In the landscape of entertainment news, few events hold the historical weight and cultural significance of Elvis Presley’s 1968 television special. Originally conceived by his manager, Colonel Tom Parker, as a simple Christmas show for NBC, sponsored by the Singer Corporation, the project underwent a radical transformation. Parker’s initial proposal in October 1967 involved a substantial US$1,250,000 package funding a movie, its soundtrack, the television special itself, and costs for a re-run. However, Elvis’s initial reaction was lukewarm; he saw it as another managerial tactic and disliked the idea of performing Christmas carols on national television. Yet, his perspective began to shift after discussions with producer Bob Finkel. Finkel managed to persuade Singer, NBC, and crucially, Parker, to reconsider the original concept. Parker agreed, but with strict conditions: the show must focus solely on Elvis and yield enough material for a soundtrack album and a Christmas single. This pivotal moment marked the beginning of a creative journey that would include the iconic performance of Blue Christmas 68 Comeback Special fans still cherish.
Elvis’s enthusiasm for the project grew significantly. He assured Finkel he was ready to produce entirely new material, something different from anything he had done before, largely disregarding Parker’s specific ideas. To steer Elvis’s career in this fresh direction, Finkel brought in director Steve Binder, known for the T.A.M.I. Show and television work on Hullabaloo and specials for Petula Clark. Finkel believed Binder could refresh Elvis’s image and reintroduce him to new audiences. Binder was initially hesitant but was convinced by associate Bones Howe, an audio engineer who had worked with Elvis in the 1950s. Howe insisted on working with Elvis, recognizing a similarity in production methods with Binder. A meeting with Parker secured the team full creative control, though Parker insisted publishing rights remain under Elvis’s name. Binder and Howe met Elvis shortly after, promising to handle all details before he returned from vacation. The stage was set for a monumental return to form, featuring performances that would redefine elvis presley 1968 comeback special songs for a new generation.
Reflecting on the experience, drummer D.J. Fontana told Rolling Stone, “Elvis was hardly ever nervous – but he was then.” He recalled the initial stiffness that eventually dissipated as they played, turning the special into a fine performance. Fontana noted Elvis’s prolonged absence from the public eye contributed to this initial apprehension.
Elvis Presley performs in black leather during the 68 Comeback Special informal segment
Any nervousness Elvis felt was expertly concealed on screen. Appearing in a striking head-to-toe black leather suit, he exuded confidence with a piercing gaze and signature curled lip. His voice was powerful, delivering hits like “Lawdy Miss Clawdy” with the same energy as his 1956 peak. The hour-long broadcast, initially titled Elvis and now universally known as the ”68 Comeback Special’, unequivocally proved the 33-year-old star still possessed immense swagger. Having spent years in Hollywood making movies rather than touring, while acts like The Beatles dominated, the special represented a critical return to pure live performance. It was a daring move that nearly didn’t happen due to the initial disagreements over the show’s theme. The inclusion of various elvis presley old songs alongside new material showcased his versatile talent.
Colonel Tom Parker’s preference remained a Christmas special with Elvis singing holiday tunes. However, Steve Binder and Bones Howe championed the idea of the special telling Elvis’s musical life story, re-establishing him as a dynamic performer. This artistic vision ultimately convinced Elvis. The narrative structure began with Jerry Reed’s “Guitar Man” (later paired with “Trouble”), symbolizing Elvis’s journey from a truck driver to stardom. Binder and Howe initially wanted to end the show with a current hit like “MacArthur Park,” but Parker pushed for a Christmas song until almost the very end. Elvis, meanwhile, prepared physically, slimming down during his vacation.
Upon his return, the creators planned an “informal segment” featuring off-the-cuff performances and conversation. This evolved organically during rehearsals as they observed Elvis’s spontaneous interactions with musicians. Song arranger Billy Goldenberg noted in Peter Guralnick’s book Careless Love that “Elvis loved to improvise and talk about old times and play the songs and keep repeating them – he would get excited just by repetition… So that the intensity of the song seemed to grow as he kept playing it, almost to a climax.”
