By Robert van Doorn and Kees Mouwen.
Robert: Thanks for agreeing to do this interview, so we have a chance get to know the label a little. Can you tell us something about the history of the record label?
Gravel Road: Great to be here talking to you. It's a good idea to do this interview because, over the years, many people have asked us questions about our old and future releases, and there has been a lot of speculation circulating, so I’m happy to set the record straight.
We started Gravel Road Music in the late nineties after the passing of a good friend of ours with whom we had helped make the Captain Marvel releases. We had great ideas for the future, but his sudden passing ended this.
Due to mutual friends, we got in contact with the main producer of the Fort Baxter, Bilko, and Southern Comfort labels, which, as the older fans know, was the label to go to when it came to great releases. This was before the Follow That Dream collector’s label era.
It all started with the ‘It’s a Matter of Time ‘CD by Fort Baxter. When we got hold of the soundboard tape of the February 3, 1973 Dinner Show, we wondered how much the recording would benefit from real studio treatment, not just a basic cleanup of the audio and putting it on a CD. The results of the first tests surprised us positively, what a difference! The desire to show the world that there was much more to enjoy than we thought, if you really make the effort, was born. That was the moment Gravel Road Music came into being.
Kees: Looking back now, what were the stand-out releases looking back from 2024?
Gravel Road: Well, overall, all releases were received well. We love our projects, and it seems that fans notice this too. We are fans and want to make sure Elvis is honored for his legacy.
Robert: The label seems to have found its own format, releasing book, CD and Blu-ray / DVD packages. What made you come up with that format?
Gravel Road: We started with the DVD / book format because we noticed that big sets often don’t get played, and they deserve more opportunities to be enjoyed. A hand-sized book is much more pleasant to hold whilst listening to the CD. Also, the photos benefit from it, as not everything has to be blown-up on A4-sized pages. Since the music is intended to be played often, we thought this smaller format would encourage fans to pick an album off the shelf more frequently.
We use both Blu-ray and DVD because fans still request the latter, although we would advise them to go for a Blu-ray player, as they are pretty affordable nowadays. The Blu-ray format also enhances the experience by offering better quality. The audio discs come with a real golden layer, which preserves the audio in the best possible way and offers a very nice look at the same time. We also think that ‘gold’ fits a King, so we adopted it as one of our trademarks.
Kees: Can you share something about the work that goes into creating these sets?
Gravel Road: There is a lot of work involved in every release. You need good quality footage, audio, photos, and information.
The search for the right audio is always the first thing. You know it exists, but do we have the right source? Is there a better quality available? Can we locate it, and, of course, can we trade or buy it? Even with already released audio, it is surprising what has sometimes been left out or changed by the engineers, for creative or technical reasons. Like any other fan, we want it all! This process can take months or even a few years.
After acquiring the audio, it has to be handled in the right way. Just restoration can take months to do it right. Meanwhile, you need to research anything related that has been published about the audio in books, newspaper archives, oral libraries, interviews with fans, etcetera. This includes contacting writers, following leads to new material, photos, documents, footage, souvenirs, and so on. And sometimes, you’re lucky and you find something new. This process too takes a lot of time.
The third step is compiling the book from all the material available, placing everything in the correct place on the timeline, and writing the story that puts everything together. This is not always an easy task, as you need to cross-check the facts and documents because they sometimes tell a different story than what people think happened. This step really takes a lot of time and is very difficult to do without the help of fans and historical enthusiasts. We dare to say that without their support, it really wouldn’t have been possible to realize this 1969 box set.
Finally, there is the packaging. We try to keep everything true to the era’s art and time period, but with a timeless modern twist.
Robert: The last two years, vinyl has been booming, and it really exploded in 2024. With your new ‘Elvis: By Invitation Only’ and ‘Pre-Opening Night 1969 VIP Box Set’ you seem to be branching out to vinyl too.
Due to an agreement with various parties, we had to set the project on hold. In spite of the rumors back then, it had nothing to do with the Memphis Recording Service record label. And because of the agreement, we couldn’t talk about it. In the meantime, David English contacted us about a new 1961 project, ‘Rock Around the Block’ and ‘Memphis’. So, we gave him our original letters, documents, and leads for photos, etcetera. These turned out to be great books!
Because so much had been released by that time, another release seemed futile, even though we already had everything and some promotion was already complete. We received many requests to release it over the years; it wasn’t forgotten by the fans. So, we plan to do that next year with much better sound. And while we’re at it, we plan to upgrade the packaging a little too.
Another album that has received many requests for a vinyl release over the years is ‘Elvis - The Return of a Prodigy’, and that is our first release.
Gravel Road: We hesitated to do this project because other labels had already released their versions of this show. So why do another version, especially when you have to keep in mind that it is not a cheap thing to do? We are not a big record company. The more you make, the lower the costs, and we only produce a very limited number, so our costs are higher in general. Moreover, with our goal of making the best possible, it raises the costs even more. This is something even a big company like Sony rarely does.
