With all due respect to the Beach Boys and the Beatles, this may be the most important, historic, and monumental boxed set of music ever created. No tracklisting yet:
http://www.shopelvis.com/Product.aspx?c ... pc=EPCD221

EVERY Sun recording? Wow! As Stella McCartney had on her shirt at the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 1999- About Fucking Time.

Not too crazy about the price though.

It's only going to add 10 "found" recordings to what was already released on the "Sunrise" comp. And they've already admitted to some being in "rough" quality.

I have to see who's mastering it before I decide to bite or not. If I see the name "Lene Reidel" anywhere near the credits, they can keep it.

What has been (probably intentionally) frustrating is that "Sunrise" (from 1999) is missing outtakes that appeared in 1987 on "The Complete Sun Session" (and vice-versa). "Sunrise" also pre-dates the remastered "Elvis At Sun" comp from 2004, which contained no outtakes at all. A title that draws together all of the outtakes, and the remastered final takes from all of these various titles has been rumored for years.

As far as the ten "found" recording are concerned, I've not found any indication as to whether or not they are "new" Sun recordings; it is being suggested that the tracklisting is being kept under wraps because many of these recordings are in the public domain in the UK, and EPE doesn't want to inspire any grey-area knockoffs to flood the market.

FTD has also announced "Volume 1" of the "G.I. Blues" soundtrack sessions. As with the "Sun" masters, the "G.I. Blues" masters are in the public domain over in the UK, and official release of outtakes from the "G.I. Blues" sessions have been hampered by some outfit called "Memphis Recording Service" that specializes in officially unauthorized Presley recordings.

More details on the box, although perhaps not definitive details (they're from a Dutch website):

The book is said weigh roughly 11 pounds. It will also be limited to 3000 copies.

The informed speculation/rumor mill has it that there are no new Sun Studio recordings that have been discovered. There are a couple unreleased takes of When It Rains it Really Pours, and there is the "slapback echo tape" of How Do You Think I Feel (with Elvis off-mike) that has been released on grey-area disc overseas (but never on an RCA/Sony disc). Other than that, all the Sun stuff should be material that has been previously released on either Sunrise or the Complete Sun Sessions LP. The attraction of this set will be to finally have everything gathered together in one place, coupled with better mastering. Kevan Budd (who did the excellent Elvis at Sun) mastered the material years ago, but there are rumors that his work has been replaced by new mastering by Vic Anesini.

There are rumors that four of the ten "new" songs come from the "Little Mama acetate" a live recording from April 1955 that was recorded on acetate and which has been in the hands of a private collector for years. The songs on it are Little Mama, That´s All Right, You´re a Heartbreaker and Shake, Rattle and Roll.

The other rumor that's been revived concerns a radio commercial Elvis recorded in 1954--he sang a jingle for Southern Maid Donuts. It's supposed to have been in the hands of a Elvis fan named Gary Pepper who purportedly also had a number of other early Presley "Louisiana Hayride" broadcasts.

Pepper's former nurse put a bunch of his Presley collection up for auction recently http://www.liveauctioneers.com/catalog/19734/page1 and Pepper's estate is suing her for conversion.

Disc 1: MRS Acetates, The Sun Masters & The RCA Masters

01 My Happiness 2:33
02 That’s When Your Heartaches Begin 2:52
03 I’ll Never Stand in Your Way 2:04
04 It Wouldn’t Be the Same (Without You) 2:09
05 Harbor Lights 2:38
06 I Love You Because 2:43
07 That’s All Right [45 RPM Master] 2:00
08 Blue Moon of Kentucky (45 RPM Master] 2:07
09 Blue Moon 2:44
10 Tomorrow Night 3:01
11 I'll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) 2:27
12 I Don't Care If the Sun Don't Shine 2:32
13 Just Because 2:34
14 Good Rockin' Tonight 2:15
15 Milkcow Blues Boogie 2:39
16 You’re a Heartbreaker 2:13
17 I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone [Slow Version] 2:43
18 Baby Let's Play House 2:19
19 I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone 2:38
20 I Forgot to Remember to Forget 2:31
21 Mystery Train 2:30
22 Tryin’ to Get to You 2:36
23 When It Rains It Pours 2:06
24 That’s All Right 1:59 [RCA single version]
25 Blue Moon of Kentucky 2:05 [RCA single version 78 RPM Master]
26 I Love You Because 2:45 [RCA LP version – spliced from takes 3 & 5]
27 Tomorrow Night 2:56 [RCA LP version – overdubbed and slowed down]

Tracks 1-2: Self-financed demo recorded July, 1953 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 1-2: Digital transfer of acetate.

