Elvis in Rock & Pop Music

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"North" (11/11/2003) Rock & Pop Costello, Elvis, DG Deutsche Grammophon (USA)Personnel: Elvis Costello (vocals, piano); Pamela Sklar (alto flute); John Moses (clarinet); Roger Rosenberg (bass clarinet); Dave Mann, Lee Konitz (alto saxophone); Andy Snitzer (tenor saxophone); Lew Soloff (flugelhorn); Bobby Routch, Bob Carlisle (French horn); Conrad Herwig, Dave Tahlor (trombone); Steve Nieve (piano, celeste); Bill Ware (vibraphone); Michael Formanek, Brad Jones (bass); Peter Erskine (drums); Brodsky Quartet. Recorded at Nola Studios, Avatar Studios, New York, New York and Air Studios, London, England. NORTH was nominated for the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Engineered Album, Non-Classical. This is a Super Audio CD playable only on Super Audio CD players. This is a Super Audio CD playable only on Super Audio CD players. Few artists in pop history have displayed as many different musical sides as Elvis Costello. Over the years, he's ventured in new wave, country, jazz, R&B, and more, and collaborated with everyone from Burt Bacharach to opera star Anne Sofie Von Otter. So those who've followed his twists and turns shouldn't be taken aback by EC following his excellent, groove-based rock album WHEN I WAS CRUEL with a disc full of gently orchestrated piano ballads. This is Costello's debut release on the classical Deutsche Grammaphon label, and though he's ventured into the classical world on such projects as his JULIET LETTERS album with the Brodsky Quartet, this is a different beast. With a muted backing that splits the difference between jazzy combo and modern orchestra, NORTH finds Costello aiming for a modern variation on the classic standard format. Using traditional structures, he spices things up by adding seemingly Schubert-inspired art song-like harmonies and melodic intervals. The lyrics follow a man on the path from romantic disillusionment to the sparks of a new love, mirroring the songwriter's personal journey at the time of the recording. The only question at the end is--where to next?

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"Almost in Love" (05/23/2006) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, Sony Music Special ProductsDrawing songs, in part, from Elvis Presley's late-1960s movies, this 10-track budget-priced collection, originally released in '70, finds the King in full-on crooner mode. The opening title song is a pure easy-listening number, replete with lounge-tailored orchestral accompaniment, while "Clean Up Your Own Backyard" settles into a light funk groove. The concise set also includes the horn-laden "A Little Less Conversation" and the energetic "Rubberneckin'," both of which were subjected to high-profile remix treatments in the early 2000s. Although this disc isn't essential for the casual Elvis fan, it's affordable price and charming tunes make it highly appealing to dedicated followers of the King.

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"When I Was Cruel" (04/23/2002) Rock & Pop Costello, Elvis, Island Records (USA)Personnel includes: Elvis Costello (vocals, arranger, electric guitar, Spanish guitar, harmonica, melodica, piano, Fender Rhodes piano, harmonium, bass, cymbals, loops); Steve Nieve (melodica, piano, Clavinet, Hammond B-3 organ, keyboards, vibraphone); Roy Nathanson (alto saxophone); Jay Rodriguez (tenor saxophone); Ku-umba Frank Lacy (trumpet, flugelhorn); Curtis Fowlkes (trombone); Bill Ware (vibraphone); Davey Faragher (bass); Pete Thomas (drums, shaker, tambourine, percussion); Leo Pearson (tabla, programming); Steven Kennedy (background vocals). Producers include: Elvis Costello, Ciarin Cahill, Leo Pearson, Kieran Lynch. Recorded at Windmill Lane, Dublin, Ireland; Avatar Studios, New York, New York. WHEN I WAS CRUEL was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Rock Album. "45" was nominated for the 2003 Grammy Awards for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Though he was involved in worthy collaborations (Burt Bacharach, Anne Sofie Von Otter in the interim, the notoriously prolific Elvis Costello didn't release a proper solo album between 1996's triumph ALL THIS USELESS BEAUTY and this 2002 effort, the longest gap of his career. WHEN I WAS CRUEL is a return to visceral, rock-oriented production and songwriting after the more complex, sophisticated pursuits of his aforementioned collaborative works, and one can feel Costello's joy at getting back to his roots for a while. The maturation of the previous decade isn't invisible here--this is not the sturm und drang of THIS YEAR'S MODEL (or even BLOOD & CHOCOLATE), but this as electric-guitar-based as latter-day EC gets, and the likes of "Tear Off Your Own Head" and "Daddy Can I Turn This" are as hard-hitting as anything he's done. Two-thirds of the Attractions (occupying the drum and keyboard stools) are on hand to provide that classic sound, but new arrival Davey Farragher impressively emulates disgruntled bassist Bruce Thomas's McCartney-on-speed licks. Tasteful horns add effective coloring to the quartet sound, and Costello's own tremolo-drenched guitar has never been so prevalent. Despite a couple of long, moody songs (the title track and the closing "Radio Silence"), the overwhelming feeling here is one of unbridled energy of the sort Costello hadn't let out for quite a while. "Every Elvis has his army," sings Mr. Costello on "Episode of Blonde," and it appears that his is well trained enough to mobilize effectively even after long periods of rest.

