Unboxing Elvis: "The Essential 60s Masters I" (CD Set) (EAPS S02E04)

"Elvis: From Nashville To Memphis - The Essential 60's Masters I" unboxing and discussion! Members get 10 more minutes of content! / eapsociety
Few CD sets in the history of Elvis Presley fandom have had a widespread cultural impact as the "decades" box sets, headed by Ernst Jorgensen. In this episode, Jamie and John unbox the second in a series of legendary box sets that paved the way for both Elvis fans and the general public to see Elvis more seriously as a music artist - a vital step that helped get how Elvis is perceived from where it was in the 1980s to where we are today!
Note: Members get an extended version of this episode - see it by becoming a member today!
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Original video link:
• Unboxing Elvis: "The E...

[@haraldtrittner4396]

A nice BMG/RCA follow up to the "50's Masters" Box-Set but as an "Elvis Collector Complentist Nerd" i was a little bit disappointet that it not contains the complete Masters 60-69; a whole lotta essential Songs BMG/RCA left out (OK the essential 60's Movie Songs "Command Performances" plus Gospel "Amazing Grace" DoCD's were also released "TV Special" and "At The International Hotel" were available on single CD's a few years ago but it's not the same imo). In Europe the 60's Box Set was released in the LP Size Format (LP, CD and MC). The 2nd Edition of the CD Box-Set missing the "Elvis Cover Stamps" so the Hype Sticker is different also. A few Promo CD's plus a lot of Merchandising (incl a CD-Size color catalogue of all the regulary Elvis CD's available back than in Europe) were produced. The 60's Box-Set was re-issued in the so called "Book-a-like-Style" Edition from 2010-2014 in Europe (for about 10- 20,-- bucks only) Jamie one Question please: The "Promo Edition of the Complete 50's Masters" is this a Hype-Sticker on it or is it directly printed on the Back-Cover of the Box Set?! I've never heard, saw that Promo Box-Set before; thanx in advance! I have the 30CD Promo-Set of "The Complete Elvis Presley Masters" in my Collection and it looks VERY different to the Big One (no Books inside and stored in a silver colorized Long Box and also still sealed😉) Thank You John and Jamie👌

[@EAPSociety]

That's some great info, Harald! I'll pin this so more people see it! Thank you!

[@haraldtrittner4396]

​@@EAPSociety Jamie, please don't forget my Question to you (50's Masters US Promo CD Box-Set) Thanks in advance my friend!

[@EAPSociety]

@@haraldtrittner4396 Oh, thank you for the reminder! The promo designation is a sticker! 😁

[@haraldtrittner4396]

​@@EAPSociety Thank You Jamie!

[@EAPSociety]

@@haraldtrittner4396 You're very welcome, Harald!

[@epfanatic8170]

This box set was and is still a treasure to me. I love all of Elvis's music but the 60's are my absolute favorite! I still have mine and the CDs are very well played.

[@EAPSociety]

That's awesome!! And yeah, even though I spend most of the video shocked about what I just then realized was missing, this was a wonderful set - and it got near-constant play in my player for several years straight!

[@epfanatic8170]

@paulgwyn7836 Thank you! I like to think so. 😊

[@snowbird4212]

John, love your humor and Jamie's laugh. I am enjoying watching your channel. Thank you guys.

[@EAPSociety]

Thank you SO much! I'm glad the humor and love we have for this comes through. You're so very welcome! 😁

[@deanedelsten1114]

there will never be a complete sessions.. they need to stretch it all out for every last cent they can squeeze out of us all. Col Parker would be proud.

[@EAPSociety]

I definitely understand the sentiment, Dean, but since we've been getting complete sessions for a bit now, I'm willing to hold out a bit of hope for more - and if not, we fans have our ways!

[@alanscott8542]

These 50s and 60s came out in the UK they were deferent and you got a set of collectable stamps with each set an LP size box

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Alan! Yeah, that's pretty cool! We didn't get that over here!

[@nigelwilson1957]

this one cool boxsets Elvis: "The Essential 60s Masters keep up cool video guys look forword more cool thing on elvis

[@EAPSociety]

Absolutely, Nigel! 😁

[@willlsmith8063]

Brilliant video.......I was first in the queue when this came out in 93.......few years later got the vinyl version

[@EAPSociety]

Thanks, Will! And very cool!!

