December 26 - Collecting Elvis

D'Agostini and EPE planned the release of volume 26 in their "Elvis Sammlung" series in Germany on December 26th. You can probably pick it up at the newsstand one day later.. This volume contains the DVD "Kissin' Cousins", a magazine, memorabilia reproductions and more. 

(Source: Elvis-Sammlung)

December 25 - Merry Christmas Readers!

I wish you all a very merry Christmas! Or as Elvis would sing:

Merry, merry Christmas baby
Sure did treat me nice
I said merry Christmas baby
Sure did treat me nice
Gave me a diamond ring for Christmas
Now I'm living in paradise

Well I'm feeling might fine
Got good music on my radio
Well, I'm feeling might fine
Got good music on my radio
Well, I want to kiss you baby
While you're standing beneath the mistletoe

I said, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas baby
You sure did treat me nice
Yes, you did, yes, you did
Yes, you did, yes, you did
I said merry, merry Christmas baby
Sure did treat me nice
Gave me diamond ring for Christmas 
Now I'm puttin' it through Al's mike

(Words and music by Lou Baxter and Johnny Moore)

December 23 - Audience-recordings Under The Three

The Convair import label released the CD "Raising His Own Bar" containing an audience-recording of Elvis Presley's August 14, 1969, Dinner Show as recorded in the Las Vegas Hilton.

The CD "Left A Good Job In The City", containing an audience-recording from the June 9, 1972 evening show performance by Elvis Presley at Madison Square Garden, New York. 

(Source: Elvis On CD)

December 22 - A Blu-Spec Aloha Legacy

Sony Legacy announced the release "Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite" in their Legacy Edition series. The tracklisting on Amazon doesn't appear to be 100% correct.

From Amazon:
Elvis Presley performed at the H.I.C. Arena in Honolulu on January 14, 1973, Aloha From Hawaii via Satellite was the first, worldwide live satellite broadcast of a concert - broadcast to over 40 Nations and screened to others several weeks later. The concert debuted in the U.S. TV on NBC on April 4 and the Nielsen ratings had the show at 33.8% of homes and 51% of those watching TV - and in the Far-East, TV viewing records were broken in Japan, Philippines, Australia, Korea and Hong Kong! 

On Jan 12, a full dress rehearsal took place prior to the main show. Previously issued as "The Alternate Aloha", this dress rehearsal performance makes up the first 21 tracks of Disc 2 of this Legacy Edition, which has been REMIXED and REMASTERED by Steve Rosenthal and Rob Santos. At the end of the main show on Jan 14, Elvis recorded 5 bonus songs behind closed doors for the US version of the TV show (tracks 25 to 29 Disc 2). Although previously issued, it is the first time all 5 songs have appeared in their rightful place!

This new 2-CD Legacy Edition features: 
Disc 1 The Original Album (Remastered)
Disc 2 The January 12th.  Dress Rehearsal + 5 bonus tracks (Remixed and remastered
24 page booklet with rare photos and new liner notes.

Tracklisting disc: 1
1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey)
2. See See Rider
3. Burning Love
4. Something
5. You Gave Me A Mountain
6. Steamroller Blues
7. My Way
8. Love Me
9. Johnny B. Goode
10. It's Over
11. Blue Suede Shoes
12. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
13. I Can't Stop Loving You
14. Hound Dog
15. What Now My Love
16. Fever
17. Welcome To My World
18. Suspicious Minds
19. Introductions by Elvis
20. I'll Remember You
21. Medley: Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
22. An American Trilogy
23. A Big Hunk O' Love
24. Can't Help Falling In Love

Tracklisting disc: 2
1. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra (Theme From 2001: A Space Odyssey)
2. See See Rider
3. Burning Love
4. Something
5. You Gave Me A Mountain
6. Steamroller Blues
7. My Way
8. Love Me
9. Johnny B. Goode
10. It's Over
11. Blue Suede Shoes
12. I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
13. I Can't Stop Loving You
14. Hound Dog
15. What Now My Love
16. Fever
17. Welcome To My World
18. Suspicious Minds
19. Introductions by Elvis
20. I'll Remember You
21. Medley: Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On
22. An American Trilogy
23. A Big Hunk O' Love
24. Can't Help Falling In Love
25. Blue Hawaii (Bonus Song)
26. Ku-U-I-Po (Bonus Song)
27. No More (Bonus Song)
28. Hawaiian Wedding Song (Bonus Song)
29. Early Morning Rain (Bonus Song)

Blu-Spec CD

The Legacy Edition of "Elvis Presley" will be released on the blu-spec format on March 12, 2013 in Japan. 

