NewsElvis Presley / ’68 Comeback Special 50th anniversary box set
50th anniversary • All existing audio and video • 5CD + 2 x blu-ray
Sony will celebrate Elvis Presley‘s ’68 Comeback Special will a seven-disc super deluxe edition box set, due to be issued at the end of November.
The TV special was actually called Singer… presents Elvis (the Singer corporation being the sponsor) and was rescued from being a schmaltzy affair (with The King singing Christmas Carols) by producer Bob Finkel and director Steve Binder who combined to produce something that would appeal to a younger demographic and help to update Elvis Presley’s sound.
The really memorable section of the show was the ‘sit down’ element, that had Elvis on stage dressed in black leather, guitar in hand, with guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana. This performance included raw takes of some of Presley’s best records, including ‘That’s All Right’ and ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’ Great versions of ‘Baby, What You Want Me to Do’ and ‘Lawdy, Miss Clawdy’ signaled Presley’s return to rock ‘n’ roll, after years in Hollywood making forgettable movies and dubious soundtracks.
The ’68 Comeback Special, as it became known, aired on 3 December 1968 and helped rejuvenate Presley’s recording career.
The new box set features five CDs and two blu-rays and collects all of the existing audio and video from the show, including including the original album, both ‘sit-down’ and ‘stand-up’ performances, rehearsals and sessions recorded with the Wrecking Crew in June 1968, including outtakes. The box set includes an 84-page book with the story told through interviews conducted for this year’s HBO documentary ‘The Searcher’.
This 50th anniversary ’68 Comeback Special box set will be issued on 30 November 2018.
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Presley, Elvis
Elvis: '68 Comeback Special: 50th Anniversary Edition
Elvis Presley, “68 Comeback Special (50th Anniversary Edition)
CD 1
The Original Album
1. “Trouble” / “Guitar Man” (Opening)
2. Medley:
“Lawdy, Miss Clawdy”
“Baby, What You Want Me To Do”
Dialogue; Medley: “Heartbreak Hotel” / “Hound Dog” / “All Shook Up”
“Can’t Help Falling In Love”
“Jailhouse Rock”
Dialogue; “Love Me Tender”
3. Medley:
Dialogue; “Where Could I Go But To The Lord” / “Up Above My Head” / “Saved”
4. Medley:
Dialogue; “Blue Christmas” (5:34)
Dialogue; “One Night”
5. Memories
6. Medley: “Nothingville” / Dialogue; “Big Boss Man” / “Guitar Man” / “Little Egypt” / “Trouble” / “Guitar Man”
7. “If I Can Dream”
Bonus Cuts
8. “It Hurts Me” (splice/edit of part 1 – take 7, part 2 – take 7 & part 1 – take 6)
9. “Let Yourself Go” (splice/edit of part 1 – take 1 & part 2 – take 2)
10. “Memories”
11. “If I Can Dream”
CD 2
First ‘Sit Down’ show
1. “That’s All Right”
2. “Heartbreak Hotel”
3. “Love Me”
4. “Baby, What You Want Me To Do”
5. “Blue Suede Shoes”
6. “Baby, What You Want Me To Do
7. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy”
8. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”
9. “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again”
10. “Blue Christmas”
11. “Trying to Get to You”
12. “One Night”
13. “Baby, What You Want Me to Do”
14. “One Night”
15. “Memories”
First ‘Stand Up’ show
16. “Heartbreak Hotel”
17. “Hound Dog”
18. “All Shook Up”
19. “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
20. “Jailhouse Rock”
21. “Don’t Be Cruel”
22. “Blue Suede Shoes”
23. “Love Me Tender”
24. “Trouble”
25. “Baby, What You Want Me to Do”
26. “If I Can Dream”
CD 3
Second ‘Sit Down’ show
1. “Heartbreak Hotel”
2. “Baby, What You Want Me to Do”
3. Introductions
4. “That’s All Right”
5. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?”
