It's been two years since we last did an interview with audio engineer Anthony Stuchbury. Since then a lot has happened; he started working for the Follow That Dream Collectors label on high-profile and very special releases, started his own JAS Records label, and looking at all the releases on CD and vinyl with his name on it for just this year, he has become one of the most productive men in the Elvis world. Reason enough to catch up again.
Kees Mouwen and Piers Beagley of the Elvis Information Network combined forces to ask producer Anthony Stuchbury some detailed questions about his recent FTD work, new discoveries, as well as other projects. Does he think he's Indiana Jones or Sean Connery!? Please enjoy this fun interview - which even includes an "FTD Scoop"!
Anthony: Well, working for the Follow That Dream Collectors (FTD) label on high-profile and very special releases, and also starting my own record label, I’ve been busy... (laughing).
Piers: You sometimes describe your work as "audio archaeology". Are you the Indiana Jones of Elvis audio archaeology?
Anthony: No, I'm more like his father, Sean Connery, anyway ...
Piers: Are you suggesting that you’re old, from the north of the U.K. and love whisky, or perhaps operating as a secret agent?
Anthony: Under cover, shaken and stirred, but making things clearer!
Piers: While some fans complain about Digitally Extracted Stereo work, surely this is the technology you use to improve the recordings on the recent FTD releases you're involved with. Can you give us some insight into how you work?
Anthony: “Meticulously” is how I work, but I don't overly use Artificial Intelligence tools, and a lot of people think you just press a button and these things happen. But there's lots of filters involved, lots of separating things out, that's involved. Once you've got them separated, you've got to work and master those before you then put them back together and reconstruct them. So it's not as easy as some people imagine, but I just enjoy doing it.
Anthony: Well, I have been having email conversations on and off for years with Ernst Jorgensen, but not really anything in depth, just two fans talking Elvis. But of course, when I started doing the Mono to Stereo stuff I'd send him the odd thing. The first thing I ever sent was my Mono to Stereo version of ‘I'm a Roustabout,’ and it got a pretty much immediate reply.
He asked, "What is this, and where's it from?" I just replied, "Well, what do you want to know?" He said, "Give me your phone number and we can talk about it." So I gave him my phone number, he called me up, and we talked about it, and I explained that it was something I'd created, Mono to Stereo. His reply was something along the lines of, "Tony, I didn't know you had these talents." That was pretty much how it went, and that's how it started.
Once in a while I'd send him a track, and he'd like it or he wouldn't, and we just sort of hit it off like that. Out of that contact back-and-forwards over time, he approached and commissioned me to work on ‘The Last Concert’ and the ‘Soldier Boy’ sets.
Anthony: I discovered it wasn't as easy as I had anticipated, because there's a lot of background noise! As you know, there's a lot of buzzing, and there's a short in the microphone cable, as you hear Elvis and Charlie Hodge talking about later on in one of the tracks, toward the end of the set. So basically I just did what I do.
A lot of people think the “Guitar reel” would have been easier to do than the “Piano reel”, because the piano reel is really loud and distorted. But actually they were equally as hard to do because there are people coughing in the background, people talking in the background, people tapping their feet and slapping their thighs at some points.
And you've got to be careful, if you use automation to try and not remove some of these key atmospheric things it simply doesn't work. So it was a case of extracting these individual elements with filters and a tiny bit of AI, then remastering them and balancing them back together.
What I discovered was, you hear Elvis talking about his cold at one point, which wasn't particularly clear before, and also singing some rather risqué́ lyrics on ‘Apron Strings’, which now stand out more clearly.
Piers: Will fans be surprised by what they find on this new set?
Anthony: I think anyone who thinks they've heard these before will be surprised, yes, because it's definitely sharper and clearer. And the responses out there from people so far have been overwhelmingly positive.
Kees: What should we pay attention to when we listen to the new presentation?