At Elvis’s request, Binder brought in original sidemen D.J. Fontana and guitarist Scotty Moore to enhance the comfort level for this segment. Binder also suggested Elvis could discuss past controversial moments, like his censored appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show or an incident in Florida where he had to restrict movement to avoid arrest for perceived indecency. Binder aimed to give Elvis a sharper edge.
Production moved to the NBC studio on June 17th, with rehearsals beginning for “Guitar Man.” Recording for the choreographed “story” sections started three days later, featuring Los Angeles sidemen like guitarist Mike Deasy and drummer Hal Blaine. During this period, Binder realized a more impactful closing song was needed. He commissioned vocal arranger Earl Brown to write “If I Can Dream,” a powerful message of unity and racial harmony, overnight to replace Parker’s desired Christmas finale.
Elvis was deeply moved by “If I Can Dream.” He recorded it in darkness, adopting an almost fetal position on the floor, intensely embodying the song. Binder recalled Elvis listening to the playback numerous times, expressing immense love for it. Despite this intensity, Mike Deasy remembered Elvis being largely lighthearted during sessions, full of jokes and playfulness. He recounted his wife playfully elbowing Elvis, who feigned pain, leading to laughter. Elvis’s energy was infectious; he would push recordings near the union deadline but finish perfectly on time. When the band recorded “Guitar Man,” Elvis danced outside the vocal booth. Deasy described Elvis as being in great shape, into karate, and physically cool, creating a “super connection” with the music that felt “bigger than the music itself.”
Close-up of Elvis Presley singing during a performance in the 1968 special
Despite Elvis’s easygoing nature, his entourage often lost composure trying to impress him. Drummer Hal Blaine recalled the constant vying for his attention, noting Elvis’s humble reactions. He humorously recounted how multiple guys would rush with Cokes if Elvis mentioned being thirsty, or how his entourage, also into karate, would leap at him playfully. Blaine characterized Elvis as a “gentleman and a sweetheart of a guy,” acting “the way a country boy would act.” At a press conference days before taping, Elvis humbly stated, “We figured it was about time,” regarding the special, adding he “figured I’d better do it before I got too old.”
On June 27th, the day of the informal “sit-down” segment taping, Elvis rehearsed a gospel medley and shot an amusement-park production number. Colonel Parker, in charge of distributing tickets for the sit-down session, reportedly failed, giving most to a security guard. Binder’s team scrambled, even recruiting attendees from a nearby Bob’s Big Boy restaurant. Starting at 6 p.m., after Elvis overcame initial stage fright, he was joined by Moore, Fontana, Charlie Hodge (guitarist), and percussionists Alan Fortas and Lance LeGault in a setting resembling a boxing ring. They delivered a loose, carefree set for a few hundred fans. Elvis joked, “This is supposed to be the informal section of the show, where we faint or do whatever we want to do, especially me,” adding, “I first started out in 1912.” They played “That’s All Right,” “Heartbreak Hotel,” “Love Me,” and a dozen other classics. Crucially for our focus, this session included a rendition of Blue Christmas 68 Comeback Special performed for Colonel Parker. Elvis howled through “Lawdy Miss Clawdy.” During “Baby, What You Want Me to Do,” he paused to demonstrate his famous lip twitch. After announcing “One Night” would be the last song and receiving boos, he slyly responded, “Man, I just work here!” He also performed the ballad “Memories” tenderly, surrounded by two young women.
Fontana famously used a guitar case instead of a drum kit during the sit-down. He explained, “We’d done that from time to time… We didn’t really rehearse. We’d just go out there and wing it… That’s all me and Scotty and Elvis really needed. We picked the songs right off the top of the head. It was just about how we did it in the early days.” This segment, including the performance relevant to the keyword lonely christmas elvis, perfectly captured the raw energy of his early career.
