Elvis (1968 TV program)

Original concept

Despite huge success in both his music and acting careers following his release from the army in 1960, Presley never toured in the United States from 1962 to 1968. The music scene had changed dramatically since his last U.S. #1 single in 1962, and Presley was in no doubt that bands such as the Beatles, and the British Invasion in general, were leading "the swinging sixties".

Partly due to the repetitive scripts and laughable song choices, as well as the general feeling that he was "uncool", Presley's films had been making less money with each release and he was tiring of Hollywood. Colonel Tom Parker, Presley's manager, had found it increasingly difficult to secure the usual $1,000,000 fee for a Presley film, and had no alternative than to take a different approach. Parker negotiated a deal with NBC for $1,250,000 to finance both a television special and a film (1969's Change of Habit).

Parker wanted the show, which was scheduled as a Christmas season broadcast, to be little more than Presley singing Christmas carols. He believed the special could simply be a TV-version of the Christmas radio show Presley had contributed to the year before. Binder argued that the special was an opportunity to re-establish the singer's reputation after years of formulaic movies and recordings of variable quality. He and Howe hired writers to script a show with specific themes: large set designs, dance sequences and big productions of Presley's hits. However, Binder was open to any variations on this that would showcase the singer's talent, and Presley was apparently very happy to go along with this flexible approach.

The special eventually included an extravagant musical sequence featuring gospel-style numbers, a semi-autobiographical "mini-movie" centered around the song "Guitar Man" and other re-recordings given lavish set designs. A segment set in a bordello featuring the song "Let Yourself Go" was initially passed by the network's censors, but was removed at the request of the show's primary sponsor, Singer Corporation, as it was deemed too risqué. (The first public appearance of this sequence was in the expanded video version of the 1981 documentary film This Is Elvis. It was later restored for RCA's 3-DVD release in 2004.) The special ends with Presley appealing for world peace and tolerance with the song "If I Can Dream."

Studio recordings for these segments were made at Western Recorders in Hollywood, California between June 20 and 23 and featured an orchestra and The Blossoms as background vocalists: Fanita James, Jean King and Darlene Love. Other musicians included drummer Hal Blaine, pianist Don Randi, guitarist Tommy Tedesco, bass player Larry Knechtel and harmonica player Tommy Morgan.

Live segments

It was after rehearsals at Western Recorders that Binder took special note of how Presley and the other musicians would spontaneously unwind by improvising old blues and rock 'n' roll numbers. Binder commented: "...and that's when I really got the idea: Wouldn't it be great if I had a camera in here and they didn't know I was here?"

Presley is said to have been very apprehensive about the idea of performing live. His last live concert had been at the Bloch Arena in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, on March 25, 1961. Binder offered a lot of support and reassurance to stop the singer from rejecting the idea of any live segments. He realized some songs already re-recorded or scheduled would need to be cut (The special was only an hour long). He quickly arranged for rehearsals to take place to capture the feel of Presley's informal studio jamming, drafting in the surviving members of Presley's original backing band – Scotty Moore and D. J. Fontana (bassist Bill Black had died in 1965). He also brought in Presley's friends Alan Fortas, Lance LeGault and Charlie Hodge to encourage Presley and make him feel at ease. Two sessions took place, each about two hours in length; the first on June 24 and the second on the 25th. Both took place in the informal surroundings of the dressing room at NBC. They were recorded by Presley's friend Joe Esposito using the singer's own tape recorder. Many songs were tried, including "Danny Boy", "Blue Moon", "That's My Desire" and "I Got A Woman", before the final repertoire was decided for the actual TV recording.

Subsequently, at 6.00pm, June 27, Presley took to the stage for the first time in over seven years, resulting in four one-hour live shows being taped at NBC's Burbank studios. Clad in black leather, Presley sat down and jammed with band mates for two shows, each show having a different audience. There was a one-hour break between them (enough time for Presley to shower and have his outfit dry cleaned after performing under the hot studio lights). In the second two, recorded at 8.00pm, June 29, he remained standing and sang live to a mix of live and pre-recorded backing, again in front of two different audiences. These four sessions are often referred to collectively as "The Burbank Sessions", the name coming from not just the venue, but the titles of two collectible bootleg LPs which feature them. The role of each musician at the two sit-down performances was:

Elvis Presley: vocals, guitars (acoustic and electric - he and Scotty Moore use the same ones and swap them)

