Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2874 in DVD
• Released on: 2006-08-14
• Rating: Exempt
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: PAL, Special Edition
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 94 minutes

Synopsis
Elvis Presley--the undisputed king of rock--performs in a concert recorded on December 3, 1968. Airing as a TV special, this spectacular performance--his first TV performance in eight years--has become legendary. Performing alone as well as in special jam sessions with Scotty Moore and D.J. Fontana, his early backing musicians, Elvis puts on the kind of crackling, charismatic show which helped make him the most famous rock and roll star of all time. Includes renditions of his greatest hits and more.

Customer Reviews

Awesome!
This was Elvis's first live concert for 8 years, played before a small audience of fans and friends. It is a live impromptu gig which shows beyond doubt that Elvis was the greatest raw natural music talent of them all.

From the amazing Lawdy miss Clawdy - to the ripping One Night With You and
great Ballads he holds the audience spellbound. The band are all in their with him demonstrating their huge individual talent and havin a great time with the Boss. Magic!

Regal
Elvis Presley's terrific singing and his genius as a visual entertainer are conspicuous here in all their glory. In the late `80s a VHS version of this 1968 NBC TV special augmented the original broadcast with unreleased out-takes. This DVD shares a similar brief and there are pros and cons between the two. The opener `Trouble/Guitar Man' is shorn of the scratchy guitar coda, but the Gospel- and Road Medleys are included in their entirety. The blistering unplugged rendition of `Baby, What You Want Me To Do', one of Elvis's most urgent and rhythmic performances ever, has been inexcusably dropped though a rousing full band 'standing up' version is included. The compilers have also retained the short take Elvis aborts prematurely to joke about his little finger - not hilarious in 1968, it could have been left out now. Bizarrely, the visceral unplugged version of `Lawdy Miss Clawdy' has been substituted for a patchy alternative take in which Elvis is clearly distracted by in-jokes. Only the latter part of the familiar version of `One Night' is included. This works okay, and the storming versions of `That's All Right', `Tiger Man' and `Trying To Get To You' are kept from the VHS version. `Blue Christmas' was omitted from the late `80s cut and is again absent here. A cute version of `When My Blue Moon Turns To Gold Again' is a welcome addition. From the 'standing-up' sessions, the version of 'Don't Be Cruel' survives from the VHS version and is supplemented not only with the incendiary 'Baby, What You Want Me To Do' referred to earlier but also with a different version of 'Blue Suede Shoes' than the one used in 'This Is Elvis'. I was disappointed that the producers chose not to use the stunning visual presentation of `If I Can Dream' included as a bonus in the three DVD version. However, it's great to see Elvis in the studio singing his heart out to a handful of off-camera technicians who must have been blown away by the power of his performance. I was also sorry to see the twangy guitar instrumental version of `Let Yourself Go' being dropped in favour of `A Little Less Conversation' as background for the end credits. I assume they needed a lengthier incidental piece to acknowledge all those who have now contributed to this marvellous piece of rock'n'roll history. The bonus compilation of light-hearted moments from the filming of the special is harmless enough but hardly essential. Subjectively, I would have made some different decisions to those made by the production team. But the sound and pictures are superb, the editing smooth and Elvis is simply terrific.

Magnificent
After years and years of making movies and largely neglecting his musical career, Elvis did this TV comeback special in 1968. The success of this show rejuvinated Elvis, and within a year he had recorded "The Memphis Album" (also recommended) which included "In The Ghetto" and "Suspicious Minds".

The TV special reunited him with his original 50's band for the intimate small stage set. He is seated and singing some of those classic Sun records "Thats Alright Mama" being perhaps the best known. Then, dressed in black leather he is backed (out of sight) by a bigger band and here Elvis is in rocking form, tearing up the stage with fabulous performances of Jailhouse Rock, Heartbreak Hotel and many others. During the remainder of the show a full band and Orchestra back him, together with additional dancers and large sets. The show ends with a breathtaking version of "If I Can Dream", which remains my favourite Elvis performance of all time.

This 'special edition' has a few humourous outtakes and some stills, but really its the main film your buying it for. If you want a proper special edition buy the 3 disc edition. If you've never really understood what made Elvis so great, buy this DVD and you will.