Anthony: Really, you should pay attention to Elvis’ voice and his vocals. It's been brought forward to a much better clarity. I don't even have to tell anyone that, if they listen to it they'll just hear it. His voice was always unique, but on these home recordings, his vocal work and his range is just astonishing. It's beautiful stuff.
Piers: You've changed the sequence of the songs compared to the original tape. Why did you do that?
Anthony: That was a production decision, can we get both guitar reels onto one disc? And of course we could. So that's why it happened.
Kees: I believe the ‘Soldier Boy’ set had been a long while in the planning stage. How long had you been working on the tape restoration?
Anthony: It was in the planning stage a long while before I became involved. I became involved around early to mid-January 2026, and I started my work at the end of that month, beginning of February, it was probably the end of March when I was really happy with everything. So overall maybe four to eight weeks in total before I could consider forgetting about it.
Anthony: Yeah, I wasn't particularly happy myself with the original FTD releases, because they split them up over the ‘For LP Fans Only’ and ‘A Date With Elvis’ re-issues. And there was a lot of noise on them, they sound a bit muffled, some of them. I don't know, but some of the tracks sound a little “MP3-ish” to me, a bit like Elvis is singing from behind a pillow. So while I believe there was work done on them, I don't believe it was really up to what we have accomplished now. If you do some comparisons, I think you’ll hear what I’m trying to say.
Kees: Who did you consult on the audio presentation, Ernst Jorgensen, Pal Granlund, or both?
Anthony: I dealt wholly with Ernst Jorgensen.
Kees: And what was the feedback on your work? Were there any big discussions?
Anthony: Ernst was “blown away” by it, for want of a better word. There were some emails back and forth about whether the Eddie Fadal home recordings should be included, but the quality on those isn't really great. I don't particularly think it's brilliant. I have done a restoration of it, but it's still just Elvis making a lot of noise.
There are also likely issues with a release of that tape too I think, because Elvis is singing along to other people's songs. Then there are the families involved with that particular recording. In the end the production decision was made not to include it.
Piers: Was there anything that almost didn't make the final cut?
Anthony: Well, no, there wasn't, bar a few edits as per instructions to me, the Eddie Fadal home recordings as I mentioned above was the only thing. The intention was to include as much music of Elvis as possible, and to make the listening experience enjoyable.
Kees: Were the books and the audio both finished at the same time, or were you under pressure to get your work complete? Tell us a little about how a box set like this is created.
Anthony: I can't really tell you about how a box set like this is created, because the book and the publishing side was nothing to do with me. And as you know, the book and publishing is Pal Granlund’s thing. The audio is strictly down to Ernst, and in this case, me. So that's all I can tell you.
Flaming Star Publications published the books, David English wrote all the words, myself and Ernst were responsible for the audio. So no, they weren't finished at the same time, in fact, I think I'd finished my audio before the book was complete. David was still writing at a point when I'd finished my work.
Piers: And why no Stereo versions? Was this even discussed?
Kees: Now that all this audio is in the public domain, can we expect a stereo version in future, perhaps on your own label? Of course, not all the tracks are good enough for that, but a “best of” would be very nice, please.
Anthony: I tend to agree with that, and I'm not saying “no,” but I'm also not saying “yes”. It is an idea I've thought of, but don't you think I've done enough this year already! (laughing).
Kees: I guess you have been busy, next to working on high-profile and very special releases, and starting you own record label, how many titles have you released this year?
Anthony: I'll have to wait for the 'Elvis Day By Day' books for 2026 to remind myself and count them up, because, seriously, off the top of my head, I can't remember. And then there are releases of Johnny Halliday, Billy Fury and the Everly Brothers. So yes, it’s been a productive year, and being honest, a bit too much!
Piers: The 'Soldier Boy' book ends in September 1958, so surely there will be a follow-up FTD covering the remaining army years, return to the US and presumably the Frank Sinatra Timex show, which we remember you've already had some experience with?
