Elvis Presley FTD CD reissues

Has anyone else been buying up the "Follw That dream" label's reissues that come in the 7" EP style sleeve? I have Elvis Is Back, Something For Everybody & S/T. They are a lot of fun, cool packaging & lots of bonus materials. I realize there is no shortage of Elvis reissues, but these caught my eye and I would guess they will become quite collectible.

 

I've had my eye on 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong but I haven't been able to convince myself that I need to hear 30 takes of "I Got Stung".


I have Elvis is Back and the first RCA album. Love them both. I've said it before, but I'd recommend the FTD Elvis is Back over the DCC Gold. The DCC Gold is great of course, but the FTD gives you more bang for you buck. The DCC usually goes for over $50. For $30, you can get the FTD which will give you what the DCC has, plus the surrounding singles, plus nearly a disc and a half of outtakes. This wouldn't matter so much if it didn't sound good, but I think the sound of the FTD more than holds its own against the DCC.




All in my humble opinion of course.

 

I was actually just listening to both (DCC and FTD) of Elvis is Back and I would have agree that on my meager system I would be hardpressed to tell the difference. I have quite a few of the FTD releases and they are all very good to great.

 

Something For Everybody sounds fantastic. "Living Stereo" indeed.

 

Yeah, I have a dozen or so of the big ones. I have skipped some soundtracks but I am eagerly waiting all new releases. I buy one at least of each new batch.

 

So I guess you don't have the FTD edition of Loving You, then as 50 takes of the title song takes up all of disc 2.

 

I have a bunch of them, which I got partially because they're cool, but mostly because I was able to get them ridiculously cheaply on a head scratching blowout...

I haven't done any critical listening, but they sounded good. The packaging is great and I am sure the bonus tracks are welcome by serious Elvis collectors (of which I am not one). But I have to say in most cases the bonus material will be a bit much for anyone but hardcore fans (and even then, I wonder). Take after take of certain songs, for example.

I also have a bunch of the standard Follow that Dream releases (not in the 45 type sleeves) and they are also quite good for what they are, but again, I can't imagine anyone but diehards really wanting to listen to many of these things except in limited amounts.

As for future collectability: If this were the Beatles, I'd say sure. But I think diehard Elvis collectors are dying off (figuratively or literally) and I don't see the market perpetuating itself (again, for comparison, I am sure that if these were Beatles issues, they'd be selling out on day one; the Elvis stuff seems--for many titles--still available). So...perhaps certain titles will appreciate...but I wouldn't accumulate these in the hopes of padding your retirement fund.

 

I agree that the multiple takes are a bit much, but they are interesting from a historical point of view.

 

Can you share where you got the deals on these?

 

I thought that the "I got Stung" reel was going to be too much. I actually enjoyed every minute of it.

 

I got them from an online seller. They are all gone (this was a couple of months ago, and they only had 1-2 copies of any title).

 

The other two FTD's I have are the Jungle Room Sessions and The Memphis Sessions. Both are highly recommended.

 

I plan on buying the two new 7" EP style releases next month: 'Love letters from Elvis' and 'The Lost album'

Its expensive being an Elvis fan

 

any idea what is on the "lost album"

 

No one knows, as it's lost.

 

If it's a reissue of the OOP LOST ALBUM CD, it's the non-soundtrack material that was recorded amidst a buncha movie work and issued piecemeal over the years. Good stuff, but I'm pretty sure the entirety of the original CD issue was rendered redundant by the multi-disc '60s box set.

 

The Nashville studio recordings from May 1963 (Devil In Disguise) and January 1964.

 

Track Listing:

Disc 1
The Album
1. Witchcraft
2. Please Don't Drag That String Around
3. Love Me Tonight
4. Slowly But Surely
5. It Hurts Me
6. Echoes Of Love
7. (It’s A) Long Lonely Highway
8. (You’re The) Devil In Disguise
9. Never Ending
10. Ask Me
11. Memphis, Tennessee
12. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers
13. Western Union
14. Blue River
15. What Now, What Next, Where To