As said earlier, it all starts with the audio. When we received the original audio transfer from Fort Baxter on DAT in 2008, we tried to improve the audio presentation in the studio because we thought that the presentation didn’t do the earliest known soundboard of Elvis in Las Vegas in 1969 justice. After all, it is Elvis in 1969! We thought that this release should be more than just a CD with a simple packaging.
The producer of Fort Baxter asked me to do our magic. We cannot exactly rephrase how he said it (laughing), but let’s say he loved our 1970 rehearsal releases and had high expectations. This did put some pressure on us, but we took on the challenge and even tried to show off a little! And so, ‘Elvis - The Return of a Prodigy’ was born.
For a vinyl release, you need a totally different mastering approach than for a CD. You can’t just use a modern master for digital release and put it on vinyl. Making vinyl sound great is a craft of its own. For this reason, we went back to the original transfer to be certain we achieved the best possible outcome. With the new techniques, we thought it might be possible to achieve even better results than those from so many years ago. And it did, even far beyond our expectations. It unveiled a lot of nuances new to our ears.
The audio was mixed from two channels. The TCB band can be heard very well. The orchestra had no direct microphone, but presented like this, you hear the ambiance of the concert very well. We believe it really sounds totally new!
Kees: How was the reception 15 years ago, and where did the title come from?
Gravel Road: The reception of the album 15 years ago was really very good, with a lot of praise from everybody. It was a great time. The title is derived from the word “prodigy,” a gifted person. Elvis was away from his natural roots by being in the movies.
His desire to perform again in 1969 brought him back to the stage where he thrived the most. Some people are born to perform, and Elvis did it the best. He was very gifted, so ‘Elvis - The Return of a Prodigy’ seemed to be very appropriate. Actually, it still is.
Gravel Road: If I speak for myself, it started with hearing the album ‘Elvis in Person’ from 1969 for the first time. I was shocked that it existed. It felt like my head exploded when hearing the album on headphones in the record store.
I grew up with the mellow songs from the late 50s and early 60s and a few songs from the 70s. In some ways, I experienced the Elvis revolution of 1969 in a hardcore style, and this music extended in 1970. This was definitely one of the reasons we worked so fanatically on this release.
We only do a project when we really believe in it and like it, of course. But then, getting older and knowing more of every era of Elvis’ career, it all has its merits. But personally, I actually appreciate the 50s way more than I did in my youth. Yes, I admit it, Ger, ha ha ha!
Kees: Looking at the announcement of the new set, we were very impressed. It looks like you went all in. Where did you get the idea to create an expanded version like this, as it is quite a journey from a digipack with a 32-page booklet to the VIP version which is now released?
Gravel Road: Since it is our first vinyl release and we are talking about the earliest known soundboard of Elvis in Las Vegas in 1969, it seemed the most appropriate choice for our vinyl debut. We wanted to present it as cool as possible; it had to be something we would want ourselves.
Of course, not all of it is the same; this is a GRM box set, but we covered almost 95 percent anyway and did some minor upgrades for the remaining 5 percent. We left out the calendar card; that’s already Tunzi’s bonus gift with his books.
The hardest part was to find the same paper as was used for the original. Some materials aren’t available anymore, and finding the right colors, that was very difficult too.
Kees: Some reactions were critical about the package and the price that goes along with it, topping the US$300 mark, saying it is a lot of repackaging for a vinyl re-issue of the original CD.
Gravel Road: As I said before, a lot of work went into this release; everything is aimed at quality, and you just can’t build a Rolls Royce at a Fiat price. This isn’t a reissue of the CD anymore. If you expect that, you will be disappointed, but if you expect more, you’ll likely be pleasantly surprised.
Robert: Let’s look at the content of the set. Starting with the various elements: the book and the vinyl / Blu-ray / DVD / CD box are available separately, do they belong together or can they be considered two stand-alone releases?
Gravel Road: The book and the VIP box set are two stand-alone releases, but they are very intertwined. They support each other. In a way, something is missing when you have just one of the two.
But we kept in mind that some people really only want to listen to the audio or just watch the footage or read the book and have no use for records or rare memorabilia. But the magic of holding it is something special, at least according to the lucky ones who have already seen it.
Robert: The book follows the same format as your previous releases, like your ‘Vegas Rhythm’, ‘Boston Garden’ and last year’s ‘In Concerts’ books. What is the story of the book, and the story behind it regarding the information and photographs?
What separates this book from others is that we only focused on the first days of 1969 in Las Vegas and, because of that, we could go deeper into the story behind Elvis’ work preparing his act and performance, and the impressive work by Parker behind the scenes. Believe us, it goes beyond what you would expect. It was about time that the world learned what kind of footprint Elvis and Parker left behind in Las Vegas and the music entertainment industry.
Robert: The book is quite extensive. Was this your original plan, or did the book expand with time?
Gravel Road: Our humble initial idea was that it would be 130 pages and include a rough 20+ minutes of footage (laughing). Well, there was so much info and so many photos of August 1st that we ended up with 408 pages, two audio CDs, and 50 minutes of 1969 footage combined into a mini documentary.
Plus, a double album with an additional large booklet of 24 pages, a remake of the booklet which was made for the CD release at the time. But the story had to be told and as completely as possible, so we said, “Let’s just see where it goes if we tell it all.”
