The TV Special album masters from the June 20-24
sessions on BMG's remastered 2-CD set Memories from 1998 are interesting, as the bass is a bit
boosted, a little midrange is perhaps missing
in the equalization and the pitch is about 1.5%
too slow, but these are minor, reversible details.
A different take (NA1) of 'Memories', with
unique vocals, was first released on FTD's Let Yourself
Go.
The full stereo master of 'Memories' was
available on the Today, Tomorrow And Forever box-set for the first time, as previous stereo
versions had been edited, with the 1972 Elvis
On Tour soundtrack being the most complete.
The This Is Elvis soundtrack and The Great Performances stereo version of 'Memories' is edited like
this:
0:12-0:19 of full master
0:24-2:20 of full master
2:42-2:58 of full master (early fade-out)
The Elvis On Tour soundtrack version of 'Memories'
is almost complete and edited like this:
0:13-0:21 of full master (fade in while overdubbed
applause being faded out)
0:21-3:06 of full master (end only missing the
final drum beats)
The re-recording of 'Memories' can found on the 2016 album The Wonder Of You, which contained Elvis' original vocals but with new backings by The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and which actually went to number one in the UK album charts.
Take 2 of 'A Little Less Conversation', when first discovered on acetate and released on the BMG CD Memories in 1998, was originally thought to have been recorded in June 1968 as part of the recordings for the NBC-TV Special. When the March 7 1968 session tapes were eventually rediscovered, this mistake was realised.
It is also unclear why Take 16 of 'A Little Less Conversation' from the March sessions was dubbed down to a backing track by removing Elvis' vocals from the track, unless an acetate of this backing track, along with an acetate of Take 2, were both cut for possible use on the NBC-TV Special, either as guide vocals (Take 2) or a guide rhythm track (dubdown of Take 16).
The original concept tracklisting for the NBC-TV Special shows that 'A Little Less Conversation' was originally intended to be used in an "Arena" segment of the show, which eventually never materialised.
This backing track for the dubdown of 2004-16 can be found on the old bootleg LP The '68 Comeback.
In March of 2007, Sony decided to go through all of Elvis' masters. They retransferred everything and remastered all tracks including repairing as many clicks, pops, bad edits and dropouts as they could. They have used these newly mastered recordings on their new releases since 2007 including budget soundtracks, Legacy releases, the 30 disc Complete Elvis Presley Masters collection and the Franklin Mint package.