Morning Rain / What’d I Say / Johnny B. Goode / Drum Solo / Bass Solo / Piano Solo / Lady Madonna (Instrumental by David Briggs).

LP 2 – Side D (19:31): Love Letters / School Day / Wooden Heart (Excerpt) / Young And Beautiful / That’s All Right / Blue Christmas / Hurt #1 / Hurt #2 / Hound Dog / Mickey Mouse Club March / Happy Birthday To You All.

LP 3: Side E: (18:17): My Heavenly Father (By Kathy Westmoreland) / Guadalajara (Excerpt) / Love Me Tender / Danny Boy (By Sherill Nielsen) / Funny How Time Slips Away (By Sherill Nielsen) / Charity Announcement / Burning Love

LP 3: Side F (18:31): Help Me / The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face / Jailhouse Rock / One Night / How Great Thou Art (With Reprise) / Can’t Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp - Announcements

Tracklist 2-CD - Disc 1: Also Sprach Zarathustra / See See Rider / I Got A Woman – Amen / Love Me / When The Saints Go Marchin’ In (Excerpt) / If You Love Me (Let Me Know) / You Gave Me A Mountain / All Shook Up / Teddy Bear - Don‘t Be Cruel / Blue Suede Shoes / Return To Sender / Heartbreak Hotel / Elvis Talks / The Hawaiian Wedding Song / America, The Beautiful / Polk Salad Annie / Band Introductions / Early Morning Rain / What‘d I Say / Johnny B. Goode / Drum Solo / Bass Solo / Piano Solo / Lady Madonna / Love Letters / School Day.

Disc 2: Wooden Heart (Excerpt) / Young And Beautiful / That’s All Right / Blue Christmas / Hurt #1 / Hurt #2 / Hound Dog / Mickey Mouse Club March / Happy Birthday To You All / My Heavenly Father (By Kathy Westmoreland) / Guadalajara (Excerpt) / Love Me Tender / Danny Boy (By Sherill Nielsen) / Funny How Time Slips Away (By Sherill Nielsen) / Charity Announcement / Burning Love / Help Me / The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face / Jailhouse Rock / One Night / How Great Thou Art (With Reprise) / Can’t Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp.

Japanese Rockabilly

The Japanese Shinko Music published the 9th volume in their 'The Rockabilly' magazine series.

The 144-page mook (magazine-book) is a densely packed celebration of the people, the music, the fashion, and the culture that have been captivated by rockabilly. 

This issue celebrates the 100th Anniversary of the 'Showa Era!' and features three articles on Elvis. The first looks back on a time when "Elvis was from an era when America still felt so far away", the second offers a chance to walk in Elvis' footsteps in Nashville, and the last article is a feature on the Elvis Zippo collection: "every time you strike a flame, the 50s spirit is reborn".

(Source: ReelTrax / Amazon)