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"Elvis Sings Flaming Star" (05/23/2006) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, Sony Music Special ProductsElvis Presley starred in the 1960 film FLAMING STAR, in which he sang the title song. That song appeared on a 1969 budget album of the same name, although none of the other songs on the album was featured in the movie. The disc was previously difficult to obtain, but was reissued in 2006, fleshed out with standards like "Wonderful World" and "The Yellow Rose of Texas," recorded in the 1960s. While it isn't an essential purchase for the casual Elvis fan, it should be a welcome addition to the libraries of Elvis collectors, as the King is in fine, swoon-worthy voice throughout.

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"Elvis Sings For Kids" (n/a) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, BMG Special Products

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"Elvis by the Presleys" (05/03/2005) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, BMG Entertainment (USA)Personnel include: Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar); J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, Kathy Westmoreland, The Blossoms, The Imperials Quartet, The Jordanaires, The Sweet Inspirations (background vocals). Liner Note Author: Michael Hill. ELVIS BY THE PRESLEYS is a two-disc audio companion to the 2005 television documentary of the same name. Selected by Priscilla and Lisa Marie Presley, the songs here underscoring thoughts about Elvis from his family's perspective. The accompanying booklet, full of home photographs and liner notes, explains the selection of songs, so that "Heartbreak Hotel" can be heard anew as a testament to Elvis meeting Priscilla, and "Hawaiian Wedding Song" as an allegory of their nuptials. The liner notes also suggest that certain songs point to aspects of the King's personality, such as his spiritual, "seeking" nature ("Peace in the Valley"). Disc Two features five previously unreleased recordings, including alternate takes of "Jailhouse Rock," "You'll Be Gone" (a song distinguished by a rare Elvis songwriting credit), and "Anything That's Part of You" (with vocal accompaniment by the Jordanaires). On the two private home recordings, however--takes on Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me To Do" and Hank Williams's "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry"--the listener truly has the sense of eavesdropping on the King behind closed doors. This lovingly assembled package is ideal for casual fans and completists alike.

