April 25 - Follow That Japanese Fan-club To Russia

The Japanese fan-club Elvis For Sound Fans Only will release a book on the first 111 releases of the Follow That Dream Collector's label. The reason for the book appears to be - according to Google Translation - the poor information the label gives with each release. The fan-club did the research and published it in their quarterly 'Elvis Sound Magazine' magazine. 


South Revenge

Just released this April in Russia is the translation of the book 'South Revenge' ('Ou la revanche du Sud') by Sebastian Danchin. The book has been originally published on French in 2004. It is a hard-cover 357 pages book. 

(Source: FECC / Amazon Japan / Google / Elvis In Russia)

April 24 - The Elvis HMV Magazine

Erik Lorentzen announced a new quarterly magazine entitled 'The Elvis Files Magazines'. The author of 'The Elvis Files' books, has bought some huge photo collections that he really just wants to share with other fans, and this is one of the reasons for starting the magazine. The first magazine, around 80 pages, should be out September 2012.


Elvis: The HMV Years Volume 1



Essential Elvis editor Trevor Simpson is working on a book entitled 'Elvis: The Best Of British – The HMV Years Volume 1 – 1956/1958' which is due  this Summer.

(Source: The Elvis Files / FECC / Essential Elvis)

April 23 - I Am A Maxine Brown Fan, Are You?

EPE launched a new site today with the slogan 'I Am An Elvis Fan. Are You?'. It's not clear what the purpose of the site is, as this info is still a secret. You can see a countdown running untill May 1 and this text: Beginning May 1, 2012, you will be able to visit this landing page and find three ways to declare, “I am an Elvis fan.” While we can’t tell you all the details quite yet, we wanted to let you know that more information on this special 35th anniversary online celebration will be posted soon. The countdown is on!


Elvis' Friend and Fellow Performer to Be Honored at Cherry Blossom Festival


Elvis' friend and music pioneer Maxine Brown will be presented the Ella Dickey Literacy Award April 26 at the annual Cherry Blossom Festival in Marshfield, Missouri. Elvis and Maxine met while her family trio, "The Browns," were touring on the Louisiana Hayride. Brown toured with Elvis from 1954 to 1956.


Brown is the author of "Looking Back To See," a chronicle of The Browns vocal trio, best-known for its international hit, “The Three Bells.” Published by the University of Arkansas Press in 2005, "Looking Back To See" is the #20 bestseller among the more than 500 books the UAP has published in its 30-year history. In addition to her other talents, Brown is an acclaimed songwriter whose country hits include “Here Today And Gone Tomorrow” and “Looking Back To See.”
The Cherry Blossom Festival is April 26 - 28 and honors a host of musical, literary, acting and historical figures. Brown continues to perform occasionally with her brother, Grand Ole Opry star Jim Ed Brown and sister, Bonnie. She also maintains an active website at www.themaxinebrown.com that features historical music videos from her career, including photos of her days with Elvis on the Lousisiana Hayride.


(Source: ElvisMatters / EPE)

April 21 - Flaslight Budget Releases

The 'Alternate Expanded Album' edition of the "Blue Hawaii" soundtrack by the U.K. based Memphis Recording Service was released. 

Alternate Budget Compilations


The Flashlight Records budget label announced three more budget compilations containing alternative takes; 'Loving You', 'King Creole' and 'His Hand In Mine' will be released May 21, 2012)


From the label's website:



Loving You (The Alternate Album)


Hear Elvis in Loving You! This release features all album & movie tracks including the movie versions which are different from the album versions. All tracks are true classics and as a fantastic bonus you can hear Elvis as you have never heard him before. You hear him fool around with unreleased versions of "Blueberry Hill" and "Have I Told You Lately That I Love You", this album features over 10 alternate takes from these true classics. It's Elvis at his best!


