On December 3, 1968, Elvis Presley electrified television audiences with the self-titled special that would come to be known, simply, as The Comeback Special.  Nearly fifty years later, it remains the epitome of his artistry during a period when some would have written him off.  At the time of the NBC-TV broadcast, his most recent single (“Guitar Man”) had failed to crack the top 40.  He hadn’t had a chart-topper since “Good Luck Charm” in 1962.  He hadn’t appeared live onstage since a benefit concert in March 1961, and hadn’t appeared on television since sharing the studio with Frank Sinatra in 1960.  Sponsored by the sewing machine company, Singer Presents…Elvis was, simply, the comeback.  On November 30, just days before the actual 50th anniversary of the show, RCA and Legacy Recordings will commemorate the occasion with a new box set.  ’68 Comeback Special (50th Anniversary Edition) brings together all of the known audio and video from the special in one deluxe, 5-CD/2-Blu-ray package.

Singer Presents…Elvis, from producers Steve Binder and Bones Howe, was the top program on American television the week of its airing.  It re-established the superstar as a force with which to be reckoned, presenting him a variety of settings which had been taped over several dates.  The special featured big production numbers in variety show style as well as thrilling, intimate “sit-down” and “stand-up” concerts with the slim 33-year old clad in black leather performing on a boxing ring-style stage surrounded by an enrapt audience.  His old bandmates Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana joined him onstage for the sit-down shows, echoing the program’s theme of telling Elvis’ life in song.  Two new songs written especially for Elvis were introduced, “Memories” and “If I Can Dream,” both of which became instant classics and hit singles.  Soon after, Elvis was back at the top.

The first four CDs of the new box mirror the contents of RCA’s 2008 box set The Complete ’68 Comeback Special though the track “A Little Less Conversation,” erroneously included on that box, has been dropped from CD 1 as it was not recorded during the Comeback Special sessions.  These discs include the original soundtrack album, bonus cuts, the sit-down and stand-up shows, and rehearsal takes. The fifth CD is reprised from the limited edition 2016 Follow That Dream release Elvis: Original Soundtrack Recording from His NBC-TV Special, and presents outtakes from the sessions at Los Angeles’ Western Recorders with the famed Wrecking Crew.  Hal Blaine, Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey, Larry Knechtel, Chuck Berghofer, and Don Randi were among the musicians playing under the baton of Broadway and film composer Billy Goldenberg and producer/engineer Howe.  Note that the FTD CD had 30 tracks whereas this release has 19; the music is identical but has been re-sequenced for this issue.

The first Blu-ray has the original 1968 special (recently re-presented in movie theatres to wide success) plus both Sit-Down shows from June 27 and both Stand-Up shows from June 29.  The second Blu-ray has a host of special features including all takes from June 30 of the opening “Trouble/Guitar Man” and closing “If I Can Dream,” the June 30 “Huh-Huh-Huh” promo, the closing credits without credit roll, a music video of “If I Can Dream,” all takes and raw components of the gospel and “Guitar Man” production numbers, and the Blu-ray Special Feature Re-Cut.

The 5CD/2BD box also includes an 80-page book featuring rare photographs and ephemera and a new oral history on the special.  This has been based on the new interviews conducted for director Thom Zimny’s acclaimed 2018 documentary Elvis Presley: The Searcher.  Zimny also oversaw the restored Blu-ray video.

The box set’s audio and video content will be released separately to digital service providers on November 30.  Additionally, Legacy will give a wide commercial release to the vinyl title The King in the Ring.  Previously issued in limited quantities for Record Store Day, this 2-LP set spotlights the two sit-down shows.  The ’68 Comeback celebrations continue with Steve Binder’s new book Comeback ’68: The Story of the Elvis Special, and then into 2019 when NBC airs a new two-hour tribute to the special.

Elvis Presley’s ’68 Comeback Special (50th Anniversary Edition) is due on November 30 from RCA/Legacy, and is available for pre-order at the link below!  Those who order directly from ShopElvis.com will receive a 50th Anniversary Limited Edition coin while supplies last.  You’ll find the full track listing below!