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"Elvis '56 [Remaster]" (01/07/2003) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, BMG HeritageELVIS '56 is a compilation of the best material that Presley recorded that year. The release of this album commemorates the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley's first hit single, "Heartbreak Hotel," and features a previously unreleased alternate take of that track. ELVIS '56 will be available in a standard jewel box, as well as a collector's edition with enhanced packaging. Personnel: Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar, piano); Scotty Moore, Chet Atkins (guitar); Shorty Long, Marvin Hughes (piano); Bill Black (bass); D.J. Fontana (drums); Ben Speer, Brock Speer (background vocals). The Jordanaires: Gordon Stoker (piano, background vocals); Hugh Jarrett, Neal Matthews, Hoyt Hawkins (background vocals). Compilation producers: Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Sermon. Recorded at RCA Studios, Nashville, Tennessee; RCA Studios, New York, New York and Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California between January 10 and September 3, 1956. Includes liner notes by Alfred Wertheimer. Personnel: Elvis Presley (vocals, guitar, piano); Scotty Moore, Chet Atkins (guitar); Shorty Long, Marvin Hughes (piano); Bill Black (bass); D.J. Fontana (drums); Ben Speer, Brock Speer (background vocals). The Jordanaires: Gordon Stoker (piano, background vocals); Hugh Jarrett, Neal Matthews, Hoyt Hawkins (background vocals). Compilation producers: Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Sermon. Recorded at RCA Studios, Nashville, Tennessee; RCA Studios, New York, New York and Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California between January 10 and September 3, 1956. Includes liner notes by Alfred Wertheimer. All tracks have been digitally remastered. 1956 was the year that altered American pop music forever. With the exception of Bill Haley's 1955 hit "Rock Around the Clock," the American pop charts of the early 1950s were dominated by the likes of Mitch Miller, Nelson Riddle, and Frank Sinatra. Then came Elvis, and everything changed. From April 7, 1956, when "Heartbreak Hotel" topped the charts, until the end of the year, Elvis held the number one chart position for 25 weeks. Furthermore, the coattail effect of Presley's massive popularity opened the charts to fellow rockers Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, and many others. No innocuous pop star, Presley set off a national debate with his libidinal gyrations and racially ambiguous music (when Presley first broke, many DJs in the segregated South refused to play his music because they didn't believe he was white). ELVIS 56, which collects 22 of Presley's early recordings (including a previously unreleased alternate take of "Heartbreak Hotel"), makes clear what all the fuss was about. Raw, raucous, sexy, and always brilliant, Presley's 1956 recordings are quite simply among the best rock records of all time.

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"NBC-TV Special" (08/27/1991) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, RCA Records (USA)Personnel: Elvis Presley, Charlie Hodge (vocals, guitars); Billy Goldenberg (conductor); Al Casey (guitars, bass); Scotty Moore, Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy (guitars); Larry Knechtal, Don Randi (keyboards); Tommy Morgan (harmonicas); Charles Berghoffer (bass); Hal Blaine, D.J. Fontana (drums); John Cyr, Frank DeVito (percussion). The Blossoms: Darlene Love, Jean King, Fanita James (vocals). Recorded live at NBC Studios and Western Recorders, Burbank, California in June 1968. Broadcast December 3, 1968. By 1968, Elvis Presley's career appeared to be in irreversible decline, torpedoed by the innumerable inane films he had made throughout the previous decade. While Elvis had wiled away the '60s playing characters named Lucky and Spike, artists like the Beatles and Bob Dylan had altered the pop music scene, making Elvis' previous accomplishments appear quaint but outdated to most young record buyers. Searching for a vehicle to revitalize his career, Elvis and the Colonel decided on a 60-minute television special. The show, quickly dubbed The Comeback Special, accomplished its goal in spades, reestablishing Presley's artistic validity and preparing the public for a string of great singles that arrived early the following year. NBC-TV SPECIAL opens and closes huge, kicking off with Elvis sneering "If you're looking for trouble, you've come to the right place" and ending with one of his most impassioned performances, "If I Can Dream." In between, Presley reunites with original band members Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana on eight numbers, among them a blistering version of "One Night," and blazes through several production numbers and medleys of his hits. NBC-TV SPECIAL documents a defining moment in Presley's career, and is a must for any fan of the King.

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"Elvis: Rock" (02/28/2006) Rock & Pop Elvis, SONY BMG Strategic MarketingRecording information: 1956 - 1958. Issued in early 2006, ROCK forms a trilogy with two other Elvis Presley compilations (COUNTRY and INSPIRATIONAL), each one focusing on a specific aspect of the King's legacy. While the latter sets present primarily late-1960s/early-'70s material, this appropriately lively installment features tracks recorded between 1956 and '58, showcasing Elvis as he tries superstardom on for size. This is of course the man who brought rock & roll to mainstream America, and while the collection includes many of the usual suspects ("Don't Be Cruel," "Hound Dog," "Jailhouse Rock," etc.), it also boasts more obscure sides such as the fierce "Hard Headed Woman," the swaggering film tie-in "King Creole," and the aptly titled "Party." Although there are numerous collections that mine similar territory, few have such clear-cut intentions, making ELVIS: ROCK a notable release.

