Elvis Presley The Complete '68 Comeback Special 40th Anniversary Edition 2008
Heberto Calderon
The presentation is one of the best ever from BMG and both releases contain a delightful 32 page booklet of photos and memorabilia. The text by Harvey Kubernick nicely sets the scene and includes some interesting stories from Elvis' buddy Lance LeGault including,,,
It is a delicious irony that the most packaged, pre-meditated image in pop culture could reclaim his most authentic self in such a spontaneous fashion. Clearly scared to death, he retreated to his strengths, surrounded by musicians who understood and relished the same impulse to simply sing and play. Elemental in its ferocity, the "sit-down" section is a time capsule that students of music, let alone Elvis fans, will long cherish."
There is the thought that as serious Elvis fans, haven't we bought the entire musical content before? This is of course basically true and I admit that the 2000 BMG double CD 'Memories' is one of best "Comeback" compiles around.
However here we not only get the ORIGINAL Album version (The 'Memories' set was a very different compilation) but there is something refreshing about the way this new set has been compiled. Once I started playing these CDs I was grabbed once again by how fresh and exciting this rock'n'roll renaissance still sounds even forty years later.
The second CD of the first Sit-Down and Stand-Up shows cleverly leads us from Elvis jamming with the boys on his very first release 'That's All Right' through a fabulous revitalisation of his classic songs all the way to the stunning 'If I Can Dream' which would be his newest single. It is still a fascinating musical journey.
I was also surprised by my realisation of just how many "old" movies songs Elvis used in this TV Special. In this Beatles/Byrds era Elvis could have been taking a chance using some of these old "corny" songs like 'Little Egypt', 'Let Yourself Go' even 'Can't Help Falling In Love' and 'Love Me Tender' which might have sounded way out of date. Remember that none of us had ever heard Elvis sings ANY of these songs LIVE since the fifties*!
However the new Billy Goldenburg arrangements and the power of Elvis' vocal push these and every song into something full of soul and passion. It's a real revitalisation, a new breath of life. Did his vocal for Love Me Tender or Can't Help Falling In Love ever sound better?
Elvis Presley The Complete '68 Comeback Special 40th Anniversary Edition 2008
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The rehearsals CD is not one that one would play often but there are still plenty of revelations as Elvis and his friends laugh and kick around some ideas a few days before the actual Studio recordings.
I realise that if, like myself, you have bought every individual FTD and BMG release (i.e. Tiger Man, Memories and FTDs 'Burbank '68' & Let Yourself Go) then you will have all the content - but of course not all the songs in their correct context. However the whole package is something too good to miss out on not to "Let Yourself Go" and enjoy this wonderful celebration one more time. It is, after all, only slightly more expensive than one FTD digi-pack release.
Verdict: An essential celebration of Elvis at his best. Personally I was happy to pay the $15 extra for the Deluxe edition with its printed CD slip-cases. The complete Deluxe package can be found for around $45. All in all, great value and hours of musical entertainment from Elvis at his best.
'Elvis-The King Of The Jungle' In-Depth Book Review: Featuring 546 pages the book includes a detailed look at everything that took place at the historic taping and recording sessions of Elvis' "Comeback Special". It also includes eye-witness reports from lucky fans that were present at the legendary NBC performances.
EIN's Piers Beagley checks out this gorgeous new book about one of the most important weeks of Elvis career.....
.... My expectations were high for this wonderful new production - but I am still absolutely stunned by its massive size and the impact. Yes, there are other candids and photos of Elvis in 1968 within the book but it is basically about ONE WEEK in Elvis' life presented over 500 pages - What a week! If you love Elvis in the 'Singer Presents Elvis' TV special then you will spend hours luxuriating in these glorious photos. Did I mention Elvis looked gorgeous in 1968!"...
Go HERE for the full-indepth review and plenty of magnificent photos. Now with added images, comments & purchase details.
