Elvis Presley - '68 Comeback Special (50th Anniversary Edition) (2018)

Sony will celebrate Elvis Presley‘s ’68 Comeback Special will a seven-disc super deluxe edition box set, due to be issued at the end of November.

The TV special was actually called Singer… presents Elvis (the Singer corporation being the sponsor) and was rescued from being a schmaltzy affair (with The King singing Christmas Carols) by producer Bob Finkel and director Steve Binder who combined to produce something that would appeal to a younger demographic and help to update Elvis Presley’s sound.

The really memorable section of the show was the ‘sit down’ element, that had Elvis on stage dressed in black leather, guitar in hand, with guitarist Scotty Moore and drummer D.J. Fontana. This performance included raw takes of some of Presley’s best records, including ‘That’s All Right’ and ‘Heartbreak Hotel.’ Great versions of ‘Baby, What You Want Me to Do’ and ‘Lawdy, Miss Clawdy’ signaled Presley’s return to rock ‘n’ roll, after years in Hollywood making forgettable movies and dubious soundtracks.

The ’68 Comeback Special, as it became known, aired on 3 December 1968 and helped rejuvenate Presley’s recording career.