September 09 - From Memphis to Murfreesboro

As previously announced, Erik Lorenrzen's new TCB Records record label announced the release of the LP sets: 'Live in Concert - March 16th and 17th 1974 Mid-South Coliseum' and 'Live in Concert - March 14th and 19th 1974 Murfreesboro'. The sets come as two double-albums in separate gatefold sleeves.

Each of the Memphis concerts come housed in a gatefold sleeve on black and blue colored vinyl with a free 45 RPM bonus single of 'Why Me Lord' while the two Murfreesboro concerts come on black and blue splattered colored vinyl, also housed in a gatefold cover and with 'Let Me Be There' as a bonus single. The liner notes were written by by Jean-Etienne Baudel and a cover design by Dag Andersen. 

The concerts have been remastered at Norfolk Studio's, and are pressed in Ghe Netherlands. The new albums present the concert in "the best stereo sound ever and at the proper speed" according to the publicity text. 

Update from Elvis Files website: From his home base in Norway, Erik is hatching a new record label and knowing Erik, not just any label.

 
RCA Records, FTD Records, Sony Music Entertainment and the countless imports and bootlegs that we know from the past four decades - released after Elvis' untimely death - have, in our opinion, released pretty much everything that is available on a sound carrier around the globe. His musical legacy is released on almost everything available like cassettes, CDs, VCDs , DVDs, Blu-Ray disc, vinyl, you name it.

From every 8-track, mono recording, Living Stereo audio, soundboard, mixing panel recordings new, unknown, improved and essential songs in better quality has been released as a brand new digitized track that no one had heard before. They all sounded "slightly different from that other studio or live recording," that is true and we all wanted these new takes in our possession. We litterally spend hundreds of Dollars each year to keep our collection updated but at some point we haven’t had a clue anymore what is new. Have we been cheated over the years? Did the music companies who basically are there to make a profit releasing all these "new" songs, do these releases really add extra value to what we already have at home? The answer is of course a resounding yes, but do we need all of it? No, only the best sound tracks should be offered to the fans. Anyway, we live in a commercial world and we all have to earn our bread and butter some way.

 

Do you really think that every sound engineer at RCA or Sony is an Elvis fan? Don't think so, can we put something on the market today that is better than its predecessors? That’s a firm yes, we know so at The Elvis Files.
 
Back to the first paragraph. The Elvis Files sometimes gets things literally thrown into their lap and it is up to them to do something with it, or not of course. "The Airplanes & The King," a masterpiece by Carlos Varrenti, but would never have been published in this way without Erik’s co-operation. This has become a magnificient book thanks to the input of "Erik and his team from The Elvis Files."
 
And then: "Prodigy of SUN Records," a fantastic reference work from Elvis' early years as a toddler into his pre 20s. A project that we have been working on for 3 long years. A beautifully illustrated book accompanied by a 10-track 10 inch vinyl album. And it is precisely the latter that TEF will continue with vinyl. The SUN recordings on the album were not ‘new’, but in this quality they were never before released. A real study preceded this. With the right people, the right technologies and the love for Elvis' music, this LP has become a gem.
 

In between these books and box sets The Elvis Files -  in collaboration with a handful of people - managed to produce a trilogy of books housed in a box named 1124, that is exactly the number of concerts Elvis gave between 1969 and 1977. A monstrous work of labor and love. That is precisely what we do at The Elvis Files, bringing the fans book loads of information and music on vinyl from the man too.
 
This year we couldn't resist reflecting on the seventieth anniversary of "That's All Right." Two 12 inch gatefold albums and a 45 rpm EP - packed in a beautiful "carry-with-you box - pressed on 180 gr., vinyl and remastered to the best possible sound available. That is precisely what we want and we continue to release albums because we have an itch to do so. Superb quality sound from the original tapes in stereo and played at the proper 45 / 33 rpm speed. The Elvis Files will provide you what the major companies can’t. Wait for its releases, listen to it and be your own judge.
 
Well, what has happened in the last few months?

The World Record label has changed its name to TCB Records. We have known about these tapes for quite a long time but they seemed to be buried, covered in dust somewhere probably to be forgotten and finally being lost forever. Then, suddenly, out of nowhere like lightning, the forgotten Elvis tapes dropped from the sky and as soon as we have listen to these tapes it hits us, like a sledge hammer!!
 
One of the world's most renowned sound engineer (and a vivid Elvis fan) has worked on these tapes to ensure the best possible quality. The stereo sound is absolutely amazing and the speed of the tracks are absolutely correct. You hear and feel every instrument that was used in this series of concerts that Elvis gave, it’s a thrill, really it is. These songs seem like they were recorded yesterday.

