Elvis Presley will be getting the orchestral treatment as part of the celebration of what would have been the iconic musician's 80th birthday. If I Can Dream: Elvis Presley with The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra will take recordings of the Tupelo legend and pair them with new accompaniment from one of the world's most renowned orchestras.
"This would be a dream come true for Elvis," said his daughter, Priscilla Presley. "He would have loved to play with such a prestigious symphony orchestra. The music...the force that you feel with his voice and the orchestra is exactly what he would have done."
The orchestra recorded its parts at Abbey Road Studios in London, while a number of guest stars stopped in. We admit we're a little hesitant for the vocal additions: Michael Bublé will sing with Presley on "Fever," while the opera trio Il Volo will accompany him on "It's Now Or Never." We're more excited to hear the contributions of Duane Eddy—another pioneering rock 'n' roller—who plays guitar on "Bridge Over Troubled Water" and "An American Trilogy."
No word on whether the base recordings for the album will be Presley's studio tracks or if the album is to be presented as a live album. "An American Trilogy"—a medley of "Dixie," "All My Trials" and "The Battle Hymn of The Republic"—was a live standard for the performer.
The album, due for release in late October, will be available on CD or vinyl. Check out the full tracklist below:
01) "Burning Love"
02) "It's Now Or Never"
03) "Love Me Tender"
04) "Fever" (feat. Michael Bublé)
05) "Bridge Over Troubled Water"
06) "And The Grass Won't Pay No Mind"
07) "You've Lost That Loving Feeling"
08) "There's Always Me"
09) "Can't Help Falling In Love"
10) "In The Ghetto"
11) "How Great Thou Art"
12) "Steamroller Blues"
13) "An American Trilogy"
14) "If I Can Dream"
