Expected to be released in the beginning of March, are these three titles: In the classic album series FTD will release the “ON STAGE – FEBRUARY, 1970” album. As usual, it will be a 2-disc 7” digipack with a 12-page booklet. In addition to the original album the set will include all RCA’s recordings from three of the shows. In addition FTD will be releasing a 2-disc 5” version of the original “OUR MEMORIES OF ELVIS” albums, with an added bonus of the previously unreleased volume 3 LP master tape, as well as six more cuts that series producer Joan Deary had prepared at the time. This will come with a 12-page booklet of memorabilia and photos. The “undubbed” Elvis has always been a favourite with many fans, and listening to these again, is an experience full of pleasant surprises. Further more, FTD vinyl is pleased to announce the release of “HIS HAND IN MINE” - A Special Limited Edition 2-disc 180-gram vinyl set. Very soon, there will be a separate announcement of book titles. Regarding the catalogue of FTD Vinyl, these titles are now sold out and will not be reprinted: BLUE HAWAII, STANDING ROOM ONLY, GOOD TIMES and JAILHOUSE ROCK
TRACKLISTING
“ON STAGE– February, 1970”
DISC 1
ORIGINAL ALBUM
01 See See Rider 2:28
02 Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) 3:42
03 Sweet Caroline 2:55
04 Runaway 3:05
05 The Wonder of You 3:11
06 Polk Salad Annie 4:40
07 Yesterday 3:15
08 Proud Mary 3:10
09 Walk a Mile in My Shoes 3:16
10 Let It Be Me (Je t’appartiens) 4:29
THE FEBRUARY 18 MIDNIGHT SHOW RECORDINGS
11 Long Tall Sally 3:14
12 Don't Cry Daddy 2:53
13 Kentucky Rain 3:18
14 Let It Be Me (Je t’appartiens) 3:18
15 I Can't Stop Loving You 2:24
16 Walk a Mile in My Shoes 2:52
17 The Wonder of You 3:00
18 Introductions 1:42
19 Suspicious Minds 5:13
20 Can't Help Falling in Love 1:57
DISC 2
THE FEBRUARY 18 DINNER SHOW RECORDINGS
01 Long Tall Sally 2:58
02 Don't Cry Daddy 2:32
03 Walk a Mile in My Shoes 2:04
04 Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) 2:53
05 Polk Salad Annie 4:46
“Don’t Cry Daddy” was originally released on Greatest Hits Volume 1
THE FEBRUARY 19 MIDNIGHT SHOW RECORDINGS
06 Long Tall Sally 2:08
07 Don't Cry Daddy 3:29
08 Hound Dog 2:19
09 Love Me Tender 3:11
10 Kentucky Rain 3:13
11 Let It Be Me (Je t’appartiens) 3:29
12 I Can't Stop Loving You 2:51
13 Walk a Mile in My Shoes 2:49
14 In The Ghetto 3:08
15 The Wonder of You 3:19
16 Release Me (And Let Me Love Again) 3:12
17 Polk Salad Annie 7:56
18 Introductions 2:13
19 Suspicious Minds 5:06
20 Can’t Help Falling in Love 2:04
“OUR MEMORIES OF ELVIS”
DISC 1
VOLUME 1
01) Are You Sincere 2:00
02) It’s Midnight 3:19
03) My Boy 2:54
04) Girl Of Mine 3:36
05) Take Good Care Of Her 2:51
06) I’ll Never Fall In Love Again 3:41
07) Your Love’s Been A Long Time Coming 2:48
08) Spanish Eyes 2:22
09) Never Again 2:49
10) She Thinks I Still Care 3:49
11) Solitaire 4:39
VOLUME 2
01) I Got A Feelin’ In My Body 3:34
02) Green, Green Grass Of Home 3:33
03) For The Heart 3:28
04) She Wears My Ring 3:21
05) I Can Help 4:02
06) Way Down 2:33
07) There’s A Honky Tonk Angel (Who Will Take Me Back In) 3:04
08) Find Out What’s Happening 2:39
09) Thinking About You 3:27
10) Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right – long version 8:36
DISC 2
VOLUME 3 – previously unreleased
01) Woman Without Love 3:33
02) Moody Blue 3:56
03) When I’m Over You 3:04
04) It’s A Matter Of Time 3:03
05) Sweet Angeline 3:01
06) Hurt 2:06
07) Shake A Hand 3:47
08) Promised Land 2:50
09) Heart Of Rome 2:51
10) If You Don’t Come Back 2:41
VOLUME 3 Bonus material – previously unreleased
11) Mr. Songman 2:08
12) For Ol’ Time Sake 3:36
13) Love Coming Down 3:06
14) Pledging My Love 5:09
15) Raised On Rock 2:52
16) The Last Farewell 4:01
17) Fool 2:34
“HIS HAND IN MINE”
SIDE 1
01. HIS HAND IN MINE 3:16
02. I’M GONNA WALK DEM GOLDEN STAIRS 1:51
03. IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE 2:05
04. MILKY WHITE WAY 2:14
05. KNOWN ONLY TO HIM 2:08
06. I BELIEVE IN THE MAN IN THE SKY 2:12
07. CRYING IN THE CHAPEL (take1) 1:35
08. CRYING IN THE CHAPEL (takes 2, 3-M) 3:16
SIDE 2
01. JOSHUA FIT THE BATTLE 2:41
02. HE KNOWS JUST WHAT I NEED 2:12
03. SWING DOWN SWEET CHARIOT 2:33
04. MANSION OVER THE HILLTOP 2:56
05. IF WE NEVER MEET AGAIN 1:59
06. WORKING ON THE BUILDING 1:53
07. I BELIEVE IN THE MAN IN THE SKY (take 1) 2:27
08. KNOWN ONLY TO HIM (takes 1, 2) 2:26
SIDE 3
01. HIS HAND IN MINE (take 5) 3:23
01. I’M GONNA WALK DEM GOLDEN STAIRS (take 4) 2:12
02. IN MY FATHER’S HOUSE (take 7) 2:19
03. MILKY WHITE WAY (takes 1, 2, 3) 3:05
04. KNOWN ONLY TO HIM (takes 3, 4, 5) 3:46
05. I BELIEVE IN THE MAN IN THE SKY (takes 2, 3, 4) 4:02
SIDE 4
01. JOSHUA FIT THE BATTLE (take 3) 2:00
02. HE KNOWS JUST WHAT I NEED (take 8) 2:20
03. SWING DOWN SWEET CHARIOT (takes 2, 3) 2:57
04. MANSION OVER THE HILLTOP (takes 2, 1) 4:03
05. IF WE NEVER MEET AGAIN (take 1) 2:01
06. WORKING ON THE BUILDING (takes 3, 4) 2:26
07. MILKY WHITE WAY (takes 4, 6, 5) 3:26
Well I just got the FTD Our Memories of Elvis. It has been a LONG time since I owned the original LPs. All I can say is, Felton should be embarrassed about how he generally screwed up most of these recordings. They sound SO MUCH BETTER as live studio recordings.