Soon to be released on this label for the very first time ever are two separate 180 Gr. gatefold vinyl albums from a concert in 1974 in never-before-heard original stereo - not only stereo but also the rpm is excellently correct. I heard several samples and my legs were shaking – I couldn’t believe what I heard. Never before have I listened to this famous concerto in this sound, believe me when I say; “Elvis is alive and recorded these songs yesterday.”
 
Two albums, Elvis live in concert at Mid-South Coliseum Memphis Tn. Approximately 1 hour of listening pleasure until the very last second when the needle goes to its rest position you are in awe with the sound. On top of these albums as an extra bonus a 45 rpm single.
 
Immediately after the release of above mentioned another concert from 1974 - Elvis live in concert at MTSU Mufreesboro Tn., also a double album housed in two separate gatefold sleeves and a single exactly as above - will be released as a following up ... and then, yet more to come in 2025 on vinyl from us.

(Source: The Elvis Files) 

Review Elvis UK 78

Authors John Townson and Gordon Minto continued their ambition of systematically updating the original 1987 'Elvis UK' book, turning their attention to a full and exhaustive examination of Elvis' 78 RPM releases with a new volume titled 'ELVIS UK 78 RPM'. Providing "The Ultimate Guide To Elvis Presley’s British 78s 1956-1960" as the subtitle states. 

In their opening words, authors John Townson and Gordon Minto write that the 78 RPM format is “redundant,” with production halted in 1958 in the United States and 1960 in the U.K. But are they correct? Because didn't we get re-issues of Elvis' five SUN singles as 78s on “Splash Sun” colored vinyl and even a Liquid Vinyl release of Elvis’ breakthrough hit, ‘That’s All Right,’ at 78 RPM earlier in 2024? 

Reading the book, I learned that these new 78s don’t fit the official definition of a 78 as they are not pressed on the original shellac format. So, I learned something from the first pages, a good reason to dive in deeper!

Design

Behind the original and funny cover of this A4-sized softcover book the design follows the format used in the previous volumes in the ‘Elvis UK’ series. So, if you own one of those earlier titles, you know what you are getting. The book covers all possible bases needed to tell the complete story,  and probably some more! 

Where most discography books are (primarily) picture books, these authors stick with the format they developed 40 years ago as it works for these kinds of encyclopedic releases. That means that it contains lots of detail and information not found in other publications. 

This does not mean that it is a plain textbook, as it is illustrated throughout with records and sleeves (all generic, unfortunately), a varied overview of original newspaper and magazine articles, adverts, and other relevant material. Some are just a few lines long, but how did they find those? It must have taken years of collecting and research to compile this wealth of information. And a reader with eye for detail may even stumble on some hidden jokes about taxes and patented jet boots. 

We know Townson and Minto enjoy writing extensively about their investigative work on British releases, and it is thanks to their entertaining writing style that each chapter is an insightful and pleasant essay to read. That is a nice bonus for books like this.

Content

Like previous volumes in the ‘Elvis UK’ series, this book offers the complete package on the subject at hand, describing the origin of the format, the business and the customer’s side (these fragile discs were not kept in sturdy protective sleeves), and even the tax side, as that helped to date the different pressings. 

The book discusses each Elvis release on 78 RPM individually, covering 28 discs on the His Master’s Voice and RCA record labels, with scans of every known label and sleeve variation. The book offers a detailed and forensic commentary on every release, while the extensive text is amply illustrated. Pretty much everything that happened between March 1956 and April 1960, the lifespan of Elvis Presley releases on 78 RPM in the United Kingdom, is placed in a historical context.

And although we know 78s are an old, almost forgotten format, we may not always realize that some of the (U.K.) Elvis releases were only available for a short period. The first Elvis Presley 78, ‘Heartbreak Hotel / I Was The One’ on the HMV label, was available from March 1956 to September 1958, while the last RCA release on the shellac format, ‘A Mess of Blues,’ could only be obtained if you specially ordered it, as the 45 RPM single format had taken over by then. And not everybody knew a 78 RPM version could be ordered, so some are hard to find.

Setting the scene for the Elvis 78s, the book details the history of 78 RPM releases - 78.26 RPM to be exact, as the book explains - in the U.K. generally, their popularity and importance for the musical revolution of the Rock and Roll generation, until the more durable 45 RPM format took over in just a couple of years. Reading this book I realize (or fantasize) that guys like John Lennon or Keith Richards may have heard Elvis first on the radio and later bought a shellac 78 RPM single to play on their parents' equipment!

