Presley’s ‘Comeback Special’ still relevant, 50 years later

MEMPHIS, TENN. >> Elvis Presley wanted an honest answer. Steve Binder gave him one.

Presley was meeting Binder for the first time in Binder’s office in Los Angeles in 1968. A music and television producer, Binder had been asked to put together an NBC television special featuring Presley, who had become more of a movie actor than a rock ‘n’ roll singer in the 1960s when the Beatles and the Rolling Stones were dominating the rock world.

Presley and Binder talked for about an hour about music and established a rapport, Binder recalls. Then Presley popped the question: “What do you think of my career?”

“I was young and brash in those days,” Binder told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “I said, ‘I think it’s in the toilet.’”

According to Binder, Presley said: “Well finally, somebody’s talking straight to me.”

That meeting became a meaningful step in the creation of the one-hour TV show “Singer Presents...Elvis,” better known today as the ‘68 Comeback Special. Aired on Dec. 3, 1968, the program was a rapturous return for the 33-year-old Presley, whose music had mostly stuck to soundtrack songs from his often pulpy, saccharine films. It was sponsored by Singer, the sewing machine company.

Relaxed at some points, energetic during others — and always inspired — a still-handsome Presley sounds strong and soulful. He appears genuine: He sweats, his black hair gets messed up.

The finale features an emotional Presley singing “If I Can Dream,” a moving piece written for the show that served as a response to the tumult of 1968, when the Vietnam War served as the backdrop for the assassinations of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. and Robert F. Kennedy.

Presley returned to prominence. He began performing for soldout crowds in Las Vegas and produced “From Elvis in Memphis,” an album that included “Suspicious Minds” and “In the Ghetto.”

Presley’s career would slow down. He divorced his wife, Priscilla, and began abusing prescription drugs. He died of a heart attack on Aug. 16, 1977, in Memphis.

Still, his popularity has remained high. Graceland, the tourist attraction built around his former Memphis home, draws 500,000 visitors a year. HBO recently released a documentary, “Elvis Presley: The Searcher.” And his image and voice are regularly used in films, TV shows and commercials.

Much has been said about the importance of the ‘68 Comeback Special to Presley’s career. In a 2008 Los Angeles Times article, writer Robert Lloyd calls it a “moment of change.”