Review

Elvis Presley Soldier Boy 53 310 761

David English & Päl Granlund

Follow That Dream Records, EU, 2026,

Multi-media box set (2 books + 4CDs), 2026, ID: 060209-752075  

Reviewed by Nigel Patterson (books) and Piers Beagley (music), October 2026

(with thanks to “The General” for his valued input)

Pre-review Notes:

Book 1 (252 pages) is sub-titled “Memphis to Brooklyn” and book 2 (254 pages + 4 CDs), “Germany”.

Elvis’ Army period is particularly important in the Elvis story because it gave Colonel Tom Parker “fresh air” in which to start transitioning Elvis from the rebellious and scandalous King of Rock and Roll to the boy next door/all American male…..and also during the 60s, full-time movie star.

The set was mired in controversy before its “official release” when a number of copies found their way into the public domain, some copies even appearing on eBay.

Design and Binding

The page design is strong with text, photos, and white space, nicely balanced. The content is printed on photographic paper, and the pages are section stitched to the hardcover.

The Narrative Element

Both books are deluxe, coffee table releases. It is an understatement to say that this set has been thoroughly researched!

The narrative is split into two sections (books), pre-Germany and Germany…..the latter ending in late 1958 before he met Priscilla Ann Beaulieu! This is important as Elvis’ emotional attachment with the opposite sex is reflected largely through the presence of Anita Wood.

Book 1: Memphis to Brooklyn

Book 1 features five chapters:

• One: Black Monday
• Two: Texas
• Three: The Nashville Recording Sessions
• Four: Gladys Presley
• Five: Elvis Sails

Considering Elvis was in the Army you wouldn’t expect much variation in the story, but as the chapter titles indicate there is a wide array of subject material detailed in the books. The initial chapter title in Book 1 is particularly evocative.

The narrative is presented in chronological (day-by-day) order neatly interspersing David English’s erudite writing with photos, archival material, and first-hand accounts by those close to Elvis including friends, Army personnel, and fans. Across more than 500 pages in two books, there is an incredible amount of information, both narrative and visual, to savor and digest.

While the book’s element is essentially a ‘photo-journal’ (the images dominate), David English’s flowing text is, as always, well written, informative, and interesting.

The author’s level of detail and narrative resonance is impressive. Regarding Elvis’ induction (he was half-an-hour early), English states:

“They walked along the corridor to the elevator and up to the second floor. Ray R. Jordan, of 3209 Yale, was the building superintendent, and the special elevator operator. Elvis wore a grey plaid coat, no tie, dark blue trousers and black half-boots, and carried a pigskin shaving kit case, his black hair, normally swept in a luxuriant ducktail cut with long sideburns, bristled up in a modified crew cut.”

In January 1958, Private Presley was in Nashville for recording sessions. The chapter about this all-important session runs 36 pages including over 40 photos. Each song from the sessions is detailed (including information for each take) in a full page. SONY/FTD’s Ernst Jorgensen also provides an interesting multi-page article about the sessions as taken from his 1998 book 'A Life In Music'.

The chapter covering the death of Elvis’ beloved mother, Gladys, is poignant and features numerous rare family “pen” pictures. English states about Gladys Presley’s declining health (this passage is as it is printed in the book):

“All through the summer Gladys had been feeling ill, with poor colour, loss of appetite, and deepening depression. As her condition worsened, Elvis finally insisted she do something about it, putting his parents (along with Cousin Earl Greenwood) on a train to Memphis, on so that she can see her personal physician, Dr. Charles Clarke.”

There are many firsthand accounts in the book, and they offer great insight into the period, Elvis’ day-to-day life, and his emotional state. Two examples:

“With regards to ‘Ain’t That Loving You Baby’ songwriter Clyde Otis remembered, ‘We did the demo in Presley style as a faster blues shouter. We set the tempo in the demo and always felt it should be done in that way, and I was happy with the way Elvis did it when it eventually came out.’”

“Claude Stewart (above) – One evening a few years ago while I was manager at the Waco Theatre, I had a call from Mr. Ed Fadal. He wanted to escort Elvis Presley to the Waco Theatre to see No Time For Sergeants. I told him to come on in. He cautioned me to keep the visit as quiet as possible, but I called my wife and told her about the big star coming to town to see the film. She told a neighbour, Mrs. Richard Monnig. They immediately came to the theatre to see Elvis. In the meantime, I called my friend Jimmy Willis, the photographer…..”