D. J. Fontana: drumming, using a guitar case

Alan Fortas: guitar back-slapping, occasional vocals

Charlie Hodge: acoustic guitar, occasional vocals

Lance LeGault: guitar back-slapping, tambourine

Scotty Moore: guitars (acoustic and electric)

Filmed in the round, only a small portion of these – and the stand-up sets – were included in the televised special. Presley and the others played and sang while interjecting personal stories of his music and early performances. Referring to music and his religious upbringing in a break between songs, Presley says: "Rock and roll is basically gospel (music), or rhythm & blues (is too). It sprang from that, people have been adding to it." He also makes reference to the leading groups of the time, like The Byrds and The Beatles, and notes how things have improved and not just changed, like the standard of musicians and sound engineering. Presley is also prompted to speak about a Florida concert at which the police had filmed the show, threatening to use the film as evidence to prosecute him for "vulgarity."

Presley sings many of the songs he was famous for including: "That's All Right", "Heartbreak Hotel", "One Night", "Love Me Tender" and "Are You Lonesome Tonight?". He also reprises Jimmy Reed's "Baby What You Want Me to Do" on several occasions and includes the less well known songs, "Tryin' To Get To You", "When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again" and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy". As each session progresses, he can be observed playing and singing with such gusto that he occasionally feels the urge to rise up and sing off mike, even when he uses the electric guitar with no strap (during a reprise of "One Night").

During "Love Me Tender", he sang particularly to his wife, Priscilla, who was in the audience. During the first verse, he jokingly replaced the line "You have made my life complete" with "You have made my life a wreck...err, complete" as a brief, lighthearted joke. It drew a giggle from the audience, including Priscilla.

In both sit-down shows, Presley sits between two of the women sitting at the edge of the stage to sing the final song, "Memories." Although this move was Binder's idea, Colonel Parker had originally been concerned that the audiences would contain older, more reserved adults and that this might give the impression that Presley had lost some of his appeal (The only time Presley had 'bombed' at a live gig was in front of a mature audience in Las Vegas in 1956). Parker had therefore arranged that young women should be seen nearest the stage during filming.

The stand-up shows feature Presley performing a similar energetic set by himself, mostly without guitar. He performs on the same small stage (no more than ten feet square) which is closely surrounded by the audience. Musical backing this time comes from an unseen live orchestra and the Blossoms. Presley also sings to a pre-recorded track on a few songs that were intended to be integrated into other parts of the show.

Acclaim

The edited broadcast of December 3 – combining the big, choreographed numbers, lavish sets and some of the informal live sessions – was an enormous success. The show was the highest-rated television special of the year. According to Binder, it was probably the first one-man TV special to appear on commercial American television. Previously, TV specials tended to be packed with guest stars, like Frank Sinatra's Timex Special of 1960, in which Presley himself appeared with other celebrities, including Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr..

At the beginning of the '68 Special project, a nervous Presley had said to the executive producer Bob Finkel: "I want everyone to know what I can really do." Critics generally agree that had happened – in addition to making profitable, but generally uninspired movies and soundtracks. The '68 Special is widely credited with revitalizing his career: chart statistics for the summer of 1968 suggest that Presley's recording career was becoming all but non-existent and irrelevant. After the special, he began his stint in Las Vegas and toured, achieving a string of record-breaking sell-out performances across America. Chart successes returned, including a U.S. number one in 1969 ("Suspicious Minds") and a U.K. number one ("The Wonder of You", (1970)) - his first since 1965.

Additional information

Two versions of the special were initially aired by NBC. The first included Presley singing "Blue Christmas" – the only seasonal song Binder agreed to use. When the special was rebroadcast the following summer, this was replaced with a performance of "Tiger Man".

In 1984, one of the sit down sessions was released uncut and unedited by Media Home Entertainment, Inc. on a video as Elvis - One Night With You. RCA Video Productions also made a shorter version for television and an album. The original special has also been made available for television and home video - the reissued version restores the censored musical numbers from the "Guitar Man" segment, and features both "Blue Christmas" and "Tiger Man".

In June 2004, RCA Records issued a deluxe 3-disc DVD release containing all the video footage still in existence, including bloopers and incomplete performances. It features a 24-page color booklet with text written by Greil Marcus.

