Dutch Armed Forces preacher Fred Omvlee is stationed in the inhospitable terrain of Northern Afghanistan. He is not only an ordained minister in the Dutch Protestant Church but also a huge Elvis-fan. Chaplain Omvlee carries the religious appreciation of Elvis' life & music with him wherever he is working, and has even discussed Elvis with the local Afghan mullah. Here is his fascinating story...   "Elvis can help everyone understand true faith"- Fred Omvlee. (right)

Elvis in Afghanistan
Dutch Armed Forces Chaplain brings Peace in the Valley
March 2006, Afghanistan.

Surrounded by the steep mountains of the Hindu Kush lies the town of Pol-e Khomri. Some 180 Dutch military men and woman are busy stabilising and assisting the local government of the Baghlan province. This province in the North of Afghanistan is supported by the Dutch, just as other provinces are supported by Australian, British, German, Norwegian and other foreign forces.

Provincial Reconstruction Team is the word for this kind of civil-military cooperation. ISAF, International Security and Assistance Force, is the name of the operation. The circumstances can be rough: freezing cold or incredibly hot, an Improvised Explosive Device every now and then… Who can you trust?

The Chaplain and Elvis
How do the Dutch keep up the spirit?

'68 Comeback and Aloha From Hawaii Single-Disc DVDs - Content & Cover Art

In August 2006, Elvis Presley Enterprises and Sony BMG will release the single-disc DVDs Elvis: '68 Comeback – Special Edition DVD and Elvis: Aloha from Hawaii – Special Edition DVD. These are follow-ups to the smash hit releases of deluxe edition box sets of '68 and Aloha material in 2004.

The single-disc releases are geared toward reaching the casual and potential new Elvis fans who could be interested in this material but are not ready to commit to the pricier box sets. The single-disc editions also make it possible to get the Elvis '68 and Aloha material into retail outlets that don't carry DVDs above a certain price point. These single-discs will reach a broader market than the box sets have and should make a nice contribution to the growth of Elvis fandom worldwide.

Hopefully, some special content on the single-discs will be pleasing to the serious Elvis fans who already have the box sets and anticipate something new with them in mind on the single-disc releases.

Here are the cover art and content information (a bit more detailed than in the DVD packaging) for these new releases:


ELVIS: '68 COMEBACK
Special Edition DVD

In the 1950’s, singer Elvis Presley led the rock ‘n’ roll revolution in music and pop culture. In the 1960's he concentrated mainly on his successful movie career. By 1968, it had been more than seven years since he had appeared on stage in front of a live audience. In his first television special, clad in his now-iconic black leather suit, Elvis performed classic hits both on stage alone and, in sequences generally regarded as the forerunner of today’s popular “unplugged” jam sessions, with friends and original bandmates. The program also included splashy production numbers. Usually referred to as the ’68 Comeback Special, the actual name of the program was Elvis. Taped in June 1968 in Burbank, it first aired that December 3rd on NBC - the network’s biggest ratings victory that year and the season’s top-rated show. It stands today as one of the great moments in rock music history and as a stunningly brilliant milestone in Elvis Presley's career. After this triumph Elvis poured renewed creative vigor into his recording work, wrapped up his movie contract obligations and returned full-time to the concert stage, beginning a new and exciting era of the Elvis phenomenon.

Elvis (’68 Comeback Special) (76:12)

A new 2006 edit of Elvis not seen on any DVD release to date, expanded with content not included in the original broadcast. The edits/expansion involve the "black leather" footage. All production numbers appear in their original form for television but for the tweaks/expansions made for 1980s home video releases.

Opening Production Number:
Trouble/Guitar Man

That’s All Right
Baby, What You Want Me To Do

Medley:
Heartbreak Hotel
Hound Dog
All Shook Up

Can’t Help Falling in Love
Jailhouse Rock
Don’t Be Cruel
Blue Suede Shoes
Love Me Tender
Baby What You Want Me To Do – Impromptu jam.

Gospel Production Number:
Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child
Where Could I Go But To The Lord
Up Above My Head
Saved

Lawdy, Miss Clawdy
Are You Lonesome Tonight
Trying To Get To You
Tiger Man
When My Blue Moon Turns to Gold Again
One Night
Memories

Guitar Man Production Number:
Nothingville
Guitar Man
Let Yourself Go
Guitar Man
Big Boss Man
It Hurts Me
Guitar Man
Little Egypt
Trouble
Guitar Man

If I Can Dream – white suit.