March 2012 FTD releases? What a joke. This is pathetic. This is definitely the bottom of the barrel. I guess FTD has run out of suitable material. My big question is what became of the supposedly "Complete Sun Release" we heard about so many years ago. Well, I'll have more money in my pocket this year as I won't be wasting it on this crap.
I am very happy about "Our memories of Elvis" release. We will hear the pure Elvis, a great voice without heavy overdubs.
Another couple of great releases I can't wait to add to my collection. Keep them coming FTD !!!
Cruiser621 your comments dont make any sence.. The on stage album has 2 concerts of february 1970 in a more complete form as i adressed on tcb world We get a more complete, February 18 MS show(6 songs unreleased) and a far more February 19 MS Show (13 songs unreleased) they are more complete then on rebooked. So i for one am enjoying this one 2 new versions of suspicious minds can't go wrong!. as for the our memories of elvis i be enjoying it to i love undubbed elvis,without the heavingly overdubs,where sometimes they drown elvis voice. and for his hand is mine i be enjoying it to always loved elvis gospel side and for the other gospel cds ftd has been giving out it gives a more interesting look.
I bought "On Stage" on vinyl when originally released in 1970, then as soon as it came out on CD I of course had to have it. Next I bought the extended version released in 1999. Just recently I bought the Legacy Edition as well. I also have the "Rebooked" Box Set, not to mention several other boots with most of this material. So do I need this latest escape by FTD? To be sincere I don't really but, being a sucker for the Classic 7" Editions, there's no doubt it will be in my collection as soon as it comes out! Well, at least there are a few (officially) unreleased tracks on it. Ditto goes for the "Our Memories" of which I already own the original vinyl releases and the two Victrola bootlegs. Oh dear, being an Elvis fan is an expensive hobby!!
Like it all.But I don't go for vinyls. Back in 1970, On Stage was a favorite of mine. The new FTD is definitely going to be in my collection. Our Memories is a surprise though and a welcomed one too. I think I had forgotten about it since FTD releaes all the outtakes from a session they adress. Still, to have these songs without the studio banter is a joy. Can anyone remember if the songs were all master? And are they all without the studio banter? I forgot. And a volume 3 included: love it. And Cruiser 621: why are you so pessimestic? I, for one, was expecting G.I. Blues, but I figured it's going to come soon or later. FTD is by far not at the bottom of the barrel. They deliver quietly at their pace the definitive music we like from Elvis. Permit me to mention: there is always: "Something For Everybody". No pun intended.
I really don't see the first releases of 2012 as being the bottom of the well. Ernst & co. have obviously looked at the Backdraft release when deciding what to include on this set. Other than Dinner show from February 18, the rest of the recordings were not issued by Backdraft. Ernst even skipped the original mix by Felton due to the popularity of the Backdraft set. I actually applaud him for not duplicating the Backdraft set and thereby giving us fans some unissued material. Thanks!!
As far as the "Our Memories" set, I'm looking forward to this one as well. You've got to admit that some of those tracks are better than the over-dubbed, over-produced versions we were fed by RCA back in the day. I only hope someone re-mastered them for a fresher sound. Overall, I think this is a nice start to 2012. I'm sure there are some goodies that will appear as we get closer to the 35 anniversary of Elvis' death. I might be wrong, but with Graceland gearing up with new exhibits,I'm sure Ernst will want to put something nice on the shelves of the shops near Graceland. Time will tell.
Our Memories of Elvis finally out on a real release. Lke the lp's when they came out and i will get this release
Glad I held off on the Backdraft megabucks release but I'm not much of a boot person anymore since mostly everything finds it way sooner or later on regular label releases. But really, how many times can one spend on the same thing over & over? The xtended On Stage, the FTD Feb 1970 release, the Legacy edt. These are not enough to drain our wallets? Yes he was great in Feb 70, but its not like we are going to hear any great new songs never done on stage before. Being an Elvis fan doesnt have to be that expensive if you dont buy everything they throw at you! Our Memories of Elvis? Better left on the shelf. Dreadful LPs, in my opinion.
Predictable and lacking in imagination. MRS leads the way and FTD has lost it's way. Do we really need yet another version of these???
I for one will get both CD releases, and maybe even the vinyl. If these releases are as bad as some of you say, then just keep your money...almost 35 years after Elvis' death and we are still get regular releases people!
Well what a start to 2012!! Knowing that FTD may go all out on Elvis' lifetime releases, I held back on the 'Legacy' Edition of "On Stage" as well as "Rebooked" and I'm glad it paid dividends. This 7" re-issue is a no-brainer for me. I was honestly disappointed with the "In Person 7" release ' especially on Disc 1 'cause there still remains plenty of unreleased masters along with other highlights that weren't used. The same can be said for "Standing Room Only" re the Vegas material. We only got just a few throw-away oldies. As for "Our Memories", as tempting as the nostalgia of this one is there's only about 4 tracks (1970 - '72) that weren't used on their 7" projects and the songs from Elvis' jungle room albums should make their appearance come their turn. Shoot me down but I may pass that one up, but who knows I may just cave in.