A number of songs were shortlisted for recording but were rejected. "I'll Be Home for Christmas" was cut in favor of "If I Can Dream". Undistinguished songs showcasing his movie career, l"Cotton Candy Land" and "How Would You Like To Be", were axed - as was "U.S. Male". A song that was partially re-recorded but did not make the final show was "A Little Less Conversation", a track from Presley's then-current film release, Live a Little, Love a Little. In 2002, this version was used as the basis for a popular remixed version of the song by Junkie XL, giving Presley his second posthumous #1 hit in Britain (he has now had a record twenty-one no.1s in the British charts). The remix reached #1 in an additional 20 countries, and was added, at the last minute, to the quadruple platinum 2004 compilation ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits

The famous opening sequence, featuring the "Trouble"/"Guitar Man" medley and concluding with the iconic ELVIS sign in red lightbulbs, was subsequently copied or paid homage to by various artists. Robbie Williams (The Robbie Williams Show, 2002), Falco (music video for "Emotional Man", 1986) and Texas (music video for "Inner Smile", 2000) are among the most notable examples. Trix also paid homage to the opener for one of their 2011 commercials.

In 2007 and 2008, two "virtual duets" were inspired by Presley's performances in the show. In a special Idol Gives Back segment, set in 1968 and aired during the sixth season of the popular American Idol TV series, footage of Presley performing "If I Can Dream", taken from the show closer, was digitally inserted into a performance by Céline Dion; later, in December 2008, the reverse happened, with Martina McBride being digitally inserted into footage of Presley performing "Blue Christmas" within the original show. The result was used as a promotional video for the album Christmas Duets, although the album itself does not feature the same recording.

In popular culture

The Comeback Special is portrayed in the television mini-series Elvis, a biopic about Elvis' life story starring Jonathan Rhys Meyers. It shows him first meeting with Steve Binder (played by Jack Noseworthy) and performing the songs on stage which includes "Lawdy Miss Clawdy", "Big Boss Man" and at the end of the film "If I Can Dream".

It also provided inspiration for "Krusty Gets Kancelled", a 1993 episode of The Simpsons in which Krusty the Clown holds a successful comeback show.

Set list

"Trouble"/"Guitar Man" – Show Opener

"Lawdy Miss Clawdy"

"Baby What You Want Me to Do"

Something wrong with my lip. / He's gotta be crazy.

Heartbreak Hotel / Hound Dog / All Shook Up

"Can't Help Falling in Love"

"Jailhouse Rock"

Can I borrow your little whatchacallit? / This leather suit is hot

"Love Me Tender"

"Are You Lonesome Tonight?"

Rock & roll music is ...

Gospel Production Number:

"Sometimes I Feel Like a Motherless Child" / "Where Could I Go But To The Lord" / "Up Above My Head" / Saved

"Baby, What You Want Me To Do"

"Blue Christmas"

"One Night"

"Memories"

Guitar Man Production Number:

"Nothingville" / "Guitar Man" / "Let Yourself Go" / "Guitar Man" / "Big Boss Man" / "It Hurts Me" / "Guitar Man" / "Little Egypt" / "Trouble" / "Guitar Man"

"If I Can Dream" - Show Closer

Set list from black leather sit-down show #1

Elvis takes the stage. Elvis introduces band-mates. That's All Right Heartbreak Hotel Love Me Swapping axes. / Are we on television? Baby. What You Want Me To Do Touching body with hands. / Rock & roll music is ... Blue Suede Shoes Baby. What You Want Me To Do Something wrong with my lip. / He's gotta be crazy. Lawdy Miss Clawdy Can You Buckle My Belt, Baby? Are You Lonesome Tonight? When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again Blue Christmas Trying to Get to You One Night - Somebody pulled the plug, man. Baby. What You Want Me To Do Man, I just work here. / No strap. One Night Memories

Set list from black leather sit-down show #2

Audience warm-up / Mr. Elvis Presley. Elvis talks. Heartbreak Hotel Baby. What You Want Me To Do Elvis refers to script. / Introduces band-mates That's All Right Are You Lonesome Tonight? Baby. What You Want Me To Do Can't even touch myself. / you gonna get arrested, boy. Blue Suede Shoes We don't have a strap? / Lines from MacArthur Park. One Night Love Me Hanky flies about. / The new music. / My style came from ... Trying To Get To You Lawdy Miss Clawdy Girl saves Elvis tissue lint. / Never ceases to amaze me. baby. Santa Claus Is Back In Town Blue Christmas Tiger Man Another tissue girl. / MacArthur Park lines. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again Memories

Soundtrack releases

The first song from the special to be released to the public was "If I Can Dream", which was released as a single by RCA Victor (47-9670) in October 1968. In November 1968, the live performance of "Tiger Man" appeared on the RCA Camden compilation album Elvis Sings Flaming Star (PRS-279), which was first released through Singer Sewing Machine stores and given wide release in April 1969 (CAS 2304). The track's presence on the 1968 Singer release marked the first RCA release of an Elvis Presley performance recorded in front of a live audience, predating (other than the special's soundtrack LP) the Las Vegas concert recordings released a year later.

