Brian Quinn

Nice article by Alan K. Stout - Music Columnist at The Weekender. Remember 'The King' with music Wednesday August 11, 2010 | 04:20 PM If Elvis Presley were alive today, he would be 75 years old. And though he would certainly be in his golden years, there is a chance that he still might be giving concerts, and that his golden voice - the best rock music has ever heard - would still be booming through arenas. Perhaps he would still even be recording new music, which people like Sinatra did well into their seventies. In fact, Sinatra celebrated his 75th year with a national tour. It was 33 years ago this week, however, that the undisputed King of Rock 'n' Roll left the building at the tender age of 42. And he is, without a doubt, missed just as much today as he was on the hot August afternoon when we first learned of his passing. A lot of rock-music writers like to use the word "derivative"' when they talk about music. Sometimes they use it as a compliment, sometimes as an insult. All it really means is that an artist has been influenced by another. Everything in pop music - everything - is a Presley derivative. I've written columns in the past on the anniversary of Elvis' death, where I've shared my thoughts on Presley's importance to the history of rock music and his unparalleled significance in pop culture. Today, I'm sharing some of those same thoughts once again. And that's because everything you read about pop music in our paper or magazine is reflective of Presley. The club listings. The concert listings. The album reviews and the interviews with the local bands and the big stars. It all goes back to Presley. It all goes back to the poor kid from Mississippi who came out of nowhere and, in 1956, helped kick open the door to a new and exciting sound. It all goes back to the man whose early recordings such as "That's All Right,'' "Mystery Train'' and "Lawdy Miss Clawdy'' remain classics, and whose big '50s hits such as "Heartbreak Hotel,'' "Don't Be Cruel'' and "Jailhouse Rock'' set the table for the musical explosion known as rock 'n' roll. It all goes back to the guy whose early '60s songs such as "His Latest Flame,'' "Little Sister'' and "Are You Lonesome Tonight'' sound just as great today as they ever did, and the man whose voice was better than it ever was on his later recordings such as "Kentucky Rain'' and "Always On My Mind.'' It all goes back to the man whose remarkable covers of "Bridge Over Troubled Water'' and "You've Lost That Loving Feeling'' seem to surpass the quality of the originals, and the man who, just weeks before his death, was still nailing challenging songs such as "Unchained Melody'' and "My Way'' in concert. Elvis' health, due to his own vices, failed him. His voice never did. This week, on the anniversary of his death, remember the good things about Elvis. Forget about the tacky wall murals, lamps and porcelain plates and rumors of "sightings.'' Forget about the unwarranted mockery sometimes aimed at him by people without half his talent or character. Remember the man who, even after his burst of fame, still referred to people as "ma'am'' and "sir,'' and who even won over an initially hesitant and skeptical Ed Sullivan with his kindness and humility. Remember the man who, at the height of career, went off to Germany to serve his country in the Army. Remember the man who, while there, asked for no special treatment and quickly befriended the men in his unit. Remember the man who loved to share his wealth - a man who would buy friends and even strangers automobiles, and who, if you admired a piece of jewelry he was wearing, would often take it off and give it to you. Remember the man who was always quick to give credit to the unheard-of black artists from whom he borrowed much of his early sound. Remember the man who, with his remarkable "'68 Comeback Special,'' actually laid the groundwork for MTV's popular "Unplugged'' series. If you're out on the town this week, ask your favorite band to play a little Presley. The good ones - the ones that know a little about the linkage of rock 'n' roll - will be happy to. Artists such as Bruce Springsteen, Robert Plant and Billy Joel have all covered Presley's songs. Plant, according to one story, was actually able to meet Elvis and sing a few bars of "Love Me'' with The King. In 1975, Bruce Springsteen, a star himself at the time, tried to scale the gates of Graceland hoping to meet his idol. KISS, on Aug. 16, 1977 - the day Elvis died - dedicated "Rock and Roll All Nite" to The King. The members of U2, in the rock documentary "Rattle and Hum,'' are shown visiting Presley's grave at Graceland. It is one of the most poignant scenes in the film. And in 1997, on the 20th anniversary of Elvis' death, The Badlees, playing right here in Wilkes-Barre, offered a soulful cover of "Suspicious Minds.'' If you're a fan of rock 'n' roll, take just a minute or two today to show him some of the same respect. Call your favorite radio station and request one of his songs, play one on the jukebox at your favorite hangout or just hum one of his tunes in your head. Elvis Presley should still be here at age 75. And though he left us long ago, he is still with us in many ways. He is with us in pop radio, rock concerts and magazines, MTV and VH1 and so many things we encounter in everyday life. He is with us, now and forever, in music. Brian

