Elvis Presley: Memphis (Box Set)

[Robert]

The new In The Ghetto mix sounds good but I'm a little disappointed that he chose to put the guitar and organ on the left channel while leaving the right channel empty. Maybe that was the mix that sounded the best, but I still would have liked to have something on both sides.

For some (not all) of the undubbed masters from American Sound, mix engineers don't have much to work with in terms of stereo imaging/panning (although I'm sure Matt Ross-Spang has done a great job on the mixes).

Although the sessions were recorded on 8 Track tape, for some songs including "In The Ghetto", multiple instruments were recorded onto 1 Track during the original sessions to leave tracks spare for the eventual overdubs.

Without overdubs, In The Ghetto is fundamentally a 4-Track recording which doesn't leave many options for stereo panning when creating a mix (meaning the Organ/Guitar/Piano parts can't be panned separately):

"In The Ghetto" Session Track List:
1 - overdub (High Strings)
2 - overdub (Backing Vocals)
3 - overdub (Brass)
4 - overdub (Low Strings)
5 - Bass
6 - Organ/Guitar/Piano
7 - Vocal (Elvis)
8 - Drums

There are songs from these sessions that don't have this issue (for example Suspicious Minds, Stranger In My Own Hometown, Power Of My Love), so I'm sure a lot of these new mixes are going to sound great!

Tape Legend including "In The Ghetto" Session:

Cool post, like to add mixing is one thing (drums & bass centered thankfully) overall sound quality is another.
Regardless where you place the individual audio tracks, it seems Matt Ross' audio result is more open & dynamic vs previous releases.

Not sure if it's a result of mastering, tape transferring resolution or added effects but "In the Ghetto" surely sounds much better than the American Sound release.

[dougkapp]

Perhaps the new software, which splits up the instruments, could separate the guitar, piano and organ and thus produce a new mix.

[DobroMojo]

Cool post, like to add mixing is one thing (drums & bass centered thankfully) overall sound quality is another.
Regardless where you place the individual audio tracks, it seems Matt Ross' audio result is more open & dynamic vs previous releases.

Not sure if it's a result of mastering, tape transferring resolution or added effects but "In the Ghetto" surely sounds much better than the American Sound release.

Yep i agree!

[Scoobie]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

[elvisalisellers]

Similar multitrack layout as the Ross-Spang mix:

Organ/Guitar/Piano - L (some light bleed in the right channel)
Vocal - Centre
Drums - Off centre
Bass - R

Processing is lighter and comes devoid of the layer of noise that is a characteristic of much of Ross-Spang's work [another generation in the audio chain results when mixing in analog from digital transfers].

https://we.tl/t-2JK6VOic36

[frus75]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

You can’t remix the monaural tracks but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have been remastered again

[skabillyrebels]

Hi elvisalisellers,
Excellent job on that project

[frus75]

The sound on in the ghetto is excellent, the problem with the FTD classic albums outtakes mixes is that the way they were done they showcased the lack of overdubs. Ferrante did it better on the uncredited 5” FTD. You have to center the drums and give it a rhythm section kind of mix to avoid the tracks sounding too sparse.

And, that said, I was listening to gentle on my mind overdubbed finished master and boy, how I wish MRS would remix all 1969-1977 live and studio finished masters with all overdubs .

[Igotstung]

Cool post, like to add mixing is one thing (drums & bass centered thankfully) overall sound quality is another.
Regardless where you place the individual audio tracks, it seems Matt Ross' audio result is more open & dynamic vs previous releases.

Not sure if it's a result of mastering, tape transferring resolution or added effects but "In the Ghetto" surely sounds much better than the American Sound release.

Yep i agree!

The vocals are clearer/ emphatic ( every syllable has more stay, if that makes sense) and the timbre of the voice is more audible, with more gravitas, intimacy IMO. Beautiful.

[vinelvis]

The whole Back In Memphis album should’ve been included, period.

I guess we’ll have to wait for another FTD session box to finally see this happen. And this time, hopefully, we’ll get the finished masters included.

Yeah I've been waiting for the day they finally release the complete session. I don't buy into the "American sound is part of the sessions sets". It was meant to be a streaming only release and only after that FTD released it. And it's nowhere as complete as the other sessions IIRC.

[JeroenNL]

I think Matt Ross-Spang has done an absolute outstanding job on 'In The Ghetto'. It just sounds fantastic and everything is just right, with obvious great respect to the way this historic Elvis-song was recorded back in the day at American Sound. The difference between other releases of the undubbed master with Elvis' vocal overdub and this new mix are very, very noticable. But hey, what to expect of someone who actually has access to, and can work with, the original, multi-track session tapes? Another job very well done by Matt and looking so much foreward to this new boxset!

[Edwin]

Keith Flynn lists no release for the unrepaired undubbed master of In The Ghetto.
What's the one on American Sound 1969?

