Friday, December 09, 2011

December 08 - Their Way, The Guitar Players Don't Come Back


If You Don't Come Back


The Raised2rock import label announced the release of a new CD with Stax-recordings, entitled 'If You Don't Come Back'. It was announced quite a while ago, but it will see the light soon.


From the press-release:
This disc is the "lost album" of Presley imports. It has a long history and would likely never have been released if not for the many requests over the years. The version of "Loving Arms" here is worth the price of admission. Never has Elvis been so up-close and personal, as if he's singing in your living room!  The tracks have been carefully selected to retain the "Stax sound." At the time, this Elvis session was an unique blend of country, funk, gospel and rhythm & blues. It was an attempt to reach the mainstream sounds of the day, like what Elvis managed in 1969. But this time RCA was embracing the famous Stax sound. Enjoy a prime slice of the "Stax sound"! Only 500 CD's will have a the promo poster.

Tracklisting:
If You Don’t Come Back - edited 2.30 / Sweet Angeline - edited 3.03 / Are You Sincere? 2.02 / Three Corn Patches 3.09 / I Got A Feeling In My Body - edited 3.35 / Find Out What’s Happening - edited 2.32 / Girl Of Mine 3.40 / Raised On Rock - edited 2.40 / Loving Arms 2.53 / It’s Midnight 3.22 / I Miss You 2.14 / For Ol’ Times Sake 3.38 / Just A Little Bit 2.50 / If You Talk In Your Sleep 2.43 / I’ve Got A Thing About You Baby 2.45 / Bonus Track: I Can Help 4.03

My Way: How Elvis Presley Became Elvis

WakestonePress announced the The book 'My Way: How Elvis Presley Became Elvis' by Sherry Lee Hoppe with A January 10, 2012 release-date.

Rolling Stone Guitarists Pick's

In the most recent edition of Rolling Stone, two names familiar to both Elvis fans and music lovers around the world were listed in the top 30.

Those names are James Burton (#19) and Scotty Moore (#29) and both played with the king of rock 'n' roll as part of the TCB Band. Rolling Stone had plenty to say about both and when speaking about James, they say "James Burton's trademark 'chicken pickin' style – bright, crisp and concise – is one of the most unique sounds in country music, and a huge influence on rock guitar as well."

When speaking about Scotty, Rolling Stone says, "The guitar would never be the same: Moore's concise, aggressive runs mixed country picking and blues phrasing into a new instrumental language. The playing was so forceful that it's easy to forget there was no drummer."


On Scotty Moore:
On July 5th, 1954, Elvis Presley, guitarist Scotty Moore and bassist Bill Black messed around with a hopped-up version of Arthur Crudup's "That's All Right" during a break in a session at Sun Records in Memphis. The guitar would never be the same: Moore's concise, aggressive runs mixed country picking and blues phrasing into a new instrumental language. The playing was so forceful that it's easy to forget there was no drummer. If Moore had done nothing but the 18 Sun recordings – including "Mystery Train" and "Good Rockin' Tonight" – his place in history would be assured. But he continued to play with Elvis, contributing the scorching solos to "Heartbreak Hotel" and "Hound Dog." And when Elvis wanted to get back to his roots on the 1968 "comeback special," he summoned Moore, for the sound that helped change the role of the guitar in pop music. "Everyone else wanted to be Elvis," Keith Richards said. "I wanted to be Scotty." Key Tracks: "That's All Right," "Mystery Train," "Heartbreak Hotel"

On James Burton:
James Burton's trademark "chicken pickin'" style – bright, crisp and concise –l is one of the most unique sounds in country music, and a huge influence on rock guitar as well. Burton got his start when he was 14, writing "Susie Q," for Dale Hawkins, and became a teenage star when he joined Ricky Nelson's band in 1957. With Nelson, Burton created his distinct technique: He used a fingerpick and a flatpick, and replaced the four highest strings on his Telecaster with banjo strings, so that his guitar snapped, popped and stuttered. "I never bought a Ricky Nelson record," Keith Richards said. "I bought a James Burton record." In the late Sixties and Seventies, he convened Elvis' TCB band and became a go-to guy on country-minded records by Joni Mitchell and Gram Parsons, and still tours today. "He was just a mysterious guy: 'Who is this guy and why is he on all these records I like?'" says Joe Walsh. "His technique was all-important." Key Tracks: "Hello Mary Lou,""Susie Q," "Believe What You Say"



Elvis: Rock, Sex and Roll 2012


JAT Publishing announced that the final release-date for the 'Elvis : Rock, Sex and Roll' book will now be January 8,2012. 
From the press-information:
Focusing on Elvis in 1956 the book will be a 'ground-breaking, history-making' book featuring never before seen photos along with extensive details about Elvis in '56, the year in which Elvis changed the world forever. The title of this book was chosen because we believe we will capture Elvis Presley in his coolest, sexiest way.


Charts 


The Billboard charts for the week ending December 17, 2011:

  • 'An Afternoon In The Garden' drops from #176 to #189 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart for w/e 17th December, 2011.
  • 'It's Christmas Time' rises from #116 to #63 on the Top 200 Album Chart, drops from #24 to #11 on the Catalog Album Chart and rises from #29 to #19 on the Holiday Album Chart.
  • 'Elvis Christmas' rises from #107 to #86 on the Top 200 Album Chart and drops from #18 to #21 on the Catalog Album Chart.
  • Elvis Christmas Duets Re-enters the Top 200 Album Chart at #183.
  • 'Blue Christmas' rises from #21 to #19 on the Holiday Songs Chart.

Elvis was listed as Billboard's 8th Most Successful Catalog Artist for 2011 and he had two albums in the Top 50 Most Successful Catalog Albums for 2011: #28 - 'An Afternoon In The Garden' and #50 - 'Elvis Christmas'


Dutch Charts


On the Dutch Combined Album Charts the Christmas 'Christmas Duets'  compilation, containing a Duet by Elvis Presley And Guus Meeuwis, climb from #54 to #24. 


EPE Commends On "Newly-Discovered" Elvis Song


In a fan-club newsletter EPE reacted on the supposedly newly discovered 'Elvis' song:
Regarding the news of a possibly “newly-discovered” Elvis song that has been popping up on Elvis fan sites, we at EPE work very closely with all the producers at Sony who specialize in re-issuing Elvis recordings and have spent literally thousands of hours listening to his performances in a variety of settings, from soundboard recordings of Elvis on stage to him singing casually in a friend’s home in a tape recorder. Everyone has stated very confidently that the person who is singing this song is “not even close to Elvis.” By the way, in 1976 Elvis recorded 16 songs that ended up on the albums “FROM ELVIS PRESLEY BOULEVARD” and “MOODY BLUE,” and none of those recordings sound anything like this one. 
Ernst Jorgensen summed it up well, “When you hear an Elvis recording - even a poor home recording -you realize just how distinctive his voice is - you are never in doubt when it's the real thing.”

(Source: ElvisNews / Elvis Club Berlin / EPE / Rolling Stone)