[@biggestliberacefan1988]

Thank you John and Jamie great review love this boxset mine is number 571 and I am sure glad whoever put this set together forgot about all of the songs on the Tickle Me Soundtrack and included them on the set . So we did at least get some fine movie songs . Also if there was room for If Every Day Could Be like Christmas surely there was room for Crying In The Chapel great chat guys cheers Carl .

[@biggestliberacefan1988]

Thank you for your reply yes I do see your point I guess the reason I consider them movie soundtrack songs is because the first time I heard them is by watching Tickle Me .But as you say they were previously recorded material on albums 45 b sides and bonus tracks I do think they were very well chosen for the movie and remain a terrific soundtrack cheers Carl .

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Carl! Thank you so much, and fantastic to get such a low number!!

[@EAPSociety]

Thank you, Paul! 😁

[@SuperAtlantis1]

Jamie, I love that jacket and shirt bro. So this box set was also awesome from start to finish.

[@EAPSociety]

Thank you!! And yeah, I love this set, even if I'd like to see if be another 2 CDs or so!

[@davehugo8799]

Great suff guys,got this one as well full sized cd set in the uk,so lucky in the uk.

[@EAPSociety]

Thanks, Dave! And that's awesome!! Love the LP-sized sets!

[@Rock4UNow]

I'm going to brag a little here, I have both CD & Vinyl Set of this. 😏 In agreement with John, I TOTALLY LOVED THIS BOX SET & Played the Hell out of it!!!! But after the Honeymoon wore off I found myself looking for the studio version of "If I Can Dream" too. & Just like Jamie said, I literally found myself loving & singing along with every song, except for maybe 2 songs I have my own pet peeves about..lol. My favorite Gospel compilation is "Peace in the Valley" 3 CD set. Great Episode, So cool to see you guys are just as much Elvis nerds as I am, My Favorite Elvis Channel ⚡TCB⚡ Thank you ⚡TCB⚡

[@EAPSociety]

That's awesome, Levi! Very cool! And yeah, it's wild that it never dawned on me what all was missing, lol! So glad you're loving the channel, man, and thanks for being a member! (The bonus discussion is in the member section for everyone, too)

[@DanHanewinkel-hh3vr]

You guys were so right about the final disc,it should have contained all 16 top 40 movie hits from the 60's with added soundtrack highlight songs and your perfect suggestions of memories,if I can dream, and trouble/guitar man.keep up the great work!

[@EAPSociety]

Thank you so much, Dan! Yeah, just a few tweaks would have done wonders - though then they wouldn't have a part 2 to sell, so there's that. 🤣

[@subrosablues]

To this day (and it's been 30 years!) this boxset remains the ONLY official release to feature the unedited/overdubbed master of Guitar Man/What'd I Say. I adore the Elvis Sings Guitar Man FTD but was sooooo frustrated that it didn't feature a remaster of this track (it has the unedited/undubbed performance).

[@marcojefferson4896]

Great Elvis show

[@geirnordhagen2964]

Well, I just wanna chime in with the fact that Ernst had to deal with the restriction that the label had set a max of 5 cd’s in a box set at the time, so then it made sense to split things up ! The soundtracks got their own series (double features),the gospel music got it’s own release (Amazing Grace), and the ‘68 comeback got its own releases ( Memories, Tiger Man). Made a lot of sense to me at the time, in fact I was in heaven with Elvis finally getting the sort of well thought out, extremely well curated box sets that made music fans and critics take him seriously as musical force !!

[@EAPSociety]

Oh, totally - I figured those were the constraints, and it makes a lot of sense from a release and budget perspective, and also (like you said) to cultivate a set that pushes a positive narrative about Elvis 60s output that the public would be receptive to at the time. 😁 It's pretty amazing how far the general public and even the fanbase has come now in their acceptance of Elvis's musical output from the period, to the point that this hits differently now than it did then. But I do personally think that sets like this paved the way for that.

[@geirnordhagen2964]

@@EAPSociety Yeah, we have come long way since, but I must stress that the 5-cd restriction is key to understanding this ! ( And I forgot to mention the Christmas release ! 😖).

[@EAPSociety]

@geirnordhagen2964 Absolutely - I do mention that constraint as likely in the video (at least I think I did) but was so blown away by there being no Comeback material that my mind was a bit distracted at that moment to really push it, lol! But like I said to a few other folks, the fact that it took 30 years for me to even realize that wasn't on there speaks to just how strong the tracklist is! And not to worry on the Christmas release, we'll be talking about that one this December! 😁

[@geirnordhagen2964]

@@EAPSociety My final thoughts are that you have to see all the releases from 1992-1998 together, from the 50’s box all the way to the cd releases of the gold and silver boxes and An afternoon in the garden in ‘98 to get full picture ! And there is something to be said for spacing things out that makes sense financially,for fans I mean, as we these days get very expensive FTD box sets, vinyls, cd sets every month ! Hard to keep up, impossible even, for me who also like other artists !