Anthony: I don't know. I would tend to think, yeah, maybe they could finish off 1958 and go into 1959, and his return home in 1960. Because of course there are all those great pictures of him on his furlough when he went to Paris, none of that's covered in this book. But I don't know whether that will or won't happen.
But yes, I can see what you're trying to get at, and I can sort of lean in that direction, but I honestly don't know.
Kees: You said that the somewhat naughty language by Elvis on "Apron Strings" was fun to “rediscover”. What were the favorite bits and pieces you heard while editing these tapes?
Anthony: My favorite bits and pieces are the songs we don't have any other way, like the ‘The Titles Will Tell’, you know that Charles Underwood song. ‘Her Hand in Mine,’ because he only ever recorded that as ‘His Hand in Mine’. So there are some special moments in this that are unique to this set and these recordings.
But I have a major soft spot for the "get some boiled eggs sent up here" first take of ‘I'm Beginning to Forget You’. It's just a great song, again, something he never recorded professionally, and it was a highlight of the ‘A Legendary Performer, Volume 4’ album when it was first released so many years later. Happy times for collectors like myself back in the day! I just love all the versions of ‘I'm Beginning to Forget You’, I think it's a great song.
Piers: Did you discover anything that was buried in the rough sound quality?
Anthony: Yes, Elvis being a little bit rude at times, like on ‘Apron Strings’. We snuck that one through, or should I say, I did. Have a close listen, you’ll pick up on it!
Kees: As well as the home recordings, you're also credited for work on the final five interview tracks on CD 2. What did you do to those tracks?
Anthony: What I did to those tracks was clean them up a little and bring Elvis’ voice a little bit closer to the microphone, so the interview replies sound more intimate and the background noise isn't as distracting.
Piers: Regarding your audio restoration work on ‘The Last Concert’, you must have made some hard choices presenting an entertaining and coherent mix. You removed fan reactions, camera clicks, some of the audience interacting with Elvis. We can imagine you had to make some tough decisions in an important recording as this one. Can you tell us a little about some of those choices?
Piers: We were impressed by the overall improvement, and it was such a great performance. You must have been thrilled to see the set sell out so quickly.
Anthony: I'm glad you like it, and yes, I was totally thrilled to see it sold out, and then get repressed, yeah, I am proud! It's a bit of an achievement.
Kees: You previously stated you didn't want to do live concerts, ‘Tony, What happened?’
Anthony: Now that's a good title for a book!
Kees: Yes it is! But more important, can we expect more of your work on the '70s concerts for FTD? There's some essential audience-recorded material that could do with an upgrade.
Anthony: In a word, “no.” Ernst really had to cajole me into doing ‘The Last Concert’, because he knows how I feel about soundboards and shows. I'm quite happy, I've got lots of them, enough to represent every decade of Elvis’ live performances.
And when it comes to the '70s, I've got enough for me. I don't play them hardly, if ever. The last one I bought sat unopened on the shelf for months. One day I just looked at it and thought, "I've still not played that, and I must have had it three months, why am I buying these? Do I really need any more soundboard concerts?" And that was when it stopped, simple as that.
So as it stands, unless there's a terribly bad soundboard concert that needs work, something that would be a challenge for me, then I'd be up for that. But just doing soundboard concerts, the answer is no.
But sometimes I experiment a little for some fun, listen to this, and let me know what you think.
Kees: That sounds great, a real improvement! But how about the Pittsburgh New Year’s Eve Show, or the 1961 Hawaiian benefit? Would those concerts quality as important memento’s in Elvis legacy?
Anthony: There's room for a little improvement on both, would you like them in Stereo? (laughing) Just kidding guys!
Kees: Yes please, on recordings like that, even a small improvement is an improvement!
Piers: ‘Elvis’ Final Concert’ is only the fourth audience recording that he's chosen to release. Do you know why they decided to release it now, and not next year?