Track Listing
Masters: 
1.Mean Woman Blues 
2. Teddy Bear 
3. Loving You 
4. Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do 
5.Lonesome Cowboy 
6. Hot Dog 
7. Party 
8. Blueberry Hill 
9. True Love 
10. Don’t Leave Me Now 
11. Have I Told You Lately That I love You 
12. I Need You So. 
The Movie Versions: 
13. Loving You - version 1, 
14. Mean Woman Blues 
15. Party 
16. Teddy Bear 
17. Loving You- version 2 
18. Lonesome Cowboy 9. Hot Dog 
20. Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do 
21. Loving You - version 3 
22. Road Medley 
23. Got A Lot O’ Livin’ To Do - version 2 
24. Loving You - version 4 
The Alternates: 
25. Blueberry Hill - take 1, 
26. Blueberry Hill - take 4, 
27. Blueberry Hill - takes 5 & 6, 
28. Blueberry Hill - take 8, 
29. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - take 1, 
30. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - take 3, 
31. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - takes 4 & 5, 
32. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - takes 8 – 11, 
33. Have I Told You Lately That I Love You - take 14.


His Hand In Mine (The Alternate Album)


"His Hand In Mine" , Elvis' first spiritual album. His love for gospel music can be heard very well and he must have been delighted that he was able to cut a complete religious album. This alternate album features not only the original album but also never heard before alternate takes and master takes. Hear how Elvis worked in the studio to record these top notch gospels. You can hear many unreleased versions and many tracks exactly how they were cut in the studio without any editing. All for the very first time! It's Elvis at his best!!


Track Listing
Masters: 
1. His Hand in Mine 
2. I’m Gonna Walk dem Golden Stairs 
3. In my Father’s House 
4. Milky White Way 
5. Known Only to Him 
6. I Believe in the Man in the Sky 
7. Joshua Fit the Battle 
8. He Knows Just What I Need 
9. Swing Down Sweet Chariot 
10. Mansion Over the Hilltop 
11. If we Never Meet Again 
12. Working on the Building. 
The Alternates: 
13. In my Father’s House - take 8 
14. In my Father’s House - work part take 1 
15. He Knows Just What I Need - take 9 
16. He Knows Just What I Need - take 10 
17. Milky White Way - take 7 / master take incl. false start 
18. Joshua Fit the Battle - take 4 / master take incl. count in 
19. Swing Down Sweet Chariot - take 4 / master take incl. count in 
20. Mansion Over the Hilltop - false start & master take 3 
21. Working on the Building - take 5 / master take incl. count in 
Bonus track from the session 
22. Surrender - take 4 / count in only & master 
Bonus Rarity
23. Swing Down Sweet Chariot - live ‘61


King Creole (The Alternate Album)


King Creole, Elvis' 4th movie. King Creole is concidered Elvis' best acting performance. This album features the complete soundtrack, including all movie versions. Also featured are some very rare bonus tracks including a remix of Dixieland Rock. This is Elvis in the 50's! It's Elvis at his best!


Track Listing
King Creole Masters 
1. King Creole 
2. As Long As I Have You 
3. Hard Headed Woman 
4. Trouble 
5. Dixieland Rock 
6. Don’t Ask Me Why 
7. Lover Doll - lp version 
8. Crawfish 
9. Young Dreams 
10. Steadfast, Loyal & True 
11. New Orleans 
12. Lover Doll - ep master. 
The Movie Versions 
13. King Creole / Crawfish 
14. Steadfast, Loyal & True 
15. Lover Doll 
16. Trouble 
17. Dixieland Rock 
18. Young Dreams 
19. New Orleans 
20. King Creole - version 2 
21. Don’t Ask Me Why 
22. As Long As I Have You. 
Bonus 
23. Lover Doll - electronic stereo version 
24. Dixieland Rock - remix 
25. Instrumental Remix


(Source: Amazon / FECC)

April 20 - Elvis Preview Files

Here is a preview of volume 5 of "The Elvis Files" deluxe photo biography books. This volume features the years 1969-1970. 



