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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
- Trouble/Guitar Man (Opening)
- 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
- Medley: Dialogue; Where Could I Go But To The Lord/Up Above My Head/Saved
- Medley: Dialogue; Blue Christmas; Dialogue; One Night
- Memories
- Medley: Nothingville/Dialogue; Big Boss Man/Guitar Man/Little Egypt/Trouble/Guitar Man
- If I Can Dream
- It Hurts Me (splice/edit of part 1 - take 7, part 2 - take 7 & part 1 - take 6)
- Let Yourself Go (splice/edit of part 1 - take 1 & part 2 - take 2)
- Memories
- 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
- That's All Right
- Heartbreak Hotel
- Love Me
- Baby, What You Want Me To Do
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Baby, What You Want Me To Do
- Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
- Are You Lonesome Tonight?
- When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
- Blue Christmas
- Trying To Get To You
- One Night
- Baby, What You Want Me To Do
- One Night
- Memories
- Heartbreak Hotel
- Hound Dog
- All Shook Up
- Can't Help Falling In Love
- Jailhouse Rock
- Don't Be Cruel
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Love Me Tender
- Trouble
- Baby, What You Want Me To Do
- 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
- Heartbreak Hotel
- Baby, What You Want Me To Do
- Introductions
- That's All Right
- Are You Lonesome Tonight?
- Baby, What You Want Me To Do
- Blue Suede Shoes
- One Night
- Love Me
- Trying To Get To You
- Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
- Santa Claus Is Back In Town
- Blue Christmas
- Tiger Man
- When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
- Memories
- Heartbreak Hotel
- Hound Dog
- All Shook Up
- Can't Help Falling In Love
- Jailhouse Rock
- Don't Be Cruel
- Blue Suede Shoes
- Love Me Tender
- Trouble/Guitar Man
- Trouble/Guitar Man
- If I Can Dream
CD 4: Rehearsals in Elvis' dressing room - 6/24 (1-10) and 6/25/1968 (11-21)
- I Got A Woman
- Blue Moon/Young Love/Oh, Happy Day
- When It Rains It Really Pours
- Blue Christmas
- Are You Lonesome Tonight?/That's My Desire
- That's When Your Heartaches Begin
- Peter Gunn Theme
- Love Me
- When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
- Blue Christmas/Santa Claus Is Back In Town
- Danny Boy
- Baby, What You Want Me To Do
- Love Me
- Tiger Man
- Santa Claus Is Back In Town
- Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
- One Night
- Blue Christmas
- Baby, What You Want Me To Do
- When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again
- Blue Moon Of Kentucky
CD 5: The Wrecking Crew Sessions
- Nothingville (Guitar Man's Evil #1) - takes 5 & 6
- Guitar Man (Guitar Man's Evil #1) - take 2
- Let Yourself Go, part 1 (Guitar Man's Evil #2) - take 5 & 7/M
- Let Yourself Go, part 2 (Guitar Man's Evil #3) - take 7/M
- Guitar Man (Escape #1, fast) - takes 1, 2 & 5
- Big Boss Man (Escape #3) - take 2
- It Hurts Me, part 1 (Escape #4) - take 5
- It Hurts Me, part 2 (After Karate #1) - take 3
- Guitar Man (After Karate #2) - take 1
- Little Egypt (After Karate #2) - take 6
- Trouble/Guitar Man (After Karate #3) - take 2
- Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child/Where Could I Go But To The Lord (Gospel #1) - rehearsal & take 1
- Up Above My Head/Saved (Gospel #2) - takes 4 & 7
- Saved (Gospel #3) - takes 2 & 4
- Trouble/Guitar Man (Opening) - takes 6 & 7
- If I Can Dream - take 1
- If I Can Dream - takes 2, 3 & 4
- Memories - takes 3 & 4/vocal overdub #1
- 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
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Pretty cool. Since the contents went out of print in their earlier incarnations, resellers are asking a pretty penny. A good way to get everything all together if you don't have it.
What I'm confused by is if it's the original broadcast version on the blu-ray, or the extended "Special Edition" released in 2006(?) which is what screened in theatres in August. Or is that what is meant by "Blu-Ray Special Feature Recut" on the second blu-ray?
Yes! We can confirm that the main feature is the original broadcast, and the Special Feature Recut is the extended version.
Thanks Joe!
Do you know if the music has been remastered since 2008, or is it the same as that version?
I skipped the 2008 release because there was, as I recall, some unpleasant editing choices made - I think they had to edit out dialog frpm either the sitdown or standup shows (or both) to get them to fit onto discs 2 or 3. I can't remember exactly what it was, but it made me stick with my 1998 releases of this material instead (chiefly MEMORIES, TIGER MAN, and BURBANK 68). I'm guessing those edits aren't fixed here. (On the other hand, since I can't even remember the specific issue 10 years later... maybe I shouldn't care anymore! The set does look very nice).
"It Hurts Me" wasn't part of the show on that DVD multi-disc set from years ago? Was that a mistake? (Remember that bit where E is doing his karate and defending some woman while singing that nice love song?) Will we see it here as part of the show?
This set is a RIP-OFF. It is incomplete! It will not include the 30 minute interview with Steve Binder and Priscilla Presley that was at the beginning of the Special recently shown in theaters. The video music content is almost 100% of what has been issued previously and the audio music content is 80% of what has been issued before.
As evidenced by the avalanche of box sets coming out in this fourth quarter, 1968 was a enormous year on all fronts. Not to stray from the subject matter, but I'm incredibly saddened Universal missed the boat entirely in re-introducing the world at large to the NBC-TV special "TCB" in a sparkling new 50th anniversary box set of its own. This special - starring Diana Ross and the Supremes with The Temptations and produced by Motown Productions and George Schlatter–Ed Friendly Productions of Laugh-In fame - was the first musical TV special of the rock era to air on American broadcast television, AND let it not be lost to history that the special (broadcast just one week after Elvis' comeback special) beat the ratings for Elvis' show and was THE top-rated variety show of 1968. (NBC was HOT that winter!) I realize all the obstacles standing in the way of its formal commercial release, but it is the sole missing extravaganza of 1968 to not be represented this season.
U were wrong elvis had a number 1 in 1965 with CRYING IN THE CHAPEL.
While "Crying in the Chapel" was indeed an Easy Listening chart-topper, it "only" reached No. 3 on the Pop chart (to which we were referring).
Thanks for the news of this release. I do have the 2004 deluxe edition 3 dvd set and comparing that one to this newie throws up a couple of questions .. can you help? Cheers ..
1: Is the bluray in surround sound? Although not shown anywhere but on the discs themselves, there is a 5.1 music option available on the 2004 dvds .. and it's pretty good ..
2: "A little less conversation" - this is on the 2004 dvd set - the booklet says that during a recording session for the pre-recorded portions of the tv special, Elvis did a new version of this song. It was to be used as a link for various segments of the special, sadly it never was .. but the 5.1 version on the dvd is a killer .. .
Very interested in any comments - especially re the surround sound ..
Thanks
David