[@EAPSociety]

@geirnordhagen2964 That's a very good point, and one that John and I actually talked about yesterday; after looking at them individually, we'll do a larger context video (we film again in the fall) to show more of the throughline of what they were doing and react to that as a whole, too. 😁

[@davidtanner4406]

Great review, guys. I'm a new-ish fan, and this was my very first Elvis box set, purchased in 2022 when I began seriously collecting, so I have a soft spot for it! I got the smaller incarnation (as I did with the 50's and 70's set) but your paging thru that book makes me wish I had gotten the original long-box sets! Gorgeous shots, which are a bit harder to appreciate in the smaller format (and don't get me started on all the photos overlaid with text...so hard to read! I think that was a 90's thing). Anyway, really appreciate your in-depth analysis!

[@EAPSociety]

Thank you, David! Thankfully, the long-box sets are still pretty cheap if you wait for them, so that's not too bad if you grab long box copies later. Agreed on the text over pictures being a 90s thing, now that you mention it! lol! And you're very welcome - we're happy to help!

[@helgeevensen856]

wow... 😄💙👍

[@MJL3764]

"Return To Sender", "Cant Help Falling In Love " may not have been on this box set but "Rubberneckin" was! ( o.k it was a single but so were they and "Crying In The Chapel" and "You'll Never Walk Alone ) are not not featured here but "Who am I" is! however at the time I think this box set was a great release and although I have most of this material elsewhere this set gets played often.

[@EAPSociety]

I agree - I think this was a good choice at the time, and even if it doesn't necessarily hold up to modern understandings of Elvis, it's still a solid set!

[@truegrit69]

Another great trip down memory lane for me. I remember walking into the music store on release day looking for this and seeing the box on the new release wall. I was so excited that you would have thought I had just found a pot of gold! I also played the heck out of this set back then. Thanks for bringing back some more of those good memories guys. TCB⚡️

[@EAPSociety]

Thanks for sharing your memories! And yeah, I played the heck outta this thing, too!

[@IanMorris-qn7fm]

I have to admit I didn't notice the omission of the 68' special when I originally bought the essential sixties masters. I guess in those days I was happy to just to have a box set of Elvis music. Unlike now, where I get annoyed if say FTD doesn't include every bit of audio available on their ridiculously expensive releases. One thing about the 68' special is that I think it was a missed opportunity for Elvis not to record more songs at Western Recorders in June of 68' ,other than just the few songs for the special like "If I Can Dream". Elvis was singing at his best during this time, and given the right material, along with the quality session musicians at Western Recorders, could of made one of the best studio albums of his career.

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Ian! Yeah, I think that was the same for me; looking back, it's wild that I never noticed! But where I was in my fandom then vs now - much as you said with noticing FTD edits/etc - is a rather large distance, so that might have been part of it. On recording more at Western with the Wrecking Crew, I absolutely agree. That was originally the plan in 1969, and while I do think American Sound was perfect for Elvis in 1969, more of Elvis at Western Recorders in 1968 would have been incredible!

[@brandyl2183]

Great show guys. I must say that both of you seem like such nice young men. I enjoy all your videos. I’m looking forward to the 70 box set show which is my favorite era of Elvis. I own them all of course.

[@EAPSociety]

Thank you so much, Brandy! And very cool - the 70s set is coming not next week, but the week after, so not long now!

[@chni1]

I loved the box set at the time. There were so many tracks that were new to me. Command Performances was released a few months after the last three Double Features cds, so the only new track on that set was Take 4 of Follow That Dream.

[@EAPSociety]

Oh, absolutely - I still love it now, even if I now see the tracklist in new lights and have issues with some of the sound. And speaking of, "Command Performances" is next!

[@EAPSociety]

@paulgwyn7836 Same! Looking forward to seeing your thoughts, too!

[@graemeferdinands5856]

Another great Vid, guys! 👍 I loved this Box Set at the time, but I absolutely agree with you...they should've added an extra disc and perhaps called it "The Singles", and that way we could've got Return To Sender, Can't Help Falling In Love and Viva Las Vegas etc..