A copy of the GI Blues DVD will be given away free with this Saturday's (14th) Mail newspaper. The Mail is also giving away an Elvis film everyday next week. Films are... Blue Hawaii, Girls Girls Girls, Paradise Hawaiian Stlye, King Creole, Roustabout and Fun in Acapulco. Brian

Date: 10.08.2010 Category: Radio 2 BBC Radio 2 today announces that Priscilla Presley is set to appear at Elvis Forever, a concert celebrating the music of Elvis Presley, with Radio 2 Breakfast host Chris Evans, in London's Hyde Park on Sunday 12 September 2010. The initial wave of confirmed singing stars for the concert, all of whom are fans of Elvis, includes Craig David, Marti Pellow, Tony Hadley, Suzi Quatro, Scouting for Girls, Rick Astley, Imelda May, Nell Bryden and Fran Healy. The full line-up will be announced shortly. Priscilla Presley says: "I am delighted to be appearing at Elvis Forever which I know will be a memorable celebration of Elvis' life and career. "He has many fans throughout the UK and we are all looking forward to this celebration at Hyde Park in London. I know Elvis would have been very pleased." In the year that the King of Rock 'n' Roll would have turned 75, Radio 2 brings together a fantastic and varied line-up to perform Elvis' best loved and most popular songs. Marti Pellow, lead singer of Wet Wet Wet, is excited to be a part of this celebratory concert: "Elvis, like the city of Memphis, was and is a huge part of my reason for singing... he is a singer's singer and he is known as the King of Rock 'n' Roll. Well, that kinda says it all... if it's cool with Elvis then it's cool with me." Rock legend Suzi Quatro says: "I first saw Elvis on television when I was six years old, living in Detroit. From that moment on, I decided I would be just like him. It didn't occur to me that he was a guy! He definitely got me All Shook Up and I have loved him ever since. There is not, and never will be, anyone like him in this world again." Roy Stride, lead singer of Scouting for Girls, adds: "We are so excited to be part of Elvis Presley's 75th birthday celebrations, and feel very privileged to be asked to play Radio 2's Elvis Forever in Hyde Park. Elvis has always had a very special place in our hearts. We love him so much, we dedicated a song to him on our first album called Elvis Ain't Dead. We'll be playing our two favourite Elvis tunes, Hound Dog and Blue Suede Shoes. We Love Elvis!" Elvis Forever will be broadcast live on Radio 2, hosted by Chris Evans with a special appearance by Priscilla Presley, and culminating in a spectacular firework finale. Over the following week, listeners will also be able to hear highlights from the concert across the station's daytime shows. The Radio 2 website – bbc.co.uk/radio2 – will feature exclusive backstage footage and interviews from the event. Radio 2's Elvis Forever concert follows the smash success of last year's event, Thank You For The Music... A Celebration Of The Music Of Abba, which featured Kylie Minogue, Jamie Cullum, Lulu, Chaka Khan, The Feeling, and a host of other stars performing their own take on some of Abba's biggest hits, alongside original members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Further highlights of Radio 2's summer of live music will include Paolo Nutini playing live in his hometown of Paisley this month and Scissor Sisters performing live from London for Radio 2 in concert later this year. Notes to Editors Event Information: Elvis Forever Sunday 12 September 2010 Hyde Park, London Gates open 5pm; entertainment on stage from 6.30pm Tickets cost £30.00 plus booking fees. For full ticketing information, go to www.bbc.co.uk/radio2. Brian

Just heard the news that Priscilla will co-host the Hyde Park Concert with DJ Chris Evans. The line-up of stars performing includes: Scouting For Girls Imelda May The Magnets Fran Healey (from Travis) Craig David Tony Hadley Marti Pellow Nell Bryden Suzi Quatro Rick Astley More artists will be announced nearer the time of the Concert. Brian :D

I spoke to SONY (UK) today and made them aware of two major releases in November which would impact on the sales of 'Viva Elvis', one being by 'Take That' and the other by Michael Jackson. Apparently it is highly unlikely that the Jackson Album will coincide with the release of 'Viva Elvis' both being Sony artists. Should the Take That album clash with the 'Viva Elvis' release date' then Sony may change the release date from 8th November. Let's hope that the Take That album is released later in November to give 'Viva Elvis' a chance of a No.1. Brian

RIAA Presentation at Graceland During Conversations on Elvis, Session Two on Saturday, August 14 at 1:00 p.m., representatives from Sony will make a special RIAA Presentation. Brian

