Tiger Man – An Alternate Anthology – Volume 4

The Shake Records label keeps popping out new releases in their “Tiger Man - Alternate Anthology Series”. Here we have volume 4.

Design

In line with their previous releases a good looking cover, basic liner notes and a track listing. All that needs to be there, but nothing more.

Content

The trouble with this label is they claim to release “unreleased” material. But until now none of the “Elvis experts” has been able to find an (previously) unreleased on their releases. This gives the label a bad name while their releases are quite enjoyable. The producers have a good hand in selecting the songs for this compilation, but contrary to BMG repackaging the same tracks, the use of alternate or hard to find versions make the releases in this series sound different from the standard official compilation and thereby a nice alternative for even an avid fan or the new fan who missed out on the original import releases.

As for the tracks themselves, the audio quality is good on most tracks, the producers claim they remastered the lot, but we didn’t compare the result to the previous releases of the performances. With releases like this there are some lesser sounding tracks, e.g. “I’ve Lost You” or the occasional background hiss.

Conclusion

This label will probably never reach the quality of the Madison label’s “A Legendary Performer” series, but due to the hard to get material, is interesting for every fan. To prevent further damage to their name the label should replace “unreleased” with “hard to find” material and do justice to the content of their series.

Track listing:
1. You’ll Think Of Me alternate mix
2. In The Ghetto unreleased unfinished master
3. Rubberneckin’ unreleased unfinished master
4. Wearin’ That Loved On Look alternate mix
5. Suspicious Minds unreleased unfinished master
6. True Love Travels On A Gravel Road take 9 & 8
7. Power Of My Love takes 4, 5 & 6
8. The Fair Is Moving On alternate mix
9. Proud Mary live, undubbed master
10. I’ve Lost You undubbed master
11. If I Were You unedited take 5
12. Suspicious Minds rehearsal
13. Stranger In My Own Home Town unedited version
14. Reach Out To Jesus unreleased Elvis’ vocal version
15. Never Been To Spain live
16. Hawaiian Wedding Song stage recording, take 1 & 2
17. No More stage recording, take 2
18. Hawaiian Wedding Song stage recording, take 3
19. Early Morning Rain stage recording, master take
20. Mr. Songman unreleased alternate mix
21. There’s A Honkey Tonk Angel undubbed master
22. Down In The Alley informal recording
23. Hurt undubbed master take
24. Love Coming Down undubbed master take
25. Way Down alternate undubbed master
26. Unchained Melody live, without overdubs