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Elvis – TV Special
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Elvis – TV Special

Released:Nov. 22, 1968

The show was shot in June, and, after a great deal more drama than can be gone into here, was transformed from the Colonel’s vision of yet another holiday special (this one with pictures) into what producers Steve Binder and Bones Howe envisioned as a portrait of the real Elvis. At the center of that portrait was a free-form ad-lib performance in front of a live audience, Elvis’ first live show in seven years. The album was shipped two weeks prior to the December 3 air date, and a scan of its mostly familiar titles could have given little clue as to the fire and passion of the performance. It was in many ways the logical outgrowth of the artistic renaissance that had been fitfully emerging over the last two years. The show itself, as many of the reviews pointed out, was as inspiring as it was unlikely, recapturing as it did not just a familiar mine of defiance and wounded alienation but delivering all the rough edges that had so long been absent from the public image. The opening three-and-a-half minutes alone, which intertwined “Guitar Man” with a swaggering blues-driven version of “Trouble,” would alone have been worth the price of admission, with Elvis making a signature statement (“If you’re looking for trouble/You’ve come to the right place”) while clad in fashionably retro black leather. The album quickly sold half a million copies and put Elvis back in the Top 10 of album sales for the first time since 1965.

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Tracklist

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  • Trouble/Guitar Man

    Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller-Jerry Reed. Recorded June 22 & 30, 1968 at Western Recorders, Hollywood. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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  • Lawdy Miss Clawdy

    Lloyd Price. Recorded live June 27, 1968, second show, at NBC Studios, Burbank. Guitar: Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Charlie Hodge. Percussion: D.J. Fontana, Allan Fortas. Tambourine: Lance LeGault
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  • Baby, What You Want Me To Do

    Jimmy Reed. Recorded live June 27, 1968, first show, at NBC Studios, Burbank. Guitar: Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Charlie Hodge. Percussion: D.J. Fontana, Allan Fortas. Tambourine: Lance LeGault
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  • Heartbreak Hotel/Hound/All Shook Up

    Mae Boren Axton/Tommy Durden/Elvis Presley-Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller-Otis Blackwell/Elvis Presley. Recorded live June 29, 1968, first show, at NBC Studios, Burbank. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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  • Can't Help Falling In Love

    Hugo Peretti/Luigi Creatore/George Weiss. Recorded live June 29, 1968, first show, at NBC Studios, Burbank. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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  • Jailhouse Rock

    Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller. Recorded live June 29, 1968, second show, at NBC Studios, Burbank. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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  • Love Me Tender

    Vera Matson/Elvis Presley.Recorded live June 29, 1968, second, at NBC Studios, Burbank. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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  • Where Could I Go But To The Lord/Up Above My Head/Saved

    James B. Coats-W. Earl Brown-Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller. Recorded June 21-22, 1968 at Western Recorders, Hollywood. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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  • Blue Christmas

    Billy Hayes/Jay Johnson. Recorded live June 27, 1968, second show, at NBC Studios, Burbank. Guitar: Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Charlie Hodge. Percussion: D.J. Fontana, Allan Fortas. Tambourine: Lance LeGault
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  • One Night

    Dave Bartholomew/Pearl King. Recorded live June 27, 1968, first show, at NBC Studios, Burbank. Guitar: Elvis Presley, Scotty Moore, Charlie Hodge. Percussion: D.J. Fontana, Allan Fortas. Tambourine: Lance LeGault
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  • Memories

    Billy Strange/Mac Davis. Recorded June 23, 1968 at Western Recorders, Hollywood. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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  • MEDLEY: Nothingville/Big Boss Man/Guitar Man/Little Egypt/Trouble/Guitar Man

    Billy Strange/Mac Davis-Al Smith/Luther Dixon-Jerry Reed-Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller-Jerry Leiber/Mike Stoller-Jerry Reed. Recorded June 20, 21 & 30, 1968 at Western Recorders, Hollywood. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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  • If I Can Dream

    W. Earl Brown. Recorded June 23, 1968 at Western Recorders, Hollywood. Guitar: Tommy Tedesco, Mike Deasy, Al Casey. Bass: Charles Berghofer. Bass & Keyboards: Larry Knechtel. Piano: Don Randi. Drums: Hal Blaine. Percussion: John Cyr, Elliot Franks, Frank DeVito. Harmonica: Tommy Morgan. Vocals: The Blossoms Orchestra conducted by Billy Goldenberg
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Credits

Artist
Credit
  • Elvis Presley
    vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • The Blossoms
    backing vocals
  • Tommy Morgan
    harmonica
  • Mike Deasy, Al Casey, Tommy Tedesco
    electric guitar
  • Larry Knechtel
    keyboards
  • Don Randi
    piano
  • Charles Berghofer
    double bass
  • Hal Blaine
    drums
  • John Cyr, Elliot Franks
    percussion
  • Frank DeVito
    bongo
  • Billy Goldenberg
    orchestra conductor
  • Scotty Moore
    acoustic guitar, electric guitar
  • Charlie Hodge
    acoustic guitar, backing vocals
  • D.J. Fontana, Alan Fortas
    percussion
  • Lance Legault
    tambourine
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Elvis – TV Special
Buy Album Now
Stream this Album