The $250,000 question
It was one busy day at work today. But in Elvis news, a new release of the "Million Dollar Quartet" session is on the way. ElvisNews.com has the brief, citing The Man & His Music magazine. "This will come from a much improved tape source and, for the first time, feature the material in its correct sequence. It will also run approximately 12 minutes longer than previous releases."
When I first saw the brief yesterday, Johnny Cash was the first thought to come to mind. Would he finally turn up on this improved tape? The session has become legendary in Sun Music history for bringing Elvis, Cash, Carl Perkins, and Jerry Lee Lewis together, but Cash's presence has always been a bit of a mystery. Lots of people have said it before: you can't hear him there. The reader comments posted to the brief by the time I went back to it today have had at the issue once again.
You can dig into the comments all you want, but Cash's biography Cash seems to give the last word. Or something close to the last word "So, again contrary to what some people have written, my voice is on the tape," writes Cash, the emphasis his. "It's not obvious, because I was farthest away from the mike and I was singing a lot higher than I usually did in order to stay in key with Elvis, but I guarantee you, I'm there."
So … on an improved tape source … with 12 extra minutes of running time … will we finally hear the fourth in the Quartet?