The book chronicles their subsequent (and rapid) fall from favor. Reading the years and numbers, this change of format happened more quickly than the LP > CD > Digital Music revolution in the past 35 years. 

After covering all the basics, the book goes into detail on each of the singles released on the 78 RPM format, delving deep into the history of the release. You could almost say that each record gets its own essay detailing its background, the chart positions, and the business side from both the record company’s and the customer’s perspectives in the context of the 1950s pop scene. I enjoyed the analysis by the authors of why ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ didn’t manage to hit the No. 1 spot in the United Kingdom. And where relevant, the authors make references to U.S. and other 78 releases. 

The eye for detail is amazing, not only on the records but also on some of the other memorabilia presented on the pages of this book. For example, the authors tracked down the five Wertheimer and ‘Love Me Tender’ promotional pictures used for the 1958 ‘I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone’ promo poster from His Master’s Voice. 

Wouldn't it have been great if HMV or RCA had applied the same originality to the cover art of their record releases? 

And while this is the slimmest volume in the ‘Elvis UK’ series at “just” 222 pages, there is too much content packed between the two flexible covers to cover in this review, and it would become repetitive with observations and compliments on the body of work by these two gentlemen. This is the kind of book you buy to learn and understand Elvis’s musical history, categorize your collection, or simply to enjoy sitting back and reading these well-written essays.

Conclusion

Like many discography works, this book may not be of interest to all fans, but it documents an important part of Elvis’s record history as it was, one of the, formats available when that young man from Memphis stepped into the musical spotlight and shook everything up. It is not only the kind of book you use as a reference when updating your collection but also a book to pick up every now and then for some educational reading because there is too much content to take in all in one read. The authors treated the subject of Elvis’s British 78 RPM releases seriously but made it an entertaining read at the same time.

And while many of us, owning the original 1987 edition of ‘Elvis UK,’ may think we’ve got our bases covered for collecting U.K. Elvis releases, we’re not. The original ‘Elvis UK’ book covered what was known and possible to publish almost 40 years ago. With each new volume in their ‘Elvis UK’ series, Townson and Minto extend the history of the format at hand considerably.

To summarize: a well-researched reference, providing an interesting and entertaining read, this book is the definitive record on Elvis’ British releases on the 78 RPM format. The format may be obsolete, this book surely isn't for collectors as it offers an in-depth and comprehensive look at this important piece of record history, preserving what otherwise might have been lost to history.

And this reminds me, where did I store those – obsolete- fragile discs with those blue-colored labels ...

The book is available exclusively from the authors' >>> Elvis UK Books webshop, modestly priced at UK£ 30. 

September 07 - Charts September 2024 - Week 1 (Updated)

The Elvis Week effect is over, Elvis dropped a few spot on most chart in the United States and United Kingdom. The 'The Real Elvis' budget compilation is an exception on the Physical Sales chart.

This week the 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' compilation has reached another milestone: the album has been been listed 208 weeks on Billboard's Top 200 album chart, marking 4 years on the chart. 

Official U.K. charts:

• Official Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from No. 38 to No. 39. 
• Official Streaming Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' remained steady at No. 34. 
• Official Album Sales chart: 'The Real Elvis' made a re-entry at No. 77.
• Official Physical Album chart: 'The Real Elvis Presley' climbed from No. 92 to No. 71.  
• Official DVD chart: 'ELVIS' dropped off the chart from last week's No. 94 spot.
• Official Music DVD chart: 'Elvis: The King of Rock and Roll' dropped off the chart from last week's re-entry at No. 35. 
• Official Music DVD chart: 'Aloha From Hawaii' dropped off the chart from last week's re-entry at No. 49. 
• Official Physical Singles chart: 'Welcome Home Elvis' dropped from #93 to #96.

Official Scottish charts:

• Official Scottish Album chart: 'The Real Elvis Presley' dropped from No. 77 to No. 91. 

Irish IRMA charts: 

• Official Irish Album chart: 'ELV1S 30#1 Hits' dropped from No. 80 to No. 88. 

Billboard charts:   

• Billboard Top 200 Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from No. 174 to No. 185. 
• Billboard Top Country Album chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' dropped from No 33 to No. 35. 
• Billboard Top Rock & Alternative Albums chart: 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' climbed from No. 46 to No. 43. 