Book 1 also features Elvis’ new “buddy”, Bill “Nervous” Norvell.

Book 2: Germany

Book 2 features nine chapters:

• One: Germany Arrival
• Two: A Walk in the Park
• Three: Bill Haley
• Four: Maneuvers
• Five: BMW – Christmas
• Six: Holiday on Ice
• Seven: A Brave New World
• Eight: Promotional Stills – Germany
• Nine: Record Releases – USA & British Charts

As the chapter titles suggest, Elvis was busy in Germany and also had “furlough” to enjoy himself. Book 2 provides a comprehensive record of the period.

English brings to life the excitement of Elvis’ fans on his arrival in Germany:

“Despite the foggy threatening weather, by 7.30am the dockside was already crowded with fans although the USS Randall was not due in until 8.30am.

“While MPs roped off the docking area, the Presley fans soon broke through the barricade. A new rope barrier was hastily set up closer to the Randall’s wharf.”

…“Meanwhile, MPs, SPs and German police locked arms to hold back the surging youngsters whose view of Presley was blocked by distance, a bandstand and crowds of reporters, cameramen and radiomen.”

Among the many interesting stories and pieces of information is this news report about how well Elvis performed while in the Army:

‘The Army Monday assigned Pvt. Elvis Presley to the job of a “scout” jeep driver for the next 16 months in view of his “above normal capability”. Presley who arrived in Germany last week for a tour of overseas duty, originally was to have joined the crew of a medium Patton tank. Instead, the Army announced he would be a reconnaissance jeep driver with headquarters company on the basis of his records, military tests and interview with his company commander. “The assignment of scout jeep driver is given to soldiers of above normal capability,” an Army official explained. “The soldier must be able to work on his own, map-read and draw sketches, know tactics and recognize the enemy and enemy weapon.”’ (Note: end quote marks missing in the book)

Many fans will be aware that Elvis met Bill Haley when he was appearing in Germany. In fact, Elvis attended two Haley shows and both meetings are discussed in the book.

About the different photos captured of the meetings, English enlightens the reader:

“On this particular evening, press photographer Günther Thomas (1921-2015), was among the last guests to leave. He seized the opportunity and took snapshots of Elvis shaking hands with Bill Haley, as well as Elvis posing at the piano, beautifully lit by sidelight. Photographer Robert Häusser was also among the guests. With his Roller-flex, a twin-lens reflex camera often used for photojournalism due to its portability, he also photographed Elvis sitting at the piano – but from the front and without any additional lighting, relying solely on the existing, pale light falling from above. In contrast to Günther Thomas’s perfectly lit Elvis, Häusser’s photograph appears dark and mysterious.”

The two sets of photos appear side by side in Book 2 (p109).

The final chapter looks at Elvis’ record achievements over this tricky period. In a one-column article, Ernst Jorgensen notes two important issues: a market experiencing generally declining record sales and Elvis’ Army stint giving Colonel Parker airspace to plan Elvis’ reposition from rebellious rock ‘n roller to full-time movie star.

The Visual Element

Most of the visuals (and there are hundreds and hundreds) are in black and white, with color sections dotted throughout both books – many are visually stunning! This may surprise some readers as they are nearly 70 years old!

At times it’s hard to believe that some of the more familiar army photos still exist in such high-quality. We may have seen most of them before but given how many there are, you will likely have forgotten many of them. Some images are quite small and would have presented better if slightly larger.