I'm going to get both of them, On Stage and Our Memories. Right now I don't expect GREAT releases, how could they ever be? It's almost 35 five years since Elvis's dead. I don't think that bootleg releases are better than the legal ones, neither the MRS releases... Anyone who's buying Presley's stuff has his/her own reasons, mine in the case of the FTDs it's that I'm getting all those 7" format, so if there would be no more of them I'd be tremendously dissaponted.
Yes, the release of Our Memories looks back over a more than thirty-year old LPs, grossed with the a material drop from an almost twenty year old bootleg (More Pure Elvis), so there is nothing new, but do you think (and need) that are NEW another live_version/rehearsal/ take than the loads already released?
My point is that there is no possible way to do a GREAT release involving Elvis music. OK, you may think that MRS, for example, offers you a tiny book full of pics that you didn't ever see, but that IS NOT Elvis's music. Buy them or not, it all depends on you, but to criticize Ernst, Roger, SONY, ... Whoever and whatever you criticize, doesn't go anywhere anymore.
Well, On Stage and Our Memories are on my list too. Always supported FTD in the past, but got hold of some great releases from some other (great) labels too. Oh, by the way, yep, MRS is NOT Elvis' music, it's Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy's music ! Come on , give me a break. Glad MRS released real beauties so far. Always El.
Still plenty of life in Ftd yet I would think. Not had several soundtracks such as Rousterbout, GI blues and Trouble With Girls / Change Of Habit etc. Are we going to see a release of the full Madison Sq Garden show or a complete Aloha??? I am sure On Tour will happen along with TTWII studio outtakes. A couple of surprises such as the forthcoming Our memories may also occur. FTD is far from done !!!
Hello, both these releases are for die-hard fans only - which is fine because Elvis isn't short of them. Do you recall the years spent wondering about the recordings that were overlooked for 'Elvis In Person' and 'On Stage'? Now we have double CD versions of both AND a Legacy release twinning them together in pristine sound quality and bonus tracks. There's never been a better time to collect Elvis's music. I regard 'Our Memories' as the poor relation of the small number of posthumous LP's that have been neglected by FTD. I'd sooner they'd revisited the 'This Is Elvis' soundtrack and the 'I Was the One' overdubs compilation to go with the 'Too Much Monkey Business' CD. But why get upset about such things when there's so much terrific music to enjoy?
Jamie , arent all FTD releases for die-hard fans only? Who else do you know that would buy them? No one I know.
“OUR MEMORIES OF ELVIS” ...... very much looking forward to this one. Why do elvis fans moan so bloody much about every release ! ??!?!?!?!?!?!??
Do agree with you Rob ... it's not like anyone is forcing someone to buy these new records. I actually think that “Our memories ...” is an exciting release ... slightly outside the usual road that FTD follows…
Yes, there have been several editions of the "On Stage February 1970" over the past forty years, but that should not preculde it from being included in the FTD Classic Album series. I'm sure most of us realise that they are working their way though Elvis' LP catalogue in no particular order and that they would choose this LP sooner or later. This is why I did not buy the Legacy edition or the "Rebooked" bootleg set, I decided to wait. I cannot see a problem with this release, those happy with what has come before can stick with that and those of us who wish to hear as many of the available alternative live versions can indulge in this package.
As for "Our Memories of Elvis", it is just a release of two of the important posthumous LPs, in the same way that FTD gave us the "Guitar Man" material and at some time in the future they will probably deliver "This Is Elvis" and "I Was The One". Because of the extensive FTD release programme, this is crossover with previous releases and those that complain that it is only worth buying for the "From Elvis Presley Boulevard" and "Moody Blue" material can merely wait for the Classic Albums versions of those LPs. I really don't understand the comments about these releases being pathetic and barrel scraping, they are just two further pieces in the jigsaw that is the FTD catalogue.
looking forward to these 2 great cd's!
hi everyone, well hasnt FTD opened a whole new can of worms yet again with these new releases, now this is my opinion i shall be buying the on stage and our memories, ok so we"ve heard all or most of the selection of tracks on the on stage stuff and i own quite a lot including the vinyl albums. however i did not buy the rebooked set(which looks great) because quite simply couldnt afford the asking price so i for one im glad of the onstage set. we really should be glad that we are still getting elvis albums after all this time and the people who do not agree with these releases dont buy them because it really is about personnal choice....isnt it ?
The "Rebooked" bootleg notwithstanding, "On Stage" has been milked one too many times for me. Thus far, I've bought every "On Stage" release, starting with the original LP back in the 70's. Enough is enough. A couple of extra tracks just doesn't do it for me. "Our Memories" is another compilation of songs we all have. I for one like the richness overdubs add to the finished product. Removing overdubs, for me, is like taking chocolate frosting off of the cake. Just my opinion. I'll be interested in reading if "On Stage" delivers in the "worth having" category.
First of all, I notice the misuse of the word "then" and "than" all over the internet. example: "they are more complete then on rebooked" should be THAN. Now, I AM going to get both of these CDs. I really like the undubbed 70's material when they came out in vinyl in the late 70's. And to get the expanded "On Stage" is very welcome....his best live RCA release ever. Yes, I am also waiting for the other Classic Album series releases mentioned here, and I hope this will be a very active year for them. I would especially like to see "From Elvis In Memphis" and "Back In Memphis" released this year in the FTD Classic Album series.
But, as usual, I doubt they will be shipping in March, more like June knowing FTD.
If I recall correctly the original vinyl releases of "Our Memories" were not the pre-dubbed tapes, but they were remastered with the dubbed tracks removedafter the fact and I could hear faint artifacts of the dubbed tracks. Can anyone else confirm this? I know I could not hear this on my mid-fi stereo system, but I could on my 15K system that included a $5000 turntable/tonearm/cartridge combo, that replaced it!