Hugh McIntyre wrote for Forbes: Elvis Presley is still hitting special milestones, even decades after his death. Interest in the rocker and his music hasn’t dwindled much, and that’s clear looking at the superstar’s performance on the charts in America this week.

'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits', one of Presley’s most successful singles collections, is still going strong on the Billboard 200, the all-genre list of the most-consumed albums in the U.S. The title hits 208 weeks on the tally, or exactly four years, as of this frame.

The compilation marks Presley’s first release to spend 208 weeks on the competitive ranking. It has ranked as the late musician’s longest-running win for some time, so it’s the one that helps him continue to reach special milestones, even though he’s been gone for many decades.

Presley’s second-longest-charting title on the Billboard 200 is another compilation. 'The Essential Elvis Presley' has now spent 107 weeks somewhere on the 200-slot tally, almost exactly 100 fewer turns than the biggest set shared by the rock star.

This week, 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' is falling on the Billboard 200, though that’s not unusual to see when it comes to the albums and compilations that live on the ranking. The set slips from No. 174 to No. 185 this period. Luminate reports that it shifted nearly 8,500 equivalent units last tracking frame in America.

'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' is one of Presley’s three No. 1s on the Billboard 200. That number may seem extremely small for someone as successful as Presley was, and timing has a lot to do with that. Presley became a household name and a bestseller before Billboard officially launched and set up the charts that are still used to this day. Much of his output preceded the weekly lists, so his numbers are lower than some more modern stars.

As 'ELV1S 30 #1 Hits' reaches 208 weeks on the Billboard 200, the compilation can be found on two other rankings in the U.S. The title dips two rungs on the Top Country Albums list, settling at No. 35. It manages the opposite performance on the Top Rock and Alternative Albums roster, where it lifts from No. 46 to No. 43.

(Source: Billboard / Official Chart Company / IRMA / Forbes / UK Mix Forum)

September 06 - Released

The Norwegian Flaming Star fan club released the EP 'That's All Right', commemorating the 70th Anniversary of Elvis' debut single on the SUN label in 1954. This EP is limited to 250 copies.

Tracks side A: That's All Right - Blue Moon Of Kentucky

Side B: Good Rockin' Tonight - You're A Heartbreaker.

The set can be ordered from >>> Flaming Star by email.

Closing Night Released

The Memphis Recording Service import label released the CD and LP editions of 'Las Vegas Closing Night 1973' featuring parts of the September 3, 1973, Dinner and Closing Show performances. The first fans showed their copies on facebook. 

Publicity stated: This CD set contains the highlights of Elvis’ final two shows performed on the Closing Night of his Las Vegas engagement in early September 1973. For the first time ever, the material from these shows is presented in stereo. 

The accompanying booklet - which includes rare photographs and memorabilia dating from this engagement and  features liner notes which set the scene for this, his ninth season, in Las Vegas. The CD comes housed in a digibook.

Note: The CD is a straight copy of the 2004 'Closing Night' CD as released by the Follow That Dream Collectors label. An audience recording of the Closing Show was released in June 2024 as 'Seventy Three' by the ReelTrax import record label. 

For the CD edition click here to go to >>> Amazon (associate link).

CD 1 - September 3, 1973 Dinner Show: 

Also Sprach Zarathustra - See See Rider - Elvis Talks - I Got A Woman - Amen - Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Trouble

September 3, 1973 Closing Show: Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On / Mama Don't Dance / Flip, Flop And Fly / Hound Dog - Love Me Tender - Fever - What Now My Love - Suspicious Minds (Messed Up) - Bridge Over Troubled Water - Suspicious Minds - Band Introductions - Welcoming Guests - My Boy - I Can't Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - A Big Hunk O' Love - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face - Elvis Talks About Mario - Mystery Train - Tiger Man - How Great Thou Art - Help Me Make It Through The Night - Softly As I Leave You - Can't Help Falling In Love

Sold!

The independent music company Reservoir Media has acquired the publishing rights to the catalog of the late songwriter and guitarist Billy Strange.

While the financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, Reservoir said the acquisition includes some of Strange’s most well-known compositions, such as Elvis Presley’s hits 'A Little Less Conversation', 'Memories', 'Clean Up Your Own Back Yard', 'Charro' and 'Nothingville'. 

Born in 1930 in Long Beach, California, Strange died in February 2012 at the age of 81. Strange started his career as a session guitarist in the 1950s. He quickly established himself as a guitarist, songwriter, and arranger. Strange became closely associated with Elvis contributing to several of big hits including 'A Little Less Conversation', which originally featured in Elvis film 'Live a Little, Love a Little'. The track gained renewed popularity when Junkie XL remixed the song in 2002, as 'A Little Less Conversation – JXL Radio Edit Remix', which topped

the charts in nine countries, including a four-week run at #1 in the UK.

