The Audionics label is back with a new CD due for release March 2007. This new soundboard compilation is titled "Across The Country Vol. 2" and is the follow up to volume one which was released in the Summer of 2005. This album has a very similar concept and contains portions of four different soundboards from the 1975 - 1977 era.
Synopsis:
This CD focuses on one of the five famous Huntsville, AL shows. This recording comes from the May 31, 1975 8:30 PM performance. Elvis was in great vocal condition and a good mood. The show contains many highlights including rocking versions of "Burning Love" and "T.R.O.U.B.L.E."; a rare 1975 performance of "I Can't Stop Loving You" and a haunting late rendition of "I'm Leavin' just to name a few. Unfortunately, as all other soundboards from May/June 1975 tour, this concert was not recorded in its entirety and the songs "C. C. Rider", "I Got A Woman/Amen", "Love Me", "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)" and "Love Me Tender" were not recorded. To compensate for this incompleteness, and to avoid the addition of previously released tracks (which is the common method of other labels), the producers decided to add material from 3 other unreleased soundboard recordings.
The complete Sweet Inspirations pre-program was recorded in Minneapolis, MN on October 17, 1976. The Sweets treat us to their "trade mark" song "Sweet Inspiration" and to a fine "Stevie Wonder" medley which was part of almost every 70s Elvis Presley Show.
Elvis played his very first 1976 concert in Johnson City on March 17. The soundboard of this show was recorded in binaural stereo with James Burton’s lead guitar separated to one track. Elvis was in fine voice and clearly excited to be on stage again with new musicians Shane Kiester and Larry Londin.
This CD closes with three tracks from February 15, 1977 in Orlando, FL. This show, also recorded binaurally, had Tony Brown’s piano separated to one track. With today’s techniques, Elvis vocal was enhanced and brought up as the original recording had Elvis’ vocal drowned deep in the mix. The result is surprisingly good!
This CD comes in a deluxe package with liner notes, a 16-page booklet and a collection of photographs taken in Huntsville on May 30 and 31, 1975 and additional shots from Johnson City March 17-19, 1976, and the October 1976 and February 1977 tours.
Tracks:
Minneapolis, Minnesota, 17.10.1976 (approx. running time 14:34)
01. Sweet Inspiration - 02. Last Time I Saw Him - 03. Introductions of the band and the Sweet Inspirations - 04. Stevie Wonder Medley ("Stevie Is A Wonder" / For Once In My Life / You've Got It Bad Girl / Superstition / You Are The Sunshine Of My Life / Living For TheCity / All In Love Is Fair / Higher Ground) - 05. Closing Announcements.
Huntsville, Alabama, 31.05.1975 (8:30 P.M.) (approx. running time 49:52)
06. All Shook Up - 07. Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel - 08. The Wonder Of You - 09. Burning Love - 10. Band Introductions - 11. Johnny B. Goode -12. Drums Solo (Ronnie Tutt) - 13. Bass Solo (Blues - Jerry Scheff) - 14.Piano Solo (Glen D. Hardin) - 15. School Day - 16. (**) I Can't Stop Loving You - 15. T.R.O.U.B.L.E. - 16. Hawaiian Wedding Song - 17. Let Me Be There (with reprise) - 18. Why Me Lord - 19. An American Trilogy - 20.Hound Dog - 21. Funny How Time Slips Away - 22. Little Darlin' - 23.(**) I'm Leavin' - 24. Can't Help Falling In Love - 25. Closing Vamp.
Johnson City, Tennessee, 17.03.1976 (approx. running time 05:22)
26. (*) What'd I Say - 27. (*) And I Love You So (with break)
Orlando, Florida, 15.02.1977 (approx. running time 09:23)
28. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - 29. You Gave Me A Mountain - 30. Help Me
Total CD running time: 79:10
(*) denotes previously released tracks
(**) denotes binaural stereo recordings
Elvis - Across Country Volume 2
March 05, 2007 | Music
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
March 05, 2007
Any else growing tired of these releases? i have no interst in the sweets songs, the songs from them on the holding down the fort release was enough for me,theres one cd ill never play again, could ernst and crew release a show from june 75,that be nice,little tired of mixed soundboards with some material already released!
