The 50th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s groundbreaking 1968 NBC-TV “comeback” special will be commemorated with the release of a deluxe box set by RCA/Legacy Recordings, a division of Sony Music Entertainment, on Friday, November 30. The set arrives just days before the anniversary of the world premiere broadcast of the original special on December 3, 2018.
Prior to the 1992 release of the five-disc box set The King of Rock 'n' Roll: The Complete 50's Masters, RCA's approach to reissuing Elvis Presley on CD - or on LP, for that matter - was rather scatter-shot, seeming to follow the dictates of the market more than the demands of history. There were some excellent releases of archival material and in 1987, on the tenth anniversary of the King's death, there was a stellar series of compilations, but most of what was released was a constant stream of recycled hits, which this box most certainly is not. This set is sharply and expertly assembled, presenting Elvis' peak as a creative and cultural force in staggering detail…
Live 1969 is a brand new Elvis Presley 11CD box set that marks the 50th anniversary of his performances at the International Hotel in Las Vegas. Returning to the stage for the first time in eight years, the 1969 Vegas run saw Presley perform 57 sold-out shows and the live debut of ‘Suspicious Minds’. During this residency he was backed by two vocal groups (The Imperials and The Sweet Inspirations), a full orchestra and a band later known as the TCB band. Live 1969 features the release of eleven complete sets from Elvis’ August 1969 engagement at Las Vegas’ International Hotel. Of these performances, four are being released in full for the first time ever – including two Elvis shows that have remained almost completely unheard for fifty years (August 22 and 25).