2008 marks the 40th anniversary of the 1968 NBC special. In August BMG will release a 4 CD set focusing on the special. Several different Internet sites have talked about what the discs will contain but they all have had something different. Either way this is not something I am going to run out to pick up. I have Memories, Tiger Man, Burbank 68, and Let Yourself Go. So I cant imagine there is going to be much on this if anything, that I do not have. I will get it done day I suppose, because that's just what I do. I buy most anything to do with Elvis that's actually nice or worth buying. It is a nice looking set. I just think for the money I can find a lot better things to buy.
Producers David Permut and Steve Binder have acquired screen rights to Alanna Nash's 2003 book "The Colonel: The Extraordinary Story of Colonel Tom Parker and Elvis Presley." Permut and Binder will develop a feature titled "The Colonel" based on the book about the man with shadowy origins who reinvented himself as the Svengali behind the world's most famous entertainer.Parker started his showbiz career as a hustler on the carnival circuit before promoting Minnie Pearl and Eddy Arnold. Parker built Presley into a global music and film star -- and took 50% of the spoils.Nash dug deeply into Parker's origins in the expose. While Parker always claimed to be American, Nash uncovered a past life in the Netherlands that included his possible involvement in the bludgeoning death of a female acquaintance. Though that murder remains unsolved, Permut said the event may factor into the script because it's one explanation of why Parker left abruptly for America and rarely ventured outside the U.S. Presley famously never went on a European tour because Parker didn't want to go there.Permut said he and Binder (who produced Presley's 1968 comeback TV special) set up the project after hiring a writer and director. Steve Longi will be co-producer.
I think this might be pretty neat to see something about the Tom Parker. However I wish it was a fair interpretation and they don't just make this about him being low,a crook, blah blah blah. I don't think it is any secret Binder didn't like Parker. I don't share the same opinon of most Presley fans who think Parker was the devil who led Elvis to hell and all that nonsense. This movie will be interesting though.
It Has been a long time since I have done any of my blogs about Elvis on TV. I am going to continue tonight talking about Elvis' second appearance on the Ed Sullivan show. On October 28 1956 Elvis and the boys would be in New York to be on Sullivan's show. Ed was back by this time to see up close and personal the Hillbilly Cat take off. This is my favorite TV appearance from Elvis ever! More then Aloha, The NBC special, or any other thing he did. This is my all time favorite. He is performing with such energy. He sings some of my favorites. Also the outfit is damn cool. The white shoes, loose fitting pants, the over-sized jacket, and the cool tie. That outfit was one of the coolest ever.
Elvis starts out the show with Don't Be Cruel. The performance is great, but might be a notch below the version from the next Sullivan show. He then sings the title track from his debut movie, Love Me Tender. He does a pretty good job on it. Elvis would be back later in the show to sing another new song from his latest album called Love Me. This of course is probably one of my all time favorite songs. He does a wonderful job with it and plays with the crowd from time to time during the song. Elvis would sing Hound Dog for his last number. This for me is Elvis rockin at his best. When I think of Elvis and REAL Rock and Roll one of the things I think of is this song. When I hear Elvis songs different images of Elvis often float around in my head. Though It never fails, If I hear Hound Dog I always think of this performance.
This show was just one more stepping stone to the top. Elvis was already the biggest thing in the business. Now he had just done a movie and was on his way. One sad note though would be that there was no need for TV anymore. The movies would do for Elvis what TV had done but to a larger extent. Only one more TV appearance would be left. Now enjoy the video below of Love Me and Hound Dog. My favorite six minutes of Elvis footage ever.
This week the 68 NBC special won for favorite TV special. All the votes went for it except mine which went for all of the above. I could not bring myself to pick one because they are all cool. Though If I had to lean towards one, it would be Welcome Home Elvis. Elvis in the early 60's, he was never cooler post Army.
This is the 68 Comeback doll from the 1993 Hasbro collection of Elvis dolls. I have the other two the offered, Teen Idol and Jailhouse Rock. So I really want to get this to have all three. These are my favorite of all the Elvis dolls/toys I have seen. Actually when I got the dolls I do have I was very young and did not know better, and took them out the box. So I would really like to have all three. Though the run anywhere from $40-$80 each from the looking I have done. Hopefully I can get around to getting these. They are very cool.
No time for a real blog tonight. I am busy watching the women's semifinals. The Memphis Tigers men's team has made it to the finals. They will play Kansas tomorrow. If my Gators can't win it, then Memphis would be my second choice since I love the city and coach Cal is pretty key. Graceland of course is bathed in blue lights. In honor of the Tigers I am going to post the video below for them.