’68 Comeback Special: 50th Anniversary Edition (RCA/Legacy, 2018) (Amazon U.S. / Amazon U.K. / Amazon Canada)

CD 1: Original album (1-7) and bonus cuts

1. Trouble/Guitar Man (Opening)
2. Medley: Lawdy, Miss Clawdy/Baby, What You Want Me To Do; Dialogue; Medley: Heartbreak Hotel/Hound Dog/All Shook Up/Can’t Help Falling In Love/Jailhouse Rock; Dialogue; Love Me Tender
3. Medley: Dialogue; Where Could I Go But To The Lord/Up Above My Head/Saved
4. Medley: Dialogue; Blue Christmas; Dialogue; One Night
5. Memories
6. Medley: Nothingville/Dialogue; Big Boss Man/Guitar Man/Little Egypt/Trouble/Guitar Man
7. If I Can Dream
8. It Hurts Me (splice/edit of part 1 – take 7, part 2 – take 7 & part 1 – take 6)
9. Let Yourself Go (splice/edit of part 1 – take 1 & part 2 – take 2)
10. Memories
11. If I Can Dream

CD 2: First “sit-down” (1-15, 6/27/1968) and “stand-up” (16-26, 6/29/1968) black leather shows

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

CD 3: second “sit-down” (1-16, 6/27/1968) and “stand-up” (17-27, 6/29/1968) black leather shows

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. Trouble/Guitar Man
26. Trouble/Guitar Man
27. If I Can Dream

CD 4: Rehearsals in Elvis’ dressing room – 6/24 (1-10) and 6/25/1968 (11-21)

1. I Got A Woman
2. Blue Moon/Young Love/Oh, Happy Day
3. When It Rains It Really Pours
4. Blue Christmas
5. 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. 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

CD 5: The Wrecking Crew Sessions

1. Nothingville (Guitar Man’s Evil #1) – takes 5 & 6
2. Guitar Man (Guitar Man’s Evil #1) – take 2
3. Let Yourself Go, part 1 (Guitar Man’s Evil #2) – take 5 & 7/M
4. Let Yourself Go, part 2 (Guitar Man’s Evil #3) – take 7/M
5. Guitar Man (Escape #1, fast) – takes 1, 2 & 5
6. Big Boss Man (Escape #3) – take 2
7. It Hurts Me, part 1 (Escape #4) – take 5
8. It Hurts Me, part 2 (After Karate #1) – take 3
9. Guitar Man (After Karate #2) – take 1
10. Little Egypt (After Karate #2) – take 6
11. Trouble/Guitar Man (After Karate #3) – take 2
12. Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child/Where Could I Go But To The Lord (Gospel #1) – rehearsal & take 1
13. Up Above My Head/Saved (Gospel #2) – takes 4 & 7
14. Saved (Gospel #3) – takes 2 & 4
15. Trouble/Guitar Man (Opening) – takes 6 & 7
16. If I Can Dream – take 1
17. If I Can Dream – takes 2, 3 & 4
18. Memories – takes 3 & 4/vocal overdub #1
19. Let Yourself Go (closing instrumental)

Blu-ray 1

• Elvis NBC TV Special originally broadcast on December 3, 1968
• Black Leather Sit-Down Show #1 – June 27, 1968
• Black Leather Sit-Down Show #2 – June 27, 1968
• Black Leather Stand-Up Show #1 – June 29, 1968
• Black Leather Stand-Up Show #2 – June 29, 1968

Blu-ray 2

• Trouble/Guitar Man TV Show Opener – June 30, 1968 – All Takes and Raw Components
• If I Can Dream TV Show Closer – June 30, 1968 – All Takes
• Huh-Huh-Huh Promo – June 30, 1968
• Elvis Closing Credits Without Credit Roll – June 30, 1968
• If I Can Dream Special Music Video 2004 – June 30, 1968
• Gospel Production Number – All Takes and Raw Components
• Guitar Man Production Number – All Takes and Raw Components
• Blu-ray Special Feature Re-Cut