Are You An Elvis Fan? New Fan-Selected Compilation Arrives In July

Although this August 16 will mark the 35^th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s death, the musical light left behind by the once and future King of Rock and Roll has never dimmed.  2012 has already seen the expanded reissue of Elvis Country, including the Love Letters from Elvis album, and a handful of reissues from the Follow That Dream specialty label.  (More titles are on the way from FTD including a long-awaited, upgraded collection of Presley’s Sun recordings: watch for Part Two for more details!)  Another release due on July 31 will also celebrate the long-lasting legacy of Tupelo, Mississippi’s favorite son.

Between May 1 and 12, over 250,000 votes were cast at www.iamanelvisfan.com from fans in over twenty countries to create the track listing for I Am an Elvis Fan.  The first U.S. fan-voted album from Presley, I Am an Elvis Fan is a project of Sony’s Legacy Recordings and Elvis Presley Enterprises.  The 21-track collection will be released in both digital and physical formats on July 31.  It coincides with Elvis Week, a tribute being held in Memphis between August 10 and 17 to commemorate the 35^th anniversary of Presley’s passing.

Recognizing the breadth of Presley’s recording career, Legacy asked voters to select songs from seven musical categories: ‘50s, ‘60s, Country, Movies, Love Songs, Gospel, and In Concert.  The final track listing includes songs from all of these genres.  From Elvis’ earliest, arguably most explosive days comes “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Heartbreak Hotel” (both 1956) and “All Shook Up” (1957).  Presley’s motion pictures are represented by three enduring title songs, “Jailhouse Rock,” “Blue Hawaii” and “Viva Las Vegas.”  The compilation also embraces “comeback” hits like “Suspicious Minds” (also heard in a live version) and “The Wonder of You,” as well as spiritual recordings “(There’ll Be) Peace in the Valley (For Me)” and “How Great Thou Art.”

Hit the jump for the full track listing and more!

Getting Real Gone in July with Sanford and Townsend, Clover, 20/20, Jackie Gleason and More

Real Gone Music may not be going “to the moon, Alice,” but the eclectic reissue gurus are going just about everywhere else with their batch of offerings set for July 31.  Yes, Jackie Gleason features in a line-up also including poet Charles Bukowski, Sanford and Townsend (Smoke from a Distant Fire), a member of Bread, and a couple of underrated rock-and-roll bands.

After the recent, potent reissue of the self-titled debut from Durocs, Real Gone jumps back into the power pop game with 20/20.  Tulsa’s own Steve Allen and Ron Flynt recorded two albums and a pair of non-LP singles for the Portrait label, and all of those recordings are being collected on one disc by the Real Goners.  Singer and multi-instrumentalist Mike Gallo and keyboardist Chris Silagyi joined the duo for 1979’s 20/20 while drummer Joel Turrisi replaced Gallo for 1981’s Look Out!  “Child’s Play” and “People in Your Life,” both from 1981, round out Real Gone’s survey of the group’s Portrait output.  (These two singles have never been on CD, while previous reissues of the albums proper now command high prices in the secondhand market.)  The group split in 1983, having recorded just one more album following the two for Portrait (1982’s Sex Trap on the Mainway label).  New liner notes draw on interviews with the band members.  Maria Triana at Battery Studios has remastered all tracks.

If Clover is remembered at all today, it’s likely for backing Elvis Costello on his incendiary 1977 debut, My Aim Is True, or perhaps for morphing into the hitmaking Huey Lewis and the News. The country-rock group was actually founded in 1967 by future Doobie Brother John McFee, Alex Call (author of Tommy Tutone’s “867-5309/Jenny”) and bassist/session pro Dr. John Ciambotti, with Mitch Howie playing drums through 1971.  The band’s first two records, Clover and Fourty Niner [sic] were recorded for the Fantasy label in 1970 and 1971, respectively, and bear the influence of Bay Area friends and Fantasy labelmates Creedence Clearwater Revival.  For Real Gone’s first-ever Clover revival, Alex Call supplies the new liner notes.

After the jump: Bread’s James Griffin!  Charles Bukowski!  Sanford and Townsend!  And the Great One himself!