Elvis Forever - Tribute to Elvis in London's Hyde Park Announced 7/27/2010 BBC Radio 2 Presents "Elvis Forever" A Celebration of the Music of Elvis Presley Hosted by Chris Evans The 75th birthday of Elvis Presley will be celebrated this summer as part of BBC Radio 2’s commitment to offering a scorching summer of stellar live music performances. In the year that the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll would have turned 75, Radio 2 will bring together some of the biggest names in pop and rock music to perform his best loved and most popular songs as part of Elvis Forever, a concert to be held in London’s Hyde Park on Sunday 12 September 2010, hosted by Radio 2 breakfast show presenter Chris Evans. Radio 2 Breakfast Show host Chris Evans says: “As the Radio 2 audience knows, I am a huge Elvis fan and it’s an honour to host such a celebration of the enduring appeal of his music.” The proceedings will be led by Chris plus other guest presenters who are all great fans of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, culminating in a spectacular firework finale. The line-up of stars performing at Elvis Forever will be announced shortly. This thrilling exclusive concert will be broadcast live on Radio 2, and in the following week listeners will also be able to hear highlights across the station’s daytime shows. The BBC Radio 2 Website will feature exclusive backstage footage and interviews from the event. Lewis Carnie, Head of Programming for Radio 2, says: “Elvis’s music has an enduring appeal to Radio 2 listeners of all ages, so I’m thrilled that our friends at Graceland in Memphis are working with us on this event. What better way to pay tribute to the Elvis’ incredible legacy than to bring together the stars of today to perform his greatest and best loved hits. " Radio 2’s Elvis Forever concert follows the smash success of last year’s event, Thank You for the Music... A Celebration of the Music of Abba which featured Kylie Minogue, Jamie Cullum, Lulu, Chaka Khan and The Feeling, and a host of other stars performing their own take on some of Abba’s biggest hits, alongside original members Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus. Further highlights of Radio 2's summer of live music will include Paolo Nutini playing live in his hometown of Paisley in August and Scissor Sisters performing live from London for Radio 2 in Concert later this year. Gates open 5 pm; entertainment on stage from 6.30pm Buy Tickets for Forever Elvis: Tickets £30.00 (under-3s free) Buy tickets by phone: from See Tickets on 03700 100 200* (a transaction fee of £2.00, plus a booking fee of £1.35 per ticket applies) Special Offers Friends and Family Group Ticket: Buy seven tickets and get the eighth ticket free. *Calls cost up to 5p per minute (0844 numbers) and 4p per minute (0845 numbers) from a BT landline (plus a one-off connection charge of up to 8p). Charges from mobiles and other networks may be considerably higher. I will be going to this one. Should be a good night. Brian