In June of 1968 Elvis recorded his hit NBC special "Elvis" (aka The 68' Comeback Special). The show was originally supposed to be dominantly Christmas Songs and was supposed to have "I'll Be Home For Christmas" as the finale. Earl Brown was asked to write a song to replace ''Ill Be Home For Christmas" and he came up with "If I Can Dream". Clad in a total white suit and a red tie, Elvis sang "If I Can Dream" as the grand finale of his NBC Special. You can clearly hear Elvis singing his heart out on the song. It was then first released as single If I Can Dream/Edge Of Reality in November 1968. It peaked on Billboard's Hot 100 at #12 for 13 weeks, one million plus sales. This personally one of my favorite Elvis songs and it defiantly is in my top performances of his. I searched the longest time for Elvis singing this song live or during a concert only to find out that he never performed it in that manner. "If I Can Dream" was one of the dearest songs to Elvis because it was written as an inspirational song in a time soon after the assasinations of RFK and Martin Luther King Jr. Although Elvis thought very highly of this song, Col. Tom Parker refused to let Elvis sing it live because he considered it to be too controversial and didnt want Elvis to be considered a hippy.
Today I got my new CD Burbank 68. It is a FTD of course, that's about all I buy anymore. It was the first release they had back in 1999. I did not really want this CD a lot, but thought I might need to get it now. It is pretty old and thought I might miss out since they don't always produce these long. I was wrong, I definitely needed this. I thought most of the material would be stuff I had but that is not the case at all. Nine of the songs are from recording of Elvis in his dressing room singing and playing with Scotty,DJ, and Charlie. Most of the recordings I have never heard. The twelve songs are takes from one of the stand up shows that was not included in the Memories two disc set. It also contains some dialogue throughout the disc that is entertaining. I am totally blown away with this CD. I am so glad I got it. The 68 special is alright in its original form. It really is not that great when you know of all the great stuff they left out. You can't appreciate how great the whole deal was until you see all the footage and hear all the music and the process of making the show. I feel now I have all the pieces to the puzzle. Back in the late 90's I bought CD of the original album that came out at the time of the show. Man, that CD is really bad when you hear the stuff they have put together since then. Memories the two disc set, Tiger Man, Let Your Self Go, and Burbank 68 really paint the whole picture. The Let Your Self Go and Burbank Cd's are FTD's and are as usual top of the line releases. The sound and production is out of this world. I honestly think of all the stuff I have that has to do with the 68 special, this new CD is my favorite though. You even get to hear Elvis jam to Blue Moon Of Kentucky which was pretty neat because I had not heard that before. That with the version of Love Me and One Night are my favorite tracks off the disc. The two instrumentals to start the CD off, Danny Boy and Baby What You Want Me To Do are fantastic as well.
I am up to 124 Cd's now! I already have the FTD in mind I am going to order this month. These things are high as all get out at thirty dollars. Tax and shipping puts them around thirty seven. My point is, they are worth it. I hope they keep putting these things out. For the serious Elvis music collector they are the real deal. I just wish it had not took me so long to catch on to them and would have just spent the money on them. I have missed out on a few that I wont ever be able to get. You get a lot more out of these then the same old re released stuff you can buy at the stores.
I will fallow up on Vince's post on the NBC special. This is without a doubt one the the most important events in Elvis' career. After being away form live audiences for all these years it was time to get back to doing what Elvis did best. He was not tearing up the charts with any albums either. Elvis was starting to become irrelevant to some. Elvis was as nervous has he had ever been. He was scared to death that he would flop. All it took was him getting out in front of the audience and he came alive. Tiger Man is a song I thought really fit this special. As someone once said, it was like Elvis was telling everyone he was back and still on top. My favorite moment of the show has to be the Guitar Man production number. The deluxe edition is the way to go if you are planning on getting this. It is a three disc set that has some great stuff on it. You have the original Elvis special as it was seen in 68. It has both the stand up and sit down sessions. A lot of music right there that you don't see in the original special. You get most of the footage shot for all the production numbers as well as the If I Can Dream segment. Also some great outtakes on there. I would highly recommend it to anyone. Elvis is defiantly on top of his game here. Every time I watch this and see him walk on to the small stage for the first time I immediately think just how damn cool Elvis was and still is.
The review i'm doing tonight is of my favorite show titled "Elvis" or more commonly known as "The 68' Comeback Special". In December of 1968 over half of the american televison audience tuned to NBC hear Elvis open his special with the following words..."If you're lookin' for trouble, then you came to the right place." Clad in the famous black leather biker outfit, Elvis done a sitdown show with former bandmates Dj Fontana and Scotty Moore. In my personal opinion, this is when Elvis was at his best. He hooked the audience in by singing his old hits like "All Shook Up" 'Dont Be Cruel" and "Hound Dog" but he really showed his vocal ability with the finale "If I Can Dream". I only have the 68' Comeback Special Edition which is the cheapest version out there but Mike owns the Deluxe Edition and im sure he'll fill you in on the special features it has. The 68' Comeback is a must have for all Elvis fans, He was top notch and ready to sing and prove to the world why he's king of the jungle and why they call him "Tiger Man"
Mike Edwards and Vince Everett are two guys that are big Elvis fans and feel the need to ramble on about the greatest entertainer ever! Enjoy our ramblings. Welcome to our crazy pad!
