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2/05/2018

RIPPIN' IT IN CINCINNATI


Straight Arrow Special Products SA/SP 2018-51-02
Sunday, March 21, 1976, Riverfront Coliseum, Cincinnati, OH.
It was the1st tour of 1976 and some of Elvis’ key musicians were replaced. Unexpectedly, the result was a surprisingly fresh sound, with keyboards and drums prominent. During this rather short tour, Elvis performed 8 solid and entertaining shows in 4 cities.

The Cincinnati, March 21st, 1976, 2:30pm show is previously unreleased. Once again, this show was not available in acceptable sound thus far. The only existing tape in circulation was in subpar quality. This was the show where Elvis ripped the seat of his blue Bicentennial suit during “Polk Salad Annie”, and finished the show dressed in the Rainfall suit. It is one of the very few shows where Elvis left the stage for awhile (another example is Baltimore, May 29, 1977, released on our 2CD “Breakdown In Baltimore”).
Our release has been taken directly from a first generation copy of a previously unreleased original audience-recorded cassette. This concert was recorded by Elvis super fan John Herman, who also taped the legendary Pittsburgh 1976 New Years Eve show, widely released by bootleggers and by the official FTD label.

As usual, this release is presented in a de-luxe 6-panel digipak with collection of photos taken in Cincinnati and local press reviews. A couple of unpublished John Herman snapshots were added, too.

Tracklist:
01. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra02. C. C. Rider 03. I Got A Woman / Amen 04. Love Me05. Let Me Be There06. You Gave Me A Mountain07. Steamroller Blues08. All Shook Up09. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel10. Love Me Tender11. Polk Salad Annie / Elvis leaves the stage to change the jumpsuit12. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra (by J. D. Sumner)13. What'd I Say (James Burton, instrumental)14. Drum Solo (Larry Londin) 15. Bass Solo (Jerry Scheff) / Elvis returns16. Piano Solo (Shane Keister)17. Electric Piano & Clavinet Solo (David Briggs)18. School Day19. And I Love You So20. Hurt (with reprise)21. Burning Love22. America The Beautiful23. Funny How Time Slips Away24. Heartbreak Hotel25. Hound Dog26. Can't Help Falling In Love27. Closing Vamp / Announcements

PHILADELPHIA FREEDOM


STRAIGHT ARROW SA/SP 2018-50-02
Monday, June 28, 1976, The Spectrum, Philadelphia, PA.
It's the summer of 1976, and America is celebrating its bicentennial. What could be more patriotic than seeing America’s greatest entertainer in the city where the countries' Declaration of Independence was formed and signed? 

Straight Arrow team has been looking for a recording of this particular concert for a long time… and finally succeeded.
Compared with July and August 1976 concerts, performances in June were of a much better standard and the Philadelphia concert is no exception. Elvis did a fine show that night.

The Philadelphia, June 28th, 1976 show is previously unreleased. Until now, this show was not available in acceptable sound. The only existing tape was in horrible quality. Our release has been taken directly from a previously unreleased original audience-recorded cassette. This concert was recorded by an Elvis fan from Pennsylvania.

This release is presented in a de-luxe 6-panel digipak with collection of photos taken in  Philadelphia, PA, June 28th, 1976 and with great liner notes written by the fan who taped the show!

Part of pre-program:
01. Gonna Fly Now (theme from Rocky - by Joe Guercio & The Hot Hilton Horns)02. Black Sunday (by Sweet Inspirations) 03. If You Leave Me Now (by Sweet Inspirations).
The Elvis Presley show:
04. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra 
05. C. C. Rider
06. I Got A Woman / Amen
07. Love Me
08. If You Love Me (Let Me Know)
09. You Gave Me A Mountain
10. All Shook Up
11. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don't Be Cruel
12. And I Love You So
13. Jailhouse Rock
14. Fever
15. America The Beautiful
16. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra
17. Early Mornin' Rain
18. What'd I Say
19. Johnny B. Goode
20. Drum Solo (Ronnie Tutt, incomplete)
21. Bass Solo (Blues - Jerry Scheff)
22. Piano Solo (Tony Brown) 
23. Electric Piano & Clavinet Solo (David Briggs) 
24. Love Letters
25. School Day
26. Hurt #1
27. Hurt #2
28. Hound Dog
29. Funny How Time Slips Away (with reprise)
30. Can't Help Falling In Love - 31. Closing Vamp / Announcements.