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"Elvis' Gold Records Vol. 5 [Remaster]" (07/15/1997) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, RCA Records (USA)Personnel includes: Elvis Presley, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, Kathy Westmoreland, Myrna Smith, Sherrill Nielson. Producer: Joan Deary. Compilation producers: Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Semon. Includes liner notes by Colin Escott. ELVIS' GOLD RECORDS VOL. 5 is a collection of hits recorded from 1968 to 1977. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Periodically throughout Presley's lifetime, RCA Records would compile Elvis' most recent best-selling records and release them on a GOLDEN RECORDS greatest hits package. VOLUME 5 is the final record in the series, covering Elvis' career from 1967 until his death. During this period, the focus of Elvis' music shifted from youthful, innocent love songs to the more adult themes of loss, betrayal, regret, and loneliness. VOLUME 5 includes numerous examples, including the classics "Suspicious Minds," "Kentucky Rain," and "You Don't Have to Say You Love Me," which was originally a hit for Dusty Springfield. In response to the trend in pop music during the late '60s, Elvis also recorded a number of topical and message songs during this stage of his career, among them "In the Ghetto," "Clean Up Your Own Back Yard," and "If I Can Dream." This package goes a long way toward dispelling the myth that Elvis had little to offer during his final years: the best material here is easily the match of his best earlier work. RCA expanded the original ten-song album to sixteen tracks for its 1997 reissue.

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"Elvis: Country" (02/28/2006) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, SONY BMG Strategic MarketingRecording information: 1969 - 1975. One of three compilations released in early 2006 to showcase the King's versatility as a singer and song stylist, this 20-track set presents many of Elvis Presley's finest forays into country music. While the release's artwork is deceptive--the photos depict a young rockabilly cat, even though the songs here were all recorded between 1969 and '76--many of the tunes are outstanding, with the King easing into a number of "countrypolitan" classics. Highlights include a wonderfully wistful rendition of Willie Nelson's "Funny How Time Slips Away" and a dreamy, echo-laden version of Fred Rose's "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain." While those looking to venture deeper into this aspect of Presley's material should seek out THE COUNTRY SIDE OF ELVIS, this collection is perfect for listeners looking to make a shorter rural detour.

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"Love, Elvis" (01/25/2005) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, BMG Entertainment (USA)Does the world really need another Elvis Presley compilation? Well, it does, actually. Unlike some of the more haphazard reissues, LOVE, ELVIS is a collection with a focus, bringing together 24 of the King's best ballads and love songs. It has been done before, but never in such a nice, big, well-chosen chunk. Elvis himself always idolized the cool lounge style of Dean Martin, and while Presley's menacing, sexually charged early rock & roll hits revolutionized popular music, he could also be a seductive crooner with the best of them. LOVE, ELVIS is a stylish, cohesive package that showcases this softer side of the King to full advantage. While some of the later material from the 1970s is no match for timeless classics like "It's Now or Never" and "Love Me Tender," all of the songs fit seamlessly together in an inspired, non-chronological sequence. For a satisfying, romantic Valentine's Day collection, you can't beat LOVE, ELVIS.

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"An Afternoon in the Garden" (03/25/1997) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, RCA Records (USA)AN AFTERNOON IN THE GARDEN features the entirety of Elvis' afternoon performance on June 10, 1972 at Madison Square Garden, in the middle of a three-day stand that marked his first-ever concerts in New York City. The evening show from June 10 was released in 1972 as ELVIS AS RECORDED AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. Personnel includes: Elvis Presley, Kathy Westmoreland, The Sweet Inspirations, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps (vocals); Charlie Hodge (guitar, vocals); James Burton, John Wilkinson (guitar); Glen D. Hardin (piano); Jerry Scheff (bass). Producers: Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Semon. Recorded live at Madison Square Garden, New York, New York on June 10, 1972. Includes liner notes by Colin Escott. In June 1972, Elvis Presley returned to New York City for his first performances there since an Ed Sullivan Show appearance in late 1956. His shows at Madison Square Garden were, in fact, his first full concerts in New York: During previous visits to the Big Apple, Presley had only performed a few numbers in television studios. Accordingly, Presley's four shows at Madison Square Garden were the subject of mammoth hype, with a live album to be released one week after the stint ended. That album, ELVIS AS RECORDED AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN, was recorded during the evening show on Saturday, June 10. Earlier that day Presley performed a matinee, which RCA also recorded; that show was not released until 1997, as AN AFTERNOON AT THE GARDEN (although three songs from this performance appear on ELVIS-A LEGENDARY PERFORMER VOL. 4). The matinee, like the evening show, features a mix of Elvis hits and songs first popularized by other artists, such as "For the Good Times" (Ray Price, Kris Kristofferson) and "Proud Mary" (Creedence Clearwater Revival). In fact, the lineup of songs on the two albums is nearly identical: the performances vary only slightly.