[@EAPSociety]

Thank you, Graeme! Yeah, at the very least, it's too bad they weren't able to promote "Command Performances" in this box; I think that might have gone a long way to making sure people understood that they were a two-volume set.

[@graemeferdinands5856]

@EAPSociety Spot on! 👍 By the way guys, "Mark" gave you a recent plug on his Channel, and that's how I found out about you, and popped over to check you guys out a couple of weeks back...and I must say, I'm now a HUGE fan of you guys! I've had so much fun watching your Videos, and hearing bout stuff I loved, grew up with, and own! So, I'm now subscribed, and on board, and love you guys! Keep up the great work...brilliant! 👍👏👏👏🙂

[@EAPSociety]

@graemeferdinands5856 Oh, that's fantastic! Very kind of Mark to do that, and so glad he led you to us! I'm looking forward to having time soon to do some channel shout-outs, because we'd like to inter-connect the Elvis KZbin community more, if we can! 😁 And thank you so much - we'll keep doing our very best!

[@paulandrew6457]

I love disc 3 as well always playing that it marked a shift in the type of songs Elvis recorded and the sound feels more contemporary. I agree with you analysis it was a compromise because of the huge catalogue the set succeeded in showing Elvis the serious recording artist away from the movies it was trying to rewrite the narrative on the era but like you say no Gospel songs Elvis roots music I.didn't like Gospel until I heard Elvis singing it and How Great Thou art is classic and nothing from the 68 Special and no movie hits . Crying in the Chapel was a #1 single here in the Uk but it splits fans back in the day the 50s thought it was Col Parker making Elvis record Gospel. They didn't know any better back then. In some ways this set takes away from what Elvis did in the 60s but at the same time the content is quality. There are no bad songs or recordings and you get a good feel for Elvis musical progression.

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Paul! Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Yeah, it's a definite head-scratcher as to how best to approach the 60s, and I think this is anoverall solid (if flawed) first try. I think we'll have to talk more about the 60s material and how it could have been presented at the time, because we kept going for another 40 mins in the members section, and I still think there's more to discuss! 🤣

[@EAPSociety]

@paulgwyn7836 It's all good, Paul! I should explain - I absolutely love the set, and taken on it's own and for the time, I don't think it is - I only mean flawed in the sense that, in today's idea of 60s Elvis essentials, it's missing essentials. So flawed is only from a modern perspective, so it depends on which. I'm kinda looking at both, if that makes any sense.

[@-dave3577]

Agree with you guys, after the initial excitement of owning it on release, looking back, it was a poorly conceived and executed product. It's follow-up, Command Performances, was even worse. Far too much unflattering movie fluff [I'm being generous here] included, at times, at the expense of some genuine nuggets [Pocketful of Rainbows, I Need Somebody to Lean On, All I Needed Was the Rain etc.]. It also would have been a much better listen to segregate/subhead the CD's by albums/sessions rather than having 1960 going straight into 1961, as an example. The ship has probably long sailed, but you could easily curate an excellent overview of the decade in 10 discs [including an intelligent movie "Best of"] with the right people involved today. Anyhow, fantastic content once again, gentlemen, and great to see the channel consistently growing.

[@EAPSociety]

Thanks, David! Yeah, I'm amazed I didn't realize until now what all this was missing that I'd consider essential, lol! And we'll be talking about Command Performances next week, and we say some of the same as you've said here about that set! That said, though, watching the video in editing tells me that there's more for us to tell with the 60s output from this time, and I'm looking forward to, now that the unboxing video is done, looking at it from that perspective, too! 😁 And thank you so much in the channel - I agree, it's good to see things moving up!

[@thecoolcreativebuildchanne2613]

Absolutely love your guys show. You really resemble Elvis alot Jamie! More than anybody I've ever seen! Almost like you could be related. Wow! Amazing! I'm new to your channel!😃❤👍⚡

[@EAPSociety]

Welcome!! We're glad you're here! And thank you so much - that means a lot, especially since I'm not trying (this is Jamie); the clothes are fun throwbacks to when I was doing Elvis shows. And funny enough, we found out I am distantly related, so you never know - it might have something to do with it? 😁 Anyway, thank you so much, and there's lots of fun content to explore, and more on the way!

[@thecoolcreativebuildchanne2613]

@@EAPSociety Can't wait! I gotta catch up!😀👍

[@EAPSociety]

Awesome! 😁 Have fun!

