February 03 - Live In 1973

The SR import record label announced the release of the 'Live in 1973' double CD / DVD set containing the February 05, 1973 Midnights Show and the June 22 or 23 1973 performance.

The set comes in five variations of 10 copies each and each set comes housed in an Exclusive Long Digipack with a 25 x 14 CM Forex Panel, a glossy fold-out poster, a certificate and a DVD-Recordable containing a small documentary and a compilation of footage from different concerts, brought together to create a new concert experience. 

(Source: Pascal Matteo)

Elvis Day By Day 2024 Reviewed

The 2024 edition of 'Elvis Day By Day - The Year In Review' has been out for 2 weeks and the first reactions and reviews on social media, webshops and magazines are positive with 5 star reviews on Amazon stating:

A series of essential books: "It's a book I've been looking forward to. A real reference not just for fans, but for everyone. It's amazing what's going on after all these years. I own every book in this series. They are all an incredible source of information. Great reference books and nothing is forgotten for each year. 

It's a titanic job. High quality books. With incredible print quality. Interviews and analysis to better understand the impact of the main outputs. And these analyses are fair and precise and often give us a different perspective and above all makes us want to get them."

Riveting Book full of colossal information: "Like all previous editions of the book, from front cover to back it is an invaluable addition to my collection of Elvis Books".

On the first day of release, the book climbed to the No. 1 spot on Amazon U.S. Pop Culture Encyclopedias best seller list and on the Hot New Releases lists for the categories 'Almanacs & Yearbooks' and 'Pop Culture Encyclopedias'.

From Facebook: "I was very impressed with last years Elvis Day By Day News 2023 book! If you want a book that looks great, is easy to use and captures all the releases and news from 2024 using stunning imagery and a great layout this is a must buy for me."

"This is my annual bible, 480 pages! A must-have! Thumbs up!".

And today Piers Beagley wrote a great review in the Elvis Information Network, stating: "Elvis is still impacting the world we live in. His legacy is truly stunning. To appreciate Elvis’ lasting impact we actually need an “Annual” summary where we can take it all in - and this is what ‘Elvis Day By Day 2024’ provides.

Over the 480 pages there is so much to discuss, lots to debate and always stunning images. Plus some delicious negative reviews. What makes the Elvis world so fascinating 47 years after his death is that there is still so much talk about and so much being released - both good and bad! And always plenty still to investigate and learn. If you are an Elvis collector I think you will truly enjoy this book."

Read the complete review on the >>> Elvis Information Network website.

 

Do you want a copy too? Go to the Poplar Tunes webshop for signed copies of the >>> paperback edition or the >>> hardcover edition.

Or visit your local Amazon store through these direct links:
>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.co.uk.
>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.com. 
>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.de. 
>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.ca.
>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.co.jp.
>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.com.au.

You can also get the book from the >>> United Elvis Presley Society or >>> ElvisMatters fanclubs, >>> Bennies Fifties webshop or the >>> German TCB Shop. More webshops will be added shortly.

February 02 - Elvis October 1958

Hot on the heals of his biography of Marion Keisker, graphic biographer Paul Belard published the 224-page paperback 'Elvis October 1958 Vol. 1'. 

Description: After nine days at sea, the USS Randall docked at Bremerhaven, in Germany, on October 1st, 1958. Hordes of fans and reporters waited for its most famous passenger, Elvis Presley. 

If he thought his popularity had waned since he was drafted, there is no doubt that this welcome must have been comforted himl. Once on land, Elvis took the train to Friedberg, then reported to Ray Kaserne where he would spend the rest of his military service.

This day was somewhat similar to his induction day in Memphis in March. According to some accounts, 170 reporters and photographers were on duty, following Elvis during his first two days in Germany.

The book is available from >>> Amazon (associate link).

You can also buy your signed copy directly from the author. You can >>> contact him here by mail.

(Source: Paul Belard / Amazon)

February 01 - The Woman Who First Recorded The Golden Boy

Graphic Elvis Presley biographer Paul Belard published a long overdue book, 'Marion Keisker: The Woman Who First Recorded Elvis Presley'.

The 309-page biography of Marion Keisker covers her early days in Radio broadcasting, working together with Sam Phillips, founding SUN Records and the Memphis Recording Service, recording Elvis Presley on his first acetate and everything she did after that.

Publicity stated: At the Jaycee ceremony in January 1971, honoring Elvis Presley as one of the Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Nation, Elvis saw Marion Keisker in the  audience. As he approached with Priscilla, he said, “This is the woman I’ve been telling you about. She’s the one who made all this possible. Without her, I wouldn’t be here today.”

Marion was Sam Phillips’ assistant when he established the Memphis Recording Service, and later Sun Records. She is best remembered as the first person to record Elvis in July 1953, then encouraging Sam Phillips (numerous times) to record him "commercially", therefore playing a pivotal role in Elvis’ ascent towards the pinnacle of his career.