VIVA ELVIS – THE ALBUM TO BE RELEASED NOVEMBER 2010 Legacy Recordings Celebrates Elvis’ 75th Birthday Year with a New Studio Work Inspired by Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil in Las Vegas * * * * * Legacy Recordings, in cooperation with Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. and Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, proudly announces the release of Viva ELVIS - The Album, a 21st century celebration of Elvis and his music, featuring the voice of the King in a whole new context. Viva ELVIS - The Album will be available everywhere this November. For more information, please visit www.vivaelvis.com. The undisputed King of Rock ‘n’ Roll, Elvis Presley remains one of the most iconic and powerful forces in popular culture. "Before Elvis," said John Lennon, "there was nothing." After Elvis, the world looked and sounded different. With a swivel of his hips and the power of his voice, Elvis broke down barriers and shattered the status quo, revolutionizing the worlds of music, film and fashion while signaling a seismic shift in gender, class, race, and generational relationships. The Elvis revolution continues with Viva ELVIS - The Album. The postmodern studio masterwork invokes the spirit and essence of Elvis from a contemporary perspective while furthering the revolutionary impulses of Elvis' sound. Viva ELVIS - The Album re-imagines the king’s own vocal performances in a broad variety of new musical settings. This new sound echoes Elvis' own versatility and ability to master all music genres, from Delta blues to rockabilly, from raw soul to gospel, from Southern folk to Vegas pop, while incorporating elements of garage rock, punk, urban and hip-hop. "Viva ELVIS is a tantalizing musical experience," said Adam Block, Senior Vice President/General Manager, Legacy Recordings. "It's so creative and so contemporary, it effortlessly places Elvis in a current context that appeals to fans of all ages and all kinds of music. There's a freshness, a newness to these songs that grabs you and shakes you and ultimately testifies to the remarkable artist Elvis remains to this very day." "What would the songs of Elvis be like if he were doing them for the first time today?," asks the album's producer and arranger Erich van Tourneau, Musical Director and Arranger for Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil. "We set out to evoke the soul and spirit of Elvis Presley while building a bridge between his music and future generations of fans." When working on the music for Viva ELVIS, van Tourneau -- aided by Hugo Bombardier, Assistant Producer and Assistant Arranger on Viva ELVIS - The Album -- spent more than 3,000 hours reviewing countless albums, films, concert recordings, interviews and home recordings of Elvis. More than 17,000 samples of Elvis’ songs – the raw material for the show – were made during the process. Working with tens of thousands of samples of Elvis’ voice, van Tourneau and Bombardier often wove several sequences and sounds into the same songs, sometimes changing details such as the key and tempo. In creating Viva ELVIS - The Album, van Tourneau was looking to accentuate and boost the emotional charge of the songs with the incorporation of ragga, punk or hip-hop elements into classic recordings. In all cases, however, the goal was to respect and understand the essence of the original recordings. In celebration of all eras of Elvis' musical genius, Viva ELVIS - The Album includes songs from Elvis’ rise to fame in the ‘50s, his movie soundtracks, his triumphant return to the stage in the “’68 Special,” and his ground-breaking appearances in Las Vegas. "Burning Love," "Suspicious Minds," "Blue Suede Shoes" and "It's Now or Never" are among the songs that have been re-imagined and transformed for Viva ELVIS - The Album. The first opportunity to hear a sample from this ground-breaking album will take place during Elvis Week in Memphis on Saturday, August 14, during the event “Conversations on Elvis.” Viva ELVIS by Cirque du Soleil, a harmonious fusion of dance, acrobatics and live music, opened earlier this year in a specially designed 1,800 seat theater at ARIA Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. A tribute to the life and music of Elvis Presley, Viva ELVIS focuses on the essential humanity of the one superstar whose name will forever be linked with the history of Las Vegas: Elvis Presley. Significant moments in his life – intimate, playful and grandiose – blend with timeless songs that remain as relevant today as when they first hit the top of the charts. Viva ELVIS - The Album is a 21st century venue for rock's first and biggest superstar. The King's Music Lives! * * * * * About Elvis Presley Enterprises Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc. is based in Memphis, with additional offices in Los Angeles. In addition to Graceland and its related attractions in Memphis, including the Heartbreak Hotel, EPE is aggressively involved in a worldwide licensing program, merchandising, music publishing, and television, film, video and Internet projects. For more information on EPE and Graceland, visit www.elvis.com. EPE is a subsidiary of CKX, Inc. (www.ckx.com), a publicly traded company listed on the NASDAQ Global Market® under the ticker symbol CKXE. About Cirque du Soleil From a group of 20 street performers at its beginnings in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is now a major international organization providing high-quality artistic entertainment. Since its founding, Cirque du Soleil has thrilled over 100 million spectators in close to 300 cities on five continents. In Las Vegas, Cirque du Soleil has a privileged partnership with MGM Resorts International to create and present unique and innovative productions. In addition to Viva ELVIS, these productions include Mystère™ at Treasure Island, “O™” at Bellagio, Zumanity™ the Sensual Side of Cirque du Soleil at New York-New York Hotel & Casino™, KÀ™ at MGM Grand, The Beatles™ LOVE™ and CRISS ANGEL Believe™ at Luxor. For more information, visit the Cirque du Soleil website at www.cirquedusoleil.com/lasvegas. About Legacy Recordings The multiple Grammy-winning Legacy Recordings, Sony Music Entertainment's catalog division, produces and maintains the world's foremost catalog of historic reissues, an unparalleled compendium of thousands of digitally re-mastered archival titles representing virtually every musical genre including popular, rock, jazz, blues, R&B, folk, country, gospel, Broadway musicals, movie soundtracks, ethnic, world music, classical, comedy and more. For further information contact: Tom Cording at Legacy Media Relations, 212.833.4448, Tom.Cording@sonymusic.com; ADDRESS TEARSHEETS TO: Tom Cording LEGACY / SONY MUSIC 550 Madison Ave., 17th Fl. New York, NY 10022-3211 VivaElvis.com Elvis.com LegacyRecordings.com Further to the above I am reliably informed that the UK release date will be 8th November. Brian

Please go to You Tube and look up 'Viva Elvis' - The Album Promo. Please note it is not an official promo but made by fans. Brian

