"It's Still Here" is a beautiful song.. I'm guessing no full band version exists? Unfortunate that it sounds so unfinished..

I've listened to most of his albums now.. it's mostly just soundtrack albums that I haven't heard, and I'm not too hyped for them. I still have yet to hear a lot of the non-album singles, live albums, demos/posthumously released songs, etc..

The only soundtracks I've heard are Loving You, Girls! Girls! Girls!, Kissin' Cousins, Paradise Hawaiian Style and Double Trouble. (Edit: and That's The Way It Is, if that counts as a soundtrack)

I've heard none of the gospel albums yet; and I haven't heard Something For Everybody, From Elvis In Memphis, From Memphis To Vegas, Love Letters from Elvis or Promised Land.

I intend to listen to more of his music today.. probably starting with Promised Land, since I've loved most of his 1970s albums.. I'm kind of shocked how much I love them, as, like most people, I always thought that Elvis lost it after the early 1960s.

[Edited 5/17/12 20:39pm]

Elvis covers Glenn:

Joe I think you mentioned your interest in updated versions of songs... there is one of Crawfish by Pilooski if you had missed that. First his long version (now on youtube), at some point he replaced it on myspace with a short version. Not quite what you had in mind probably but thought I'd mention it.

http://www.youtube.com/wa...S5JqAJUk5c

http://www.myspace.com/pi...=featured

CrabalockerFishwife said:

"It's Still Here" is a beautiful song.. I'm guessing no full band version exists? Unfortunate that it sounds so unfinished..

It was just Elvis by himself at the piano on a studio break I believe. Agree, it's a favorite here also. A very similar song and performance is Suppose (w/hodge piano), if you haven't heard that yet. There are several like these with Elvis just singing on a break somewhere or at home.

There was an overdubbed version of Suppose made at some point though, more info here if interested:

http://www.elvisrecording...670320.htm

Cast your vote!

http://www.iamanelvisfan.com/

JoeBala said:

Cast your vote!

http://www.iamanelvisfan.com/

Terrible selection of songs My favorites weren't even options.

and no 70's section either. Dumb. Crab(Good choices on your top songs. The list will change lol) just you wait till you get the other stuff. Check out Spotify too I'm sure he Is on there too. So you can listen before hand. Thanks for the links Eileen good stuff. He definely had alot of good and bad stuff in the 60's and 70's. It's great going from decade with him because his voice changed alot. The Fool album had a couple of songs with just Elvis at the piano alone including the song It's Still There. Another treat from the 70's is I Miss You From the Raised On Rock album:

Another beauty Lovin' Arms:

[Edited 5/18/12 23:06pm]

Ya'll make me wanna watch Kurt Russell's role as Elvis again in the 1979 movie titled...Elvis. The best acting job of anyone playing Elvis in my opinion. Just found it on youtube:

JoeBala said:

Crab (Good choices on your top songs. The list will change lol) just you wait till you get the other stuff. Check out Spotify too I'm sure he Is on there too. So you can listen before hand. Thanks for the links Eileen good stuff. He definely had alot of good and bad stuff in the 60's and 70's. It's great going from decade with him because his voice changed alot.

I've loved or liked most of the 70s songs I heard so far, but I think 1961-1967 is his worst period.. I don't much like the soundtracks or the hit singles, but there's still a few songs I like. From what I've read, even Elvis wasn't happy with the soundtrack albums.

I liked "I Miss You"... I'm still trying to take in Rasied On Rock and Today. I love the songs "Raised On Rock" and "Green, Green Grass Of Home".. the other songs I'm not very familiar with yet.

I use a music subscription service, so I can hear most of his music without having to buy it.. though some of his albums are not available.

[Edited 5/19/12 0:41am]

For a complete list, here are the three links I'd offered earlier plus the first link new, of a song database that includes a list of some currently available cds for each song.

Elvis Presley Songbase w/cd list

http://lyrics.elvispresley.com.au/

Elvis Presley Songbase
http://www.elvisnews.com/...x/songbase

Master & Session: Elvis Presley Studio Recordings
http://www.elvisrecordings.com

Original versions of songs recorded by Elvis Presley
http://davidneale.eu/elvi...index.html

CrabalockerFishwife said:

...it's mostly just soundtrack albums that I haven't heard, and I'm not too hyped for them... I think 1961-1967 is his worst period... From what I've read, even Elvis wasn't happy with the soundtrack albums.

If you don't like "that Elvis" this may not be of much interest, however there is no question that his voice was at its peak technically during this period. It's a crime that it was largely wasted on soundtracks, but many worthy recordings still clawed their way through the drek.

