Coming soon from FTD is the official release of the soundboard recording that Joan Deary planned as a double album back in the late 1970s. It’s the earliest known professional recording from Elvis’ ’69 Vegas engagement. The original tape box has ‘Opening Night’ written on the back, but it’s not the real date. Some experts believe the show is from August 3rd, but the real date may never be truly known for sure. However, the arrangement seems to suggest that the show is definitely several days earlier than the shows RCA recorded from August 20th onwards. Why Joan Deary edited and mastered this show for releases is another mystery, since she had all the shows that RCA recorded on 8-track tape with audio in substantially better quality.
This release comes in a 7″ digipack with a 12-page booklet containing great photos and a foreword by Ken Sharp.
Tracklisting
Blue Shuede Shoes / I Got A Woman / All Shook Up / Love Me Tender / Jailhouse Rock – Don’t Be Cruel / Heartbreak Hotel / Hound Dog / Memories / Mystery Train – Tiger Man / Monologue / Baby, What’d You Want Me To Do / Are You Lonesome Tonight / Yesterday – Hey Jude / Suspicious Minds / What’d I Say / Can’t Help Falling In Love.
Already released by Gravel Road, soundboard, as 'The Return Of A Progidy' in 2009. Writing this just as info ! Always El.
Here we go I bet we get the following - not another 69 show, i am not buying , Ernst does not listen to the fans , FTD are reaching the bottom of the barrel, why not this show, why not that show, why no Elvis on Tour, nothing new for me, what only a single disk. I apologise if missed any of the other negative comments that are bound to follow. To those like myself who support the work of this fantastic label I can't wait to get this one officially released . I hope FTD will continue to give us the goods for as long as they can. Brilliant !!!
I support the label. But where is it written that to support means you must buy every release? I'm not buying this because I don't care for soundboards. I don't care what year they come from. Although, I would buy a soundboard of
11-5-71, if one ever surfaced. Why? Because I was there.
Hi jerry its no a criticism against anyone not buying every release it's all about appreciating just how lucky we are to have this label. It really has produced some excellent material that we would otherwise have never heard. Unfortunately some will slam it straight away just because it's FTD. I myself have been a collector for 35 years and I buy most FTDs but certainly not all. While we have it I will never complain. So envious of you having had the chance to see Elvis perform I bet it was an awesome experience, something I wish I could have seen but he never performed in the UK.
I love the 1969 shows, so even though this is a soundboard and has a familiar line up of songs , I'm looking forward to getting this . Does anyone know if all of the professionally recorded shows have now been released? I read in Elvis the Man And His Music, that FTD has Flaming Star and Elvis for Everyone coming in the classic album series. Some things for collectors to look forward to.
I think 3 pro recorded shows from 1969 are left...considering the recording schedule.
Well known show since 1993, Opening Night 1969, Fort Baxter.....
I have today pre-ordered from NOW DIG THIS....FTD always seem to somehow have the edge in sound quality so i wouldn't be missing this even though since 1993 i already know this great show!~
Although not new to many fans this is a very good choice by FTD:-) This is after all the first known semi-professional recording of Elvis' return to the live scene and it belongs on his own label. Once released officially, it is official forever after:-) Only the official releases counts the day discography history will be written. For those of us that have bought the concert once or twice before, we just have to stand back and enjoy the fact that all those that did not get it previously, now have the chance. Hopefully they can improve the sound a bit as well. And for those who moan about the '69-shows as being equal should definitely buy this one. It stands out as different. And it is Elvis in 1969 - at his best! :-)
FTD should include this as part of a 2-cd set . . . Disc 1 - August 3, 1969 soundboard. Disc 2 - One of the remaining "unreleased" multi-track-recorded shows. Then it would REALLY be F-A-N-T-A-S-T-I-C, Ciscoking!!
Actually a fantastic idea MemphisFan! :-) But the big question is: do FTD have one or more of the remaining pro-recorded shows in their posession..? We also know that (among others) Elvis' last concert was recorded from the soundboard but as far as I know it has not surfaced. Yet...
Of course they have the multitrack recordings...:-/ I was thinking of soundboards :P
The Memphis Fan : Ernst keeps the so far unreleased multi-track recordings for forthcoming releases and who can blame him ? There is probably not much left in the can (I hope I'm wrong !). I own the 2009 Gravel Road so... But that doesn't mean I ignore FTD, on the contrary. I'm a huge fan of the label and purchased ALMOST all of their releases. Always El.
