Tag Archives: ’68 Comeback Special

’68 Comeback Special – A Wardrobe Review

Celebrating the 68 SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY

When I realized that December 3, 2018 would be the 50th anniversary of Elvis’ incredible TV special, I knew I had to post an article to commemorate the occasion.

I also knew every other Elvis website and blog would be doing the same thing. I wanted to come up with something different, and I have. We are going to learn what a leading British fashion design journalist has to say about what Elvis wore on the show.

Zoey Goto regularly writes about fashion in Elle, Numero, GQ, and GQ Style. She gets to report from the front row of London Fashion Week. And she has written the delightful book Elvis Style, where we get all of the text to follow.

 

Burgundy Suit from the Gospel Sequence:

 

Elvis - 68 Comeback Gospel suit

You might expect this photo-essay to start with the Black Leather Outfit, but be patient. It’s coming up.

Elvis sang a three-song Gospel medley wearing this burgundy suit:

“Where Could I Go but to the Lord”
“Up Above My Head”
“Saved”

lvis - 68 Comeback Gospel Suit

Here is what my friend, Zoey Goto had to say about the Gospel suit. (I asked her to write it on just six days’ notice, and she really came through).

The burgundy suit is so very of its time – the earthy colour, the sheen of the fabric, the slim cut of the suit, and the exaggerated double breasted lapels all scream late 60s/early 70s menswear! Perhaps this is why the outfit is often overlooked when we think about the legendary ’68 Comeback Special. Because this style was so fashionable at that time, it now looks more dated than for example the leather suit, which was not such a part of the zeitgeist.

The most effective part of this outfit was the styling of the white shirt, with its elongated collars worn over the top of the suit jacket, teamed with the apache tie scarf, which really framed Elvis’ face. From the chest upwards he looks fantastic! However, in comparison to the white suit – which is roomier and has a nipped in waist – the tight, straight up-and-down cut of the burgundy suit is unforgiving. Yet Elvis is in such good shape physically, that he still manages to pull this outfit off with panache!

Elvis 68 Comeback Dancing in Gospel Outfit

 

Well done, Zoey. That was great. And the passages from your book coming next are even better.

 

The white suit she mentioned is this one.

White Double-Breasted Suit from the “If I Can Dream” Finale.

 

Elvis 68 Comeback White Suit in front of Big Red Letters

Again, here is Zoey Goto’s review:

Out of the darkness, Elvis steps forward, his white suit instantly illuminated under the stage lights. He clutches the microphone between his hands almost as if praying, while behind him the word ELVIS is emblazoned in red lights.

It is the grand finale of his ’68 Comeback Special television program, and Elvis is giving an emotional rendition of the song “If I Can Dream” wearing a white double-breasted frock coat with a deep, single vent flap running down the back of his jacket – a signature of traditional American tailoring – which also allows Elvis to move with ease and to throw his arms wide at the end of the performance.

Six buttons run down the centre of the jacket, white slanted front pockets and a nipped-in waist emphasize his broad shoulders. Although the double-breasted jacket can add inches to the torso, the slim-line Elvis with his 32” waist, carries it off with grace.

Elvis - 68 Comeback White Suit

His coordinated front pleated pants graze his ankles without a break, creating a pleasing line from the hip to his white leather ankle boots. To complete the look, Elvis wears a deep red scarf in the style of an Apache tie – an accessory that had become synonymous with Country & Western fashion, where a colourful scarf or hanky is secured at the neck with a scarf ring.

Elvis - 68 Comeback White Suit Closeup-

As a fashion statement, Elvis’ white suit is all about the Deep South. Stepping on stage, Elvis looks every inch the Southern plantation owner, a choice that initially seems incongruous, given that Elvis has borrowed so heavily from black music and is currently on stage singing a song about brothers walking hand in hand.

However, look at his costume again and it becomes a sartorial symbol of his success – Elvis has been elevated from his humble sharecropper origins to finally becoming the Big Boss Man, as he had been previously singing that evening. In essence, his outfit can be seen as a take on upward social mobility – one of the key factors of the American Dream, which Elvis had long been associated with.

Elvis 68 Comeback White Suit Standing

 

And now, the one you’ve been waiting for.

Legendary Black Leather Outfit:

 

Elvis - 68 Comeback Black Leather - Back

Earlier in the ’68 Comeback Special performance, Elvis had performed a medley of his earlier hits while wearing fitted black leather trousers and jacket, with a black low neck t-shirt underneath. The outfit was a nod to Elvis’ rebellious 1950s image, but this time a more aggressive, sexual presence was evident. Black leather had long been strongly associated with motorcycle gangs, as illustrated by Marlon Brando in The Wild One (1953).

Marlon Brando - The Wild One

In his youth, Elvis had admired James Dean, but back in the 1950s, Elvis’ own rockabilly image and flashy Lansky Brothers clothing belonged to a very different tribe of rebellion.

