- EIN presents all the Elvis CD news for 2010 -

'Christmas Today' new Venus CD release: Coming soon from Venus Productions a new double CD set titled "Christmas Today". The red CD features Nashville recordings from May 1971 with various out-takes and undubbed masters taken from great quality acetates. This inspiring music will move you and bring you back into the Holiday Season mood. The blue CD may sound unessential to most of you, but we predict it will become one your favorite CDs straight away. The recording sessions for the album Elvis Today took place at RCA’s studio on Sunset Boulevard, and Elvis was really up for it and his lively enthusiasm can be heard throughout the sessions. Besides the great sound quality of both CDs, the blue one contains some unheard highlights. By example the master take of  'Fairytale' runs about 40 seconds longer and 'Susan When She Tried' also runs a bit longer with his original ending, plus there are several bits and pieces that will make you value this CD more than you think. This Holiday delight will be released in a standard jewel case with a 16 page booklet. The booklet will feature two front/back covers you may use according to your taste or season. Christmas is coming early in 2010 !!! Get a copy and bring it back home as it’s Christmas Today !!! Tracklist: CD RED: 1, I'll Be Home On Christmas Day Take 6; 2- Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees Take 3; 3- On A Snowy Christmas Night undubbed master *; 4- The Wonderful World Of Christmas undubbed master *; 5- Silver Bells Take 1; 6- I'll Be Home On Christmas Day Takes 1-2; 7- The Lord's Prayer; 8- Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees Takes 1-2; 9- The First Noel undubbed master *; 10- Winter Wonderland Take 7; 11- I'll Be Home On Christmas Day Takes 5,7,3; 12- Merry Christmas Baby Fs, undubbed master *; 13- If I Get Home On Christmas Day undubbed master *; 14- Silver Bells undubbed master *; 15- Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees Takes 5,6,7,4; 16- Winter Wonderland undubbed master *; 17- It Won't Seem Like Christmas Without You undubbed master *; 18- I'll Be Home On Christmas Day undubbed master *; 19-Holly Leaves And Christmas Trees undubbed master *; 20- O Come, All Ye Faithful undubbed master *; 21- I'll Be Home On Christmas Day Take 4; 22- Silver Bells Fs,Tk2 (original session recording),Tk3 (Fs). * from acetate

Trying To Do The Best boxset: Coming soon from the Groove Jam label is a 4 CD Longbox with 12-page booklet. TRYING TO DO THE BEST! contains 4 audience recordings,one of them has never been released before on factory made CD.

The dates are: April 17. 1972 Little Rock (we have a much better tape than the one issued before!), november 14. 1972 Long Beach, March 2. 1974 Tulsa, and july 23. 1975 Asheville (contains rare live versions of "Turn Around Look At Me" and "Shake A Hand" + it's slightly more complete than before!). More info later. (News, Source: GrooveJam)

Victrola presents "Greatest Hits Vol. 1" New CD: An old friend is back with a new name…  The brand-new Victrola label is planning a number of very interesting releases for the Elvis fan & collector. Our first release is a CD reissue of the 1981 release "Greatest Hits vol. 1" (AHL1-2347). Despite the forgettable title, this is a superb album that is highly sought-after today. We’re excited about being able to present this album in its full glory, digitally improved from the original album masters and with superior packaging.  Even now, 25 years after its original release, "Greatest Hits vol. 1" still holds up extremely well. All material on this album dates from Elvis’ comeback period, 1967 – ’73. It’s an album that makes sense: the songs fit well together and the performances are uniformly strong on a wide variety of material, with Elvis putting his own indelible stamp on them, regardless of the genre. In fact, if you would want to introduce a friend to the magic of The King’s music, then this album would be a very good starting point.

'KARATE FEVER' New CD: The next release from Straight Arrow (SA 2010-15-02), will be the Las Vegas August 31st, 1974 Dinner show. Elvis Summer '74 Las Vegas engagement was quite memorable not only due to the inclusion of many new or unusual songs, but also due to the long monologues on various themes. In 1974, Elvis’ main 'non-singing' interest was karate and he was awarded with an 8th black belt degree from the Korean karate master Kang Rhee. During many of these summer '74 concerts, he tried to explain his audience what karate mean to him. Nevertheless, he was also singing more than ever and his voice was in excellent shape - he gave many memorable performances. This is a previously unreleased audience recording. An early generation copy of the original mastertape was obtained and completely restored using today's advanced technology. The sound quality is remarkable for an off-line audio source. Just like all previous releases from this label, this new CD will come in a deluxe package with a 16-page booklet, containing a collection of photographs taken in August / September 1974 as well as informative liner notes. This CD is set for release near the end of April 2010.

'Black Diamond' new 1976 live CD: In late May the Northern Star label will re-release Elvis' last Las Vegas concert. We're trying to make the sound quality a little bit better than it was on the previous releases of this historic concert. No more bad noise reduction,vinyl source and things like these. We have the first generation copy of the master tape and every single second will be carefully remastered. The 2 CD-set will come with a 16-page booklet,containing photographs and memorabilia from the last Vegas engagement. More infos and sound samples will be available soon. Track-list: CD 1:  2001 - See See Rider - I Got A Woman / Amen - Love Me - My Way (with false start) - Fairytale - You Gave Me A Mountain - Jailhouse Rock - Little Sister - O Sole Mio / It's Now Or Never - Trying To Get To You - Happy Birthday To Charlie Hodge - Blue Suede Shoes - Elvis Talks About His Black Diamond Ring - Blue Christmas - Softly As I Leave You - Are You Lonesome Tonight ? - That's All Right - Bridge Over Troubled Water CD 2 : Band Introductions - Early Morning Rain - What'd I Say - Johnny B. Goode - Drum / Bass / Electric Piano Solos - Love Letters - School Days - Hurt - Such A Night - Sweet Caroline - Can't Help Falling In Love - Closing Vamp (News, Source;Northern Star)

New CD release - I'm Gonna Leave The Stage! (Excuse me for a second....): La Freak Records will soon re-release Elvis' February 15th 1973 D/S , originally issued on a now hard to find 1992 CD : Las Vegas Dinner Show. This is the (in)famous concert where Elvis walked off-stage in the middle of singing "Fever" for 18 minutes, leaving J.D. Sumner and The Stamps singing whatever they could to fill the show while Elvis is being off-stage. Elvis returns , performs "Can't Help Falling In Love" and suddenly decides  to continue the show. He does 5 more songs , ( including "Can't Help Falling In Love" for the second time!) and closes the show. We managed to improve the sound quality significantly for your listening pleasure and we hope that you'll enjoy the final result. As a bonus we proudly give you 3 extra tracks from the previously unreleased February 21 D/S.