I could see this show coming from miles away on FTD. It's now good to get the earliest SB's available officially. I'll go along with the experts and settle for a date 1 week into the engagement 'cause the life story doesn't even last 5 minutes and 'Baby what you want me to do' sounds like it's in it's formative stages without the backing of the 'Sweets' and I reckon IMO is all the better for it given its raw nature. Didn't know that Joan Deary had plans to include this show for a double album in the late '70's, which would've been good (I feel) because there's less bizzare comments and monologues between songs. Looking forward to it.
This may be my first FTD purchase in the last few years. It is probably the best concert Elvis ever gave in 1969.
Thanks, but no thanks. I've got all the live cd's from Mr. Presley I want.
i hope that ftd will treat the classic albums king creole, speedway, k cousins and alike the rca camden flaming, l b friends, almost in love (maybe in 5'' digipack why not) and also el for everyone, this is elvis, in concert, reconsider baby (sings the blues). Just my personnal wish list, everyone has his own. Thanks FTD
This show like those jan & opening & closing night shows from 1970 should be on the label. Ftd released those as they should have,so this is not a bad release but in my view should be a 2cd set. I really hope ftd would release the 2 shows left from ttwii but i guess its going to be in a box set again buying what you already have. But i will buy this release,the artwork is about what you expect,it seems there these same shots being used alot,but what the hect.
One other point,why is every release in 7inch form,the 5 inch look better in my view,so much neater looking next to my other cd's. The 7inch ones are just alful about being damaged but im sure not many agree,what else is new lol. Enjoy!!
Yes, I agree, mature_elvis_fan75, I too, like the 5" format. They're so much easier to store. It was my understanding originally, that the 7" format was only for the so-called "CLASSIC ALBUMS", but it seems that lately every FTD release is in 7" format. I'm just commenting here, I'm not complaining. I guess FTD sells more of the 7" format.
The 5 inch format is the true CD format for shelving and storing CDs. CD racks are made for that size. I guess they want to make you feel like you are buying 45s again with the 7 inch format. I never cared for it either. I want more shelf space not less.
I have the Fort Baxter disc Opening Night. If the sound on the FTD release is better than i consider buying this. But It's pretty weird that FTD have chosen the back cover of the Prodigy disc as their front cover hehe
I personally like the 7'' format and I use a DVD rack for them, but houses here in the UK have limited space and I strugle to store all my stuff! I didn't really like the format they used for 'Elvis At Stax' and 'Prince of Another Planet', they don't fit anywhere and I haven't found a good place to store them. In general I don't really like soundboard recordings but this recording is too important to ignore. It's in my wish list...
I think Steve is right ,ultimately the 5 inch format is better for CDs. However, the classic album series is close to completion in 7inch format, and I've grown to like the larger artwork. ( That's always been a sore point on Cd packaging - the really small artwork). But they are a problem to store. I finally cleared off space on a book shelf for them and they look good altogether. I wasn't crazy about the packaging on Prince , And Stax - the cardboard slots for the discs is chintzy and doesn't protect the CDs
Isnt the same cheap packaging being used for the ttwii set? Putting cd's in a cheap cardboard packagain is stupid and ruins the release. The prince and stax releases were too big,sometimes less is more or at least to me.
Yes, it would appear the TTWII box set is being packaged with crummy cardboard slots to hold the discs . That's one advantage that FTD has (so far ) over the main label - at least those releases have a stub to hold the discs and they're not jammed into cardboard slots .
i wish i could afford these releases i used to buy everyone of them but now i cant really afford them. this is one i would buy if i could. i bet the sound is more polished from the old return of the prodigy cd i have. i used to comment here a lot but stopped because people complain too much here i see nothing has changed in the last 8 years. wish you guys would realize how lucky you all are that we have people that care about elvis's legacy and are doing everything they can to keep it alive. we are all many years older than we were when it first started. i was in my early 20's a lot of you were in your 60's im now 35 and many of you even older now. bottom line is we should give FTD a lot of credit for these many great releases many i havent even been able to hear because of the steep price
I've listened to this CD and the sound is DEFINATELY better in my opinion than Fort Baxter "Opening Night" and "The Return Of A Prodigy", because on the bootleg discs there's a strange echo in the sound and on the FTD it's completely gone. Don't like the cover art though!