Throughout interviews given, Marion discloses the workings of Sun Records, the sessions and Elvis’ moods during those first days of his career. There is a trove of little known or unknown anecdotes many fans will delight in. This book is a fitting and well-deserved tribute to Marion.

On the FECC Forum the author posted: The framework for this book is based on interviews given by Marion Keisker, some conducted by Jerry Hopkins for his book “Elvis”, others on different occasions, most of them available on YouTube.

She was there at the very beginning. Besides being the first person to record Elvis, she was close to him during the formative years he was at Sun. She tells wonderful anecdotes, such as Elvis resting his dirty hand on a wall of the studio and this impression becoming a kind of a shrine. She says, “The girls used to come in and put their hands on it, and kiss it and everything.” Interesting also is her impact on “I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine.” Elvis attempted the song, but it was missing a verse nobody knew. Marion wrote one on the spot, but, of course, she was not credited as a song writer for reasons explained in the book.

Two facts she reported fascinated me. The first is that Elvis always came into a session never having anything prepared. He didn’t have any of his own material. He never had anything worked up. Marion says, “Every session was a matter of starting different things, trying different tunes, deciding that this one might go and “Let’s do it again.” Or saying, “No. I don’t think we are gonna make it with that one. Let’s forget about that one.” We knew his potential, but every record was sweated out with hours of “Do it again,” and “Hold onto that little thing you did there,” and “Let’s see if we can...” Every session came so hard. We always cut a lot of stuff because Elvis was unique from all the other Sun artists in that he never wrote his own songs. We had to create them all on the spot, or we had to take one that one of the artists had written, you know, or something that some of our other people at the studio, in our stable, so to speak. Yes, Elvis never came to a session ready. Even after he was famous, this is one of the things that had bearing on our selling him. He never rehearsed like Johnny Cash, and the others who would rehearse after concerts on the road. When they had something that they thought was presentable, then they would come to Sam and Sam would refine it. With Elvis, it took too much time we did not have when other singers came in.”

The amount of work involved in recording Elvis, therefore, was one of the reasons Sam decided to let him go, a factor unknown to me.

The second fact is even more mind-blowing. When Sam sold Elvis to RCA, he handed over some of the songs they had been working on. Sam didn’t think they were good enough. They were never intended to be released. In fact, Marion said she would have destroyed those tapes. This is one of her recollections that left me dumbfounded. According to her, “Blue Moon”, and presumably “I Love You Because”, “Harbor Lights”, “Tomorrow Night”, “Just Because”, and others, would never have seen the light of day had Elvis stayed at Sun. Not to have missed gems like the haunting “Blue Moon” and the stunning “Trying To Get To You” make me almost glad that Parker came into the picture and pulled Elvis from Sun Records. And I do not even want to think about all the songs that Sam recorded over in order to save expensive tapes.

So, these are just a few excerpts from a book which is full of little-known facts about Elvis’ early years.

The book is available from >>> Amazon (associate link).

You can also buy your signed copy directly from the author. You can >>> contact him here by mail.

Golden Boy Elvis 

The German Golden Boy Elvis fan club published its first digital magazine for 2025. 

It contains reports on Elvis' 90th birthday, new book, movie and music releases, articles on Elvis in Germany, reviews and much more. I especially enjoyed the feature on the 'Elvis Day By Day 2024' yearbook :-) Overall a nice "in-between" to keep you up-to-date and entertained until the first physical 2025 magazine is available.

For more information on the magazine visit the publisher's website at: >>> www.goldenboyelvis.de or contact them by mail at service@golden-boy-elvis.de.

Remembering Lisa Marie

Today would have been Lisa Marie Presley's 57th birthday. Priscilla Presley posted: "You're Always On My Mind 💗". Graceland posted: "Happy Birthday, Lisa Marie Presley. Today, we are remembering and celebrating your life. 💗"

(Source: Nigel patterson / Amazon / Volker Christensen / Graceland / Priscilla Presley/ FECC)

February 01 - Charts February 2025 - Week 1

Elvis Presley’s name can always be found on the U.S. Billboard and Official U.K. charts, here are the rankings for week 1 of February 2025. 

Sales appear slightly better than last week in the U.S. and U.K., but fell back in Greece. 

Official U.K. charts:

• On the Official Album chart, the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped 1 spot, from No. 40 to No. 41. 
• On the Official Streaming Album chart, the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' also lost 1 spot and dropped to No 36. 

Irish IRMA charts: (to be updated)

• Official Irish Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' couldn't continue the climb from the past few weeks, and dropped from No. 74 to No. 81.  this week.  