Kees: How did you find all the material used in this new release? It must have taken several years of collecting and research, we think. Did you own everything already, or did you have to acquire a lot of material? Did you find any new discoveries?
Gravel Road: Some of the finds that we were very pleased with were the first 1969 Las Vegas contract and the photo of the marquee that reads: “Elvis Presley” instead of “ELVIS.” And of course, the new unpublished photos in color. Also, the photos from the construction of the hotel.
Robert: Let’s talk about the music. That’s what it is all about for many fans. The press release states that you made a new transfer of the original tape you had. Will fans really hear a different/improved sound? Did you do the audio work yourself? And what else can we find on these two gold discs?
And of course the full show of August 3rd, 1969 Dinner Show. It was too long for one disc with all the extras.
Because we try to make a complete document, we included everything to tell the story. It’s not an album purely for the music; in that case, a re-release of the show only would have been more logical. In a way, you get this with the double album.
Robert: As for the vinyl, with some smashing and well-chosen colors we must say, why is the concert released on two vinyl discs instead of just one?
Originally, we wanted to make three different sets: a black vinyl set, a magenta-colored vinyl set, and a gold-orange-colored vinyl set. Pretty cool colors, but it didn’t feel good towards the fans and die-hard collectors who collect everything. From that perspective, we combined the two colors, representing the International Hotel house colors, and the limited classic black vinyl set.
Kees: And then there is the box, of course. The original is a much sought-after and therefore expensive collector’s item. What made you decide to recreate it, and where did you find all these rarities?
Kees: It looks like you went into meticulous detail to recreate a box as close to the original as possible. Do you own one of the originals?
Gravel Road: We do have a nice collection of very rare items and good friends who willingly helped out to source material. It is in that manner, for fans, by fans. We could study the original box. Unfortunately, we didn’t get hold of one ourselves. They are rare and very expensive, but being fans, we surely will keep looking. For now, this VIP set is a very nice replacement.
Robert: Can you run us through the various items and what makes them special?
On the front of one of the flyers is the logo of the International Hotel, which is very rare since most of them were made by RCA and not by the hotel. We have personally only seen one of those before. In general, the promo material of the International Hotel is much rarer than fans think; some are so rare that many don’t even know they exist.
Unfortunately, the paper used for the flyers is a special kind which consists of two very thin sheets glued together with a small profile. This paper we cannot get anymore, so we decided to use a high-quality alternative with the same vintage feel and look.
One of our best items has to be the “By Invitation Only” card. This card has been meticulously remade from an original set, including the RSVP card and addressed envelopes. We even made sure there are color differences between the envelopes. The red sheet of the invitation card was very difficult to find and is the closest we could get to the original. This project took us a few months to get just right.
Even Parker’s 9-page press letter is a meticulous reproduction, using the same 9 paper sheets, and the staple is in the exact same spot. For the large manila envelope, we decided to use a real stamp instead of printing it on the envelope, so every set is different and handmade.
Kees: The Blu-ray and DVD contain a newly created documentary. It’s great to see we don’t only get these from Netflix these days, but also from labels like Reel Tracks, Millbranch, and now Gravel Road. Tell us, what can we expect? Did you unearth anything new?
Gravel Road: About the 1969 footage, in the documentary, you’ll see both known and unknown material, most of it in very good quality. It tells the story of Elvis in 1969, but now with 8mm footage. We don’t try to hype it; to some, it will be new, and for others, it’s never-before-seen quality. And some were already lucky; they have it all ;-)
Kees: Footage from this era is rare or shot by fans. If only the Colonel had set up a few cameras for Elvis’ return to live performing. He must have seen that the live sections in the (then) recent Comeback Special really showed that Elvis’ live performances rocked like hell! Can we expect any live performances?
We are pretty sure Colonel Parker realized that filming Elvis on stage was something special. The live sections from the then-recent ‘ELVIS’ TV-Special had shown that. So the idea of filming in Vegas was on the table. Thanks to that, we eventually got ‘Elvis - That’s The Way It Is,’ but the moment Elvis stepped on stage in 1969 was something different that he didn’t repeat in 1970. That is something we learned from all the stories and the interviews we did. It’s frustrating to hear this, but everybody we spoke to said that “you had to be there to really see it.”
In the 50-minute documentary, you get the rough storyline of the book, and it is also complementary to the book.
Robert: Looking at the future, is this the start of more vinyl upgrades from previous Gravel Road titles? Some of the early seventies shows and great listening compilations like ‘You Know, It Don't Have To Be Strictly Country’ come to mind.
Gravel Road: We already mentioned the release of the 1961 Hawaiian Benefit show in 2025, but we are thinking about the possibilities of doing vinyl versions of some of our older titles, but only if they can be done in a good way.
We also like to do some new things too; we just started! But for now, let’s enjoy 1969. There is so much in it, it should last a little while!
Robert: It is always good to end on a high, we’re looking forward! Thanks for the time and stories behind the label and this new 1969 box-set.
The set is available from the >>> Bennies Fifties webshop.