Another tidbit to know is that his good, secular non-soundtrack cuts from the 60s (between Elvis is Back and the Memphis sessions) were buried on numerous soundtrack albums as filler. So the retail Legacy releases cannot and do not address this confounding state of affairs. Sony's answer at this point is just the release of upgraded soundtracks on the FTD collectors label.

There was some small attempt to address the issue with the earlier remaster Tomorrow Is a Long Time, however really a whole new 60s Masters package is needed.

Originally there were two different 60s Masters packages retailed due to the soundtrack quandry.

The Essential 60's Masters contains most secular non-soundtrack recordings.

The Essential 60's Masters II is a selection of soundtrack cuts.

However with Masters II there remains arguably much room for improvement. I would refer you to these brief discussions for help in locating worthy cuts.

http://www.elvis-collecto...mp;t=18599

http://www.elvis-collecto...mp;t=21818

And of course his outstanding gospel work is included on none of this above. Ultimate Gospel is the remastered 'best of' set, and the full remastered set is I Believe: The Gospel Masters. I'm not at all religious but still consider this essential in the Elvis canon. That's a pretentious way of saying it makes me want to convert I suppose.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

since I've loved most of his 1970s albums... I'm kind of shocked how much I love them, as, like most people, I always thought that Elvis lost it after the early 1960s.

I don't blame you. "Elvis history" has been so far mainly written by two groups - the rockists and the racially-focused. Both groups elevate certain work and dimish other work largely based on their pre-existing biases and agendas. That's not to say his later work was the revolution or revelation of his 50s work, it wasn't - the world was now changed, and he helped change it. But it doesn't have to be revolutionary to be excellent or inspiring. As you've discovered, the best way to realize this is to listen to the music.

I intend to eventually buy all of Elvis' music, so I don't want to go buying a bunch of compilations and paying for the same songs over and over.. right now I'm trying to figure out the easiest way to get all of his songs.. the FTD releases look like the best option, as the album sets seem to contain everything from that period, including the non-album singles; but not every album is available yet as an expanded set.

I'm also somewhat puzzled by some of the tracklists on the FTD sets.. I know they're intended for the hardcore fans and collectors, but would this CD be of any value to anyone other than a completist? ...

Disc 1:
1. Jailhouse Rock (2001) takes 1,2,3,4
2. Jailhouse Rock (2001) take 5
3. Treat Me Nice (2003) (first movie version) takes 1,2,3
4. Treat Me Nice (2003) (first movie version) takes 4,5
5. Young And Beautiful (2005) (jail version) take 1
6. Young And Beautiful (2005) (jail version) take 2
7. Young And Beautiful (2005) (jail version) take 3
8. Don’t Leave Me Now (2016) (unused movie version) take 1
9. Don’t Leave Me Now (2017) (hit record version) takes 1,2,3,4,5,6
10. Don’t Leave Me Now (2017) (hit record version takes 7,8
11. Treat Me Nice(2003) (first movie version) takes 6,7
12. Treat Me Nice(2003) (first movie version) takes 8,9
13. I Want To Be Free (2010) (record version) takes 1-8
14. I Want To Be Free (2010) (record version) take 9
15. I Want To Be Free (2011) (first ending) takes 1,2
16. Young And Beautiful (2006) (Florita club version) take 1
17. Young And Beautiful (2006) (Florita club version) take 2
18. Don’t Leave Me Now (2017) (hit record version) takes 9,10
19. (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care (2015) takes 1,2,3,4

Disc 2:
1. Jailhouse Rock (2001) take 6
2. Jailhouse Rock (2001) (takes 7,8)
3. Jailhouse Rock (2002) (ending) takes 1,2
4. Don’t Leave Me Now (2016) (unused movie version) take 2
5. Young And Beautiful (2006) (Florita club version) takes 3,4
6. Young And Beautiful (2006) (Florita club version) takes 5,6
7. Treat Me Nice (2003) (first movie version) takes 10,11,12,13
8. Don’t Leave Me Now (2017) (hit record version) takes 11,12,13
9. Treat Me Nice (2003) (first movie version) takes 14,15
10. I Want To Be Free (2010) (record version) takes 10,11
11. I Want To Be Free (2012) (second ending) takes 1,2,3,4,5
12. Don’t Leave Me Now (2017) (hit record version) takes 14,15,16,17,18
13. Young And Beautiful (2006) (Florita club version) take 7
14. Treat Me Nice (2003) (first movie version) takes,16,17,18,19
15. Don’t Leave Me Now (2017) (hit record version) takes 19,20, 21

...Is there any reason for releasing every single take - are all the different takes significantly different, or is this just for the people who want to have everything?