[@EAPSociety]

@paulgwyn7836 LOL! Well, John said he'd like to play Sam Phillips, so that's in the ballpark! :)

[@tonybarrow2609]

No crying in the Chapel which was a uk single.

[@EAPSociety]

That's true, too! Good catch, Tony!

[@shep300870]

They released a gospel set around this time "Amazing Grace" as I remember getting them more or less at the same time

[@EAPSociety]

They did, indeed! We do look at that set in a future episode, too! 😁

[@shep300870]

There was dreadful mastering on the His Hand In Mine tracks 😅😅😅

[@EAPSociety]

@shep300870 Oh, I do remember that! Not as bad as the ones on "Peace In They Valley" 3CD set, but still - not a high bar! 🤣

[@sopala3952]

His name on box set looks like a crown over his head

[@EAPSociety]

It does, absolutely! I always got a kick out of that as a kid. 😁

[@biffdocherty3212]

Once again great video guys took me on a trip down Memory Lane when I owned this. Unfortunately it's no longer part of my collection but way back when this was a constant in my CD player. The way I collect now is so diffrent I want the best sounding and most complete versions of everything in my collection.. Once something is superseeded by a better version then any previous material goes down the road as I don't want multiple versions and unfortunately this set and I parted company. when upgrades came along. Great review and I am really looking forward to your video on my biggest pet peeve speed !issues / edits can't wait to hear your take on this. Can I also ask would you ever consider doing a video on what you guys believe is left in the can be it sessions or concerts that may be releaeed to the fans. This channel is awesome thank you for the great content.

[@EAPSociety]

Thank you, Biff! Yeah, I'm getting to that point with my collection, too - though I will keep some for sentimental value, I'm finally at the "thinning out the herd" place in my collecting. :) As for a video on what's left to be released, I'd say that's definitely doable, though new discoveries are found every now and again that would add to that list. But yeah, we can do that! And you're very welcome - so glad you're enjoying it!

[@brandon37924]

It didn't worry me back in the day when this first came out because I knew the missing movie soundtracks, gospel and 68 comeback material would be covered on upcoming new releases. It made the material stronger in this format. There were so many tracks that I didn't have and was glad to have them in a single set. But the only thing that didn't make sense was photos of material that wasn't included. Also looking at it in modern times isn't fair as it was a very different market then it is today. The boxset that actually made my angry was the Essential 70's but I will leave that when you release that episode.

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Brandon! I agree - it was a very different time in culture and even Elvis fan culture, so while we try to look from a "then and now" lens, that certainly isn't as kind to these sets as they probably deserve. But I absolutely loved mine at the time, and still think of it fondly, even if I see both perspectives on it now. 😁

[@mariobennese6823]

The exclusion of Can't Help Falling In Love is also baffling. Unless it didn't meet some arbitrary restriction, its absence is almost as baffling as Return to Sender, If I Can Dream, and Memories being left off. That's like putting out a Best Of compilation without Jailhouse Rock or Suspicious Minds. Still, a very cool set and I'm happy to have it in my collection!

[@EAPSociety]

Yeah, they just decided to leave anything recorded for a movie soundtrack out, and while I do understand that decision at the time, it hasn't aged incredibly well. But that's what "Command Performances" was supposed to fill, though how much it does it another story.

[@MisterMasterShafter1]

I understand your misgivings about what isn't here, agree with one or two, but I love this set! All three, 50s, 60s (60s Command Performances too) and 70s are packed away, safe and sound. The tracks are all on my computer. I'd already heard the vast majority of the tracks prior to this, but a few I hadn't heard, like 'Make Me Know It,' because I didn't have 'Elvis Is Back' until I got the original 80s CD. Until I got this box set in '93, I thought MMKI came originally with that horrible distortion on the opening piano! LOL I heard it proper when I played this set, which MMKI opens.

[@EAPSociety]

Honestly, I love this set, too - you just got to see my shock in real-time as I realize for the first time in 30 years what important songs aren't there, lol - but the fact that I didn't even think about it until 3 decades later is also a testament to how solid the set is!

[@MisterMasterShafter1]

@@EAPSociety - Yeah, I don't know why they couldn't at least put a few of the Comeback tracks on it, those you guys mentioned, and even 'Memories,' if I had my way. ;)

[@EAPSociety]

Agreed! Memories is definitely one I'd call "Essential"! 😁

[@MisterMasterShafter1]

@paulgwyn7836 - I never gave any thought to that. I like the two about the same, but the decision was theirs anyway.