Tracks 3-4: Self-financed demo recorded January 4, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 3-4: Digital transfer of acetate in very poor condition.

Track 5 possibly recorded July 5, 1954.
Tracks 6-7 recorded July 5, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Sources for tracks 5-6: Original SUN tapes.
Source for track 7: 45 rpm SUN single (plastic).

Track 8: Recorded July 7, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 8: 45 rpm SUN single (plastic).

Track 9: Likely recorded between August 15 and 19, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 9: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 10-14 likely recorded between September 12-16, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Sources for tracks 10, 11, 13 and 14: RCA reference tapes (30 ips)
Source for track 12: Digital transfer of SUN tape, with repairs from a digital transfer of a tape copy.

Tracks 15-16 recorded either mid-November or mid-December 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Sources for tracks 15-16: 78 rpm SUN single (shellac).

Track 17 Recorded between mid-November 1954 and mid-April 1955 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
The reel has March 5 written on it, but Elvis was at the Louisiana Hayride that day.
Source for track 17: Original SUN tape.

Track 18 likely recorded between January 30 and February 4, 1955 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
“I Got a Woman” and “Tryin' to Get to You” were also recorded, but have been lost.
Source for track 18: RCA reference tape (30 ips).

Track 19 likely recorded mid-April 1955 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 19: RCA reference tape (30 ips), with first part of ending from RCA tape copy (15 ips) and last part of ending from digital transfer of the RCA EPA-965 production master tape.

Tracks 20-22 recorded mid-July, 1955 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 20: SUN tape copy.
Source for track 21: SUN tape copy, with ending from digital transfer of 78 rpm RCA single.
Source for track 22: RCA reference tape (30 ips).

Track 23 recorded November 1-4, 1955 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 23: Original SUN (vocal channel) slapback tape.
Elvis’ 1957 re-recording of the song was released under the title “When It Rains, It Really Pours”

Source for track 24: RCA reference tape (30 ips).

Source for track 25: 'Elvis at Sun' master, derived from digital transfer of 78 RPM SUN single (shellac).

Track 26: Steve Sholes’ original notes have these takes as 2 & 4
Source for track 26: RCA master tape.

Source for track 27: 1965 RCA work part tape for the “Elvis for Everyone” LPM-3450 production master tape.




Disc 2: The Sun Studio Sessions

01 Harbor Lights (takes 1-2, level adjustments) 0:33 *
02 Harbor Lights (take 3/M) 2:53
03 Harbor Lights (take 4) 2:38
04 Harbor Lights (takes 5-6) 1:23 *
05 Harbor Lights (take 7) 2:25 *
06 Harbor Lights [take 8] 0:26 *
07 I Love You Because (take 1) 0:23
08 I Love You Because (take 2) 3:28
09 I Love You Because (take 3) 3:36
10 I Love You Because (take 4) 0:40
11 I Love You Because (take 5) 3:28
12 That’s All Right (takes 1-2) 0:20
13 That’s All Right (take 3) 1:58
14 Dialogue 0:20
15 Blue Moon of Kentucky (slow tempo outtake) 1:08
16 Blue Moon (takes 1-3) 0:38 *
17 Blue Moon (take 4) 2:59
18 Blue Moon (take 5) 3:25
19 Blue Moon (takes 6-7) 0:53
20 Blue Moon [take 8] 3:01
21 Blue Moon (take 9/M) 2:44
22 Dialogue fragment (before “Tomorrow Night”) 0:11
23 I’ll Never Let You Go (Little Darlin’) (incomplete take) 0:49
24 Good Rockin’ Tonight (fragment from vocal slapback tape) 0:10 *
25 I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine (takes 1-2) 1:13
26 I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine (take 3/M) 2:35
27 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 1) 3:00
28 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 2) 2:51
29 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 3) 2:51
30 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 4) 0:10
31 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 5/M) 2:40
32 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 6) 2:40
33 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone (slow version, take 7) 1:35
34 How Do You Think I Feel (guitar slapback tape, rehearsal + take 1) 3:17 *
35 How Do You Think I Feel (guitar slapback tape, rehearsals) 1:14 *
36 When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 1) 1:37 *
37 When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 2 - rehearsal) 2:12 *
38 When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, takes 3-4) 2:14
39 When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 5/M) 2:02
40 When It Rains It Pours (vocal slapback tape, take 6-7) 1:40
41 When It Rains It Pours [vocal slapback tape, take 8] 1:40

