STAR : NEVER ENDING LOVE

[bc55]

The latest STAR release is a 130-minute romp through all of Elvis' musical periods. It kicks off with a trailer for the upcoming Born To Rock 2 DVD, and shows clips from MONEY HONEY to BURNING LOVE, and will also feature some re-mixed versions of Elvis classics. Looks like it'll be a killer !

First off is NEVER ENDING, an often underrated song from Elvis' movie years, which was actually recorded in 1963 for a studio album that was never finished. It came out in 1990 as FOR THE ASKING - THE LOST ALBUM, together with the remainder of the so-called BONUS SONGS. The clip starts off with Elvis from the 68 Comeback Special, singing and playing from the sign saying ELVIS, while clips from the 50s and 60s are superimposed over it. Next it switches to a shot from the stand-up portion of the show, with ELVIS superimposed in different languages. That moves into footage from TTWII and ALOHA, as well as ON TOUR. The clips ends with modern-day clips of Graceland, the Lisa Marie, The Concert, JXL Vs. Elvis and even Stitch doing his Elvis impersonation - a very cool mix themed to our everlasting love and admiration for The King.

Next up, THAT'S ALL RIGHT. Features footage from the sit-down shows from '68, dubbed with the 1954 SUN track. Works extremely well.

SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL / FLIP, FLOP AND FLY from the very first Dorsey Show in 1956 is next, albeit with the overdubbed sountrack version from This Is Elvis, which adds a new drum track. Nice clip, but not my favorite version of the song. I prefer the undubbed original .....

I WANT YOU, I NEED YOU , I LOVE YOU comes next, from the Milton Berle Show in 1956 that also heralded Elvis' killer version of Hound Dog. This comes including the full opening skit with the girls waiting for Elvis to sign autographs and "Uncle Miltie" mistaking our man for a fan and sending him to the back of the queue, to which Elvis loveably stutters "Am ..... ah ...... am ..... ahm .... ah ..... ahm Elvis Presley" and the girls go crazy and tear Berle's clothes off - a classic, very rarely seen clip. Afterwards, Milton Berle presents Elvis with Billboard's triple-crown-award for Heartbreak Hotel.

Moving into 1957 brings us GOT A LOT O' LIVIN' TO DO, a superbly edited clip featuring the different scenes using the song from the Loving You movie, one of my favorite clips, and all in glorious widescreen.

THAT'S SOMEONE YOU'LL NEVER FORGET is dedicated to Elvis' mom Gladys and their bond, which left Elvis devastated after her death in 1958. Nicely edited footage of Elvis and Gladys, interspersed with still images of different dates, featuring Elvis, Gladys, family & friends, as well as Elvis and Vernon mourning at Graceland. Very touching .....

I'LL TAKE YOU HOME AGAIN KATHLEEN from Bad Nauhiem in 1959 is next, opens with Elvis' swearing in and ends with clips from interviews, over army footage, like Elvis picking up his army gear, going through his physical etc.

FAME AND FORTUNE is up next, from the Sinatra Special in 1960, and it has a colored TV frame around the footage.

KING OF THE WHOLE WIDE WORLD has primarily footage from Kid Galahad, but also short snippets from Blue Hawaii, Viva Las Vegas and Fun In Acapulco. Nicely edited over the full version of the song, including the sax solo at the end.

THE LADY LOVES ME from 1963 has an excellent clip made up of scenes from Viva Las Vegas, which of course features the stunning Ann Margret, a fine duet and finally a clip to go with it !

C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E from Clambake has a collage of footage from his many movies, including alternate footage, e.g. of him on a mechanical bull while shooting Stay Away Joe. Thankfully, it's the album take, without the children singing .....

COME WHAT MAY features a collage of clips featuring Elvis and Priscilla, including home-movies. Nicely done.

Next is GIRL OF MINE, set to movie clips and photos of Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa Marie. Very well done, and rare footage. It even features audio snippets of Lisa as a little girl, probably recorded on Elvis' private tape recorder .....

SINGER PRESNTS ELVIS is a medley of the original TV ad, followed by clips of Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog and Guitar Man.

