May 26 - Mono News Report

The Millbranch Music import record label released the CD / DVD set 'Rags To Riches - The Original Mono Mixes'. 

Publicity stated: Millbranch Music is back with its first release in 2023! After the great success of our recent CD / DVD set 'Tampa Wave' we now present a completely new CD / DVD project!

'Rags To Riches – The Original Mono Mixes' is a 2-disc set. The CD includes 20 tracks from Elvis' June and September 1970 Nashville Recording Sessions, all presented as the original mono mixes in top-notch sound! 

You may wonder why Elvis' music was still mixed in mono in 1970. Well, all of Elvis’ 45 RPM singles from those days, almost to the end of 1971, were still being released in mono. Possibly because his releases were coming out of RCA Nashville, and some of the songs were only issued as singles and not so much as LP cuts, and therefore not mixed to stereo. Also, around this time, after a decade of indifference, country music radio started paying attention to Elvis again. Most of his singles from this period made the country charts. 

During this period, RCA recording artists Charley Pride, Waylon Jennings, Dolly Parton, Eddy Arnold (and every other C&W artist on RCA) released most of their singles in mono. The first Elvis stereo single in the ‘70s was Merry Christmas Baby/O Come All Ye Faithful from 1971. Promo singles for Elvis´ music continued being released in mono until 1975.

As a matter of fact those single records from 50+ years ago (especially the promos) did have a unique sound which is powered a lot by a great punch. This detail in sound was for sure intended by the producers as it made a great effect when being played by radio stations back then. Still today, collectors are partly buying these promos not only for collecting purposes, but also for playing them on vintage (or new) record players, enjoying “glorious mono sound”. Now you can enjoy all these great sounding Elvis tracks in glorious mono on this release!

The DVD in our new set has a running time of almost 100 minutes and we gave it the title 'That's The Way It Is In Motion'. While this is definitely not a re-edit of the original 'That's The Way It Is' movie, it is a musical documentary of its own, and represents the album and the songs that appeared on it. And much more! Using higher quality outtakes than ever before with footage that has no watermarks or similar impairments, we are able to present it in the highest possible quality, like you are used from us.

All of the songs on the DVD are newly edited with several different camera angles. You'll see and hear Elvis having fun rehearsing 'You Don't Have To Say You Love Me' on July 15, 1970 and also doing the tune live at the Opening Night performance on August 10, which has Elvis calling out Sammy Davis Jr.. We also included an interview segment of Sammy Davis Jr. talking about what he saw on stage that night accompanies the clip. 

A newly edited version of 'I Just Can't Help Believin'' which goes from rehearsal to live is presented in split screens, using several different angles. Also on this DVD are newly edited performances of 'Make The World Go Away', 'Polk Salad Annie', 'I've Lost You' and 'The Walk Through The Audience' (which has never been edited properly before). Added to that are several split-screen performances like 'Heartbreak Hotel' from the August 12th 1970 Dinner Show and 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'. The 'Little Sister / Get Back' sit down medley has been edited properly for the first time and is for sure one of the many highlights on our DVD. 

'Blue Suede Shoes' has been re-edited, despite its appearance in the original movie. This DVD brings you a great experience in going back to Las Vegas in the summer of 1970! 

Tracklist CD: Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin’ On (Master Recording) - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Without Harmony Vocal Overdub) - I Really Don’t Want To Know (Original Single Version) - You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me (Original Single Version) - There Goes My Everything (Original Single Version) - Mary In The Morning (Master Recording) - Stranger In The Crowd - I’ve Lost You - Patch It Up (Original Single Version) - How The Web Was Woven (Undubbed Master, Acetate Source) - Sylvia (Take 5 - 8) - The Next Step Is Love (Master Recording) - Rags To Riches (Master Recording) - Only Believe - The Fool - Where Did They Go, Lord - Twenty Days And Twenty Nights - I Washed My Hands In Muddy Water - Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On (Mix With Horns) - Bridge Over Troubled Water (Take 1)

Elvis Presley Video News Report

Emiel Maier posted the monthly Elvis Presley Video News Report on YouTube. The June 2023 edition looks back on the month May and contains segments on the upcoming 'James Burton and Friends' concert, the auction of Elvis's last Harley Davidson, the barbershop museum at Fort Chaffee, the passing of Bill Baize and many more short news flashes.

No 1 Hits

The new Continent record label re-issued their 2021 32-track compilation CD 'The No. 1 Hits' on May 26, 2023.

(Source: Facebook / Emiel Maier / Gerrit de Jong)