The '68 Special - 40th Anniversary Celebration: How lucky in life would you be to get to the recording of Elvis' 68 TV Special and also make it to the recent 40th Anniversary screening in L.A? EIN's correspondent Joan Gansky is one of those few very fortunate fans. Joan Gansky not only met Elvis multiple times - but being at the original NBC recording of the 68 Special truly changed her life! Here are her unique recollections of attending the recent 40th Anniversary celebration - as well as her thoughts on being there back in June 1968. This EIN exclusive features comments by Steve Binder, Priscilla, Bones Howe as well as great close-up photos by Paul Gansky.
The Night Elvis Reclaimed His Crown: In summer 1968, Elvis Presley taped a television special to be broadcast that Christmas. Fifteen years earlier, he had walked into Sun Studios in Memphis to make a record as a present for his mother, or so the story goes, and changed history.The special begins in darkness, to the sound of a whomping, Muddy Waters-ish blues riff, and then a famous face fades in, turning toward the camera, filling the screen, meaning business.... "Singer Presents Elvis" is a great moment in music, in television, and in the narrative of his own life -- a moment of change, when what was lost is found again. He regains his voice -- and in so doing becomes at once who he was and who he'll become. His singing has the lilt of youth but with a mature edge. He is 33 years old, lean and chiselled and -- what he had not seemed in years -- a little dangerous. . . . . . (Spotlight, Source;LATimes)
The concert was initially planned as a Christmas special by the network and Presley's manager, Colonel Tom Parker. Producer Bob Finkel hired director Steve Binder, who, rather than creating a Christmas special, created a concert that would reflect the musical trends of the time and appeal to a younger audience. Filming took place in June 1968 at NBC Studios in Burbank, California. The special included a sit-down session that showcased Presley in an informal setting, surrounded by fans and a small band.
The special received positive reviews and topped the Nielsen television ratings for the week in which it aired. It became the most-watched show of the television season, earning 42% of the television audience. Later known as the Comeback Special, it relaunched Presley's singing career.
After he returned from serving in the United States Army in March 1960, Presley enjoyed success with his album releases. G.I. Blues, the soundtrack album to his 1960 film G.I. Blues, topped both the Billboard pop albums chart and the UK Albums Chart in October 1960. On March 25, 1961, Presley played a concert in Hawaii to benefit the construction of the USS Arizona Memorial. It would be his last public performance for seven years. Presley's next number-one album on the Billboard pop albums chart was Something for Everybody, released in June 1961.[1]
Presley's manager Colonel Tom Parker shifted the focus of Presley's career to films and stopped him from touring. The films were low-budget, formulaic comedies that were successful at the box office, while the resulting albums sold well. Presley attempted to move into more dramatic roles, trying to reduce the prominence of musical numbers to center on his acting with Flaming Star (1960) and Wild in the Country (1961).[2] Both releases flopped, and by 1964 Parker decided to limit all recordings exclusively to film soundtracks. Parker then set the Presley formula: the films would promote album releases, while album releases would promote the films.[3]
To reduce costs, producer Hal Wallis shortened filming schedules, almost abandoning rehearsals and retakes. He stopped shooting on location; all films were to be shot in the studio, and less-experienced crews were used to reduce labor costs. Scenes were limited to long shots, medium shots and close-ups to speed the process. Meanwhile, studio recordings also declined in quality; session musicians did most of the work as Presley simply didn't have time to focus on recording. He was paid $750,000 and received 50% of the film profits for his appearance in Tickle Me (1965), a sum that consumed most of the film's budget. Because Allied Artists was experiencing financial problems, Parker inserted unused songs from other studio sessions on the soundtrack and instructed the studio to work them into the film. The tight production worked, and Tickle Me was a box-office success.[4]
Girl Happy (1965) marked the first failure of this approach. The soundtrack was Presley's least successful release, while the film barely grossed $2 million.[5] Despite the success of Parker's model, Presley soon grew discontented. With the passage of time, he felt that his connection to the music business was weakening, causing depression and alienation as the quality of his films deteriorated.[6] During a five-year span from 1964 through 1968, Presley had only one top-ten hit, "Crying in the Chapel" (1965), a gospel number recorded in 1960.[7] While the 1964 film Viva Las Vegas enjoyed success, the ensuing films saw a progressive decline. By 1967, the difficulty of negotiating with Parker and the poor performance of the films led Wallis to opt out of his contract with Presley.[8]
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