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Details Writing For The King - Book And 2CD Set

November 06, 2006 | Music
On the FECC messageboard the following details were posted on the Follow That Dream book and 2 CD release "Writing for the King", due for release December 1, 2006. The information has not yet been confirmed.

Ken Sharp’s book includes more than 140 interviews with songwriters like John Fogerty, Paul McCartney, Leiber & Stoller, Pomus & Shuman, Phil Spector, Tommy Durden, Red West, Mark James, Tony Joe White and publisher Freddy Bienstock. "Writing for the King" is a fascinating behind-the-scenes story of politics, money, inspiration and great trivia about Elvis and the songs he turned into classics.

Included is a CD of previously unreleased RCA recordings of Elvis performing live in Las Vegas (1969 through 1972) plus a second CD with a selection of the original demos submitted to Elvis. The demo CD takes us from “Heartbreak Hotel” through classics like “Teddy Bear,” “Trouble,” “Burning Love” and “Way Down.”

400-Page Book and 2 CDs!

DISC 1 - THE RECORDINGS - ELVIS PRESLEY

All selections on this disc are live recordings from Elvis concerts at recorded at The International Hotel in Las Vegas, a.k.a. The Las Vegas Hilton.

M = Midnight Show
D = Dinner Show

August 1969:

BLUE SUEDE SHOES (24th/M) 2:51
(Carl Perkins)

I GOT A WOMAN (24th/M) 2:36
(Ray Charles)

ALL SHOOK UP (24th/M) 3:06
(Blackwell/Presley)

LOVE ME TENDER (24th/M) 2:46
(Matson/Presley)

JAILHOUSE ROCK / DON’T BE CRUEL (24th/M) 2:38
(Leiber/Stoller) / (Blackwell/Presley)

HEARTBREAK HOTEL (24th/M) 4:05
(Axton/Durden/Presley)

HOUND DOG (24th/M) 1:26
(Leiber/Stoller)

WORDS (25th/D) 2:41
(Barry, spectacle & Robin Gibb)

YESTERDAY/HEY JUDE (25th/D) 4:34
(Lennon/McCartney)

IN THE GHETTO (25th/M) 2:43
(Mac Davis)

February 1970:

DON’T CRY DADDY (16th/D) 2:50
(Mac Davis)

POLK SALAD ANNIE (16th/D) 5:38
(Tony Joe White)

KENTUCKY RAIN (17th/D) 3:16
(Rabbitt/Heard)

WALK A MILE IN MY SHOES (16th/D) 2:50
(Joe South)

August 1970:

SOMETHING (11th/D) 4:45
(George Harrison)

YOU’VE LOST THAT LOVIN’ FEELIN’ (11th/D) 4.45
(Mann/Weil)

I JUST CAN’T HELP BELIEVIN’ (13th/D) 3:13
(Mann/Weil)


February, 1972:

NEVER BEEN TO SPAIN (14th/M) 3:30
(Hoyt Axton)

LOVE ME (14th/M) 1:55
(Leiber/Stoller)

(LET ME BE YOUR) TEDDY BEAR / DON’T BE CRUEL (14th/M) 1:52
(Mann/Lowe) / (Blackwell/Presley)

A BIG HUNK O’ LOVE (14th/M) 2:04
(Schroeder/Wyche)

August, 1969:

SUSPICIOUS MINDS (24th/M) 6:56
(Mark James)

CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE (24th/M) 2:09
(Peretti/Creatore/Weiss)



DISC 2 - THE DEMOS – VARIOUS ARTISTS

HEARTBREAK HOTEL
(Axton/Durden/Presley)
Singer: Glenn Reeves

(LET ME BE YOUR) TEDDY BEAR
(Kal Mann/Bernie Lowe)
Singer: Otis Blackwell

DON’T ASK ME WHY
(Fred Wise/Ben Weisman)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove

HARD HEADED WOMAN
(Claude DeMetrius)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove

TROUBLE
(Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller)
Singer: Unknown