Kink56 - If you're going to correct others' grammar, make sure yours is impeccable. "I really like the undubbed 70's material when they came out in vinyl" should be "I really LIKED the undubbed 70's material when IT came out ON vinyl". Sorry...you opened yourself up to that one! Cheers :) BTW - looking forward to the "Our Memories" FTD...
Yes, you are correct, but I have not found a way to edit my own posts on this board.
The overdubs were mixed out of the "Our Memories of Elvis" albums because there were no undubbed masters available. The overdubs were added to the master tapes and the only undubbed tapes would be rough mixes done at the time of recording.
Tony - I like your explanation of what masters they should use to compile a "pure Elvis" sound. That is, the undubbed tapes known as the rough mixes done at the time of recording. However, I doubt that they (FTD) do this. I wish that they would because it's always bothered me that there is a point in the master of "Way Down" where Elvis almost comes in too early on a line in the song. I have never understood why someone in the studio never fixed this. It's a simple matter of muting his vocal track for that instant and bringing his vocal track back up when he's supposed to come in. Has anyone else noticed this ?
Lefty, I respectfully have to disagree with you. I don't see that removing the overdubs is like "taking chocolate frosting off of the cake." I much prefer hearing Elvis' excellent vocal on songs like "Honky Tonk Angel" or "Mr. Songman" without trying to distinguish Elvis' vocal amongst the Morman Tabernacle Choir or as Elvis once said "the Supremes with Mahaliah Jackson singing lead." I will concede that there are many moments where the overdubbed voices add to the tracks, but in the 70's it got to extreme. There was the "Sweets", J.D. & Co., Voice, Sherrill Neilson, Charlie Hodge, and probably the janitor sweeping the studio... lol
Orion - I have heard the version of 'Way down' you are talking about, and I believe it's on the 'Platinum' 1997 box set (Alternate take 2). Elvis does come in early at some point. As for the complaints regarding these releases, it should be obvious by now that FTD will probably release every album in their 'Classic album' series. So if you choose to buy an import/bootleg release of an 'alternate' album wiht bonuse, undubbed, alternate takes, then do not complain when FTD releases that album as well! There was a recent import release 'On a jet to teh promised land' that I didn't buy for one simple reason; I figured that FTD would release it eventually. The same thing with 'Rebooked at the international'. Yes the box set looked great, but I figured that it would also be released by FTD.
I am pleasently surprised about the 'Memories of Elvis' release though. I do have them on LP, and I will buy it for my collection.
As for future FTD release, here's a couple of my suggestions/wish list:
For June 2012 - to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the MSG concerts, a special release of 'Recorded live at MSG'. Since the cover was already used for 'Standing room only', FTD could use an actual photo of Elvis that night, making it an alternate cover. The 2 CD set should include both afternoon and evening shows, and could also include the press conference, radio promos, etc.
For November 2012 - to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the movie, obviously the Elvis on tour soundtrack album (that should have been)! Or, FTD could release a special 4 CD box set/booklet, and create an Elvis on tour LP. The box set could include the original soundtrack, 2 complete shows, and the 4th disc could have rehearsals, interviews, radio promos, trailers, etc.
For January 2013 - to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Aloha concert, a special release with an alternate cover (or similar but with a photo of the actual concert) and include both shows (the rehearsal and the telecast version), adding all the takes from the 5 bonus songs + the Hawaii press conference (if space permits). - TCB
Hello, concerning "Our Memories of...", I believe this little project comprised 2 LP's released separately in 1979. Collectors wouldn't buy what they already had, RCA were paranoid about releasing out-takes from Elvis's prime years and no-one wanted the expense of improving audio quality or redoing arrangements. All this pointed to the release of 1970s out-takes, with the sales gimmick that - with the embellishments deemed desirable in Elvis's lifetime removed - the product would somehow be enhanced. The obvious angle was that you could now hear Elvis more clearly. Let's be honest, folks, I'm not telling anybody what they should or should not enjoy listening to, but this is commercial cynicism run riot. Literally, the recordings on "Our Memories of..." were deemed to be enhanced because the enhancements had been removed!
Jamie - I agree with you that this was a bold step for RCA just a couple of years after Elvis' death. However, I recall listening back then and really enjoying the clarity of Elvis' voice without all the added voices and orchestral flourishes. A few years ago a new Dean Martin CD was released with an a cappella rendition of "Brahms' Lullaby" closing out the CD. This was simply a recording of Dino vocal track on the cut. I found it quite impressive, but I'm not suggesting RCA/Sony try that. I'm just saying that sometimes less is more - after all it's Elvis's voice I enjoy and want to hear and these releases enabled me to do that in a way I hadn't on the offical releases with all the added vocalists and instruments. As I said on an earlier post, in the 30 years that have now passed since these were first released, technology has improved to where a new mastering of these could provide us with some enjoyable listening experiences. I doubt this will happen since they are advertised as being from the master tape that series producer Joan Deary put together.
This site is beginning to sound like a fantasy sports chat with some people stating suggestions what should be released. Your wishes will not come through. Just look at the past track record. For any one good release numerous more dubious releases.
So, I am glad that it has been confirmed my memory is intact, they are not the rough mixes but the dubbed masters with the overdubs removed (with artifacts still audible) Well, I HOPE that FTD has the rough mixes BEFORE the overdubbing was added, that would be fantastic. I prefer the outtakes, only because the fideltiy and resolution is superior to the masters which were compressed and had added reverb and in later years, overdubbs. Being an audiophile purist, I find the outtakes on albums like Promised Land and Good Times far superior in sound quality to the masters, and the rough mixes BEFORE the dubbing was added is almost as good as the completely unretouched outtakes. I rather dislike the added backup singers, I would have preferred Elvis never wanted to be part of a "singing group", Some backup vocal embellishments are fine, but the grandiose Vegas production that dominated his 70s recordings add nothing as far as I am concerned. I wonder what may have been if Elvis kept something like the atmosphere of the sit down sessions from the 68 TV special? Just a small combo, doing rock, blues, folk and country, and not Vegas Schmaltz.