Aside from owning a couple of leather jackets, Elvis had never been a devoted leather wearer, but given the luxury of revisiting his youthful image, Elvis embellished and reinterpreted history. Up on stage, as Elvis gyrates his way through a string of nostalgic hits, he instantly acquires the toughness and potency that his leather outfit lends.

Elvis - 68 Comeback Black Leather - Lip Curl

Look carefully at Elvis’ leather outfit, though, and it differs considerably from Brando’ Perfecto motorcycle jacket. Rather than the traditional studded biker jacket, with zippers running across the torso and a belted waist, Elvis’ version is essentially a denim jacket shape, but made in leather. This was not accidental – the designer Bill Belew was at the time finding inspiration in the blue jean outfits that the kids on the street were wearing.

Knowing that Elvis avoided denim as he associated it with the poverty of his childhood, Belew decided to have a denim jacket and trousers traced and remade in black leather, adding a few touches such as a front seam running down the trousers and hand stitching the yoke.

Elvis - 68 Comeback Black Leather Seated

Here are some other tidbits Zoey Goto shares with the readers:

This outfit marks the first time Elvis wore the high, Napoleon-inspired collar, which later became a signature of his jumpsuits and was employed to frame his face.

Close Up of Elvis' Black Leather Suit

On each wrist is a leather cuff. Although leather cuffs had been worn by cowboys to protect their wrists for over a century, Elvis’ buckled cuffs looked more like precursor to the leather wristbands worn by the punks in the mid-seventies.

Elvis - 68 Comeback Reproduction Elvis Black Leather Cuffs

Reproduction

Elvis’ ’68 comeback Special jacket and trousers were made from cordovan leather, the thick hide of the rump of the horse which is usually only used to make shoes. Elvis became so sweat-drenched in this rugged material that he had to literally be peeled out of the costume at the end of the performance.

 

Zoey meshed her thoughts with those of Japanese-born designer Atsuko Kudo to sum it all up nicely:

We all dress for sex appeal and attention, and this look does that in a very big way – he was like a peacock. This was Elvis’ comeback performance, the pressure was on to make a big statement and to dress in a way that empowered him. This outfit did that.

Elvis - 68 Comeback Black Leather - Arms Raised

 

I am so thankful Zoey Goto went along with me repeating part of her wonderful book Elvis Style. I’ve covered parts of it twice before in ElvisBlog:

A Look at Elvis’ Taste in Hats

Elvis’ Fashion Legacy

 

But Elvis Style covers so much more than just Elvis’ wardrobe. As the back cover says,

“Zoey Goto investigates why Elvis was, and continues to be, an icon of style, focusing on his wonderfully expressive hairstyles, clothes, cars, and interiors.”

This is such a uniquely different Elvis book. I highly recommend you get a copy.

Elvis Style - Cover

 

 

 

©  2018    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

 

Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland  are registered trademarks of  Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.

 

Celebrating the ’68 Comeback Special’s 50th Anniversary

Celebrating the 68 SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY

 

I am posting this article on August 16, a very important day for all Elvis fans.  It is the 41st anniversary of Elvis’ passing.

So, why start the article with a picture celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ’68 Comeback Special?  I got the idea from EPE. They’re doing that today, too.

This picture is one of several Graceland has produced as part of a big promotional push they’ve got going on for the ’68 Comeback Special right now.  For years, they have been trying to drop the word Comeback, and just call it the ’68 Special, so seeing Comeback in the text was a bit of a surprise.   I like it.

 

However, you probably know this TV special was simply called ELVIS when it aired back in 1968.

Ad for Elvis 68 Comeback Special

 

There’s an interesting piece of information on this ad for the show.  The date was December 3rd.  So why is Graceland celebrating its 50th anniversary now?  Perhaps you remember that it was filmed several months before it was broadcast.  Maybe they are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the filming.

Ticket to Filming of 68 Comeback Special

 

No.  It was filmed on June 27 and 29.  So, what is the reason Graceland chose to celebrate it in mid-August?  Elvis Week, of course.  It goes on for ten days, and they need lots of events to keep the fans busy. So, why not schedule two ’68 Comeback Special happenings on the big day — August 16.  That’s a smart plan

Here’s what they said on Graceland.com/news about these events:

 

Conversations on Elvis: ’68 Special

 

10:00 AM. Graceland Soundstage, Elvis Presley’s Memphis. $25

Celebrate the 50th anniversary of Elvis’ groundbreaking television special “Elvis” – or known to many fans as the “’68 Comeback Special.” Hosted by Tom Brown, the event features Steve Binder, who conceived, directed and produced the ’68 Special, called by TV Guide “the second greatest musical moment in television history next to the Beatles debut on The Ed Sullivan Show.” Binder will share his memories of working with the king, and he’ll discuss what’s in his upcoming book, “Comeback ’68 Elvis: The Story of the Elvis Special.”