6. “Baby, What You Want Me to Do”
7. “Blue Suede Shoes”
8. “One Night”
9. “Love Me”
10. “Trying to Get to You”
11. “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy”
12. “Santa Claus is Back in Town”
13. “Blue Christmas”
14. “Tiger Man”
15. “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again”
16. “Memories”
Second ‘Stand Up’ show
17. “Heartbreak Hotel”
18. “Hound Dog”
19. “All Shook Up”
20. “Can’t Help Falling in Love”
21. “Jailhouse Rock”
22. “Don’t Be Cruel”
23. “Blue Suede Shoes”
24. “Love Me Tender”
25. “Trouble” / “Guitar Man”
26. “Trouble” / “Guitar Man”
27. “If I Can Dream”
CD 4
First rehearsal
1. “I Got A Woman”
2. “Blue Moon” / “Young Love” / “Oh, Happy Day”
3. “When It Rains It Really Pours”
4. “Blue Christmas”
5. “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” / “That’s My Desire”
6. “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin”
7. “Peter Gunn Theme”
8. “Love Me”
9. “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again”
10. “Blue Christmas” / “Santa Claus is Back in Town”
Second rehearsal
11. “Danny Boy”
12. “Baby, What You Want Me to Do”
13. “Love Me”
14. “Tiger Man”
15. “Santa Claus is Back in Town”
16. “Lawdy, Miss Clawdy”
17. “One Night”
18. “Blue Christmas”
19. “Baby, What You Want Me to Do”
20. “When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again”
21. “Blue Moon of Kentucky”
CD 5
The Wrecking Crew Sessions
1. “Nothingville (Guitar Man’s Evil #1)” – takes 5 & 6
2. “Guitar Man (Guitar Man’s Evil #1)” – take 2
3. “Let Yourself Go, part 1 (Guitar Man’s Evil #2)” – take 5 & 7/M
4. “Let Yourself Go, part 2 (Guitar Man’s Evil #3)” – take 7/M
5. “Guitar Man (Escape #1, fast)” – takes 1, 2 & 5
6. “Big Boss Man (Escape #3)” – take 2
7. “It Hurts Me, part 1 (Escape #4)” – take 5
8. “It Hurts Me, part 2 (After Karate #1)” – take 3
9. “Guitar Man (After Karate #2)” – take 1
10. “Little Egypt (After Karate #2)” – take 6
11. “Trouble / Guitar Man (After Karate #3)” – take 2
12. “Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child” / “Where Could I Go But to the Lord (Gospel #1)” – rehearsal & take 1 (5:23)
13. “Up Above My Head” / “Saved (Gospel #2)” – takes 4 & 7
14. “Saved (Gospel #3)” – takes 2 & 4
15. “Trouble” / “Guitar Man (Opening)” – takes 6 & 7
16. “If I Can Dream” – take 1
17. “If I Can Dream” – takes 2, 3 & 4
18. “Memories” – takes 3 & 4/vocal overdub #1
19. “Let Yourself Go” (closing instrumental)
Blu-ray Disc 1:
Elvis NBC TV Special originally broadcast on Dec. 3, 1968
Black Leather Sit-Down Show #1 – June 27, 1968
Black Leather Sit-Down Show #2 – June 27, 1968
Black Leather Stand-Up Show #1 – June 29, 1968
Black Leather Stand-Up Show #2 – June 29, 1968
Details as follows:
Blu-ray Disc 2:
“Trouble” / “Guitar Man” TV Show Opener – June 30, 1968 – All Takes and Raw Components
If I Can Dream TV Show Closer – June 30, 1968 – All Takes
Huh-Huh-Huh Promo – June 30, 1968
Elvis Closing Credits Without Credit Roll – June 30, 1968
“If I Can Dream” Special Music Video 2004 – June 30, 1968
Gospel Production Number – All Takes and Raw Components
“Guitar Man” Production Number – All Takes and Raw Components
Blu-ray Special Feature Re-Cut
Details as follows:
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By Paul Sinclair
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