The cool thing about outtakes that I like is the way work out the songs progress and some may use different instruments than the actual release versions or they slow down the tempo on some songs and vice versa. Believe me you will find lots of gems between 61-67. I don't have alot of the soundtracks on CD due to having owned them on LP. But most of the Bonus cuts are on the 60's boxset. I do have those CD's that had 2 or 3 soundtracks on one CD. I believe they are called double feature. Some are discountinued, but can be found used.

JoeBala said:

Believe me you will find lots of gems between 61-67.

I already found some songs I like from that period.. "It Won't Be Long" and "All That I Am" are two of my favorites from the soundtracks so far.. but I've heard a few of the soundtracks in full (Girls! Girls! Girls!, Kissin' Cousins, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Double Trouble), and I didn't find any of it too interesting.. the songs are catchy, and Elvis' singing is good, but I guess due to many of them being movie songs, the lyrics are often terrible.. and even with the hits, listening to the chronologically ordered Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits, I find the 17 songs between "Jailhouse Rock" and "In The Ghetto" to be very weak when compared to the songs that came before and after.

As for the alternate takes, I like to hear alternate versions of songs, if there is something unique about it.. but that Jailhouse Rock set seems a bit excessive.. it appears to contain every single take of every song from that EP.. surely they can't all be interesting enough to bother releasing.. and unforunately, you can't preview the music before you buy it. I'm interested in buying the FTD sets, but I'm not sure if the sets that are loaded with alternate takes are worth the $30 they're being sold for.

[Edited 5/21/12 9:12am]

JoeBala said:

I do have those CD's that had 2 or 3 soundtracks on one CD. I believe they are called double feature. Some are discountinued, but can be found used.

I'll look into getting these.. it should be a cheaper way to obtain the soundtracks until they're all given expanded reissues and remasters.

[Edited 5/21/12 9:14am]

These are the ones:

http://www.amazon.com/s/r...e+features

Have you heard this one? Very catchy:

Those FTD's you can hear on youtube.com the whole CD too.

Am replying anyway but I do see Joe has provided a lot of good info.

These links are helpful with cd info generally and in considering FTDs.

Elvis On CD

http://www.elvisoncd.com/

FTD Reviews - EIN

http://www.elvisinfonet.c...views.html

FTD Reviews - Elvis Australia

http://www.elvis.com.au/p...eam.shtml

CrabalockerFishwife said:

I'm also somewhat puzzled by some of the tracklists on the FTD sets... would this CD be of any value to anyone other than a completist?...

...Is there any reason for releasing every single take - are all the different takes significantly different, or is this just for the people who want to have everything?

That is FTD Jailhouse Rock Volume 2, so yes they released that follow-up to the FTD soundtrack upgrade for the completists. Other reasons for this type of releases:

- some want to hear Elvis talking in the studio

- some want to hear how he worked out the arrangements (or how bad producers like Chet Atkins sucked the life out of them)

- some songs did change a lot during recording

- some songs had different versions in the movie vs. on the soundtrack and folks want the movie version they remember or they like it better.

HOWEVER I'm speaking generally and not specifically of this FTD, I haven't listened to it. I absolutely rely on the FTD Reviews linked above to help me decide whether a particular FTD contains something I want, esp. for the $$ as you mentioned.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

I've heard a few of the soundtracks in full (Girls! Girls! Girls!, Kissin' Cousins, Paradise Hawaiian Style, Double Trouble), and I didn't find any of it too interesting.. the songs are catchy, and Elvis' singing is good, but I guess due to many of them being movie songs, the lyrics are often terrible..

Congratulations on selecting some of the worst soundtracks! hehehehe You did though. Regardless, there is a lot of bad stuff on the soundtracks and even Elvis sounds going-through-the-motions on the worst of it. A lot of it that's worthy is only worthy due to his talent elevating mediocre material. But still, as Joe said, gems sprinkled in there.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

even with the hits, listening to the chronologically ordered Elv1s: 30 #1 Hits, I find the 17 songs between "Jailhouse Rock" and "In The Ghetto" to be very weak when compared to the songs that came before and after.

What you're really separating out here is that mainstream (or watered-down many would say) pop sound that seemed to rule the charts between 50s rock and the Beatles, not just with Elvis but pop music generally after Elvis, Berry, Richard, Lewis, Holly all were disappeared by events of the period.

CrabalockerFishwife said:

I intend to eventually buy all of Elvis' music, so I don't want to go buying a bunch of compilations and paying for the same songs over and over..

