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Elvis Christmas Duets Album? - Updated

July 10, 2008 | Music
According to Elvis Unlimited rumor has it that an Elvis duets album may be in the works by BMG. The original idea is said to have come from Joe Guercio but another producer took the idea to BMG which crushed Joe Guercio. The concept is said to be Elvis singing primarily with female singers for a Christmas album.

Update July 10, 2008:

The following news is reproduced from an article by Brian Quinn in the July/August Issue of 'Essential Elvis' magazine:

Sony BMG are committed to producing a ‘Duets’ Album and again I am very excited about this. This release, probably in 2009, should be a worldwide smash. It is anticipated that different countries will get different versions featuring their own superstars duetting in their native language with Elvis. We will need to start saving up to buy all the different releases.

In connection with such a project it is felt that a ‘switched on’ contemporary producer of the calibre say of Mark Ronson would be beneficial. Such a person would have access to all suitable artist databases whom he could contact at the touch of a button. I suspect many artists will be falling over themselves to get to duet with The King.

Sony BMG are also interested in producing a ‘Remix’ album but not of the ‘club type’ songs. It would appear they prefer to add new instrumentation to Elvis’ original vocals. The fifties tracks are favoured at this time. Chronologically, the ’Duets’ Album will be the main priority.

Source:Various
elvis_aotc wrote on July 09, 2008
If some are with Katie Melua, couldn't be better. I went to her concert in Ahoy in Holland and with a age of 23 she sings like a angel, and what a great texts. If you think that her first album was released when she was 19 there is a lot in commen with Elvis. If Elvis was still allive he surely was impressed himself. Think he would ask her for his backing group, haha!! Katie is on world tour right now. so if you have the change..........
Jerome returns wrote on July 09, 2008
please stop making duets with dead artists!..
Greg Nolan wrote on July 10, 2008
Creepy - especially at Christmas... What's next? A Bing Crosby "White Christmas" duet with Rihanna? The charm of Christmas is that every year people enjoy the same old familar tunes, no remixes necessary. I just hope this isn't embarrassing.
dressingroomrehearsa wrote on July 10, 2008
well, what else can they do? repackaging of christmas albums had its day... So what would be your setlist and the duet partner. I would like to have a dolly parton duet with elvis on "winter wonderland" and "merry christmas baby" with reba mc entire. other suggestions? the 68 blue christmas with sheryl crow? ¦-) well, its your turn then...maybe we should write ernst? merrry christmas everyone
efan4ever wrote on July 10, 2008
Nobody wants this garbage. I want Elvis On Tour on dvd
JerryNodak wrote on July 10, 2008
First of all, at this point it's just rumored. So, until we're informed that a project like this will actually happen I'm not going to worry over it. Secondly, I'm not going to pass judgement until I see the details. Much will depend on how the project is done, who does it, and who the duet partners are. I agree with Greg Nolan about the charm of Christmas and I hope the project (if done) isn't embarassing.
circleG wrote on July 10, 2008
well said efan4ever but I want a TTWII DVd set too !
2kisses&3scarfs wrote on July 10, 2008
Yes, forget this- stop playing with Elvis' music! Let's have that ELVIS ON TOUR (Special Edition) DVD with all the unseen footage!!
Ciscoking wrote on July 10, 2008
No more raping of Elvis` music..please !!!
Pedro Nuno wrote on July 10, 2008
"Sony BMG are also interested in producing a ‘Remix’ album..." "The fifties tracks are favoured at this time"! Of course! Sony BMG is loosing all copy rights of those songs here in Europe, year after year! Saying that it seams that they just want to make some money... just leave the 50's alone as they were, are, and should be: the birth of Rock’ Roll! You can't improve a masterpiece!
Lex wrote on July 10, 2008
Saving money for another rape? One song comes in mind: Fool, Fool, Fool
dressingroomrehearsa wrote on July 10, 2008
well, Cassel's dictionary has another word for it: looting of corpses. why can't they give in and accept the fact, as it was quoted elsewhere on this site: that this man hasn't entered a studio in 30+ years, so how long will this be going on? Ciscoking, you are so right. What about a petition or if it has to be more concrete a protest note written by important people in the elvis world to the hands of sony music executives or another key person and a worldwide refusal concerning this release?