According to fans who have already got a copy of the new DVD of 'On Tour' the opening sequence where Elvis sings 'Johnny B. Goode' has been retained BUT the sound has been removed and replaced with 'Teddy Bear'/'Don't Be Cruel' due to copyright problems. To add insult to injury the same tracks are played later in the film with the correct footage. They could have at least used something like 'Polk Salad Annie' to get immediate interest raised. The release was wrongly advertised as the original film which won a Golden Globe Award. Well this version obviously did not. Thumbs down for Warner Brothers. Many fans are now cancelling their orders for this release. Brian

Get your orders in guys - this is going to be THE big one. Buy copies for friends, relatives etc. especially as Xmas will not be too far away. Brian

Graceland all aglow for US WC support 11:07 AEST Thu Jun 24 2010 Elvis Presley's Graceland in Memphis will glow a bright red, white and blue in support of the US football team competing at the World Cup. The home will be illuminated in the lights beginning on Thursday night. Memphis area youth who play in the Mid South Futbol Club will flip a ceremonial switch in front of the home to light up the premises. Graceland officials made the announcement on Wednesday night. Presley lived at Graceland from 1957 until his death in 1977. It's now a tourist attraction. Source: Associated Press Brian

In the Midweek UK Single Charts the Terry Venables version of 'If I Can Dream' is at No.36 with 2361 sales. It is currently No.26 on the i-Tunes Chart. The irony of the whole thing is guess which label it is released on - 'You've got it ...............SONY!! Brian :wacko:

All proceeds from the single go to two worthwhile charities. Brian

According to EPE the new version of 'Elvis On Tour' DVD is Region 1 (U.S.A. and Canada Only) whereas the Blu-Ray Edition is Region Free. For information. Brian

Looks like old 'El Tel' is going to have a hit with 'If I Can Dream'. It's sold out at Amazon. Let's hope people are tempted to hear the real deal by listening to this version. Brian

