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Friday, July 22, 2011

He Touched Me - FTD Light Version

I was glad to notice the other day that He Touched Me will be among the three new releases on the FTD label in September (together with a soundboard titled 48 Hours To Memphis, recorded on March 18, 1974 in Richmond, Virginia and Elvis Sings Guitar Man on vinyl). He Touched Me is one of four titles I've tipped would get the classic album treatment this year, and I'm looking forward to it.

So much, in fact, that I've created my own "FTD light version" of the album with the help of iTunes, just like I did with Elvis Sings The Wonderful World Of Christmas about half a year ago. By using what has already been released officially from the sessions that resulted in Elvis' third and last gospel album, I came up with this:

THE ORIGINAL ALBUM / SIDE 1

01. He Touched Me
02. I've Got Confidence
03. Amazing Grace
04. Seeing Is Believing
05. He Is My Everything
06. Bosom Of Abraham

THE ORIGINAL ALBUM / SIDE 2
07. An Evening Prayer
08. Lead Me, Guide Me
09. There Is No God But God
10. A Thing Called Love
11. I, John
12. Reach Out To Jesus

INFORMAL RECORDING
13. The Lord's Prayer

THE OUTTAKES
14. Amazing Grace - take 2
15. He Touched Me - take 2
16. I've Got Confidence - take 1
17. Bosom Of Abraham - take 3
18. An Evening Prayer - take 2
19. Seeing Is Believing - take 4
20. A Thing Called Love - rehearsal
21. He Is My Everything - take 1
22. There Is No God But God - takes 1 (false start) & 2
23. Bosom Of Abraham - take 4
24. An Evening Prayer - take 5
25. Seeing Is Believing - take 7
26. A Thing Called Love - take 1
27. Bosom Of Abraham - take 7

BONUS SONGS (Elvis On Tour "jam session")
28. I, John
29. Bosom of Abraham
30. You Better Run
31. Lead Me, Guide Me
32. Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus/Nearer My God To Thee

As you can see I included the informal recording "A Lord's Prayer," a title that could as easily be featured on a future Elvis Sings The Wonderful World of Christmas FTD release as it was recorded between takes of "I'll Be Home On Christmas Day". As an afterthought I also added the gospel jam that was captured on tape (and film) on March 31, 1972, as part of the Elvis On Tour documentary.

The "FTD light version" of He Touched Me has a running time of about 80 minutes. It was compiled using all of the alternate takes that have been officially released so far. They can be found on Walk A Mile In My Shoes – The Essential 70's Master, Platinum: A Life In Music, Today, Tomorrow And Forever, Easter Special, I Sing All Kinds and A Hundred Years From Now – Essential Elvis Volume 4.

2 comments:

Mike Hermenet said...

Thanks for posting the list Thomas! I was actually starting to assemble my own list of songs and outtakes from the HE TOUCHED ME album to whet my appetite for the long-awaited FTD "Classic Albums" release!!

Now, let's hope PROMISED LAND shows up soon!! (-:

Thanks for another great post and TCB my friend!!

TCB!
Mike

Thomas said...

Hi Mike! Yes, it's a long-awaited album all right!

And just like you, I'm really looking forward to Promised Land getting the classic album treatment. When FTD released Good Times back in 2009 I thought the next one was going to be Promised Land for sure as Ernst Jorgensen and his crew had already retrieved the session tapes from December, 1973. How wrong I was. Here's for hoping it will be released at the end of this year.

Thanks for reading my post, Mike!