New Sony 50th Aniversary release of Elvis’ 1968 NBC Comeback Special

50th Anniversary NBC Special

 

Sony will a release a 5-CD/2-Blu-ray box set to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the 1968 TV Special in November 2018.

• Definitive box set chronicles the pivotal NBC-TV special that helped Elvis Presley reclaim the title of "The King Of Rock and Roll"
• Original Special included spirited "sit-down" performances with Elvis and original band members Scotty Moore and DJ Fontana plus then-new material, including the classic "If I Can Dream"
• 5CD/2Blu-Ray box set offers all previously released audiovisual material from the special including rare outtakes, plus deluxe book with rare photos and a newly-compiled oral history of the making of the program

 

This is a must-have...

 

I wish I could give you a double like! Thanks for posting. I'm excited to get this.

I'll have to tell "If I Can Dream" that one dream just came true.

Love the cover photo as well.

 

The Blurays should be great. Makes it a must buy for me.

 

While the Blurays will be upscales by nature (shot to videotape), I've been impressed by properly done videotape upscales to Bluray such as the recent Doctor Who Bluray set so I am confident these can look quite nice.

The 40th anniversary set was a 4-CD set. I wonder what they're adding to fill it out to 5-CD's? Studio outtakes perhaps?

 

Ah, was wondering what they were going to release to commemorate this. Added to my list!

 

The broadcast edit has never been issued, so perhaps it is finally going to be released on one of the DVDs. As far as the CD content is concerned, there is definitely some additional production number outtake material that could be added to the CD content, some of which was issued on FTD's reissue of "Elvis NBC-TV Special." To put both of the sit-down combo shows on one CD for the 40th anniversary set, Sony edited out some of the dialogue - perhaps they are splitting the combo shows up on two different discs this time around? Looking forward to seeing the entire track-listing.

 

YES! Went to the Fathom Events showing of this last month at the theater. Elvis at his best! Gotta buy it.

 

Has the rehearsal stuff from the FTD Burbank '68 set been released elsewhere?

 

I have the 3-DVD "special edition" set from years ago, with seven hours of content.
Would this new release offer anything new?

.

 

I can't possibly justify buying this material in yet another configuration, can I??!?!

 

Thanks for chiming in on that point @MaestroDavros as I had once heard or read somewhere that the reason that the Elvis Presley estate never released the 68 Special or the Aloha From Hawaii specials in a blu-ray format is because shows shot on video tape did not lead to great transfers to blu-ray. I am glad to hear that there has been some sort of technological breakthrough or something to change this situation. Does this mean they might be able to give us Aloha From Hawaii in an improved blu-ray release as well? I do find the deluxe release quite splendid, but there is always room for improvement.

 

2 blu rays for 1 concert???

 

Although a nice upgrade for sure, I can’t see myself buying this again....!

 

1 TV Special, multiple concerts.

 

Bluray

 

The Bluray can give you Hires audio.

 

Yes, almost all of it was ported over onto the 40th anniversary box on Disc 4 (along with the first rehearsal), however a few minutes of dialogue at the very end was excised. Which was a shame, because that dialogue gives a lot
of insight on how they developed the special. I especially love the moment when Elvis and Steve Binder both realize they share the same idea on how the sit-down segments should go.

Assuming this does well I can see a release like this one for Aloha around 2023 or so for the 50th. Keep in mind the footage will never be true HD, but upscaling technology has improved quite a bit and a well done professional upscale looks better than simply popping a DVD into a Bluray player and letting it do the upscale. Plus like @Rick H. said, unlike DVD's Blurays are capable of high-res audio, or at least lossless audio (DVD audio is typically lossy), so the sound will be better than the previous DVD's for that reason alone.

 

Aspect ratio will be a factor in the edit/mastering.

 

Oh yes. Just the pick the justification reasons out of a hat!

 

Txs for pointing that out Mr. H, I did not know that. But still, multiple concerts can fit on 1 blu ray...

Just another way to fleece buyers...

 

All good questions. Got the DVD box from 2004. Got the 4 CD box from 2008. Got Burbank 68, Tiger Man, Memories...