* Previously unreleased (I think)

Tracks 1-6 possibly recorded July 5, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 1-6: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 7-13 recorded July 5, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 7-13: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 14-15 likely recorded July 7, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 14-15: Digital transfer of SUN tape.

Tracks 16-21 likely recorded between August 15 and 19, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 16-21: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 22-26 likely recorded between September 12 and 16, 1954 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for track 22: RCA reference tape (30 ips) for “Tomorrow Night”.
Sources for tracks 23-26: Digital transfers of SUN tapes (also see source note for Disc 1, track 12).

Tracks 27-33 recorded between mid-November 1954 and mid-April 1955 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
The reel has March 5 written on it, but Elvis was at the Louisiana Hayride that day.
Source for tracks 27-33: Original SUN tape.

Tracks 34-35 recorded between mid-November 1954 and mid-April 1955 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 34-35: Digital transfer of SUN (guitar channel) slapback tape.

Tracks 36-41 recorded between November 1-4, 1955 at Sun Studio, Memphis.
Source for tracks 36-41: Original SUN (vocal channel) slapback tape.



Disc 3: Live & Radio Performances

01 That’s All Right 2:52
02 Blue Moon of Kentucky 2:23
03 Shake, Rattle and Roll 2:24
04 Fool, Fool, Fool 1:59
05 Hearts of Stone 2:02
06 That’s All Right 1:52
07 Tweedlee Dee 2:51
08 Shake, Rattle and Roll 2:23
09 KSIJ Radio commercial with DJ Tom Perryman 0:16
10 Money Honey 2:43
11 Blue Moon of Kentucky 2:04
12 I Don’t Care if the Sun Don’t Shine 2:33
13 That’s All Right 1:54
14 Tweedlee Dee 2:15
15 Money Honey 2:17
16 Hearts of Stone 1:37
17 Shake, Rattle and Roll 1:39
18 Little Mama 2:03
19 You’re a Heartbreaker 2:06
20 Good Rockin’ Tonight 2:36
21 Baby Let’s Play House 2:22
22 Blue Moon of Kentucky 1:47
23 I Got a Woman 3:03
24 That’s All Right 2:17
25 Tweedlee Dee 2:47
26 Interview with Mae Boren Axton 3:19
27 That’s All Right 2:37
28 I’m Left, You’re Right, She’s Gone 3:16
29 Baby Let’s Play House 3:19
30 Maybellene 3:09
31 That’s All Right 2:49
32 Interview with Bob Neal 5:31

Tracks 1-2 recorded at Louisiana Hayride debut, Shreveport, Louisiana, October 16, 1954.
Source for tracks 1-2: RCA reference tape copy.

Tracks 3-4 recorded at KDAV Radio, Lubbock, Texas, January 6, 1955.
Source for tracks 3-4: Digital transfer of acetate.

Tracks 5-7 likely recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, January 15, 1955.
Source for tracks 5-7: Digital transfer of acetate in very poor condition.
Some parts duplicated and edited to create near-complete performances.

Track 8 recorded at WJOI Radio, Florence, Alabama January 19, 1955.
Source for track 8: Digital transfer of acetate in poor condition.

Track 9 recorded at KSIJ Radio, Gladewater, Texas, 1955.
Source for track 9: Digital transfer.

Tracks 10-13 likely recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, January 22, 1955.
Source for tracks 10-13: Digital transfer of acetate in very poor condition. Some parts duplicated and edited to create near-complete performances.

Tracks 14-19 likely recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, March 5, 1955.
Source for tracks 14-19: Digital transfer of fragments of acetate in very poor condition (which was destroyed in the process). Some parts duplicated and edited to create near-complete performances.

