'68 Comeback Single-Disc DVD - Content & Cover Art

[Albert]

ELVIS: '68 COMEBACK
Special Edition DVD

[IMGr]http://www.elvis.com/news/images/Image/68_specdvd_cvr.jpg[/IMGr]In the 1950?s, singer Elvis Presley led the rock ?n? roll revolution in music and pop culture. In the 1960's he concentrated mainly on his successful movie career. By 1968, it had been more than seven years since he had appeared on stage in front of a live audience. In his first television special, clad in his now-iconic black leather suit, Elvis performed classic hits both on stage alone and, in sequences generally regarded as the forerunner of today?s popular ?unplugged? jam sessions, with friends and original bandmates. The program also included splashy production numbers. Usually referred to as the ?68 Comeback Special, the actual name of the program was Elvis. Taped in June 1968 in Burbank, it first aired that December 3rd on NBC - the network?s biggest ratings victory that year and the season?s top-rated show. It stands today as one of the great moments in rock music history and as a stunningly brilliant milestone in Elvis Presley's career. After this triumph Elvis poured renewed creative vigor into his recording work, wrapped up his movie contract obligations and returned full-time to the concert stage, beginning a new and exciting era of the Elvis phenomenon.

Elvis (?68 Comeback Special) (76:12)

A new 2006 edit of Elvis not seen on any DVD release to date, expanded with content not included in the original broadcast. The edits/expansion involve the "black leather" footage. All production numbers appear in their original form for television but for the tweaks/expansions made for 1980s home video releases.

Opening Production Number:
Trouble/Guitar Man

That?s All Right
Baby, What You Want Me To Do

Medley:
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
Baby What You Want Me To Do ? Impromptu jam.

Gospel Production Number:
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
Where Could I Go But To The Lord
Up Above My Head
Saved

Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Trying To Get To You
Tiger Man
When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
One Night
Memories

Guitar Man Production Number:
Nothingville
Guitar Man
Let Yourself Go
Guitar Man
Big Boss Man
It Hurts Me
Guitar Man
Little Egypt
Trouble
Guitar Man

If I Can Dream ? white suit.

Credits (with Elvis footage choreographed to A Little Less Conversation)
DVD Promo Spots

The original videotape material for this program has been digitally remastered and restored. The audio, originally recorded in mono, has been digitally remastered and re-channeled for Dolby Digital stereo and 5.1 surround. Presented in its 4:3 (1.33:1) aspect ratio.

NOTE: The two solo mini-concerts and the two jam sessions from which the ?black leather? performances were derived are found in their entirety on Elvis: ?68 Comeback Special ? Deluxe Edition DVD (7-hour, 4-disc set), along with an adapted version of the original broadcast special, the raw elements and unused takes from the production numbers, and a special white suit/black leather suit presentation of Elvis's performance of If I Can Dream.

Having Fun With Elvis In Burbank (09:25)

Elvis had a tremendous sense of humor and during the production of the 1968 TV special there were many funny moments. In 2004, as part of the promotion surrounding the release of Elvis: ?68 Comeback Special ? Deluxe Edition DVD, there were special screenings of selected material from the deluxe set in Regal Theatres in a number of cities in the United States. In the Regal Theatres program we included a specially assembled 6-minute/16-second collection of funny moments, which audiences greatly enjoyed. This was put together after all content for the deluxe set had been finalized and discs had been manufactured, so it was not part of the deluxe set. For the single-disc release Elvis: '68 Comeback Special Edition we decided fans would enjoy having this "funny reel" as bonus material, so we went back into the studio to refine and expand it into a 9-minute/25-second feature we know you will love. (To get an idea of how delightful it is you can watch the shorter version from the Regal Theatres program, which has been posted in the Multi-Media Gallery on the '68/Aloha DVD site since 2004.)

Photo Gallery

Photographs of Elvis from the rehearsals and production of the 1968 TV special and the birthday party for Elvis's manager Colonel Tom Parker at the studio. (Photo selections from these categories have been posted in the Multi-Media Gallery on the '68/Aloha DVD site since 2004. There are some variations between what is on the site and what is on the disc.)

