July 06 - 80 Years Of Elvis Compilations

Volume 2 of the new "80 Years of Elvis" has been released by Topix Media. This 100 page volume chronicles Elvis on the road in 1955. Volume 3, "80 -Year Scrapbook" will hit the newsstands September 1, 2015.

Camden / RCA Re-issues

An unknown label has just re-issued four Camden / RCA titles. "Elvis Blue" and three volumes in the "The Elvis Presley Collection". The "Elvis Blue" is a reproduction of an Australian 1983 best of… - collection with the same name and contains 25 tracks.

From the publisher:
Elvis Blue was a 1983 19-track LP, with a beautiful painted Elvis portrait on the front sleeve. As the title suggest all tracks on this album had the word ‘Blue’ in it. It was released on the Australian Starcall label. The album was a great success, but it was never released on silver pressed CD. Until now! Housed in sealed card sleeve, this is a stunning miniature vinyl-look CD release, that also includes some special bonus tracks.

Track list Elvis Blue:
1. Blue Moon, 2. Blue Moon Of Kentucky, 3. Milkcow Blues Boogie, 4. Blue Suede Shoes, 5. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again, 6. Mean Woman Blues, 7. Blueberry Hill, 8. Blue Christmas, 9. A Mess Of Blues, 10. GI Blues, 11. Blue Hawaii, 12. Beach Boy Blues, 13. Something Blue, 14. Blue River, 15. Indescribably Blue, 16. Steamroller Blues, 17. Goodtime Charlie's Got The Blues, 18. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain, 19. Moody Blue
Bonus: 20. Blue Suede Shoes ( 1960 movie version ), 21. Blue Hawaii ( 1973 – take 2 ), 22. Good Time Charlie’s Got The BLues ( unedited string overdub master ), 23. Blue Eyes Crying In The Rain ( take 2 ), 24. Moody Blue ( take 3 ), 25. (Blue) Spanish Eyes.

The Elvis Presley Collection

The same unknown label also announced a new CD series; "The Elvis Presley Collection". This series of total three CDs is a reproduction of LP-collections released between 1968 and 1975 by RCA/ Camden.

From the Publisher:
Out now on silver pressed CD in beautiful sealed cardsleeves, a great collection of classic Camden / RCA albums. From 1968 to 1975, RCA Camden issued a series of compilation albums. This output primarily consisted of repackaging’s of Presley's 1960s-era movie soundtrack recordings. These albums were very successful, due to the low budget price and the great gatefold album sleeves. For many (young) fans these albums were their introduction to the music of Elvis Presley. Although these albums did not always contained the very best of Elvis’ recordings, the Camden albums taught many customers one valuable lesson: you may find gold, when you least expect it ! "The Elvis Presley Collection" contained 3 volumes. These albums are among the best known Camden releases. And finally, if only for nostalgic reasons, they are released on shiny silver CD. Looking like miniature vinyl albums, these releases will bring back many of the happy memories from the good ol’ days. They come sealed and include some special bonus tracks. More for you money! Please note: only available as a limited edition of 400 copies. 

Tracks Volume 1:
1. You'll Never Walk Alone, 2. Who Am I?, 3. Let Us Pray, 4. Peace In The Valley, 5. We Call On Him, 6. I Believe, 7. It Is No Secret, 8. Sing You Children, 9. Take My Hand Precious Lord, 10. Swing Down Sweet Chariot, 11. Down By The Riverside & When The Saints Go Marching In, 12. They Remind Me Too Much Of You, 13. Confidence, 14. Frankie & Johnny, 15. Guitar Man, 16. Long Legged Girl, 17. You Don't Know Me, 18. How Would You Like To Be, 19. Big Boss Man, 20. Old Macdonald
Bonus: 21. Swing Down Sweet Chariot (1968 Overdubbed Master), 22. You Don’t Know Me (Movie Version), 23. Guitar Man (Re-Recording), 24. Sing You Children (Take 18 – 19), 25. Who Am I ? (Undubbed Master), 26. We Call On Him (Take 3), 27. How Would You Like To Be (Movie Version)

