Post Malone, J.LO, Blake Shelton: The Elvis ’68 Comeback comeback
Like some sort of Grammy-powered Super Friends, Post Malone, Jennifer Lopez, Blake Shelton, John Legend and more than a dozen more of what NBC touted as the “greatest stars of our time” joined forces Sunday for a prime time television special titled “Elvis All-star Tribute.”
The two-hour “landmark televised music event” (to again quote NBC) doubled the original broadcast time of its inspiration, the so-called “‘68 Comeback Special,” a ratings blockbuster that helped rejuvenate Elvis Presley’s career when it was broadcast on NBC on Dec. 3, 1968. (The special’s actual title was “Singer Presents... Elvis,” named for the show’s chief sponsor, the Singer Corporation, known for its sewing machines.)
“I’m here tonight because 50 years ago a King returned,” announced country star Shelton, host of the program and — not coincidentally — a judge on the hit NBC vocal competition program, “The Voice.”
Shelton said the original special was “often imitated but never surpassed” and “changed the game forever in music and television.”
The special may prove to be something of a game changer itself for Post Malone, the platinum-selling rapper/ musician whose hit 2018 album “Beerbongs & Bentleys” obviously was not aimed at adult Elvis fans.
Auditioning for the mainstream audience-of-all-ages that now embraces the post-meat dress Lady Gaga, Post Malone — joined by Keith Urban on guitar — wore sparkly silver cowboy boots and a banana-colored Nudie-style suit embroidered with images of feathers, eagle claws and barbed wire to perform a faithful cover of Jimmy Reed’s blues classic, “Baby What You Want Me to Do.” He was affable and apparently happy and proud to have been invited to join the party.
The union of Post Malone and Urban demonstrated that — for Elvis Presley Enterprises, at least — the show’s mission, in large part, was to affirm the idea of Elvis’ universal appeal. The roster of performers — working alongside musicians recruited by the show’s big-beard music director, Don Was, a totemic onstage presence — included rock, pop, R&B, country and gospel “All-stars.”
Shot on a Universal Studios sound stage in October, the “Elvis All-star Tribute” more or less recreated the format of the original special by presenting performers in what “’68 Comeback Special” director Steve Binder called “a boxing ring without ropes”: a small square stage surrounded by fans, creating a fairly intimate setting for the straightforward (some might say conservative) interpretations of the songs. Sometimes, performers were backed by a recreation of the famous sign from the original special that spelled out “ELVIS” in giant red-light-bulb letters
For Shawn Mendes’ performance of “Hound Dog,” a drummer beat his sticks on a closed guitar case, just as Elvis’ drummer, D.J. Fontana, did on the original special. Meanwhile, some singers distinguished themselves from the 1968 special with their wardrobe choices. Adam Lambert wore a blue suit and blue suede shoes during (what else?) “Blue Suede Shoes,” while Jennifer Lopez went full J.LO during “Heartbreak Hotel,” which she performed while zipped into a tight spangled cleavage-baring catsuit while a wind machine blew back her hair.
Wisely, producer Ken Ehrlich and director Leon Knoles (both veterans of Grammy telecasts and programs showcasing such major artists as Elton John and Stevie Wonder) were not stingy with footage from the original special, using vintage Elvis moments to restart the show after each return from a commercial break.
For the opening number, a medley of “Trouble” and “Guitar Man,” Shelton’s “cover” was intercut with footage of Elvis’ performance from 1968, creating a sort of call-and-response duet. The “If I Can Dream” finale also was edited so that Elvis traded verses with various “All-stars.”
In addition, brief on-camera testimonials from Binder and Priscilla Presley, discussing the power of Elvis and the impact of the 1968 special, were placed strategically throughout the show, like garnish on a dinner plate.
A highlight of the broadcast — which ran from 8-10 p.m., Central Standard Time — was Mac Davis’ solo rendition of “Memories,” a song he wrote (with the late Billy Strange) for the Elvis special. As host Shelton said, when introducing Davis: “You know what’s cool? Singing great Elvis songs. You know what’s even cooler? Writing great Elvis songs.”
Davis, 77, the elder statesman of the “All-star Tribute” performers (beating John Fogerty by four years), shared a poignant memory of holding the infant Lisa Marie during a visit to Elvis’ Bel Air home. He later was joined by John Legend, who sang a Davis composition that has emerged as one of Elvis’ biggest posthumous hits, “A Little Less Conversation.”
Others on the show included Darius Rucker, Ed Sheeran, Kelsea Ballerini, Alessia Cara, Josh Groban, Pistol Annies (a trio) and Little Big Town (a fourmember band). Lisa Marie Presley did not perform, but introduced a gospel medley segment featuring Carrie Underwood and Yolanda Adams; similarly, actress Riley Keough, Lisa Marie’s daughter, introduced Dierks Bentley, who contributed the rocker, “Little Sister.”
Airing opposite TNT’S NBA All-star Game and ABC’S George Lucas all-stars (a broadcast of “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”), the “Elvis All-star Tribute” marked the culmination of a year-long celebration of the 50th anniversary of the “Comeback Special,” which helped inspire Elvis to return to meaningful music-making after years of increasingly irrelevant movie soundtracks. Books, a box sets, a remastered Blu-ray and other “‘68 Comeback Special” products all have been issued during the past year.
The latest such product is the 19track Rca/legacy album, “The Best of the ‘68 Comeback Special,” which includes 14 Elvis performances from the 1968 production, plus various singles and the “If I Can Dream” group effort from the new special.