This show wasn't available in any form previously , not even on CD-R. Even better , this material was taken from a first generation booth recording and the sound quality is excellent !  ( We will release the complete show later in this year)

Tracklist:  1 - 2001 Theme, 2 - See See Rider, 3 - I Got A Woman / Amen, 4 - Love Me Tender, 5 - You Don't Have To Say You Love Me, 6 - Steamroller Blues, 7 - You Gave Me A Mountain, 8 - Fever, 9 - Walk That Lonesome Road (by Stamps Quartet), 10 - Sweet Sweet Spirit (by Stamps Quartet ), 11 - When It's My Time ( by Bill Baise), 12 - How Great Thou Art (by Stamps Quartet), 13 -  I Sould Have Been Crucified (by Stamps Quartet), 14 - Can't Help Falling In Love, 15 - Faded Love, 16 - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry, 17 - Polk Salad Annie, 18 - An American Trilogy, 19 - Can't Help Falling In Love, 20 - Closing Vamp / Announcements, BONUS TRACKS: 21 - Suspicious Minds, 22 - I Can't Stop Loving You, 23 - What Now My Love (with 2 false starts & reprise) (News, Source: LeFreak Records)

Bridge Over Troubled Water CD: Soon to be released by the recently founded NEW MOON label is a previously unreleased soundboard recording of Elvis' March 31. 1975 M/S. Five tracks has already been released by the FTD label but all the other tracks are unreleased. The source used was a second generation soundboard tape which was remastered by NEW MOON for optimum sound quality. This new release will come in a beautifully designed packaging with a 12-page booklet, containing a selection of live photographs from the March 1975 engagement as well as informative liner notes. Tracks: 01. Also Sprach Zarathustra - 02. C. C. Rider - 03. I Got A Woman / Amen (medley) - 04. Love Me - 05. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - 06. And I Love You So (with false start) - 07. Big Boss Man (false start only) - 08. You Don't Have To Say You Love Me - 09. The Wonder Of You - 10. Burning Love - 11. Band Introductions (incomplete) - 12.School Days (incomplete) - 13. Fairytale - 14- I'll Remember You - 15. Let Me Be There (with reprise) - 16. Hound Dog - 17. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 18. Little Darlin' (with false starts) - 19. Introduction of Liberace (News, Source: Email - NewMoon)

'ELVIS: On Tour' SONY/BMG Autumn 2010 CD Box-set?: With the 'On Tour' DVD finally being released (sadly without any extras) 2010 must at last be the year we see an official release of Elvis' Hampton Roads 'On Tour' concert. Back in 2002 Ernst Jorgensen told EIN "The reason why we haven’t put out 'On Tour' on either FTD or RCA at this time is that we would ideally like to do it with the DVD release. So we are giving them (Warners) a little more time but eventually if they don’t come around, we will release the material that we have which is pretty substantial. Nothing that you can’t guess what it is". One can only hope for a 2CD Legacy version, or even better a 3CD box-set similar to the great 'TTWII' BMG release. The first disc has to be Elvis' sensational 'Hampton Roads' concert.  It is noteworthy that FTD/RCA have also not yet released anything from Elvis' Greensboro or Richmond concerts. A second CD of the "best" of these concerts combined with a third CD of studio rehearsals would be a fitting tribute.   Last week (see story here) Ernst Jorgensen also said that, "Another Presley reissue is likely in the fall". With the 'On Tour' DVD being released in August 2010, the matching 'On Tour' CD release would make perfect sense. (News, Source;EIN)

'From Sunset To Las Vegas' FTD Review: From a musically creative viewpoint 1974 was disappointing since it was the first year since Elvis came out of the army that he wouldn’t record any Studio material at all. Instead he spent nearly the whole year on Tour performing an incredible 156 concerts. In August 1974 however, possibly due to new girlfriend Sheila Ryan, Elvis decided to shake up his on-stage set-list and on 12th August Elvis arrived at RCA’s Hollywood studio to begin several days of rehearsals for his new Vegas season. The taped rehearsal features a string of exceptional songs, Promised Land, Down In The Alley, It's Midnight, Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming, Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues, etc and when released as a bootleg in 1996 it was hailed as an all-time classic discovery.  EIN's Piers Beagley has a close look at the first official FTD release of the rehearsal tape to discover if it is still so relevant. (FTD Reviews, Source;EIN)

"Showtime! Birmingham/Dallas '76" New double FTD Confirmed!: To be released early May, "SHOWTIME! Birmingham/Dallas ’76" is a 2-Disc Set that features Elvis in top form at 2 great December 1976 shows! It comes packaged as a 5” digipack with 8-page booklet. The Birmingham Show is from the Jefferson County Coliseum and Dallas from the Memorial Auditorium.   Disc 1 – BIRMINGHAM – December 29, 1976  1) Also Sprach Zarathustra  2) See See Rider  3) I Got A Woman / Amen  4) Love Me  5) Fairytale  6) You Gave Me A Mountain  7) Jailhouse Rock

'High Sierra' Lake Tahoe LIVE 1974 new FTD: Yet another early May release, 'HIGH SIERRA' features mainly the performance from May 21, 1974 at the Sahara Tahoe Hotel with additional highlights from other shows that month (see details below). 'High Sierra' will be released in a 5” digipack format with an 8-page booklet. Strangely FTD's cover right says "May 1976" although it is definitely Elvis 1974! Tracklist: 1 See See Rider 2 I Got A Woman / Amen 3 Love Me 4 Trying To Get To You 5 All Shook Up 6 Love Me Tender 7 You Don’t Have To Say You Love Me 8 Hound Dog 9 Fever 10 Polk Salad Annie 11 Why Me Lord

'So High' FTD to be deleted: More FTD News - One of the best FTD compiles from Elvis' sixties Nashville sessions, 'So High' is to be deleted from the FTD calatogue as soon as the current stock is sold out, notes Elvis Matters. One of our top-rating CDs featuring Elvis' Nashville session outtakes 1966-1968 it is a essential on for your colection. See EIN review here. We are informed that the vinyl releases 'Blue Hawaii' and 'Standing Room Only' are also nearly out of stock. (News, Source;EIN/ElvisMatters)

Ernst Jorgenesen, Protecting a Legacy: No one in the 32 years since the King’s death has done more to continually breathe interest into Elvis Presley’s body of work than Ernst Jorgensen. Have you bought an Elvis CD in the past decade and a half? Most likely, Jorgensen’s name is on it as co-producer. Have you read a book about Presley? There’s a good chance Jorgensen wrote or co-wrote it. Perhaps no producer has so closely associated his work with one artist since George Martin and the Beatles. And Jorgensen has done it all well after Presley’s death in 1977. It rose from a childhood interest that blossomed into an adult investigation, Jorgensen said in a phone interview. “When I was a kid, we all want heroes. Whoever it is, somebody, at the time, could be your favorite, and mine was Elvis,” he said. “And we’re talking about the mid-60s. And there was obviously this wealth of wonderful recordings from the 50s and early 60s, anything from ‘Heartbreak Hotel’ to ‘Hound Dog’ to ‘Are You Lonesome Tonight?’” Then came Presley’s film career, Jorgensen said, and the King seemed to be usurped from his throne. “The soundtracks weren’t quite as hip as the Rolling Stones and Beatles records my classmates bought,” he said with a chuckle.

CD Review - 'Elvis returns with 'On Stage: Legacy Edition' It's 1970. You're in Vegas. You need a break from the gambling. What do you pick: the buffet, the showgirls or the King? Even if you don't have the foresight to know he'll be dead in seven years, the correct answer was, is and always shall be Elvis in concert. This year, the 75th anniversary of Presley's birth, is a natural marker to unleash reissue upon reissue of his works. Perhaps none is as essential to Elvis fans (and would-be fans) as "On Stage: Legacy Edition," released March 23 as a double CD. The album is really a repackaging of two earlier Elvis live albums: "Elvis in Person at the International Hotel" from 1969, and 1970's "On Stage." These albums -- each one was a patchwork of Elvis shows in Las Vegas -- featured The King where he was at his best: performing live. Elvis was an actor, a gospel singer, a pompadour sensation -- but he never would have been any of those if he weren't also the consummate showman.

He knew this, too. Before breaking into a medley of his early hit "Mystery Train" and Rufus Thomas' "Tiger Man," he told the audience that when he first started out he just had a guitar and "a shaky leg." The latter is what drove audiences wild.