Jerome returns wrote on July 10, 2008
Please no Christmas album, make a Rock album with Bon Jovi, Metallica and Nickelhead! That's what the kids want!..
Coronel Parker wrote on July 10, 2008
Very good news!
JerryNodak wrote on July 10, 2008
I'll be at least mildly interested in a Christmas duets album. If it turns into a rock duets and/or remix album I will have ZERO interest.
Emiel Maier wrote on July 10, 2008
Both projects are indeed very good news. I hope that out of the two CD's a single will be selected and heavily promoted. Elvis needs another chart topper. I hope Sillerman and/or SonyBMG are joining and are willing to invest in this. Only promotion (read: air play!) can make a hit nowadays. Having said that: a great achievement by Spankox to get BLPH charted in Spain, Italy and Sweden without any promotion at all! (I personally like the Spankox CD which is not 'club type' at all apart from the single). To conclude this posting: it has been very quiet for a while concerning Ernst' SUN-project. Has this been postponed?
Steve V wrote on July 10, 2008
I'm a huge fan of Christmas & Christmas songs. I agree with Jerry. Zero interest in rock duets, mild interest in this cause I like to buy a new Christmas CD by someone every year, why not a new Elvis CD?
Jerome returns wrote on July 10, 2008
was only kidding, c'mon! Nickleback? Metallica? But this is where we're heading after the Spancock era..
Theo wrote on July 10, 2008
Might be interesting. I'not thrilled about the idea, but it might work. Hope they'll use some unknown gems (preferably NOT from the 50's) and get some decent artists to sing with Elvis. I won't judge the project until I've heard some tracks.
ttwiise wrote on July 10, 2008
Lousy Idea. I'd rather have Aloha and the 68 on blu ray
Jerry 79 wrote on July 11, 2008
I wonder who will sing with Elvis on the polish edition. I don't like this idea. Again some poor singers will climb on Elvis back to gather some publicity. BMG should focus on something else. Elvis in a duet with a German, French, Polish Russian singing artist - that will sound like a joke and nobody will take it seriously.....
Palle wrote on July 11, 2008
Why not put out a cd with songs the way Elvis intended it to sound? ...but if (and that's a huge if) this is done properly, it could be ok. After the Spandox-disaster the only way now is up
Sirbalkan wrote on July 11, 2008
It can work for the new audiences I think. Elvis needs ad. to the new generation. That's it. I liked it.
Bill (BW) wrote on July 11, 2008
This is a very bad idea. Please, someone in authority, put a stop to this!
Mark S. wrote on July 11, 2008
This is a bad idea in a loooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooong line of bad ideas. If Mark Ronson is anything of a producer (Maroon 5, Christina Aguilera, Amy Winehouse and Robbie Williams among others), he will not touch this project with a ten foot pole. Unlike the "If I Can Dream"-duet (which was technically great), there are no multi-track tapes of these fifties songs. So the "new instrumentation" will mostly have to play the exact same thing Scotty Moore, Bill Black & DJ Fontana are playing, otherwise there's no way you can fit in the duet vocal...
old shep wrote on July 11, 2008
I like the idea of a duets album, it worked with Sinatra, Tony Bennett and Dean Martin.Not sure about a Christmas duets though in different languages. I would prefer some of the great 60s and 70s material revisited with top country and soul legends in on the deal.
Steve Morse wrote on July 11, 2008
I feel it highly unlikely that a duets album would be done of Christmas songs - rather, just an album released at Christmas, though time is rather short for that, now. Sales potential is too limited for a Christmas album, for seasonal reasons. However, I would welcome a duets album, done tastefully, with a mixture of well-known artists joining Elvis in some of his more well-known songs. I would equally welcome a remix album but done in a more traditional manner, not the modern soulless way. Elvis went 10 years without strings on record and there are some gems with relatively sparse backing (both mono and stereo) which could be given a new lease of life with added strings and maybe other instruments. Something "new" is needed to make the public sit up and take notice again and this news is potentially very good.
Harvey Alexander wrote on July 11, 2008