Credits (with Elvis footage choreographed to A Little Less Conversation)
DVD Promo Spots

The original videotape material for this program has been digitally remastered and restored. The audio, originally recorded in mono, has been digitally remastered and re-channeled for Dolby Digital stereo and 5.1 surround. Presented in its 4:3 (1.33:1) aspect ratio.

NOTE: The two solo mini-concerts and the two jam sessions from which the “black leather” performances were derived are found in their entirety on Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special – Deluxe Edition DVD (7-hour, 4-disc set), along with an adapted version of the original broadcast special, the raw elements and unused takes from the production numbers, and a special white suit/black leather suit presentation of Elvis's performance of If I Can Dream.

Having Fun With Elvis In Burbank (09:25)

Elvis had a tremendous sense of humor and during the production of the 1968 TV special there were many funny moments. In 2004, as part of the promotion surrounding the release of Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special – Deluxe Edition DVD, there were special screenings of selected material from the deluxe set in Regal Theatres in a number of cities in the United States. In the Regal Theatres program we included a specially assembled 6-minute/16-second collection of funny moments, which audiences greatly enjoyed. This was put together after all content for the deluxe set had been finalized and discs had been manufactured, so it was not part of the deluxe set. For the single-disc release Elvis: '68 Comeback Special Edition we decided fans would enjoy having this "funny reel" as bonus material, so we went back into the studio to refine and expand it into a 9-minute/25-second feature we know you will love. (To get an idea of how delightful it is you can watch the shorter version from the Regal Theatres program, which has been posted in the Multi-Media Gallery on the '68/Aloha DVD site since 2004.)

Photo Gallery

Photographs of Elvis from the rehearsals and production of the 1968 TV special and the birthday party for Elvis's manager Colonel Tom Parker at the studio. (Photo selections from these categories have been posted in the Multi-Media Gallery on the '68/Aloha DVD site since 2004. There are some variations between what is on the site and what is on the disc.)

Easter Egg (08:33)

An "Easter egg" is hidden content on a DVD. It's not listed on or in any of the DVD packaging or shown obviously on the onscreen DVD menu. You have to find it. It's a popular way of delivering to "in the know" fans special content that the general public might not appreciate fully. If you find the Easter egg, you will get this message onscreen:

Congratulations! You have found the “Easter egg.”

Three takes from the Guitar Man production number featuring the dancers’ karate segment and Elvis’s final portion of the song It Hurts Me were inadvertently left off of Disc 3 of the 2004 release Elvis: ’68 Comeback Special – Deluxe Edition DVD. The one tape containing these three takes had not made it into the inventory of raw tapes when the digital transfers used for the deluxe DVD set were made and were found later. We provide these takes here. Enjoy.



ELVIS: ALOHA FROM HAWAII
Special Edition DVD

Elvis Presley made television and entertainment history with his Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii concert, performed at the Honolulu International Center Arena on January 14, 1973. Beamed live via Globecam Satellite to various countries and on a delayed basis to approximately thirty European countries, it first aired in America that April 4th on NBC in edited form, including four “insert” songs shot just after concert. In all, the concert was seen in about forty countries by 1-to-1.5 billion people that year, a global ratings smash. Never before had one performer held the world’s attention in such a way. Aloha from Hawaii presents Elvis Presley at the pinnacle of his superstardom, giving one of the most outstanding concert performances of his career.

Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii Concert (63:18)
January 14, 1973

The complete concert with the minor deletions made for the American television special restored and with the trendy but distracting multi-screen effects of the 1973 television presentation virtually eliminated.

Opening Riff
See See Rider
Burning Love
Something
You Gave Me a Mountain
Steamroller Blues
My Way
Love Me
Johnny B. Goode
It’s Over
Blue Suede Shoes
I’m So Lonesome I Could Cry
I Can’t Stop Loving You
Hound Dog
What Now My Love
Fever
Welcome To My World
Suspicious Minds
Introductions by Elvis
I’ll Remember You
Medley: Long Tall Sally/Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On
An American Trilogy
A Big Hunk O’ Love
Can’t Help Falling in Love
Closing Vamp
Credits (with Elvis footage choreographed to the closing vamp.)
DVD Promo Spots

This edit is shorter than the one for this concert on Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii – Deluxe Edition DVD because the opening theme Also Sprach Zarathustra heard while the screen is black awaiting the footage of Elvis's stage entrance to begin is not included and the footage of the cast on stage after Elvis has left and the closing vamp continues to play is not included. Other than that this edit is the same as found in the deluxe set but for a correctional tweak to Elvis's introduction of J.D. Sumner & The Stamps and The Sweet Inspirations.

