By Bob Berry

It’s amazing what can happen in the digital age, and this may be a topper.

Elvis went to London’s Abbey Road Studios!

More accurately, the voice-tracks of some of Elvis’ most iconic recordings went to Abbey Road, and a new album, If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is coming October 30th.

Think about that. Elvis, gone nearly 40 years. Tracks that go back up to 50 years or more. Brought to London, to the home of The Beatles, and with newly imagined arrangements with the RPO, new recordings will soon be in our hands. The 14-song LP will include “Burning Love”, “It’s Now Or Never”, “Love Me Tender” and “In The Ghetto”, plus-get this!, Michael Buble’ on a duet of “Fever”, and guitar legend Duane Eddy on “American Trilogy” and “Bridge Over Troubled Water”.

Priscilla Presley said the project “would have been a dream come true for Elvis”. While we wait for the dream to become reality, here’s the first single release from the new album, “If I Can Dream”, originally recorded for the ’68 Comeback Special. Enjoy!

And for comparison, the original. I read where the update has been called “not a new version, but a fuller version”. That sounds about right to me-see if you agree.

If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley With The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will be released as a single CD, double LP vinyl and on digital services.

By Bob Berry

Elvis fans, rejoice!  There’s a new set of goodies coming our way on August 12th, from the United States Postal Service.

It’s a new Young Elvis stamp, to be unveiled by Priscilla Presley as part of  Elvis Week 2015. The picture, seen above,  was shot in 1955 by photographer William Speer. Individual stamps will cost cost 49 cents, and they, like Elvis, will be “forever”.

Think that’s cool? Cue the Ronco Man: “But wait! There’s more!”

Also being released on August 12th, is a new Elvis CD,  Elvis Forever, with 16 of E’s biggest hits-from “That’s All Right” to “The Wonder of You”, plus 2 previously unreleased versions of “If I Can Dream” and “What Now My Love”.

While you’re waiting for the stamps and CD, I’ll leave you with one of the definitive Elvis performances. The original version of “If I Can Dream”, written to order by Walter Earl Brown, as the closing number of the ’68 “Comeback Special”.