After reading all the posts about overdubs and the way Elvis music was handled in the 70's, I get the feeling that "Elvis Unplugged" would've resonated with many of the contributors to this site. The point is well taken. Hearing Elvis, above all, is the point of being an Elvis fan. That being said, stripping down his 70's music would make it something he didn't intend. Elvis in the 70's was all about glitz, glamour, and huge orchestration. Even his pitch was bombastic, especially as 1977 drew nigh. Everything that was happening called for overdubs. Now if Elvis were a folk singer, say like Gordon Lightfoot, then yes...I would agree that overdubs wouldn't fit with the music. But when you have a guy in an spangled jumpsuit adding religious fervor to a song like "Bridge Over Troubled Water," then you'll need strings, back-up singers, orchestra, and whatever other tools of the trade are required to give the song that big Elvis sound! So I say keep the overdubs for the 70's tunes!!
Troubleman: I thought your idea of an 'On Tour' package seems an attractive one although I prefer the remaining 3 shows to be released individually like some of the 'TTWII' gigs to ease our financial burden. Can't believe FTD still haven't touched one of them in it's lifetime. However with MSG & 'Aloha', I think those should be left to the 'Heritage' label as they were sold commercially and were top selling albums in the 70's. The Aloha package should include the re-release of the dress rehearsal in optimum sound and do away with that 1988 hatchet job. Don't forget, whether you love or hate them FTD still has a few tours and Vegas engagements to cover with some soundboards. Some of those on my wishlist include a much more respectable show from August/September 1973 and a 2CD re-release of the shows used for the now deleted 'Fashion...' book.
What a bunch of whiners Elvis fans are. FTD releases what they want, and you either buy it or you dont. It has been over 20 years of FTD now and fans are still whining about their releases. Whatever comes out from FTD you have basically heard before. There are just more soundboards & outtakes and that's it. As for myself, I do not buy the same product over & over (for a big price also) so I am not whining about anything. I enjoyed the Jailhouse Rock FTDs. That was at least a bit different in its outtakes and hasnt been released to death like On Stage. Plus you cant beat the 50's Elvis in my opinion. That may have been the last 'official' Elvis CD I will ever buy unless some new exciting package comes along. MRS at least tries to do this once in a while.
Nothing to complain, moan or whine about as FTD is trying to do their job (though their business idea may not be the best :) ). It is all Elvis material, so that's okay. Moreover not everybody can (will) lay hands on bootleg cds. Apart from that when they release one album, there will be always someone asking for another. That said, I still ponder whether I will buy the On Stage cd and the Our Memories cd or not, as I try to avoid having doubles after doubles. And the one just missing will show up somewhere else. Unlike in the past when I tried to buy almost everything. These days one has to be careful spending money! I save for MRS. Now that is something FTD should have released (did they have the rights?). I don't care for booklets or books. I listen to Elvis. The gospel cds I leave to those who favor gospels. I am happy for them!
I welcome both cd's and will buy them both. I don't buy vinyl anymore, although I'm happy for the vinyl junkies it's still out there ;-). I wish that FTD will include the version of Let It Be Me from A Legendary Performer, Vol 3 LP and the February 18 afternoon rehearsal in full on this release as well. As far as I know Let It Be Me has only been released on cd by Readers Digest, way, way back. And I skipped the Legacy Edition because the only new thing on that release was the rehearsal. I expected it would be released on the FTD-Classic album release of On Stage, but now it's not. So FTD, if there's still space on the discs for these few songs.....
I do welcome all the material recorded by RCA during these three concerts (Feb 18 Dinner & Midnight shows and Feb 19 Midnight show) and I am glad there's no duplication with the FTD-release Polk Salad Annie from a few years back.
I also very happy with Our Memories. Quite unexpected as these LP's were released after Elvis' lifetime and thus cannot be considered a classic album released during Elvis lifetime, but very welcome to me nonetheless. Now I am only waiting for the 'I Was The One' LP. Keep up the good work, FTD!
JeanMarie , your statement 'No more BMG, no more FTD as they will now bring us re-re-releases only from 2013 onwards, I fear' is funny to me. 35 years after the fact, are you expecting new material? Of course they are re-releases, what else can there be? Please explain.
To whom it may concern : read (or re-read !) my posting, Jan 30 : " On Stage and Our Memories are on my list too "
On my "purchase-list" that means ! So don't put words in my mouth I never spoke! As for FTD: I never wrote I find (found) ALL FTD's ok . Some are much better than others, but all in all it's a label that gave us many good releases in the past. As for the "imports" : as I wrote in the same posting, I'm grateful for a lot of splendid releases by some splendid labels. And no, I'm not buying everything that is released, I'm not a collector who wants everything, but I have no problem at all with real collectors, it's their choice and their money and they don't have to justify their way of collecting. For heaven's sake : stop whining, complaining, criticizing...... just live and let live ! Always El.
Theo Isn't "Let It Be Me" that was on Legendary Vol 3, also on the FTD Polk Salad Annie? It is the 2/15/70 Midnight performance. Had they included it, they WOULD be duplicating material from the Polk Salad Annie release.
The postings are under different names (JeanMarie, Bastogne-fan, not forgetting the latest, 1billionKing), the rants are the same. Bad marketing! I hate this release! I'm waiting for the release of such and such album and when it finally is released I will hate that one too! Bad marketing! Ernst rips us off! Bad marketing! I will not buy this album! Did I mention bad marketing? That's what it all comes down to, bad marketing!