Billy Strange was the original Musical Director of the "68 Comeback Special" but was replaced by Billy Goldenburg. Beyond his work with Presley, Strange’s catalog also includes hits such as The Champs, Chubby Checker and contributions to film soundtracks, 'The Trouble with Girls' (1969), TV shows 'The Munsters' (1964), 'Batman' (1966), and 'Have Gun – Will Travel' (1957). 

As a guitarist, Strange played with legendary acts such as the Beach Boys, Nancy Sinatra, Willie Nelson, Randy Newman, and Nat King Cole.

(Source: Flaming Star / Facebook / Elvis Information Network)

Follow Elvis Day By Day

For some reason Meta closed the previous Elvis Day by Dag page on Facebook. Therefor this new page to keep Elvis fans around the world up-to-date with the latest Elvis Presley news and reviews.

If you like, you can join the new page on Facebook, >>> click here to follow (and stay up to date with Everything Elvis Presley).

After providing the latest Elvis Presley News and Reviews on a daily basis for 25 years this month, we start again ... up to the next 25 years!

September 05 - From RCA to Stax to Vegas

The Paradise Road import record label announced the September 2024 release of the 6-CD-set ‘Elvis live in Las Vegas - Season 8’ and a CD version of the LP ‘Elvis: From RCA to Stax’.

Publicity stated: ‘Elvis live in Las Vegas - Season 8’ consists of 3 double CDs with six audience recorded shows from this season in remastered sound, including the Opening Show. 

This first set is part of a series, a second set will be released at the end of October 2024, together with an exclusive collector's box in which the complete series of sets can be stored. 

On these CDs you get the first 3 shows from this season plus the Midnight Show from January 28 as well as the February 9 Dinner and Midnight shows. The set features great live versions of ‘Sweet Caroline’, ‘All Shook Up’, ‘I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry’, ‘What Now My Love’ and many others! This is a limited edition of only 350 copies.   
 

Disc 1 - Recorded live in Las Vegas, Nevada January 26, 1973 opening show: Also Sprach Zarathustra - See See Rider - Burning Love - Elvis Talks - Something - Introduction Of Kathy Westmoreland - You Gave Me A Mountain - Steamroller Blues - Sweet Caroline - My Way - Love Me - Blue Suede Shoes - Johnny B. Goode - Lawdy Miss Clawdy - Fever - Hound Dog - I Can’t Stop Loving You - Elvis Talks - I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry - What Now My Love - Suspicious Minds - Band Introductions - I’ll Remember You - Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On - Elvis Talks - Can’t Help Falling In Love

 
Disc 2 - Recorded live in Las Vegas, Nevada January 27, 1973 Dinner Show: See See Rider - Long Tall Sally / Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On - Until It’s Time For You To Go - You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Fever - Love Me - Blue Suede Shoes - Love Me Tender - Johnny B. Goode - Hound Dog - What Now My Love - Suspicious Minds - Band Introductions - I’ll Remember You - I Can’t Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - Burning Love - Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp
 

Disc 3 - Recorded live in Las Vegas, Nevada January 27, 1973 midnight show: See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Until It’s Time For You To Go - You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Fever - Love Me - Blue Suede Shoes - Love Me Tender - Johnny B. Goode - Hound Dog - What Now My Love - Suspicious Minds - Band Introductions - I’ll Remember You - I Can’t Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - Burning Love - Can’t Help Falling In Love

Disc 4 - Recorded live in Las Vegas, Nevada January 28, 1973 Midnight Show: See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Until It’s Time For You To Go - You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Fever - Love Me - All Shook Up - Love Me Tender - Johnny B. Goode - Hound Dog - What Now My Love - Suspicious Minds - Band Introductions - I’ll Remember You - I Can’t Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - Introduction Of Celebrities - Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp
 

Disc 5 - Recorded live in Las Vegas, Nevada February 9, 1973 Dinner Show: Also Sprach Zarathustra - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me Tender - You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Fever - Love Me - Blue Suede Shoes - Love Me Tender - Johnny B. Goode - Hound Dog - What Now My Love - Suspicious Minds - Band Introductions - I’ll Remember You - I’ll Remember You (Reprise) - I Can’t Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - Can’t Help Falling In Love

