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Janis And Elvis Reissue

September 29, 2007 | Music
Now 50 years on from the legendary original issue, El Toro Records offers a new CD version to mark the golden anniversary of the brief union of Janis Martin and Elvis Presley, boosted with 18 additional tracks to take advantage of the CD medium.

Synopsis:

One of the rarest and most sought-after record releases from the last half-century of Elvis Presley collectibles, South Africa's 10" LP 'Janis and Elvis' was issued in 1958 through Teal Records, the company who had the local license to issue RCA records in South Africa at the time. The elusive original LP now commands figures in excess of $5,000.

Featuring just four songs apiece from the two artists featured (the first eight tracks of this CD), the Elvis selection was inexplicably drawn entirely from his Sun recordings with Scotty Moore and Bill Black – specifically from his third and fourth Sun singles from 1955 – while Janis Martin's tracks were gleaned from her second and fourth RCA singles from 1956. Amazingly, although it had formed half of her third release, Janis's now famous early tribute to the Hillbilly Cat - 'My Boy Elvis' - was not even considered for inclusion on the LP.

A sad postscript. After years out of the music scene, in recent times Janis - "The Female Elvis", as she'd been dubbed by RCA - was back in business, performing and recording a new album produced by Rosie Flores. She'd been due to appear at an Americana Festival in Britain earlier this year and then again at the Rhythm Riot, Camber Sands, this coming November. Shortly before the first event she fell ill, by late August she'd been diagnosed with terminal cancer, within two weeks she passed way on 3rd September. This CD release was of course planned long before the rapid and tragic turn of events. R.I.P.

Track listing:
1. I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone-Elvis
2. Ooby-Dooby-Janis
3. Milk Cow Blues Boogie-Elvis
4. Let's Elope Baby-Janis
5. Baby Let's Play House-Elvis
6. One More Year To Go-Janis
7. You're A Heartbreaker-Elvis
8. Barefoot Baby-Janis
9. Mystery Train-Elvis
10. Good Rockin' Tonight-Elvis
11. Will You, Willyum-Janis
12. Trying To Get To You-Elvis
13. I'll Never Let You Go, Little Darlin'-Elvis
14. Little Bit-Janis
15. How Do You Think I Feel?-Elvis
16. Any Way You Want Me (That's How I Will Be)-Elvis
17. Drugstore Rock And Roll-Janis
18. Paralyzed-Elvis
19. I'm Counting On You-Elvis
20. My Boy Elvis-Janis
21. Anyplace Is Paradise-Elvis
22. Playing For Keeps-Elvis
23. Little Bit-Janis [Alternative Take]
24. My Baby's Gone (I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone-Elvis [Alternative Take]
25. First In Line-Elvis
26. How's The World Treating You-Elvis
Source:HMV U.K.

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Elvisnites wrote on September 29, 2007
This should be a nice treat for someone who has never heard it. So don't disregard it. Especially the song "My Boy Elvis"
Harvey Alexander wrote on September 30, 2007
Talk about jumping on the bandwagon! Another one of those out of copyright releases that no real collector needs because we have all of the tracks already - many times! The original LP has also been done as a 3" CD in England by other opportunist goons. The music is superb but we already have it. Those that don't should buy legitimate product that's been mastered from the original tapes. Janis Martin's Bear Family CD is what you really need. These kind of releases are only dubs from existing CDs and you could do that yourself.
wayup wrote on September 30, 2007
Why, oh why, I have such strong feeling that this CD is coming from the same people who are responsible for releasing most of the recent bootleg crap? Wait a minute.... I got it.... because IT IS RELEASED by these rip-off artists. And the sentence "This CD release was of course planned long before the rapid and tragic turn of events. R.I.P." is pure bullshit, except for the last word RIP. Yes, RIP-OFF again. Scavengers.
TupeloJak wrote on September 30, 2007
A-wop-bop-a-loop-bop-a-lop-bam-boom!!!....Wheeeeee..more coffee!!!
Good Time Charlie wrote on October 01, 2007
Well, El Toro is regular spanish label specialised in 1950's / Rockabilly music. They are not some 'bootleg rip-off artists' ....