The original videotape material for this program has been digitally re-mastered and restored. The original multi-track audio has been digitally re-mastered and remixed for Dolby Digital stereo and 5.1 surround. Presented in its 4:3 (1.33:1) aspect ratio.

Post-Concert “Insert” Songs for TV Special (14:30)

The master takes of the “insert” songs for the American broadcast – the four songs that were used and the one that wasn’t.

Blue Hawaii
Ku-U-I-Po
No More (not used in the broadcast)
Hawaiian Wedding Song
Early Morning Rain


NOTE: This concert also is found on Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii – Deluxe Edition DVD (4-hour, 2-disc set), which includes the American broadcast version, all takes of the “insert” songs, the entire dress rehearsal concert and the complete raw footage of the "arrival in Hawaii" sequence shot for the original TV special intro.

Photo Gallery

Photographs of Elvis backstage receiving the gold and diamond Hawaiian maile vine "Elvis" pendant worn in the Aloha concerts – a gift from the Kui Lee Cancer Fund, which benefited from the event. Photographs from the Las Vegas press conference Elvis appeared at on September 4, 1972 to announce the Aloha from Hawaii concert television special. Other photos including a shot of Elvis with producer/director Marty Pasetta. (Photo selections from the first two categories have been posted in the '68/Aloha site's Multi-Media Gallery since 2004. There are some variations between what is on the site and what is on the disc.)

Easter Egg (09:14)

An "Easter egg" is hidden content on a DVD. It's not listed on or in any of the DVD packaging or shown obviously on the onscreen DVD menu. You have to find it. It's a popular way of delivering to "in the know" fans special content that the general public might not appreciate fully. If you find the Easter egg, you will get this message onscreen:

Congratulations! You found the “Easter egg.”

Elvis appeared in two press conferences leading up to his Aloha from Hawaii concert TV special. To date, copies of the press conferences in their entirety have eluded us. Here, we provide the portions we have been able to locate so far.

September 4, 1972
Las Vegas Hilton

November 20, 1972
Hawaiian Village Hotel

An "arrival in Hawaii" sequence was shot for the Aloha from Hawaii TV special. The complete, pristine raw footage shot by the program's production team is included in the 2-disc set Elvis, Aloha from Hawaii – Deluxe Edition DVD. Here we present some TV news footage that was shot, offering an alternate view of the arrival event. got a chaplain in the 40 year-old preacher Fred Omvlee. He is not only an ordained minister in the Dutch Protestant Church but a huge Elvis-fan as well.
'When I was eleven years old in 1977, Elvis died. That's when the heartaches began… I only knew Elvis as a chubby old man in a white suit; I loved Abba. But in the retrospectives on TV I saw a spectacularly moving young god. My first album was a '32 Greatist Hits' album and I learned the lyrics by heart. From then on the love for Rock-n'-Roll in general and Elvis in particular only grew.

During my high-school and university years the love for Elvis was sort of underground, because not-done. When I became pastor of a congregation in Monnickendam, just North of Amsterdam, I found out that the young people loved contemporary Christian Music. But I didn't; it was too faint, soulless for me. In the same time I acquired the complete gospel recordings of Elvis 'Peace in the Valley'. I knew some of his gospels, but not that many. They really touched me. Especially when my father died in that period, 2002. I found that a song like Precious Lord, Take my Hand, made me sad and happy at the same time'.

I talked about it with the director of a choir and we made the plan to organise a service with Elvis gospels, accompanied by the choir Couleur Locale. Director Anton Poot wrote additional arrangements for the choir. I took the life of Elvis as a sincere but unhappy model of life. The way he set his mind at ease by singing gospels is dear to me. The way this talented but un-selfassured man lived his life is recognisable to us. Even if you are as handsome and talented as Elvis, you may not be happy. But even if you're life is leading to a divorce, to depression, to an untimely death, you never fall out of the hand of God. That's my creed.

The first Elvis Gospel Service in 2002 attracted a lot of publicity and received, thank God, acclaim. Dutch national Television, newspapers, as well as Belgian radio and newspapers have since then featured the Elvis Gospel Services. Madeleine Wilson from Elvisgospel.com came and supported us. I'm now the happy owner of elvisgospel.nl, through her. Every year since 2002 I lead some Elvis Gospel Services in the Netherlands. This coming September there will be one in former church/pop-temple Paradiso in Amsterdam.