June 2010 Issue - Production Profile Viva ELVIS! The King Gets the Cirque Treatment Written by Kevin M. Mitchell Everything about the new Cirque du Soleil show is Rock Concert, capital R capital C. It's Viva ELVIS, after all, and it required a sound design that is a departure for the prolific French-Canadian troupe and Sin City mainstay. The goal is a fusion of dance, acrobatics and Live Music (also capital L, capital M). The sound took on new importance because it needed to be a major piece of a suitable tribute for the star who was not only (arguably) the King of Rock ‘n' Roll but (arguably) Las Vegas' King. The creative team of Cirque once again turned to sound designer Jonathan Deans. His credits include Fosse, Ragtime, EFX and Parade, to name a few, and he's currently at work on Bono and The Edge's Spider-Man show on Broadway. Cirque built the 1,840-seat theater, and it is certainly not "in the round" like most of their shows. Its proscenium measures 80 feet wide by 50 feet tall and holds 176 audio speakers with 36 subwoofers, 20 of which are buried in the floor. It boasts the largest single-ring, fiber-optic audio transport system in the world. The video system includes four front projectors and two overhead projectors plus a 30-foot-by-40-foot LED wall that can split into eight separate columns. It's all intricately fused to support new arrangements of old songs that aim to inspire new fans as well as satisfy old. "Viva ELVIS is more of a concert," Deans explains. "The musicians are on stage 80 percent of the time, and the main focus 50 percent of the time. They have an onstage presence, which is a fantastic thing." A Different World The creatives got the rights to bring Mr. Presley "back" to Vegas and were immediately faced with a quandary: How do you take on something that is larger than life? Thirty of Elvis' songs are used in the production, and like the Cirque's previous big splash, the Beatles-themed Love, there are remixes designed to accentuate and boost the emotional charge of his original performances. Elvis' voice is the only male singing voice in the show, joined occasionally by live female singers and the band. Armand Thomas, director of creation, has been with Cirque since 1996, though this was his first show as a creator. "We didn't want to repeat, that's for sure," he says. "So we started off looking at the theater itself, and steered away from it being in the round like Love." They also wanted to distant themselves from the use of characters within a song. But like Love, the music came first: "The traditional Cirque way is to create an act, then fill in the song. But with these big iconic songs, we did the reverse." The show is presented in quasi-chorological order, starting off with the early days and ending in (appropriately) his Vegas years. There's no envy in picking what songs made it in the show, though: "In the Elvis collection there are at least 750 songs, and you can easily toss out 600," Thomas says. "But that initial list we came up with had 100 songs, then we kept whittling it down." Coming up with the final selection, even when some songs were not performed in their original length, was daunting. They wanted Elvis's actual voice as much as possible, which proved challenging. "We wanted to extract his voice and put it in a new arrangement that would be completed by live musicians. Sometimes we bit the bullet and decided that a recording made with one mic in the middle of a room in Tennessee recorded decades ago was too tough to clean up." Thomas adds a personal thrill: The creative team got to travel to the famed Iron Mountain vault in Pennsylvania and hear the original masters. "We spent three days listening to all the songs we were considering, and sometimes there were up to 25 takes," he says. "It was fun listening to the banter between the songs." Technically, however, it was an audio engineering nightmare: Those tapes were in four or five different formats. For Deans, Cirque's permanent theaters and its big top are two quite different worlds when it comes to sound design. "There are different technical demands, but as far as the texture and the layering of the music and sound are concerned, it's the same," he says. "My work is to create a unique environment for every production. And whatever the environment is, I need to make sure that sonically the audience members know they are entering a different world." Not Bigger...Grander Deans has done 13 Cirque shows, seven in Vegas. "I'm very honored by Cirque for getting to do so many," he says. "If I can be so bold, I've grown with the company." His work took on special meaning for this one. His previous work, Love placed extra importance on the music, but there was no live band. "After doing Love, I too wanted to reinvent myself and not copy my own design," he says. Three years were spent on building the theater and the production. "The concept was to create a concert sound system, with left/right concert speakers, and then split clusters over the proscenium arch that allowed for us to pull [audio] focus left or right as needed." A surround system was built into the theater that is especially responsive. He's able to switch off the FOH main speakers and have sound coming just out of the side that's powerful enough to go well past ambient and into something that can broaden the field of music. "Here we have a big production, so I tried to make it wider, yet keep focus in the audio sense. I'm not talking just bigger dynamics, but grander." With so much experience working with the creative team, there was little guesswork. "I knew what I wanted to do, and am fortunate enough to have the experience to know how it would turn out." One bit of boldness that required some experimentation was the decision to bury 20 subwoofers in the floor under the orchestra level. "There was no way one could forecast how that would work, but I had a hunch of what it would mean," he says. "I'm pleased to say that with Elvis' music having updated arrangements