Whether it's a Christmas album or a Happy Easter album, this is a tacky, tasteless idea. Just the sort of thing EPE would get behind and promote to the loons who'll eat it up as they hand over their hard-earned to further enhance the Sillyman's coffers. Oh Elvis, what are they doing to your legacy? And before any loon suggests that Elvis' legacy needs updating for the 'youth' of today, I don't see anyone adding pages to Shakespeare's works or sprucing up any of the paintings by the great masters. It's commercial rape, that's all. Keep buying them rekkerds.
James69 wrote on July 11, 2008
Steve Morse, I agree with you 100%! If done well both projects will sell very well. It is not like the original recordings will be erased! This new approach will breath new life into some of Elvis recordings. Remember in 1993, Frank Sinatra had a #1 album at 77 years old with a duets cd! And the duets where not recorded face to face, instead Sinatra recorded his part in Los Angeles, and the guest singers were sent the tape and added there vocals, so in reality it was a virtual duets cd, and it sold millions! I can see singers from around the world adding there voices, like Ann Murray or Shania Twain from Canada, Kylie Minogue or Olivia Newton-John from Australia, Sarah Brightman or Petula Clark from England, and the lsit goes on and on.
theoldscudder wrote on July 11, 2008
Let's hope Kid Rock & his ilk are not on this. Not my cup of tea but it's better than another Elvis Xmas rehash.
BigVern wrote on July 11, 2008
Does anyone know the best place to buy Elvis Karaoke disc's?
dressingroomrehearsa wrote on July 11, 2008
james69! you inspired me: If so, if they really tend to do a duet album, then why don't they do something really special? A duet album with Elvis singing along with the original song writers, well they are a dying breed but, there's still some of them around: Steamroller Blues with James Taylor, Polk Salad Annie with Tony Joe White (with an extra guitar track for white-ever seen his duet with Johnny Cash?), Early Morning Rain with Gordon Lightfoot, Snowbird with Ann Murray, Tomorrow Is A Long Time with Dylan, Yesterday with Paul Mc Cartney, In The Ghetto with Mac Davies (?), Sweet Caroline with Neil Diamond, Kentucky Rain or Moody Blue with Mark James (?), Seperate Ways with Red West (would he?), Without Him with Myron Le Fevre, Guitar Man with Jerry Reed, is there anyone else? OR: Do a Love Songs Duet Album with fine female singers and put Norah Jones (she dueted with the late Ray Charles), one could also ask Ann Margaret to join to get some persons he was related with, ask Pat Boone, Tom Jones, Engelbert...what ya think?
Ciscoking wrote on July 12, 2008
Wooden Heart with Bert Kaempfert. O Sole Mio with Mario Lanza.
Natha wrote on July 13, 2008
dressingroomrehearsa: in general I am not for all these modern remixes. But your idea is not so bad at all - involving the original authors/artist. That would be a nice tribute, on the condition that the Elvis version is not compromised or corrupted. Also the adding of instrumentation is not a bad idea. On 'Elvis Lives' some more musical interpretation is added, with modern machines it gives a nice extra flavor without corrupting the Elvis version.
John4126 wrote on July 13, 2008
What we want is the Christmas album re-re-re released. Reverse image the cover pic and if that's already been done put it upside down. That will satisfy those that can't abide anything 'modern' or 'new'. As for the writers dueting with Elvis, i can just see the public getting all excited about Mark James, Myron LeFevre amd Red West (Not!!!!) As for Englebert?!!! Jeeez no friggin way. Lets have some up-to date artists who acknowledge Elvis' influence on their work not yesterdays men where only the over 60's are going to pay any attention.
sitdown68 wrote on July 13, 2008
Nata:thanks for considering it, and yes, original tracks though. no compromise! John4126: well, then we do a mix...featuring norah jones, celine dion she did a stunning job on if i can dream, we add dolly parton as he once was about to record I Will Always Love You but some ex-inmigrant goofed it up for buck-addiction, and we add some of the original songwriters, we put bruce springsteen and what about a sax-solo by bill clinton ? ¦-) naah, 'm only kidding, but I mean business with everything before clinton, so...what ya tink?
Jumpin Jehosaphat wrote on July 14, 2008
A Duet with any body would just add another line of Re-peated music to the December re-re-re-re-re release, enough is enough. If it aint new By Elvis, dont buy it.
Lefty wrote on July 14, 2008
Other than Merry Christmas Baby and Blue Christmas, are there any other Elvis Christmas tunes that are worth a damn?
burton wrote on July 15, 2008
Leave It Alone!