Tracks 20-24 likely recorded at the Eagles’ Hall, Houston, Texas, March 19, 1955. Track 21 could be from a different performance the same week.
Source for tracks 20-24: RCA reference tape copy.

Track 25 recorded at Gladewater High School, Gladewater, Texas, April 30, 1955.
Source for tracks 25: RCA reference tape copy.

Track 26 recorded at motel in Jacksonville, Florida on either May 12 or July 28, 1955.
Source for track 26: Digital transfer of 1981 BBC broadcast tape copy.

Track 27 recorded at the Jimmie Rodgers Memorial Festival, Meridian, Mississippi, May 26, 1955.
Source for track 27: Broadcast tape.

Track 28 recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, July 2, 1955.
Source for track 28: Digital transfer of acetate in very poor condition. Some parts duplicated and edited to create near-complete performance.

Tracks 29-31 recorded at the Louisiana Hayride, Shreveport, Louisiana, August 20, 1955.
Source for tracks 29-31: RCA reference tape copies.

Track 32 recorded at WMPS Radio, Memphis Tennessee, between August 29-31, 1955.
Source for track 32: Digital transfer

After my initial excitement over this release, I've decided against it. The price, plus tax and shipping don't make it worth it for me. If the Elvis people ever decide to issue just the music without the book and in a reasonably priced package, I won't hesitate for a second to buy it.

Way out of my price range when all I'd really want is the third disc. The first one is intriguing but I've heard it all before, and own other releases of it. Don't care for studio outtakes such as disc two consists of. I'd love for them to release this properly at a normal price, later on. I bet they will, once the 3000 or whatever it is copies of this are gone.

As I've spent a couple of decades picking and choosing among the never-ending flood of Presley releases to add to my collection, I'm not going to criticize another person's choice to buy to not to buy a particular Presley title. I will say that ever since it became apparent about a decade ago that EPE would eventually issue the ultimate "Elvis at Sun" title to end all "Elvis at Sun" titles on the FTD label, I've pretty much avoided all other such reissues outside of the "Sunrise" set, even after amazed chatter from the Presley faithful about the 2004 Sun remasters. Has my patience paid off?

We'll see. I'm not a fan of the "Elvis photo book" genre, but must concede that Elvis fans apparently can't get enough of these things--dozens of them have been published over the years. I only own one of the FTD books: "Flashback", released in 2004, a hardbound 172-page book with photos of Presley from 1955 through 1958--which, more importantly IMO included a CD of alternate takes from the 50's, a dwindling few of which have not yet appeared on other FTD titles. Again, not my cup of tea, but this isn't some cheapie Elvis book either, such as the ones commonly found on bargain tables at Books-A-Million.

As FTD continues to move even closer to running out of officially unreleased Presley recordings, their production of these books has increased. A book was apparently the centerpiece of last years' 1956 boxed set, and I'm told that the book that accompanied the "Complete Masters" 30-disc set a couple of years ago was extremely impressive (as well it should have been, as part of a $750 boxed set.) Thus, according to some, the three discs on this set are just ancillary; the main attraction is the 500-page book. Maybe so. All I know is that if any music is deserving of this sort of Cadillac packaging, it's the Presley/Sun material.

Plus--and don't say I didn't warn you--of the Presley studio sessions, there are a couple of minor holes that FTD is in the process of addressing ("G.I. Blues Vol. 2", and a likely compilation of late-60's soundtrack material) but the one gaping hole in the FTD Presley sessionography would be the 30+ songs that Elvis cut at the Jan.-Feb. 1969 Memphis sessions. The 2-disc "Suspicious Minds" is OOP, and so is the 2001 FTD single-disc "Memphis Sessions." I don't know if EPE is planning a mega-boxed set, or to expand the 1969 Presley albums on an individual basis, but there's certainly a bunch of material still in the vault (five different alternate takes of "In The Ghetto" have popped up over the years, but there were at least twenty takes recorded.) All I know is that it's a safe bet that EPE is planning SOMETHING, and I, for one, am saving my money. As with this Sun box, I'm pre-ordering it the first day I hear about it.

This is the holy grail of rock n roll. Comes at a bad time as I must (MUST) purchase 60 Zappa reissue titles...what to do...

If some of this stuff eventually comes out on a domestic release (ala "Young Man With A Beat" boxset) we will probably have the option of individual download purchases.