U.S. Billboard charts:

• Top Country Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' won 1 place and climbed to No. 33. 
• Top Rock and Alternative Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' gained 3 places and climbed from the last place on the chart to No. 47. 

Greek Charts:

• Greek IPFI Album Top 75: the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' compilation dropped from No. 10 to No. 28. 
• Greek IPFI Album Top 75: 'The Wonder of You' (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) dropped off the chart after last week's re-entry at No. 65. 

(Source: Billboard / Official Chart Company / IRMA / UK Mix Forum/ IPFI / Amazon / NY Times / Publisher's Weekly / Entertainment Weekly / ARIA / Forbes) 

January 31 - Elvis Video News Report

Emiel Maier published the Elvis Presley Video News Report for February 2025. This wrap-up of the news from January 2025 covers items like Baz Luhrmann's teaser for a new Elvis movie which gets a release later this year, showcasing of items from the book 'Christmas at Graceland', a number of Elvis books with a 2025 release date, a look at the Parkes Elvis Festival in Australia and the No. 1 Elvis song according to the British fans and much more.

Happy Birthday!

Congratulations to Elvis' former bass player Jerry Scheff who celebrates his 84th birthday and Angie Marchese, Vice President of Graceland's Arhives, who's age is stored in the Graceland archives :-) 

(Source: Emiel Maier / Various)

January 30 - April Fools Releases

The Infinity Records import recordlabel announced the release of the double CD 'April Fools Day'.

Publicity stated: Infinity Records is back and kicking off 2025 with an exciting release that you won't want to miss! This year marks the 50th anniversary of Elvis' last regular studio sessions for his 'Today' album, and we're thrilled to celebrate this occasion with two incredible shows from April 1st, 1975, one of Elvis' most fun-filled performances!

 

We've expertly mixed the Dinner Show to deliver stunning Stereo Matrix sound quality! By combining the Soundboard and Audience Recording, we can confidently say this show has never sounded better!

But that's not all! To complete this package, we’re including the Closing Show, which has been freshly remastered from its Audience Recorded source. Elvis himself acknowledges during this show that he couldn't have too much fun during the earlier Dinner Show, so he cranks up the fun for the last show of the season! 

He sings the theme song to 'The Mickey Mouse Club' after receiving Mickey Mouse ears, and even Colonel Parker makes a surprise appearance dressed as Santa Claus, accompanied by the festive tunes of 'Jingle Bells'. And of course, Elvis delivers unforgettable performances of classic hits like 'Burning Love', 'My Boy', the recently recorded 'And I Love You So', 'Help Me Make It Through the Night', 'It's Midnight' and 'Steamroller Blues', among many others.

 

Don’t miss your chance and grab this set and join us in celebrating 'Elvis April Fools Day' because if you don't, the joke's on you!

Disc 1: The Dinnner Show 01. C.C. Rider * 02. I Got A Woman / Amen * 03. Love Me 04. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) 05. And I Love You So 06. Big Boss Man 07. The Wonder Of You 08. Burning Love 09. Introductions 10. What'd I Say 11. Drum Solo 12. Bass Solo 13. Piano Solo 14. Keyboard Solo 15. School Days 16. My Boy 17. I'll Remember You 18. Let Me Be There 19. How Great Thou Art 20. Hound Dog 21. Fairytale 22. Can't Help Falling In Love 23. Closing Vamp 

*Tracks 1 and 2 have been taken from a soundbooth recording to present the complete show. 

Disc 2: The Closing Show 01. Also Sprach Zarathustra 02. C.C. Rider 03. I Got A Woman / Amen 04. Love Me 05. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) 06. And I Love You So 07. Big Boss Man 08. lt's Midnight 09. Burning Love 10. Introductions 11. What'd I Say 12. Drum Solo 13. Bass Solo 14. Piano Solo 15. Keyboard Solo 16. School Days 17. Jingle Bells 18. You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 19. The Wonder Of You 20. Let Me Be There 21. An American Trilogy 22. Help Me Make It Through The Night 23. Mickey Mouse Club March 24. Little Darlin' 25. Don't Be Cruel 26. Steamroller Blues 27. Can’t Help Falling in Love 28. Closing Vamp.

Note: The Dinner Show was released on the Follow That Dream set 'Las Vegas 1975', the Audience recorded Midnight show on the bootleg 'Rocking with the King April's Fool Day'.

Live In Los Angeles

The first 2025 release from the U.K. based Memphis Recording Service, the double LP 'Live In Los Angeles', has arrived with the first fans / reviewers. The official release date was February 21, 2025.

Description: The 2-LP set contains Elvis’ live performance show in Los Angeles during his five-day tour of California on 11th May 1974. This particular show included an attendance by the legendary British rock band, Led Zeppelin, whom he met afterwards. For the first time ever, the material from these shows is presented in stereo.