Tracks Volume 2:
1. Separate Ways, 2. Sentimental Me, 3. In My Way, 4. I Met Her Today, 5. What Now, What Next, Where To, 6. Always On My Mind, 7. I Slipped, I Stumbled, I Fell, 8. Is It So Strange, 9. Forget Me Never, 10. Old Shep, 11. C'mon Everybody, 12. A Whistling Tune, 13. I'll Be There (If You Ever Want Me), 14. I Love Only One Girl, 15. Easy Come, Easy Go, 16. Santa Lucia, 17. Tonight Is So Right For Love, 18. Guadalajara, 19. Angel, 20. A Little Less Conversation, 21. Follow That Dream, 22. Long Legged Girl (With The Short Dress On)
Bonus: 23. Separate Ways (Take 25), 24. Always On My Mind (Unedited Overdub Master), 25. I Met Her Today (Take 6), 26. C’mon Everybody (Movie Version Takes 6 – 7), 27. Long Legged Girl (Alternate Master), 28. A Little Less Conversation (Take 10)

Tracks Volume 3:
1. What Every Woman Lives For, 2. Please Don't Stop Loving Me, 3. Change Of Habit, 4. Come Along, 5. Shout It Out, 6. Beginner's Luck, 7. Clean Up Your Own Back Yard, 8. Rubberneckin', 9. Edge Of Reality, 10. Petunia The Gardener's Daughter, 11. Hard Luck, 12. Have A Happy, 13. Flaming Star, 14. Wonderful World, 15. Light Life, 16. All I Needed Was The Rain, 17. Too Much Monkey Business, 18. Yellow Rose Of Texas / The Eyes Of Texas, 19. She's A Machine, 20. Do The Vega, 21. Tiger Man, 
Bonus: 22. Please Don’t Stop Loving Me (Take 9), 23. Edge Of Reality (Take 6), 24. Petunia The Gardener’s Daughter (Take 1), 25. Wonderful World (Take 7 – Movie Version), 26. Night Life (Take 3), 27. She’s A Machine (Take 14), 28. Too Much Monkey Business (Re-Recording).

Elvis Tour Promoter Jerry Weintraub Dead Aged 77

Elvis' tour promoter and Hollywood mega-producer Jerry Weintraub, died Monday of heart failure in Santa Barbara, Calif. He was 77.
Weintraub who got the Ocean's Eleven franchise to the big screen had been in poor health recently. His recent project was executive-producer on the the war-and-politics satire The Brink, for HBO. He was a three-time Emmy winner, his most recent two coming in 2013 for the Liberace biopic 'Behind the Candelabra'. 

It was Weintraub who booked Elvis into Madison Square Gardens in 1972. He noted, "When I was 26, I started with $500, and $500 was a stretch at the time. I had Elvis and we started a tour in Miami Beach and we ended in San Diego. When I got to San Diego, I walked into the venue and my accountants came over and said: ‘Do you know how much money you’ve made on this tour?’ I said, ‘No, I have no idea, I just know we’ve been sold out of all the sessions we’re doing and everything’s great.’ And they said, ‘Well, you have $3-million in the bank.’ I said, ‘I have what? ... That’s not possible.’ I remember pulling back the curtain from backstage and I looked at all the people in the arena, 20,000 people, and it hit me. I said to myself, ‘My God, my life is never going to be the same. It’s changed. I got it. I did it.’  

Elvis was a total original. I grew up on his music and I loved him and it was like a bolt from heaven and I knew my life would never be the same. It was that moment, it was that defining moment. In most successful peoples lives, there is a moment that just happens and I knew it was gonna be like that.

In 1972 I booked Elvis in New York. It was 4 shows - four shows, that's 80,000 people for a music star. They came and slept outside Madison Square Garden for two weeks to get tickets. They slept. They brought beds. They brought cots. They brought bed roles. It was amazing. And that had never been done before. Nobody had done it - but I did it with Elvis." The New York-born exec got his start as a music manager and promoter, at one time working for John Denver and promoting concerts for the likes of Elvis, Frank Sinatra, Neil Diamond and Led Zeppelin. 

Fun In Acapulco

The MOCD label re-issued the "Fun In Acapulco" soundtrack with two additional bonussongs.

Tracks:

Fun In Acapulco - Vino Dinero Y Amor - Mexico - El Toro - Marguerita - The Bullfighter Was A Lady - (Theres) No Room To Rhumba In A Sports Car - I Think Im Gonna Like It Here - Bossa Nova Baby - You Can't Say No In Acapulco - Guadalajara  Bonus Songs: Love Me Tonight - Slowly But Surely

(Source: FECC / e-mail / Elvis Information Network)