Elvis Anthology

What about a "2 CD set for the price of one" (plenty of great songs deserve to be discovered by Jo public) with a nice cover & leaflet + picture discs pushed by a real and efficient promotion this time.A "let Yourself go" remix seems to be the best choice as a single. I agree with Joemin about the "sales figure" issue . Stu ! I do think you are right ; even though the concept of the forthcoming compilation is interesting , I also think that a 3rd CD of this type comes too close to E1 & E2 .In 2004 , BMG/EPE should concentrate on the 2 DVD (& give them the promo they deserve unlike what happened to TTWII redux) + the 50th anniversary of That's All Right while re-promoting both E1 & E2 and the whole catalog in general. By the way , am I wrong or we do not hear anymore about the "Elvis Lives" DVD ?

Whatever the content or name of the release, this has to be promoted and marketed like no other Elvis product before. What a brilliant opportunity to win a new audience to Elvis' music. We cannot allow another 2nd To None scenario where it generally flopped around the world, which was all down to the zero promotion, such a shame because it is a great CD. When you look back at BMGs press release some time ago, they were looking at sales of 4.5 million for 2nd To None. Well even allowing for sales into the next few years, it will struggle to reach half that target. What does concern me is where they say ''sales are of no importance'', that would possibly indicate a similar disappointing promotion campaign i.e. Rubberneckin / 2nd To None. Lets hope not, we made such fantastic progress in 2002 with ALLC and 30 Number 1s, lost our way a little this year (not down to Elvis tho), lets make 2004 the best Elvis year of all time.

Joemin - read it again - it does refer to the next release (this time sales of no importance).

There are so many great songs on ELVIS'S albums that the general public havent heard some of my favourites are the great little rocker's three corn patches and cindy cindy more of this type of Elvis songs should be included .

Even though a E3 collection would be nice, I tend to agree with LOU A.I've always been looking for: THE COMPLETE SINGLES COLLECTION ala the one they released in Japan a few years ago! And also include essential singles that were released outside US! With a sound and remix previously done with E1 and E2 it would become close to an ANTHOLOGY!

With the 50th anniversary of Elvis first record approaching, BMG should issue a multi- disc set of all of Elvis' top 40 records in chronological order , remastered using the best most up to date technology. The set should have special packaging. By including all of Elvis top 40 hits, most "B" sides can be included. Just about every Elvis Greatest Hits CD , or "Best Of" usually misses key tracks, and we all have said from time to time, "gee, I wish the would have included....". So with this approach, all of the major hits woul be represented. And by using a chronological approach, the "B sides" in most cases would follow the "A side". I think this would make a nice 50th annniversary package.

NO to Anthology!!! Not even as a working title. Lets try to be original.

I honestly beleive that any compilation next year is following to close on the heels of E1/E2 and, the box sets. Instead I would like to see a period of consolidation (a bit of breathing space) which will embed E1/2 as the back-bone of the Elvis catalouge. Sure, commemorate That's All Right, its a landmark annivesary, but not with another compilation. A lavishly produced DVD with BIG promotion would have been a better alternative but its too late for that now. The Aloha and 68 Special projects togeather with international airtime given to Thats All right, will see us through 2004. Longer term more pressure should be put on Turner to do an Elvis On tour SE and or a complete TTWII SE. Lots of footage exists from both films. If they won't agree to that, I would like to see EPE explore the possibility of buying the rights to the two documentaries from Turner and really doing something special with them. A complete 72 concert on DVD to accompany Elvis On tour SE would be superb. Also a compilation DVD of movie outtakes showing the funny side of Elvis with accompanying stories from co-stars etc maybe problematic to do from a legal point but would be so popular with fans. As would a film which examined the serious side of Elvis's acting; a critical in-depth look, highlighting the best scenes.

No surprise that BMG will not be promoting this. The cd will, no doubt, contain some great songs, all of which will be digitally remastered for better sound. It's a pity that Elvis fans new and old have yet again been dumped on!

They should also release a big CD in the summer to celebrate the 50th anniv of 'Thats All right' Maybe a top tens, or a B side compilation of songs that should of went higher on the charts. There are plenty of good ones that didn't get the air-time because of this reason i.e.'It Hurts Me', 'Let yourself go' and many others. If BMG does a big promotion, Elvis will get many new fans due to the fact that they will say "Elvis did that" Give your suggestions and lets light a fuse under BMG.

Please read the news item carefully: "BMG just confirmed to Elvis Matters what most fans have already heard as a rumour: the record company will release a follow-up CD to the "Number One Hits/2nd to None". This time, sales figures are of no importance. With this third release, BMG focuses mainly on "hidden treasures": songs that most people have forgotten about. The working title still needs some creativity. for the moment, it's simply "Elvis Anthology"." The reference is NOT to sales figures of the album E3, but to previous sales figures of the tracks to be selected. In other words, E1 and E2 were composed from HITS, records with BIG sales plus a few fan favourites. For E3 the "sales figures are of no importance" means that tracks will be selected for reasons other than the fact that they were hits. For example, if an album track on some obscure Camden album which sold 40,000 copies is considered a "treasure" even though it did not sell well, then it could be included. Basically what they are saying is the usual 60 songs that are included in almost EVERY collection will not be considered. This will basically be an album with "NEW" tracks. This is what we asked for is it not?? We asked that they stop trotting out the same songs over and over and over. They are doing what was asked.

Let Yourself Go from the Comeback should be the remix on this great album. This is exactly the type of music that both dominate the charts and show Elvis at his peak. BMG even got the music video ready for this one! When I play this song to my friends - I'm 24 so I still have some credibility among the young ones - they all love it. Of course, nobody believes that this can be Elvis, the music is too contemporary and his voice is too mature they say. This leads me to my next argument; Elvis latter period (roughly 67-77) must be brought out to the public. Songs from these years are almost always perceived as the best amongst fans (witness different polls in various EP-clubs, notably Elvis Information Network), yet BMG has chosen not to emphasize these in their marketing strategy. I would like a beautiful picture of Elvis from, say, 68-73 on the cover. It’s evident that Elvis between 67 and 73 is much more relevant in terms of his fashion and looks. I mean, the 70's and late 60's is what's in, and it seems to be a lasting trend. The 50s Elvis and especially mid 60s Elvis looks outdated, still this is the Elvis BMG always pushes. Secondly, some song proposals could be: What Now My Love, My boy, Any Day Now, Let it Be Me, Polk Salad Annie, Bridge Over Troubled Water, Sweet Caroline, You´ve Lost That Loving Feeling etc. An effective marked campaign on top of this and E3 could - quite possibly - surpass E2nd to none.

Elvis is back but EPE needs to maintain him in the first places. Next year the challenge is bigger and the success depends on the publicity and the quality that has on E3, The musical career of Elvis embraces 50´s, 60´s and 70´s, the new cd should divide it in that proportion the songs, from 30 songs minimum they should have 10 songs recorded in the 70´s. When one listens a disk at the present time the sound is very important, the first songs in the cd I would like they were in stereophonic. I have carried out some tests with friends putting them Elvis´cds, and all think that the best songs are those that can be listened in stereo. If this material is for the youths EPE should offer them a quality in sound that they want to listen with its friends. I would only put on the cd the name of: "Elvis" in a cover with a innovative design . it´s not necessary to put more to sell the cd, if EPE put it anthology or Hits, it seems an old cd, if EPE want to put something more chose the best song in the cd and put it on the cover. Good luck and I hope that EPE are able to be placed again in the Billboard #1 next year and don't forget MTV.