Note: The concert was released in 2024 by the Millbranch import label with an almost identical cover.

(Source: Facebook: Elvis Presley Collectors Group / FECC) 

January 29 - Linus Presley

Elvis Presley graced the cover of the January 2025 edition of the Linus magazine, the most important Italian magazine dedicated to comics and illustration. It features a special insert dedicated to the myth of Elvis Presley, who was born 90 years ago, with the extraordinary cover designed by Sergio Ponchione.

Inside articles on how the "boy from Tupelo" became the King of Rock and Roll, the myth of Elvis Presley, his iconic looks and how they influenced fashion and world culture, Elvis in the cinema and Elvis as a reflecting mirror of America: yesterday and today. All illustrated by various comics and illustrations of Elvis by Italian artists.

(Source: Linus)

January 27 - Catching A Falling Star

The VV import record label announced the (late) February release of the 2-LP / CD-set ‘Catching A Falling Star’. 

Publicity stated: ‘Catching A Falling Star’  will focus on Elvis’ November 1976 tour, featuring a show from November 30, 1976, previously unreleased on vinyl.

 

This November concert has previously been released on CD, but this is the first time on vinyl format with an incredibly superior sound. The vinyl will be accompanied by a CD compilation that combines the best of four shows from the tour, giving us a completely new ideal fantasy show, including some previously unreleased material. All the audio for the LP and CD has been digitally restored and remastered. A must-have!

VV records wants to present Elvis at his peak, and Elvis’ final Anaheim's concert from the November 1976 tour is undoubtedly one of the best moments by Elvis from this year. The performances are very good, and the show is surely the best one from the tour.

 

Elvis is very active on the stage and delivers a dynamic show, showcasing the best songs from his repertoire from the previous years, including the last 1976 single ‘Hurt’, and we hear him playing guitar on the classic ‘Blue Christmas’ and his first single ‘That’s all Right Mama’, combining all genres as only he could. The show includes oldies ‘Love Me’ and ‘Jailhouse Rock’, power pop with ‘Bridge Over Troubled Water’, the tender ‘Hawaiian Wedding Song’, the autobiographical ‘You Gave Me a Mountain’ before ending with the magnificent ‘Polk Salad Annie’. The enthusiasm that shines through is undeniable, a woman screaming “Here He Comes” at the beginning of ‘See See Rider’ on the Bonus CD is worth the price of the ticket alone!

This new double LP comes housed in a Deluxe 300 Gr. gatefold sleeve that also holds the CD. 

To make it a collectable, the 500 copies of this set will come on two colors vinyl; a Limited Edition of 400 copies on smoked silver colored vinyl with a 30 x 30 cm art-card and a Deluxe Edition of 100 copies on smoked yellow colored vinyl with a 30 x 30 art-cart and other bonus items. 

LP 1 - Side A:  See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me - If You Love Me - You Gave Me A Mountain

Side B: Jailhouse Rock - It’s Now Or Never - All Shook Up - And I Love You So -  Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel - Fever - Bridge Over Troubled Water

LP 2 - Side C: Polk Salad Annie - Introductions - Love Letters - School Day - Hurt

Side D: Hound Dog - Hawaiian Wedding Song - Blue Christmas - That’s All Right - Can’t Help Falling Love - Closing Vamp

Bonus CD. All the tracks were digitally restored and remastered (running-time 68 minutes): Beethoven's Fifth (Joe Guercio & The Hilton Horns - 25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - Comedy Act (Jackie Kahane - Incomplete - 25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - Sweet Inspiration (The Sweet inspirations - 25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - If You Leave Me Now (The Sweet Inspirations - 25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - See See Rider (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - I Got A Woman (26.11.196 Portland, OH) / Amen (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - Love Me (27.11.1976 Eugene, OR - Incomplete) - If You Love Let Me Know (26.11.1976 Portland, OH) - You Gave Me A Mountain (26.11.1976 Portland, OH) - Jailhouse Rock (26.11.1976 Portland, OH) - It’s Now Or Never (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - America (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - Steamroller Blues (27.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - Bridge Over Troubled Water (29.11.1976 San Francisco, CA) - Polk Salad Annie (28.11.1976 San Francisco, CA) - Piano & Electric Piano Solo (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR - Incomplete) - Hurt (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - Hound Dog (29.11.1976 San Francisco, CA) - Funny How Times Slip Away (26.11.976 Portland, OH) - Hawaii wedding Song (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - Blue Christmas (26.11.1976 Portland, OH) - That’s All Right (26.11.1976 Portland, OH) - Mystery Train / Tiger Man (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR) - Can’t help Falling In Love (25.11.1976 Eugene, OR)

Note: The unreleased audience recorded material appears to be taken from the CD-R release 'Kings and Ducks' and the other audience recorded material from the Memory release 'Rockin' The Nortwest' (2005).