Elvis Presley interacts with musicians during the memorable 68 Comeback Special
Elvis stated that “rock & roll music is basically gospel or rhythm and blues,” which led into a gospel medley filmed the following day. Backup singer Darlene Love, part of The Blossoms, recalled Elvis’s deep knowledge of old hymns and singing with them during breaks. Binder also aimed to showcase Elvis’s lack of prejudice, integrating The Blossoms, a Black group, into the choir, initially planned as all-white, to create a more authentic gospel sound. Love described Elvis as initially shy and introverted during rehearsals, nervous after years away from live performance. However, discussing gospel transformed him into a relaxed friend. He was concerned about his appearance but remained “just like a normal person,” despite being Elvis Presley.
Two days later, they filmed the “stand-up show.” A visibly sweaty Elvis performed modernized hits for enthusiastic fans with the band Binder assembled. His nerves were gone, joking with the audience (“You have made my life a wreck, nah incomplete,” he sang playfully during “Love Me Tender”). Across two sets, he performed “Jailhouse Rock,” “Don’t Be Cruel,” “Trouble,” and “Guitar Man.” He lip-synced “If I Can Dream” in front of the now-iconic red “E-L-V-I-S” sign.
The special dramatically reshaped Elvis’s career. Aired on December 3rd, it captured 42% of the viewing audience, becoming the season’s number-one show. The soundtrack album reached the Top 10 and went platinum, while the single “If I Can Dream” hit Number 12 and went gold – his highest charting releases since 1965. Despite the narrative, Elvis himself pushed back against the “comeback” label. As Darlene Love recalled him saying, “How can this be a comeback, when you think about it. Comeback? I’m here. I haven’t been anywhere.”
Following the first sit-down session, Elvis expressed his desire to return to touring to Colonel Parker. Parker’s subsequent press conference announcement of a “Comeback Tour” angered Elvis, who felt it labeled him a “has-been.” Parker also blocked further collaboration with Binder. Fueled by the special’s success and renewed vigor, Elvis recorded From Elvis in Memphis with producer Chips Moman and the house band ‘The Memphis Boys’ at American Sound Studio in early 1969, marking his return to non-soundtrack albums. The non-album track “Suspicious Minds” became his final career chart-topper and a signature song.
Parker arranged Elvis’s live return with a lucrative deal at the Las Vegas International Hotel. For his debut, he assembled the TCB Band (James Burton, John Wilkinson, Jerry Scheff, Ronnie Tutt, Larry Muhoberac, with Charlie Hodge). They were supported by backing vocals from The Sweet Inspirations and The Imperials. His initial Vegas run set a performance record with 101,500 attendees. By 1970, Elvis was touring the United States for the first time in thirteen years.
A humorous aside from the production involves Colonel Tom Parker’s birthday party on set on June 26th. Parker received a portrait of producer Bob Finkel dressed as Napoleon. Elvis also sang a parody of “It Hurts Me,” written by the special’s writers Chris Beard and Allan Blye specifically for the occasion, playfully mocking Parker’s budget concerns and persistent desire for a Christmas song. The lyrics included lines like “It hurts me to see the budget climb up to the sky,” and ending with, “but tell me the truth is it too much to ask for one lousy, tired ol’ Christmas song…?” This anecdote, even within the context of the specific request for a lonely christmas elvis or generic holiday tune, highlights the tension behind the scenes regarding the final content.
In conclusion, Elvis Presley’s 1968 Comeback Special was far more than a simple television program; it was a strategic, creative triumph that defied managerial expectations and repositioned a legend. From the initial push for a Christmas special, which ultimately included a performance of “Blue Christmas,” to the full realization of Steve Binder’s vision telling Elvis’s musical story, the special captured the raw talent and charisma that had been constrained by his movie career. Its overwhelming success reignited Elvis’s passion for live performance, leading directly to his return to touring and a renewed chart presence. The ’68 Comeback Special remains a landmark event, not just in Elvis’s history, but in the annals of popular music, demonstrating the power of artistic integrity over conventional marketing.