Visual highlights include:

Book 1: Memphis to Brooklyn

P4: Great full-page image of a relaxed Elvis answering questions from reporters

P25: Two shots of the Presley family (Vernon and Gladys looking resplendent, Elvis dressed more casually)

P47: Nicely lit image of Elvis, hand raised and palm forward, being sworn in to the army

P71: Interesting side image of the recently shorn, new recruit

P79: Elvis with a very unusual (grimacing like) look on his face (+not to mention an even worse look on the face of the photographer behind him)

P119: (above) Color photo of Private Presley posing for the “A Date With Elvis” LP cover in his new red Lincoln

P166: Color photo of Elvis during his Nashville recording session

P187: An unusual image of Elvis in a striped V-neck shirt and cap

P199: Full-page image of a forlorn Elvis and Vernon following the death of Gladys Presley

P217: Elvis leaning out of the troop train window talking to fans

Pp246-247: An evocative double-page “non-Elvis” spread of the USS Randall being steered away from Brooklyn Army Terminal by two tugboats, the New York skyline in the distance

Book 2: Germany

P2: Full-page color portrait of Private Presley resplendent in his Army uniform

Pp 6-7: Elvis disembarking the USS Randall in Germany

P85: (above) Two happy fans, one being kissed by Elvis

P133: Set of six images of Elvis playing the guitar

P164: Elvis and three female performers from the “Holiday on Ice” show

P190: Glorious full-page color shot of Elvis crouching beside his portable record player

P197: Interesting b&w shot of Elvis with an unusual facial look playing the guitar

Pp210-211: Full-page color photos of Elvis in full army uniform leaning on walls near Burgstrabe Castle

Pp 220-225: Elvis in full-color on maneuvers in his jeep and aboard Tank 60 (on p225 Elvis is commandingly standing in the tank pointing to something in the distance)

P230: (see above) Somewhat blurry color photo of Elvis exiting the rear of his Army tank with machine gun at the ready

P239: Glorious color photos taken for the cover of “Elvis’ Christmas Album”

The chapter of promotional stills is visually stunning although the images lack the human aspect of other photos in the books.

The Archival Material

The authors have assembled a wonderful array of press clippings, interview transcripts, magazine covers, record covers, record charts, session material, et al. These help give the set a feel of “completeness”.

There are numerous clippings from Elvis’ time in Germany and among the interesting and often intriguing clippings and reports are:

• Presley’s Newest Record Had Its Beginning Here
• Pvt. Elvis Eludes ‘Enemy’ Here
• A Final Farewell by Elvis to Mother
• All at sea with ELVIS
• Elvis Gets Speeding Ticket (with a follow up about who paid his fine)
• Elvis Presley Wins Unprecedented Deal
• Letter from Colonel Tom Parker to Eddie Fadal
• The True Story of Elvis’s Army Junket
• Excerpts from a handwritten letter by Vernon Presley to Miss Gloria Mowels in Memphis
• I DON’T BREAK WINDOWS – says Elvis
• Ah reckon ah’ve broken every bone in ma body…
• Elvis Rocks On Third Floor As Warm up For Mountains
• Pfc. Elvis Presley Buys $3,750 German Sports Car
• Saturday night BASH
• Fame Hems In GI Presley

It’s rewarding just leafing through the books to read the various clippings and interviews.

Many of the press reports appear as images, while others with rather ‘fuzzy to read text’ have been transcribed for ‘easy reading’.

So why another release about Elvis in the Army?

The Elvis in the Army/Germany bookshelf contains around 40 titles including some exemplary releases. So why another one? The answer is the same as to why another Elvis music release? There is demand for new titles on subjects already well covered, and each new release invariably offers a different perspective and/or a somewhat different narrative and visual mix.

The “elephant in the room”

There is a one major issue with “Elvis Presley Soldier Boy 53 310 761”, and there shouldn’t have been!

Despite being a very strong set, the books contain far too many grammatical and typographical errors. EIN is surprised other reviewers haven’t noted these. Many of the errors are admittedly minor, but some aren’t. All were avoidable!

EIN won’t list all that we noticed, but this is a cross-section of the errors:

Book 1

• “Bramerhaven” should be “Bremerhaven” (p3)
• “Elvis Here For Turn With Discs”: the date “Wednesday January 11” should be “Wednesday June 11” (p144)
• Final two sentences on p180 repeated at the start of p181
• Vester Presley’s wife is referred to as “Mrs. Vesta Presley” several times

Book 2

• Space after comma in “$99, 37 per month” (penultimate para, p137)
• The word “that” repeated and extra space in “they ‘d” (p161)
• Series of extra spaces between words and before punctuation marks (p173)
• “German Shephard” should be “German Shepherd” (pp214-215)

Spot the errors - these six page shots show further examples of the lack of proofreading:

In EIN’s opinion a few errors are to be expected in a project of this size but the large number in “Elvis Presley Soldier Boy 53 310 761”, while not fatal, is very disappointing! If as much effort had gone into proofreading this “expensive” set as went into researching and writing it, the set would have been “near perfect”.