Pot Luck

The Hoodoo Records (Harmonia Mundi) will release the CD "Pot Luck / A Date With Elvis" on January 18, 2013.


Volume 5

The Millbranch Music import label released the double CD "The Bicentennial King Vol. 5" containing an audience-recording from May 6, 1976 dinner show as recorded at Lake Tahoe / Nevada, Sahara Tahoe Hotel.

(Source: Amazon / Elvis On CD)

December 21 - 40th Aloha Chart Celebration

Boxcar Enterprises announced that, in association JAT Publishing, will release a 40th Year Anniversary special book, in celebration of Elvis’ iconic "Aloha from Hawaii" titled, "Elvis – Aloha via Satellite" in February 2013.

From the press-release:
This massive most comprehensive 450 page volume is packaged and housed the same as Boxcar’s previous outing of “Elvis Presley’s Graceland through the Years” released earlier this year.
The text book comprises of hundreds upon hundreds of photographs many of which have never before been seen.  Also collected here exclusively are scores of historical memorabilia and the Colonels original internal documents and scripts. This is intended to create a time-travel experience of sorts documenting the most groundbreaking event in the annals of television history.

On January 14th 1973 “Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii - Via Satellite” was the first live concert to be televised live with a global viewing audience of 1.5 Billion. An audience larger than man's first landing on the moon! From the ‘making of’ to the show itself, the reader enjoys reliving the magic of this extraordinary event and is sufficiently reminded that 1,500,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong! More details with further artwork in January 2013.

Charts

• The CD "The Real... Elvis“ dropped from #63 to #70 on the Irish Album-Chart.
• In Belgium, the "Prince From Another Planet“ set climbed 50 spots on the Wallonian Album chart from #165 to #115. 
• On the Billboard Album top 200 "It’s Christmas Time“ dropped from #46 to #65 while "Elvis Christmas" from #133 to #155. 
• On the Holiday chart "It’s Christmas Time“dropped from #14 to #18. 
• The song "Blue Christmas“ climbed is listed at #14 on the Holiday Song Chart and #24 on the Holiday Airplay Chart. 
• The Classic Christmas Album' drops from #155 to #185 on the Top 200 Album Chart selling some 6,175 units. Total sales to date: 35,153 units. It also drops from #19 to #24 on the Country Album Chart. It also drops from 107 to 135 on the Current Album Chart (Top 200 albums minus Catalog Albums).
• Elvis Uncovered re-enters the Current Album Chart at 200. (Top 200 albums minus Catalog albums).

(Source: Boxcar Enterprises / The King's World / Brian Quinn)

December 20 - 25 Greatest Christmas Give-A-Ways

The Dutch Elvis Corner shop released a new three panel Christmas CD a give-a-way entitled "Christmas With Elvis" with all purchase in their shop in Utrecht in The Netherlands or their webshop. The CD contains "Silent Night", "Oh Little Town Of Bethlehem" and a 1957 radio commercial.

The French Elvis My Happiness fan club announced a new give-a-way CD entitled "All Shook Up" with every purchase of 50 Euro or more in their store or webshop. 

The 25 Greatest Christmas Albums of All Time

Rolling Stone magazine has announced the results to find the top 25 greatest Christmas albums of all time. Elvis Presley is listed at #2 with his 1957 "Elvis' Christmas Album". 

