New FTD: The Last Tours Vol.1 (4CD) & California Holiday 2LP

[pmp]

$80 for four cds. Geez.

I am getting the new Bob Dylan box next week, 27 cds, for $90.

FTD has gotten too expensive.

£58 in the UK. And this is the problem. If it was, say, £40 this old curmudgeon might have actually gone for it. I currently have nothing from the tour, and I have sentimentality towards the old Fort Baxter release of some of this material. But not at £58. And the sad thing is we know that, unlike retail level releases, the price never drops.

[Yamaguchi.Y]

I think I will probably wind up buying this series, but it is (as always) definitely a premium price.
(Have also bought some of the book-cd combos, but have passed on many too — in all such cases, the premium (++ !) price is just way too above my genuine interest level in the specific content; not worth it to me.)
I pick and choose only what I really, really want now.
If there are any speed issues on any of these, however, I will stop buying them though.

[YDKM]

I agree,they are not cheap!

[Way Down Under]

My advice...go and get it...although I am biased. I am s supporter and Promoter of the
label. At least I am honest..

So you have no idea why Orlando Feb 15th was not included?

The Orlando soundboard tape has technical problems with Elvis' voice buried under layers of sound. In its unaltered state, the recording is very reminiscent of an instrumental, in large parts anyway. Samples of what I'm talking about are out there on various bootlegs. The producers of the TFC box-set (to everyone's amazement) managed to fix much of this, but FTD apparently don't want to go down that route or simply re-use the bootlegger's efforts. A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

[Way Down Under]

A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

The Orlando soundboard is common knowledge, but that's the first I heard about the Savannah recording. I sure hope you're wrong.

[Markus K.]

My advice...go and get it...although I am biased. I am s supporter and Promoter of the
label. At least I am honest..

So you have no idea why Orlando Feb 15th was not included?

The Orlando soundboard tape has technical problems with Elvis' voice buried under layers of sound. In its unaltered state, the recording is very reminiscent of an instrumental, in large parts anyway. Samples of what I'm talking about are out there on various bootlegs. The producers of the TFC box-set (to everyone's amazement) managed to fix much of this, but FTD apparently don't want to go down that route or simply re-use the bootlegger's efforts. A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

The Orlando soundboard is common knowledge, but that's the first I heard about the Savannah recording. I sure hope you're wrong.

Don't let Rob find out about your quoting techniques or you won't be leaving your room any time soon!

[On Tape 1972]

$80 for four cds. Geez.

I am getting the new Bob Dylan box next week, 27 cds, for $90.

FTD has gotten too expensive.

£58 in the UK. And this is the problem. If it was, say, £40 this old curmudgeon might have actually gone for it. I currently have nothing from the tour, and I have sentimentality towards the old Fort Baxter release of some of this material. But not at £58. And the sad thing is we know that, unlike retail level releases, the price never drops.

It's £58 in the UK with s/h included. It's more or less the same anywhere else. Nothing we can do about it. But why so pessimistic? The value of these things never drops either, as long as there are collectors and fans around.

Years from now, once the label has come to an end, this series will be highly sought after.

[On Tape 1972]

My advice...go and get it...although I am biased. I am s supporter and Promoter of the
label. At least I am honest..

So you have no idea why Orlando Feb 15th was not included?

The Orlando soundboard tape has technical problems with Elvis' voice buried under layers of sound. In its unaltered state, the recording is very reminiscent of an instrumental, in large parts anyway. Samples of what I'm talking about are out there on various bootlegs. The producers of the TFC box-set (to everyone's amazement) managed to fix much of this, but FTD apparently don't want to go down that route or simply re-use the bootlegger's efforts. A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

The Orlando soundboard is common knowledge, but that's the first I heard about the Savannah recording. I sure hope you're wrong.

Don't let Rob find out about your quoting techniques or you won't be leaving your room any time soon!

Rob is a man who knows how to quote.

[draig goch]

$80 for four cds. Geez.

I am getting the new Bob Dylan box next week, 27 cds, for $90.

FTD has gotten too expensive.

£58 in the UK. And this is the problem. If it was, say, £40 this old curmudgeon might have actually gone for it. I currently have nothing from the tour, and I have sentimentality towards the old Fort Baxter release of some of this material. But not at £58. And the sad thing is we know that, unlike retail level releases, the price never drops.

Bob Dylan Ain't Elvis.

[YDKM]

A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

The Orlando soundboard is common knowledge, but that's the first I heard about the Savannah recording. I sure hope you're wrong.

Interesting I had not heard that before!

[On Tape 1972]

A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

The Orlando soundboard is common knowledge, but that's the first I heard about the Savannah recording. I sure hope you're wrong.