One can't ask for the impossible. It's common sense that FTD from now on will release almost things we know or own already. Do you need a classic like Roustabout? Well it depends. Surely, if they can put their hands on the sessions tapes, that's gonna be a winner for me. IF they can't and feel there's no hope to find them, well it will be for each one of us to decide if you want to purchase it in the Classic Series. It seems some tapes are missing from movie soundtracks. Fun In Acapulco seemed lost and Viva Las Vegas had been stolen from the vaults, fortunately, FTD recovered them. They don't seem to have been so lucky with Girls Girls Girls. still they release GGG in the Classic Series with what they had. And that's fine with me. Again, each fan and collectors decide for himself. The book is close on Elvis's music now. We know pretty much what's left to be released, albeit a few surprise here and there. 48 Hours to Memphis was really unexpected in the surprise category. But that can't happen every year. Because guys like Ernst and Roger are determined to find out what ever can be found anywhere they stragically release sessions that are complete first and push further others where some tapes are missing. If we never got an undubbed or alternate take of We Can Make The Morning it's because "one of the original session reel is missing" (see the booklet of the Classic NOW). But the Classic Now is out today because no more sources were available and assumed lost. The NOW album had to be made anyway. And that goes for a lot of others where, sadly, session reels are missing. Personnaly, I'm looking foward great releases. But I'm not expecting "big" surprises, we already have the essential. On Stage and Our Memories are welcomed for me but I'm waiting for G.I.Blues this year. I wonder if it's going to be in two volumes? FTD at the end will be the complete and definitive official collection of Elvis musical legacy. And you know, I'm not too fond of false starts that we wouldn't get. One last remark. I'm very suspicious when some among us use sentences like: "what fans really wants." What is that suppose to mean? One is crazy about live performances, another for soundboards, another for Nashvillle Studio B recordings, and so on, We are very different from one another. And that's okay. Each can pick it's own chunk in the Pot Luck.
Hello, I agree with Lefty - Elvis's 1970s recordings needed the overdubs that RCA applied. There is a legend that Elvis didn't like some of the post-production tampering, and inevitably I'm sure he didn't like all of it. But he and his team intentionally left plenty of 'space' in their studio recordings for RCA to add a little polish and sophistication to the sound. The lengthy edit of 'Don't Think Twice..." was the only essential element in the 'Our Memories' collection and that has since been released on FTD's 'Fool' album. As I've no desire to hear Elvis singing stripped down arrangements of material like 'Girl of Mine', I'll be passing on the CD release. That's me, plenty of you will buy these CD's and I hope you all get a lot of pleasure from them.
Jean Marie: So because "On Stage" to me is a no-brainer does that make people like me and many others stupid?? Some may pass up "Our Memories" but how can "On Stage" be a rip-off? It was one of his finest moments in his live genre. Besides it's got much more unreleased content than some of even the top studio 7" Classics such as "Country" or "TTWII". You certainly don't speak for everyone.
The majority of the stripped down/undubbed recordings don't work for me either. Some of the Memphis '69 recordings sound empty to me. And I cannot believe that Elvis allowed the recordings to be put out with the overdubs all the time if he was not satisfied with them. But each to his own. I'll probably buy On Stage but not Memories Of.
I have every version of Our Memories ever released on CD -the “It’s Elvis Time official release in 1988 through though to the poorly and incorrectly mastered "More Pure Elvis" to the Victrola releases (including vol 3). Will I be buying the FTD version? Of course as I both love the album and I buy every FTD release -although purchased years after its release, the original from 1979 was one of the very first Elvis albums I ever owned and it was the first time I'd ever heard some of the songs - and still I prefer many of these versions to the overdubbed ones eg "Solitaire", "It's Midnight" etc - indeed this version of "It's Midnight" is my favourite song ever, ok so it's manipulated and not actually the undubbed recording from the studio but so what!! Yes, there were anomalies, 'Way Down" sounds weird and it as clearly recorded with the intention to add overdubs but I disagree with some of the comments here in that I don't actually think there was the same intent from many other sessions in the 70s eg the Nashville sessions in 70 being the prime example. Other than one or two isolated examples, I invariably prefer the undubbed versions – whether manipulated or actual - indeed some of the overdubs completely ruined the mood and feel of the song (eg "Mary In The Morning") or were so badly done to ruin the song in its entirety (eg the fake applause at the start and the out of tune piano on the added live ending on " Bridge Over Troubled Water"). There are dozens and dozens of examples where poor overdubbing completely disguises the subtlety and nuances of many of Elvis' vocal performances. If you take the recent FTD release of "Promised Land" as an example, there is not one song which is improved with overdubs, not one! Indeed, many of the songs in the undubbed form reveal a depth and beauty to the songs otherwise hidden eg "Love Song of the Year". It's unfortunate that entire Elvis' catalogue from the 70’s hasn’t been remixed to reveal more of the performance and less of Felton Jarvis' dire overdubbing. Anyway, back to “Our Memories”, I fully expect It to become one of FTD’s biggest ever sellers. The surprise to me of it’s release is that it took so long!
We could debate forever regarding the 70's overdubs. Judging though by the full sound of the live recordings were Elvis had 'full' control (no Felton to overdub) we should agree that he didn't prefer the stripped down version of the undubbed studio recordings but most likely the overdubbed finished versions that were released at the time. That doesn't stop many of us (me included) to prefer the undubbed versions. Who says that we should have exactly the same taste in music as Elvis to enjoy listening to his recordings? Don't we all dream of being there to suggest different songs (our favourites), mix the songs, choose the singles and the album tracks (just look at the camden Burning Love album!) and so on? If only we could be there and infuence things... Back to reality and 'Our memories' will be a very welcome addition to my collection. In most 70's classic album releases the first songs I want to listen to are the undubbed versions of the masters! I am really looking forward to recieving my copy soon, thanks FTD...
Isn't it ironic that Felton preferred rock and roll over country or ballads, and yet his heavy handed touch on most of the 70's recordings sure does not reflect it! Felton is to Elvis as Spector is to Beatles.
Marty, that assumes Elvis had to approve the overdubbing of all releases. Whilst it's well known that he had to approve releases in the 50's and 60's at least as to the master take (the famous story of initially not liking the backing vocals on "In The Ghetto" and wanting them removed, does not prove anything as regards overdubs, specifically the structure of what was allowable in terms of influence and/or decision making), I think the situation is even less clear in the 70's - the only example of Elvis vetoing a release I can readily think of is the overdubbed horn version of "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On", However that does not prove Elvis had to approve the overdubbing - it may be that he had to object instead, and the de facto position was whatever Felton did with it, which is very different; I thnk this is a distinct possibility, especially following Felton leaving RCA to work exclusively for Elvis as an independent in mid 1970. Given Elvis' reluctance to record at certain times, also his state of mind throughout much of the decade, do you think he would really be engaged in decisions around overdubbing in this period? I don't personally, although, I can't prove so. My hunch is that he 'trusted' Felton, unfortunately, misplaced trust...