[Swedish]

And, that said, I was listening to gentle on my mind overdubbed finished master and boy, how I wish MRS would remix all 1969-1977 live and studio finished masters with all overdubs .

First, 70 years must have passed since publication, before MRS can legally start with 69-77

[L Ray]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

You can’t remix the monaural tracks but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have been remastered again

A Boy From Tupelo Sun tracks worked on by Sebastian, Anesini and others are the most recent worked on Sun tracks and by far the best sounding, in my opinion.

[frus75]

And, that said, I was listening to gentle on my mind overdubbed finished master and boy, how I wish MRS would remix all 1969-1977 live and studio finished masters with all overdubs .

First, 70 years must have passed since publication, before MRS can legally start with 69-77

I meant Matt Ross . MRS label won’t have access to the multitrack tapes and could do nothing worthwhile with stereo session material

[MysteryTrain]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

You can’t remix the monaural tracks but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have been remastered again

A Boy From Tupelo Sun tracks worked on by Sebastian, Anesini and others are the most recent worked on Sun tracks and by far the best sounding, in my opinion.

This is true. The best work on the Sun tracks was on "A Boy From Tupelo."

MT

[pmp]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

You can’t remix the monaural tracks but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have been remastered again

A Boy From Tupelo Sun tracks worked on by Sebastian, Anesini and others are the most recent worked on Sun tracks and by far the best sounding, in my opinion.

This is true. The best work on the Sun tracks was on "A Boy From Tupelo."

MT

I'll still take Kevan Budd's work over any of the other people who have worked on the Elvis catalogue during the last thirty or forty years.

[skabillyrebels]

kevan budd's work on the sun tracks is the best in my opinion.
https://www.elvisinfonet.com/interview_kevanbudd.html

[Eggrert]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

You can’t remix the monaural tracks but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have been remastered again

A Boy From Tupelo Sun tracks worked on by Sebastian, Anesini and others are the most recent worked on Sun tracks and by far the best sounding, in my opinion.

This is true. The best work on the Sun tracks was on "A Boy From Tupelo."

MT

I'll still take Kevan Budd's work over any of the other people who have worked on the Elvis catalogue during the last thirty or forty years.

Does anyone have a list of all of Kevan Budd's Elvis releases? Off the top of my head, the only one I know of is Elvis At Sun.

[pmp]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

You can’t remix the monaural tracks but that doesn’t mean they couldn’t have been remastered again

A Boy From Tupelo Sun tracks worked on by Sebastian, Anesini and others are the most recent worked on Sun tracks and by far the best sounding, in my opinion.

This is true. The best work on the Sun tracks was on "A Boy From Tupelo."

MT

I'll still take Kevan Budd's work over any of the other people who have worked on the Elvis catalogue during the last thirty or forty years.

Does anyone have a list of all of Kevan Budd's Elvis releases? Off the top of my head, the only one I know of is Elvis At Sun.

The Loving You, Jailhouse Rock (2009), and Gold Records 2 FTDs are all by Kevan, IIRC. One of the 68 Comeback FTD releases, too, I think? And the FTD of the first album. I think there is one reissue each of the first two albums at retail level, too, but there's been so many that I get thoroughly confused. I'm sure someone can help out with a full list.

I think there is something "authentic" about his mixes and mastering - an attention to detail, a striving to get the best possible result from whatever sources are available (as we hear about in the interview linked to earlier)...and all without actually drawing attention to the mastering or mixing process in the way we seem to get with Ross-Spang. There's no intention to make something sound different - just an intention to make it sound better. And I'm pretty sure there'd be no speed issues if he had been working with soundboards. Just looks at the thoroughness with which he discusses working on the first album FTD.

https://www.elvis.com.au/presley/cd/cd-elvis-presley-kevan-budd.shtml

[skabillyrebels]

https://www.discogs.com/artist/2522422-Kevan-Budd

Elvis Presley – Elvis At Sun


RCA, BMG Strategic Marketing Group
2004

Cover of Elvis
Elvis Presley – Elvis


RCA Victor
2005

Cover of Loving You
Elvis Presley – Loving You

RCA Victor
2005

Cover of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley


RCA Victor
2005

Cover of Let Yourself Go! (The Making Of "Elvis" - The '68 Comeback Special)
Elvis* – Let Yourself Go! (The Making Of "Elvis" - The '68 Comeback Special)
(CD, Comp)
RCA, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Follow That Dream Records
8869702026-6
2006


Cover of The Million Dollar Quartet
The Million Dollar Quartet – The Million Dollar Quartet

Sun (9)
2006

Cover of Elvis R&B
Elvis Presley – Elvis R&B


RCA, Sony BMG Music Entertainment
2006

Cover of 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong (Elvis' Gold Records, Vol. 2)
Elvis Presley – 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong (Elvis' Gold Records, Vol. 2)


RCA Victor
2007

Cover of Jailhouse Rock
Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock
(2×CD, Comp, RE)
RCA, Sony Music, Follow That Dream Records
506020-975001
2009

Cover of A Boy From Tupelo (The Complete 1953-55 Recordings)
Elvis Presley – A Boy From Tupelo (The Complete 1953-55 Recordings)
(3×CD, Comp, Mono, Box Set)
RCA, Legacy, Sony Music
88985417732, A0102847914-0102, A0102847923-0202, A0102847928-0303
2017

Cover of The Roots Of Elvis
Various – The Roots Of Elvis
(CD, Comp, Unofficial Release, Mono)
Memory Records (7)
CD MR 2019-2
2019

[drjohncarpenter]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

No.

