November 14 - Elvis '68 Unleashed

The Reel Tracks import record label announced the release of the CD 'Elvis - '68 Unleashed'. 

Publicity stated: The Reel Trax import record label is back with its first release in 6 months! After the great success of our spring release 'Blowing In The Wind' we now present a completely new CD project – inspired by the soon to come celebration of the 55th Anniversary of Elvis´ legendary NBC-TV Special which aired December 3, 1968! Step back in time and relive the extraordinary talent of Elvis Presley. 

'Elvis Unleashed '68' pays tribute to a musical icon who lives on forever in the hearts of millions of fans around the world. We revisit the probably most vibrant scenery of the so-called '68 “Comeback”. Reel Trax is bringing back the magic with a brandnew CD release. Carefully curated and remastered in great-sounding Stereo in a highly valued professional studio in Europe, the legendary Standup shows are coming to new life. 

The sensational looking 6-panel deluxe album complete with liner notes from those who were there in 1968 (and written especially for this release!) is a real eye-catcher and informative as well. 

This album captures the raw and unrestrained energy of Elvis Presley like never before. It transports you directly to the iconic standup shows of “The King”, recorded in June 1968. After a period of absence from the stage, Elvis made a triumphant return to the spotlight with a short series of unforgettable concerts before a close audience. 

Meant to be shown in parts in the then upcoming TV-Special simply called “ELVIS” it was a sensational appearance in its own. In general it was a time when he rediscovered his musical roots while filming the special and he delivered his art with pure passion. With an impressive collection of timeless classics, breathtaking vocal performances, and spontaneous interactions with the audience, "Elvis Unleashed '68" reveals the true essence of a legendary artist at the peak of his power. 

Tracklist CD: 01. Heartbreak Hotel / Hound Dog / All Shook Up 02. Can’t Help Falling In Love 03. Jailhouse Rock 04. Don’t Be Cruel 05. Blue Suede Shoes 06. Love Me Tender 07. Trouble 08. Baby, What you Want Me To Do 09. If I Can Dream 10. Heartbreak Hotel / Hound Dog / All Shook Up 11. Can’t Help Falling In Love 12. Jailhouse Rock 13. Don’t Be Cruel 14. Blue Suede Shoes 15. Love Me Tender 16. Trouble/ Guitar Man 17. Trouble/ Guitar man 18. If I Can Dream Recorded June 29, 1968 at Burbank Studios, CA 

19. Trouble / Guitar Man (pre- recorded) 20. If I Can Dream (pre-recorded) Recorded June 23, 1968 at Western Recorded Studio 1, Hollywood, CA.

High Spirit in Birmingham

The VV import record label announced the late November 2023 release of the 2-LP / DVD-set 'High Spirit in Birmingham'.

Publicity stated: 'High Spirit in Birmingham' will focus on Elvis’ December 1976 tour, featuring the show from December 29th, 1976, previously unreleased on vinyl and taken directly from the original high-quality tape.

The December 29th Show was previously released on CD but this is the first time on vinyl format with an incredibly superior sound. The vinyl will be accompanied by a DVD with almost the complete show using different footage coming from the December tour. A Must-have!

It is our intention to present Elvis at his peak and without any doubt Elvis’ December tour it’s the best presentation of Elvis in 1976 as he delivering great shows. The performances are very good and Birmingham's show is surely the best of the tour.

Elvis sings well and is still very active on the stage, presenting the best of his repertoire, combined with the last 1976 single 'Hurt' and introducing the new song 'Unchained Melody' to his set-list. 

We are glad to be able to add a great bonus DVD to the set. The show is great and the DVD presents a solid collection of quality performances. Elvis' show has a wide variety of songs; from old and new rockers like the 'Mystery Train / Tiger Man' medley and 'Polk Salad Annie', country songs like 'For The Good Times' and personal stories like 'You Gave Me A Mountain' and of course the dramatic pop ballads such as 'Unchained Memlody' on which we hear Elvis accompanying himself at the piano, without a doubt the highlight of the complete tour. 

This new VV release comes housed in a Deluxe Gatefold sleeve holding 2 150 Gr. vinyl discs and the bonus DVD. To make this release a collector’s item, the 500 copies will be presented with five different vinyl color variations; black, blue, red, green and pink colored vinyl. Each color limited to 100 copies and comes with an 30 x 30 cm glossy art card and sticker, all hand-numbered. 

LP Recorded Live Birmingham AL, Jefferson Coliseum Dec.  29th 1976

Side A: 01. Also Sprach Zarathustra / 02. Opening Vamp / 03. See See Rider / 04. I Got A Woman / 05. Love Me / 06. Fairytale / 07. You Gave me a Mountain.

Side B: 08. Jailhouse Rock / 09. O Sole Mio - It’s Now Or Never / 10. Trying To Get To You / 11. My Way / 12. Polk Salad Annie / 13. Introductions.

Side C: 14.Early Morning Rain / 15. What’d I Say / 16. Johnny B. Goode / 17. Drum Solo / 18. Bass Solo / 19. Piano Solo / 20. Electric Piano Solo / 21. Love Letters / 22. School Days / 23. Funny How The Time Slips Away / 24. Hurt / 25. Hound Dog.

Side D: 26. For The Good Times / 27. The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face / 28. Unchained Melody / 29. Mystery Train - Tiger Man / 30. Can’t Help In Falling In Love / 31. Closing Vamp.

Bonus DVD (54 minutes, region free):

DVD: We present an almost complete show, with 54 minutes of (previously unreleased) footage from December 29th, 1976, filmed in Birmingham (and some additional material from Atlanta and Pittsburgh) overdubbed with the original soundboard audio. All fully audio and video has meticulously been restored and remastered for this release. 

01 See See Rider / 02 I Got a Woman - Amen / 03 Love Me / 04 Fairytale / 05 You gave me a Mountain / 06 Jailhouse rock / 07 It’s Now Or Never / 08 Trying To Get To You / 09 My Way / 10 Polk Salad Annie / 11 Band Intro - Love Letters / 12 Funny How Time Slips Away / 13 Hurt / 14 Hound Dog / 15 First Time I Ever Saw Your Face / 16 Unchained Melody / 17 Mystery Train / 18 Can’t Help Falling In Love.

Graceland - An American Treasure

Published by a360media was the 96-page single issue magazine ‘Graceland - An American Treasure’. 

Publicity stated: As the second-most-visited home in America after the White House, Elvis Presley's Memphis estate, Graceland, stands as a monument to the King of Rock ’n’ Roll and a symbol of his remarkable rise out of poverty to become one of the greatest music legends ever. 

But the 23-room mansion also serves as an emotional gathering place for Elvis fans, who honor their idol with celebrations like Elvis Week, held every August on the anniversary of his death in 1977. 

Now, 'Graceland- An American Treasure' takes you on an intimate tour of the place that inspired and protected Elvis and his family. With more than 150 photos, get a peek at Elvis' favorite rooms and the sprawling US$45 million ‘Elvis In Memphis’ entertainment complex while learning more about the roots of Memphis soul music that inspired him.

(Source: Reel Trax / FECC)

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