The GOSPEL MEDLEY from the 68 CBS is next, newly edited with some nice off-camera shots of Elvis when the band takes over. Another fave of mine .....

THE MEMPHIS SESSIONS has TV interviews with band members and the producer, looks like from the eighties or so, followed by a newly edited clip of In The Ghetto from those sessions, set to TTWII footage.

BLUE SUEDE SHOES is from the 1969 Vegas engagement, and has photos and short 8mm clips from then.

LOVE ME is great footage from the TTWII rehearsals, including Elvis' classic "falling from the stool" scene - a killer !

HEY JUDE is also from TTWII rehearsals.

WORDS is up next, a collage of footage shot for TTWII, rehearsal and performance, which I believe was released in VHS format as The Lost Performances before, but not in this edited version. Great !

This is followed by Elvis' Jaycees acceptance speech, which cuts into SWEET CAROLINE, over 8mm footage from Vegas ( I believe )

I, JOHN is the full rehearsal clip from On Tour.

Ronnie McDowell's version of TUPELO'S TOO FAR is next, over clips from various stages of Elvis' life, mostly hailing back to 1972 and On Tour. A great clip !

Next is a segment from ALOHA FROM HAWAII, featuring the opening, C. C. Rider and Burning Love.

FOR THE GOOD TIMES is up next, featuring footage from On Tour.

Next up is TIGER MAN, a remixed version featuring footage from the 68 CBS, as well as karate footage.

AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL is next, with 8mm footage I can't place, looks new to me, possibly as late as 76/77.

I'M LEAVIN' has footage from the IN CONCERT special from 1977, as well as the funeral. Perfect editing, brought a lump to my throat.

1978 - A YEAR AFTER is just that, a TV segment depicting fans gathering at Graceland and the connected boom in Elvis merchandise sales. I never saw this before. Very rare.

THIS IS ELVIS TRAILER is also what it says, just that.

GOING HOME has footage of Graceland, being put on the register of historic places in the US, and opened to the public in 1982.

The LISA MARIE has a segement on Elvis' Convair 880 jet, being returned to Graceland and the estate in 1984 after having been sold in 1978. Also a very rare clip !

BLUE SUEDE SHOES is a clip from a movie, which, I'm sorry to say, I haven't seen to date. It has Carl Perkins in a small role, and it looks to be from the mid to late 80s .....

DON'T BE CRUEL is the video clip made for TV in 1992, featuring live-action re-shot with stand-ins and clips from the Ed Sullivan Shows, made up like a little bio-pic. Cool !

ARE YOU READY is a TV ad for the release of the MGM commemerative edition VHS tapes of his MGM movies.

1997 - THE 20TH ANNIVERSARY has the opening from the Concert in Memphis ( if I'm not mistaken ) and C.C.Rider.

DON'T CRY DADDY is the segement from the above mentioned concert, featuring Elvis' and Lisa's duet.

A LITTLE LESS CONVERSATION is the Elvis Vs. JXL video clip.

DEVIL IN DISGUISE is the segement from Lilo & Stitch, where Lilo tries to show Stitch, what a great person Elvis was. Another fave of mine.

The 25th ANNIVERSARY is a clip from the Concert in 2002. It featues the Trouble - Baby I Don't Care - Rock A Hula Baby - Bossa Nova Baby - Girl Happy - C'mon Everybody medley.

BLUE SUEDE SHOES is from the same concert featuring Boots Randolph ( if I'm not mistaken ) and D.J. Fontana.

JOHNNY B. GOODE - dito. Featuring the Vegas tour band, with James Burton etc. - great version with full solos by many band members, and cool alternating shots of them on stage with Elvis in the 70s and then in 2002.

COMEBACK DELUXE COMMERCIAL is the Regal Thaetre special edition trailer for their exclusive version of the 68 CBS, edited from the 3-hour-DVD set of the same title. It was shown on one night only.

NEVER ENDING is a reprise that mentions the 2007 Elvis concert event in the FedEx Arena in Memphis.

Finally, there is a photo collage from early shots of Elvis as a child right through to 1977, set to I WAS BORN ABOUT 10.000 YEARS AGO, titled 101935.

