FTD: Covered versus Uncovered

[Tony C]

More might be found that nobody knows about case in point I forgot to remember live 1955.While on this let me ask u you think any more 1956 concerts are recorded like this?What bout 1957 shows?We know lots of outtakes are lost from the movie sessions 1962-1964,1967-1969 whats the possibility of more being found?

How long is a piece of string?

[PiersEIN]

Ken, that is a marvelously detailed look at what we can hope for in the future.
THANKS indeed.

FTD collectors may also be interested in this article written by Ian Garfield who also examined (in a simpler format) what had been released and what was left for the FTD collectors label..
It is laid out in a nice easy to check table format.
Again a nice look at what is still to come.

>>
http://www.elvisinfonet.com/spotlight_FTD_What-next-whats-left.html
(Needs updating for the recent releases)

Cheers
Piers

[Deleted User 1099]

Excellent Work, Ken!!

Thank you, Mr. Y. H.

[Deleted User 1099]

Thank you, Piers.

The list on your site is very nice too. A bit flawed in places (sometimes it lists the bonus tracks on live CDs, sometimes not). As far as I know, there are ten tracks from August 24 on Writing for the King, not nine. There is no mention of the opening night soundboard bonus tracks on An American Trilogy (unless I’m blind). Under the ’68 Comeback section, there’s no listing of Tiger Man. Should The Memphis Record be mentioned on grounds of unique mixes? Anyway, a very good overview it is, as Yoda might have put it.

[Deleted User 1099]

Thanks, but quand même: Would it be possible for people to muster the extra energy and skip abbreviations? A general question.

I agree with you on a general basis. It can be very annoying when done out of the blue. Anyway, the same can be said for foreign words and expressions.

[PiersEIN]

Thank you, Piers.
The list on your site is very nice too. A bit flawed in places (sometimes it lists the bonus tracks on live CDs, sometimes not). As far as I know, there are ten tracks from August 24 on Writing for the King, not nine. There is no mention of the opening night soundboard bonus tracks on An American Trilogy (unless I’m blind). Under the ’68 Comeback section, there’s no listing of Tiger Man. Should The Memphis Record be mentioned on grounds of unique mixes? Anyway, a very good overview it is, as Yoda might have put it.

THANKS Ken. Corrections made. Not sure how we forgot 'Tiger Man' - and 'The Memphis Record' is worthy of note for collectors as well.

I have added a direct link back to this stunning article for EIN readers.
This is one of those amazing FECC articles that will drop down the list all too quickly to be replaced by "Is 'My Boy' Elvis' best track?" or "Should Elvis In Concert be released?".

Cheers
Piers

[YDKM]

Fantastic Article Ken.... well done and for sure their is many MORE FTD's that CAN be released! Great pity about 1972 shows and 1973 tour shows...that seems to be the absolute dry area for much hope!

[Deleted User 1099]

Thank you, Piers.
The list on your site is very nice too. A bit flawed in places (sometimes it lists the bonus tracks on live CDs, sometimes not). As far as I know, there are ten tracks from August 24 on Writing for the King, not nine. There is no mention of the opening night soundboard bonus tracks on An American Trilogy (unless I’m blind). Under the ’68 Comeback section, there’s no listing of Tiger Man. Should The Memphis Record be mentioned on grounds of unique mixes? Anyway, a very good overview it is, as Yoda might have put it.

THANKS Ken. Corrections made. Not sure how we forgot 'Tiger Man' - and 'The Memphis Record' is worthy of note for collectors as well.

I have added a direct link back to this stunning article for EIN readers.
This is one of those amazing FECC articles that will drop down the list all too quickly to be replaced by "Is 'My Boy' Elvis' best track?" or "Should Elvis In Concert be released?".

Cheers
Piers

You’re welcome, Piers. I’m glad I could be of help to you. And thank you for the link and the kind words.

[Deleted User 1099]

Fantastic Article Ken.... well done and for sure their is many MORE FTD's that CAN be released! Great pity about 1972 shows and 1973 tour shows...that seems to be the absolute dry area for much hope!

Thank you, YDKM. Obviously, I only listed what remains to be released from a "covered / not covered" perspective, as well as gave a brief overview of what has been released already. I purposefully left out stuff like the Golden Records series. There’s still much and more to come, I hope.

[drjohncarpenter]

More might be found that nobody knows about case in point I forgot to remember live 1955.While on this let me ask u you think any more 1956 concerts are recorded like this?What bout 1957 shows?We know lots of outtakes are lost from the movie sessions 1962-1964,1967-1969 whats the possibility of more being found?

How long is a piece of string?

How many stars are in the sky?

I'll never know.

What fire lights a firefly?

I'll never know.

[trouble_jw]

Ken, what an amazing read. Thanks for the much put in time and effort.