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"Elvis: Inspirational" (02/28/2006) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, SONY BMG Strategic MarketingRecording information: 1960 - 1973. In early 2006, RCA/Sony released three Elvis Presley compilations, each one focusing on a different aspect of the King's catalog. This installment, featuring tracks recorded between 1960 and '76, finds Presley, as the title would suggest, in an inspirational mode. While not expressly gospel, the collection stills offers up songs of hope and faith. Elvis ably takes on classics such as "Amazing Grace" and "Danny Boy," and also shines on more contemporary tunes such as Neil Diamond's gentle "And the Grass Won't Pay No Mind" and Simon & Garfunkel's "Bridge Over Troubled Water," which soars to a thundering finale. An uplifting set that presents Presley in his bold, latter-day voice, ELVIS: INSPIRATIONAL lives up to the grandeur that one would expect from such a collection.

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"Burning Love" (07/13/1999) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, RCA Records (USA)Personnel includes: Elvis Presley, the Sweet Inspirations (vocals); The Imperials Quartet, J.D. Sumner And The Stamps. Compilation producers: Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Semon. Includes liner notes by Colin Escott. All tracks have been digitally remastered. While not, strictly speaking, a reissue, this collection brings together Elvis's last Top 10 hit (the title track) with other songs from the early '70s, plus some previously unreleased gems. Ironically, "Burning Love" was never available on a "proper" Elvis album--it was stuck on a budget-priced album in the '70s with some less-than-memorable songs from Elvis's movies. BURNING LOVE is the great early-'70s album that never was. The King is in fine vocal form throughout, still capable of inserting dark, animalistic growls into "Hound Dog" and the previously unissued medley of "Little Sister" and the Beatles' "Get Back." Elvis brings a real intensity to pop standards "For the Good Times" and "It's Impossible." The gem here is "I'm Leavin'," with its unusual melodic construction and haunted, possessed vocal. Elvis was going through a divorce at the time many of these songs were recorded. This isn't Elvis the rocker, though he does rock; this is Elvis the singer, the elder statesman of his craft. Though he was playing Las Vegas regularly, he hadn't totally "gone Vegas"--Elvis was still belting it out with soul, and he crooned with conviction.

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"Blue Hawaii [Remaster]" (04/15/1997) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, RCA Records (USA)This 1997 reissue of BLUE HAWAII is remixed and remastered from the original three-track master tapes and includes 8 extra tracks. Personnel: Elvis Presley (vocals); Scotty Moore, Hank Garland, Tiny Timbrell (guitar); Alvino Rey (steel guitar); Fred Tavares, Bernie Lewis (ukelele); George Fields (harmonica); Boots Randolph (saxophone); Floyd Cramer (piano); Dudley Brooks (piano, celeste); Bob Moore (bass); D.J. Fontana, Hal Blaine, Bernie Mattinson (drums); The Jordanaires, The Surfers (background vocals). Reissue producers: Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Semon. Recorded at Radio Recorders, Hollywood, California, in March 1961. Elvis' theatrical ouevre found him portraying singing busboys, singing prizefighters, even a singing doctor in love with a nun, all of which makes his role as the heir to a pineapple fortune in "Blue Hawaii" sound positively prosaic. But Elvis and Hawaii were made for each other like Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers, and "Blue Hawaii" became one of his most successful movies. The soundtrack was the No. 1 record in the U.S. for an astonishing 20 weeks, making it Elvis' most commercially successful LP, and one of the most successful LPs of all time. Like most of Elvis' soundtracks, the album contains some real gems surrounded by some real dross. This 1997 reissue is remastered and remixed from the original master tapes, and includes several extra tracks. Amid such frivolities as "Rock-A-Hula Baby" (co-written by Ed Wood's girlfriend Dolores Fuller) are classic tracks like "Can't Help Falling In Love." The reissue adds the actual on-screen version of this prime Elvis ballad.

