Video & Audio Review : G.I. Blues : The Cafe Europa Sessions

We at Elvis Australia were all very excited to receive the G.I. Blues : The Cafe Europa Sessions 4 CD Deluxe Set this past week and we are here to tell you that it has lived up to the pre-release publicity.

 In fact MRS sold themselves short in their description of the set !!!

G.I. Blues : The Cafe Europa Sessions was described as being similar to the BMG 'Close Up' 4 CD Set in size but with more pages. While this is accurate, we note something very important in terms of quality. Cafe Europa is genuinely like a hardcover book with proper binding whereas 'Close Up' and other similar BMG releases, 'Today, Tomorrow And Forever', 'Elvis Aron Presley' [The Silver Anniversary Box] and 'Platinum' etc pale by comparison as embarrassingly badly structured with the 'booklet' 'held' in place by 3 or 4 staples. As it is, the booklet can easily rip through the staples leaving you with a frustratingly loose booklet. My copy of 'Elvis Aron Presley' suffered this after simply dropping to the floor from my couch some years ago, a small drop and a ruined precious set, with the 'booklet' now falling out when ever opened. And it is not just Elvis that Sony do this with, I have a Johnny Cash : The Legend Box Set that is the same. So well done MRS for producing a quality hardcover bound book and 4 CD Box Set. In the video you can play below we go through the book and at the end show you the binding. Something new by way of a review first on www.elvis.com.au !!!

But first is track 23 from disc 1 with takes 5 and 6 of Tonight Is So Right For Love that demonstrates what you can expect from the set. Listen to a sound sample of Tonight Is So Right For Love (Takes 5,6) (03:32).

 Audio : Tonight Is So Right For Love (Takes 5,6)

Listen to a sound sample of Tonight Is So Right For Love (Takes 5,6) from the MRS release, G.I. Blues : The Cafe Creole Sessions 4 CD Deluxe Set. MP3 Elvis Audio Central | Elvis Presley Video Central

Putting the book 'aside', the four CDs contain nearly 4 hours of Elvis' officially UNRELEASED studio takes from the 'Café Europa' sessions, recorded for the movie ultimately titled G.I. Blues.

The audio contained here includes the master recordings from the original soundtrack album 'G.I. Blues' plus, hours of alternate takes of all songs, with all the Elvis studio banter intact and, instilling new insight and live atmosphere into the complete making of this historic movie soundtrack.

It is not always interesting to listen to one take after another, however some sessions are really a joy to listen to and this is one of them. Actually the G.I. Blues soundtrack CD has never been one that has had much time in my CD player over the years, or going back many long years, my record player !!! But now I can listen to the whole sessions it is a different story. Another great session to listen to is Paradise Hawaiian Style.

Why?

For one thing Elvis is in a great mood. That is important, it is a delight to listen to Elvis laugh, talk to his fellow musicians or control room staff producing the songs for his upcoming movie. Also Elvis is in great voice, as with the Elvis Is Back! sessions Elvis is singing beautifully, being recorded in stereo, 1960 for the first time, and although the songs are not as good as 'Elvis Is Back! they are not bad either.

And yes !!! The sound is better than we've had previously on bootlegs. Right from the off, 'Shoppin Around' sounds so very clear, as do all the masters and outtakes on these newly re-mastered recordings.

You can check out many of the great photos in the book in our photo special,  Elvis Presley : The G.I. Blues Recording Sessions : 1960. [ These images are not taken from the book, but many can be seen in it.]

Video Review : The Cafe Europa Sessions

 Macromedia Flash Player 9.1+ required to play this video. Apple iPad Compatible.

Latest Audio (and video) updates : Video courtesy of Elvis Presley Video Central.

These recordings are transferred and processed in 24bit 192k stereo. In addition to these rare recordings, the set includes a 100 page book entertained with pages of unreleased photographs, memorabilia and goes behind the scenes, with full text and documentation and includes contributions from Ray Walker of the Jordanaires and a forward by Sid Tepper who co- wrote the songs 'Shoppin' Around' and 'G.I. Blues'.