[ORION]

I've got to confess that I've been a long-time reader of the forum, but it was this article that made me decide to join in the discussion. First, Ken, it is a pleasure to talk with you about this subject. I am a huge supporter of your work. Your books are among my favorite publications, and I cannot wait until the three volume sessions books cross the pond and land on my doorstep. Now, the reason for my writing. I have read on here and another site that FTD is nearing the end of its run, and its last few releases have been described as 'bottom of the barrel.' I never really subscribed to that theory, but your wonderful piece makes me think that might be close to the truth UNLESS FTD really begins to milk the cash cow with releases of Golden Records Volume blah, blah, blah or soundtracks that only offer up a mono mix of the same set of tunes. I also am dismayed at your continuously mentioning that there are no quality tapes in the vaults from many of the tours. Perhaps instead of going out with a repackaged fizzle, FTD should finally give us the On Tour shows, the late 60's soundtracks (COH, TTWG, etc), Elvis in Concert, etc.. and call it a day.

Oh, before I am slammed by some on here. The name Orion is a tribute to a personnel friend of mine - Jimmy Ellis. Like him or hate him, I know this has been a hot button issue for years. However, he was a person that I miss so please avoid attacks on my deceased friend.

[Eggrert]

UNLESS FTD really begins to milk the cash cow with releases of Golden Records Volume blah, blah, blah or soundtracks that only offer up a mono mix of the same set of tunes.

I have to say, I think that mono mixes from the 60s actually represent the greatest potential goldmine for FTD (and no, I'm not talking finances). Being a dedicated mono fan, I'd *love* to hear the 60s stuff in mono!

[Keith Richards, Jr.]

I never really subscribed to that theory, but your wonderful piece makes me think that might be close to the truth UNLESS FTD really begins to milk the cash cow with releases of Golden Records Volume blah, blah, blah or soundtracks that only offer up a mono mix of the same set of tunes. I also am dismayed at your continuously mentioning that there are no quality tapes in the vaults from many of the tours. Perhaps instead of going out with a repackaged fizzle, FTD should finally give us the On Tour shows, the late 60's soundtracks (COH, TTWG, etc), Elvis in Concert, etc.. and call it a day.

Your debut post leaves a lot to be desired, man!

I for one pray to a Higher Power that Ernst decides to release ALL those soundtracks, regardless of the fact that most of the outtakes are lost, I don't care, I want those albums in my collection along with the other Classic Album FTDs.

I don't agree with you that FTD should release the most essential material and then call it a day. FTD should never call it a day. Even though I don't buy all their releases, I'm glad they're being released. Without FTD the Elvis world be a much duller place. It's important that new things are being released, and that we have something new to discuss. FTD keeps things fresh and exciting.

Ernst, if you read Orion's post above, please delete it from you memory bank asap!

[Deleted User 1099]

Ken, what an amazing read. Thanks for the much put in time and effort.

Thank you, and you're most welcome. It was a pleasure.

[Deleted User 1099]

I've got to confess that I've been a long-time reader of the forum, but it was this article that made me decide to join in the discussion. First, Ken, it is a pleasure to talk with you about this subject. I am a huge supporter of your work. Your books are among my favorite publications, and I cannot wait until the three volume sessions books cross the pond and land on my doorstep. Now, the reason for my writing. I have read on here and another site that FTD is nearing the end of its run, and its last few releases have been described as 'bottom of the barrel.' I never really subscribed to that theory, but your wonderful piece makes me think that might be close to the truth UNLESS FTD really begins to milk the cash cow with releases of Golden Records Volume blah, blah, blah or soundtracks that only offer up a mono mix of the same set of tunes. I also am dismayed at your continuously mentioning that there are no quality tapes in the vaults from many of the tours. Perhaps instead of going out with a repackaged fizzle, FTD should finally give us the On Tour shows, the late 60's soundtracks (COH, TTWG, etc), Elvis in Concert, etc.. and call it a day.

Oh, before I am slammed by some on here. The name Orion is a tribute to a personnel friend of mine - Jimmy Ellis. Like him or hate him, I know this has been a hot button issue for years. However, he was a person that I miss so please avoid attacks on my deceased friend.

Thank you for all the nice words, Orion, and welcome to the forum. It is correct that FTD is starting to run out of material. Before they do, however, they will attempt to release all the masters and the most important material Elvis recorded. Basically, there will be an FTD label as long as Ernst Jørgensen can find the inspiration to keep going (bear in mind that he is getting on in years, and he certainly does not want to be doing Elvis for the rest of his life), and as long as Sony doesn't pull the plug on the project. There's an endless supply of potential concert material to be released, but the classic albums are running out fast. The most important stuff we can hope for is:

Elvis' Gold Records (Vol. 1) with the unreleased 1957 sessions as bonus material
The remaining soundtracks (eight in all, though some of them may have to be bundled together for release)
Elvis: The '68 Comeback Special
Elvis in Concert

They should have enough classic albums for another three or four years or so, depending on what is deemed worthy of release, but Ernst/Sony may not want to be doing this for so long. We'll just have to see what the future brings.

