FTD will release A Date with Elvis in their classic album series on February 20.
A DATE WITH ELVIS, released in July 1959, was the second of three compilation albums released by RCA while Elvis was serving in the U.S. Army. The aim of all three albums, apart from keeping Elvis’ name in the public eye, was to collect recordings that had only been out on 45 rpm records in order to take advantage of the fast growing Long Playing album market.
This 7” digipack 2-CD set also features stereo masters and ‘fly-on-the-wall’ personal recordings made during his Army time in Germany.
Tracklisting
Disc 1
Original Album
Side 1
01 Blue Moon Of Kentucky
02 Young And Beautiful 2:06
03 (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care
04 Milkcow Blues Boogie
05 Baby Let’s Play House
Side 2
06 Good Rockin’ Tonight
07 Is It So Strange
08 We’re Gonna Move
09 I Want To Be Free
10 I Forgot To Remember To Forget
Bonus Songs
11 I Don’t Care If The Sun Don’t Shine
12 Let Me
Stereo and Binaural
13 Young And Beautiful
14 (You’re So Square) Baby I Don’t Care
15 We’re Gonna Move
16 I Want To Be Free (movie version, Splice of takes 10, 12 & 13) (binaural master not released as such before)
17 I Want To Be Free (record version, Splice of takes 11 & final ending take 5)(binaural master not released as such before)
18 Is It So Strange (take 1)
19 Is It So Strange (takes 2-9)
20 Is It So Strange (take 10)
21 Is It So Strange (take 11)
22 Is It So Strange (take 12) (original master take)
Disc 2
Private Recordings from Germany
01 I’m Beginning To Forget You
02 I Can’t Help It
(If I’m Still In Love With You) (ending only)
03 Mona Lisa
04 I Can’t Help It (If I’m Still In Love With You)
05 Guitar Piece
06 Danny Boy – (1)
07 Danny Boy – (2)
08 Loving You (incomplete)
09 Talk/I’m Beginning To Forget You – (2)
10 Christmas
11 I’m Beginning To Forget You – (3)
12 I’m Beginning To Forget You – (4)
13 I Asked The Lord (1 incomplete)
14 I Asked The Lord – (2 incomplete)
15 Apron Strings – (1)
16 Soldier Boy 1:53
17 I Asked The Lord – (3 incomplete)
18 I Asked The Lord – (4)
19 I Asked The Lord – (5)
20 Earth Angel
21 I Will Be True
22 There’s No Tomorrow
23 I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen – (slow 2)
24 Que Sera, Sera (Whatever Will Be, Will Be)/ Hound Dog
25 I Asked The Lord – (6)
26 I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen – (fast 2)
27 Apron Strings – (3)
28 The Titles Will Tell
29 Send Me Some Lovin’
30 The Fool – (1)
31 The Fool – (2 incomplete)
32 The Fool – (3)
33 The Fool – (4)
Badly Distorted Audio
34 I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen – (fast 1)
35 I’ll Take You Home Again Kathleen – (slow 1)
36 Apron Strings – (2)
37 It’s Been So Long Darling
I knew eventually this album would be released and I was looking forward to buying it only because I suspected all the outtakes of "Is It So Strange" would be included; but I won't be purchasing this FTD release because although all the outtakes of the aforementioned are there, the rest is complete and utter duplication which I already have. Sorry FTD, not again.
I have mixed feelings about this one. I was hoping FTD would combine this original album with "For LP Fans Only" as a 2-cd set. However, since that's not the case, I sincerely hope the private recordings on CD2 have been cleaned-up by the remastering experts for the best possible sound quality.
Also, isn't it funny/odd that the 2 bonus songs (I Don't Care If The Sun Don't Shine & Let Me) on this set were the same two bonus songs assigned to "For LP Fans Only" on The Album Collection (60-cd set). What's that all about? The inconsistency makes no sense whatsoever.
Great to see all the takes of Is It So Strange ? available - one of Elvis's finest !
I agree with "The Memphis Fan" in his remark about hoping FTD would have combined "A Date with Elvis" and "For LP Fans Only" on the same CD package. Obviously that's not going to take place; which is a real shame. I don't know who's running FTD anymore but this is definitely a last dying gasp of what was, in it's time, a great vehicle for all music Elvis.
I never expected to get a combined release of A Date With Elvis/For LP Fans Only on FTD. If that happens it will be A SONY Legacy release. Hopefully, For LP Fans Only will follow soon as I prefer that title. I'll probably buy "A Date." I'll likely will play disc one a lot, but disc two rarely. I'm don't enjoy the home recordings genre.
JerryNodak, I agree with you that For LP Fans Only/A Date With Elvis was/is much more likely for a combo Sony Legacy Edition release. I was just holding out a little false hope that it could happen on FTD.
I'll probably buy this... whether I really need it or not. I'm just hoping the sound quality is absolutely top-notch!
The Sun recordings haven't been tackled yet and I'm guessing rather than go for another Sun set Ernst has decided to go this route which makes sense.
I suppose it's fairly easy to predict what will be on CD1 of "For LP Fans Only" when FTD issues it...
The original 10 songs and 2 bonus songs - "Don't Leave Me Now" (Jailhouse Rock version) & maybe "Harbor Lights"; plus "Poor Boy" (stereo); and alternate takes of "I Was The One", "Lawdy, Miss Clawdy" & "Shake, Rattle And Roll". They also might include the slow version of "I'm Left, You're Right, She's Gone" (aka "My Baby's Gone"). -- As for CD2... It's anybody's guess, but I seriously doubt it'll be anything from Elvis' 1950s television appearances.
hello there , used to play this original album a lot during the early 60's but not much since . When the songs from germany came along i was shocked to listen to what elvis music likes himself and was not impressed . I think sometimes the colonel picked the songs that were popular to the fans but not always . this album like the late 70's recordings at the time would not have sold .