The Elvis (NBC TV Special) soundtrack itself was released in November 1968 as well (LPM 4088). As originally issued, it contained most (but not all) of the music from the original broadcast; a new edition with additional tracks was released on CD in 1991.

In March 1969, RCA released "Memories" as a single (47-9730).

Over the following decades, additional performances from the TV Special were released in piecemeal form, particularly in RCA's A Legendary Performer compilation series, as well as in the 1985 box set A Golden Celebration, although bootleg albums featuring unissued material began circulating as early as 1978. In the 1990s and 2000s, RCA issued more-complete soundtrack recordings. In 1998, it issued Memories, a 30th anniversary release that was an expansion of the original NBC-TV Special album. That same year RCA released Tiger Man which consisted of the complete sit-down performances. Finally, in 2006, RCA released Let Yourself Go: The Making of Elvis the Comeback Special, which consisted of outtakes and rehearsal recordings from the special.

The version of "A Little Less Conversation" originally recorded for (but not used in) the special was later remixed and became a hit single in 2002. The original recording was officially released for the first time in the 1998 Memories CD collection.

Various '68 Comeback recordings (as well as some from Aloha from Hawaii) were used as the soundtrack to the Elvis pinball machine, released by Stern in 2004.

Complete '68 Comeback Special

On August 5, 2008, Legacy released a 4-CD compilation of the complete recording sessions for the special. The track listing is here:

Disc one

1. Trouble/Guitar Man
2. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy/Baby, What You Want Me To Do/Medley: Heartbreak Hotel/Hound Dog/All Shook Up/Can't Help Falling In Love/Jailhouse Rock/Love Me Tender
3. Where Could I Go But To the Lord/Up Above My Head/Saved
4. Blue Christmas/One Night
5. Memories
6. Medley: Nothingville/Big Boss Man/Guitar Man/Little Egypt/Trouble/Guitar Man
7. If I Can Dream
8. It Hurts Me*
9. Let Yourself Go*
10. A Little Less Conversation*
11. Memories (stereo mix)*
12. If I Can Dream (stereo mix)*

'Disc two

1. Introductions
2. That's All Right
3. Heartbreak Hotel
4. Love Me
5. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
6. Blue Suede Shoes
7. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
8. Lawdy Miss Clawdy
9. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
10. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
11. Blue Christmas
12. Trying To Get To You
13. One Night
14. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
15. One Night
16. Memories
17. Heartbreak Hotel
18. Hound Dog
19. All Shook Up
20. Can't Help Falling In Love
21. Jailhouse Rock
22. Don't Be Cruel
23. Blue Suede Shoes
24. Love Me Tender
25. Trouble
26. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
27. If I Can Dream

Disc three

1. Heartbreak Hotel
2. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
3. Introductions
4. That's All Right
5. Are You Lonesome Tonight?
6. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
7. Blue Suede Shoes
8. One Night
9. Love Me
10. Trying To Get To You
11. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
12. Santa Claus is Back In Town
13. Blue Christmas
14. Tiger Man
15. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
16. Memories
17. Heartbreak Hotel
18. Hound Dog
19. All Shook Up
20. Can't Help Falling In Love
21. Jailhouse Rock
22. Don't Be Cruel
23. Blue Suede Shoes
24. Love Me Tender
25. Medley: Trouble/Guitar Man
26. Medley: Trouble/Guitar Man
27. If I Can Dream

Disc four

1. I Got a Woman
2. Medley: Blue Moon/Young Love/Oh, Happy Day
3. When It Rains It Really Pours
4. Blue Christmas
5. Medley: Are You Lonesome Tonight?/That's My Desire
6. That's When Your Heartaches Begin
7. Peter Gunn Theme
8. Love Me
9. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
10. Medley: Blue Christmas/Santa Claus is Back In Town
11. Danny Boy
12. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
13. Love Me
14. Tiger Man
15. Santa Claus is Back In Town
16. Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
17. One Night
18. Blue Christmas
19. Baby, What You Want Me To Do
20. When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
21. Blue Moon of Kentucky

Originally issued in a CD-sized box, in 2012, RCA's European division reissued the collection in a hardcover book format (ISBN 978-1-908709-15-8), with the four discs contained alongside a bound-in 32-page booklet on the making of the special.