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. In the annals of Elvis Presley, his live 1968 "comeback" TV special is legendary as one of the finest moments of his later career. This expanded reissue of the soundtrack features everything included in the original show and plenty more, for a whopping 86 tracks including a wealth of alternate takes, rehearsal versions, etc. Even decades later, it's still a thrill to hear Elvis tackle tunes from early in his career, like "All Shook Up," "Hound Dog," and "Blue Suede Shoes," investing them with both the gravitas of maturity and an energy equal to his original versions. And if the sheer aesthetic value isn't enough of an enticement, the overwhelming amount of previously unreleased material will make this set irresistible to collectors and hardcore Elvis maniacs.

• Released: 2/15/2019
• Genre: Pop
• Format: CD