Tracklisting:

CD 1 (67:16)

Master Recordings

01. Shoppin' Around
02. Didja' Ever
03. Doin' The Best I Can
04. G.I. Blues
05. Frankfort Special
06. Tonight Is So Right For Love
07. Big Boots
08. What's She Really Like
09. Blue Suede Shoes
10. Wooden Heart
11. Pocketful Of Rainbows

Studio Outtakes

12. Shoppin' Around (Instrumental Takes 1,2)
13. Shoppin' Around (Instrumental Take 4)
14. Shoppin' Around (Version 1, Takes 2,4,6 - 9)
15. Shoppin' Around (Version 1, Take 10)
16. Shoppin' Around (Version 1, Take 11)
17. Doin' The Best I Can (Takes 1,2,4,5 - 8)
18. Doin' The Best I Can (Take 13))
19. G.I. Blues (Takes 2,3,4)
20. G.I. Blues (Take 7)
21. G.I. Blues (Takes 8 -10 Pickup)
22. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Take 4)
23. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Takes 5,6)
24. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Take 7)

CD 2 (73:51)

01. What's She Really Like (Takes 1 - 4)
02. What's She Really Like (Take 5)
03. Frankfort Special (Takes 1,3 - 7)
04. Frankfort Special (Take 8)
05. Frankfort Special (Takes 9 -12)
06. Frankfort Special (Take 13)
07. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Take 8)
08. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Take 9)
09. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Take 10)
10. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Take 11)
11. Whistling Blues (Take 1)
12. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Music & Chorus) (Takes 1 - 3)
13. Tonight Is So Right For Love (Music & Chorus) (Take 4)
14. Big Boots (Fast Version) (Take 2)
15. Big Boots (Fast Version) (Take 3)
16. Big Boots (Fast Version) (Take 4)
17. Big Boots (Fast Version) (Take 5)
18. Big Boots (Fast Version) (Take 6,7)
19. Big Boots (Slow 1st Version) (Take 1)
20. Big Boots (Slow 1st Version) (Take 20)
21. Big Boots (Slow 1st Version) (Take 4)
22. What's She Really Like (Takes 6 -10)
23. What's She R eally Like (Take 11)
24. What's She Really Like (Takes 12,13)
25. What's She Really Like (Takes 14 – 16)
26. What's She Really Like (Different Key&Beat) (Take 17-18)
27. What's She Really Like (Different Key&Beat) (Take 19)

CD 3 (63:44)

01. What's She Really Like (Different Key&Beat) (Insert) (Take 20)
02. What's She Really Like (Different Key&Beat) (Insert) (Take 21)
03. What's She Really Like (Different Key&Beat) (Insert) (Take 22)
04. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 1)
05. Blue Suede Shoes (Take 1)
06. Wooden Heart (Take 4)
07. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 3)
08. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Takes 4 - 6)
09. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 7)
10. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 8)
11. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 9)
12. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 10)
13. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Takes 11,12)
14. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Takes 13,14)
15. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 17)
16. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Takes 18,19)
17. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 20)
18. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Takes 1,23,24)
19. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Takes 25,26)
20. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 28)
21. Big Boots (Mid Tempo) (Take 2)
22. Shoppin' Around (Version 2) (Takes 1 - 3,6)
23. Shoppin' Around (Version 2) (Take 7)
24. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 1)
25. Pocketful Of Rainbows (Take 2)

CD 4 (45:05)

01.Frankfort Special (Medium tempo) (Takes 1 - 3,6,7)
02. Frankfort Special (Medium tempo) (Take 8)
03. Frankfort Special (Medium tempo) (Take 9)
04. Frankfort Special (Medium tempo) (Take 10)
05. Tonight's All Right for Love (Take 1
06. Tonight's All Right for Love (Take 5a)
07. Tonight's All Right for Love (Take 5b)
08. Tonight's All Right for Love (Take 6)
09. Tonight's All Right for Love (Take 8)
10. Tonight's All Right for Love (Take 9)
11. Tonight's All Right for Love (Takes 10, 11)
12. Tonight's All Right for Love (Takes 12, 16)
13. Tonight's All Right for Love (Insert) (Takes 1, 2)
14. Big Boots (Slow 2nd Version) (Takes 1 - 5)
15. Big Boots (Slow 2nd Version) (Take 6)
16. Big Boots (Slow 2nd Version/Insert) (Takes 1 - 4)
17. Tonight's All Right for Love (Instrumental) (Takes 1 - 3)
18. Tonight's All Right for Love (Instrumental) (Take 4)
19. Tonight's All Right for Love (Instrumental) (Take 5)

Bonus

20. Radio Spot 1 (UK)
21. Radio Spot 2(UK)
22. Radio Spot 3 (UK)
23. Radio Spot 4 (UK)
24. Radio Spot 1 (Australia)
25. Radio Spot 2 (Australia)
26. Movie Trailer Soundtrack 1
27. Movie Trailer Soundtrack 2

TOTAL 4 CD RUNNING TIME: 4 hours 9 minutes 47 seconds

Buy G.I. Blues : The Cafe Europa Sessions 4 CD Deluxe Set

Video courtesy of  ....

Cafe Europa : The Complete G.I. Blues Sessions 4 CD Deluxe Set

Elvis Presley > Elvis Shop > Elvis Presley CD's > MRS