Easter Egg (08:33)

An "Easter egg" is hidden content on a DVD. It's not listed on or in any of the DVD packaging or shown obviously on the onscreen DVD menu. You have to find it. It's a popular way of delivering to "in the know" fans special content that the general public might not appreciate fully. If you find the Easter egg, you will get this message onscreen:

Congratulations! You have found the ?Easter egg.?

Three takes from the Guitar Man production number featuring the dancers? karate segment and Elvis?s final portion of the song It Hurts Me were inadvertently left off of Disc 3 of the 2004 release Elvis: ?68 Comeback Special ? Deluxe Edition DVD. The one tape containing these three takes had not made it into the inventory of raw tapes when the digital transfers used for the deluxe DVD set were made and were found later. We provide these takes here. Enjoy.

Source: http://www.elvis.com

[Albert]

First, why, o why do they use that one picture that has been used so many times already? There are so many other pictures from the NBC special.

I've always found this a bad one, with a crazy glance in Elvis eyes and a big rimple in his neck. He looks much older than he was.

Second: what a suprice, a new rippoff from EPE! Put something on a singledisc that isn't on the multidisc (DELUXE!!!) version that the loyal (=stupid according to EPE?) fans bought right after the release.

Strategies like these really looks familiar to the way Parker/RCA operated throughout Elvis' carreer.

[68 Comeback Special]

Hey Albert,

I just read your posted message. I translated Alanna Nash's book on Parker in French. This book is available only in Quebec right now.

I will comeback soon and talk about the DVD and how I came to buy it.

I see you live in the Netherlands. That's great... You surely know Parker came from Holland. Someday, I will visit Breda, where Parker lived. When I translated the first chapter of the book, I said to my wife: "Someday, we will go there and see where Andr? van Kuijk was born."

See you soon on this thread.

68 Comeback Special (what a username!)

[68 Comeback Special]

Ok, I think I got it right. You were talking about the single DVD of the 68 Comeback Special to be released soon.

The photographs of Elvis and the birthday party for Parker at the studio are on it, PLUS the Easter egg, BUT, not on the 3 DVD package I bought.

GREAT NEWS...

I won't buy it...
I'll read the book a second time...

[Geert]

Couldn't agree with you more Albert. I always believed that they make abuse of the loyalty from the fans and this release realy prooves it again.
Off course I'm happy with the so called "new" material and problably will buy the dvd but as you said it's just a big ripoff.
I'm very curious what tapes will be "newly discovered" for the one-disc Aloha special. Hope that for once they will check every corner of their storage places so that we now have everything that was taped back then.

Geert

[68 Comeback Special]

Hi,

Parker managed to squeeze everything from Elvis. He knew that Elvis was destroying himself. He had to make the most out of it before the inevitable came in 1977. But after Elvis' death, he managed to get his hands in the succession. He convinced Vernon to let him run business as usual. Now, that's morbid stuff. Everyone went along... until a judge saw that something was wrong and decided to appoint a lawyer on the succession case. Things went downhill for Parker after that. Then the succession understood what Parker had once said: that Elvis was not dead... His body was, but not his fame.

See you with the new release of Deluxe set of the 68 Comeback Special due in 2068.

P.S. I only bought this set. For me, it is enough for the moment. But I understand why some fans buy everything on Elvis. He was the greatest of the greatests. But as the say... Business is business. Parker thought that way. At least they can kill Elvis again.

P.S.P.S. That DVD is awesome though ! Can't wait for 2068.

[68 Comeback Special]

I went on a little GOOGLE seach and found the site EIN.

I will read the review and get back.

[68 Comeback Special]

OK...

I am not that fond of people talking DIRTY about anyone...
Elvis had the right to his s... life (Can I use that word on a forum?)
I don't know how Alanna Nash got to write this.

I will try to find the reason why.