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
March 05, 2007
At second look, it does seem this could be a cool cd,i really wish however ftd could release shows from the june tour or late may, one as complete as they can get! and what happened to the shows that were coming from fort baxter or madison,isnt the may 31 show the one named to come from those label?
RJ wrote on
March 05, 2007
mature_elvis_fan75: FTD already covered both May & June'75 tours... I assume you mean July? As far as this release goes: looks nice, but I probably can live without it;)
You Dont Know Me wrote on
March 05, 2007
Of cource this is 'COOL' CD release with anyone with a mature view(or otherwise!)from the audionics label giving a mixed range of material filling up this release they will NOT dissapoint us- in fact i DARE to say this will be a BETTER release than the volume 1 CD!
Jerome wrote on
March 06, 2007
seems a fine (and pricy) cd to me. But the show starts with the giveaways all shook up/teddey bear and has lots of solo's of bandmembers in it. We know how long that can take..
Tony D. wrote on
March 06, 2007
Yes, this is a bit of a 'mish mash' and we have had several june '75 shows in the past. No doubt more 'complete' versions of these shows will be relased afterwards!?!
asd123 wrote on
March 06, 2007
i wonder why nobody has mentioned this awesome cover yet,.. think it is really great. even the content looks interesting to me... since the recently announced huntsville releases by baxter jr. and madison have not been released yet.
Ronaldv wrote on
March 06, 2007
A soundboard of may 75 is always welcome to me! I like the cover. the parts of the other concerts are less interesting to me, I already have it. This cd is not bad at all !
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
March 06, 2007
Well what i meant was maybe a more complete concert from 75 ,like the importers have put out,not that i think of it, a july show would be great, maybe the clevland one, as for this disc, will the main part of this cd not be released again through baxter or madison in a more complete form? it after all is the only thing of interest to me from this disc!
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
March 06, 2007
MIght i add that this cd could loose the opening tracks as far as im concerned,this disc goes from 76 to 75 to 76 and finnally 77 and the already released tracks are pointless,not saying its a bad disc,just a bit of mish mash reelases as already stated!
Ciscoking wrote on
March 06, 2007
The Huntsville shows are winners..and this release will be one , too..
wayup wrote on
March 06, 2007
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote : the already released tracks are pointless. - well mature, I see only 2 previously released tracks here, I CANT STOP LOVING YOU and IM LEAVING, all others are unreleased. Do you think it is pointless that producers did not cut them out of Huntsville show??
B_H wrote on
March 07, 2007
Well, Wayup, the three Orlando, Florida, 15.02.1977 track are also released before... At the straight Arrow label's "Going Back In Time". Just to set the record straight =) Regards!
wayup wrote on
March 07, 2007
B_H: sure, but as far as I remember in audience recorded form only. Correct me if I am wrong... but here it will be soundboard recording, at least it is stated here. So who need to set the record straight, haha,
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
March 07, 2007
Either way,isnt this show suppose to be coming from madison? if so id rather have that one!
Anton wrote on
March 12, 2007
Why this 1975 Across Country CD while BMG has not yet released the super-selling (sales should exceed 250,000 copies and be very profitable for bmg) EonTour 1972 concerts in 12 cities where MGM filmed the whole events. Such a CD Box together with a DVD with all filmed concerts without interviews or junk should have been released years ago. Why do we have to screem that loud for years until someone takes note?? Bad behaviour of BMG and EPE alike. They seems to know everything and do make marketing mistakes one after the other and then of course complain that sales are not up to expecdtations. Your opinion should be voiced, 450,000 hard core EP fans who are still alive....
mature_elvis_fan75 wrote on
March 16, 2007
From what ive been told the volume 3 profile set that was to come from a new label isnt going to happen,so that means this disc will make sence after all, and madison's upcoming releases will not be same as this one, so i think ill pick this one up!