(The pre-program was taped in Philadelphia, PA, May 28th, 1977 by the same guy who recorded the 1976 show. Straight Arrow planned  to release the May 28th, 1977 show too, but another label released it recently from another tape source.)

HE IS THE ONE

Saturday, August 28th, 1971 Dinner Show, Las Vegas International Hotel, Las Vegas, NV
Straight Arrow Special Products SA/SP 2018-52-02

Straight Arrow is very pleased to bring you  this rare concert recording from Elvis’ Summer 1971 festival. It is always a delight to find new, fresh tapes from this year, and from this particular season -- especially when it's in very good sound quality. 

This is an excellent recording of the August 28th dinner show.
Elvis' previous engagement there had shown signs of his high performing standard slipping, but here he sounds like he's back on track again. Late August shows are tight, no-nonsense affairs with Presley in good voice and in strong form. He performs with focus and professionalism, and he sings a fantastic variety of music.

The Las Vegas, August 28th, 1971, Dinner show is previously unreleased. The only existing tape/CDR in circulation is of very poor quality. Our release has been taken directly from a recently obtained first generation copy of an original audience-recorded cassette. This concert was recorded by an Elvis fan from France, Marie Chantal Rivière, who also taped other August 1971 Las Vegas shows. We have released Marie Chantal Rivière's recordings of the August 27th & 29th dinner and midnight concerts on the 2CD “Solid As Rock” (SA/SP 2015-37-02) and the CD “Last Stint At The International” (SA/SP 2016-38-02). If you like those releases, you cannot go wrong with “He’s The One In ‘71”!

This release is presented in a de-luxe 6-panel digipak with collection of photos taken in August 1971 and press reviews.

Tracklist:
01. Orchestra Intro02. Introduction: Also Sprach Zarathustra03. That’s All Right04. I Got A Woman05. Proud Mary06. Sweet Caroline07. Polk Salad Annie 08. Instrumental intermezzo / Elvis talks09. Johnny B. Goode10. It’s Impossible11. Love Me12. Blue Suede Shoes / Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On / Blue Suede Shoes13. Heartbreak Hotel14. Hound Dog15. (Let Me Be Your) Teddy Bear / Don’t Be Cruel16. Suspicious Minds17. Introductions of singers, musicians, orchestra18. I’m Leavin’ 19. Introduction of Ed Parker20. Bridge Over Troubled Water21. Can’t Help Falling In Love22. Closing Vamp / Announcements

2/04/2018

G.I. BLUES - SPLICED TAKES SPECIAL

(1-CD CARDBOARD SLEEVE STAR) 

Hop, Two, Three, Four a new release out now!
Another winner in the great "Spliced take" series is finally finished 

There have been lots and lots of "G.I. Blues" releases, but this one sounds completly different, with many tracks NEVER heard before!

A lot of work has been put into this release and it was worth it, presented in high quality  cardsleeve and disc  (both factory pressed)

Including 12 "spliced" tracks from the 1960 recordings

This first 2018 CMT release will blow you away, with lots of surprises, including rare studio material and new edits.
The title track for example has been recreated out of five (!) takes and sounds exciting and fresh, "Wooden Heart" has a new opening, and
"Frankfort Special" has some funny studio snippets at the end. "Big Boots" was build up out of three versions (slow, medium and fast)
and even "Blue Suede Shoes" sound different then before, although there was only one take to work with..

Tracklist
Tonight is So Right for Love - Spliced take 10,8
What's She Really Like - Spliced take 17,19
Frankfort Special - Spliced take 3,4,5 
Wooden Heart - Alternate intro version
G.I. Blues - Spliced take 2,6, pu10, 7 , pu 9
Pocketful of Rainbows - Spliced take 1,3
Shoppin' Around - Spliced take 4,2,5
Big Boots - "trilogy" version
Didja Ever - Spliced take 1,2,1
Blue Suede Shoes - Spliced master
Doin' the Best I Can - Spliced take 10,12
Tonight is All Right for Love - Spliced take 5A, 5B

DON’T THINK TWICE IT’S ALLRIGHT – BEST OF 71

1 CD - DIGIPACK

A great new cd packed in a 6 panel digipack with some of Elvis' best 1971 recordings (minus the christmas and live recordings) is available now.
A fantastic collection with lots of rare and hard to find outtakes. All unreleased in this form.