Summary Ratings - the Book

Score: A to F (“A”: Excellent; “B”: Above Average; “C”: Average; “D”: Poor; “F”: Very Poor)

The Music 
The Soldier Boy set includes four cds.

CD 1 & 2 features the complete June 1958 RCA recording session from Studio B, Nashville.
This crucial session was previously released in 2008 by FTD on their '50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong Elvis' Gold records - Volume 2' Classic album.

As we noted in our review, "This is not only Elvis musical history but also important in the history of Pop Music. Many artists never fully recover their momentum from enforced stints in the services and without the legacy of these five classic 1958 recordings RCA would have been hard-pressed to keep Elvis’ fan base as excited."

Mastered by Kevan Budd these sounded better than any previous release. See 'Classic Album' review here

The same session masters are included here but this time presented in the order they were recorded. 

The session kicked off with eighteen fascinating takes of  'I Need Your Love Tonight'. 
On the original 'Classic Album' 'I Need Your Love Tonight' Take 1 noted that "starts with part of the demo" - this was a great find by Kevan Budd and while it is not listed on this new Soldier Boy set it is still included here.

On the FTD Classic Album every single session attempt was an individual track no matter how short, whereas on this Soldier Boy set they are "grouped together" so the tracklist does look a little different  although the content is identical. 

At the end of CD2 are five interviews.  
The last three coming from the "Elvis Sails" EP plus we get 'Elvis Swearing in to the U.S. Army' and 'Elvis interviewed by Jim Kell on KFSA-TV'. 

While collectors will quite likely already have these, audio engineer Anthony Stuchbury has done a good job in cleaning up the previous extraneous noise to make them sound clearer.

CD 3 & 4 contain the private Elvis Presley "home recordings" from Germany in 1958 and 1959.
What is so fascinating is that although The Colonel had an issue with Elvis recording anything professionally in Germany, Elvis was still bursting with music and recording it to tape. 

Over a few pages (pp178-182) in the chapter 'Brave New World' the book examines what is known about Elvis' 'Bad Nauheim' home recordings.
There were basically two 'guitar' tapes from circa December 1958 and also circa August-October 1959.
There is also the one long 'piano' tape from April-May 1959 - plus a short tape of Elvis and Red West singing 'The Fool'  
FTD released the majority of these recordings on the Classic Albums 'A Date With Elvis' and 'For LP Fans Only'.

The original three tapes ran a total of 174 minutes, here they have been edited down to 150 minutes by removing the distracting chatter as well as the non-repairable damaged tape sections.

So luckily we don't have to plow through lengthy discussions on "the wild interior of darkest Africa where MGM sends a company on safari" just to get to hear the highlights of Elvis scatting the bassline of ‘Santa Claus Is Back In Town’ or a few lines of 'Loving You'. 

Not that we don't get to hear Elvis asking Lamar Fike for some "boiled eggs" at the start of 'I'm Beginning To Forget You' or discussions regarding the music - "His Hand In Mine could be a love song" suggests Elvis - or the general joking with his pals.  

There is new material here that couldn't fit on the FTD 'For LP Fans Only' and this includes Elvis singing multiple versions of ‘He Knows Just What I Need’, 'Her Hand In Mine', 'Oh Lonesome Me' and we even hear Red West singing 'Young Love' 

CD3 - the "Guitar Tapes"  
The recordings start with the intro of Elvis and Lamar joking, “Friends we’d like to slow things down a bit with The Statesman Quartet tonight and we're going to sing one of our recordings that you can buy in the lobby after the show tonight.. ‘My Jesus Knows Just What I Need”…  sing it boys!”. 
Charlie Hodge, Red West, Lamar Fike and Rex Mansfield are there to provide harmony.