From Rolling Stone:
Want to know how revolutionary Elvis was in Fifties America? Irving Berlin, the author of "White Christmas," was so scandalized by Elvis's 1957 version of the song that he tried to get it banned from radio. Sorry, Irv. Instead, Elvis' Christmas Album topped the Billboard charts for a month and went on to sell nearly 20 million copies in various editions. It's a wonderful mix of lighthearted rock & roll ("Santa Bring My Baby Back to Me"), reverent versions of traditional favorites ("O Little Town of Bethlehem") and nods to his country and gospel roots ("Take My Hand, Precious Lord"). The classic, of course, is "Blue Christmas." But on every song, Elvis ingeniously adds a suggestive thrust to a lilywhite genre while slightly purifying his own bad-boy image by showing he could warm your hearth as well as roast your chestnuts.

Pinkie Elizabeth Fishman Died

Mrs. Pinkie Elizabeth Smith Fishman 77 of Pascagoula, MS passed away Thursday, December 20, 2012. Born August 25, 1935 in Taylorsville, MS to the late Thomas and Amanda Smith, she had been a resident of Pascagoula for over 50 years. She had dated Elvis Presley for a time, before she met and married the love her life Herbert “Herb” Fishman. He often joked that he had stolen her away from Elvis.

"There were women there seven days a week for months and months trying to meet him and nobody ever got to," said her son, Jared Fishman. "She went right past them." Elvis took a liking to the petite blonde with high cheekbones. It would not be her last visit to Graceland. The singer and Smith were both 21, but he was already famous. His lifestyle was a little too fast for Pinkie, Jared Fishman said, so they did not date too long. A few years ago, Pinkie’s health began to fail. She developed Alzheimer's and died at the age of 77.


(Source: ElvisShop / Elvis My Happiness / Rolling Stone / ElvisMatters / GulfLife)

December 19 - A Date In Lake Charles

A new import-release was announced. The CD "Elvis As Recorded Live In Lake Charles" containing the May 4, 1975 Evening Show. The evening show from May 4, 1975 was first released on the "A Profile - The King On Stage" boxset (released in 1995) from the Fort Baxter label.

From the press-release:
- Newly remastered

- 38 tracks including the evening show from May 4, 1975 + 8 bonus tracks!- Elvis sings "Jambalaya", "Johnny B. Goode", "Big Boss Man", "Fairytale", "My Boy", "Promised Land", "It's Midnight" and many others...
- Including 8 pages booklet with photos and recording information. 

Tracklisting: 
1 Elvis talks 2 Jambalaya 3 Love Me 4 If You Love Me (Let Me Know) 5 Love Me Tender 6 All Shook Up 7 Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel 8 The Wonder Of You 9 Polk Salad Annie 10 Band Introductions (part 1) 11 What I’d Say featuring James Burton’s guitar solo 12 Ronnie Tutt’s drums solo 13 Jerry Scheff’s Blues solo 14 Glen Hardin’s piano solo 15 Band Introductions (part 2) 16 School Days 17 Johnny B. Goode 18 Steamroller Blues 19 T-R-O-U-B-L-E 20 I’ll Remember You 21 Why Me Lord? 22 Let Me Be There 23 An American Trilogy 24 Hound Dog 25 Elvis talks 26 Funny How Time Slips Away 27 Little Darlin’ 28 Can’t Help Falling In Love 29 Closing Vamp 30 Announcement
Bonus tracks - recorded live on tour: 
31 Help Me 32 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 33 Big Boss Man 34 It’s Midnight 35 Promised Land 36 Fairytale 37 Burning Love 38 My Boy.

A Date With Elvis

The WaxTime label will release "A Date With Elvis" on Janurary 8, 2013.

Tracklisting side A:
Blue Moon Of Kentucky - Milkcow Blues Boogie - Baby, Let's Play House - I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine - Tutti Frutti - I'm Gonna Sit Right Down And Cry (Over You) - I Got A Woman
Tracklisting side B:
Good Rockin' Tonight - Is It So Strange - We're Gonna Move - Blue Moon - Just Because - One-Sided Love Affair - Let Me

(Source: FECC /Elvis Club Berlin)

December 18 - Legendary Release

The "Million Dollar Session" will be re-issued as "The Legendary Session" as a double CD set on the Union Square Music (Soulfood) label on February 22, 2013.

(Source: Amazon)

December 16 - A Bicentennial Tour

The Gravel Road importlabel announced the re-release of two new titles, containing remastered, but  previously released, concerts from 1972 and 1976.

