It has been a while since I shared the news that comments (or my replies to them) can no longer be added to ElvisBlog posts. I feel bad that there are now 43 comments in a kind of limbo on my blog platform. I can read them, but that’s all. It seems to be related to my transition to a static site (no new posts, no bells and whistles), just the Archives available for reading.
Recently, a comment came in from one of the most prominent people in Elvis World – Jerry Osborne, the famous writer, collector, and Elvis expert. His comment was on a blog I wrote back in 2010, in which I wrote about his creation of a very rare and strange Elvis album. I would like to repost part of that and add his comments.
Picture Disc Rarities
Back in the heyday of vinyl LP albums, the picture disc was a unique variation highly sought by some collectors. Instead of a plain old black disc, you get a record with a picture of the singer in vibrant color. I have several picture discs in my record collection, but I’ve never played them. I want to keep the images as pristine as possible.
Of course, with Elvis Presley, things often went to extremes, and such is the case with some of his picture discs. Would you believe there exists an Elvis picture disc with songs on it by KC and the Sunshine Band?
This picture disc is visible through the die-cut cover sleeve. To Elvis: Love Still Burning features a reasonably accurate painting of Elvis, but look closely at the top of the sleeve. Inside a box it says KC & The Sunshine Band. It turns out that the music on this disc is from their album KC & The Sunshine Band – Part 3, which came out in 1976.
So, we have an Elvis picture disc that plays songs by KC & The Sunshine Band. How weird is that?
The modified cover was actually designed for an Elvis tribute album with eleven songs by various artists. After Elvis’ death, many artists wrote and recorded their own tributes to the King of Rock & Roll. The songs were sought out and assembled by Jerry Osborne, the famous writer, collector, and Elvis expert.
Here is Jerry’s comment prompted by the above.
Greetings Phil and friends!
Thought I might explain about the Elvis/”K.C. & the Sunshine” LP.
When I sent the reel tape of all the songs I collected for the album, they made one experimental picture LP before they mastered my tracks. So it was handy to use the music from an existing K.C. project on it.
Since I was planning to keep this prototype, I put it in one of the jackets, and added the little “K.C. & the Sunshine Band” banner so that I wouldn’t mistakenly send that copy to someone expecting the tracks listed on the back cover.
Keep up the good work, Phil!
Here is how the finished Elvis album looked
I am not aware of any other collection of Elvis tribute songs on one album, so this is a special compilation.
To Elvis: Love Still Burning is significant historically, because it was the first commercially issued picture disc LP. Who but Elvis would be featured on the first album to have a full color image of the artist on the record?
Here is the back cover showing the song list and the eleven singers paying tribute to Elvis almost immediately after his death.
There is another reason I was happy for you to read this old post. On the back cover is a message to the fans from Jerry Osborne, who conceived and produced the album.
Of all the words written about Elvis after his death, I think this is the most special praise I have ever read. Here is Jerry’s message:
To Elvis: Love Still Burning
The brightest star on earth has now become the brightest star in Heaven, and left us with a love… still burning.
Elvis actually drew his love from us, his fans and friends. But then he turned right around and let that love flow like a waterfall, back to us, through his music and his personal appearance. In fact, through his mere presence, we felt more love and magic than words can describe.
Jerry Osborne
Nice sentiment, Jerry. You folks out there who had a chance to experience Elvis’ presence know it is true.
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