created by Erich [Van Tourneau, musical director/arranger], the extra power that the subwoofers provide really create a unique concert experience. It's a concert experience without hammering people, but they do feel the theater move." The subwoofers used are passive with no processing, and since they were literally being buried and nearly impossible to get too, they had to be maintenance-free. He chose Danley Sound TH-115TH to give the buried treasure treatment to, and says they work extremely well. The rest of the speakers are all Meyer, Deans' speaker of choice. "When you take the product out of the box, they always work. When you take two of the same products out, they work exactly alike. That's important, because I hang speakers in ridiculous positions, and want to move sound around a lot, so they must always have the same voice." Even in the CAD stages, he says when he's placing speakers, virtually walking around the 3D version of the auditorium, he can hear with great accuracy in his head exactly what Meyer speakers will be delivering for him. "The board is LCS (Level Control Systems), which has recently been acquired by Meyer," Deans says. "It's a board that Cirque has used for 20 years, and it's a mixing board that never tells the designer ‘no.' There are no limits." He provides the analogy of sound traveling like a driver from New Jersey to Manhattan. The driver must go through the dark, narrow confines of the Lincoln tunnel before emerging again in the light. "With LCS, there is no tunnel." All the musicians are wireless, of course, and the team went with Sennheiser to supply the system. Deans notes that because of the white space nightmare that we all now live in, combined with the interference complexity of CityCenter where the theater is housed, they were restricted, and making sure the gear and the PMs are working properly is a nightly challenge. "This is not the fault of Sennheiser, but a problem with the CityCenter," he states emphatically. "But the sound team is fantastic, and they pull the show out of the bag 10 shows a week. I'm incredibly proud and tip my hat to Kevin Owens [head of sound] and Aaron Beck [sound project manager] and the rest of the operations crew." Otherwise, he says he's in awe of the sound source: the musicians. A highlight for him is the "Burning Love" number. "All the musicians are spread across downstage, and while there are movie clips playing above, it's really just about the band. They are playing with this tremendous energy, and it's just fantastic. The percussionist is right on the edge, practically in the front row, and the musicianship is astounding." The sound/video/communications consultant was Auerbach Pollock Friedlander's Matthew Ezold, CTS. Solotech served as installation company, with Bob Barbagallo and Mario St-Onge playing key roles. The associate sound designer was Jason Rauhoff. The sound operations crew includes Dave Robertson, Whitney Day, John Kessler, Jason Bauer and Ezra Fowler. GEAR FOH/Monitor Consoles: Meyer Sound LCS LX-300 (Each console consisting of 11 frames - all AES/EBU.) Meyer Sound LCS Cue console (Each console consisting of 4 fader, 3 meter and 1 transport module) 24 channel Meyer Sound Wild Tracks playback system 2 TC Electronic 6000 8 TC Electronic M-One XL 24 Mac and PC show computers (to control all parts of the production) Custom console furniture by Sound Construction & Supply, Nashville, Tenn. Speaker System: (total 208 enclosures) Main left, right, center left and center right arrays (12 Meyer Sound Mica array speakers - total 48 speakers) Main left and right subs - 8 Meyer Sound 700HP subwoofers Main center subs - 8 Meyer Sound M3Ds Bunker subs (below concrete slab) - Danley Sound TH-115THs Front fill speakers - 9 Meyer M1-SMs Side front fill speakers - 2 Meyer UP Junior and 4 M'elodie array speakers Front overhead surround - 5 Meyer Sound MTS-4As Center overhead surround - 5 Meyer Sound CQ-1s Rear overhead surround - 5 Meyer Sound UPJ-1Ps Side surround - 8 Meyer Sound MSL-4s, 8 Meyer Sound UPQ1-Ps, 10 Meyer Sound UP Juniors Rear surround - 14 Meyer Sound M1-SMs, 6 Meyer Sound M'elodies, 6 Meyer Sound UPJ-1Ps, 11 Meyer Sound UPJ-1Ps Stage monitors - 10 Meyer Sound M1-SMs, 2 Meyer Sound CQ-2s Speaker Notes: All speakers on RMS loudspeaker monitoring system Fiber optic audio transport system provided by Optocore Audio network consisting of 504 inputs and 776 outputs 2 different show files for live show and playback with 128 input Nuendo multi track version for sound checks and rehearsal 21 IDs on the synchronous, redundant, optical ring 13 DD32E, 3 DD2FE, 2 LX4AP, 3 YG2, 1 YS2, 8 X6-16 Out, 3 X6P-16 In, 3 X6P-8/8 2 channels of MIDI transport over the fiber ring Wireless System (123 total frequencies) 40 Channels of Sennheiser EM 3732 UHF receiver 29 Sennheiser SK 5212 bodypack trans- mitters 7 Sennheiser SKM 5200 handheld trans-mitters 4 SKP-3000 plug on transmitters 30 channels of Sennheiser SR350 IEMG2 PMs with EK300IEMG receivers 10 Telex BTR 800 wireless intercom base stations with 40 Telex TR-800 transceivers intercom, paging and video system Dynacord Proannounce paging system and EV Netmax N8000 digital matrix Clear-Com digital intercom - Eclipse Median with 96 ports 32 Clear-Com V Series user control stations Microphones 4 different drum kits and 4 different percussion kits 92 microphones for drums and percussion alone 6 Neumann TLM-170s 32 Neumann KM140s 24 Sennheiser MKH 40s 12 Audio-Technica 4040s 12 Audio-Technica 4041s 5 Audix DP-7 drum microphone kits 12 DPA 4099 horn, sax and guitar microphones 6 DPA 4066 headset microphones 16 Radial direct boxes 12 Little Labs red eye guitar reampers Misc. other Shure, AKG, Radial microphones and direct boxes Misc. K&M and AKG microphone stands and hardware Breakout/Snake Assemblies and Power Distro: 8 Whirlwind USA Audio W6 Series 28 channel multi cables Motion Labs power distribution equipment 6 custom band snakes (2 AC & 12 Fiber in 1 Jacket) by Clark Wire & Cable. Brian :D