With "On Stage," you don't need to see Elvis to appreciate what a great performer he was. This was Elvis after his monstrous TV comeback special but before he became the rhinestone-studded-jumpsuit caricature of himself. Even on the songs that he didn't make hits -- "Sweet Caroline" by Neil Diamond and John Fogerty's "Proud Mary," to name two -- Elvis manages to make them his own.

This album could have been cheesy. I mean, you have Elvis, in Vegas and (for part of it anyway) the 1970s. But what's remarkable is that this is a pretty straight-up collection of rock 'n' roll.

The early Elvis hits like "Hound Dog" and "All Shook Up" are here, but "Teddy Bear" is nowhere in sight. He also performs newer songs like the sublime "Suspicious Minds," "Kentucky Rain" and "In the Ghetto." Willie Nelson and The Bee Gees are represented with Elvis covers of "Funny How Time Slips Away" and the latter's "Words."

Note to younger readers: The Bee Gees made music before the awful disco era, and some of it was quite good.

"On Stage" benefits Elvis fans with the plethora of bonus material. Sure, there's a booklet of photos and an essay by Elvis author Ken Sharp.

More importantly, tracks have been added to the CDs. The disc that includes 1969's "Elvis in Person" expands that album by six tracks and the "On Stage" disc includes four additional songs, for a total of 32 songs.

The smaller moments help make "On Stage" endearing, though. Elvis fumbling the start of "I Got a Woman; " introducing "Kentucky Rain" with the seemingly modest "I hope you like it; " or a corny joke about which of his records were biggest: "They were all about the same size."

Some of the covers, like Chuck Berry's "Johnny B. Goode" and Del Shannon's "Runaway," risk turning the album into "Elvis Performs Golden Oldies." He does the songs justice but there are so many they begin to bog down the album. "Yesterday" was a recent hit at the time, but 40 years later it sounds maudlin and overdone. Elvis sounds best doing his own material.

That's even -- make that especially -- when he goes full-throttle on the Vegas sound, complete with strings, backup singers, horns and all. Elvis was made for Vegas. Maybe the reverse is true, as well.

In "On Stage: Legacy Edition" both come across in top form. (CD Review, Source: Adam Richter, The Express Times)

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Elvis sings the Great British Songbook: Many thanks to Thomas Melin who runs the Elvis Today blog. Thomas sent this interesting news to us: In a Yuletide Extra from the British fan club in 2008 Todd Slaughter and Victoria Molloy wrote that they were hoping to announce a special CD album release very soon, one that they had been working on for over two years. In a post I speculated about the content of the album, but now, one and a half years later, I know my guesses were all wrong. On May 24 Sony U.K. will release a 2 CD compilation called Elvis Presley Sings The Great British Songbook. According to the latest issue of the British fan club magazine it's "a high-profile compilation of tracks that were written by some of our greatest songwriters, and we are expecting this double CD to hit the charts throughout the summer months." This is most certainly not your ordinary run-of-the-mill compilation.......... Read the full story on Elvis Today

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'Jailhouse Rock' EIN in-depth FTD Soundtrack review: Jailhouse Rock is one of Elvis' key films, and certainly his best "musical". Directed by Richard Thorpe and produced by Pandro Berman it reached #3 of Variety's weekly list of Top Grossing films. Despite being a genuine "musical" in the old MGM sense the film featured only 6 songs and only a Single and Extended Play was released. Of course both the Single and EP went to Number 1 and several CD compilations have since been released. Can FTD really treat us to something worth buying all over again? Who else could write 5,000 words on an old Elvis soundtrack?  The first CD presents a compilation of 29 highlights divided into The Originals, RCA Alternate Masters, Movie Masters but with only 6 songs can FTD really give us anything new? EIN's Piers Beagley reveals all... (FTD Reviews, Source;EIN)

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March 2010

'A Minnesota Moment' FTD in-depth review: Elvis live-in-concert in 1976 is not an easy year to review. There were no major set-list changes and more often than not Elvis was on auto-pilot, bored and overmedicated. Apart from the exceptional blast of the final December Tour, 1976 in retrospect seems a slow downward spiral. However, as with everything Elvis, there are always contradictions, changes and sometimes light at the end of the tunnel. The month leading up to Elvis' October 1976 Tour saw a positive change and Elvis' concert in Minnesota on October 17th 1976 captures a somehat rejuvenated Elvis as he headed towards those final great December 1976 concerts. With the help of Elvis fan Steve Lecher who actually attended the concert, EIN's Piers Beagley has a close look at the new FTD release. (FTD Reviews, Source;EIN)

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50 Years ago, March 20th "Elvis Was Back'!: On Sunday March 20th 1960 Elvis and his entourage left Graceland for RCA's Nashville Studio B for sessions that would become one of his key Studio recordings of all-time. Producing seven multi-million-selling singles in just two night's work! Elvis’ original guitarist Scotty Moore was there, along with The Jordanaires and, in an inspired move, Elvis had decided to use two drummers for a more forceful sound with D.J Fontana back alongside ace session-drummer Buddy Harman. The session was arranged as top secret. As Engineer Bill Porter noted, "The session was booked at 7 o'clock on a Sunday night. Elvis showed up at about a quarter to nine. That was normal for him. He always recorded all night long. At the very beginning of the first cut I sensed an eeriness in the control room, like somebody's behind you watching and you just want to look. Finally I did, and right behind me was Colonel Parker, Elvis, Steve Sholes (RCA's A&R) and the VP from RCA all looking at me like if I made a mistake they were going to grab me. Nobody said anything the whole time because, as I was later told, Elvis hadn't sung in a studio in two years and they weren't sure what was going to happen! The rest is history." That night Elvis cut ‘Make Me Know It’, ‘Soldier Boy’, ‘Stuck On You’, ‘Fame & Fortune’, ‘A Mess Of Blues’ & ‘It Feels So Right’. See EIN's in-depth review of the sensational 'Elvis Is Back' (News, Source;EIN)

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Rockin' Rebels CD's: Those who missed the classic bootlegs or last year's CD-versions... there'll be another change soon to get the Rockin' Rebel series, since it will be re-issued later this month. They will be available on Amazon.co.uk. (News, Source: Elvis News)

Baxter and Gravel Road go their separate ways: Get Down And Dirty will be the last co-produced title from the Fort Baxter and Gravel Road labels. After several years of reasonable succes in re-issueing vintage Baxter a.o CD titles, the owner of the original tapes has decided to call it quitts. Whatever future CD titles from old labels such as Baxter, Bilko, 2001 a.o by Gravel Road will be without the help and original tape sources as supplied by Baxter in the past. It's not known if Baxter will continue lending out vintage tapes to other labels in the future. (News, Source: Elvis News)

RCA/Legacy has now combined this series of concerts into a two CD set. Each disc contains an original album plus bonus tracks. The sound has been scrubbed and cleaned and a booklet with photos plus a three thousand word essay gives a history of the performances and the albums.

I have most of the Elvis catalogue on vinyl and his 1969 concerts remains my favorite live performances. It presents a young, clean, and in shape Elvis at the top of his game. The patter with the audience shows a nervousness but makes the album have an intimate appeal that his later live work lacks.

His 1969 concerts concentrate on his early material and he presents it well as he had not performed it hundreds of times. During his last years this material would be presented quickly and many times in a truncated form. Here such classic songs as “Blue Suede Shoes,” “All Shook Up,” and “Hound Dog” quickly show why Elvis was The King Of Rock ‘N’ Roll. His medley of “Mystery Train/Tiger Man” is more straight forward rock while “My Babe” has toughness to it. His hits of the day, “In The Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds” provide a nice balance to the concert. The only real miss for me was a cover of the Bee Gees hit “Words.”

