Classic Pop Icons

“Elvis: That’s the Way It Is” is among the movies that will feature in the “Yeah Yeah Yeah” film season next month at London’s Barbican. The season is curated by Bob Stanley to mark the publication of his new book “Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop“.

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The New Releases page has been updated to include music CD, DVD and Blu-ray releases for September.

Highlights for September include:

• Rod Stewart’s “Rarities” (3 Sep)
• the 6-CD “Marc Bolan at the BBC” and 2-CD “Marc Bolan – Best of the BBC Recordings” (3 Sep)
• the 13-CD “The Clash – Sound System” box set (10 Sep) and reissues of original albums (17 Sep)
• Madonna’s “MDNA Tour” on CD, DVD and Blu-ray (10 Sep)
• the 6-CD “The Shadows – The Early Years: 1959-1966” box set (17 Sep)
• Elvis Costello & The Roots “Wise Up Ghost” in standard and deluxe editions (17 Sep)
• The Band’s “Live at the Academy Of Music 1971” standard and deluxe editions (17 Sep) and “The Last Waltz” box set (24 Sep)
• Elton John’s new studio album “Diving Board” in standard, deluxe and super deluxe editions (24 Sep)
• Sting’s new album “The Last Ship” in standard and deluxe editions (24 Sep).

Elvis Presley’s Graceland has topped USA Today’s Best Iconic American Attraction list, as voted for by its readers. The public had four weeks to vote on 20 nominees, including attractions such as the Grand Canyon, the Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore and the White House. Graceland amassed nearly half of all votes.

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Elvis Presley died 36 years ago today at his Graceland mansion in Memphis. One of the most important aspects of Elvis’ legacy is the huge impact he had on both his contemporaries in the entertainment field and those who came after.

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RCA/Legacy Recordings has celebrated the 40th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s sessions at Stax studios in Memphis with a 55-track (28 masters and 27 outtakes) 3-CD collection titled “Elvis At Stax”. A cut-down version featuring 17 tracks is also available on CD and vinyl.

The recordings on “Elvis At Stax” were made over two sessions in July and December 1973. Stax had established an enviable hitmaking pedigree over the previous decade, with the likes of Otis Redding, Wilson Pickett, and Sam & Dave all recording at the Memphis studio. However, this meeting of the iconic star and the iconic studio happened more because it was a convenient local place to record than because Elvis made a creative decision to explore the famed Stax soul sound. Elvis stuck with his usual producer, for the most part used musicians he had played with before (some with Stax experience), and for the second session didn’t even use the Stax sound board (RCA sent a mobile recording unit to the studio as their equipment was more advanced).

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