Would it matter much if I wasn't? The recording is probably as chopped up as the rest of the tapes from that tour. If Savannah was complete from start to finish, I'd be a bit anxious. But based on what we know, I'm really not.

"The Last Tours Vol. 1" is going to be more extensive than anyone could have hoped for. And there's more to come. Good times.

[Way Down Under]

Would it matter much if I wasn't? The recording is probably as chopped up as the rest of the tapes from that tour. If Savannah was complete from start to finish, I'd be a bit anxious. But based on what we know, I'm really not.

I could live with the fact that it maybe just as incomplete as the rest of the shows. I just hope it captures the full mix of instruments, unlike the Orlando tape.

[vinelvis]

My advice...go and get it...although I am biased. I am s supporter and Promoter of the
label. At least I am honest..

So you have no idea why Orlando Feb 15th was not included?

The Orlando soundboard tape has technical problems with Elvis' voice buried under layers of sound. In its unaltered state, the recording is very reminiscent of an instrumental, in large parts anyway. Samples of what I'm talking about are out there on various bootlegs. The producers of the TFC box-set (to everyone's amazement) managed to fix much of this, but FTD apparently don't want to go down that route or simply re-use the bootlegger's efforts. A Savannah soundboard recording exists but has similar problems.

Very interesting. Have you heard the Savannah soundboard?

[midniteflyer]

For the price the Orlando soundboard should have been included along with an audio advisory note and left to the buyers discretion to listen. As is I have to turn to a bootleg to complete the set, the very thing FTD was created for to stop. The Final Curtain version is listenable enough if I want to hear the show and if an import company can pay to adjust the sound I'm sure FTD can financially stretch to something too.

[MikeTCB]

I ordered The Last Tours volume 1. I wonder how many other volumes will be released ?

[TCB-FAN]

I ordered The Last Tours volume 1. I wonder how many other volumes will be released ?

If I were to take a guess, it would be 3 total. Volume 2 would cover the month of March. Volume 3 would cover the month of April & early May (May 3rd Saginaw, MI, in particular)

EIC (June 19-21) is an entirely different beast & will be the project of the century for Ernst, perhaps his crown jewel project in 2027. I suspect EIC will be a gigantic, over produced glossy book, with a piano black hardcover, along with 3 or 4 CD's & a Blu-Ray of the CBS filmed concert (both Omaha & Rapid City concerts (complete, with backstage footage & interviews.), along with other bonus footage, including the rumored poolside interview in July.

[vinelvis]

I ordered The Last Tours volume 1. I wonder how many other volumes will be released ?

If I were to take a guess, it would be 3 total. Volume 2 would cover the month of March. Volume 3 would cover the month of April & early May (May 3rd Saginaw, MI, in particular)

EIC (June 19-21) is an entirely different beast & will be the project of the century for Ernst, perhaps his crown jewel project in 2027. I suspect EIC will be a gigantic, over produced glossy book, with a piano black hardcover, along with 3 or 4 CD's & a Blu-Ray of the CBS filmed concert (both Omaha & Rapid City concerts (complete, with backstage footage & interviews.), along with other bonus footage, including the rumored poolside interview in July.

All joking aside, I would like it al lot.

[pmp]

$80 for four cds. Geez.

I am getting the new Bob Dylan box next week, 27 cds, for $90.

FTD has gotten too expensive.

£58 in the UK. And this is the problem. If it was, say, £40 this old curmudgeon might have actually gone for it. I currently have nothing from the tour, and I have sentimentality towards the old Fort Baxter release of some of this material. But not at £58. And the sad thing is we know that, unlike retail level releases, the price never drops.

It's £58 in the UK with s/h included. It's more or less the same anywhere else. Nothing we can do about it. But why so pessimistic? The value of these things never drops either, as long as there are collectors and fans around.

Years from now, once the label has come to an end, this series will be highly sought after.

I can't pay for it in years to come when the series is over. My point is that £58 for a 4 disc set is outrageous, and there wont be a sale price in a years time. Sony are doing 100 disc classical sets for under £150, remastered from original tapes and acetates, in a giant box with a coffee table book. Different music? Sure, but production costs for discs are the same price whether Elvis or Elgar. Production costs are NOT the reason for the high price.

There is no earthly reason for this set to be close to £15 a disc. ABSOLUTELY NONE. I haven't bought a four disc set by ANY artist at that price in the last twenty-five years...and I doubt you have either outside of the Elvis world.

[pmp]

$80 for four cds. Geez.

I am getting the new Bob Dylan box next week, 27 cds, for $90.

FTD has gotten too expensive.