There are six bonus songs included and the first three are nice additions and continue the resurrection of his classic rock material. “I Got A Woman,” “Jailhouse Rock/Don’t be Cruel,” and “Heartbreak Hotel” are all given good work-outs.

The second disc, which represents his 1970 performances, finds a far different Elvis. His concert repertoire had begun to change to more modern cover songs and this disc represents that trend. “See See Rider,” which would be overdone through the years, sounds fresh here. An early version of “Polk Salad Annie” and his only hit, “The Wonder Of You,” to be included on the original release are both performed well. Such songs of the day as “Sweet Caroline,” “Proud Mary,” and “Walk A Mile In My Shoes” all benefit from his wonderful vocals but I would have preferred more of his own material from his vast catalogue.

The bonus tracks are more to my liking. “Don’t Cry Daddy,” and “Kentucky Rain” are two of his better songs from this part of his career. The rocking “Long Tall Sally” is great even if a little out of place given the other material. A rehearsal of “The Wonder of You” completes the album.

On Stage: Legacy Edition is a fine addition to the Elvis Presley catalogue. It combines some of his best live work into one package and has the sense to keep the flow of the original albums and concerts intact. While the material has been previously issued, it should prove pleasing to his vast fan base. (CD Review: Source: David Bowling, blogcritics.org)

At Full Force released: The remake of Hot Winter Night In Dallas, Elvis At Full Force has just been released by Audionics. We also got word that GRM's Get Down And Dirty will be out on Friday. (News, Source: Elvis News)

'Viva Elvis' Sony CD: Brian Quinn reports that Sony executives will be meeting in New York later this month to review the master recordings from the 'Viva Elvis' Show to finalise track listing and decide on which ones to release as a possible single or singles in advance of the Album release in September. The Marketing strategy will also be on the agenda. The album will have the potential to be yet another big hit for Elvis. Bob Sillerman recently stated "Viva ELVIS is a show the devoted Elvis fan will love, but it reaches beyond that. It will be thoroughly enjoyed by the casual Elvis fan, by the fans of music from Elvis's era and by anyone who ever listened to rock and roll. It is also a show that will be loved by fans of Cirque du Soleil, as it takes their talents to an entire new level." (News, Source;BrianQuinn)

'Get Down And Dirty' tracklist confirmed: The tracklist of the new Gravel Road deluxe, double CD release has now been confirmed. This third Gravel Road Music release spotlights Elvis Presley's wild rehearsals in the summer of 1970, filmed for the MGM documentary "Elvis: That’s The Way It Is." The character of the 15 July, 1970 Culver City rehearsal is different from the 2 previous acclaimed releases, "The brightest star on sunset boulevard (2cd)" & "Plugged in and Geared up" by GRM. Featuring the second day of the rehearsal shooting, Elvis is studying songs, uses uncensored talking & singing. That’s one of the reasons to rename this historical rehearsal "Get down and dirty", it includes more than 25 minutes unreleased material! Here is the complete tracklist:

Aaron Schroeder, Elvis Songwriter: The New York publisher and songwriter Aaron Schroeder was one of the key figures around the Brill Building in the 1950s and 1960s. He was a songwriter who preferred to collaborate with others, especially in improving the commerciality of a promising song. Several of his 300 published compositions were recorded by Elvis Presley, including the multi-million seller "It's Now or Never" (1960). He liked to say, not entirely in jest, "I don't read music – that's why I make so much money." Aaron Harold Schroeder was born in Brooklyn in 1926, was a competent pianist, mostly playing by ear, who was first attracted to the big bands of the 1940s. An early success was with "At a Sidewalk Penny Arcade" (1948), which was recorded by both Rosemary Clooney and Guy Lombardo. In 1955, he was working as a staff writer for the publishing company Hill and Range when he learnt that they were supplying songs to Elvis Presley, who had been signed to RCA-Victor Records. Schroeder was asked to improve a song by other staff writers, "I Was the One", and the result was the B-side of "Heartbreak Hotel" and made the US Top 20 in its own right.

In spite of the fact that Elvis is getting bored of Las Vegas, he is still able to the end the season by giving life to some terrific shows. Here they are presented in great audio quality , the CD 1 with the complete show from February 19 midnight show and the CD 2 with the unreleased February 22 midnight show taken from an early generation copy of the original master tape, as recorded by a member of the audience. All tracks were digitally restored for your best possible listening pleasure; the sound quality is incredibly good considering the early Vegas Season. The shows are linked from the highlight of February 21 midnight show.

We are proud to give life to a unique view with almost 160 minutes of great music with Elvis at his best for that season. As a first time for this label, the double CD will come in a deluxe LONG six panel DIGIPACK, containing a collection of live RARE photographs of the Vegas February 1971 season. (News, Source:Email)

MRS makes history again for Elvis: ELVIS PRESLEY has for the first time entered the UK Indie Album charts with the release of Off Duty with Private Presley. It is new at #22 and also made the Top 200 UK overall Album Chart. MRS originally had a #1 for Elvis in the UK Indie Singles chart for 4 weeks a few years ago with ‘My Baby Left Me’ and also got into the national overall Single chart in the Top 20. Thanks to all the Elvis fans, dealers and the MRS team for this achievement. This is truly one of the best projects we have done in recent years. ( Joseph Pirzada.......MRS – Always making history!!) Audio component also available in downloadable MP3 format

"Vegas Variety 3" CD: Soon to be released is the latest production from “Rainbow Records”. This release will feature the complete performance of Elvis Presley's Las Vegas Dinner Show from exactly one week after his triumphant return to live appearances on July 31st, 1969. While the Elvis-World has just finished celebrating the 40th Anniversary of Elvis' stunning 1969 engagement in Las Vegas, Rainbow Records proudly presents a complete concert which has been recorded during that famous season. With its 10th release Rainbow Records continues their series titled "Vegas Variety". On the latest release "Vegas Variety - Vol.3" you will find the August 6, 1969 Dinner Show performance. In the early 1990's this concert was featured on a vinyl release called "The Return of the Tigerman".

Unfortunately that release had several cuts and the sound was mediocre. The new Rainbow Records CD used a superior source to create a fresh but warm sound and all missing parts were carefully repaired. Compared to the "famous" Opening Night 1969 CD by Fort Baxter recorded just 3 days prior to the show on this release, this new CD offers more atmosphere because the reactions of the audience are present.

There are a lot of highlights - you can't name them all. Beautiful versions of "Memories" or "Yesterday", great renditions of "Runaway" or "Suspicious Minds" - it's just the magic of 1969.

Even the owners of Ken Sharp's "Elvis In Vegas '69" book will find some unreleased shots and memorabilia in the 20-pages booklet. The official album "Elvis In Person" featured some recordings from the end of this 1969 engagement, but to hear the pure Elvis, raw and powerful you really have to jump to the beginning of this season. So with "Vegas Variety - Vol.3" this is your chance to enjoy a great and powerful show of Elvis Presley in 1969!