Anthony: In one word, “no”. I haven’t discussed that with anyone. 'Man, I just work here'.
Piers: Can you tell fans a little more about the story behind the source recording of this special concert, were you using the tape recorded by Dutch fans from the group that also included the famous Ger Rijff?
Anthony: It turns out that I was using that tape, but I didn't know that at the time. What happened was Ernst sent me some samples of a previously unreleased version of the concert, but they were terrible. He asked me, “Can you work your magic on these?” And to be honest, I couldn't.
Then I realized, hang on, I've got a source of this last show, something someone gave me as a gift years ago, and I don't even recall ever playing it because I already have multiple bootleg versions. So I pulled it out, dusted it off, and put it on, and I thought, well, that's already a better starting point than what was sent to me.
So the three samples Ernst sent me, I edited them off the source I already had and made them match with the start and end points and did some work on those, and sent them back, and he liked them. But then I had to admit to him that I'd cheated! I told him what I'd done, and I got friendly reprimanded for trying to cheat an old man. We laughed about that. Anyway, that's the true story!
Anthony: I blame FTD / Ernst for that, because when I was doing ‘The Last Concert’, I was asked to do the DDP master (Disc Description Protocol master: a digital file set that serves as the modern, error-free industry standard for sending an audio album to a CD manufacturing plant for replication), and I'd never done a DDP master before, and the software I bought to do it was rather expensive.
So, after I had bought it and done it, I thought, well, I can do my own restorations, I can do my own mixing, I can do the final masters, I can now make a DDP master, and my good friend David (artwork) Parker can do his thing, what's left to do and stopping me putting out my own CD? Just paying for publishing, obviously.
So, I got into looking up how to do that, and I thought, right, what am I waiting for? Let's do something, and that's why I did it, and chose the soundtrack from my favorite Elvis movie 'Loving You'.
Piers: Do you have any plans to do vinyl?
Anthony: No, the problem with vinyl is it takes months of manufacturing time, and when you've created something and you want to put it out, you're just itching to tell people about it, and keeping my mouth shut kills me. It's something I've had to learn to do on behalf of FTD when I'm working on something for them, I can't say anything, because that could jump the gun. That's not my job.
If I was doing a vinyl release of my own, I'd know what was coming and I'd have to keep my mouth shut. So I'd rather let the independent labels do my vinyl for me. I can put the work in and then just forget about it, they can deal with the pressing plant, publishing etc. That being said, I do have a couple of vinyls in the works with the RDM-Edition record label, and like I say, it's killing me to keep my mouth shut.
Kees: You've released two Elvis Presley titles and one Billy Fury compilation, so you're not exclusively doing Elvis?
Piers: And if you weren't bound by copyright regulations, what would be your dream Elvis project?
Anthony: That's easily answered. I'd like to restore and remix any poorly recorded 60's movie soundtrack!
Kees: Having your own label, does this mean you'll stop working for other labels?
Anthony: No, I'm independent, always have been with everything in my life. I'll always do my own thing, and by doing my own thing it's led to where I am now with FTD. So, I'm not complaining. I'll always do whatever I want to do, and as you already know, in the past I've worked with MRS, Memphis Mansion, RDM-Edition and now FTD. So why not?
Anthony: It's not really a dream come true, because I never dreamed I'd work for FTD. It was not something I was aiming for, it just happened through circumstances.
Ultimate project to work on: I'd still like to restore that movie soundtrack, any movie soundtrack.
Kees: What do you think you could do with the 1968 Comeback special? Attempts have been made to create stereo that didn't work completely, do you think it will be possible to create the original sound as it was recorded in the Burbank studios?
Anthony: In a word, “yes”. And before you ask the next question, “yes” I have already done a complete Stereo Master of the original ‘Elvis’ TV special album, so to listen to all of that now in stereo, all the way through, is a pure joy. Instead of switching from the True Stereo recordings to Mono and back to Stereo and back to Mono, which was always a frustration to me, now I can listen to the whole thing in stereo, and I love it.