Please excuse me being vague on most clips, it is very late as I'm writing this and I just wanted to have it on here, so people knew what a great release this is ( yet again ).

Absolutely a 10/10.

Cheers

BC55

[elvispresleyfan1935]

Very good review Bc55...haven't got this relese yet, but i'm sure
as with all the other releases by STAR, it's really good !!

[karlos]

a very good review Bc55. aint got this release yet .- im looking out for it now .-

[elbo51]

Mine's on the way . Can't wait

[Swingin-Little-Guitar-Man]

It sounds like a right crappy hotch-potch of pointless clips. Come on STAR, get back on track and do something worthwhile like a complete chronology of TTWII footage and some more HOLLYWOOD ELVIS volumes.

[BigredG]

It sounds like a right crappy hotch-potch of pointless clips. Come on STAR, get back on track and do something worthwhile like a complete chronology of TTWII footage and some more HOLLYWOOD ELVIS volumes.

[elvispresleyfan1935]

It sounds like a right crappy hotch-potch of pointless clips. Come on STAR, get back on track and do something worthwhile like a complete chronology of TTWII footage and some more HOLLYWOOD ELVIS volumes.

Thats what i'm thinking...

Don't decide it's crappy if you haven't seen it yet!!!

[bc55]

@Swingin-Little-Guitar-Man

If you think it's so crappy and pointless, why don't you do DVD for us and we'll decide if it's good or not .....

You seem to know quite a bit about this matter, hence your qualified comment !



BC55

[daz cav]

Never ending love by Star is Great , if you havent seen it then how can you comment.
I thought the "I want you i need you i love you" was excellent and yet again star has done us proud!!
As with the elvis world great changes have occured and i whole hearteadly agree with mr c giles in sept 06 issue of elvis man and music mag, that some fans so called knowledge is making them think they are more important than ep himself!
long gone are the days when all fans were fans now it seems its a dog eat dog world i have this you aint, ive got this footage you aint, then there is the cd reissue crew ouuccchhh another subject indeed
As with Star releases at least we are getting dvds that have incurred time and effort to give us fans something new and boy do we need them ,so for all the moaners out there try some humble pie and give fellow fans some credit . How many reissues from rca/bmg have we got and planned at least star are trying to keep things fresh with there own style of product and deserve to work the rca/bmg angle thereself because they would do it better In My Opinion

[karlos]

Never ending love by Star is Great , if you havent seen it then how can you comment.
I thought the "I want you i need you i love you" was excellent and yet again star has done us proud!!
As with the elvis world great changes have occured and i whole hearteadly agree with mr c giles in sept 06 issue of elvis man and music mag, that some fans so called knowledge is making them think they are more important than ep himself!
long gone are the days when all fans were fans now it seems its a dog eat dog world i have this you aint, ive got this footage you aint, then there is the cd reissue crew ouuccchhh another subject indeed
As with Star releases at least we are getting dvds that have incurred time and effort to give us fans something new and boy do we need them ,so for all the moaners out there try some humble pie and give fellow fans some credit . How many reissues from rca/bmg have we got and planned at least star are trying to keep things fresh with there own style of product and deserve to work the rca/bmg angle thereself because they would do it better In My Opinion

this is what i like to hear as well.-
well done daz .- great point . i could not put it better my self .-

[Steve Morse]

Got it today. Absolutely superb. Fantasic editing and extremely inventive use of film of every sort.

Worth it for the Milton Berle and Don't Cry Daddy clips alone.

Yes, 10/10.

Steve Morse

[Guest]

Got it today. Absolutely superb. Fantasic editing and extremely inventive use of film of every sort.

Worth it for the Milton Berle and Don't Cry Daddy clips alone.

Yes, 10/10.

Steve Morse

Thanks for that I am still waiting for my copy to come, but looking forward to it even more now

[elvispresleyfan1935]

I agree daz cav, it is great. Star sure does know how to much good movies ! Got mine a few weeks ago and was very impressed with it the first time I saw it. I really liked the That's Alright footage from the sit-down shows from 1968, dubbed with the 1954 Sun track. Made for an awesome performance!