Tracklisting: 01. 00:41 – Opening Intro 02. 02:31 - Blue Suede Shoes 03. 02:25 - I Got A Woman 04. 01:49 - All Shook Up 05. 01:21 - Talking 06. 03:17 - Love Me Tender 07. 02:09 - Jailhouse Rock / Don't Be Cruel 08. 03:01 - Heartbreak Hotel 09. 02:50 - Hound Dog 10. 04:39 - Memories 11. 04:07 - Mystery Train / Tiger Man 12. 00:10 - Blue Hawaii (excerpt) 13. 04:59 - Monologue 14. 02:21 - Baby What You Want Me To Do 15. 02:25 - Runaway 16. 02:58 - Are You Lonesome Tonight? 17. 02:21 - Yesterday 18. 01:54 - Hey Jude 19. 03:17 - Band Introductions 20. 03:00 - In The Ghetto 21. 07:18 - Suspicious Minds 22. 04:15 - What'd I Say 23. 02:09 - Can't Help Falling In Love (News, Source: Elvis News/FECC)

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Elvis Legendary Concert Performances: Based on the late 1970s album set, this steelbox contains some of Elvis´ best 1970s live performances on 1 CD. The tracks are mixed as to 1 rockin´ live show.

Track listing:

Blue Suede Shoes – August 22, 1969 D.S.
Sweet Caroline – February 15, 1970 M.S.
Burning Love – April 18, 1972
Runaway – August 22, 1969 D.S.
My Babe – August 25, 1969 M.S.
Johnny B. Goode - – August 24, 1969 M.S.
Mystery Train/Tiger Man – August 25, 1969 M.S.
You Gave Me A Mountain – February 1972
Never Been to Spain - April 18, 1972
See See Rider – February 1970
Words – August 25, 1969 M.S.
Proud Mary - April 18, 1972
Walk A Mile in My Shoes – February 1970
Steamroller Blues – March 20, 1974
Polk Salad Annie – August 11, 1970
Something – August 11, 1970
Let it Be Me - February 15, 1970 M.S.
The Impossible Dream – February 1972
My Way – June 21, 1977 (News, Source: Email)

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At Full Force CD from Audionics: From the press-release: By popular demand! For those who missed Fort Baxter's 1998 A Hot Winter Night In Dallas  СD, Audionics will release the strictly limited edition CD At Full Force (AUDIONICS 2010-02-2). This release will contain the dynamic December 28th, 1976 show as recorded live from the mixing desk at the Dallas Convention Center.

To achieve the best possible sound quality, Audionics worked with a 1st generation DAT copy of the original soundboard tape, that was also used for the 1998 release. The sound was restored in a renowned studio and is a significant improvement over the original release.

As you’ve come to expect from us, this new release will come in a beautifully designed package with a 16-page booklet, containing a selection of live photographs from Elvis Presley appearances in Dallas

in 1956, 1971, 1976 and 1976 as well as informative liner notes. This CD is set for release in late February. Don't miss your opportunity to get the ultimate release of that legendary concert recording! Those that are a bit weary of hearing another ’76 show following the release of several substandard ’76 shows of late, are in for a real surprise. The way he attacks “C.C. Rider” sets the tone for an action-packed evening with Presley in great mood ("If I die tonight, it will only take a year to get the smile off my face"), with the highlight being the first version of “Unchained Melody” that we have – he’d started doing it the night before, but it’s still uncertain whether that 1st version exists. It’s great to hear this fantastic song in such embryo-like fashion, with Elvis still not being entirely ‘at home’ with it, exploring its possibilities and making it his own.

Tracklisting: 01. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra - 02. C. C. Rider - 03. I Got A Woman / Amen - 04. Love Me - 05. Fairytale - 06. You Gave Me A Mountain (with false start, incomplete) - 07. Jailhouse Rock (incomplete) - 08. O Sole Mio (Sherrill Nielsen) / It's Now Or Never / O Sole Mio (Sherrill Nielsen) - 09. Tryin' To Get To You - 10. Blue Suede Shoes - 11. My Way - 12. Polk Salad Annie - 13. Introductions by Elvis of Singers, Musicians - 14. Early Morning Rain (John Wilkinson) - 15. What'd I Say (James Burton) - 16. Johnny B. Goode - 17. Drum Solo w/"Hey Bo Diddley" one-liner (Ronnie Tutt) - 18. Bass Solo (Jerry Scheff) - 19. Piano Solo (Tony Brown) - 20. Electric Piano Keyboard Solo (David Briggs) - 21. Love Letters - 22. School Day (Joe Guercio Orchestra) - 23. Hurt (with reprise) - 24. Unchained Melody - 25. Can't Help Falling In Love - 26. Closing Vamp. Approx. running time: 61:06 (News, Source: Email)

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'Off Duty with Private Presley' Book/CD Review: 'Off Duty with Private Presley' is released by the Memphis Recording Service to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s discharge from the army in 1960. The 100-page book includes many rare and stunning photographs, many of which are unreleased and seen here for the first time. The accompanying CD contains recordings made during Elvis’ time off duty whilst in the army, including classics such as 'A Big Hunk O’ Love' and 'A Fool Such As I'. It also features 30 Unreleased tracks privately recorded by Elvis while stationed in the US and Germany. These recordings are released officially for the first time to the public. EIN's Piers Beagley checks out the recently released MRS package to see whether it is worthy of the publicity and what it contains.   (CD/Book Review, Source;EIN)

'JAILHOUSE ROCK' FTD Limited Edition 12” VINYL: Following on from the success of previous releases, FTD is pleased to announce the release of JAILHOUSE ROCK - a special 2-DISC 180-gram 12” vinyl set. To be released in April.  Supplied in a high quality gatefold sleeve, the album features the original masters and many outtakes from this great movie. • Vinyl cutting by ABBEY ROAD STUDIOS • Contains many Stereo and Binaural outtakes • Features original movie opening version of “Jailhouse Rock” in stereo! • DMM Copper Mastering • 180 Grams heavyweight vinyl • Strictly limited pressing FYI: Blue Hawaii and Standing Room Only – only very limited stock still available.   (News, Source;FTD)

'ELVIS NOW' new FTD Classic Album release: The next release in the classic albums series is ELVIS NOW. 'Elvis Now' is a 2-DISC SET in the CLASSIC ALBUM series. Originally released in 1972, this great album features the single “Until It’s Time For You To Go”/ “We Can Make It In The Morning”. Bonus tracks include “I’m Leavin’”, “It’s Only Love” and “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”. In addition to the masters, it features many great outtakes. The 7” inch digi-pack format features a 12-page booklet with great photographs and RARE memorabilia. Tracklist: ELVIS NOW - The Original Album DISC 1 01 Help Me Make It Through The Night 02 Miracle Of The Rosary 03 Hey Jude 04 Put Your Hand In The Hand 05 Until It’s Time For You To Go 06 We Can Make The Morning 07 Early Morning Rain 08 Sylvia 09 Fools Rush In (Where Angels Fear To Tread) 10 I Was Born About Ten Thousand Years Ago

'Off Duty With Private Presley' sneak-peak: 'Off Duty With Private Presley' 50 YEAR COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE (1960-2010) is already on the way to dealers. Contains recordings made during Elvis' time off duty with such classic's as 'A Big Hunk 0' Love', `A Fool Such As I' and 'I Got Stung' plus 30 UNRELEASED TRACKS privately recorded by Elvis, available for the first time ever. The accompanying book has 100 pages of stunning rare and unreleased photographs with informative text and historical facts. See below for some stunning new photos. EIN full review tomorrow. With links to on-line sales via HMV (click here) or Play.com (click here)  there is a good chance that this new release will get to a high position in the UK charts, after already reaching the Top Ten on pre-order charts. 'Elvis In A Minnesota Minute' MRS book should be on the way to dealers next week. - see below for more info & pictures. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet)

Now four decades later, those two albums – with multiple bonus tracks on each – have been coupled together for the first time. ON STAGE: LEGACY EDITION pays tribute to Elvis in one of the most outstanding performance periods in his career.