Rejected Masters
16. Memphis, Tennessee
17. Ask Me

First Takes
18. Witchcraft – take 1
19. Please Don’t Drag That String Around – take 1
20. Love Me Tonight – take 1
21. Slowly But Surely – take 1
22. It Hurts Me – take 1
23. Echoes Of Love – take 1
24. (It’s A) Long Lonely Highway - take 1
25. (You’re The) Devil In Disguise - take 3
26. Never Ending – take 1
27. Ask me – takes 1 & 2
28. Memphis Tennessee – take 1
29. Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers – take 1
30. Western Union – take 1
31. Ask Me (1963 version) – take 1

Disc 2
May 1963 Sessions
1. Echoes Of Love – takes 2,4,5,3
2. Please Don’t Drag That String Around – take 2
3. Please Don’t Drag That String Around – takes 3,4,5
4. (You’re The) Devil In Disguise – takes 1,2,4,5,6(M)
5. Never Ending – take 2 & 3(M)
6. Witchcraft – take 2
7. Finder Keepers, Losers Weepers – takes 2 &3M
8. Love Me Tonight – takes 2,3,4
9. Love Me Tonight – takes 6 & 5
10. Memphis, Tennessee (‘63 version)– take 1
11. Western Union – takes 2 & 3
12. Slowly But Surely – takes 2,3,4
13. Blue River – takes 1 & 2
14. Ask Me – takes 3 & 4
15. Ask Me – takes 5 & 6 (alt. master)
16. Echoes Of Love – takes 6 & 7
17. Echoes Of Love – takes 9 & 8 (alt. master)

January 1964 Sessions
18. Memphis, Tennessee – takes 2,3,4,5
19. Ask Me – take 3
20. Ask Me – takes 4,5,6,7
21. Ask Me – takes 8,10,9
22. It Hurts Me – takes 2,3,4,5(M)

Recorded: May 26 & 27, 1963 and January 12, 1964 at RCA’s Studio B, Nashville
Guitar: Grady Martin, Harold Bradley, Jerry Kennedy, Scotty Moore; Bass: Bob Moore; Drums: D.J. Fontana, Buddy Harman; Piano & Organ: Floyd Cramer; Sax, Vibes & Shakers: Boots Randolph; Vocals: Millie Kirkham, The Jordanaires

 

Here is the link (nice cover):


http://www.elvis.com.au/presley/cd/new_ftd_releases_delayed_until_august.shtml


I have FTD Elvis Is Back, Something for Everybody, Pot Luck, and 50,000,000. They sound great!

 

Beat me to it!

Slow typist here!

 

Kevin Budd has remastered many of these releases. Among Elvis afficionados his mastering is held in as much asteem as forum members hold for SH's work.

 

Talking of which, I have been eying a number of the FTD titles as possible gifts for a friend. She is not a huge Elvis fan per se, but is mad about all things Memphis. The titles I have been looking at include:

Made In Memphis
Recorded Live On Stage In Memphis
Memphis Sessions
Jungle Room Sessions
Sings Memphis, Tennessee

It seems from online reviews that Memphis Sessions and Jungle Room Sessions are considered essential, but, barring the new Sings Memphis, Tennessee (which no one yet has), how are these titles in terms of listening experience, sound quality, value for money, etc. I'm sure my friend has a fair amount of Elvis' established catalog, but she is really into Beale Street Blues, Stax, etc.

Any comments/suggestions greatly appreciated.

 

I'm also a Memphis fan, in general, and an Elvis fan...the Memphis Sessions is the only FTD title I own (while I wait for the Sun comp), and FWIW, I'd recommend it because the "From Elvis in Memphis" LP is so ridiculously good it deserves more exploration, IMO. He was at his peak and in great voice with great material.

A bit off-topic, but has she heard the internet radio station at http://www.allmemphismusic.com/ ? All Memphis all the time. Also, has she read the Robert Gordon book "It Came From Memphis"? Also essential. I'm assuming she has the first Stax singles box.

 

Thanks!

I don't know, but I'll be sure to pass that along -- I've just linked my wife's PC to it, great stuff!

I imagine she has. She's a voracious reader, and if something has anything to do with Memphis she usually has it.

I don't know, but I know she has masses of that material. We bought her the Rhino Handmade Atlantic Soul box last Xmas, and she already had much of it. We make each other compilations from time to time, and it's always a game to try to find some Memphis-related music that she doesn't already have, hence my interest in these special edition Elvis discs which, I'm guessing, she does not know about.