(Source: Pascal Matteo / FECC)

January 25 - Charts January 2025 - Week 4

Elvis Presley’s name can always be found on the U.S. Billboard and Official U.K. charts, here are the rankings for week 4 of January 2025. 

Sales appear to be down this week on both sides of the Atlantic where Elvis Presley's music is listed on the various charts, but there is hope, looking at the Greek Album chart!

Official U.K. charts:

• On the Official Album chart, the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped 2 spots, from No. 38 to No. 40. 
• On the Official Streaming Album chart, the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' lost 3 spots and dropped to No 35. 

Irish IRMA charts: 

• Official Irish Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' couldn't continue the climb from the past few weeks, and dropped from No. 74 to No. 81.  this week.  

U.S. Billboard charts:

• The 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' compilation dropped off the main Billboard Top 200 Album chart after last week's re-entry at No. 200. 
• Top Country Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' remained steady at No. 34.  
• Top Rock and Alternative Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from No. 46 to No. 50. 

Greek Charts:

• Greek IPFI Album Top 75: the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' returned to the chart at No. 10!
• Greek IPFI Album Top 75: 'The Wonder of You' (with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra) makes an unexpected re-entry at No. 65. 

(Source: Billboard / Official Chart Company / IRMA / UK Mix Forum/ IPFI / Amazon / NY Times / Publisher's Weekly / Entertainment Weekly / ARIA / Forbes) 

January 24 - Record Store Day Releases

Available for pre-order on April 12, 2025 are the Record Store Day releases from the French V.P.I. record label. The label will release the single LP 'Elvis Sings Sid Tepper & Roy C. Bennett - Just For Old Time Sake' and the triple LP-set 'Elvis 1960: Everybody's Got The Fever'. The LP's will also be released on vinyl-replica CDs). More information when available, official announcements regarding Record Store Day follow from February 6, 2025.

JoCathy Brownlee Elkington

JoCathy Brownlee Elkington, who dated Elvis during the late summer and fall of 1975, has died. 

JoCathy met Elvis at a World Football League game at the Liberty Bowl Stadium in Memphis, Tennessee, on the night of August 2, 1975 while she was I was working part-time as a hostess in the press box for the Memphis Southmen Grizzlies. 

"When I met him, I was absolutely thrilled. The whole night he called me 'JC,' and would say 'JC, get me a piece of pizza, a Big Mac or a Coke,' and he wouldn't ask the other hostess for anything."

She dated Elvis until the end of October, 1975. The only time that they were apart was right after Elvis had to cut his Las Vegas Summer Tour short in late August and was admitted to Baptist Hospital in Memphis. Once he was released from the hospital, we were together until the end of October.

She has been interviewed for various books, and publications like 'Careless Love' by Peter Guralnick and 'Elvis The Final Years' by Jerry Hopkins.

 
(Source: CeDe / Alanna Nash / Today / Tumlr)

January 23 - The Many Faces of Elvis

Re-issued by the MPO Group record label is a white colored vinyl edition of the 'The Many Faces of Elvis'. 

The two discs, which come housed in a gatefold cover, feature recordings by Elvis Presley with "a small circle of friends" like the Million Dollar Quartet or with the Blue Moon Boys, songs by his band-members Bill Black and originals of the hits made famous by Elvis. 

(Source: Juno)

January 22 - Baz Luhrman Announcement

Baz Luhrmann hasn’t gotten The King out of his system. He’s using the voracious amount of research he put into the 2022 'ELVIS' film he co-wrote into a second feature film, this one closer to documentary than narrative feature. He shared an advance look at a teaser trailer on where he’s going. 

Luhrmann posted a new video on Instagram: "I’m really thrilled that I am finally able to announce that we have all been working hard and collaborating on unearthing and showcasing a treasure trove of unseen footage, sound and other materials to create something special for the big (and small) screen ⚡️ TCB!"

The trailer states: "After 10 years away from the stage Elvis made his triumphant return in Las Vegas. For over 50 years there have been rumors of lost footage.. During the production of Baz Luhrmann's Elvis it was found"

Watch the announcement on >>> Instagram.

He told Deadline: There has always been talk amongst Elvis’ fans, both longtime fans and newer fans brought in by our film Elvis, of missing reels and never-before-seen concert footage,” Luhrmann told Deadline. “During the making of Elvis, from very early on in my process I had the privilege to access the studio’s vaults deep in the salt mines of Kansas, where troves of old film negatives are stored. We were astonished by the sheer volume of unused footage from Elvis: That’s the Way It Is, the film of Elvis’ legendary 1970 Summer Festival in Las Vegas – all shot on anamorphic 35mm – and also from Elvis’s road concert film from two years later, Elvis on Tour.

