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Fifty years ago today, two giants of 20th century popular music performed together for the first and only time. ABC’s “Frank Sinatra Timex Special – Welcome Home Elvis” was filmed at the Fontainebleau Hotel in Miami, Florida on March 26, 1960. The show aired on May 12. The show celebrated Elvis Presley’s return from two year’s national service in the army, much of which had been spent in Germany.

Sinatra had famously labelled rock ‘n’ roll music a “rancid smelling aphrodisiac” just a couple of years before, so it was a little unexpected for him to take on the role of welcoming Elvis back to the world of entertainment. The truth is that Sinatra needed a hit and that is what motivated him to secure Elvis for the show. His last three shows for ABC had flopped and he had one show left on his contract which he was determined would be successful, no matter what the cost. The long-awaited return of Elvis Presley was a sure fire way of ensuring a big audience and Sinatra was happy to pay for that. Elvis received $125,000 for around six minutes screen time.

Elvis came straight to Miami from a recording session in Nashville which yielded the songs “Make Me Know It,” “Soldier Boy,” “It Feels So Right,” “Stuck on You,” “Fame and Fortune” and “A Mess of Blues.” The first three would appear on the “Elvis is Back” album, which was completed in early April.

“Stuck on You” b/w “Fame and Fortune” was Elvis first post-army single and was shipped within 72 hours of the session. It was a number one hit in the US. “Mess of Blues” was the B side of “It’s Now or Never,” which was a worldwide number one later in the year.

Elvis travelled with his entourage by train from Nashville and thousands of fans lined the route. The group arrived in Miami on March 22 and Elvis checked into the penthouse of the Fontainebleau Hotel. He spent the rest of the week rehearsing for the show.

Rehearsal images

The show

The premise of the show was to highlight to Elvis what he had missed while away in Germany for two years. This was done through various song and dance routines, some of which are better than others. As well as Elvis and Frank, the show featured Nancy Sinatra, Joey Bishop, Sammy Davis Jr. Peter Lawford & The Tom Hansen Dancers. Dean Martin had been in town for three Rat Pack Summit shows in the days leading up to the television special, but he left for LA before filming.

This was Elvis’ first television appearance since January 1957, when he appeared on Ed Sullivan for the third time. That show had concluded with Sullivan telling the nation that Elvis was a “decent, fine boy,” in response to some of the criticisms over the impact of Elvis’ act on the nation’s youth. Three years later, with strong film performances and a stint in the army behind him, the controversy had died down and now he was being welcomed into the entertainment mainstream by Sinatra and friends.

The show commenced with Sinatra and company singing “It’s Nice to Go Travelling,” which was the final cut from his number one hit album “Come Fly With Me” from 1958. Elvis entered looking every inch the King in his army dress uniform and joined in on the song, which had altered lyrics to match the occasion.

Elvis didn’t look entirely at ease during the opening of the show, which isn’t suprising given that he was very much on Sinatra territory and it was his first appearance before an audience for well over two years. Much like in the variety shows on which Elvis appeared in the 1950s (Ed Sullivan, Steve Allen and the Dorsey Bros shows), the generation gap is clear. Though less raucous here than in the 50s and with a more polished edge, Elvis’ performances very definitely belong in the rock ‘n’ roll era and the artists he is surrounded by very definitely do not.

“Welcome Home Elvis” introduction

Elvis was on more solid ground when singing his music with his band on “Fame and Fortune” and “Stuck on You.”

Elvis Presley – “Fame and Fortune”

Elvis Presley – “Stuck on You”

Finally, there was an attempt to bridge the generation gap with a showbiz duet between Elvis and Frank on “Love Me Tender” / “Witchcraft.” This didn’t exactly set the world alight, but it’s entertaining enough and there was genuine camaraderie between the two performers. Here’s the duet, along with the recollections of Nancy Sinatra.

Elvis Presley and Frank Sinatra duet – “Love Me Tender” / “Witchcraft”

The “Welcome Home Elvis” special was a commercial success, providing Elvis with a high profile showbiz return and Sinatra with the ratings he craved. The show pulled in 67.7% of the television audience, which was the highest ever ratings for a Sinatra show.

Looking back on “Welcome Home Elvis” from a distance of 50 years, much of it hasn’t aged well, but Elvis does generally shine during the relatively brief time he is on screen.

The complete show

The running order for the show was as follows:

• It’s Very Nice to Go Travelling (performed by Frank Sinatra and company)
• Frank’s Time Machine (Frank Sinatra and Joey Bishop)
• Witchcraft (performed by Frank Sinatra)
• Timex promotional segment
• Come On Bess (performed by Sammy Davis Jnr.)
• Oriental Wedding Celebration
• Leona Irwin and the Tommy Hansen Dancers
• Sammy Recalls the Oscars (Sammy Davis Jnr.)
• Shall We Dance (Sammy Davis Jnr. and Peter Lawford)
• Timex promotional segment
• Fame and Fortune (performed by Elvis Presley)
• Stuck on You (performed by Elvis Presley)
• Love Me Tender/Witchcraft medley (performed by Frank Sinatra and Elvis Presley)
• Timex promotional segment
• Love Makes You Feel So Young (performed by Frank and Nancy Sinatra)
• Let’s Dance (Nancy Sinatra)
• Goodbye (Frank Sinatra).

What happened next?

During the remainder of 1960, Elvis would make two films (“G.I. Blues” and “Flaming Star”), and release the great “Elvis is Back” and “His Hand in Mine” albums, and several exceptional singles, including “Are You Lonesome Tonight?” and “It’s Now or Never.” Elvis was certainly back, if slightly more refined and less explosive than before he entered the army.

What of Elvis’ relationships with the cast of the special? Elvis never worked with Frank Sinatra again, but the special had greatly altered Sinatra’s view of Elvis. They didn’t really move in the same circles, but would remain on friendly terms for the rest of Elvis’ life. When Elvis died, Sinatra had this to say:

There have been many accolades uttered about Elvis’ talent and performances through the years, all of which I agree with wholeheartedly. I shall miss him dearly as a friend. He was a warm, considerate and generous man.

This was in stark contrast to Sinatra’s original assessment of Elvis in the 1950s.

Elvis and Frank on the set of “Frankie and Johnny” in 1965 (left) and with Fred Astaire in Vegas in 1969 (right)

Elvis was already friends with Sammy Davis Jr. at the time of the special and their friendship would continue into the 1970s. Sammy would often turn up to watch Elvis’ show in Vegas. He once said of Elvis “On a scale of one to ten, I would rate Elvis eleven.”

Elvis and Sammy on the set of King Creole in 1958 (left) and at Elvis’ aftershow party in Vegas on August 10, 1970 (right)

Elvis and Nancy Sinatra co-starred in the 1968 movie “Speedway,” which had some good moments, but Elvis was nearing the end of the movie contracts and it was not his finest hour. The two remained friends and later attended each others’ Vegas openings.

“Welcome Home Elvis” is available on DVD via the links below:

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