Alternative Elvis in RCA’s Second Reissue

RCA Records’ “Essential Elvis” reissue collection last year was a teasing look past the familiar versions of songs from Elvis Presley’s first three films to offer alternative versions of many of the songs. But only 14 of the 27 tracks were alternative versions and few differed radically from the film treatments.

By contrast, all 20 of the selections in RCA’s new “Essential Elvis, Volume 2” are alternative versions from the 1957 Hollywood recording sessions that produced such hits as “All Shook Up” and “I Beg of You.” The bonus is that several are dramatically different from the hit renditions.

The result is a fascinating, 60-minute glimpse of the way Presley--just 22 at the time--searched sometimes through a dozen or more takes for the right feel on a song, hardly paying attention to the instrumental arrangement until he had the right vocal approach. The horseplay on several tunes also suggests his ease in the studio.

In Roy Carr’s excellent liner notes, record producer Bones Howe, a tape operator at the time who attended the sessions, explained Presley’s method: “Elvis would keep working on a song--getting the vocal arrangement just right. . . . When he heard a playback that made him really feel like moving, that was the take. . . . No matter if there were mistakes, if it felt good . . . if it made him feel like moving, that was it. No argument.”

Other “Essential Elvis, Volume 2” selections--which were recorded in an early form of stereo--include “That’s When Your Heartaches Begin,” “Blueberry Hill” and the gospel-oriented “Peace in the Valley” and “It Is No Secret (What God Can Do).”

BILLBOARD SALUTES: Now that Rhino Records has released nearly a dozen volumes in its year-by-year salute to the Billboard magazine rock charts, the Santa Monica-based company has followed up with the first four volumes in a similar series that looks at the Billboard R&B; charts. The initial entries in “Top R&B; Hits” cover the years 1961 to 1964 and feature such artists as the Supremes, Impressions and Temptations. Gary Stewart, vice president of artists and repertoire at Rhino, said there will be a country series along the same lines next year, starting with ‘50s artists. Meanwhile, the label plans to concentrate the rest of this year on rounding out the rock and R&B; series--which will eventually total 20 or more volumes each.

BUDGET RELEASES: The new budget CD re-releases include Blondie’s “The Hunter,” the Proclaimers’ “This is My Story,” Procol Harum’s “Grand Hotel,” Jeff Beck’s “Rough & Ready,” Jimmy Cliff’s “Cliffhanger,” Leo Kottke’s “Leo Kottke,” the Motels’ “All Four One” and “Shock,” the Knack’s “Get the Knack” and Easterhouse’s “Contenders.”