“Equally exciting was that we found not only picture that has never been seen at this quality but also rare behind-the-scenes audio that had been feared lost, especially some fascinating recordings of Elvis telling stories from his own life in his own words.”

Luhrmann added: “We’re still very much in the middle of creating this work, but there has been so much talk and such enthusiasm for this, that I felt now it was time to share what has been happening with it. I can’t say much more about it, except that I wouldn’t call it a documentary, or a concert film; our aim here is to make something new in the Elvis canon. My creative team at Bazmark is being led by my longtime editor, Jonathan Redmond, and we’ve partnered with the terrific teams at Authentic Studios and Sony Music Vision, with great support from Warner Bros., to bring something to the screen that befits the magnitude of Elvis as a performer but also offers deeper revelations of his humanity and inner life.”

Bazmark and Authentic Studios are producing the documentary. The film is presented and distributed by Sony Music Vision, in partnership with Legacy Recordings, the catalog division of Sony Music Entertainment.

(Source: Baz Luhrmann / FECC / Deadlne)

  

January 21 - Retrospective 1968

Due for release on February 4, 2025 are volumes 1 to 4 of 'Retrospective 1968 - Selected Recordings'.

Publicity stated: contains all known alternate recordings from the soundtrack recordings for “Live A Little, Love A Little”, “Charro” and “The Trouble With Girls” spread over four CD’s, but also contains other recordings from 1968.

 

Including hard to find tracks, some for the first time available on cd and some previously unreleased!

Alternate takes, Mono single masters, Movie versions, Acetate recordings, Score sessions for the movies, Radio spots and more! All in the best - remastered - sound! Many tracks (*) not released on CD by Elvis' record company! This is an unique collection for Elvis fans and collectors worldwide and a great addition to the official releases in your collection. 

Volume 1: Unfinished & Unedited Masters 01 Clean Up Your Own Backyard Backup (Vocal Overdubs Before Brass Overdubs)* 02 Too Much Monkey Business (Undubbed Master / Take 14) 03 Let’s Forget About The Stars (Vocal Overdub / Master Take 5 / Rough Mix) 04 Edge Of Reality (Unedited Master / Take 8) 05 Wonderful World (Unedited Master / Take 17 / Alternate Mix)* 06 A Little Less Conversation (Unedited Single Master / Take 16 / Alternate Mix)* 07 Swing Down Sweet Chariot (Female Backup Vocal Overdubs Before Brass Overdubs)* 08 Charro (Unedited Undubbed Master) 09 Stay Away (Undubbed Master / Take 15) 10 Almost (Undubbed Master / Take 31) 11 It Hurts Me (Take 10 / Used For Soundtrack Road Medley)* 12 Guitar Man Alley (Take 6 / Used For Soundtrack Road Medley)* Almost In Love Sessions 13 High Key - Test Track Take 2 (Instrumental) 14 Take 1 15 Take 4 16 Take 5 17 Take 6 18 Low Key - Track Take 4 (Instrumental / No Backing Vocal)* 19 High Key - Track Take 2 (Instrumental)* 20 High Key - Vocal Overdub Take 4 21 Low Key - Vocal Overdub Take 2 (Vocal Only) 22 Low Key - Vocal Overdub Take 3 (Vocal Only) Live A Little, Love A Little Scoring Sessions 23 Edge Of Reality (Movie Version / Master With Musical Score And Overdubs)* 24 Score ‘Don’t Let Him Get Away, Albert!’ (Instrumental)* 25 Score ‘Back To The Beach’ (Instrumental)* 26 Score ‘A Little Less Conversation’ (Instrumental)* 27 Score ‘Double Duty’ (Instrumental)* 28 Score ‘End Theme’ (Instrumental)* Live A Little, Love A Little Radio Spots 29 Radio Spot 1* 30 Radio Spot 2* 31 Radio Spot 3* 32 Radio Spot 4*

 

Volume 2: January 17 Studio Jam 01 Wings Of An Angel / The Prisoner’s Song (Unedited)* Mono Single Masters 02 U.S. Male* 03 Stay Away* 04 A Little Less Conversation* 05 Almost In Love* 06 If I Can Dream* 07 Edge Of Reality* 08 Memories* 09 Clean Up Your Own Backyard* Album Master 10 Almost In Love* March 7 Studio Sessions 11 Wonderful World (Take 1) 12 Wonderful World (Take 2) 13 Wonderful World (Take 3) 14 Wonderful World (Take 7) 15 Wonderful World (Take 14) 16 Wonderful World (Take 15) 17 Wonderful World (Take 16) 18 Wonderful World (Take 17) 19 Edge Of Reality (Take 1) 20 Edge Of Reality (Take 2) 21 Edge Of Reality (Take 3) 22 Edge Of Reality (Take 5) 23 Edge Of Reality (Take 6) Charro Scoring Sessions 24 Charro (Movie Version / Master With Musical Score)* 25 Charro (End Theme)* 26 Musical Score ‘Charro’ (1)* 27 Musical Score ‘Charro’ (2)* Charro Audio Featurette 28 With Barbara Werle, Charles Marquis Warren (Producer), Ina Balin (Talking Track Only)* Charro Radio Spots 29 Radio Spot 1* 30 Radio Spot 2* 31 Radio Spot 3* 32 Radio Spot 4* 33 Radio Spot 5* Track Recordings 34 Let’s Forget About The Stars (Track Only)* 35 Charro (Track Only)*