Disc 6 - Recorded live in Las Vegas, Nevada, February 9, 1973 Midnight Show: Also Sprach Zarathustra - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me Tender - You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me - Steamroller Blues - You Gave Me A Mountain - Fever - Love Me - Blue Suede Shoes - Heartbreak Hotel - Johnny B. Goode - Hound Dog - What Now My Love - Suspicious Minds - Band Introductions - I Can’t Stop Loving You - An American Trilogy - Can’t Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp

Note from the Elvis Information Network: all concerts have been lifted from previous releases like: 

• 'Back On The Mainland' in very poor audio quality
• 'Long Tall Sally' in good Audience quality
• January 27 1973 MS show on FTD 'From Vegas to Tahoe'!
• 'Under The Midnight Sun' - OK Audience quality
• 'Top Acts in Vegas Vol.7' - OK Audience quality
• 'In Fine Form' - average Audience quality

 

FROM LP to CD

Publicity for the CD edition of ‘Elvis stated: From RCA to Stax’ stated: The vinyl release 'From RCA To Stax' (released in June of this year) is now available on CD! Like the vinyl release, this CD features recordings from RCA's Studio B in Nashville and the Stax Studio in Memphis. 

A very nice 70's compilation with many outtakes! This CD release contains some bonus tracks like the unedited overdubbed master of 'Patch it Up' and the rare unrepaired master - take 8 of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water'.
 

CD Tracks: Bridge Over Troubled Water (Take 8 / Unrepaired Master)* - Padre (Take 10) - Stranger In The Crowd (Rehearsal / Take 7) - Life - (Rehearsal / Take 1) - Heart Of Rome (Overdub, Take 3) - Heart Of Rome (Overdub, Work Part Take 1) - Sylvia (Take 5 & 6) - Make The World Go Away (Overdub, Work Part Take 1) - Patch It Up (Unedited Overdubbed Master)* - Tomorrow Never Comes (Take 13 / Ending Only) - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Duet With Ginger Holladay) - Sylvia (Take 7) - Life (Take 17) - Life (Take 18 & 19) - If I Get Home On Christmas Day (Take 6) - If I Get Home On Christmas Day (Take 7) - The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face (Duet With Temple Riser) - I Got A Feeling In My Body (Rehearsal) - If You Don't Come Back (Take 4) - There's A Honky Tonk Angel (Take 2) - There's A Honky Tonk Angel (Take 3)* - Promised Land (Take 1) - It's Midnight (Take 19)*

*CD bonus tracks. 

Note: Nothing that hasn't previously been released: the Unedited overdubbed 'Patch it Up' was on 'Nashville 1971' (Venus), the Unrepaired master of 'Bridge Over Troubled Water' was on the excellent 'You Know, It Don't Have To Be Strictly Country Vol. 1', Take 10 of 'Padre' on the 'The Joan Deary Tapes Vol. 2', 'Stranger In The Crowd (Rehearsal / Take 7) was taken from 'Unedited Masters Life (Venus) and so on ...

Sergio Mendes Died

The Brazilian musician Sérgio Mendes died as a result of health challenges related to long-term Covid. He was 83.  

Mendez brought the Bossa Nova music to an international audience in the 1960s with his hit 'Mas Que Nada', performed with his band Brasil ’66, 

On November 30, 1972 Elvis attended Sergio Mendes and Paul Anka's Opening Night at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

(Source: FECC / Elvis Information Network)

September 04 - The Rock 'N' Roll Years Vol. 3

The German ZYX record label shared the cover-art and tracklisting of the third volume of 'Elvis - The Rock 'n' Roll Years'.

Tracks: Don’t Be Cruel / Any Way You Want Me (That’s How I Will Be) / We’re Gonna Move / Poor Boy / Let Me / Love Me / How Do You Think I Feel / How’s the World Treating You / When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again / Long Tall Sally / Old Shep /Anyplace Is Paradise / Ready Teddy / First in Line / Rip It Up.

Elvis’ Ring Fails to Sell at Star-Studded Sale

A diamond and gold ring owned by Elvis Presley didn’t find a buyer last week in Kruse GWS Auctions’ Artifacts of Hollywood and Music auction, which offered nearly 400 lots of costumes, memorabilia, and clothing and other items once personally owned by Prince, the Beach Boys, Marilyn Monroe, and other celebrities as well as coffee heiress Abigail Folger.

“These items have undergone the most stringent, meticulous process to determine authenticity and provenance,” said Brigitte Kruse, founder of Kruse GWS Auctions, in a statement. “Out of thousands of items submitted and rigorously inspected - many of which did not qualify for our auctions because of our high internal standards - this is one of the finest collections we’ve been able to bring together.”