Sales


This week not one Elvis Presley releae made it onto the Billboard Album Top 200 chart. The best-selling Elvis Presley releases were 'An Afternoon In The garden', 'The Best Of Love', 'Elvis Inspirational', 'Elvis Rock',' Elvis Country', 'Elvis Gospel / An Evening Prayer' and 'Elvis Christmas' which sold 9,466 copies in total. 



(Source: Elvis Australia / FECC)

April 18 - No Aloha From Sonny And Dick

The import re-issues of the 'Elvis Forever Volumes 1 and 2' were released in three-panel digipacks. The volumes 3 and 4 were released last March and sold out in two weeks. Both releases contain the original compilation with additional bonus tracks. Both releases are limited to 500 copies each.

Sonny West In Hospital

Elvis Unlimited received a troubling message this morning concerning Sonny West. He needs to undergo open heart surgery and is hospitalized in Nashville.

Aloha from Hawaii Via Satellite

Amazon Germany listed 'Aloha From Hawaii Via Satellite' as a new CD release from BMG Hbg (Sony Music) with May 25 , 2012 as the release-date. This edition is part of the 'Albums For Eternity' series and comes with an exclusive high-quality booklet, written by the famous "Rolling Stone" magazine.

Collecting Elvis

Volume 8 in the German 'Elvis-Sammler-Edition' was released by 'De Agostini' and EPE. This edition contains the movie 'King Creole', a 28 pages magazine and various memorabilia reproductions.

Dick Clark Died

Dick Clark, a television host and entrepreneur who sold rock-and-roll to Middle America on the dance show “American Bandstand” and counted down the new year with millions of TV viewers as emcee of an annual celebration in New York’s Times Square, died April 18 at a hospital in Santa Monica, Calif., after a heart attack. He was 82.In 1959 Colonel Parker allowed Clark to conduct three telephone interviews with Elvis and broadcast them on American Bandstand. They allowed Elvis to speak directly to Clark’s massive audience of record-buying teenagers.

Dolores Hart Wins Life Achievement Award

It was announced that Mother Dolores Hart who was recently profiled in the Academy Award-nominated HBO documentary "God is the Bigger Elvis" – will receive the 2012 Christopher Life Achievement Award during its 63rd annual Christopher Awards ceremony on Thursday, May 24th. 

As part of the annual Christopher Awards which recognize books, films and TV/Cable programs that "affirm the highest values of the human spirit," the organization also presents special Awards to worthy individuals and achievements, one of which is the Life Achievement Award. 

During the late 1950s and early 1960s, Dolores Hart enjoyed a successful acting career that led her to co-star in movies with Robert Wagner, Anthony Quinn, and Elvis Presley. She became the first actress to kiss Elvis in a movie, and portrayed St. Clare in the film "Francis of Assisi." Though she enjoyed her time and work in Hollywood, Hart felt an even stronger spiritual call from God that led her to give up the acting life to become a cloistered Benedictine nun at the Abbey of Regina Laudis in Bethlehem, Conn.

Mother Dolores still remains an active member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, giving her a vote to help determine each year’s Oscar winners. She watches the movies on screener DVDs and invites her fellow nuns to see the good ones.

(Source: Elvis Unlimited / Elvis Information Network / ElvisMatters /Amazon / The King's World)

April 16 - Bootleg Elvis

Five European collector's send out an announcement for their upcomming 'Bootleg Elvis!'  book. 

