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Elvis Presley's 'How Great Thou Art': A Timeless Compact Disc from 1988

In 1984, the world was introduced to the compact disc (CD) format, revolutionizing the way music was listened to and collected. Among the CD releases was a gem for Elvis Presley fans: 'How Great Thou Art,' a collection of some of the King of Rock and Roll's most cherished gospel songs. This album offered a unique insight into Presley's deep love for gospel music and remains a significant piece in his discography to this day.

Although Elvis Presley is universally known for his pioneering impact on rock and roll music, he had an equally profound admiration for gospel. Raised in the Assembly of God church, Presley's childhood was filled with powerful hymns and spirituals. As his career took off and he gained international fame, he often returned to gospel music to express his faith and showcase his vocal versatility. During his illustrious career, Presley won three Grammy Awards, all in the gospel music category, solidifying his place in the genre's history.

This is a compilation of several gospel songs handpicked by Elvis himself, recorded between 1966 and 1971. The title track, 'How Great Thou Art,' originally released in 1967, is a stunning demonstration of Presley's vocal prowess and his ability to expertly emote the deeply moving lyrics. The album also features other religious favorites such as 'In the Garden,' 'Stand by Me,' 'Amazing Grace,' and 'Crying in the Chapel.' These tracks not only showcase Presley's impeccable vocal skills but also his deep connection to his faith.

The extended version was released in 2008 and contained three extra tracks. The FTD set became available in 2010 and was a 2 disc set, containing the ooriginal tracks and alternative takes. FTD also released a second How Great Thou Art 5 disc set in 2023. You can see our review of the 2023 release HERE.

The release helped to expand Presley's religious and artistic legacy to an entirely new generation of listeners. The album was a massive success in terms of sales, and its popularity continues to endure, with millions of copies sold worldwide and numerous reissues over the years.

The record's impact goes beyond sales figures, as it continues to captivate audiences and critics to this day. In 2015, 'How Great Thou Art' reached a milestone of six consecutive decades on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog Albums chart, demonstrating its lasting appeal and impact on music and pop culture.

In addition to the original tracks, the CD release included informative liner notes about Presley's background and his love for gospel music. It illuminated for fans the vital role that faith played in Elvis' personal life as well as his musical career. 'How Great Thou Art' stands as a 1988 cultural testament to the religious and musical legacy of one of the greatest artists in history, and an integral piece of the Elvis Presley discography.

The 'How Great Thou Art' compact disc from 1988 holds a special significance among Elvis Presley's gospel recordings and, indeed, his entire body of work. It highlights the passionate relationship between the King of Rock and Roll and the indelible culture of gospel music. This release afforded fans the rare opportunity to appreciate a more contemplative and spiritual aspect of Presley, demonstrating that his appeal transcended genre boundaries and resonated with an audience beyond the world of rock and roll. For this reason, 'How Great Thou Art' remains a vital piece of music history and a testament to Elvis Presley's undeniable talent as an artist and devotion as a man of faith.

Elvis Presley singing gospel is the most natural thing you can listen to. Whether you're religious or not, you can just here the emotion and dedication in the voice of Elvis. I dare anyone to listen to Elvis sing gospel and not be impressed.

RCA 1988 - 13 Track Release

How Great Thou Art
In The Garden
Somebody Bigger Than You And I
Farther Along
Stand By Me
Without Him
So High
Where Could I Go But To The Lord
By And By
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side
Run On
Where No One Stands Alone
Crying In The Chapel

RCA 1988 - 14 Track Release

How Great Thou Art
In The Garden
Somebody Bigger Than You And I
Farther Along
Stand By Me
Without Him
So High
Where Could I Go But To The Lord
By And By
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side
Run On
Where No One Stands Alone
Crying In The Chapel
(There'll Be) Peace In the Valley (For Me)

FTD 2010

CD 1 - THE ALBUM

How Great Thou Art
In The Garden
Somebody Bigger Than You And I
Farther Along
Stand By Me
Without Him
So High
By And By
Where Could I Go But To The Lord
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side
Run On
Where No One Stands Alone
Crying In The Chapel

BONUS SONGS
You'll Never Walk Alone
We Call On Him
If Everyday Was Like Christmas
First Takes
How Great Thou Art (takes 1 & 2)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (takes 1,3,11)
Stand By Me (takes 1 & 2)
Without Him (take 1)
So High (take 1)
By And By (take 4)
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (take 1)
Run On (takes 1 & 2)
Where No One Stands Alone (takes 1 & 4 spliced)
You'll Never Walk Alone (take 1)
We Call On Him (takes 1 & 2)