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

Just got mine as well, along with some other Star DVDs I had missed!

Here are some observations of mine (in bold), following bc55's:

THAT'S ALL RIGHT. Features footage from the sit-down shows from '68, dubbed with the 1954 SUN track. Works extremely well.

I agree. Who would have thought it would but it does.




THE LADY LOVES ME from 1963 has an excellent clip made up of scenes from Viva Las Vegas, which of course features the stunning Ann Margret, a fine duet and finally a clip to go with it !

One of many fine clips that Star knows how to weave together! Just got the "Born To Rock" DVD and it's all full of this great work.




GIRL OF MINE, set to movie clips and photos of Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa Marie. Very well done, and rare footage. It even features audio snippets of Lisa as a little girl, probably recorded on Elvis' private tape recorder .....

Quite moving




SINGER PRESNTS ELVIS is a medley of the original TV ad, followed by clips of Heartbreak Hotel, Hound Dog and Guitar Man.

Never saw this before.




The GOSPEL MEDLEY from the 68 CBS is next, newly edited with some nice off-camera shots of Elvis when the band takes over. Another fave of mine .....

Probably like the full "new edit" version Star has made, this keeps this segment fresh by using scenes that we all may have on the 3-DVD set but rarely see, and never put together like this, thus allowing a key but familiar period in his life to be included in the set.




THE MEMPHIS SESSIONS has TV interviews with band members and the producer, looks like from the eighties or so, followed by a newly edited clip of In The Ghetto from those sessions, set to TTWII footage.

Great





BLUE SUEDE SHOES is from the 1969 Vegas engagement, and has photos and short 8mm clips from then.

Also extremely effective...






I'M LEAVIN' has footage from the IN CONCERT special from 1977, as well as the funeral. Perfect editing, brought a lump to my throat.

Same here.





BLUE SUEDE SHOES is a clip from a movie, which, I'm sorry to say, I haven't seen to date. It has Carl Perkins in a small role, and it looks to be from the mid to late 80s .....

Actually, this a real video that was created at the time of the "Rocker" album, if memory serves from around '85 or so. I would not want to watch a movie with those two...!

It's badly dated now but it had it's "world debut" on US television on the "Entertaiment Tonight" program. I think I also saw it on VH-1 a few times but I doubt that MTV ever played it.

"Never Ending Love," like all Star DVDs, is really well done, as is all the post-humous material. I love the year-by-year way of telling his story.

Too much to comment on but I'm thrilled to have it, like all Star DVDs.

The producer of "Star" needs to be hired by EPE or someone!

[TigerMan]

Recieved mine today... Can't wait to get home from work to see this!

[Guest]

Got it today. Absolutely superb. Fantasic editing and extremely inventive use of film of every sort.

Worth it for the Milton Berle and Don't Cry Daddy clips alone.

Yes, 10/10.

Steve Morse

Thanks for that I am still waiting for my copy to come, but looking forward to it even more now

Got it today and watched it from start to finish. The DVD is excellent and well done for the review, it was spot on

[elvispresleyfan1935]

Any news about STAR's next release...

[elvislennon]

Any news about STAR's next release...

Yes, it will 2 hours worth of Elvis using the toliet waving his hands towards the camera with the biggest smile on his face..................
It will be some rare footage too.........

kidding!!!!

I have heard of another concert that will be release soon on the star label.

[elvispresleyfan1935]

Any idea of what concert footage is going to be used?

Sounds good though, because their previous releases containing footage from the concert years rocked!

[drjohncarpenter]

Nice review and a fun DVD release. However ...

Next is GIRL OF MINE, set to movie clips and photos of Elvis, Priscilla and Lisa Marie.

Watching the other night, it was a bit creepy to view images of two year-old Lisa Marie while her father sings:

So girl of mine, turn out the light
And in my arms together we’ll make sweet love tonight

Maybe a remastered edition with some careful audio editing can fix this?

[Gregory Nolan Jr.]

I remember cringing at that, too and couldn't miss it when I rewatched it a year ago.

Yikes! I love ya, Star, but all the lyrics matter ...!