Presley’s 14k gold ring features 1.3 cts. t.w. diamonds and a 0.1 ct. red spinel adorning an incredibly detailed ram’s head—representing the King’s astrological sign, Capricorn—in high relief. It had a presale estimate of US$35,000 to US$65,000.

Elvis was known to have studied astrology and numerology, making this piece particularly personal. He gifted the ring to his friend and backup singer Shaun Nielsen after Nielsen commented that he liked it. Nielsen sang on Presley’s 1967 gospel album, How Great Thou Art, and in the rock legend’s final show.

“The fact that these celebrities were with us for such a short amount of time adds to the value of their keepsakes,” Kruse said. “For many collectors, this is more than an investment; it’s a way of holding on to someone you admired or cared about.”

(Source: ZYX record label / FECC / JCK Online / Kruse GWS)

September 03 - A Little Golden Discography

Marco Durzu published a paperback and a hardback edition of his book 'Elvis Presley - Bootleg Discography S - Z -Others'. This completes the first volume released earlier 2024.

Description: This book is dedicated to, and wants to honor the music of Elvis Presley and covers his bootleg discography for the titles starting with "S to Z and others". For each title the author listed the catalog for 84 labels holding 613 titles. 

It is the sequel to 'Elvis Presley Bootleg Discography A - R', which was published earlier in 2024. 

At the end of the book there is a guide to listening to analog / digital music, which illustrates the fundamental theoretical concepts for listening to it, the digital formats used (wave, flac, dsd and dxd formats) in their most updated forms in order to listen to the music with the highest possible quality.

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

Delayed

The Elvis Files team announced that the new 'Portraits' book was delayed. It should be at the bindery and going out to fans mid-September 2024. 

A Little Golden Book Biography

Golden Books published the pre-school children's book 'Elvis Presley: A Little Golden Book Biography' by by Lisa Jean Rogers (Author), Luke Flowers (Illustrator).

Publicity for the 24-page hardcover picture book stated: Dream big with this Little Golden Book about Elvis Presley, legendary movie star and the King of Rock and Roll thanks to songs like 'Blue Suede Shoes' and 'Hound Dog', is an inspiring read-aloud for young children and fans of any age. 

Little Golden Book biographies are the perfect introduction to nonfiction for young readers, as well as fans of all ages!

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

(Source: Amazon)

September 02 - How The Legend Was Woven

One World Media released the audio CD and cloud stored book series 'The Legend' series, is a volume on Elvis Presley. The narration is by Stefan Rudnicki and Henry Stevens. It is unclear how long the listening time is. 

The audio book is described as: From the heart of Memphis, the city where legends are born, emerged the greatest of them all - adored by millions, devoted to his music, and unwavering in his love for his mother. This icon, both mysterious and unmistakable, rose to reign as the unstoppable King of Rock ‘n' Roll - Elvis Presley.

"In his early days, Elvis was seen as a quiet high school outcast. But when the spotlight finally found him, he unleashed a voice that awakened the world and set its pulse to the rhythm of Rock ‘n' Roll. Hear from Dixie Locke Emmons, Elvis' high school sweetheart, as she reveals unforgettable moments from his life before fame. Legendary figures like Dick Clark, Kenny Rogers, Ray Manzarek of The Doors, and Elvis' own drummer D.J. Fontana recount his television years, his controversial dance moves, and the raw, electrifying sound that defined an era.

Lifelong friends Joe Esposito and Charlie Hodge, along with icons like Bill Medley of The Righteous Brothers and Glen Campbell, paint a vivid picture of the King's world - from his love for girls and Cadillacs to the sanctuary of Graceland. Discover how gospel music, his service in the U.S. Army, his marriage to the beautiful Priscilla Beaulieu, and his triumphant return to Las Vegas shaped Elvis into the legend he became. Dive deep into the story of the one and only Elvis Presley.

Essays in Celebration of Elvis Presley

Peter Critchley published his 397-page book 'How the Web was Woven: Essays in Celebration of Elvis Presley, the Heart Singer'. 

Description: This new 397-page softcover release (with a somewhat disturbing sub-title) is described as: How the Web Was Woven is a collection of essays on Elvis Presley, underlining both his cultural and musical significance. The collection is book-ended by essays which stress Elvis' importance as a liberator, a democrat rather than a king, and essays which see Elvis' demise as the demise of am individualistic, narcissistic, and ultimately solipsistic and sterile culture.

