Even though "Love Me Tender" featured just four songs, Follow That Dream Records' special edition included two compact discs. The set was released in 2014, the sound carrierers were packaged in a 7" digpak, which also housed a booklet with details about the movie and the recording project. Besides the tracks of the original extended player, the collector's edition also included the "stereo masters", outtakes, interviews and the two live shows, that Elvis gave in Tupelo/Mississippi on September 26, 1956. While all the other recordings were newly mastered by Sebastian Jeansson, FTD used the version of the Tupelo shows, that had been restored by Dennis Ferrante and Vince Caro for the cd release of "A Golden Celebration".

The paraphrase "stereo masters" is misleading, because there was no stereo back in 1956. However, the companies were experimenting with multi-track-recording and the soundtrack sessions were taped that way, too. Today we refer to these kind of recordings as binaural.

The concerts were Elvis' triumphant return to his home town. As a boy he had attended a talent contest at the "Mississippi-Alabama Fair & Dairy Show", now he was back as the main attraction of this event. At the time the concerts were recorded by Ron Brandon, who worked for a radio station named WTUP. After the event he sent the tapes to Elvis, who stored them in the garret of his Graceland Mansion. After his death the tapes were found and RCA used them in the early 1980s on the boxed set "A Golden Celebration". These early live recordings reveal, what a great entertainer the young singer already was. Even in his heyday he didn't take himself too serious, fooled around with the lyrics and pushed the audience to its limits with his cleverly choreographed movements.

In this article I will only deal with the tracks, that are not available on the original extended player. For a review of RCA Victor's "Love Me Tender" release, tap HERE.

Surprisingly this version was used during the end titles of the movie. It runs for 1:12 minutes, has different lyrics and Elvis is accompanied by a choir and an orchestra.

At the time this short glimse on Elvis' inner life was enclosed to the magazines "Elvis Answers Back" and "Teen Parade".

The master was a splice of the takes 4 and 9, which was enhanced with handclapping and harmony vocals. Here we get the complete take number 4.

We hear some studio talk, followed by take number 9 of "We're Gonna Move".

The third take of "Poor Boy" was used for the master. Of course we get to hear the track without the verse, that was added later and in its original tempo.

A few days later Elvis re-recorded "Poor Boy". The first take isn't a complete performance.

Now we get to hear the third verse, which was recorded later. This recording just features Elvis' vocals, not the pre-recorded music.

Once again the music was recorded separately, the vocals were a splice of the takes 3 and 4. Here we get the 3rd attempt to tape "Let Me". The finale doesn't work too well, so the king turns it into a joke.

The fourth take is performed somewhat sloppy, therefore Elvis gets the finale right.

The released version was shortened to 2:12 minutes, but here we get the interview as given by Elvis on August 22, 1956 in Hollywood/California on the set of "Love Me Tender". For ten minutes the singer talks about his career and his private life. He reveals, that his first public performance was on a talent contest, in which he won the 5th price. He also tells the fans, that he owns a Messerschmitt car. The interview is quite interesting, because Elvis didn't talk to the press very often and when he did, his answers were not much more than polite irrelevancies. Even during this early interview the rock'n'roll king acts very friendly and professional.

After the announcement of the MC, Elvis enters the stage and the audience goes bananas. The rock'n'roll king starts the show with his first number one hit, has fun with the fans and heats them up with some of his famed movements.

The singer welcomes the crowd and ironically announces a sad song. Then he sings Little Richard's "Long, Tall Sally". At the time the fans didn't know the Presley version of the hit, but it soon would be available on his second long player.

Now the mayor of Tupelo enters the stage, says a few nice words and presents the key of the city to Elvis.

The king continues with "I Was The One", the b-side of "Heartbreak Hotel". The Jordanaires appear, who support him with their typical harmony vocals. Elvis fools around with the lyrics (he turns the line "you know the way, she broke my heart" into "...she broke my leg") and turns up the heat a bit more with his antics.

Elvis announces the ballad as "I Want You, I Need You And All The Other Stuff". Once again he has to laugh about the screaming girls. Afterwards he thanks The Jordanaires, who leave the stage.

The young singer fools around with the word "well", then he segues into Ray Charles' "I Got A Woman". Compared to later renditions the song is performed a tad slower and includes a guitar solo.

Now Elvis announces his biggest hit, supposingly from 1922. Of course "Don't Be Cruel" / "Hound Dog" had been released just a few months earlier and provided the world with the best selling single of the decade. He obviously has fun and is accompanied by The Jordanaires again.

From his soon to be released album "Elvis" the singer performs the rock'n'roll song "Ready Teddy" and uses the opportunity to present some Body English to the screaming fans.

With "Love Me Tender" Elvis sings another unreleased song. The girls are screaming so loud, that the singer admits "I can't hear me". 

The rock'n'roll king starts his performance by claiming "As a great philosopher once said...." before he continues with "You ain't nothing but a hound dog". It's obvious, that even at the age of 21 he regarded the song to be pure non-sense. One again he uses his famous movements to make the girls scream. At the end the recording is faded out.

The Presleys tell the reporter, that they had missed out on the parade and answer the question, which recording of their son they like best.

The actor had emerged from the sphere of the late James Dean and was a friend of Elvis'. In general Adams was better known for the famous people he knew, than for his own work.

Next up is an interview with a hyped up fan, who regards each and everything to be nothing but great.

Finally we hear the star himself. He tells the reporter, that he had met many old friends, thanks the people of Tupelo for their hospitality and promotes his forthcoming motion picture "Love Me Tender".

Unfortunately the second concert was not recorded in its entirety. In contrast to the afternoon show Elvis also sings the additional verse of "Love Me Tender", that is not featured on the records.

Once again the king fools around with the lyrics and tries to heat up the girls with his antics.

Elvis thanks The Jordanaires, does his little gimmick with the word "well" and performs a good version of "I Got A Woman".

Due to the riots in front of the stage, Elvis asks the fans to sit down again. Jokingly he promises to sing all the songs they want to hear and to jump into the audience.

The king continues his show with "Don't Be Cruel".

Now Elvis asks, if the people up the rear are able to hear him. Then he sings "Blue Suede Shoes", a song from his first album. This time the band includes a solo, but it sounds somewhat clumsy, because the people on stage cannot hear themselves due to the noise of the audience.

A doctor has to be called and Elvis once again asks the people to calm down.

Elvis anounces a song from his early days. He dosn't mention the real name, but simply calls it "Baby". Even though he had just asked the people to calm down, he now heats them up with a series of his moves.

The king repeats the joke from the afternoon performance and closes his show with the notorious "Hound Dog". Just like he had done on "The Milton Berle Show", he changes the beat and drives the girls nuts with his Body English. This time the recording isn't faded and we are able to hear the complete performance.