Post Description

A Dream Come True...

Post August 16th 1977, the market was flooded with bland and speculative recordings of Elvis. Previously released songs were rearranged by using new titles and album covers, where the reuse of old photographs belonged to the common practice. Several releases also suffered severely from the composition of the songs, which completely lacked an eloquent context. I would say that RCA showed a significantly poor judgment when it came to safeguarding Elvis’ legacy. To people who really loved the work of Elvis it seemed that commercial considerations came way ahead of the artistic concerns. In comparison to for instance The Beatles, it is only to acknowledge that Elvis' integrity as an artist was damaged by this hilarious releasestrategy.
Already in 1977, RCA began to combine well-known material of unreleased songs on the release “Welcome To My World”. In this collection they included a live version of “I Can’t Stop Loving You” from the unreleased afternoon show at Madison Square Garden in 1972. Fans then had to buy an album of songs they already got on other records to get access to this one track. This would be a trick RCA did several times after 1977. Many fans wrote articles in various Elvis-magazines and expressed frustration over this cynical policy. I don’t know if RCA took notice of these articles, but the releases seemed to improve as the 80s progressed though.
In 1987 Ernst Jorgensen from Denmark got the job with RCA to protect Elvis' musical legacy. Along with teammate Roger Semon, Jorgensen managed to make the Elvis catalogue the most perfected and best preserved in the market. The 90s gave the fans quality releases such as the three decennium box-sets (50s, 60s and 70s), and a number of other box-sets and collections that provided Elvis fans with fresh material. In addition, more or less the entire Elvis catalogue was re-mastered, which led to a revelation of sonic pleasure.
In 1999 the label “Follow That Dream” was established, named after Elvis’ ninth motion picture. This sub-label of Sony/BMG was launched as a record label for the dedicated Elvis fan. The mandate was to supplement the market with a catalogue that could be considered interesting for collectors of Elvis' music, including material that is not considered to be interesting in the same way to the mainstream listener. The releases from the “Follow That Dream” label is only marketed and sold to fans through the official Elvis fan clubs, selected web-shops anda smallnumber of dealers.
From being an artist that was quite poorly treated by his record label, Elvis’ musical legacy has now become the best-preserved catalogue existing ... an Elvis collector’s dream come true!

FTD 163 - Elvis-The Best Of British-The RCA Years 1957-1958

Label: Sony Music / Follow That Dream (FTD) 506020-975081 (Released: 2014)

Track listing:

01 - Teddy Bear
02 - Loving You
03 - 'Loving You' Movie Trailer
04 - Loving You 'Road Medley' (Party / Teddy Bear / Got A Lot O' Livin' To Do ! / Hot Dog)
05 - Mean Woman Blues (Unedited Stereo Master, Take 14)
06 - Party (Movie Version, Alternate Master, Take 7)
07 - Lonesome Cowboy
08 - 'Jailhouse Rock' Movie Trailer
09 - Jailhouse Rock (Movie Version)
10 - Treat Me Nice (Overdubbed Movie Version)
11 - Don't Leave Me Now (#2 Movie Version)
12 - Young And Beautiful (Movie End Version)
13 - 'King Creole' Movie Trailer
14 - Turtles, Berries, Gumbo-Crawfish (Movie Version)
15 - Steadfast, Loyal And True (Movie Version)
16 - Lover Doll (Solo Version, EP Version)
17 - New Orleans (Extra Vocals Overdubbed Version)
18 - Doncha' Think It's Time (Single Version)
19 - Don't
20 - I Beg Of You
21 - Wear My Ring Around Your Neck
22 - I Love You Because (RCA LP Version)
23 - You're A Heartbreaker
24 - I'll Never Let You Go
25 - Teddy Bear (Vocal: Otis Blackwell)
26 - Don't Ask Me Why (Vocal: Jimmy Breedlove)
27 - Trouble (Singer unknown)
28 - Hard Headed Woman (Vocal: Jimmy Breedlove)
29 - Wear My Ring Around Your Neck (Vocal: Gus Coletti)
30 - Santa Bring My Baby Back
31 - Santa Claus Is Back In Town
32 - Elvis in Germany (Interview, October 1st 1958)
33 - Elvis' Answer Machine (Edited together from 08-22-1956 interview)

Incl. covers

Notes:

510 page hardcover book (30.5cm x 25.5cm) including 1 CD.

Press note:
This is Elvis, the 'Best Of British : The RCA Years 1957-1959' is the continuation of the British story now detailing his RCA releases from 1957 - 1958. This book and CD release is a follow-up companion to the critically acclaimed and highly successful 'Elvis: The Best Of British - The HMV Years', [now sold out with just a few copies remaining] this book contains the full history of over FIFTY iconic Elvis songs initially released by RCA in Great Britain. Again, each song has been thoroughly researched to the same high standards and is graphically catalogued.

Containing over 1000 illustrations, unpublished photographs and charts, together with rare items of memorabilia, this volume of 'The RCA Years' moves the story forward to explicitly reveal previously unknown facts and additional British connections to the songs.

Within these 500 pages and amongst many formerly unknown fascinating facts, you will discover:

The English pub that inspired an Elvis song! Exactly where and when Elvis learned to play piano! The real life characters contained within the lyrics of Jailhouse Rock!

The CD included with this book features many first-time officially released Elvis tracks. Here, amongst his classic songs, are the songwriters' demo recordings as Elvis first heard them, plus the message he recorded on his home answer machine!

'The RCA Years (1957 - 1958)' chronicles the meteoric rise in Great Britain of the 'Sun King' to the man who would ultimately be crowned 'Artist Of The 20th Century'.

Note from the author:
After the important ground work had been done by that most British of record companies His Master's Voice, it was down to the UK branch of the Decca Record Company to continue with the distribution of Elvis Presley Records in Great Britain. When HMV lost the rights to represent RCA Victor's biggest recording star they must have thought that the company's profitability would suffer dramatically.

The full story of the HMV label and the work undertaken to promote Elvis Presley was told in my book, Elvis: The Best Of British. The HMV Years (1956 -1958). This new book covers the years 1957 and 1958 as it continues to tell the fascinating tale of how Decca Records initially established the RCA label and built on the earlier groundbreaking successes of the wonderful Walter Ridley at HMV. (© Trevor Simpson - elvisthebestofbritish.co.uk visit website) 

Extra note:
On the CD label is an error. There is printed: "The HMV Years..." instead of "The RCA Years..."

Elvis' answering-machine message (track 33) is a fake, edited together from The Truth About Me interview outtakes of August 22, 1956. (source: ElvisInfoNet)