The announcement:
After many years of painstaking research, a group of five European mega-collectors have finished their work on the ultimate vinyl bootleg bible: Bootleg Elvis Now, in 2012, the time has come that this massive -640 pages- work of love and labor will be made available to all Elvis fans and music lovers worldwide. With more than 1200 color pictures, track listings, cross-references, matrix numbers, cover/label/vinyl/sound descriptions of about 1000 records on 480+ pages, this is the most in-depth work on Elvis vinyl bootlegs ever! This book will not only list and visualize every known Elvis bootleg record, but it will also list and show all known variations of each record. All records will be listed in several chapters, being:

• 7-inch Singles
• 7-inch Extended Play Albums
• 10-inch Albums and 78 rpm Singles
• 12-inch Long Play Albums and Maxi Singles
• Interviews and Session Talks
• Novelty and Tribute Bootlegged Records
• Far Eastern Bootlegged Records

To top it off, there is an almost 65 pages description about the history of (Elvis) bootlegging, starting in 1901 up to today. There are about 70 pages of stories written by all the major bootleggers from the USA, Canada and Europe. They will tell you why they made their bootlegs, how they obtained their recordings, how they got their records and sleeves made and how they managed to sell their records without being caught. Read stories -first hand- about albums like Please Release Me (the first Elvis bootleg ever!) The Hillbilly Cat "Live", The '68 Comeback, Million Dollar Quartet, Loving You Recording Sessions, Welcome In Germany and many more. These are more than fascinating insider stories that were never known nor published before! 

All in all, this book gives you the most complete insight ever into the evolution of bootlegging Elvis. Even if you’re not a vinyl collector, this book is definitely a must-have!

(Source: e-mail)

April 15 - Collector's Box

The Chrome Dreams budget label announced the release of the 3 CD-set 'CD Collector's Box' with May 18th. as the release-date. The set contains interviews, spoken word recordings, posters and an illustrated booklet. 


(Source: Amazon)

April 14 - Follow That Statue Preview

The Danish Elvis Unlimited revealed their Elvis Presley statue. 

Welcome Preview

Elvis Australia had a ten page close up preview of the soon to be released book 'Welcome Home Elvis'. Due for release by the Follow That Dream collector's label is a 260 page book covering the weeks in 1960 where Elvis regained control over his career. The format is the same as the well-known FTD book format (King Creole: The Music and A Moment In Time). The book includes: More than 300 photos, many of them previously unpublished, text by David English and a CD with the original mono master for 'Elvis Is Back!'. Pictures include; Elvis coming home from the army, several press conferences, pictures at Graceland, coverage of the Sinatra TV show and much more.

(Source: Elvis Unlimited / Elvis Australia)

April 13 - Greatest Hawiian Charts

The Golden Stars budget label released a 65 track compilation simply entitled "65 Greatest Hits".


Early Hawaii 


Release date 'Blue Hawaii, The Expanded Alternate Album' will be released sooner. While other labels are post poning their release, MRS announces that, just like 'Such a Night', the new release 'Blue Hawaii' will be released sooner as planned. The CD is an expanded edition of the original soundtrack album ‘Blue Hawaii’ originally released in 1961. It contains many previously unreleased out-takes and alternate versions of the soundtrack recording including Elvis’ number 1 hit, ‘Can’t Help Falling in Love’. As a bonus, the CD is accompanied by a 40 page book containing many rare and unpublished photographs taken on and off the set of ‘Blue Hawaii’.


Charts


The Billboard Album charts and sales for the Billboard Catalog Album Charts for the week ending April 21, 2012.

• 'An Afternoon In The Garden' selling 2758 copies. Total sales to date: 455335 copies.
• 'Elvis: The Very Best Of Love' selling 2574 copies. Total sales to date: 255,757 copies.
• 'Elvis Rock' (Compilation) selling 1595 copies. Total sales to date: 161,217.
• 'Elvis Country' (Compilation) selling 1379 copies. Total sales to date: 103,458 copies.
• 'Elvis Gospel/ An Evening Prayer' (Compilation) selling 1348 copies. Total sales to date: 150,857 copies.
• 'Elvis Inspirational' (Compilation) selling 1559 copies. Total sales to date: 83890 copies.

(Source: Amazon / Elvis Express)