Piers: What do you personally think of the audio work Baz Luhrmann and Jonathan Redman did with the ‘ELVIS’ and ‘EPiC’ soundtracks, both in regard to enhancing Elvis’ original live versions and creating new mashups?
But again, if you just listen to the album and you're not looking at the picture, it's great, out of the context of what I'd call ‘Elvis history’, but a great listen. It's a great project, and I love watching it, I don't know how many times I've seen it. In IMAX cinemas, it was absolutely thumping and fantastic. What do I think of it? Yeah, I love it.
Kees: Who would you like to work together in the studio with, and possibly learn a few tricks from, besides Elvis, of course, since that's not going to happen?
Anthony: That's silly, I can't really answer that. I'm not hankering after working with anybody else, and there's not one person I could name.
There are people I'd like to meet, I'd love to meet Vic Anesini and Matt Ross-Spang, because I appreciate the work that they do. I've got a lot of respect for those two guys in particular.
Piers: This kind-of surprises me, have you never thought of what you and those two guys could do in the studio, combining talents, craftmanship, experience and tools? Or are you audio-nerd more “loners”?
Anthony: I'm definitely a nerd, there's no doubt about that, but let's be clear, I'm not at their level anyway.
Kees: FTD have promised us the ‘Frankie and Johnny Sessions’ in the near future. Do you know anything about this, and did you do any work on it.
Piers: Any chance of a Sony or RCA release of ‘Elvis 1956’ in Stereo?
Anthony: That's up to Sony. As it stands, everyone knows there are people who want them to do it, and so far it seems that they're not playing ball. That's just how it is.
Piers: Does Ernst have his eyes set on Peter Jackson's team?
Anthony: Again, I don't know about that, but wouldn't that be great? I think they'd be the perfect people to do it. But how much would it cost, and could they do it? I don't know, but I know Ernst wants it, mono to stereo, and I definitely want it, regardless of whoever ends up working on it, so there you go.
Kees: And what's the chance of Sony releasing a double pack of Elvis’ CBS concert material, maybe with ‘The Last Concert’ added as a bonus? Can we start the rumor now?
Anthony: You can start the rumor, but you're asking me a question I can't answer, because I don't know what the plan is on that situation. I'm not privy to a lot of things, because that's not my remit with what I do. When I do my work, I'm basically working for Ernst, and I'm doing it in conjunction with him. What happens after that, or what else is coming down the line, I'm not told what's lined up for the future.
Piers: Which projects are you working on right now for FTD, the RDM-Edition, Memphis Mansion, or of course your own JAS label?
Anthony: Okay, I'm not working on anything for FTD right now, and as far as I'm aware, I'm done. If this is where it ends, that's great. If there's more to come, that's great, I'm quite happy with things as they are.
There are three other vinyl releases coming from a combination of RDM-Edition and Memphis Mansion as previously mentioned, so that's it.
Kees: We've covered a lot of ground, looking back and forward. Did we forget anything?
Anthony: No, I don't think so. But there are a couple of things I can't tell you. So, hey time will tell ...
Piers: Thanks for talking to us, it was good to catch up. Let’s talk again in another two years, and see where we are after the big “50th anniversary” year.
Anthony: See you in 2028!
Get the latest releases:
If you want to listen to Anthony Stuchbury's work, here are links to his latest work:
- The new 'Jailhouse Rock - Love Me Tender' double feature is available from the >>> Elvis4Sale webshop.
- The 10-inch 'Loving You' LP is available from the >>> Bennies Fifties webshop.
- The last copies of the 'Soldier Boy 53 310 761' set can be ordered from the >>> ElvisMatters webshop.
More on the man and his music
Read the previous interviews >>> here.
For more reviews of Anthony's work, check the reviews in the >>> review section.