Where is Ernst getting his material?

[vivaelvis]

I'm starting to wonder where on earth Ernst is getting his sources for material for the FTD label? Check this new release coming out on bootleg.Both have already been released in SOUNDBOARD on FTD.





Audionics will release new 2-CD set in early August: "AUTUMN GOLD." It will include the complete South Bend, Indiana show from October 1st, 1974 and a generous chunk of the famous August 16, 1974 RCA Hollywood rehearsal in a totally different sound - binaural stereo, as it was originally recorded. The South Bend date was originally issued in 2003 by Follow That Dream, but "Killing Me Softly With His Song" and some stage dialogue were omitted, and the closing vamp was clipped.
Though Elvis’ personal problems were affecting some of his shows around this time, he seemed to be in fine fettle in South Bend. Overall, this show presents a solid and pleasing performance by Elvis, and though it has been released before, we can now enjoy a more complete and -- most importantly - sonically superior recording of this concert!

The August 16, 1974 rehearsal surfaced on bootleg compact disc in 1995, then officially fourteen years later on Follow That Dream. For the first time, Audionics presents these songs as originally recorded, in binaural stereo; and the sound is better than ever before. Unfortunately, the entire tape is unavailable, but all the essential performances are here. It is a real pleasure to listen tracks like "Softly As I Leave You" and "Twelfth Of Never" in binaural form.

"AUTUMN GOLD" is presented in a great-looking 2-disc digipak with a 20-page booklet filled with photographs taken that night in South Bend and at additional live shows and candids from March, August and October 1974.

All these recordings have been carefully engineered to be presented in the best possible sound.

Tracklisting :


CD 1 / Tuesday, October 1, 1974: University of Notre Dame, Evening Show

01. C. C. Rider - 02. I Got A Woman / Amen - 03. Love Me - 04. It's Midnight - 05. Big Boss Man - 06. Fever - 07. Love Me Tender - 08. Hound Dog - 09. Heartbreak Hotel - 10. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - 11. Bridge Over Troubled Water - 12. Introduction of vocalists, musicians - 13. Guitar Solo (James Burton) - 14. Drum Solo (Ronnie Tutt) - 15. Bass Solo (Duke Bardwell) - 16. Introduction of orchestra - 17. Orchestra Solo (Joe Guercio Orchestra) - 18. Lawdy Miss Clawdy - 19. All Shook Up - 20. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel - 21. Killing Me Softly with His Song (Voice) - 22. Let Me Be There (with reprise) - 23. It's Now Or Never - 24. You Gave Me A Mountain - 25. Johnny B. Goode - 26. Hawaiian Wedding Song - 27. Steamroller Blues - 28. Can't Help Falling In Love - 29. Closing Vamp, Announcements (Al Dvorin).

CD 2 / Friday, August 16, 1974: RCA Hollywood

01. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) - 02. Promised Land - 03. Down In The Alley - 04. It's Midnight - 05. Your Love's Been A Long Time Coming - 06. Good Time Charlie's Got The Blues - 07. Softly As I Leave You - 08. I'm Leavin' - 09. Proud Mary - 10. If You Talk In Your Sleep - 11. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) #2 - 12. If You Love Me (Let Me Know) #3 - 13. Twelfth Of Never - 14. Faded Love - 15. Just Pretend.


The South bend show was not released in its entirety on FTD and the 1974 rehearsal disc was in mono. Also, check out the apples to oranges comparisons of the two separate label's artwork/covers.





For FTD releases to be through Sony Music you would think that the latter covers (posted above) would be the actual bootleg covers while the bootleg cover would be the professional Sony cover. But I blame Ernst for being out of touch on these issues. Practically all of the FTD covers have looked amateur-like and lack of effort compared to the bootleg covers. No creativity whatsoever in them.

[Raised on Rock]

Dragon Heart is for sure the most horrible CD cover ever.

But covers like Elvis From Sunset to Vegas, I guess they are intented to look in the same fashion as 70's singles and albums releases, which is cool to me, but yes, they where not very creative and of great quality. Must be a way to duplicate the old feel, but without the cheapness I guess.

[Jungleroom76]

I'm sure there is a cost factor involved in not stepping up the quality of artwork for the FTD releases! Considering import releases are usually much more limited in quantity, they can afford to up the ante on the artwork a little bit more because they don't have to mass produce nearly as many copies as the FTD label does, thus not costing as much for the import makers in the long run. Just one potential theory...