Volume 3: March 7 / Studio Sessions 01 Almost In Love (Movie Version Transfer / Original Movie Mix / Mono)* 02 Edge Of Reality (Take 8 / Unedited Master / Different Mix)* 03 Wonderful World (Take 7 / Movie Master / Different Mix)* 04 A Little Less Conversation (Take 1) 05 A Little Less Conversation (Take 2) 06 A Little Less Conversation (Take 4) 07 A Little Less Conversation (Take 5) 08 A Little Less Conversation (Take 6) 09 A Little Less Conversation (Take 7) 10 A Little Less Conversation (Take 9) 11 A Little Less Conversation (Take 10 / Master Take Used For Album Version) 12 A Little Less Conversation (Take 11) 13 A Little Less Conversation (Take 12) 14 A Little Less Conversation (Take 16 / Master Take Used For Movie / Single Version) Acetate Recordings 15 A Little Less Conversation (Dubdown To Backing Track)* 16 Wonderful World (Movie Version Transfer / Mono)* 17 A Little Less Conversation (Movie Version Transfer / Mono)* 18 Almost In Love (Low Key - Track Take 4 With Backing Vocals)* June 30 / Vocal Overdub Sessions 19 Guitar Man (Alley / Take 1)* 20 Guitar Man (Alley / Take 2)* 21 Guitar Man (Alley / Take 3)* 22 Guitar Man (Alley / Take 4)* 23 Guitar Man (Alley / Take 5)* August 9 Overdub Session 24 Beyond The Reef (Without Backing Vocals) 25 Beyond The Reef (With Backing Vocals) Session For Stay Away, Joe 26 Stay Away (Movie Version)* Stay Away, Joe Radio Spots 27 Radio Spot 1* 28 Radio Spot 2* 29 Radio Spot 3* Bonus Track 30 A Little Less Conversation (Take 16 / Master / Different Mix)*

 

Volume 4: October 23/24 Studio Sessions 01 Clean Up Your Own Backyard (Undubbed Master) 02 Swing Down Sweet Chariot (Undubbed Master With The ‘Mello Men’) 03 Signs Of The Zodiac (Duet - Master Take 9) 04 Far Above Cayuga’s Waters (Alternate Mix)* 05 The Whiffenpoof Song 06 Violet 07 Clean Up Your Own Backyard (Original Movie Mix)* 08 Swing Down Sweet Chariot (Dub / Backing Vocals ‘Mello Men’ Removed)* 09 Hello Susan Brown (Two In The Middle) / No Elvis* 10 Almost (Take 1) 11 Almost (Take 2) 12 Almost (Take 3) 13 Almost (Take 4) 14 Almost (Take 6) 15 Almost (Take 10) 16 Almost (Take 11) 17 Almost (Take 13) 18 Almost (Take 14) 19 Almost (Take 15) 20 Almost (Take 16) 21 Almost (Take 22) 22 Almost (Take 23) 23 Almost (Take 24) 24 Almost (Take 25) 25 Almost (Take 27) 26 Almost (Take 28) 27 Almost (Take 29) 28 Chautauqua (March Tempo Variation Of ‘Almost’)* 29 Almost (Original Movie Mix)* 30 Swing Down Sweet Chariot (Original Movie Mix / Taken From The Movie / Incomplete)* Acetate Recording 31 Almost (Take 31)* The Trouble With Girls Radio Spots 32 Radio Spot 1* 33 Radio Spot 2* December Overdub Session 34 Swing Down Sweet Chariot (Backing Vocals By The Blossoms + Strings & Brass Overdubs) Bonus Track 35 College Song Medley

(Source: Pascal Matteo)

January 19 - Elvis '56 Vinyl

A few days before the official release on January 24th 2025 the Music On Vinyl released a Collector's Edition of the ‘Elvis 1956’ album on 180 gram audiophile blue colored vinyl. The first fans received their copies.

Publicity stated: Elvis 56 - originally released in 1996 - is a compilation of studio master recordings made by Elvis Presley in 1956. The sessions on this LP took place at RCA studios in Nashville and New York, as well as at Radio Recorders in Hollywood.

