Netflix The Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley revisits the 1968 television special that marked Presley’s return to live performance after a seven-year hiatus. After seven years of Presley making films, his manager Colonel Tom Parker prepared a decisive Christmas television special to reintroduce Elvis to a music scene that had changed beyond recognition. The Beatles and the Rolling Stones were taking the US by storm and a new, socially active movement, led by Bob Dylan, was challenging the norms. Parker proposed a $1.25 million exclusive rights deal with the NBC Television Network.
NBC hired frequent business partner Universal Studios to share the costs, for vintagerockmag. withand Presley’s share was $1 million. NBC tapped Bob Finkel to produce the specialwho began to persuade Parker, NBC, and the show’s sponsors, the Singer Sewing Machine Company, that he needed full creative control and the services of Steve Binder, an up-and-coming 35-year-old film and television director who had directed the show from rock TV Hullabaloo for NBC. Binder had a unique vision for the program, which aired on December 3, 1968 to an astonishing 42 million Americans.
How to watch Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback special online
It’s streaming on PBS and Apple TV
Elvis Presley – The ’68 Comeback Special can be streamed in full on PBS and Apple TV. In the UK, it’s free to watch on BBC iPlayer. Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback special is available to rent on Amazon Video for $3.59. The special can also be purchased on Amazon Video for $13.59. The show has stood the test of time and has become the favorite performance of Presley’s career; he was at the height of his powers.
Elvis Presley – The ’68 Comeback Special was a resounding success, mainly because Binder was able to persuade Parker to set aside many of the Elvis Presley movie-type sketches that Parker preferred, for a raw, electric session with the star and his original band. The singer, freed from those handcuffs, was in spectacular shape. ” The result was Presley’s newly energized return as a stage performer.culminating in the Las Vegas residency that cemented his legacy. His wife Priscila, in The Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis Presley, it says “He was like a tiger. It was like a reincarnation.”
Where to buy Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback special
Amazon and HMV stock the DVD
In addition to streaming options, DVD and Blu-ray boxes can be found on Amazon and HMVonline, with prices starting at US$10.95. CD and Vinyl for Elvis Presley’s 1968 comeback special can also be found on Amazon. In The Return of the King: The Fall and Rise of Elvis PresleyPresley’s performance is summed up simply by Bruce Springsteen: “It’s just a musical revelation. This was the rebirth of Elvis Presley.”
Source: vintagerockmag. with