You might want to consider just saving up for the Complete Masters box @ $599 from sources like PopMarket and focus any other buying $$ on material that isn't available on the box. Otherwise you'll end up buying half of it three times anyway, that's just how mangled the catalogue is. Or maybe you'll find someone selling the Franklin Mint Masters box, for a while that was only $199, you might be able to get a deal and you'd be 75% done at that point. In the meantime you've got sources like Spotify and MOG etc. and you can burn copies to your liking of cds you get at the library... there is a not awful selection through the Allegheny County libraries catalog, some I was surprised to see.

Can't believe I forgot to mention this in my above Crab but I did... about FTDs - that people want to hear certain songs without the overdubs!! Hence besides the alts/outtakes which provide this, some FTDs also contain undubbed masters. They have been such a welcome and necessary addition.

In the late 60s and well into the 70s, horns and strings were all the rage and RCA Producer Jarvis dumped layers of them over a significant percentage of Elvis tracks (along with wailing background singers). Sometimes it was the right thing but too often just the trendy sound and production trick of the moment. Sometimes he did it because Elvis was no longer committed to recording and they wanted to finalize a never-really-finished cut or because Elvis wouldn't do another take of a flawed recording or his (doped-up) vibrato was too evident. Lots of reasons.

Undubbed Elvis masters have been so oft-requested and well-received they were the focus of several retail releases even before the FTD label existed including on that Essential Elvis Vol. 4 series I mentioned earlier.

On FTD, some notable releases would be The Jungle Room Sessions, Memphis Sessions and Our Memories Of Elvis (a title that is used on a retail release also, not the same as FTD).

The Jungle Session is a great release. I have to dig out my Vinyl version of Memories Of Elvis. I think I have both volumes. Were there 3 vol don't remember. If so I'm sure I have them all. It was kinda weird to hear Elvis solo without background vocal after you hear them overdub. I felt like something was missing. I'll re-listen and see If I like them or not.

JoeBala said:

I have to dig out my Vinyl version of Memories Of Elvis. I think I have both volumes. Were there 3 vol don't remember.

According to Elvisoncd it ws Vol 1 & 2 that were released and Vol 3 was never released. The new FTD includes all three volumes plus additional material.

Eileen said:

some notable releases would be The Jungle Room Sessions, Memphis Sessions and Our Memories Of Elvis

I heard stripped down versions of some of the Good Times songs, and I think it's a major improvement.. I'm going to look into these sets.

Thanks Mickey may pick up the Memphis vinyl to compare to my old vinyl version. I wonder the price? Maybe $20 bucks? I remember they were 6.99 last time I bought one In the 90's. So Memories is 2 volumes then. Thanks Eileen. How much stuff unrealeased songs in the vaults? Meaning a song we have never heard. Eileen?

JoeBala said:

How much stuff unrealeased songs in the vaults? Meaning a song we have never heard. Eileen?

Well, we did get that new version of Roustabout a few years ago so I suppose you never say never... but there isn't much hope out there. Something Sony has and isn't releasing? Ernst (Sony, the Elvis Hunter) has said Nope, not a thing. And it's tough not to believe him, RCA was releasing unfinished and novelty songs to fill sides while Elvis was still alive!

I spoke with Ernst in Memphis five or so years ago and asked about some movie outtakes, he said the studio that owned the tapes wouldn't even talk to them and he figured they'd have to wait until the guy in charge of them died. So there are those type situations that may not have been resolved yet.

There are some collectors who have tapes they are sitting on, some want the personal rush out of having stuff nobody else can hear, some want too much money for the market. Also there are probably folks who have tapes they don't remember or know about in an attic or from someone's estate, that's how Roustabout was found.

Of course the Sun box is on its way so I'm not referring to that here.

The best chance would be from a live recording, there are hundreds of shows still unreleased and/or no known recording has yet surfaced.

That's what I thought. I guess all they can do Is remaster stuff over and over. I still say they should do another Guitar Man type CD. I rather hear that then remixes.

JoeBala said:

That's what I thought. I guess all they can do Is remaster stuff over and over. I still say they should do another Guitar Man type CD. I rather hear that then remixes.

In one interview I recall Ernst said that retailers tend to drop albums that have been available for a while so if you want them to keep stocking a title you need to give them a new title, then they'll stock again.

and why the heck are those FTD so expensive? I know it's only for huge Elvis fans but damn.

JoeBala said:

and why the heck are those FTD so expensive? I know it's only for huge Elvis fans but damn.

My understanding is that there was a deal made to protect the Elvis shops and select other small retailers - FTDs would have only limited distribution to these specialty stores and EPE via Shopelvis would not undercut the pricing, and in exchange the stores would refrain from blatant dealing in bootlegs.