Thanks for the welcome Tilly. Glad to be here. Brian

On June 21st, FTD will release a deluxe edition of Elvis' Grammy Award winning album How Great Thou Art. This release of 'How Great Thou Art' is a 2-disc set in the Classic Album series. Originally released in 1967, it was Elvis' second Gospel album. The original album featured a collection of thirteen sacred songs including the hit single 'Crying In The Chapel'. In addition to the masters, it features many great outtakes. The 7" inch digi-pack format features a 12-page booklet with great photographs and RARE memorabilia. How Great Thou Art Disc 1 Original Album Side 1 01 How Great Thou Art (Stuart K. Hine) 02 In The Garden (Charles A. Miles) 03 Somebody Bigger Than You And I (John Lange/Hy Heath/Sonny Burke) 04 Farther Along (Arranged by Elvis Presley) 05 Stand By Me (Arranged by Elvis Presley) 06 Without Him (Mylon LeFevre) Original Album Side 2 07 So High (Arranged by Elvis Presley) 08 Where Could I Go But To The Lord (James B. Coats) 09 By And By (Arranged by Elvis Presley) 10 If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (Henry Slaughter) 11 Run On (Arranged by Elvis Presley) 12 Where No One Stands Alone (Mosie Lister) 13 Crying In The Chapel (Artie Glenn) Bonus Songs 14 You'll Never Walk Alone (Richard Rodgers/Oscar Hammerstein) 15 We Call On Him (Fred Karger/Ben Weisman/Sid Wayne) 16 If Everyday Was Like Christmas (Red West) First Takes 17 How Great Thou Art - takes 1 & 2 18 Somebody Bigger Than You And I - takes 1,3,11 19 Stand By Me - takes 1 & 2 20 Without Him - take 1 21 So High - take 1 22 By And By - take 4 23 If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side - take 1 24 Run On - takes 1 & 2 25 Where No One Stands Alone - takes 1 & 4 spliced 26 You'll Never Walk Alone - take 1 27 We Call On Him - takes 1 & 2 Disc 2 May 1966 Sessions 01 Run On - takes 3-6 02 Stand By Me - takes 5-7 03 Stand By Me - takes 9 & 10 04 Where No One Stands Alone - takes 2, 3 & wp 1 05 Where No One Stands Alone - wp takes 2, 3 & 5 06 So High - takes 2 & 3 07 Farther Along - takes 1& 2 08 By And By - takes1, 2, 3, 4 (fs), 5 & 7 09 By And By - takes 8 & 9 10 In The Garden - takes 1-3 11 Somebody Bigger Than You And I - take 12 12 Somebody Bigger Than You And I - takes14 (fs), 15 & wp 5 13 Without Him - takes 4 & 8 14 Without Him - takes 11, 13 & 14 15 If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side - takes 2-4 16 If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side - take 6 June 1966 Sessions 17 If Every Day Was Like Christmas - takes 1 & 2 (undubbed master) September 1967 Sessions 18 We Call On Him - takes 4 & 5 19 We Call On Him - take 7 20 We Call On Him - take 8 21 You'll Never Walk Alone - take 2 22 You'll Never Walk Alone - takes 3, 4, 6 & 8 Wp = work parts Fs = false start Disc 1 tracks 1-12 and 17-24 & disc 2 tracks 1-16 recorded May 25-27, 1966 at RCA's Studio B, Nashville. Guitar: Scotty Moore, Chip Young; Bass: Bob Moore; Bass & Harmonica & Guitar: Charlie McCoy; Drums: D. J. Fontana; Drums & Tympani: Buddy Harman; Piano: Floyd Cramer; Piano & Organ: Henry Slaughter, David Briggs; Steel Guitar: Pete Drake; Sax: Rufus Long, Boots Randolph; Vocals: Millie Kirkham, June Page, Dolores Edgin, The Imperials, The Jordanaires Disc 1 track 13 recorded October 30, 1960 at RCA's Studio B, Nashville. Guitar: Hank Garland, Scotty Moore, Elvis Presley; Bass: Bob Moore; Drums: Buddy Harman, D. J. Fontana; Piano: Floyd Cramer; Vocals: Millie Kirkham, The Jordanaires Disc 1 track 14 & disc 2 track 17 recorded June 10, 1966 at RCA's Studio B, Nashville. Elvis' vocals recorded June 12, 1966 at RCA's Studio B, Nashville. Guitar: Harold Bradley, Scotty Moore, Chip Young; Bass: Bob Moore; Drums: D:J. Fontana; Drums & Tympani: Buddy Harman; Piano: David Briggs; Organ: Henry Slaughter; Steel Guitar: Pete Drake; Vocals: Millie Kirkham, June Page, Dolores Edgin, The Jordanaires, The Imperials Disc 1 tracks 14-15 & disc 2 tracks 18-22 recorded September 11, 1967 at RCA's Studio B, Nashville. Guitar: Harold Bradley, Scotty Moore, Chip Young; Bass: Bob Moore; Drums: D.J. Fontana, Buddy Harman; Piano: Floyd Cramer, Elvis Presley on 'You'll Never Walk Alone'; Organ & Harmonica & Guitar: Charlie McCoy; Steel Guitar: Pete Drake; Vocals: Millie Kirkham, The Jordanaires Compilation produced and Art directed by Ernst Mikael Jørgensen & Roger Semon Mastered by Sebastian Jeansson Original A&R: Felton Jarvis, Steve Sholes (disc 1 track 13) Original engineers: Jim Malloy, Bill Porter (disc 1 track 13), Al Pachucki (September 1967). Brian