[@peterx1957]

Great review guys. Until now I hadn't previously noticed the absence of "If I Can Dream" and now I'm puzzled by its absence. However I can understand the logic of leaving the movie & gospel material off of this boxed set. Up to that time, the perception was Elvis's movie stuff had really tarnished his musical legacy. I hadn't heard the "Memphis Album" recordings until a few years before thanks to a review I read of "The Memphis Record" CD in a magazine. I investigated and was pleasantly surprised by how great it was. The "Command Performances" double CD does serve a purpose though its packaging smacks of afterthought. A better idea would've been to extend it and have all the film songs on the set. I've had my eyes on the "Elvis: Complete Gospel Recordings" 3 CD set for a while and I might finally pull the trigger on it. I don't mind the idea of having them all in one place either because I'm unfamiliar with the context of these recordings next to the others. The 60's box is a nicely packaged set and complements the others beautifully. Looking forward to your review of the 70's set. Cheers guys. 👍👍

[@EAPSociety]

Thanks, Peter! Yeah, especially for the time, I get why the Gospel and movie songs were left off - I was still reeling from the fact that it's been 30 years and I never realized the 68 material was missing! So you all got to see my shock in real-time, 😆! I agree, though, I loved this set then, and it still holds great memories for me. One thing I will say, the 3-CD set of "Peace In The Valley: The Complete Gospel Recordings" has some sound issues - so unless you find it really cheap, I wouldn't recommend it, sadly.

[@peterx1957]

@@EAPSociety thanks for the heads up on the Gospel Recordings set. I'll keep that in mind. Amazon have it for around $37 AUD. Cheers guys 😊😁

[@EAPSociety]

@peterx1957 Oh, yeah - it's like $6 USD on ebay - I'd go there, if you want it. 😁

[@peterx1957]

@@EAPSociety bought it for $8.96 AUD + 9 .90 postage so still under $20. That'll do me 😊

[@EAPSociety]

Nicely done!!

[@sabakamahusky594]

"Who Am I" was a gospel song.

[@EAPSociety]

It is, indeed! We're mainly talking about the "His Hand In Mine" and "How Great Thou Art" material when talking about exclusions.

[@StephenSchnee]

I think skipping the gospel and soundtrack recordings was a smart move. I bought this when it came out and it seemed to me that RCA was attempting to remind music fans of his relevance as an artist outside of the soundtrack stuff. I was roughly 30 years old when this box came out and the soundtracks had 'tarnished' his image as the 'king of rock 'n' roll' and putting this box together and focusing on his non-soundtrack recordings was a smart commercial move. On the other hand, if they added some soundtrack and gospel recordings, it would have offered amore well-rounded look at his artistry during the 1960s...

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Stephen! Overall, I would agree, especially for the time. These days, artists are able to be a lot more multi-faceted, and that seemed like too much for most in the 90s to wrap their head around, lol.. but it does present its share of problems, as you said. So it's a fascinating mental exercise that John and I will have to get more into at some point!

[@StephenSchnee]

@@EAPSociety And remember that when people thought of Elvis in the '70s, they only thought of his jumpsuits! Similar to them equating his '60s output to only his films. I'm glad this has all changed over the years.... and MY feeling is that the box sets were intended to right this way of thinking! P.S. Great channel, btw.

[@EAPSociety]

@StephenSchnee Absolutely, Stephen - I distinctly remember a lot of the anti-movies, anti-60s, etc vibes in the fanbase that were really stong then, but mostly gone now (which is so incredibly refreshing). And thank you so much!! 😁

[@sopala3952]

Btw a tangent ..I came upon a Elvis fan channel and the guy showed a new dvd called Elvis Sold Out by company named Pyramid. They showed few clips . Apparently there’s a who,e series. . Elvis unbelievably energetic…1973 shows, dancing in a way I’ve never seen.. anybody know of this? Just curious.

[@EAPSociety]

Oh, yeah! The "Sold Out" series is pretty solid, if you can find them. Some great footage, and overall they seem to come from good (if not perfect) sources!

[@sopala3952]

🙏

[@elvispresleycollectorsgroup]

It was a great box set when it came out and can see the thinking keeping the movies, gospel and live tracks out works for them releasing more good sets, but I tend to agree leaving out the gospel etc misses the point of how much great music Elvis recorded in the 60’s - I always thought it would have been better to have Vol.1 and Vol.2 that included the gospels and all the singles making 2 great sets. That would still leave room for the double features, full gospel set, live sets and the stand alone 68 Special set.