The specially-designed double-CD package, encased in the distinctive Legacy Edition mylar slipcase, will be available at all physical and digital retail outlets starting March 23rd through RCA/Legacy, a division of SONY MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT.

ON STAGE: LEGACY EDITION is the latest entry in a full slate of Elvis Presley catalog titles that will be released on RCA/Legacy throughout the year. On December 8th, RCA/Legacy officially kicked off the birthday year with ELVIS 75: GOOD ROCKIN’ TONIGHT, the first four-CD deluxe box set to ever provide the definitive overview of his entire recording career. The 100 songs – a broad collection of hit singles, deep album tracks, live performances, and rarities – range from the first demo acetate that Elvis made at the Memphis Recording Service of Sun Records in 1953 (“My Happiness”), to a sampling of Sun Records sides produced by Sam Phillips in 1954-55 (“That’s All Right,” “Blue Moon Of Kentucky,” “Good Rockin’ Tonight,” and more), through 21 and a half years of RCA tracks, from 1956 to 1977. On January 5th, ELVIS 75 was released, a single CD collection of 25 tracks from 1954 to 1972, culled from the box set.

ON STAGE: LEGACY EDITION contains a full-color booklet with numerous photos and a new 3,000-word liner notes essay by Ken Sharp that provides the essential backstory. Sharp’s recent book, Elvis: Vegas ’69 (Follow That Dream Books, 2009), draws on exclusive interviews with the people who were there, including Elvis’ TCB bandmates, the Sweet Inspirations, the Imperials, celebrities in attendance, International Hotel personnel including hotel president Alex Shoofey, international media, and many others.

“It was his first live show in eight years and it was a big challenge coming back,” master guitarist and TCB bandleader James Burton told Sharp. “He’d been doing movies for so long and was very insecure about how his fans would accept him. Elvis came up to me right before the show and said, ‘James, I’m so nervous, I don’t know if I can do this.’ I said, ‘Elvis, when you walk out there and the curtain goes up, after the first two or three songs it’ll be like sitting at home in your living room.’”

The 1969 shows (represented on disc two) found Elvis asserting his dominion over the formative songs of his career, including ’50s hits “Blue Suede Shoes,” “All Shook Up,” “Hound Dog,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” a medley of “Jailhouse Rock/Don’t Be Cruel,” and a medley of “Mystery Train” with Rufus Thomas’ “Tiger Man.” Early ’60s hits include “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and “Can’t Help Falling In Love.” There were covers of early rock and blues standards from Chuck Berry (“Johnny B. Goode”), Willie Dixon (“My Babe”), Jimmy Reed (“Baby, What You Want Me To Do”), Lowell Fulsom (“Reconsider Baby”), and Ray Charles (“I Got A Woman,” “I Can’t Stop Loving You”). Contemporary material was limited to “In The Ghetto” and “Suspicious Minds” (both from the Memphis sessions earlier that year), Willie Nelson’s “Funny How Time Slips Away” (a year before Elvis recorded it in 1970), and a surprising cover of the Bee Gees’ “Words” from 1968.

Six months later, the repertoire of the 1970 shows (represented on disc one) was entirely different – except for Elvis’ red hot version of the blues staple, “See See Rider” (the opening number) and Little Richard’s “Long Tall Sally,” now the material was all from the contemporary song book. This included two songs from the ’69 Memphis sessions, “Don’t Cry Daddy” and “Kentucky Rain.” The emphasis was on ballads, including updates of the Everly Brothers’ 1960 hit, “Let It Be Me,” and Ray Peterson’s 1959 “The Wonder Of You” (which Elvis chose to issue as a rare live single, and it rose to the Top 10; included here is a bonus afternoon rehearsal version of the song).

“Eschewing the rockier edge of the ’69 shows,” Sharp writes, “Elvis broadened his artistic swath, lending evocative interpretations of contemporary material like ‘Sweet Caroline’ by Neil Diamond, ‘Proud Mary’ by CCR and Joe South’s ‘Walk A Mile In My Shoes.’” Elvis also applied his personal stamp to Engelbert Humperdink’s “Release Me” and Tony Joe White’s “Polk Salad Annie.” As mentioned, two songs were brought over from the International Hotel recordings of the year before, Del Shannon’s “Runaway” and the Beatles’ “Yesterday.” Four decades later, the impact of these live tracks confirms the fact that Elvis was as much a part of the current pop music scene as any performer of his time.

ON STAGE: LEGACY EDITION is one element of dozens surrounding the 75th birthday anniversary year. The celebration kicked off with four days of fanfare centered at Graceland from January 7-10th.. In addition to the annual birthday proclamation ceremony on the front lawn of Graceland, events included exhibits, parties, dances, and panel discussions. Also, a Friday night tribute at the FedEx Forum by NBA’s Memphis Grizzlies, wearing blue suede shoes for the occasion; a Saturday night pops concert by the Memphis Symphony Orchestra, with guest TCB Band members Ronnie Tutt, James Burton and Glen D. Hardin; and a Sunday morning gospel concert by Elvis’ Imperials at Graceland Plaza.

ON STAGE: LEGACY EDITION by ELVIS PRESLEY (RCA/Legacy 88697 63213 2)

Disc One – Selections: 1. See See Rider • 2. Release Me • 3. Sweet Caroline • 4. Runaway • 5. The Wonder Of You • 6. Polk Salad Annie • 7. Yesterday • 8. Proud Mary • 9. Walk A Mile In My Shoes • 10. Let It Be Me • Bonus songs: 11. Don’t Cry Daddy • 12. Kentucky Rain • 13. Long Tall Sally • 14. The Wonder Of You (Hot 100 #9). (Tracks 1-10 originally issued June 1970, as On Stage, RCA 4362.)
Notes: All tracks 1-13 recorded at dinner shows and midnight shows at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, February 16-19, 1970, except tracks 4 and 7, recorded August 25, 1969. Track 14 recorded at afternoon rehearsal, February 18, 1970.

Disc Two – Selections: 1. Blue Suede Shoes • 2. Johnny B. Goode • 3. All Shook Up • 4. Are You Lonesome Tonight? • 5. Hound Dog • 6. I Can’t Stop Loving You • 7. My Babe • 8. Medley: Mystery Train/Tiger Man • 9. Words • 10. In The Ghetto • 11. Suspicious Minds • 12. Can’t Help Falling In Love • Bonus tracks: 13. I Got A Woman • 14. Medley: Jailhouse Rock/Don’t Be Cruel • 15. Heartbreak Hotel • 16. Baby, What You Want Me To Do • 17. Reconsider Baby • 18. Funny How Time Slips Away. (Tracks 1-12 originally issued November 1969, as Elvis In Person at the International Hotel, i.e. disc 1 of original double-LP From Memphis To Vegas – From Vegas to Memphis, RCA 6020; re-issued November 1970 as single-LP Elvis In Person, RCA 4428)

Notes: All tracks 1-18 recorded at dinner shows and midnight shows at the International Hotel, Las Vegas, August 23-26, 1969. Tracks 13-16 originally issued 2003, on Elvis In Person (Follow That Dream Music, 88697 40721 2) .Track 17-18 originally issued 1971, on Collectors Gold (RCA 3114).