CD 2

May 1966 Sessions
Run On (takes 3-6)
Stand By Me (takes 5-7)
Stand By Me (takes 9 & 10)
Where No One Stands Alone (takes 2, 3 & wp 1)
Where No One Stands Alone - wp takes 2, 3 & 5)
So High (takes 2 & 3)
Farther Along (takes 1& 2)
By And By (takes1, 2, 3, 4 (fs), 5 & 7)
By And By (takes 8 & 9)
In The Garden (takes 1-3)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (take 12)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (takes14 (fs), 15 & wp 5)
Without Him (takes 4 & 8)
Without Him (takes 11, 13 & 14)
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (takes 2-4)
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (take 6)
June 1966 Sessions
If Every Day Was Like Christmas (takes 1 & 2, undubbed master)
September 1967 Sessions
We Call On Him (takes 4 & 5)
We Call On Him (take 7)
We Call On Him (take 8)
You'll Never Walk Alone (take 2)
You'll Never Walk Alone (takes 3, 4, 6 & 8)

FTD 2023

CD 1

The Album
How Great Thou Art
In The Garden
Somebody Bigger Than You And I
Farther Along
Stand By Me
Without Him
So High
Where Could I Go But To The Lord
By And By
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side
Run On
Where No One Stands Alone

June 8, 1966 Single
Love Letters
Come What May

October 24, 1966 "Spinout" Bonus Songs
Tomorrow Is A Long Time
Down In The Alley
I'll Remember You

November 15, 1966 Single A-Side
If Every Day Was Like Christmas

January 10, 1967 Single
Indescribably Blue
Fools Fall In Love

Unused Recording
Beyond The Reef (original overdubbed master)

CD 2

Run On (takes 1 - 2)
Run On (takes 3 - 6)
Run On (take 7/M)
How Great Thou Art (takes 1 - 2)
How Great Thou Art (takes 3 - 4/M)
Stand By Me (takes 1 - 2)
Stand By Me (takes 3 - 7)
Stand By Me (takes 8 - 10)
Stand By Me (take 11/M)
Where No One Stands Alone (take 1)
Where No One Stands Alone (takes 2 - 3)
Where No One Stands Alone (take 4)
Where No One Stands Alone (work parts 1 - 4)
Where No One Stands Alone (work part 5)
Where No One Stands Alone (work part 6)
Where No One Stands Alone (splice of takes 4 & 1/M)

CD 3

Down In The Alley (take 1)
Down In The Alley (takes 2 - 6)
Down In The Alley (takes 7 - 9/M)
Tomorrow Is A Long Time (takes 1 - 2)
Tomorrow Is A Long Time (take 3/M)
Love Letters (takes 1 - 2)
Love Letters (takes 3 - 7)
Love Letters (take 8)
Love Letters (take 9/M)
So High (take 1)
So High (takes 2 - 3)
So High (take 4/M)
Farther Along (takes 1 - 2)
Farther Along (splice of take 3 and one line from take 2/M)
By And By (takes 1 - 4)
By And By (takes 5 - 9)
By And By (takes 10/M)

CD 4:

In The Garden (takes 1 - 3/M)
Beyond The Reef (takes 1 - 2/M - Undubbed Master)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (takes 1 - 8)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (takes 9 - 11)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (take 12)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (takes 13 - 15)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (take 16)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (work parts 1 - 4)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (work part 5)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (work part 6)
Somebody Bigger Than You And I (splice of take 16 and work part 6/M)
Without Him (take 1)
Without Him (takes 2 - 8)
Without Him (takes 9 - 14)
Without Him (take 15/M)
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (take 1)
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (takes 2 - 4)
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (take 5/M)
If The Lord Wasn't Walking By My Side (take 6)
Where Could I Go But To The Lord (takes 1 - 2/M)

CD 5:

Come What May (takes 1 - 2)
Come What May (takes 3 - 4)
Come What May (takes 5 - 6)
Come What May (take 7)
Come What May (take 8/M)
Fools Fall In Love (takes 1 - 4)
Fools Fall In Love (take 5/M)
Indescribably Blue (instrumental track take 7 and work parts 1 - 2)
I'll Remember You (instrumental track takes 17 - 19/M)
If Every Day Was Like Christmas (instrumental track takes 5 - 8 & 9/M)
Indescribably Blue (vocal overdub take 1 to instrumental track 7 and work part 1)
Indescribably Blue (vocal overdub take 2 to instrumental track 7 and work part 1/M)
I'll Remember You (vocal overdub take 1 to instrumental track 19)
I'll Remember You (vocal overdub take 2 to instrumental track 19)
I'll Remember You (vocal overdub take 3 to instrumental track 19)
I'll Remember You (splice of vocal overdub takes 1 and 3 to instrumental track 19 unedited/M)
If Every Day Was Like Christmas (vocal overdub take 1 - 2/M to instrumental track 9 undubbed/M)