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The year was 2006. The telephone rang. We didn't know who was calling, so we grabbed the phone and answered the call. It was Sandi Pichon from America. Of course, we knew her name because we were familiar with her fascinating book "Raised on Elvis! Elvis! Elvis!" published in 2004.

This book allowed an insight into her first meeting with Elvis in the 50's when Elvis was still living at the Audubon Drive. Sandi's story continues and she recalls her moments when she saw Elvis perfom on stage for more than 100 times.

While having her on the phone she explained that she wants to do another book. She couldn't hide her enthusiasm about the quality and the expertise of the Praytome Publishing team and told us that she would be more than happy to do the new pictorial with us.

When the conversation was over one thing was clear:we knew that after "Elvis - Born To Rock" we would be able to offer the fans a new "definitive book".

A so-called "definitve book" concentrates on a specific timeframe from Elvis' life and compiles all available information about the topic - pictures, reviews, memories - everything!

"Definitive books" require a lot of research when the author has the vision of doing the ultimate book with background information not only about the event itself but also about the surroudings. This research can't be done within a week, so you need a lot of help, time and breath because it is really exhausting to bring the items together and compile them all togehter. With Elvis's versatile life it is really a hard task to cover a specific topic in a single book.

Elvis

The team realized that so far, only a handful of definitive books were available about Elvis' shows. To name a few of them we have "Elvis - Born To Rock" by Bud Glass, "Rock 'n' Nassau" by Russ Howe & Tom Salva, "Elvis by Dagmar" and "Starring In Oklahoma" by Joe Tunzi.

Of course, there are some other books that contain shots from concerts but they are all picture books, most of them have only black / white shots although the photos were available in colour. There is no artwork, no restored pictures, some of them out of format, full of spots and dust, and no other information, just pictures. Books like that can not be called "defintive books".

With "Elvis on Tour '75" being the second pictorial for Praytome Publishing, the team knew what problems would occure and how to handle them. (inky / deep black colours in the photo should be the same inky style in the printed book, fading colours at the border of the pictures caused by wrong way of archiving the negatives / photos, different colours in the picture because of different photographers etc.)

Before the work on the book started the team discussed the five self-proclaimed goals:

  • Layout & Artwork
  • Information
  • Printing Quality
  • Restoration
  • Cost/ Performance Ratio

The idea was to create a unique pictorial.

It happened to be that author Sandi Pichon was a stroke of luck for Praytome Publishing because of her great talent to share her memories in an emotional way. The planned enhancements were achieved for several reasons. With this new project Regina Wiegand - a professional graphic designer & layouter - joined the Praytome Publishing. Regina Wiegand worked for a well-known German soccerclub magazine and now provides her talent for the new Praytome Publishing products and gives them a special touch.

The Beginning

Due to our worldwide appreciation of the book and DVD productions author Sandi Pichon got attentive to our work, and she desired highest quality for her first pictorial. After going through the successful book "Born to Rock" by Bud Glass she couldn't imagine any other producer than Praytome Publishing for her project.

After viewing the extensive photo collection our highly trained team rather promptly crystallized the concerts in Atlanta '75 that show Elvis in his very seldom shown outfits. Until now there had only been a handful of photos with those outfits, and the most known ones were not even from the shows in Atlanta.

The Book

Experience a colorful, exciting weekend with Elvis in Atlanta 1975 in the company of Sandy Pichon, author of "Raised on Elvis! Elvis! Elvis!"

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Powerslide

The Time is over to put a single picture on a single page and call it a book!

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The Content

The book starts with the tour plan 1975 as a general survey followed by a subdivision of the four documented concerts.

Besides the setting up survey of the presented songs at the specific concert you find further information about the worn jumpsuit, the venue, the attendance and of course the date of the concerts. So the viewer has the possibility to follow the concert in direct manner.

Also the run of the photos allows everyone to be very close to the event. Author Sandi Pichon gives us insight into her diary about three concerts in Atlanta in the time from April 30th to May 2nd and a concert in Jacksonville on April 25th, 1975.

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Atlanta, GA - April 30, 1975 - Elvis kisses Sandi Pichon

On 120 pages you find more than 400 restored photos. Partly the pictures give the impression as they were just taken yesterday. From the close-up photos, just showing the details of the jumpsuits, up to the panoramic shots with Elvis and his band on stage these photos give the viewer the idea to sit in the audience. Author Sandi Pichon collected detailed comments of happenings, additionally accompanied with memorabilia, tickets, postcards and newspaper articles.

Her exact memories and unique photos are enriched with the fantastic photos of the profi photographer Keith Alverson. the photos by Sue McCasland and George Hill (taken from the collection of Derek Phillips) complete the presented concerts.

Elvis - 100% live on stage

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The arrival to the first show - Atlanta, GA - April 30, 1975

The Realisation

Evolution instead of revolution

Being a pictorial, the brilliant concept of Bud Glass' "Born to Rock" had to be adapted and with much care developed to Sandi Pichon's book.