The one thing that no one has mentioned re this FTD release is the fact that for the first time, we get to hear all Elvis' Sun recordings in their original DRY form, i.e, without the echo that RCA added to tracks including 'That's Alright'. While 'Sunrise' was a disaster in this regard, the later 'Elvis At Sun' was advertised to cure this. Not so, a back-to-back comparison I did on 'That's Alright' on 'Elvis At Sun' verses the same track from the FTD release proves this was completely false advertising. The 'Elvis At Sun' version still features echo, although it's not as obvious as previous issues. The FTD issue on the other hand, is completely dry and is therefore the only CD which features all the Sun songs as Sam Philips recorded them back in '54/'55. Not surprising as the notes in the FTD reveal they used either the original Sun tapes where they existed, or dubs from mint Sun 45s. The job they did from the dubs on CD1 is exceptional. The price of the set however is NOT!!

You seem to be suggesting that there is added echo on tracks besides "That's All Right" on Elvis at Sun and that isn't the case. With the exception of "That's All Right", the Elvis at Sun versions are exactly the same as the new Boy From Tupelo versions in terms of echo. The same sources were used in both cases.

"That's All Right" is a unique case. In 1955 RCA received the original Sun master tape, and they added echo and copied it to a new master. Then they destroyed the Sun master. So the best available tape source for that track is RCA's first generation copy with the added echo. The only way to get an echo-free version is to needle drop an old Sun record.

For Elvis at Sun, the decision was made that it was better to use the RCA tape. Being a first-generation tape source, it offers better fidelity and dynamic range than a needle drop would, despite the added echo. The compilers felt that was the best choice for a mass-market CD such as Elvis at Sun. They were upfront about this, and Elvis at Sun was not advertised as having a reverb-free "That's All Right." It was (correctly) advertised as having upgraded sound, since the first-generation tape was newly rediscovered and this was the first time it had been used on CD.

The new Boy From Tupelo set is not a mass-market release but is aimed at hardcore fans/collectors, so they have the luxury of putting two versions of the same track on the set. It features a needle drop of the original reverb-free version, plus the tape-sourced version with the added RCA echo.

My copy still hasn't even shipped yet, but from what I've read, the remastering heard on the boxed set is all-new. As I understand it, the Sun masters (along with the rest of the Presley catalog) were given a mastering overhaul in roughly 2007, so that the Sun recordings heard on comps released after 2007 (such as the "Complete Masters" box and "Young Man With The Big Beat" are different from the 2004 "Elvis At Sun" masters. This new FTD box apparently supercedes the 2007 masters, but whether Sony/Legacy ever uses them is unclear.

I'm really starting to get antsy, waiting for this box to arrive. Already there are indications that the book contains new research which have revised some of the dates previously provided for some of the recording sessions. As for the possibility of cleaned-up audio, I'm curious about the outtake disc, and whether not some of the previously unintelligible dialogue heard between takes will be easier to understand. (At least I have trouble understanding it, although the thick southern accents are as much responsible as the audio quality.)

Keith Flynn has already updated his site (http://www.keithflynn.com/recording-ses ... index.html) to reflect the revised dates for some of the Sun recordings.

My "Tupelo" box has not yet shipped. For what it's worth, however, one of the UK labels specializing in "public domain" Presley material has already announced a title consisting of the live stuff on Disc Three.

Mine shipped yesterday from shopelvis.com

Just so you guys know, the majority of disc one is based on the 2004 Elvis At Sun CD (i.e. they sync up)

Some tracks have been EQ'd further, some have a little processing applied.

"Just Because" has the full "Well" restored to the intro (not sure if this is a fake made from the second "Well" though)

On the plus side, the Sun 45 needledrops of "That's All Right" and "Blue Moon Of Kentucky" sound fantastic.

Unfortunately the 4 acetate demos are HEAVILY NR'd, but are at least free of the added reverb from previous versions.

All of disc 2 is a major upgrade compared to existing CDs, as is disc 3.

Well worth the money, but don't get rid of "Elvis At Sun"!

Finally got this baby today. I'm listening to Disc Two--the outtakes disc--and it is astonishing. I want to say that it's like eavesdropping on history, but the fact is that it's not LIKE eavesdropping on history, it IS eavesdropping on history.

Mine arrived today too. The book is a behemoth.