From the press-release: 
According to Gravel Road Music the “Star-sprangled Spectacular Bicentennial ’76” will raise a few questions for the critics as Elvis sounds way better now with a mastering job done properly… The second disc is a great re-mastering of the famous Hampton ’72 concert, which blows all previous releases of this show out of the water – Great sound, fantastic dynamics and Elvis in amazing voice.


Star-Spangled Spectacular Bicentennial’76 

• This Special limited 2 CD set edition includes two spectacular Hampton concerts. 
• The first disc contains the legendary 1976 Hampton Bicentennial concert!
• The second disc contains the famous 1972 Hampton On Tour Concert!
• It comes in a wonderful deluxe digi-pack with booklet, extensive liner notes & photos.
• You may have heard this before, but never in this quality.
• August 1- 1976 (2:30 pm). Hampton VA. Hampton Coliseum

It was a special year for America. The Bicentennial Year, the two-hundredth anniversary of this great nation. Any American with patriotism wanted to show it in some way. Elvis wanted to spread a positive message about
this country throughout this special year, and so he decided to add ‘America The Beautiful’ to his set list.

As Forest George writes in his assessment of this show: There is nothing more exciting to me than finding a (re-mastered) soundboard of an Elvis Presley concert. Audience recordings are fine, but sometimes you just want to hear the entire band and Elvis rock & roll’. This is so true, but… the concert has never been restored and re-mastered. Until Now!

Tracklisting August 1, 1976 (2:30 pm). Hampton VA. Hampton Coliseum
2001 Theme / C. C. Rider / I Got A Woman - Amen / Love Me / If You Love Me / You Gave Me A Mountain / All Shook Up / Teddy Bear - Don’t Be Cruel / And I Love You So / Jailhouse Rock / Fever / America The Beautiful / Return To Sender / Band Introductions / Early Morning Rain ( featuring John Wilkinson ) / What’d I Say ( featuring James Burton ) / Johnny B Goode ( featuring James Burton ) / Drum Solo ( featuring Ronnie Tutt ) / Battle Of New Orleans ( featuring Jerry Scheff ) / Piano Solo ( featuring Tony Brown ) / Electric Piano Solo ( featuring David Briggs ) / Love Letters / School Day / Hurt (+ reprise) / Hound Dog - Good Golly Miss Molly (excerpt) / Funny How Time Slips Away / Cant Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp.

Tracklisting April 9, 1972 (8:30 pm). Hampton VA. Hampton Coliseum:
Also Sprach Zarathustra /. C. C. Rider /. Until It's Time For You To Go /. Polk Salad Annie /. Love Me /. All Shook Up / Teddy Bear (with 2 false starts)/Don't Be Cruel / Are You Lonesome Tonight? /. I Can't Stop Loving You / Hound Dog / Bridge Over Troubled Water / Suspicious Minds / For The Good Times / Band Introductions / An American Trilogy / Love Me Tender / A Big Hunk Of Love / How Great Thou Art / Sweet Sweet Spirit (The Stamps) / Lawdy Miss Clawdy / Cant Help Falling In Love / Closing Vamp/Announcements.

(Source: Elvis Telegraph / Elvis Club Berlin)

December 14 - A Double Strike In New York

The Straight Arrow importlabel released the CDs "Chicago Double-Strike" and "Left A Good Job In The City" containing two audiencerecordings from May 1st. and 2nd. 1977 as recorded in Chicago and Elvis’ First Show in New York,  as recorded on June 9, 1972. 

Billboards Best Selling Catalog Artists Of 2012

Elvis Presley is listed at #10 of Billboards Top Selling Catalogue Album Artists (albums older than 18 months). He is listed at #85 on Billboard 200 Top Best Selling Artists. 

The Top 10 Best Selling Catalogue Album Artists:
1. Whitney Houston
2. Adele
3. Taylor Swift
4. Eminem
5. The Black Keys
6. Lady Antebellum
7. Florence + The Machine
8. Guns n' Roses
9. Zac Brown Band
10. Elvis Presley

(Source: FECC)