In no way it should have been only a collection of photos put together one after the other denying the viewer any background information.

What did the advertisement to "Born to Rock" say: The Time is Over to put a single picture on a single page and call it a book. Like "Born to Rock" this book should concentrate on the specific concerts and give all available information about the shows.

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Atlanta, GA - April 30, 1975

This book should apply higher standards in layout and design . Another goal was to give the reader the atmosphere of a concert including the feeling of being part of the event. Respecting that the photographer takes the photos mostly from the same place, so there is no change in the perspective, the shots of the photographer look quite alike. To arrange a better feeling of the concert it was possible to win great persons of the Elvis' world like Keith Alverson, Sue McCasland and George Hill / Derek Phillips contributing their shots of the shows.

The guiding layout offers panorama shots of the scene on stage, close-ups and candid shots showing Elvis off stage. Although these were excellent photos all now available technical possibilities were used to improve the material.

All photos in the pictorial use exact the same colorprint disregarding the different photographers, different cameras and different luminous intensity. That means the blue of the famous shirts is the same in all photos. So far to the amount of work to bring out such a masterpiece.

You not only see small parts of the concert but all exceptional events from the first moment Elvis comes on stage are documented, and all that in different perspectives. Sandi Pichon's remembrance of that time when Elvis was king makes the work round.

Elvis on Tour '75 shows the famous two-pieces-outfits for the first time.

With the release of "Born To Rock" and "Behind The Image - Vol.2" every time new standards were defined and set so that the producers have made it their aim to continue with this tradition at the latest production. Quality starts, as you know, outside. Due to your bookshelf looking good, the same dimensions as on BTI were used. As well, like at the homonymous predecessor, a hardcover was chosen. Elvis on Tour 75 uses the same high quality printing process how it was already used for "Born To Rock". In addition the paper got a special treatment, a surface coating was applied, which will protect the pages from fingerprints remaining.

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Atlanta, GA - May 2, 1975

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Atlanta, GA - May 2, 1975

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Atlanta, GA - May 1, 1975

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Atlanta, GA - May 1, 1975

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Atlanta, GA - May 1, 1975

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The Venue

General Information on Trailers

In general fans collect (and Elvis fans are no exception) every little piece of their star. That doesn't only concern print media. They also collect commercial trailers from the TV and even documentaries where their star is only mentioned. Unfortunately the biggest star has to live with the worst marketing.

And when the fan has the luck to get a clip on an Elvis production it is often cheap produced without love, what actually doesn't accord to the artist Elvis Presley. Here, the "Behind The Image Team" goes a different way. The trailer produced by them do not only advertise a product, but they were levied to an art form. They are unusual complex (q.v. the trailer of BTI 3 and the trailer of the book "Born To Rock") and show the love to the detail and the professionalism every product of "Bud Glass Productions" and Praytome Publishing has got. That's why the whole Elvis world is looking forward in advance to every new trailer giving an insight of the newest product.

Here we want to offer you the trailer to the according product you are interested in for download. Don't miss the trailers of our other releases. You find them on the left in the menu by clicking the desired product.

Please note that the according trailers are always clips in the so called web quality (for quicker downloading). So the quality does never show the quality of the DVD/book.

Of course you'll also find all available trailers in the bonus material section (on the medium DVD) in DVD quality.

A lot of costumers attested us in their numerous E-Mails and letters that the trailers are the best the existing in the Elvis world and some even said that only the trailers were worth the money for the DVD. Q.v. "In The Press"!

So now lean back and PUMP UP the volume of your speakers :-)

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Information about the "Elvis on Tour '75" - Trailer

A new product - a new trailer - a new outfit. With this in mind the idea for the new trailer was born. Compared to the previous trailers this one is a different one although you will notice that it's from the same producers. Annotator Chuck O'Brien (www.chuckobrienpresents.com) did a fabulous job which enriches this new masterpiece.

Print Media

  • Review in the German "Elvis Club Berlin" Fanclub Magazine No. 136
    Elvis Club Berlin Fanclub Magazine No. 136
    DVD / Book Review taken from the Magazine No. 136 by the German "Elvis Club Berlin"

    If you are interested in a membership or want to get in contact with the club please use the following website address for more information:

    Elvis Club Berlin e.V.
    c/o Werner Strube
    Postfach 16 02 09
    10338 Berlin

    info@elvisclubberlin.de
    www.elvisclubberlin.de


    Review by Nadine Steffens - Translation by Nadine Schwenk

    Elvis on Tour '75

    Photos From The Heart
    By Sandi H. Pichon
    Author of "Raised on Elvis! Elvis! Elvis!"

    I was looking with great expectations at this Elvis year, but as the anniversary of the death approached, I was increasingly disappointed in the abstinence of the official side. This year I was expecting a box set or Elvis on Tour SE. But what can the fans look forward to? To "Elvis at the movies".