Don't think twice.... get it now!

I'm leavin' (unedited master )
Amazing grace ( take 2 )
Early morning rain ( take 11)
We can make the morning ( unedited master )
It's still here ( take 5 )
(That's what you get) For lovin' me
The first time ever i saw your face ( differend mix)
Bosom of Abraham ( take 4 )
Help me make it through the night ( take 7 )
Don't think twice, it's all right ( edit version )
He touched me ( take 2 )
Until it's time for you to go ( unedited master )
Fools rush in ( take 6 )
An evening prayer ( take 8 )
Put your hand in the hand ( unedited master )
I will be true (( take 2 )
It's only love ( unedited master )
Reach out to Jesus ( take 9 )

HERE I GO AGAIN


(LIMITED EDITION 2-LP BLUE VINYL RECORD + CD)
(LIMITED EDITION 2-LP RED VINYL RECORD + CD)

23 years after the first DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY EDITIONS release "old times they are not forgotten" the DAE team has joined together for some very special releases.

But first a little bit of Elvis history:
All recordings on the DAE label were never released before in any form. Due to the many copies ( read: "counterfeits" of the originals) that were made from the original DAE releases it did not make much sense to do another run of the original releases at the time. This is maybe also a good oppurtunity to state that DAE never did a reissue of any kind. At the time there was the original run and a reprint was never issued. Most copies that appear from time to time on the market are therefore not the original DAE issues and have nothing to do with the original label. With as a lowpoint the humiliating release of "the very best of diamond anniversary". Till now it is the first time the DAE team has joined forces again for this very special release.

Back in the old days of the 90's vinyl was out of fashion and compact discs were the new medium. Therefore the request for cd's was so much higher and after locating the shows they were only released on cd. Now with the revival of vinyl, DAE decided to give the shows a well deserved re-release on vinyl.

The first title chosen is actually the 5th cd release : HERE I GO AGAIN. Containing the August 24 1969 midnight show. Back in the days the tape was wrongly dated and it was released as being the August 23 dinner show.

This new release of HERE I GO AGAIN is completely updated and remastered and for the biggest part sourced from multitrack sources plus the original tape used for the cd release.

We realize our friends from Gravel Road Music have also reissued the show with a little bit of help from the original DAE tapes but they left out some tracks of the original show, which were replaced by other versions. And the so called "raw material" did not add much to the package as we believe even the original cd release is sounding way better.

We believe this new updated double album is the best outing of this show till now! And of course the show is included on cd too.

This release is very limited and is available in red or blue vinyl presented in a gatefold sleeve.

Get it while you can and add this awesome DAE product to your collection.

BEHIND CLOSED DOORS



A proper re-release. Especially with the acetates & tape in hand! Obviously during the years a lot of material was issued officially in the right quality but also some of the tracks are not yet available on other releases or in the form as presented on the original boxset.  (Besides a terrible sounding cd release in the 90's).

For example STEPPIN' OUT OF LINE take 19 & 8 which were only released as a spliced version. On this set you will find the proper versions, in an awesome quality. The outtakes of the TAG for DRUMS OF THE ISLANDS are another example of beautiful quality on this set. 

Same counts for WILD IN THE COUNTRY / BEACH BOY BLUES take 1 & 3 and so on. This set offers too much to mention and will sure bring back some memories.

Also for the 70's lovers there is enough to enjoy on this set, for example the SUSPICIOUS MINDS spliced live version and POLK SALAD ANNIE from February 16, 1970 are presented here in a quality as never before. Also the extended version of DON'T THINK TWICE, IT'S ALL RIGHT is in a quality you will certainly enjoy. For IT'S YOUR BABY YOU ROCK IT it was mostly thought that the undubbed master on the original lp box was skipping, actually it was a bad edited version as it appeared on the tape, a better source was not available at the time and still is not available. We decided to put the edited version the way it was presented on the tape & original lp box as it is still way better then the second acetate source, which is also presented as a bonus track. Die hard vinyl spinners might even be able to sing along with the edited version.

All tracks are digitally remastered and speed corrected where necesarry.

Now for the first time this legendary LP boxset is re-released in this beautiful 10 inch sized boxset. Containing 2 CD's , a 10 INCH record and a bonus 45 RPM record containing GENTLE ON MY MIND (vocal repaired undubbed master) & TOMORROW NEVER COMES (take 11).