The Sun material appeared in its greatest iteration on A Boy From Tupelo, a book + CD title issued by FTD in 2012, and the audio reissued on SONY in 2017. Any repurposing of these classic recordings comes from this project.

Produced by Sebastian Jeansson and Ernst Mikael Jørgensen.
Audio restoration and mastering: Sebastian Jeansson.
Audio assistance: Vic Anesini.
Original SUN recordings engineered and produced by Sam Phillips.

https://www.elvisthemusic.com/music/boy-from-tupelo-complete-1953-1955-recordings/

You should pick up a copy.

[chop983]

For anyone asking if Mr. Ross-Spang has done any work on the Sun tracks on disc 1, Graceland stated in their publicity that set contains 111 tracks 88 of which have been re-mixed. So 111-88 = 23, which is the number of tracks on disc 1. So, no work beyond that of Mr. Budd's last efforts, which were excellent. Let us hope that this is what we get on disc 1.

No.

The Sun material appeared in its greatest iteration on A Boy From Tupelo, a book + CD title issued by FTD in 2012, and the audio reissued on SONY in 2017. Any repurposing of these classic recordings comes from this project.

Produced by Sebastian Jeansson and Ernst Mikael Jørgensen.
Audio restoration and mastering: Sebastian Jeansson.
Audio assistance: Vic Anesini.
Original SUN recordings engineered and produced by Sam Phillips.

https://www.elvisthemusic.com/music/boy-from-tupelo-complete-1953-1955-recordings/

Loo

You should pick up a copy.

I guess Mr Budd is on the list.

[JeroenNL]

Keith Flynn lists no release for the unrepaired undubbed master of In The Ghetto.
What's the one on American Sound 1969?

This - see picture - is the version on the coming Memphis Boxset. The unrepaired undubbed master remains unreleased.

Elvis' original vocal - that would also be on the unrepaired undubbed master - can be found on the 'Keep Rollin' On' (VENUS) release and on the 'American Rejects' release

[drjohncarpenter]

https://www.discogs.com/artist/2522422-Kevan-Budd

Elvis Presley – Elvis At Sun


RCA, BMG Strategic Marketing Group
2004

Cover of Elvis
Elvis Presley – Elvis


RCA Victor
2005

Cover of Loving You
Elvis Presley – Loving You

RCA Victor
2005

Cover of Elvis Presley
Elvis Presley – Elvis Presley


RCA Victor
2005

Cover of Let Yourself Go! (The Making Of "Elvis" - The '68 Comeback Special)
Elvis* – Let Yourself Go! (The Making Of "Elvis" - The '68 Comeback Special)
(CD, Comp)
RCA, Sony BMG Music Entertainment, Follow That Dream Records
8869702026-6
2006


Cover of The Million Dollar Quartet
The Million Dollar Quartet – The Million Dollar Quartet

Sun (9)
2006

Cover of Elvis R&B
Elvis Presley – Elvis R&B


RCA, Sony BMG Music Entertainment
2006

Cover of 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong (Elvis' Gold Records, Vol. 2)
Elvis Presley – 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong (Elvis' Gold Records, Vol. 2)


RCA Victor
2007

Cover of Jailhouse Rock
Elvis Presley – Jailhouse Rock
(2×CD, Comp, RE)
RCA, Sony Music, Follow That Dream Records
506020-975001
2009

Cover of A Boy From Tupelo (The Complete 1953-55 Recordings)
Elvis Presley – A Boy From Tupelo (The Complete 1953-55 Recordings)
(3×CD, Comp, Mono, Box Set)
RCA, Legacy, Sony Music
88985417732, A0102847914-0102, A0102847923-0202, A0102847928-0303
2017

Cover of The Roots Of Elvis
Various – The Roots Of Elvis
(CD, Comp, Unofficial Release, Mono)
Memory Records (7)
CD MR 2019-2
2019

Since the question is about the Sun recordings on the new Memphis release, turns out Mr. Budd has no audio credit on A Boy From Tupelo:

https://www.discogs.com/release/10654872-Elvis-Presley-A-Boy-From-Tupelo-The-Complete-1953-55-Recordings


On that Discogs page he's listed as one of several "Historians." Screenshot is below.

I guess Mr Budd is on the list.

Audio? Your guess is incorrect.


'