WEAR MY RING AROUND YOUR NECK
(Bert Carroll/Russell Moody)
Singer: Gus Coletti

POCKETFUL OF RAINBOWS
(Fred Wise/Ben Weisman)
Singer: Jimmy Breedlove

NO MORE
(Don Robertson/Hal Blair)
Singer: Don Robertson

(MARIE’S THE NAME OF) HIS LATEST FLAME
(Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman)
Singer: Mort Shuman

GOOD LUCK CHARM
(Aaron Schroeder/Wally Gold)
Singer: Robert Moseley

DEVIL IN DISGUISE
(Bill Giant/Bernie Baum/Florence Kaye)
Singer: Bill Giant

VIVA LAS VEGAS
(Doc Pomus/Mort Shuman)
Singer: Mort Shuman

C’MON EVERYBODY
(Joy Byers)
Singer: Bob Johnston

KISSIN’ COUSINS
(Fred Wise/Randy Starr)
Singer: Malcolm Dodd

MY DESERT SERENADE
(Stanley Gelber)
Singer: Kenny Karen

COULD I FALL IN LOVE
(Randy Starr)
Singer: Malcolm Dodd

THE LOVE MACHINE
(G. Nelson/F. Burch/C. Taylor)
Singer: Gerald Nelson

CLAMBAKE – alternate song
(Winfield Scott)
Singer: Winfield Scott

WEARIN’ THAT LOVED ON LOOK
(Dallas Frazier/A. L. Owens)
Singer: Dallas Frazier

I’VE LOST YOU
(Howard/Blaikley)
Singer: Peter Lee Sterling

THE NEXT STEP IS LOVE
(Evans/Parnes)
Singer: Paul Evans

MARY IN THE MORNING
(Cymbal/Rashkow)
Singer: Johnny Cymbal

BURNING LOVE
(Dennis Linde)
Singer: Dennis Linde

T-R-O-U-B-L-E
(Jerry Chesnut)
Singer: Jerry Chesnut

RAISED ON ROCK
(Mark James)
Singer: Mark James

WAY DOWN
(Layng Martine Jr.)
Singer: Layng Martine Jr.
Source:For Elvis CD Collectors Forum
Colonel wrote on November 06, 2006
Sounds promising !
You Dont Know Me wrote on November 06, 2006
Hmm, NOT BAD! At first i wasn't really interested in this release, but this is GOOD! and very interestingly put together- nice demo list and a sort of compiled concert CD! ok so some has been out on boots before, but i support FTD and will put this package in my Christmas Stocking! well done FTD and certainly will be well worth supporting this package!
MarkE wrote on November 06, 2006
I wont be buying this. I only want to hear Elvis, I'm not interested in other artists versions. I will be buying 'His Hand In Mine' though, cant wait :-)
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on November 06, 2006
Is this for real? demos of other people and then elvis singing them live? isnt studio work and live concerts 2 differ things? i kinda though the vegas 72 recordings would be made as a seperate release,has this been confirmed?
Steve V wrote on November 07, 2006
Hmm - at first I had no interest in this release. Now it intrigues me. To hear the demos as Elvis first heard them before recording them is really something different. WHats the purpose of the live CD though? They could have kept the cost down by eliminating that.
Ton Bruins wrote on November 07, 2006
I am not interested in CD 2 were other artists sing Elvis songs. The live CD is very interesting but I will not buy this project because it's just too expensive. Just like "That's The Way It Was".
Rob Wanders wrote on November 07, 2006
strange. I like the idea of comparing the demo's and the versions Elvis gave to the songs, and I like to read about it. But cd 1 has got nothing to do with cd 2. But still I know now, this will be a nice x-mas gift my husband can give to me.
John4126 wrote on November 07, 2006
You gotta hand it to those folks at FTD. They hear that there is little interest in the demos and book for whatever reason: 'too expensive', 'not interested in hearing other people sing', so what do they do, throw in a cd of unreleased live stuff which seemingly has nothing to do with the book. I wasn't going to buy it but now with the inclusion of disc one... looks like i will. And that, of course is what them record execs are banking on to save this release.
JerryNodak wrote on November 07, 2006
John4126: I wasn't going too buy this release before and I'm not going to buy it now. A cd of unreleased "Live" performances holds little allure for me. It's not like I don't already have performances of these songs multiple times already. One is pretty much like another. But to each his/her own.
MarkE wrote on November 07, 2006