Go here for EIN's exclusive interviews with author Ken Sharp

(CD, Source: EPE/Brian Quinn)

Electro Elvis: This collection is now on iTunes: Tribute to Elvis Presley Electro Cover Compilation - meets KORG DS-10. 1 ALL Shook Up by Miguel Angel Ibanez Munoz 2 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear by David Solanes Venzala 3 Love Me Tender by Butterfly In The Moon 4 I Want You, I Need You, I Love You by ZESTA 5 Jailhouse Rock by Atsushi Tokushima 6 (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear by Aki Takatsuki  7 Can't Help Falling In Love by Parking Project 8 DON'T BE CRUEL by The Shrapnelles 9 Jailhouse Rock by Butterfly In The Moon 10 Good Luck Charm by Jim Ediger 11 G.I. Blues by Mina  12 Jailhouse Rock by Charles Ferraro 13 G.I. Blues PAUL by OFFENDORFER 14 Jailhouse Rock by TRIO THE DS-10 (News, Source: Elvis News)

Elvis Presley 50 Australian Top Ten Hits 1956-1977 (CD Review) - A Case of What Could Have Been!: Sony Music Australia recently released an Aussie Top Ten hits compile. EIN finds that should have been a special release turns out to be flawed in several important ways and not surprisingly the album is slipping quickly down the charts! Read EIN's detailed review

'RARE ELVIS VOLUME 4' 30th Anniversary CD: A new import release. From 1980 to 2010, 30 years after the first volume of RARE ELVIS, finally here is Volume 4, to celebrate its 30th anniversary! Features 25 hard-to-find tracks in the best sound quality ever available!! Limited Edition of 500 copies. Full colour booklet - lots of info and great pictures! Including 6 tracks unreleased in this form! Almost 70 minutes of rare tracks for the first time on one CD! Tracklist; Ready Teddy - 1983 remix from I Was The One LP (unreleased on CD) Brown Eyed Handsome Man - (unreleased new edit ) Don’t – 1983 remix from I Was The One LP (unreleased on CD) Ain´t That Loving You Baby - spliced alternate take, full version Frankfort Special – takes 7,8 Tonight is All Right for Love – extended stereo version Bossa Nova Baby – original 1987 extended mix by Simon Harris (unreleased in digital remastered sound ) Please Don’t Stop Loving Me – take 17

More FTDs deleted: FTD has deleted Studio B and Nashville Marathon. (News, Source:FTD)

'Off Duty With Private Presley' MOJO Promo: Noted UK music publication MOJO features an advert for the new MRS release 'Off Duty With Private Presley' in this month's issue. The full page advert notes,  50 YEAR COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE (1960-2010). Contains recordings made during Elvis' time off duty with such classic's as 'A Big Hunk 0' Love', `A Fool Such As I' and 'I Got Stung' plus 30 UNRELEASED TRACKS privately recorded by Elvis, available for the first time ever. The accompanying book has 100 pages of stunning rare and unreleased photographs with informative text and historical facts. OUT 22nd February 2010. With links to on-line sales via HMV (click here) or Play.com (click here)  there is a good chance that this new release will get to a high position in the UK charts, after already reaching the Top Ten on pre-order charts.   (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet/MojoUK)

Elvis 76 - Hot Summer Nights: new CD-book set: 4 CD Book, Memphis Tennessee, July 5, Hartford, July 28, Charleston, July 24, Hampton Roads, August 1. Limited and Numbered Edition of 500 Copies. (News, Source: www.elvisunlimited.com/  www.epgold.com)

Elvis fan remembers Elvis in Minnesota: Coinciding with the 'Elvis In A Minnesota Minute' MRS book and the FTD ‘A Minnesota Moment’ CD release, Elvis fan Terrie Counter sent us her special memories of being at the very concert. >>> This is my story of being there the Elvis concert in Minneapolis on October 17,1976......it is how I remember seeing Elvis - Terrie Counter. When the news broke Elvis was going to be in Minneapolis to do a concert, I immediately called my sister who lived 250 miles away to tell her. I am sure in the back of my mind, I wanted to make her jealous since she was really the Elvis fan in the family. I actually was not an Elvis fan at the time. Once it came out in the paper we could send for tickets, I did just that. Much to my disappointment, I got a letter back saying “THE ELVIS CONCERT WAS SOLD OUT”- Fortunately, a neighbor of mine had sent for tickets and so had her brother. They had two extra tickets and sold them to me....surprisingly for what they paid for them...which if memory serves me correctly, it was $12.50 each. The night we walked into the auditorium you could feel something in the air.....it was like there was a charisma.....I now know why and what fans mean when they say they feel it.

When Elvis walked out on stage, it was the most exciting and incredible feeling one could ever experience. I actually did not think I was going to like Elvis....I thought he would act like.....here I am..... I was totally blown away..... I was so impressed with how he treated his fans. He acknowledged everyone that hollered something out to him.....he could not always do what they wanted him to do, but he acknowledged them. Elvis never forgot who put him where he was. Elvis did a fabulous show and I walked away from that concert an Elvis fan and have been one ever since. After seeing him in Minneapolis, I wanted more and wanted to see him in Vegas. A group of us were going to go see him September 1977 in Vegas but we all know that did not take place. I do feel very fortunate though that I got to see him when I did. The ironic part of this is my sister, as I said, was the true Elvis fan and she always wanted to see Elvis and I wanted to go to Hawaii......I saw Elvis and she went to Hawaii....crazy, huh? -TCB 4 NOW, Terrie, January 2010. (Right:Elvis fan Terrie Counter & the FTD ‘A Minnesota Moment’) See below for full details of the MRS & FTD releases. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNet/EP.ScrapbookTony)

Eight new Soundtrack Re-Releases Out Now: Sony Special Products have re-released the 8 new Elvis Soundtrack original albums BUT have included 'Viva Las Vegas' as a single album release for the first time. The soundtracks are G.I. Blues, Viva Las Vegas, Roustabout, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Frankie & Johnny, Girl Happy, Clambake, Fun In Acapulco all with the original tracklistings. Here are the new 75th Anniversary covers - plus the new one specially for Viva Las Vegas (note the added .. 'AND MORE'.) With thanks to Super-collector Barry McLean. (News, Source;ElvisInfoNetwork;Barry Mclean)

Elvis Presley As He Was Meant To Be Heard Volume 3: Earlier this month Elvis Presley As He Was Meant To Be Heard Volume 3 was released on The Inverse Label. The CD description on Amazon: Covering the years 1958-59, this CD continues the series which presents the original Elvis Presley studio recordings with a minimum of sound processing. Although Presley released only 21 songs from '58 to '59, he was at a peak in terms of the sheer, un-self-conscious rock 'n' roll dynamism of his performances. Plus he had some fine musicians, good song-writers and an excellent producer. But, although well-engineered at the time, a chequered history of sound quality has since befallen the two main albums which contain the material: Elvis Golden Records Volume 2 and the King Creole Soundtrack.

