The very FIRST ELVIS CD(s) ever!! - "Elvis The Legend" 3 CD set (1983!!!)

Elvis Presley's VERY FIRST appearance on CD, for those of you who don't know, was a 3 CD set put out by RCA records called "ELVIS THE LEGEND".

It was one of the earlier CD releases - pressed in the year 1983 - years before most people had even HEARD about the compact disc!! This HAD to have been a positively huge deal for Elvis fans all around the world.

Please use this thread to discuss anything and everything about this set, including but not limited to:

*SOUND QUALITY of these CD's
*SONG CHOICES for this set
*PACKAGING/ARTWORK, aesthetics etc.
*ANY OTHER MEMORY you have about when this set first came out. Your first impressions of it, what it meant to you to buy Elvis on CD, etc. etc. etc. etc.!!!

I'm interested in anything you have to say or discuss about this set.

 

Oh yes, and since it's a limited "numbered edition" (the gold box was, anyway.... when those sold out, they released a "silver" box), what number do YOU have?? When I dig my set out, I'll post my number (which is on the "certificate of authenticity"). This is going to be FUN!!

 

Are these the ones you're talking about here:

http://www.elvisoncd.com/eigenecd/CD/e/gold-box.htm
http://www.elvisoncd.com/eigenecd/CD/e/legendsilver.htm

 

Yes, SIR!!! Those are the ones!! This release started a roller-coaster THRILL RIDE of Elvis Presley on CD that STILL continues to this day, and STILL keeps getting better and better and better all the time !!!!!!!!

This particular release came out only a short 6 years after Elvis' untimely passing. I think that he was smiling down, and that he was pleased...

 

It might the cool to own these from a historical perspective but I bet the sound quality is pretty lousy.

 

Well... that's one of the things that I'm trying to find out: other people's perspective on the sound quality. I'm going to reserve my own opinion, so as not to colour (no pun intended) other people's opinions of this set.

 

After the limited gold then silver box sets they released this over 4, unlimited, discs that were sold separately, they were called ELVIS - The Collection Volume 1, 2, 3, 4. This is my primary Elvis collection, I am not a huge fan but like a bit of Elvis every now and again so this 60 song set (I think for me the only two songs I would have liked to be added were Kentucky Rain and Viva Las Vegas) does me just fine.

Personally I like the sound quality of these discs very much and have seen (and see) no need to upgrade. I don’t have any modern masters to compare it to (I do have a few early Australian compilations).

 

Thanks for the info: I didn't know about the four volume set being the same as the first three CD's. I wonder if they are the same mastering, or an "upgrade"?

 

I would assume the 4 discs are exactly the same masters as the box sets because the adverts (in the booklets) for other CD’s are all for early edition CD’s of Bowie, Eurythmics, Lou Reed etc. I have a number of early RCA CD’s (being a Bowie fan) and many of these advertise these Elvis CD’s. This would lead me believe they came out in or around 1984, just around a year after the box sets and I don’t think they would have remastered them after such a short time.

 

I have this set and can add that the tapes used were the EQ'd and compressed singles masters which were mostly copies from the original session tapes some of them sound very different to the tracks that are currently available which sound very clean what you do hear on 'Legend' is the sound of those original 45's treated for radio play one song 'Big Hunk Of Love' is a revelation as it has extra reverb added and the sound is far more exciting than any version you will hear on a modern CD, it's true to say that the first 'Legend' box set is not as clean but it has an excitement because you are hearing the real original singles masters prepared for radio play in the 50's and 60's but with the latest CD's they went back to the original session tapes without treatment.

 

WOW! Thank you so much for posting this - this is just the kind of information I was fishing for.

 

No, probably not - GOOD CALL!