Elvis (NBC TV Special) is the thirty-fourth
album by
Elvis Presley, released on
RCA Victor Records in
mono, LPM 4088, in November 1968.
Recording sessions took place in
Burbank, California at
Western Recorders on June 20, 21, 22, and 23, 1968, and at
NBC Studios on June 27 and 29, 1968. It peaked at #8 on the
Billboard 200, and has been certified a
platinum album by the
RIAA.
Content
Prior to the
videotaping of the
Singer Christmas Special, a
soundtrack album to be released before the December 3rd broadcast was recorded. Several initial contract stipulations were obviated by Presley and program producer
Steve Binder, notably the one against having a live audience present, but album producer
Bones Howe was unable to requisition proper recording equipment, getting the sound feed from the single-channel microphones on the video cameras. Hence, the album was released in mono only, at a time when the recording industry was switching over to
stereophonic records exclusively for both albums and
singles.
Unlike the drudgery of the feature film soundtrack recordings, Presley was genuinely excited by the project. For the album, the musical format presented Presley in three different settings: production numbers featuring medleys of his material; an informal small band featuring medleys in front of a live audience; and the two original numbers with Presley backed by an orchestra in front of a live audience. The two ballad tracks from this album were issued as singles, "If I Can Dream" being released earlier in the month, backed on the b-side with a song from his movie currently in theaters, Speedway, making it a double promotion on one record. It peaked at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100, his highest charting single since 1965. "Memories" was released over two months after the broadcast, backed with the title song to his next film, Charro!. By making it to the top ten on the album chart after his previous album had charted at a dismal #82, this LP resuscitated his recording career at a time when it seemed practically moribund.
Several hours of additional music were recorded for the special, and this material has been reissued in many different formats over the years. On August 27, 1991, RCA released an expanded version for compact disc, including unedited versions of the medleys in several cases. Two extensive compact disc releases appeared in 1998, Memories The '68 Comeback Special featuring more comprehensive versions of the production and orchestral numbers, along with the complete first informal small band show of June 27, and Tiger Man featuring the complete evening show of the two informal small band concerts of June 27, 1968.
Personnel
Elvis Presley - vocals, guitar
The Blossoms - backing vocals
Tommy Morgan - harmonica
Mike Deasy, Al Casey, Tommy Tedesco, Scotty Moore - electric guitar
Larry Knechtel - keyboards, bass
Don Randi - piano
Charles Berghofer - bass
Hal Blaine - drums
John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito, D.J. Fontana, Alan Fortas - percussion
Lance Legault - tambourine
Billy Goldenberg - orchestra conductor
Track listing
Chart positions from Billboard Hot 100; no times were listed on the original album
Side one
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #FCFDFF; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
! Track || Recorded || Song Title || Writers
|-
| 1. || 6/22/67 ||
Trouble /
Guitar Man ||
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller /
Jerry Reed
|-
| 2. || 6/27/68 ||
Lawdy Miss Clawdy /
Baby What You Want Me to Do ||
Lloyd Price /
Jimmy Reed
|-
| 3. || 6/29/68 ||
Heartbreak Hotel /
Hound Dog /
All Shook Up /
Can't Help Falling In Love /
Jailhouse Rock / /
Love Me Tender ||
Mae Boren Axton,
Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley /
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller /
Otis Blackwell and Elvis Presley/
George Weiss,
Hugo Peretti,
Luigi Creatore /
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller /
Vera Matson and Elvis Presley
|-
| 4. || 6/21-22/68 ||
Where Could I Go But To The Lord /
Up Above My Head /
Saved ||
J.B. Coats /
Walter Earl Brown /
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
|}
Side two
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #FCFDFF; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
! Track || Recorded || Catalogue || Release Date || Chart Peak || Song Title || Writer(s)
|-
| 1. || 6/27/68 || || || ||
Blue Christmas /
One Night ||
Billy Hayes and
Jay Johnson /
Dave Bartholomew and
Pearl King
|-
| 2. || 6/23/68 || 47-9731 || 2/25/69 || #35 ||
Memories ||
Billy Strange and
Mac Davis
|-
| 3. || 6/20-21/68 || || || ||
Nothingville /
Big Boss Man /
Guitar Man /
Little Egypt /
Trouble ||
Billy Strange and
Mac Davis /
Luther Dixon and Al Smith /
Jerry Reed /
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller
|-
| 4. || 6/23/68 || 47-9670 || 11/5/68 || #12 ||
If I Can Dream ||
Walter Earl Brown
|}
1991 expanded track listing
Bonus selections marked with an asterisk
{| border="2" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #FCFDFF; border: 1px #aaa solid; border-collapse: collapse; font-size: 95%;"
! Track || Recorded || Song Title || Writer(s) || Time
|-
| 1. || 6/22/67 ||
Trouble /
Guitar Man ||
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller /
Jerry Reed || 3:26
|-
| 2. || 6/27/68 ||
Lawdy Miss Clawdy /
Baby What You Want Me to Do ||
Lloyd Price /
Jimmy Reed || 3:34
|-
| 3. || 6/29/68 ||
Heartbreak Hotel /
Hound Dog /
All Shook Up /
Can't Help Falling In Love /
Jailhouse Rock /
Don't Be Cruel* /
Blue Suede Shoes* /
Love Me Tender ||
Mae Boren Axton,
Tommy Durden, Elvis Presley /
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller /
Otis Blackwell and Elvis Presley/
George Weiss,
Hugo Peretti,
Luigi Creatore /
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller /
Otis Blackwell and Elvis Presley /
Carl Perkins /
Vera Matson and Elvis Presley|| 14:14
|-
| 4. || 6/21-22/68 ||
Where Could I Go But To The Lord /
Up Above My Head /
Saved ||
J.B. Coats /
Walter Earl Brown /
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller || 7:31
|-
| 5. || 6/27/68 ||
Baby What You Want Me to Do* /
That's Alright Mama* /
Blue Christmas /
One Night /
Tiger Man* /
Trying to Get to You* ||
Jimmy Reed /
Arthur Crudup /
Billy Hayes and
Jay Johnson /
Dave Bartholomew and
Pearl King /
Lewis Burns,
Al Lewis,
Joe Hill Louis /
Rose Marie McCoy and
Charles Singleton || 15:49
|-
| 6. || 6/23/68 ||
Memories ||
Billy Strange and
Mac Davis || 3:16
|-
| 7. || 6/20-21/68 ||
Nothingville /
Big Boss Man /
Let Yourself Go* /
It Hurts Me* /
Guitar Man /
Little Egypt /
Trouble ||
Billy Strange and
Mac Davis /
Luther Dixon and Al Smith /
Joy Byers /
Joy Byers and
Charlie Daniels /
Jerry Reed /
Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller || 11:46
|-
| 8. || 6/23/68 ||
If I Can Dream ||
Walter Earl Brown || 3:19
|}
References
External links
LPM-4088 Elvis (a.k.a. Elvis' TV Special, Elvis' Comeback Special, or Elvis' NBC-TV Special) Guide part of the The Elvis Presley Record Research Database
Category:Television soundtracks
Category:Elvis Presley soundtracks
Category:1968 soundtracks
Category:RCA Records soundtracks
![Omid Djalili (pronounced /əˈmiːd dʒəˈlɪli/; Persian: امید جلیلی; born 30 September 1965)[1] is a British stand-up comedian and actor.](http://web.archive.org./web/20110204192128im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/ba/e9/b1abd63a9212a83d0a23a5e1cc71_grande.jpg "Omid Djalili (pronounced /əˈmiːd dʒəˈlɪli/; Persian: امید جلیلی; born 30 September 1965)[1] is a British stand-up comedian and actor.")
![Omid Djalili (pronounced /əˈmiːd dʒəˈlɪli/; Persian: امید جلیلی; born 30 September 1965)[1] is a British stand-up comedian and actor.](http://web.archive.org./web/20110204192128im_/http://cdn.wn.com/pd/ba/e9/b1abd63a9212a83d0a23a5e1cc71_thumb.jpg "Omid Djalili (pronounced /əˈmiːd dʒəˈlɪli/; Persian: امید جلیلی; born 30 September 1965)[1] is a British stand-up comedian and actor.")
