The award, which recognizes “those whose body of work in the film and television industry has richly enhanced the visual aspects of the viewer’s experience”.
On Tour Set
Originally planned for release in 2022, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Elvis Presley's monumental 1972 concert trek, RCA / Sony Legacy (finally) released the physical 6-CD / 1-DVD edition of 'Elvis On Tour'. The digital edition with just the music, was released December 2, 2022. Several lucky fans received their copies earlier this week.
RCA/Legacy's Elvis On Tour box set is produced by Ernst Mikael Jørgensen and mixed by Grammy Award-winning Memphis-based producer Matt Ross-Spang. The original recordings were made by Felton Jarvis and Al Pachucki.
Disc 1 was recorded live on April 9, 1972, at Hampton Roads Coliseum, Hampton, Virginia, and contains all previously unreleased material.
Disc 2 was recorded live on April 10, 1972, at Richmond Coliseum, Richmond, Virginia, and contains all previously unreleased material.
Disc 3 was recorded live on April 14, 1972, at Greensboro Coliseum, Greensboro, North Carolina, and contains all previously unreleased material.
Disc 4 was recorded live on April 18, 1972, at Convention Center Arena, San Antonio, Texas, and includes previously released material (from 2003's Elvis: Close-Up box set), remixed for this release.
Disc 5 features the tour rehearsals, recorded live at RCA Recording Studios in Hollywood, California, on March 30 and 31, 1972. The disc is comprised primarily of previously unreleased tracks in addition to performances previously available on the official Elvis Presley collector's releases Elvis On Tour - The Rehearsals (Follow That Dream CD 2004) and 6363 Sunset Boulevard(Follow That Dream CD 2001) as well as The Great Performances (RCA 1990).
Disc 6 completes Elvis' rehearsals with his band at RCA Recordings Studios with performances recorded March 31, 1972. The disc includes previously unreleased takes on Kris Kristofferson's "For The Good Times" as well as performances previously available only on 6363 Sunset Boulevard, Elvis On Tour - The Rehearsals and Amazing Grace (RCA 2CD 1994).
As Elvis Presley’s national tour played to sold-out secondary markets across the country in 1972, Elvis was enjoying himself on-stage and finding electrifying new ways of connecting to audiences at every show. Working with a band and set lists of his choosing, Elvis was channeling the music he loved most--from pop and gospel and traditional country to blues and rock and contemporary hits--while transforming his own greatest hits with fresh arrangements, turning nostalgia into an unforgettable concert experience packed with immediacy.
Award-winning filmmakers Pierre Adidge and Robert Abel went on the road with Elvis Presley and his band with all-access passes, cameras and crew to chronicle the King of Rock & Roll at his on-stage peak in MGM’s Elvis On Tour documentary film. The film captures Elvis, the human being driving the myth, behind-the-scenes backstage with his eyes open and his defenses down. According to MGM's original press release, the Elvis On Tour film "offers the first intimate look at the enigmatic country boy who became the world's most celebrated musician." Both documentary and concert film, Elvis On Tour features montage sequences supervised by Martin Scorsese. The film was released on November 1, 1972.
The Elvis On Tour box set includes fascinating behind-the-scenes liner notes by Jerry Schilling, a longtime personal friend and member of Elvis' inner circle.
The set also features an illuminating essay by rock historian/musician Warren Zanes, founding member of The Del Fuegos and Professor at New York University. According to Zanes: "The set lists and the performances of the Elvis On Tour period bring a rare thing: a fifties legend working in the early seventies who was still taking his audiences to new places...
The core band, including Ronnie Tutt, James Burton, Glen D. Hardin, Jerry Scheff, John Wilkinson, Charlie Hodge, the Sweet Inspirations, J.D. Sumner and the Stamps Quartet, and an orchestra led by Joe Guercio, had gotten to a place at which Elvis could inject spontaneity, allowing the arena shows to have a measure of the unexpected....
1972 was a year of one-hundred-sixty-five performances. In Jorgensen's words, it was a 'climax of his career.' While the '68 Comeback Special marked the significant point at which Presley returned to live performance, 1972 was the year in which the artist revealed most completely what he wanted to do with the creative energy such a return kicked off."
Two Nights In Binghamton
The BJ Records import record label released the double CD 'Two Nights In Binghamton', featuring the May 26th and 27th, 1977 shows from Binghamton.
Publicity stated: Back in 1999 the Coast To Coast label released the CD 'Why Me, Lord' featuring the May 26th 1977 concert in Binghamton, NY.
The two Binghamton shows are a good example of some of those special moments where Elvis got it together, Elvis performs a varied setlist with a couple of songs that hadn't been performed very often at the time, this includes the last live version of Kris Kristofferson's 'Why Me, Lord', Simon and Garfunkel's 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' and even 'Blue Suede Shoes' and 'Heartbreak Hotel' were performed whilst not a standard anymore at the time, it made for a nice surprise!
BJ Records felt it was time to re-release these two shows because of their historic place in representing Elvis his final year of performing on stage, with the original releases out of print we've put both shows together in a neat package, this allows older and newer fans to have both shows in the same place, while also enjoying the improved sound quality.
This digi-pack has been filled with some great photos of Elvis taken during these two shows, and newspaper reviews. It’s a very limited edition set.
Tracklist CD1 - Binghamton, NY May 26th, 1977: Also Sprach Zarathustra / See See Rider / I Got A Woman - Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me Let Me Know / You Gave Me A Mountain / O Sole Mio - It’s Now Or Never / Little Sister / Teddy Bear - Don’t Be Cruel / And I Love You So / Why Me Lord? / Polk Salad Annie / Band Introductions / Early Mornin' Rain / What'd I Say - Johnny B. Goode / Hurt / Hound Dog / Can’t Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp
CD2 - Binghamton, NY May 27th, 1977: Also Sprach Zarathustra / See See Rider / I Got A Woman - Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me Let Me Know / You Gave Me A Mountain / Blue Suede Shoes / Teddy Bear - Don’t Be Cruel / Heartbreak Hotel / Bridge Over Troubled Water / O Sole Mio - It’s Now Or Never / Love Me Tender / Band Introductions / Early Mornin' Rain / What'd I Say / Band Solos / School Day / Hurt / Hound Dog / Unchained Melody / Can’t Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp.
The 20th Century Masterworks (H'Art) recordlabel will re-issue Elvis' debut album on green colored vinyl (once more) on March 31, 2023.
Blue Suede Shoes / I'm Counting On You / I Got A Woman / One-Sided Love Affair / I Love You Because / Just Because / Don't Be Cruel / Hound Dog / Love Me Tender / Tutti Frutti / Tryin' To Get To You / I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry Over You / I'll Never Let You Go / Blue Moon / Money Honey / Shake, Rattle And Roll / I Want You, I Need You, I Love You / Heartbreak Hotel.
Due for release from the German ZYX Music recordlabel on May 26, 2023 on CD and on LP is 'Greatest Christmas Songs'.
(Source: Deadline / RCA / Sony Legacy / Amazon France / Elvis Club Berlin / Plastic Head)