 

Steve Binder today

Steve Binder today

 

Steve Binder and Elvis in 1968

Steve Binder and Elvis in 1968

 

More special guests will include: musical director Billy Goldenberg, writer Allan Blye, guitarist Mike Deasy; and Tanya Lemani George, the belly dancer who performed during “Little Egypt.”

 

Tanya Lemani with Elvis in Background

She’s the one I’d be most interested in seeing (I’ll bet she can still do a mean belly dance).

 

 

’68 Special 50th Anniversary Celebration

 7:00 PM. Graceland Soundstage, Elvis Presley’s Memphis. $55

Join us as we celebrate Elvis Presley’s groundbreaking NBC television special that aired in December 1968, “Elvis.” The show will feature an enhanced screening of what has become known as Elvis’ “’68 Comeback Special” with live music, special guest appearances and performers, and much more.

Special guests include Steve Binder, Allan Blye, and Billy Goldenberg introducing segments of the program and sharing behind-the-scenes stories.

If you went to the “Conversation of Elvis – ’68 Special” show earlier, you might be hearing some stuff for a second time.   That’d be OK.

 

Shop Elvis '68 Special

 

Another concurrent event is the recently expanded selection of ’68 Special items on sale at store.graceland.com.  A month ago, there were 37 choices; now there are 72.  Here are a few that caught my eye for one reason or another.

LVIS BLACK LEATHER MULTI DANGLE CARABINER KEY RING

I like this one because of its name, which is, “Elvis Black Leather Multi-Dangle Carabiner Key Ring.”  You just can’t have too many Elvis Multi-Dangles.  The carabiner is the thing at the top.  The little gold record is a mini version of the magnet I sold on here last week. You can get one of these key rings for $8.99.

 

68 SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY LIMITED EDITION Elvis COIN

This is a limited edition coin for $12.99.  The front looks good to me, but the back seemed off somehow. To look closer, I blew it up.

Back of Elvis 68 SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY Coin

 

This is the worst depiction of Elvis I have ever seen.  His hair looks like it turned into an eel with its head over Elvis’ eye.  There are worms crawling over his face and leeches on his body. The rest of it defies description.  Here’s the photo they were trying to replicate.

 

ELVIS 68 SPECIAL - Favorite Image

 

Wow.  Think I’ll skip the coins.

 

Elvis '68 Special Comforter Set $140

 

They did a much better job reproducing that image on this comforter set.  If you want one, it will set you back $140.

 

Elvis 68 Special Comeback Bobble head 29.99 8 inches tall

 

Here’s an 8 inch tall Elvis Bobblehead dressed in his famous black leather outfit.  The price is $29.95.  I had to show this item because I have one in my Fuzzy Room that I’ll be selling one of these days – for half that price.

 

Elvis BLACK LEATHER ROUND MAGNET

Here’s another image that ended up on a lot of the 50th anniversary merchandise.  This is a 2-1/2 inch diameter refrigerator magnet prices at $4.99. Take a look at the thing on Elvis right wrist.  You can get one of them, too.

 

Elvis BLACK LEATHER BRACELET

 

They call this a bracelet, and it actually is real leather. The website says it is inspired by the bracelet that Elvis wore while filming the ’68 Comeback Special, so it might be a different design. I’m not sure if many folks, even Elvis fans, would make the connection if they saw it on someone.  The price is $29.99.

 

Elvis' 68 SPECIAL 50TH ANNIVERSARY ELVIS WHITE SUIT T-SHIRT

 

This T-shirt features a third Elvis image associated with the ’68 Special – the white suit he wore when singing “If I Can Dream.”  Although it does not have the words ’68 Special on it, the famous red ELVIS marquee sign and the white suit easily identify it.  Cost is $24.99.

 

ELVIS SILHOUETTE 50TH ANNIVERSARY 68 SPECIAL CAP

 

Same thing with this baseball cap.  $17.99.

 

 

There is one other ’68 Comeback Special event scheduled for today, August 16, but it is for all of us who didn’t make it to Elvis Week.

 

Elvis 68 Special in Movie Theaters

 

This was the announcement in Graceland.com/news.  When you clicked to open it, there was very little information, except a link to this:

 

Fathom Events Elvis 68 Comeback at Movies

 

Tickets in my area are $15.75, but they may be different around the country. Here’s what they had to say about the movie:

This anniversary event includes the legendary television special, plus an exclusive look at the making of the special, featuring a walkthrough of the NBC soundstage with insights from director/producer Steve Binder and others influenced by Presley, his music and this iconic event.

Sounds pretty good, but a little pricey.

 

 

 

AP photo_Elvis Presley Candlelight Vigil

 

Let’s end with a picture that reflects the real meaning of August 16 for Elvis fans.  The Candlelight Vigil has more significance to them than anything else going on during Elvis Week.

 

We miss you, Elvis.

 

 

 

 

©  2018    Philip R Arnold, Original Elvis Blogmeister    All Rights Reserved    www.ElvisBlog.net

 

 

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Elvis, Elvis Presley, and Graceland are registered trademarks of Elvis Presley Enterprises, Inc.