I also agree with ROR that FTD tries to tie in their artwork (to some degree) with their mainstream counterparts or with the overall design or feel of the time (think the LIVE AT BOSTON GARDEN FTD having the same design as the original MSG album). Not that this is an excuse for poor quality photos being used (again, think the BOSTON GARDEN FTD) or poor picture quality in general (think the TODAY FTD). I know it's probably a really fine line that FTD has to walk between cost-effectiveness versus quality, and I personally have criticized FTD many times for the poor artwork on some of their releases. But by the same token, perhaps sometimes there was really no alternatives for FTD to use (again think BOSTON GARDEN -- perhaps no better quality shots existed or were available to FTD, thus they had to use what they could/had). I do agree that judging from the many errors that FTD has been known to make, in artwork, labeling AND actual mastering of the music at times, perhaps some of the shoddy artwork is a result of simply rushing to release a project.

Back to Vivaelvis' original question though, I do have to also wonder where Ernst gets his material sometimes. How can an import label release the same show as FTD, but in stereo sound and complete versus FTD, which supposedly works from the original master tapes??? Again though, is the import label release in TRUE stereo or did someone simply take the mono version and use digital software to give it the appearance of stereo sound?? But then, how do you explain the import label having the entire show? Perhaps FTD had to trim parts of the show to make it fit on one disc (with the bonus songs they wanted to include to give a more thorough look at the tour) whereas the import CD only has the show on one disc with no bonus songs, thus no trimming was needed?? All interesting scenarios and questions to ponder...

Definitely an interesting thread though Vivaelvis!!! Thanks for posting it!!

TCB!
Mike

[vivaelvis]

I'm starting to think that what Sony/RCA have in their vaults is purchased copies of what the import labels have. That's my only conclusion for the imports having the better masters.Interesting also is that RCA has the binaural mix of the December 29, 1976 show in Birmingham, AL but chose to follow the bootleg soundboard version.

[hounddog]

about 6 months ago on ebay there were abotu 10 reel to reel live shows of Elvis up for sale, i forgot to bid i think none of them wnet for more that 30 pounds. If i was Ernst I'd be watchign ebay and buying those sort of things. But i tend to think vivaelvis has it right.

[ELVIS_]

I gave up on the CD Covers a long time ago. When awesome artist's like, "Night Rider" are around they really set the bar high.
Basically just buy the CD for the content or music now.

[danny]

Ernst Jorgensen is the worst thing ever happened to Elvis-fans.

[KPM]

Ernst Jorgensen is the worst thing ever happened to Elvis-fans.

Sorry my friend but Ernst has worked his rear off going thru every tape depository that RCA has looking for any and all bits of tape that relate to the career of Elvis. It was not easy and he had little help.
It is easy to look for the negatives-but the positives he has championed are great-there would be no FTD label period if not his working to convince Sony that a label for "FANS" could be profitable enough to pursue....which may account for labels which some call amateurish or not up to standards that some have.
Bottom line is in order to keep a "Fan only label" going-you have to watch costs and watch the overhead.
In a perfect world profit, loss and quality would not be used in the same breath-quality should always come first-but the world is not perfect and thats reality.

[KPM]

I'm sure there is a cost factor involved in not stepping up the quality of artwork for the FTD releases! Considering import releases are usually much more limited in quantity, they can afford to up the ante on the artwork a little bit more because they don't have to mass produce nearly as many copies as the FTD label does, thus not costing as much for the import makers in the long run. Just one potential theory...

I also agree with ROR that FTD tries to tie in their artwork (to some degree) with their mainstream counterparts or with the overall design or feel of the time (think the LIVE AT BOSTON GARDEN FTD having the same design as the original MSG album). Not that this is an excuse for poor quality photos being used (again, think the BOSTON GARDEN FTD) or poor picture quality in general (think the TODAY FTD). I know it's probably a really fine line that FTD has to walk between cost-effectiveness versus quality, and I personally have criticized FTD many times for the poor artwork on some of their releases. But by the same token, perhaps sometimes there was really no alternatives for FTD to use (again think BOSTON GARDEN -- perhaps no better quality shots existed or were available to FTD, thus they had to use what they could/had). I do agree that judging from the many errors that FTD has been known to make, in artwork, labeling AND actual mastering of the music at times, perhaps some of the shoddy artwork is a result of simply rushing to release a project.

Back to Vivaelvis' original question though, I do have to also wonder where Ernst gets his material sometimes. How can an import label release the same show as FTD, but in stereo sound and complete versus FTD, which supposedly works from the original master tapes??? Again though, is the import label release in TRUE stereo or did someone simply take the mono version and use digital software to give it the appearance of stereo sound?? But then, how do you explain the import label having the entire show? Perhaps FTD had to trim parts of the show to make it fit on one disc (with the bonus songs they wanted to include to give a more thorough look at the tour) whereas the import CD only has the show on one disc with no bonus songs, thus no trimming was needed?? All interesting scenarios and questions to ponder...

Definitely an interesting thread though Vivaelvis!!! Thanks for posting it!!