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"Heart & Soul [Remaster]" (01/07/2003) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, BMG HeritageProducers: Elvis Presley, Felton Jarvis, Chips Moman. Compilation producers: Paul Williams, Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Sermon. Engineers include: Murray Spivak, Thorne Nogar, Bill Porter. Recorded from 1956 to 1972. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Personnel includes: Elivs Presley (vocals); The Imperials Quartet, The Sweet Insipirations, The Jordanaires. Producers: Elvis Presley, Felton Jarvis, Chips Moman. Compilation producers: Paul Williams, Ernst Mikael Jorgensen, Roger Sermon. Recorded from 1956 to 1972. All tracks have been digitally remastered. Every few years since Elvis Presley's death, RCA Records has released a collection of Elvis' love songs, usually in conjunction with Valentine's Day. LOVE SONGS is the label's 1995 entry in the series. These packages vary in length and track selection, although each invariably includes the biggest romantic hits: "Love Me Tender," "Are You Lonesome Tonight?", and "Can't Help Falling in Love." HEART AND SOUL includes numerous other familiar hits, among them "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You," "Don't," "Loving You," and "It's Now Or Never," as well as such less well-known tracks as the bouncy "The Girl of My Best Friend" and the lovely ballad "Anything That's Part Of You." HEART AND SOUL includes, for the first time on record, a stereo mix of "I've Lost You" and Presley's version of "Bridge Over Troubled Water" without the dubbed applause.

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"Great Country Songs [Remaster]" (01/07/2003) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, BMG HeritageRecorded between July 1, 1954 and October 30, 1976. Includes liner notes by Charles Wolfe. All tracks have been digitally remastered. In this era of MTV and multi-media rock stage shows, it's easy to forget that rock and roll was originally considered "hillbilly" music. Similarly, it would no doubt surprise many Elvis fans to discover that the king of rock and roll charted on the Billboard country charts--several times--six months before he hit the pop charts with "Heartbreak Hotel." And yet Elvis Presley, the original "Hillbilly Cat," never strayed too far from his country roots, as the 1996 anthology GREAT COUNTRY SONGS demonstrates. This impressive collection includes 24 tracks from throughout Presley's career, from his 1955 country hit "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" to a 1976 cover of Jim Reeves' classic "He'll Have to Go" (which, incidentally, was Elvis' final studio recording). As an inducement to fans that already own most of these recordings, RCA has included five previously unreleased alternate takes amid the more familiar fare. The true value of this package, however, is that it gathers all Presley's most important country recordings on a single disc. As an added bonus, the backing tracks feature great support from such country legends as James Burton, Floyd Cramer, and Chet Atkins.

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"Moody Blue" (05/16/2000) Rock & Pop Presley, Elvis, RCA Records (USA)Personnel includes: Elvis Presley (vocals); The Sweet Inspirations, Sherrill Nielson, Kathy Westmoreland, J.D. Sumner & The Stamps, Myrna Smith (background vocals). Engineers: Brian Christian, Mike Moran, Clair Brothers. Recorded between February 4, 1976 & April 25, 1977. Includes liner notes by Colin Escott. Elvis' last studio album is, in fact, a hodgepodge of recordings from several 1976 studio sessions and four concert tracks. Also included among the live songs are the Olivia Newton John hit, "If You Love Me (Let Me Know)," a pretty silly take on the Gladiolas' "Little Darlin'," and one of Elvis' favorite songs, "Unchained Melody." Studio tracks include covers of Jim Reeves' country hit "He'll Have to Go," the George Jones hit "She Thinks I Still Care," and two singles that reached the pop Top 40, "Way Down" and the title track. The abundance of country songs on MOODY BLUE reflects the shift in Presley's audience, as does the chart performance of both singles (each reached the number one position on Billboard's country chart). Presley's vocals for the studio tracks were recorded in his den at Graceland.