Elvis By The Presleys CD

Sony/BMG have delayed the release of the 'Elvis by the Presleys' CD in Australia until June 12, the same day as the DVD is to be released. This double CD set will consist of one primary 24-track disc with material ranging from the expected ('Heartbreak Hotel', 'In the Ghetto') to less-famous ('I'll Hold You in My Heart', 'Got a Lot O' Livin' to Do!') and a second bonus disc which features eight rarities, some of which were outlined by co-producer Ernst Jorgensen.

Buy Elvis By The Presleys CD
Buy Elvis By The Presleys DVD

'It Wouldn't Be the Same Without You' (1954) - 'We don't have any unreleased [Sun] demos with Elvis', Jorgensen says, 'but we have this one which was only used once. We wanted to show what Elvis sounded like before anybody, even Sam Phillips, knew him'.

'Jailhouse Rock' (1957) - 'We hear him do the first five takes of 'Jailhouse Rock', how he builds that song'. In Duophonic stereo, with four of the five takes perviously unreleased.

'You'll Be Gone' (1962) - 'A song that Elvis wrote with Red West and Charlie Hodge. Their initial idea was to re-do 'Begin the Beguine' with new lyrics, but Cole Porter didn't grant them permission. So the guys decided, 'Let's just change the chords around a bit and create a new song'. The reason we've included it is because it's the last time Elvis ever wrote a song.

'Too Much Monkey Business' (1968) - 'We hear him goof around in the studio with Jerry Reed, totally enjoying it, semi-jamming on the song before they get a real take done. It's the same session that produced 'U.S. Male', and they're running out of repertoire, so they start doing this [Chuck Berry] song. They're just having fun, with Elvis going off, singing small pieces of other songs. Elvis's mannerisms completely take over, because he knows it's not the final take, that they're still 'getting there'. So it's very charming'.

'Baby What You Want Me to Do' (1973) - 'We've acquired two recordings of Elvis just sitting at the home of friends. He's sitting there in somebody's living room, playing this Jimmy Reed song, with just a guitar'.

This 2 CD set is an essential companion to the remarkable television special Elvis By the Presleys. Using some of Elvis' best-loved and most emotionally affecting tunes, the collection charts all the romance and drama of life behind-the-scenes with Priscilla and Lisa Marie.

There's more release news in the pipeline for Elvis fanatics. Jorgensen oversees and produces the Follow That Dream series of special Elvis releases that are sold only through Graceland, the fan club and very selected outlets. The series presents live concerts, studio outtakes and expanded versions of Elvis albums that are deemed too specialty - driven for the normal marketplace - a 'legal Elvis bootleg series', if you will. The series is up to about 40 titles at this point.

Track Listing:

Disc 1: Trying To Get To You - Heartbreak Hotel - I Want You, I Need You, I Love You - I Got A Woman - Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do - Peace In The Valley - Trouble - Hawaiian Wedding Song - Indescribably Blue - In The Ghetto - Suspicious Minds - I'll Hold You In My Heart - Bridge Over Troubled Water - You've Lost That Loving Feeling - It's Over - Separate Ways - Always On My Mind - My Way - Burning Love - Welcome To My World - Steamroller Blues - I Got A Feeling In My Body - If I Can Dream - A Little Less Conversation (Elvis Vs. JXL)

Disc 2: It Wouldn't Be The Same Without You (Demo) - Anything That's Part Of You (Previously unreleased, alternate take 9) - You'll Be Gone (Previously unreleased, alternate take 2) - Jailhouse Rock (Previously unreleased, takes 1-5) - Too Much Monkey Business (Alternate take) - Baby What You Want Me To Do (Previously unreleased, private recording) - I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry (Previously unreleased, private recording) - Blue Christmas (Live '77 version).

- Elvis By The Presleys on ABC TV