Elvis on board
Now that I'm an Armed Forces Chaplain I take Elvis everywhere I go. Every service whether it's on board (I've been with the Navy to Liberia) or nowadays in Afghanistan, Elvis is part of it. Whether it's Amazing Grace, Where Could I Go But To The Lord, or If I can Dream, some of the hundred-or-so songs of inspiration will fit in. On Christmas Eve 2003 we held a service on the helicopter-platform of our ship in Liberia. The men and the admiral heard Elvis singing ‘Peace in the Valley’ during that tropical night.

The marines and soldiers do know their chaplain is a fan. Some of them are fans themselves. Corporal Petty Officer Peter Westerveld, for instance, says: "Elvis is not dead, he lives inside of me." This is a phrase I often use.

Of course Elvis passed away on August 16,1977; the day my brother turned eleven years old. Like me and my mother, he’s also a big Elvis fan. I was nine years old at that time, and I couldn’t understand that my mother was crying that afternoon when I got home from playing with my friends. Maybe she was sad, because my father was at sea on this happy occasion. She said to me: "Peter sit down, I’ve got something to tell you: Elvis has died".

It felt like a shockwave went through the house & I was blown away by this news. The man who brought so much joy in our household, the man who made my mum sing, was gone. I was brought up with Elvis music and couldn’t imagine that there wasn't going to be a new song by the King. Of course I was wrong about this, Elvis became bigger and bigger after his unfortunate death, and so did my interest in him. I feel like the king has never passed away; he just got bigger and bigger inside of me.

As a result of this, Elvis goes with me wherever I go. For example when I’m at sea or in foreign ports like the Caribbean or closer at home like England, and now in Afghanistan where I’m deployed for ISAF for four months. This tour would not be complete for me if I didn’t have the music of the King. It helps me through all my moods, the happy ones but especially the sad ones. "The King is dead, long live the king". So far, CPO 3rd class Peter Westerveld.

Elvis and the mullah
Even the local mullah knows I'm an Elvis-fan. He even listened to Elvis. I know the mullah since I contacted the Department of Religious Affairs in this town, and we got to like each other.

'To muslims', he said, 'the Bible is holy, just as the Tora and the Qoran. Jesus is the prophet that is closest to God, born from the virgin Mary. But he cannot be the son of God, for God cannot have children'. That is in short the big difference between Christianity and Islam. There are differences, but we believe in the same God; There is no God but God, as Elvis sang...

Religion is hot in here, in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan; we also had a riot at the compound because of the Danish cartoons. The Sunday after that the mullah - in fact a malauwi, head-mullah - was guest in a service on the compound. It was his first Christian service ever. After I did my sermon, Elvis sang "You''ll never walk alone". Then I invited the mullah to speak to us. He said he had heard nothing that was in conflict with his beliefs. He was happy to see people in the service and said that we believed in the same God, and that if we prayed, and lived well, we would see each other in Paradise. I said Amen to that.

Also Sprach Zarathustra…
What would Elvis say? Elvis always stayed out of politics, but had a heart for good works, for charity, helping people, settle differences.

In that respect I think as a chaplain in Afghanistan I act in the spirit of Elvis. Not only inspiring our men and women to keep working on the building, but also to help the Afghan people to have Confidence in themselves and in the Western world. There is even another connection between Elvis and Afghanistan: Elvis started his concerts in the seventies with Also sprach Zarathustra: that Zarathustra was an Afghan priest a thousand years before Christ…his influence is immense on the Jewish, Christian, Muslim and even the Buddhist way of thinking.

According to Zarathustra a man has the choice between good and evil. Probably unknowingly Elvis formed a link between the old wisdom of Afghanistan and his music: 'If I can dream of a better land where all my brothers walk hand in hand, why can't my dream come true…'

Click here for the Dutch Elvis Gospel website

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Quote:"Elvis Presley is the supreme socio-cultural icon in the history of pop culture"

(Dr. Gary Enders)

Quote:" Elvis is the 'glue' which holds our society together....which subconciously gives our world meaning"

(Anonymous)

Quote:"Eventually everybody has to die, except Elvis"

(humorist Dave Barry)

Quote:"He is the "Big Bang", and the universe he detonated is still expanding, the pieces are still flying"

(Greil Marcus, "Dead Elvis")

Quote:"I think Elvis Presley will never be solved"

(Nick Tosches)

Quote:"He was the most popular man that ever walked on this planet since Christ himself was here"

(Carl Perkins)

Quote:"When I first heard Elvis' voice I just knew I wasn't going to work for anybody...hearing him for the first time was like busting out of jail"

(Bob Dylan)

Quote:"When we were kids growing up in Liverpool, all we ever wanted was to be Elvis Presley"(Sir Paul McCartney)