Only available in red vinyl.

TRACKLISTING:

10 INCH

SIDE A

LONELY MAN
Solo Take 1
IN MY WAY
Take 1
MOONLIGHT SWIM
Take 2
KING OF THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD
Take 31
HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS
Take 7
I GOT LUCKY
MX5 Take 2


SIDE B

FADED LOVE
Alternate Master / Take 3
DON’T CRY DADDY
Live February 17, 1970 midnight show
KENTUCKY RAIN
Live February 17, 1970 midnight show
FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY
Unedited Undubbed Master


COMPACT DISC 1
01. LONELY MAN - SOLO TAKE 1
02. I SLIPPED, I STUMBLED, I FELL - TAKE 14 & 15
03. I SLIPPED, I STUMBLED, I FELL - TAKE 16
04. WILD IN THE COUNTRY - TAKE 1
05. WILD IN THE COUNTRY - TAKE 15 & 16
06. IN MY WAY - TAKE 1
07. FORGET ME NEVER - TAKE 1 & 2
08. HAWAIIAN WEDDING SONG - TAKE 1
09. ISLAND OF LOVE - TAKE 5,7 & 8
10. STEPPIN‘ OUT OF LINE - TAKE 19
11. STEPPIN‘ OUT OF LINE - TAKE 8
12. ALMOST ALWAYS TRUE - TAKE 4 & 5
13. MOONLIGHT SWIM - TAKE 1
14. MOONLIGHT SWIM - TAKE 2
15. CAN’T HELP FALLING IN LOVE - TAKE 20-22 & 24
16. BEACH BOY BLUES - TAKE 1 & 3 (MONO)
17. KING OF THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD - TAKE 31
18. THIS IS LIVING - TAKE 3
19. HOME IS WHERE THE HEART IS - TAKE 7
20. I GOT LUCKY - MX5 TAKE 2
21. A WHISTLING TUNE - TAKE 3-7
22. DRUMS OF THE ISLANDS - A1V TAKE 1-3
23. THIS IS MY HEAVEN - FOV TAKE 3
24. SWING DOWN SWEET CHARIOT - MOVIE VERSION UNDUBBED MASTER TAKE 10
25. ALMOST - MOVIE VERSION UNDUBBED MASTER TAKE 31
26. SIGNS OF THE ZODIAC - MASTER TAKE 9
27. THE WHIFFENPOOF SONG / VIOLET

COMPACT DISC 2
01. GENTLE ON MY MIND - MASTER
02. FADED LOVE - ALTERNATE MASTER / TAKE 3
03. I GOT A WOMAN - LIVE AUGUST 26 1969 DINNER SHOW
04. SUSPICIOUS MINDS - SPLICED LIVE VERSION AUGUST 22 1969
DINNER SHOW & UNKNOWN LIVE VERSION
05. DON’T CRY DADDY - FEBRUARY 17 1970 MIDNIGHT SHOW
06. KENTUCKY RAIN - FEBRUARY 17 1970 MIDNIGHT SHOW
07. POLK SALAD ANNIE - FEBRUARY 16 1970 MIDNIGHT SHOW
08. IT’S YOUR BABY, YOU ROCK IT - UNDUBBED MASTER TAKE 5 - LP VERSION
09. TOMORROW NEVER COMES - COMPOSITE MASTER
10. FUNNY HOW TIME SLIPS AWAY - UNEDITED UNDUBBED MASTER
11. I WASHED MY HANDS IN MUDDY WATER - UNEDITED UNDUBBED MASTER
12. THE FIRST TIME EVER I SAW YOUR FACE - DUET WITH GINGER HOLLADAY - TAKE 12
13. DON’T THINK TWICE, IT’S ALL RIGHT - EXTENDED VERSION

BONUS:
14. ISLAND OF LOVE - TAKE 7 & 8 - STEREO
15. BEACH BOY BLUES - TAKE 3 - STEREO
16. DON’T THINK TWICE, IT’S ALL RIGHT - FULL VERSION - MAY 16/17 1971
17. IT’S YOUR BABY, YOU ROCK IT - UNDUBBED MASTER TAKE 5

45 RPM:

SIDE A

GENTLE ON MY MIND - Vocal Repaired Undubbed Master

SIDE B

TOMORROW NEVER COMES - TAKE 11