Elvis works on trying to perfect the song ‘He Knows Just What I Need’ multiple times - we get seven version here - which would of course be a key song on Elvis’ first Gospel album recorded over a year later.
It’s almost like a proper studio session with Elvis commenting, “Y’all leaving me at one spot there” as they discuss how the harmonies and bass-line should work. 

Some of the rehearsals are delightful, and you can easily imagine being there watching the guys improvise.
Tracks such as 'Cool Water', 'I Can't Help It'  and 'Like A Baby' run the full length here where they were edited  'For LP Fans Only'

Audio engineer Anthony Stuchbury has done his best to reduce the original distortion and at times annoying background noise.

The real delights are Nat King Cole’s ‘Mona Lisa’, Hanks Williams’ ‘I Can’t Help It’, two charming versions of ‘Danny Boy’ and of course ‘I’m Beginning to Forget You.’
Elvis wouldn't officially record 'Danny Boy' until nearly 20 years later and similarly here is Elvis in 1958 trying out ‘Stand By Me’ which he would choose 8 years later to record for 'How Great Thou Art'.

The first release of some Elvis home-recordings was back in 1983 when RCA's Joan Deary put out 'I'm Beginning To Forget You' and 'Mona Lisa' on 'A Legendary Performer Vol.4', more followed on 'A Golden Celebration'.
Comparing these newly upgraded versions to the original releases shows just how much work Tony Stuchbury has put in to improving the sound.  

CD 4 - The "Piano Tapes"
After six months in Germany, in April 1959 Elvis hired a piano to use in his Bad Nauheim home.
The final CD features the piano home-recordings. Elvis was less distracted during these taped sessions and very little has been edited out this time.

We note however that Elvis' joke line, “When I was just a little queer.. No” has been edited on ‘Que Sera Sera’ which could seem rather prudish seeing as the song is such a Drag Queen favourite and with far ruder lyrics! 

The majority of these tracks were released on FTD’s 2017 ‘A Date With Elvis’ however there is more than 20 minutes extra here including Elvis first attempt at ‘Soldier Boy’, a couple of quick attempts of ‘At The Hop’,  Elvis working on the ending of 'I Asked The Lord' plus his rather charming second run through of ‘Send Me Some Lovin'. 

Elvis also tried out a few chords of 'Such A Night' a couple of times - it's shame these aren't noted on the tracklist.

Unfortunately there was always a lot of peak-distortion on this tape when Elvis was really hammering the piano keys, Stuchbury has done his best to smooth out the distortion but it can still be distracting at times. 
However the better recorded numbers like 'Earth Angel', 'Soldier Boy', 'I Will Be True', 'I'll Take You Home Again Kathleen' and 'The Fool' all sound very fine here.     

Other highlights are Ernest Tubb's ‘It’s Been So Long Darling’ and of course the infamous home-recording of Tony Martin’s 1949 hit ‘There's No Tomorrow’ which would later be transformed to his stunning ‘It’s Now Or Never’.
The final three tracks feature the full 9 minute Elvis and Red West jam on Sanford Clark’s ‘The Fool’.  This was edited down on FTD's ‘A Date With Elvis’. 
This includes delightful home truths such as when Elvis has to ask Vernon “Would you mind getting these kids out the window, they are yelling and I can’t hear what I am doing”. 

Elvis even sings a line of 'Jingle Bells' yet it was nowhere near Christmas.

While the CDs included with FTD's 'deluxe books' are often little more than a bonus, the fact that we can eavesdrop on Elvis and his friends at home in Germany relaxing, having fun and playing some favourite songs while perusing the pages and pages of relevant photographs is a real privilege and a joy. 

Overall Verdict: This was an incredibly important period in Elvis’ life. There was a possibility that his career as a superstar was over and that the public’s interest might fade away. So despite its ‘unfortunate issue’, “Elvis Presley Soldier Boy Elvis 53 310 761” is a wonderful set which will undoubtedly delight its readers. Even if you have previously bought books about Elvis’ time in the Army, the hundreds of ‘new’ photos and the unbelievable high-quality of some of the 70-year old photos will impress any fan. There is plenty to read with both the text and Archival Material truly fascinating. 
Elvis managed these tricky years as a soldier with amazing composure while also having to deal with the stress of losing his mother and the unenviable pressure from Col Parker. 
Listening to the four CDs perfectly match this time period and anyone who has not previously heard Elvis’ Army period “home recordings” will find the whole package very enlightening. 