TCB!
Mike

Well as has been posted before the vaults are suppose to have hundreds of soundboards so getting material should not be a problem....but that does not mean that someone else did not record certain shows in better sound quality than what the vaults hold (possible) and in those cases the sound on bootleg sounds better. Also as I pointed out-keeping a "fan label" going is a matter of profit and loss so Ernst must do whatever he can to keep cost at a minimum for a limited audience. As I said in a perfect world the quality of something should not have anything to do with profit or loss-but we my friends .....are not in a perfect world.

[vivaelvis]

Ernst Jorgensen is the worst thing ever happened to Elvis-fans.

I wouldn't say the absolute worst, as he has done some nice things over the years. But I do think he's lost touch with reality and what the fans really want which is why many of the recent releases have been in question. Now he's releasing Hits From The 70's as a FTD. What????? That's one of those head scratches right there. Why release that when you supposedly have hundreds of unreleased soundboard recording to put out? I see he's getting criticized for that one alone.

It also tells me that there's not much left in the vaults as we thought there was.

[vivaelvis]

Well as has been posted before the vaults are suppose to have hundreds of soundboards so getting material should not be a problem....but that does not mean that someone else did not record certain shows in better sound quality than what the vaults hold (possible) and in those cases the sound on bootleg sounds better. Also as I pointed out-keeping a "fan label" going is a matter of profit and loss so Ernst must do whatever he can to keep cost at a minimum for a limited audience. As I said in a perfect world the quality of something should not have anything to do with profit or loss-but we my friends .....are not in a perfect world.

This is not about cost or profit. This is about poor decision making on his part for releases. Ernst has 100% control over that side of the projects. He picks and chooses what is to get released and what they will look like. Not Sony or RCA. It's his side project as he has even admitted to in the past.

[KPM]

This is not about cost or profit. This is about poor decision making on his part for releases. Ernst has 100% control over that side of the projects. He picks and chooses what is to get released and what they will look like. Not Sony or RCA. It's his side project as he has even admitted to in the past.

But Viva does he have an unlimited budget? Does he have carte blanche to spend x number of dollars on a projects art work, or to acquire tapes that may not be in the vaults or tapes that are of better sound quality than the vaults?
I am sure you will agree that is not the case-he may be charge 100% within the confines of the yearly budget that he is given.....no one in charge of a division of a corporation decides how much his department can spend...they can only propose a budget for their department and the accounting department decides actual amounts.
You are so tough on anyone who has for years accomplished positive things, everything you propose Usually amounts to getting rid of someone, someones incompetence (in your opinion) someones IYO past their prime, etc........
You know of course in the real world (not forums where speculation and ideas come cheaply with no one to really answer to) things run a little differently........people, companies, subsidiaries, have to make their case to bosses, CEOs, Boards of Directors etc and if you go out on a limb for more money for better quality, more money for expansions, a great new idea to make your product the best thing since sliced bread.........it better be thought thru and fool proof because unlike forum discussion........ your job is on the line and you have to answer to someone.
Now If Ernst is as out of touch as you say-Sony will get rid of him, Sony will not care what I say or you say....they will say he has lost us money he has not kept sales for FTD where we want them and hes out. SO far they are happy with his work and accomplishments.
But forums are much easier to propose ideas-no risk, nothing on the line.

[vivaelvis]

Now If Ernst is as out of touch as you say-Sony will get rid of him, Sony will not care what I say or you say....they will say he has lost us money he has not kept sales for FTD where we want them and hes out. SO far they are happy with his work and accomplishments.
But forums are much easier to propose ideas-no risk, nothing on the line.

No, they are happy with the profit. But let's be real. Elvis fans will buy anything at any price. This is why those discs are so expensive. They jack up the price knowing that they are going to sale to the die hard collector fans so they make the profit off of the inflated sales price. And it has nothing to do with shipping. You can buy the discs at the Graceland shops for $27.00. A professional mainstream release doesn't cost that much. It's a ripoff.

[KPM]

No, they are happy with the profit. But let's be real. Elvis fans will buy anything at any price. This is why those discs are so expensive. They jack up the price knowing that they are going to sale to the die hard collector fans so they make the profit off of the inflated sales price. And it has nothing to do with shipping. You can buy the discs at the Graceland shops for $27.00. A professional mainstream release doesn't cost that much. It's a ripoff.

A professional mainstream release is geared to sell to a huge audience-FTD is a select audience.
Now you know as well as I-anything that is sold in huge numbers the price goes down because the cost per unit becomes less, and anything that is specialised in nature and sells to a select audience the price is increased per unit because there is no huge volume of sales to bring the cost per unit down. Business 101 teaches that right off the bat.
Thats just the nature of anything sold.

[boquo2]

Ernst Jorgensen is the worst thing ever happened to Elvis-fans.

I was simply going to respond with `what a stupid thing to say', but instead maybe you could explain your comment