    The more delighting are the releases of the Memphis Recording Service. Or the latest release of Praytome Publishing. After "Paternity Suit", "Elvis in Tour '75" follows. An announcement I was looking forward to because I don't have a lot of the pictures in my collection and it is, besides 72, one of my favorite Elvis years.Let's get to the content of the book. After the forewords of Sonny West and Charles Stone and a short introduction of the author Sandi Pichon we directly go to the Tour summary of 1975. The summary is very felicitous, besides the sales of the concerts, other suits of 1975 are being shown, amongst others the Penguin Suit. The concerts included in this book are:

    Jacksonville, FL - April 25, 1975
    Atlanta, GA - April 30, 1975
    Atlanta, GA - May 1, 1975
    Atlanta, GA - May 2, 1975

    It starts with the concert of April 25th in Jacksonville. Besides the basic data like the venue, the suit, the number of visitors ect. we get a picture of the arena as well as the track listing of that day. Sandi reports in an interesting and funny way, how she experienced the concert back then: the surroundings of the concerts, and how a city can go crazy when Elvis was there for several concerts. She mentions that Elvis tickets were to be raffled over a radio station. Jacksonville was - just as the other concerts of that tour - completely sold out in advance. So the rush on the radio station was so huge, that the lines of the telephone switchboard in the station failed. Not bad for someone the press called "fat and forty" at that time... The radio station then chose a different way, and informed that the first person to show up at the station with a Hound Dog or Blue Suede Shoes would get the tickets.

    Parallel to that story you see pictures of Elvis on his way to the concert, entering the stage and starting the concert. All pictures are in chronological order, theoretically you could make a flip-book out of it. The pictures of Elvis you see on the first pages are "stunning". Elvis looked great and even though it is only pictures, it is easy to see that there is an artist on stage who has absolutely everything under control. Except a handful, I don' know any of the pictures in the book and they are in an unbelievably good quality. In addition you also get the information on which record the concert was "released". Elvis also talks in this book. The reports of Sandi are being followed by quotes of Elvis. When you read her stories and look at the pictures that are arranged matching the text, you get the feeling of attending the concert. One of the most beautiful pictures in this book for me is from the concert described in this book: the show from April 30th, 1975. Sandi gives Elvis a picture of him in 6th grade. The way Elvis looks at the picture makes you smile. You can see how much he likes it. It is really amazing how much effort the fans put into their gifts for Elvis and how much thought they must have given them.

    After reading the book, I first listened to a show of Atlanta and looked at the pictures again. This book is related to the concept of "Born to Rock" (also released by Praytome Publishing), respectively a successor.

    It is not a book that shows concert pictures of Elvis from different years with such informative subtitles as "Elvis laughing on stage" - where you see a picture from 1971 but the subtitle indicates 1975…You get details and facts with the matching pictures. The book covers one closed topic with 400 unreleased pictures. The layout and content fit together and you will find a new highlight on every single page whereas the design stays the same, which is very rare for an Elvis product nowadays. Persons are not being introduced in the beginning of the book - so that in the middle of the book you can't remember who is who - but within the story. Highlights are also the perspective shots of Elvis. You see from different angles, from the side or as a close-up, what Elvis is doing at a certain moment. That gives you an extensive insight of the concert and Elvis, where the design is really a big eye catcher because of the different angles you are about to see.On the website of Praytome Publishing you find video clips of the "Making Of" the book. They put great effort in showing the fan the process from the PC to the finished book. Praytome Publishing talks about the restoration of every single photograph of the 400 used pictures, details of the concerts were put together with a lot of effort, and you can literally see that in the book. The processing is - as usual for Praytome Publishing- really high quality: hardcover and especially the coated paper.I have to add one more thing.

    At the end of the book you will find an advertisement for upcoming products, amongst others an ad for "the world's best kept secret": "Elvis Live at Sahara Tahoe"… If that book is similar to this one and has the same quality, it will surely become a classic.

    Elvis Club Berlin - Review 1
    Elvis Club Berlin - Review 2
    Elvis Club Berlin - Review 3
    Elvis Club Berlin - Inside

    © 2007 by Elvis Club Berlin

  • Review in the Spanish "Club Elvis" Magazine No. 62
    Club Elvis Magazine No. 62
    Book Review taken from the Spanish "Club Elvis" Fanmagazine No. 62 (2007)

    If you are interested in a membership or want to get in contact with the author of the article, please use the address given on the flyer below.
    Club Elvis - Article
    Club Elvis - Advertisement
    Club Elvis - Fyer

    © 2007 by Club Elvis - Spain

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Elvis, Elvis Presley, Graceland and Heartbreak Hotel are registered trademarks of EPE Inc. Praytome Publishing is not associated with Elvis Presley Enterprises in any way, shape or form.

Elvis - Behind the image - The book - Vol. 1
Elvis on Tour '75 - Praytome Publishing

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