March 24 - Platinum Release

Sony Music have re-released Platinum: A Life In Music. 'Platinum' chronicles the outstanding career of Elvis Presley (1954 to 1977) from a unique perspective. It features 100 performances, 77 of which are previously unreleased. This historic overview traces his development as an artist and emphasizes how Elvis' music always returned to its unshakable core values. This 4-CD box set contains a 48-page book and consists mostly of previously unreleased alternate takes of Elvis Presley's hits.

You probably think you've heard all there is to hear from The King, what with countless Elvis retrospectives, anthologies, and reissues flooding the market. While "Platinum" is far from the first Elvis box, it's unique in that it's composed largely of previously unreleased material. Four discs cover every phase of Presley's career, from young Memphis hip-shaker to middle-aged Vegas hip-shaker, adding a fresh perspective to each period.

It's both an education and a kick to hear alternate versions of songs as ingrained in the public consciousness as 'That's All Right', and others from Elvis' legendary Sun sessions. Obscure delights like 1969's 'Power Of My Love' update one of rock & roll's most stellar legacies. Off-the-cuff recordings and live TV performances contribute further to this set, which proves that.

Lola Albright Died

Lola Albright, the glamorous blonde actress best known for starring on the television series “Peter Gunn,” died Thursday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 92.

A native of Akron, Ohio, news of her death was first reported by the Akron Beacon-Journal. “She went very peacefully,” her friend Eric Anderson told the newspaper. “She died at 7:20 a.m. of natural causes. We loved her so much.”

Her first film appearance came in 1947 in “The Unfinished Dance,” starring Margaret O’Brien. She then starred with Judy Garland in “Easter Parade” in 1948. The next year she appeared opposite Kirk Douglas in 1949’s “Champion,” portraying a spurned lover. Douglas received an Oscar nomination for his work. In 1950, she acted in “The Good Humor Man” with her future spouse Jack Carson. She also appeared in Frank Sinatra’s “The Tender Trap,” Elvis Presley’s “Kid Galahad",. She received the best actress award in 1966 at the Berlin Film Festival for portraying a suicidal mother in “Lord Love a Duck.”

UK Chart for the week ending March 24, 2017:

• On the UK album chart 'The Wonder of You' is a re-entry at #93.
• 'The Wonder Of You' rises from #61 to #54 on the Physical Album Chart and rises from #74 to #69 on the Album Sales Chart 
• 'The Platinum Collection' rises from 95 to 87 on the Physical Album Chart and rises from #22 to #16 on the Indie Albums Chart

European Chart

• 'The Wonder Of You' is a re-entry at #75 on the Scottish Album Chart
• The 'The Wonder Of You' dropped from #82 to #179m on the Belgian Album chart.
• The 'The 50 Greatest Hits' dropped off the Swiss Album Top 100 after a re-entry at the bottom of the chart at #100 last week. 

Australian Charts

• The 'The Wonder of You' dropped off the Australian Album chart. 
• The "Elvis – The King Of Rock’n’Roll – 30 Hit Performances And More" DVD dropped off the Australian Music DVD chart.

(Source: Sony / Brian Quinn on FECC / The King's World / Variety)