 

Comprising the most complete and essential overview of The King's first year at RCA, 'Elvis 56' is the definitive rock 'n' roll album, including "Heartbreak Hotel," "Blue Suede Shoes," "Hound Dog" and "Rip It Up". Album also includes an insert with rare photos and complete recording data.

'Elvis 56 - Collectors Edition' is available as a limited edition of 2,000 individually numbered copies on blue colored vinyl.

Tracks: 1. Heartbreak Hotel 2. My Baby Left Me 3. Blue Suede Shoes 4. So Glad You’re Mine 5. Tutti Frutti 6. One-Sided Love Affair 7. Love Me 8. Anyplace is Paradise 9. Paralyzed 10. Ready Teddy 11. Too Much 12. Hound Dog 13. Any Way You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be) 14. Don’t Be Cruel 15. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy 16. Shake, Rattle and Roll (Alternate Take 8) 17. I Want You, I Need You, I Love You 18. Rip It Up 19. Heartbreak Hotel (Alternate Take 5) 20. I Got a Woman 21. I Was the One 22. Money Honey.

The LP is available from >>> Amazon Germany and >>> Amazon.UK (associate link)

(Source: Facebook)

Elvis Day By Day 2024 Released

The yearbook you have been waiting for all year long, has been released! 'Elvis Day By Day 2024 - The Year In Review', the 7th volume in the series, is now available as a paperback and hardcover edition from Amazon, the Poplar Tunes webshop and soon from your local fan-club. 

This new yearbook wraps up 2024 until December 31st, and includes in-depth reviews if all the latest Follow That Dream and other relevant releases from the last quarter of 2024.

Description: In 1954, Elvis came crashing through the doors of popular music, and he hasn't stopped rocking since. This new Elvis yearbook is proof of that! Packed into a colorful 480 pages is all the relevant news of what happened in the Elvis world. It serves as a guide, and reference book about Elvis from all corners of the world in 2024.

'Elvis Day By Day 2024' features all the news, including a complete overview of all new music, available on CD and on vinyl at 33, 45, and even 78 RPM. Additionally, it covers all the worthwhile books and magazines, all the movies and TV specials released on DVD, Blu-ray, and streaming services. Plus “everything else Elvis” that mattered, while skipping the nonsense.

"Highlights include the true story about the ‘That’s All Right’ acetate as played by Dewey Phillips on WHBQ in July 1954. The tale of the scam to "steal Graceland" and of course an in-depth look at Lisa Marie Presley’s memoir as completed by her daughter Riley Keough. Added to that is a complete day-by-day overview of all the Sony, Follow That Dream, and bootleg releases, most of which are reviewed in-depth by well-known Elvis experts, authors, and fans. Interviews with authors and producers provide the backstory to these publications and releases.

You will also find the details of the newly discovered 1956 live performance and the many Mono to Stereo, and undubbed releases of Elvis’ SUN recordings, his greatest hits, the soundtrack albums, and his concert performances. Enjoy the stunning colored and even "liquid" vinyl releases and some of the really special and oddball Elvis releases that make collecting fun!

From the “young man with the big beat,” it is a small step to Elvis’ former drummer, Jerome "Stump" Monroe, who provided the beat behind the King as part of the Elvis Presley Show in the seventies, and who wrote the foreword for this year’s edition. Seventy years after the release of Elvis’ debut single, "the beat goes on," and "that’s all right!"

As Colonel Parker would say, there is "something for everyone," or perhaps we should say, "perhaps too much for any fan." Whether you’re a die-hard fan or just starting your journey into the King’s world, this yearbook is the definitive guide to everything Elvis from 2024 in one physical reference.

This annual "Bible for Elvis fans" is a valuable keepsake for years to come. And don’t just take our word for it; this is what fans of the series are saying:

 

“I thought I knew what was happening in the Elvis world, but I found so much news that I completely missed!”

​

“If you consider yourself a serious fan, you ought to have these books.”

​

“Fascinating, interesting, enlightening! Need I say more? Just quit whatever you are doing and go out and get this wonderful piece of work before it sells out."

The 'Day By Day 2024' softcover edition is available on-line, the clip shows a small preview. 

 

Go to the Poplar Tunes webshop for signed copies of the >>> paperback edition or the >>> hardcover edition.

You can also visit your local Amazon store through these direct links:

>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.co.uk.

>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.com. 

>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.de. 

>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.ca.

>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.co.jp.

>>> Paperback edition from >>> Amazon.com.au.

On the first day, the book climbed to the No. 1 spot on Amazon US Pop Culture Encyclopedias best seller list and on the Hot New Releases lists for the categories 'Almanacs & Yearbooks' and 'Pop Culture Encyclopedias'.