Watch Sean at 'Sincerely Elvis Presley' unboxing of Elvis Presley Soldier Boy Elvis 53 310 761

The set is available from major online Elvis organizations including Elvis Shop London, Shop Elvis Matters, Now Dig This, TCB Shop and Elvis Corner.

Comment on this review         Book / Music Review by Nigel Patterson/ Piers Beagley -Copyright EIN October 2026 EIN Website content © Copyright the Elvis Information Network.

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(Mag Review) 'Vintage Rock Presents - Elvis: The Ultimate Album Guide': The 2024 “Vintage Rock Presents Elvis” is 130 pages examining his album catalogue – from studio, soundtracks and live concerts to compilations, 7” EPs and remixes. Each album is introduced by a generously sized image of its cover followed by thoughtful analysis of the record's content, and its context in the Elvis Presley story. There is also a coloured rectangular box neatly detailing key release information and track listing. Fans will no doubt be impressed with the breadth of the thoughtful views expressed by each contributor and there is plenty in the magazine to stimulate debate. It is unfortunate that well-written periodicals aren't afforded the same level of attention to detail as some other Elvis publications. EIN’s Nigel Patterson spent a rainy afternoon reliving what Elvis’ eclectic album catalogue offered, the good, the bad, and the mediocre. Read Nigel’s review (Review, Source:ElvisInformationNetwork)

(Book Review) Elvis - The King of Fashion (Lorraine Gibson): This recent book release by award-winning journalist, Lorraine Gibson, is a biography infused with Elvis’ iconic fashion sense. The book's description includes.. Elvis' extraordinary story, told through a fashion lens, celebrates the shy, lonely boy who awakened an entire generation to forbidden fruits. The defiant hair, the sultry good looks, the gender-ambivalent outfits - even the famous sideburns of the man who would be King - are all considered in loving detail. From impoverished scamp and teenage anti-heroin pink, through Hollywood heartthrob and sensual leather-clad rock star, to caped superhero in Vegas jumpsuits, the author describes his clothes with as much joy as she does his journey through the decades. EIN’s Nigel Patterson, replete with blue suede shoes, paisley shirt and polarised sunglasses, took time out to read Ms Gibson’s entertaining release.  Read Nigel’s full review     (Book Review, Source:ElvisInformationNetwork)

(Book Review) Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books (Nigel Patterson): Respected Elvis author and reviewer, Gordon Minto, recently put on his reviewer’s cap to take on what he rightly describes as “a strange landscape” of how Elvis is portrayed in comic books (aka sequential art), a subject, which until now, has not been well covered or understood. The book in question, Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books, was written by EIN’s Nigel Patterson and sublimely designed by Elvis Day By Day’s, Kees Mouwen.   The book includes stunning artwork from a number of releases and an eclectic variety of Elvis related comic book ephemera.  Elvis, Hero of the Comic Books features more than 600 images! Read Gordon’s detailed review to discover why he found the book to be “refreshingly different, extremely eye-catching, well-researched and well-written, while offering a new slant on things”.    (Book Review, Source: Gordon Minto;ElvisInfoNet)

(Book Review) 'The Sonic Swagger of Elvis Presley: A Critical History of the Early Recordings' (Gary Parker): ‘For Elvis Presley, stardom was the promise, and he made the trip, but at an extraordinarily high cost’. This is one of the thought provoking themes in Gary Parker’s latest book which critically examines in thoroughly researched detail, Elvis’ seminal recordings in the 1950s (as well as more briefly discussing Elvis’ post Army recordings). Noting that...  "Elvis' clever manipulation of his numerous interests remains one of the music world's great marvels. Presley, with one foot in delta mud and the other in a country hoedown, teamed with Scotty Moore and Bill Black to fuse two distinctly American musical forms -- country and blues -- to form what would come to be known as 'rockabilly'". This is a book with plenty to discuss. In their 2,100 words collaboration, EIN’s Nigel Patterson and Piers Beagley, review what they have found to be one of the best, and most important, Elvis book releases of 2022. Read the full review here (Book Review, Source: ElvisInformationNetwork)

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