[Deleted User 1099]

I never really subscribed to that theory, but your wonderful piece makes me think that might be close to the truth UNLESS FTD really begins to milk the cash cow with releases of Golden Records Volume blah, blah, blah or soundtracks that only offer up a mono mix of the same set of tunes. I also am dismayed at your continuously mentioning that there are no quality tapes in the vaults from many of the tours. Perhaps instead of going out with a repackaged fizzle, FTD should finally give us the On Tour shows, the late 60's soundtracks (COH, TTWG, etc), Elvis in Concert, etc.. and call it a day.

Your debut post leaves a lot to be desired, man!

I for one pray to a Higher Power that Ernst decides to release ALL those soundtracks, regardless of the fact that most of the outtakes are lost, I don't care, I want those albums in my collection along with the other Classic Album FTDs.

I don't agree with you that FTD should release the most essential material and then call it a day. FTD should never call it a day. Even though I don't buy all their releases, I'm glad they're being released. Without FTD the Elvis world be a much duller place. It's important that new things are being released, and that we have something new to discuss. FTD keeps things fresh and exciting.

Ernst, if you read Orion's post above, please delete it from you memory bank asap!

You're a bit too harsh on Orion, but otherwise I agree with you. I hope FTD keeps going for a long, long time, especially since I am a fan of live recordings, even mediocre ones from 1975.

[Ciscoking]

Ken..you are a well-respected member here..and I enjoy all of your postings..... .....

[Deleted User 1099]

Ken..you are a well-respected member here..and I enjoy all of your postings..... .....

Thank you, my friend. Much appreciated.

[Ciscoking]

I hope FTD keeps going for a long, long time, especially since I am a fan of live recordings, even mediocre ones from 1975.

There are still plenty of SBs in the vaults..there I see no problem..till we all retire..

[Deleted User 1099]

I hope FTD keeps going for a long, long time, especially since I am a fan of live recordings, even mediocre ones from 1975.

There are still plenty of SBs in the vaults..there I see no problem..till we all retire..

Absolutely. They can release soundboards all day long as far as I'm concerned. I'll take them all.

[Keith Richards, Jr.]

I hope FTD keeps going for a long, long time, especially since I am a fan of live recordings, even mediocre ones from 1975.

There are still plenty of SBs in the vaults..there I see no problem..till we all retire..

Absolutely. They can release soundboards all day long as far as I'm concerned. I'll take them all.

Me too. As long as they are released in the good old 5" format.

[Johnny2523]

I hope FTD keeps going for a long, long time, especially since I am a fan of live recordings, even mediocre ones from 1975.

There are still plenty of SBs in the vaults..there I see no problem..till we all retire..

Absolutely. They can release soundboards all day long as far as I'm concerned. I'll take them all.

Me too. As long as they are released in the good old 5" format.

As rob would say.. Stop it.. I love the 7 inch format it's well worth the money we pay for a ftd. Not to mention the big size the booklet and fantastic outlay.
Im fine with 5 inch but only if it contains a booklet, not that i wouldnt buy it if they didnt thou. But why no deluxe 5 inch packages

[Rich_TCB]

FTD should finally give us the On Tour shows

Welcome to the forum, Orion.

In regards to the On Tour shows, I am 99.99% certain they will be released through Sony as a regular retail release and not through FTD. Those shows have been held back until they decide to release them in a multi-disc package, similar to the recent TTWII box set.

Why it hasn't happened yet is very perplexing, since the movie was finally issued on DVD & Blu-ray, but yet Sony didn't do anything. Either something has been in the works and they know it's coming, or they are still taking a gamble & hoping that Warner does some kind of special video release with unreleased footage. But eventually, they HAVE to do something.

[ORION]

Keith - I never intended my first post to set the world on fire nor did I intend it to be from my keyboard to the thought process of Ernst. I simply wanted to express my belief that I would rather FTD give us quality releases as they finish their run instead of quanity. Yes, it would be nice to have Roustabout or Speedway in the Classic format, but since neither have any known (or very limited) outtakes available, I can do without them sitting on my shelf. I also wouldn't pay nearly $50.00 a set to get either one without something new. I always thought that Ernst was being honest in an interview sometime back in Elvis - The Man And His Music where he stated that all albums would be released in the Classic format IF there was something to add to the set. I, for one, do not believe that a second CD of just a mono mix of the CD warrants its release. So, as far as Eggrert's call for mono mixes being released, FTD could simply start all over and issue the mono mix for almost every Classic album they've released so far. That's what I meant by milking the cash cow.
As far as soundboards, I agree with all of you - bring 'em on. I just listened to 3000 South Paradise Road again last night. Great show, great packaging, great sound. I'll buy sets like this any day of the week.
As far as the day FTD closes up shop, I don't look forward to it, but we all know it's going to happen. Call it selfish, but I'd rather have the good stuff while I'm still here to enjoy it. What good will the soundboard from INDY do us if it's not released for another 15 years when 1/3 of us are six-feet under not to mention if in the 15 years before its release we had FTD releases of Aloha; The '68 Special; mono mixes of every soundtrack album; The '61 Hawaii Concert; Vegas & Little Rock '56; and three of the Aug. 1970 shows that were just released on the TTWII boxed set?