In some cases SuziB overdubs give a better result.Like If You Talk In Your Sleep sounds better witth the horn, the baryton sax in there adds tremendously to the song's excitement. But the faka applause at the end of the studio cut of Bridge Over Troubled Water ruins the the ending, I agree.
Hopefully FTD will eventually bring out an electronic release as well. Elvis with keyboard or techno-versions of his songs.. How can this be the bottom of the barrel? The options are endless..
SuziB, I agree that we do not know if Elvis actually approved any overdubs. I believe that in many cases unfortunately he just didn't care enough. What I am trying to say is that when Elvis had control over the sound (i.e. with a live band) he chose to have a full sound, with horns and strings & backing vocals. This suggests that he would also prefer his recordings to be overdubbed. He also trusted Felton to do the overdubbed in the '70's whether we like it or not! I prefer almost all the 70's ballads without the overdubs but this is just my personal taste. On the other hand I believe Elvis wanted his songs to be overdubbed and that's the main reason they were overdubbed. If he wanted to release the songs as they were recorded in the studio he would have made it happen. If I am not mistaken he first (reluctantly) tried recording with a big orchestra backing for the TV Special in '68, liked the result and wanted overdubs from then on. Also do not forget that during the 70's that's the way most pop music was made and even country music often had heavy overdubs (they called it countrypolitan)...
quote :" the options are endless"... unquote: yep, per example "Featuring The Big J Beating On A Ding-Dong". Always El.
Much of the posts here prove why I think 50's Elvis was the best Elvis. He was in complete control of the sessions, and approved every master take and release and how they would sound. There was no trusting the sound to people like Jarvis or Sholes. I think in the 70's he didnt care as much about the recording process. Session musicians say as much. He would come into the studio and want to get out as fast as possible, not really care if a take was good enough or not, just do the obligation. Marty Lacker also agrees and says much of the problem was due to the fact he was given lesser material again due to the Col & his publishers wanting a piece of the action. ELvis didnt care enough like in 1969 to change things.
So we just get more banter & bathroom talking in between songs (on stage especially) ??? Why then buy it ? Or are those who buy perhaps thàat young of age....that they were not able to buy the fab On Stage album when first released ? Where is the logic here....miss it completely... Some comments sound as if we loose a big opportunity in life if we don't buy such re-releases again and again....
Strange some of the reactions are removed. Why?. It's because We can't say what we feel or think. In my opnion it looks like we have to find the imports and then FTd comes with the same material. But we havr to keep our mouth shut
Strange also is that öur memories of Elvis just have the cover of volume 2. Why not the cover with the Vernon an the Colonel. i understand. All what be negative is ,will not be used of being removed. It's in my opinion( and i know that ) it's true that recordcompany's never listen to fans what to be released, it's just that they look what intresting for sellings. In this newssection we talked about Elvis and Then it's logical that we talked obout some people. But i never meant to put somebody's work down. But it feels starnge when FTD just released cd's what's been earlier on the market. Nothing more. And what's bad about something to wish for. Tha't's not moanin whinnig or whatever. I'm a collector of music. Not a collector of cd's . And i will not buy something that i have in my collection. But i don't also critize people who's collecting every elvis cd. That's for me just lke collecting stamps or whatever. And when people reading my closing and i will do it again. It are real classics and belongs to be released on this label.But to remove reply's with feelings and toughts is sad
As I said before, I have every version of 'Our Memories' ever released on cd - has anyone complaining ever actually listened to the third album takes on imports/bootlegs ? If so, you will know the quality is pretty poor. I've played the Victrola releases so many times and there is no escaping the fact that some of the tracks are heavily distorted, full of drop-outs, drowning in echo as a consequence of using nth generation copies (and misleadily described as 'acetates') making them a difficult listen eg the imperious Sweet Angeline. I think some of this is actually deliberate to make it appear the album is something it's not ie in many cases they haven't used undubbed masters at all but have simply remixed tracks...now whether these are the same as the Joan Deary tapes, who knows! But Sony's will definitely be in better quality!
I really can't see the point of the big fuss here. I'm not gonna repeat that if you have it already, don't need to buy it. It's just that obvious. As for me, I'm to poor to buy every single release both official and unofficial, so I pick the ones I really want (concerning new FTDs: I'm not gonna buy them). And it seems to me that the more money you have, the more you want to spend. It's not bad, I think, but my point is: do it silently! I hate to read those repetitious comments from the same members (I hate FTD, Ernst & co are ripping us off etc.) I have an idea: let's take new QuickPool - "Who's the most annoying member" (or: "Is 'X' the most annoying member?"), and then we get rid of them. Sorry, but reading those comments keeps me away from visiting this site :/
Official releases don't always have the best possible sound quality I have to admit but at least there is some quality control. With bootlegs we cannot be sure that there is any quality control whatsoever. Some labels are quite good, some are just hopeless but there is the element of risk. So I almost always prefer to have the official release over the bootleg. I only have the original vinyl releases of 'Our Memories' and the FTD cd's will be my first and probably only cd version of these albums. If the sound is as good as we normally come to expect from FTD with studio recordings then I'm gonna enjoy listening to these cd's. A special thank's to the FTD team. Keep them coming, I am sure there are a few of us still interested...
FTD present the goods for us to buy or not, as we freely choose. I don't buy every release, I buy the ones I want. And I don't agree that FTD are ripping us off - a rip-off is when the goods are not as described or when the price is set unreasonably high knowing that buyers have no choice. Some people clearly won't agree with me but I just don't see the problem.
I hope the Elvis marketplace continues to provide products for us Elvis fans to assess and decide whether we want to buy them. Certainly, the items I've bought that have been produced by FTD, MRS and Erik Lorentzen have been of excellent quality at a reasonable price for that quality - and I hope they have found the business profitable; if there's no profit, there'll be no more goods produced.