Only where the level of tape hiss or distortion would be intrusive has there been any significant sound processing - even then a bare minimum. Tracklist includes 20 of the 21 songs released by Elvis Presley from 1958 to '59. (The omitted track, Steadfast, Loyal and True , was a soundtrack throwaway reportedly disliked intensely by Presley himself.) Also included are some pre-1958 hits which were on the original

'On Stage' Legacy Edition 2CD Tracklist: More information on EIN's story yesterday, from the Sony press release. Our 75th birthday celebration continues with this 2CD set celebrating Elvis' platinum-selling 1970 live album On Stage. Home to the hit single "The Wonder of You," On Stage has now been upgraded with new liner notes by Presley biographer Ken Sharp and rare photos from the peak of the artist's latter-day career. The original album's 10-song tracklist is now expanded with three rarely performed songs from the same Las Vegas engagement that produced the album: "Don't Cry Daddy", "Kentucky Rain" and "Long Tall Sally." The disc's final addition is a unique glimpse of Elvis working on his repertoire, as he runs through "The Wonder Of You" at an afternoon rehearsal, only hours before the original album recordings were done later that night. The second disc in the On Stage: Legacy Edition package is a newly-

Elvis Love Song Collection CD: Graceland’s Chapel In The Woods Exclusive Elvis Love Song Collection. It's one of the rarest CD's to come across and it must have the longest title for any official Elvis CD release. Issued by BMG in 2001, this special product 13 track CD was produced as an exclusive collection for EPE, and their Chapel in the Woods. It is only available to those couples who marry or renew their vows in the Graceland Wedding Chapel for $19.99 Tracklisting: 01 Love Me Tender 02 Loving You 03 Today, Tomorrow & Forever 04 As Long As I Have You. 05 Home Is Where The Heart Is 06 Anyone (Could Fall in Love With You) 07 All That I Am 08 Can't Help Falling in Love 09 A Boy Like Me A Girl Like You 10 Angel 11 Earth Boy 12 Hawaiian Wedding Song 13 The Wonder Of You (News, Source: www.elvis-express.com / www.epgold.com)

SPRINGTIME TOURS '76-'77 new Audionics CD: As recorded live from the mixing desk in Johnson City, TN, March 17th, 1976 tour opening, Charlotte, NC, March 20th, 1976 Evening show and in various locations, March-May, 1977. Audionics 2010-01-2 The Audionics label will soon release the 2-CD set "Springtime Tours '76 - '77" containing previously unreleased stereo soundboard recording of the Johnson City, TN, March 17th, 1976 show, the original binaural version of Charlotte, NC, March 20th, 1976 evening performance and selection of stereo tracks recorded "on the road" from March to May, 1977. Unfortunately both the March 17th and March 20th, 1976, 8:30 p.m. concerts were not captured in entirety. These tapes were recorded in binaural with the lead-guitar almost isolated in the right channel, probably due to an expected change of lead guitar-player. The March 17th, 1976 recording was mixed down to stereo and two songs were added in original binaural sound as a bonus. The March 20th, 1976 8:30 p.m. show (previously released as "Running For President") is presented in excellent quality in its genuine binaural form. These shows are fascinating to listen to, as Elvis’ band sounds totally different thanks to the new additions Larry Londin on drums and Shane Keister on keyboards, breathing new life into Elvis’ repertoire at the time. All 1977 tracks are stereo recordings made by Felton Jarvis, using an 8-track tape recorder.

Elvis: The King of Rock 'n' Roll Turns 75: Teenagers in the 1950s and '60s turned Elvis Presley into an icon. His shaking hips and curled lips sent rock 'n' roll shockwaves reverberating around the world and challenged prevailing notions about sex, race and class. As we celebrated what would have been his 75th birthday on January 8th, we should take note of the impact he had on the culture. He emerged from his impoverished childhood in Tupelo, Mississippi to become America's pop culture superstar in the wake of the US Supreme Court's decision in Brown v. Board of Education on May 5, 1954 which rocked the South. His controversial singing style, mixing blues, country (at the time called "hillbilly"), and black and white gospel music with a sexually charged stage presence, made Presley "Public Enemy Number One" for those who felt threatened by the tsunami of the changes that were occurring. Presley unwittingly became the poster boy for the first round of the culture wars. "Without meaning to, and really without understanding it, he's a point of conflict because it's not just the mingling of blues and rock, it's also his reliance on a music that is in the minds of some really sinful," said John Seigenthaler, the retired founding editorial director of USA Today, who covered him as a young reporter for The Tennessean.

Elvis was a target of preachers and segregationists such as Asa Carter who headed the White Citizens Councils. Carter had been using his Birmingham, Alabama radio show since 1954 to talk about how the Jews and blacks were bringing down the South. In early 1956, he targeted the growing popularity of the music made popular by Elvis. Carter's views about music were captured in a short film. While preachers, parents and the Council warned about the evils of Elvis, the kids couldn't get enough. It started to become clear that things were changing when Elvis came back home to Memphis for a July 4th concert for the Cynthia Milk Fund in Memphis at the Russwood baseball park. The crowd of 14,000 people at his benefit dwarfed the audience that Senator Eastland drew for a segregationist rally held across town that same night. Click here to the complete article. - Michael Rose director of the celebrated DVD 'Elvis: Return To Tupelo' wrote this excellent article for Elvis' recent birthday. (News, Source;MichaelRose/ArjanDeelen)

Today marks what would have been Elvis’s 75^th birthday.  The world’s media has again risen to the occasion and a significant number of Elvis articles, reviews and stories have been published in the lead up to 8 January.  EPE is marking the milestone with a special commemoration ceremony at Graceland on "Elvis Presley Day" in Memphis and Sony has released a fitting 4CD tribute box set: Elvis 75 Good Rockin’ Tonight (read EIN’s detailed review here). 

In cities all around the globe (Tokyo, London, Paris) special Elvis festivals are being held, television stations are showing Elvis movies and specials and radio stations are nostalgically again playing his records.  

Where Elvis goes in the remaining 25 years of his first century is a story yet to be told but today we can all reflect , smile, and enjoy the wonderful music, memories and personal impact that Elvis has had on each of us and the world at large.  Thanks Elvis!  (Source: EIN)

New FTD soundboard: A Minnesota Moment will be released on February 15, 2010. It features Elvis’ live performance on October 17, 1976 at Metropolitan Sports Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota. Bonus songs are from Dayton and Sioux Falls on the same tour. This release continues FTD’s ambition to make shows available from as many of Elvis’ tours as we possibly can.

BONUS CUTS: Fairytale ; America; Hawaiian Wedding Song; Blue Christmas; That’s All Right

'Suspicious Minds' - Elvis' Greatest Single?: 'Suspicious Minds' was released on August 26th 1969. While the NBC '68 TV Special, along with the single 'In the Ghetto' had pushed Elvis back to the forefront of popular culture, it would be the release of Elvis' last US Number 1 single that would ultimately prove to all the critics that Elvis was a still relevant contemporary musical force. To celebrate the 40th anniversary EIN looks back in detail at the history of this classic song, including new interviews with Marty Lacker and Bobby Wood, as well as insights from composer Mark James and producer Chips Moman. Go here for this fascinating spotlight (Spotlight, Source; EIN)

Elvis 75 Good Rockin' Tonight (CD Review): Is this set really as good as the critics say?? In a searching 4,000 word review, EIN's Nigel Patterson gives you the detailed lowdown on Sony's 4CD box set release commemorating what would have been Elvis' 75th birthday. From the 100 tracks and Vic Anesini's remastering, to Billy Altman's essay and a number of illuminating sidebars, you will discover all you need to know about Elvis 75 Good Rockin' Tonight. EIN's review also incorporates the full track listing and the 13 key tracks identified by music journalist, Robert Hilburn, that best illustrate Elvis's artistic progression. Read EIN's review of Elvis 75 Good Rockin' Tonight

'Record Collector' Magazine to feature Elvis: The always interesting music magazine The Record Collector is to feature an article 'Secrets of The King's Jukebox' in the February 2010 issue. Available at news stands all over the world on January 21, 2010.     (News, Source:ElvisUnlimited/EIN)