[@EAPSociety]

You know, that makes me wonder why "Amazing Grace" wasn't also "The Essential 60s Masters Vol III" - because that would have been one way to go!

[@elvispresleycollectorsgroup]

Yeah except that included the 50’s and 70’s as well, so couldn’t work. I think losing the bonus tracks, adding the 60’s recorded singles and gospel albums and making it a Vol 1 and Vol 2 set would be the best alternative way to go. Then the double features and the gospel set to fill in all the blanks.

[@EAPSociety]

@@elvispresleycollectorsgroup Oh, yeah, good point! Wow, the catalog was such a mess for so long...

[@Rock4UNow]

Could it be possible they had The Double Feature series already in mind when they released this? Or did I just give them an excuse for not including the soundtracks? Lol My favorite box set to date is "The Complete Elvis Presley Masters".

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Levi! Yeah, it's very possible! And agreed; aside from the few songs on that set with digital issues, "The Complete Masters" is just about a perfect set!

[@Rock4UNow]

@paulgwyn7836 I remember for that time era all this stuff was a big improvement. CDs weren't Where they're at now in sound quality. There was an awesome interview in Guitar World magazine during that time with Eddie Van Halen and his analogy regarding the sound quality of Compact Disc was spot on.

[@EAPSociety]

@paulgwyn7836 Oh, I definitely agree there - or at least partially, with others being a response to sales and/or fan outcry. 😁

[@dennyepresley6082]

Probably my favourite of the box sets, maybe Jaime can answer a question I've had for years having worked in vocal production for all the years he has? On the 'My little Friend track, why does the newer remastered version sound so much better? Did they do some magic on his vocals, this box set version has some weird reverb bleed or something going on? Cheers JnJ. ❤

[@dennyepresley6082]

Meant to add at the time 'Complete Masters box set came out there was another' themed set out? Did you review this set yet and what did you think of the presentation and themeing of it? Was it more or less complete, and was it the same mastering? ❤

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Denny! You mean the Franklin Mint Complete Masters set, right? It's the same masters as the big box, but missing a lot of the extras, as well as a themed-packaging. It was...ok. i owned it, but didn't keep it - though I do have an extra box from it that we'll have to show at some point!

[@EAPSociety]

Oooh, good question on "My Little Friend" - I'll have to do a direct A/B comparison and let you know on that, but there are a number of factors that could play in.. I'll have a look and let you know!

[@-dave3577]

The reverbed version of "My Little Friend" on the box is from the original single B-side master. The other mix [a remix] is taken from the 1970 Almost in Love album master.

[@EAPSociety]

@davidsmith-xe2gs Ah! That'll do it! Thank you David! 😁 So, for completeness, you need both versions (or at least I do, lol)!

[@Cpayne30]

This was my first foray into 60s Elvis after the Elvis Is Back legacy edition, and it served its purpose well. I didn't notice any sound deficiencies and discovering the 63-67 material was a joy. But like y'all pointed out, the exclusion of the 68 comeback studio tracks is a huge mistake. Just boggles the mind why they made such a decision. And I'm with John on the gospel point, but the 5-CD cap probably played a part more than anything else. Command Performances is a disc that has gotten a lot of plays for me despite it having some bonkers song choices. No C'mon Everybody....really BMG? And Little Less Conversation being the Camden take is annoying. Elvis at the Movies might paint a better picture overall due to it including the 50s tracks, but it too misses some good ones!

[@Cpayne30]

This box is also still the only place to get the overdubbed unedited Guitar Man! It rules. I'm guessing FTD is going to do a complete 67 sessions set soon and we'll have it in better sound.

[@EAPSociety]

Great points! And yeah, the sound issues aren't bad for the time at all, but especially stand out after the Complete Masters versions, which is why we mentioned it. Particularly the noise reduction, iirc.

[@EAPSociety]

@2003Cpayne Yes!! Im excited for those sessions! And the unedited "Guitar Man" is on the "Elvis Sings Guitar Man" FTD, but it's true that not many releases have it!

[@Cpayne30]

@@EAPSociety I thought the Guitar Man FTD had the same version as this box did, but according to Keith Flynn's site, that one is missing an overdub. The 60s box version has it. Oh you're absolutely correctly about the noise reduction and all, but IMO it's not as immediately apparent as the 50s set was. The '69 tracks here do sound a little dull in particular.