In between, there are essays which reassess overlooked or unappreciated parts of Elvis' career, the 'lost' songs of 1963 and 1964, the country rock phase of 1967 and 1968, the towering Nashville sessions of 1970 and 1971, the country soul of Stax '73 and, finally, the Graceland sessions of 1976.

Through it all, the case is made for Elvis Presley the heart singer, the greatest that there has ever been, a man who rewrote the material according to his innate musical and emotional intelligence.

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

(Source: Nigel patterson on the Facbook Book Discussion Group / Amazon)

September 01 - ELVIS UK 78 Released

Authors John Townson and Gordon Minto published their 228-page book 'ELVIS UK 78 r.p.m. The Ultimate Guide To Elvis Presley’s British 78s 1956-1960'. 

 

Publicity stated: This soft-backed, newly-written, 228-page book, follows on from our highly successful previous publications in the 'Elvis UK' series, each of them acclaimed and much sought-after by collectors, and provides the ultimate guide to Elvis’s 78 RPM releases issued in the U.K. between 1956-1960.  
 
This new volume re-examines in scrupulous detail - and extends considerably - information relating to 78rpm releases included in our original book 'Elvis UK', published in 1987.
 
It includes a history of both the HMV and RCA releases, and also provides a context for the 1950s pop scene. The book details the history of 78 RPM releases in the U.K. generally, their popularity and importance as well as chronicling their subsequent (and rapid) fall from favor.

The book discusses each 78rpm release individually, offering a detailed and forensic commentary on every release, while the extensive text is amply illustrated with scans of every known label and sleeve variation, relevant photographs, and scans of contemporaneous newspaper and magazine articles and adverts. It is extensively illustrated in full colour throughout, including a variety of images of Elvis himself and much more. 

The book is available exclusively from the author's >>> Elvis UK Books webshop for just UKP 30. 

Golden Boy Elvis

The 3rd Golden Boy Elvis magazine for 2024 will be out mid-September. This edition contains in-depth reviews of the FTD 5-CD-set 'Guitar Man', SONY's 5-CD-set 'Memphis' and the 'Memphis Blues' box from the German Bear Family. 

In the series "Authentic Elvis – The Story of a Style Icon," continues with its fifth installment. 

The vinyl lovers will get their money's worth with 'The Elvis Records from Europe', which not only provides detailed descriptions of Elvis releases on but also gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the "record network". The 'Rillen Revue Remake,' series continues with the single "I Got Lucky / Girls! Girls! Girls!'. And much more. 

For more information, visit the >>> Golden Boy Elvis website. 

Colored Vinyl

The DOL budget record label re-issued Elvis debut album on green colored vinyl and the 'Blue Hawaii' soundtrack on blue colored vinyl. 

Description on 'Elvis': It's hard to find a more iconic album. This is Elvis Presley's first album and already one of the first albums in the history of rock (before, the genre was mainly consumed through singles). The album cover says it all about Elvis (the beauty, the energy) and would later be frequently imitated. 

For the future "King," it marks the turning point between his rockabilly beginnings at Sun Records and a new life as a living legend. The tracklisting captures this moment: you hear songs recorded over the span of a year, first at Sun Records, then for RCA, his new label. There's no real artistic coherence, but genius is everywhere, from the stripped-down ballads ("Blue Moon"), rock reminiscent of his Sun Records days ("Blue Suede Shoes"), to barely whitewashed rhythm 'n' blues ("Money Honey") ... Plus, this reissue includes the masterpiece "Heartbreak Hotel," which wasn’t on the original 1956 album.

Publicity for 'Blue Hawaii' stated: Between 1956 and 1969, Elvis appeared in no fewer than thirty films. Despite their varying quality, often leaning toward B-movies, some stood out, like *Blue Hawaii*. In the film, the singer plays a young heartthrob who, after returning from military service, wants to escape the family business he’s expected to take over. 

The movie’s soundtrack lives up to the hype. The ballads are to die for: 'Blue Hawaii', 'Hawaiian Sunset', and especially the timeless 'Can’t Help Falling in Love'; sweet pop gems like 'Moonlight Swim'; Rock 'n' Roll with 'Almost Always True' or 'Rock-A-Hula Baby'. All set against a backdrop of warm sand, rolling waves, and swaying palm trees. The result? Over five months at the top of the U.S. Billboard charts, and a prime spot on any respectable summer music playlist.

(Sources: Gordon Minto / Golden Boy Elvis)