£58 in the UK. And this is the problem. If it was, say, £40 this old curmudgeon might have actually gone for it. I currently have nothing from the tour, and I have sentimentality towards the old Fort Baxter release of some of this material. But not at £58. And the sad thing is we know that, unlike retail level releases, the price never drops.

Bob Dylan Ain't Elvis.

And yet production costs are the same for both artists.

[TCB-FAN]

My point is that £58 for a 4 disc set is outrageous, and there wont be a sale price in a years time.
There is no earthly reason for this set to be close to £15 a disc. ABSOLUTELY NONE.

Perhaps we could at least band together & start a petition to have Ernst & his FTD crew to begin issuing digital downloads of their product as an alternative for a fixed premium price (ie : $1.00 per downloaded track or less) at a specific website, or even posted at all public domain streaming sites like Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, etc.... I honestly think we've reached that point in the game in 2024. The recently released Memphis set is doing exceptionally well in the download domain, case in point. The physical CD product is becoming more of a luxury niche product, tbh.

[pmp]

My point is that £58 for a 4 disc set is outrageous, and there wont be a sale price in a years time.
There is no earthly reason for this set to be close to £15 a disc. ABSOLUTELY NONE.

Perhaps we could at least band together & start a petition to have Ernst & his FTD crew to begin issuing digital downloads of their product as an alternative for a fixed premium price (ie : $1.00 per downloaded track or less) at a specific website, or even posted at all public domain streaming sites like Amazon, iTunes, Spotify, etc.... I honestly think we've reached that point in the game in 2024. The recently released Memphis set is doing exceptionally well in the download domain, case in point. The physical CD product is becoming more of a luxury niche product, tbh.

I think there are problems with that option. If, for example, the complete sessions were offered in that way, then people would just buy the tracks they wanted and leave the rest, meaning the income would be less - and the print run of physical product would be lower, and thus shoving the prices of CDs higher.

The best way forward is simply to stop charging dedicated fans a price for CDs that is basically a rip-off. This autumn, Sony are releasing several 3CDs sets in digipaks for £5.99. So, production/printing costs for the Elvis 4CD set isn't going to be more than a pound or two more than for those 3CD sets. I'm not suggesting that FTD start selling Elvis products at that price range, but if they are making profit on £5.99 sets, it's pretty certain there would be a very good profit margin at £40-45. No excuse for it to be more than that.

[YDKM]

I ordered The Last Tours volume 1. I wonder how many other volumes will be released ?

If I were to take a guess, it would be 3 total. Volume 2 would cover the month of March. Volume 3 would cover the month of April & early May (May 3rd Saginaw, MI, in particular)

EIC (June 19-21) is an entirely different beast & will be the project of the century for Ernst, perhaps his crown jewel project in 2027. I suspect EIC will be a gigantic, over produced glossy book, with a piano black hardcover, along with 3 or 4 CD's & a Blu-Ray of the CBS filmed concert (both Omaha & Rapid City concerts (complete, with backstage footage & interviews.), along with other bonus footage, including the rumored poolside interview in July.

it might go something along those lines and seems the Problem Tour to try to release anything from might be the May/June tour from which i never heard for definate their are any soundboards available (but Bruce Jackson was on that tour and even took his mum to see the Binghampton shows!)

[xmascarrol]

FTD wouldn't be around if us fans didn't buy their products in the first place, and you would think maybe they would keep the price down , but people its a business and no matter how we want to think Ernst and the gang are here for us Elvis fan's , Maybe at the beginning things were cause of their love for Elvis and I'm not saying they don't care still but with the money they have made , it's what they are here for to make money . FTD and Sony are not forcing you to buy their products so don't like the price don't buy it .

I have ordered it and i have the concerts before so I'm happy with what I already have but I'm a sucker for the 77 concerts, but remember you really don't have to buy everything

[YDKM]

The only reason I am buying it is basically for 2 reasons 1. The concerts from 18th + 19th in soundboard sound + most times I have found the FTD releases at least 10% better in sound than the previous Bootleg release so that's my reason. Certainly it will be most interesting exactly what a Volume #2 would consist of!

[pmp]

FTD wouldn't be around if us fans didn't buy their products in the first place, and you would think maybe they would keep the price down , but people its a business and no matter how we want to think Ernst and the gang are here for us Elvis fan's , Maybe at the beginning things were cause of their love for Elvis and I'm not saying they don't care still but with the money they have made , it's what they are here for to make money . FTD and Sony are not forcing you to buy their products so don't like the price don't buy it .

I have ordered it and i have the concerts before so I'm happy with what I already have but I'm a sucker for the 77 concerts, but remember you really don't have to buy everything

Nobody has to buy anything. But simply shoving the price up and saying you don't have to buy it is hardly a good business model. I'd be selling very few books if I did that.