I agree, I also werent going to buy this before and I'm deifnatley NOT going to be being it now. I have all the live songs on various bootlegs, so its just a waste of money for me, and besides, I wouldnt buy it anyway looking at cd 2
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on November 08, 2006
As i mentioned before i thought all unreleased 72 vegas recordings would be for a regular release.id rather have regular releases than books!
Tony D. wrote on November 08, 2006
Looks like the moaning has started already!? People should remember that this is essentially a BOOK, much like what Joe Tunzi puts out! Only this book will be thicker, hardback, include lots of unpublished photos and the text will be extremely interesting if you want to read about and know more about Elvis' recording career and the songs he sang, the circumstances to how they were written and submitted for him etc. As a BONUS, you can actually get to hear the original demo versions that Elvis probably worked from on a BONUS CD. As an EXTRA BONUS, there is a CD of rare Elvis live recordings. (Although I am surprised live recordings are included, and not the anticipated studio out-takes collection)! It is a BOOK. Buy it if any of the above appeals to you (ie a fascinating book with two BONUS cd's)! Dont buy if you can't afford it or Elvis' recording career doesn't appeal to you!?
Steve V wrote on November 08, 2006
Tony Dobb makes a good point. Joe Tunzi's books are very expensive and many dont warrant their price in my opinion . This may be a few dollars more, but it will be of top quality and u get 2 cds to boot! A better bargain than any Tunzi book.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on November 08, 2006
Oh no,people are giving there oppions,the live disc is nice,but should be on a regular release,as for the book part, im not a fan of books on elvis just the cd's,as for those tunzi books id not pay those kind of high prices for them or even the ftd prices!
JerryNodak wrote on November 08, 2006
I'm sure the book will/would be interesting reading. I'd love to read it. I wish I could just buy the book. But I can't. A hard cover first edition printing of the book would be less expensive than the asking price for this bloated FTD package.
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on November 08, 2006
Thats my point jerry,either a book or a cd release not both,ever try pulling a cd out of one of these books? not too mention the fact that its hard to find a good place to buy these ftd's let alone it being a book release,do you know that some online stores are asking for over $125 usd for these ftd's? what? And that elvis site,you know the official site of elvis, well they even refuseto send all orders well packed!
ttwiise wrote on November 09, 2006
Far too ambitious which will make it too expensive which will make it a flop. decent idea BUT why the live cd??? It`s only included here to tempt us to buy it! I would have preferred another complete 69 show plus the unreleased 72 stuff tagged on, but not with this book! Projects like these will kill the ftd label, we`ll be told "but you didn`t buy it". WE would if it was the right stuff!
pasa-ryu wrote on November 09, 2006
anything new and unreleased is a welcome to us elvis fans..stop complaining and be grateful we are getting new stuff..i will have to get this soon as its out!
vegaselvisfan wrote on November 13, 2006
i am grateful to elvis for introducing me to types of music and songs i would have never heard beyond top 40 radio (as a teenager in the 60s and 70s). to have the opportunity to hear the demos -he heard- is mind blowing for me and makes me VERY interested in this item. i have always enjoyed hearing the originals of songs elvis covered. and now this. along the way, i have come to appreciate songwriters and the music that is the roots of rock n roll: blues, rhythm, 50s pop singers, gospel, do wop, etc. i hope i can afford this product. i think this is *great* for those who like to 'study' elvis music. (BUT: i have the aug 24th show in my collection somewhere, so that would be a repeat, and now the songs are all out of sequence? hmmm) my focus is on the book and the demos. way cool!