Great site, interesting forum with varied views - regards from the UK.
Hello, disillusionment with Felton Jarvis is a recurring theme on this website. Am I missing something, fellow fans? I think Elvis's strike rate collapsed in the last few years of his life solely because the material got bad again. I can't think of a single Elvis song that is (i) a terrific composition, and (ii) well-executed by Elvis and his musicians, but which was destroyed by Felton in post-production. I guess the alternatives would be no overdubs - but the studio arrangements were designed for later dubbing - or to have a different producer to Felton. Maybe someone could have done better but maybe not. I think I'm right in saying that Felton had nothing to do with the 'This Is Elvis' soundtrack, and the overdubs and editing on that are simply terrible. The verses in 'Too Much Monkey Business' re-ordered; 'An American Trilogy' - of all things, the most bombastically orchestrated song in Elvis's entire canon - overdubbed with swirling violins; and the jam session 'Merry Christmas Baby' sanitised with strings again. Making the most of Elvis's 70s output was a pretty tall order for anyone. I really don't get the anti-Felton sentiment - what's it about, folks?
Jamie, are you actually being serious? His was a diabilical record producer - one who actually had no positive impact upon Elvis' output whatsoever, in fact just the reverse be it in motivating Elvis to record, managing the sessions output, filtering material, overdubbing and mixing etc etc. Nor do I buy into the nonsense that tracks were recorded with the intention of later overdubbing, well, other than some of the Jungle room sessions, and only Way Down is the obvious candidate there. Not once did overdubbings /post production mixing add anything to the tracks recorded - dozens and dozens of exmaples where the recoding is totally ruined eg Sound Of Your Cry; Bridge Over Troubled Water; I'll Never Fall In Love Again; It's Midnight; Hurt; Moody Blue; Raised On Rock etc etc . If you want to include poor post production which disguised the beauty and majesty of Elvis' performance (or indeed the band's performances) well pick any of the Decemeber Stax tracks, virtually any of the Jungle room sessions - a continuous theme of destruction and desecration from 70 to 76...
Sorry for the typos - find typing on this Ipad imposible for longish emails / posts....
Hello Suzi, you're very insistent that there was no intent at the recording studio for the masters passed to RCA to be subsequently overdubbed and I don't know why you're so emphatic. Wasn't it one of Felton's remits to undertake overdubbing duties as part of his employment arrangements with Elvis? To me it's as clear as day that the raw studio masters do have enough polish on them to be credible commercial recordings in the 1970s, and I can't believe Elvis would have spent that decade employing Felton to record overdubs Elvis didn't want - it doesn't make any sense. I understand that some fans prefer the untouched masters because they can hear Elvis and his co-workers better, but that's not to say those raw masters were of an acceptable level of fidelity for general retail. The applause dubbed on the end of BOTW was rotten but it doesn't inhibit my enjoyment of the preceding 4 minutes of music. Generally, I didn't like Elvis's Country Pop schtick in the 1970s and I'm not really sure what Felton could have done to rescue such an avalanche of disappointing song choices or distracted performances by Elvis.
Jamie, your arguments make no sense at all: 1) It would suggest all recordings from the priod were subject to overdubbing, wich wasn't the case at all 2) Some of the more 'exotic' instruments used eg marimba, vibraphone etc would have simply be added in post production rather than recorded in the studio 3) As for 'fidelity', that is complete nonsense. I have a £50,000 hifi, lights years better than anything available in the 70s and without eception, the undubbed or minimally overdubbed tracks sound better (more transparency, broader sound stage, more greater dynamic range etc) - besides 'fidelity' was never a major consideration -even in the early 70 Elvis' singles were mxed in mono for AM radio play! 4) "Bridge" simply did not have added applause - it had a long ending of a live version spliced into it, which was dreadfully balanced and mixed, with the piano in particular being completely out of tune!
Jamie & SuzieB: Intresting to see two very different opinions on the subject. I cannot say I agree or disagree with either of you, you both have your points! We shouldn't forget though that music is also down to personal taste and what sounds great to someone might be awful for someone else. My view is that Elvis wanted his studio recordings to be overdubbed & Ferton was trying to balance between what Elvis would like and what would sell in the '70's market. Could he have done a better job? Arguably yes! Did Elvis object? Apparently not! The overdubbed versions that appeared in LP's and singles at the time is Elvis's offering to the world. What was released after he left us (remixes, undubbed versions, alternative versions etc) does NOT have Elvis's approval in any way. Some of these releases would never have seen the light of day if Elvis was calling the shots! I prefer the undubbed versions but this is just my personal taste...
SuziB I agree with you on the fidelity part. Almost all the outtakes, whether they be overdubbed or not, are far more dynamic both in the macro and mico sense, have better trasients, a wider soundstage (in the case of the stereo recordings) than the compressed, echo-laden, masters do. And it become even more of a factor in the 70's with the overdubbing that was done in almost every case. Prior to the Memphis sessions in 69, it was rare that overdubs were ever done at all. The Memphis sessions (which I love anyway) were overdubbed by Chips and some were reworked again by Felton. Despite the added echo and compression, the early 60's material done by Bill Porter and probably the most transparent and dynamic recordings Elvis ever did. When the Stereo 57 binaural LP came out, I was blown away at the dymamics and transparency these unretouched recordings had. And ditto on the recent FTD Jailhouse Rock outtakes. The outtakes the FTD Good Times and Promised Land, are VERY telling on how much Felton's overdubbing and RCA's mastering can suck the life out of the original fidelity of the recordings in their process of mastering them for release. But people who have the equipment to appreciate a lot of this are very much in the extreme minority.
Well said kink56. The sound quality of most of Elvis's 50's and early 60's RCA recordings is astonishing. It is a pity that this quality was not maintained through the years. The sound quality of some of the soundtracks and some of the 70's studio recordings is just not good enough. You'd expect the sound quality to improve with time not worsen ! Pity...
