the Elvis Presley moneymaking machine rolls again!

[CRAZY-HORSE]

yep. looks like the money machine in Memphis has rolled out another way to sell Presley's back-catalogue....

here's the news article I just read:



By Rob Copsey (@robcopsey)
Elvis Presley's music has been given an orchestral makeover for a new album of the star's classic hits.
If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be released on October 30 via Sony Music Entertainment and features 14 orchestral re-workings of songs including Love Me Tender, Burning Love and Can't Help Falling In Love.
The collection also includes duets with operatic group Il Volo on It's Now Or Never and Michael Buble on Fever, as well as contributions from guitarist Duane Eddy on An American Trilogy and Bridge Over Troubled Water.
The full tracklisting appears below:

1. Burning Love
2. It’s Now Or Never
3. Love Me Tender
4. Fever (feat. Michael Buble)
5. Bridge Over Troubled Water
6. And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind
7. You've Lost That Loving Feeling
8. There's Always Me
9. Can't Help Falling In Love
10. In The Ghetto
11. How Great Thou Art
12. Steamroller Blues
13. An American Trilogy
14. If I Can Dream

"This would be a dream come true for Elvis," Priscilla Presley said of the project. "He would have loved to play with such a prestigious symphony orchestra.
"The music…the force that you feel with his voice and the orchestra is exactly what he would have done."
The release will tie in with a new documentary on Elvis this Autumn called Elvis And Me, starring Joanna Lumley. The show will see the actress travel to Graceland and meet some of Elvis’ closest surviving friends and family in order to uncover "the man behind the myth".
If I Can Dream is part of this year's ongoing 80th birthday celebration of Elvis, which also sees the release of The Complete '60s Albums Collection Vol. 1 and Vol. 2 on iTunes this week (August 7) and the launch of Direct From Graceland: Elvis at the O2 on DVD.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

BTW...

that's a lovely picture of Elvis in the article...

as a huge fan ive seen thousands upon thousands of pictures of him over the years, but I cannot recall ever seeing that one above(or even one similar)

[jazzboCR]

...At least this is not some stale re-hashing of old material. It looks like time, effort and money was spent (the RPO and Il Volo don't come cheap...or shoddy). I'm glad you alerted us to this--looks very interesting.
Another point: Well over 1/2 of his material, especially the early stuff, was covers, so it's no surprise that he's being intelligently covered. I'm all for it.

Not being critical here, Bro C-H, but the Thread title is a wee bit off-putting and harsh, all mitigated with the text.

[CRAZY-HORSE]

I hear ya jazz....

There was a bit of sarcasm in a condiscending manner, I will admit that...

I'm a huge Presley fan, and yes, I will give the album a listen....if i feel the music adds a decent new element to the sings then I'll be the first to buy it for sure, if not, well, the Presley Estate won't care it will generate sales of his back catalogue....
That said, my hat does tip to the Executors of the Estate as their decisions in marketing Elvis' legacy are usually well thought out as to not diminish him as an artist....

Most of his work/recordings from his comeback in 68 until his death were also covers....he was IMO, the greatest covers artist in the history of popular music...

PS....good to have you back on board....!