[@EAPSociety]

@@Cpayne30 Oh, that's right, it's undubbed! And true on this not being as bas as the 50s box, but I think that's more because it's stereo, so not as much mono summing.

[@stevenholland8587]

Got to say I disagree with you guys on this, I think it's perfect as is, BMG we're trying to give us a fresh look at Elvis' 60s work other than Movies. It cannot be complete in 5cds so they have us ALL of the Nashville and Memphis recordings. Sounds like you would have preferred this to be more like the 70s box which is actually my least favourite.

[@EAPSociety]

Hi, Steven! I can't speak for John, but I hope it doesn't come off like I don't like the set - I absolutely loved it, and I know that John said in the episode that he played it a lot, too - I was just in real-time shock while we wee filming that I never realized what wasn't included on the set, and that I somehow never missed it! That's actually a testament to how good the set is, imo, I was just busy being shocked, lol! I do see both sides with it, though: Gospel is an essential component of Elvis's musical makeup, and to be missing both of his main sets of masters of this material here is missing something essential. However, I do think that what they were trying to do was a solid idea for the time, and a response to criticisms of Elvis in the period that don't exist today, imo partially because of the work done by sets like this. I think John would have preferred this to be a 7-disc set, and included one Gospel CD and one movie hits CD. Which wouldn't have happened for the material at the time due to expense constraints. So not quite the 70s Masters, though we both do love that set, too! This is one I think we'll come back to, because I think there's more context to lay out, and this episode just scratches the surface of that while trying to give a look at it from today as well as a bit of back then, so it comes off a lot more negative than I think we intended. 😁

[@stevenholland8587]

I think with the 70s set a n argument can be made that it should have been 6CDs, would that have been enough?, With a part 2 for live recording. Anyway keep up the good work, would love to see you cover Collectors gold as well.

[@EAPSociety]

@stevenholland8587 Yeah, I can definitely see that, Steven - that would have been great! And thank you so much! Funny enough, the only copy of Collector's Gold that I can find is my sealed one, so John will bring his up next time and we'll cover that then! 😁

[@stevenholland8587]

As the70s box is coming up I compiled the list myself this week, there are some songs you think yeah I get it then others make you scratch your head.

[@EAPSociety]

@stevenholland8587 Very cool, Steven! Yeah, the 70s is week after next - locking forward to seeing your notes, as well!

[@sabakamahusky594]

Gospel was cut so it didn't discriminate anyone's beliefs

[@EAPSociety]

I can see where that might seem like a consideration, but religious discrimination wasn't really a consideration in the early 90s for music releases in Elvis's genre. It's mostly to present the catalog in a very specific way - which, especially for the time, I do understand (even if it paints an incomplete picture of Elvis as an artist as we understand him now. They were cultivating a very specific image of Elvis's 60s material at the time, and I think it worked decently well!

[@sabakamahusky594]

@@EAPSociety Also wasn't Tom Parker against releasing gospel material because "there's no money in it" and the gospel sessions from all three albums came out of Elvis own pocket from what i heard.

[@EAPSociety]

@sabakamahusky594 I don't believe that was the case, actually; particularly in the U.S., Gospel was (and is) a thriving music market - and I believe the Colonel was largely responsible for the Elvis Easter and Christmas radio specials from the 60s, which likely wouldn't have happened if he'd thought that. I do remember whispers of something that what you're saying reminds me, though, so I'll have to look into that and see if what I'm thinking was just fan rumors or if there's an actual Elvis story I'm being reminded of!

[@EAPSociety]

@paulgwyn7836 Ah! That's it! Thank you - I knew that was tripping a mental trigger, just couldn't find which one! 🤣

[@EAPSociety]

@paulgwyn7836 LOL! I love it, Paul!

[@whitehorses460]

a bit of make up wont make you look like elvis

[@EAPSociety]

Nobody here is trying to look like Elvis, so that's rather moot.

[@DanHanewinkel-hh3vr]

You guys were so right about the final disc,it should have contained all 16 top 40 movie hits from the 60's with added soundtrack highlight songs and your perfect suggestions of memories,if I can dream, and trouble/guitar man.keep up the great work!

[@EAPSociety]

Thanks, Dan! Yeah, that would have been fantastic!

[@dannad123]

Great stuff! Regarding the absence of gospel recordings, I recall they still included "Who Am I" from '69! I Had this boxset on cassette! lol

[@EAPSociety]

That's right, they did! And very cool!

[@EAPSociety]

@paulgwyn7836 Yeah, that'd be my thinking, too.