Although not a massive hit at the time, “If I Can Dream” has since become such an iconic Elvis song and also seems to be the entry point for many newcomers to Elvis’ musical legacy. This would certainly seem to be the case for many of the reaction channels hosted by the younger generation where more often than not, this is their first venture into the world of Elvis.
However, it’s iconic status was secured long before YouTube was even a thing just by virtue of it being the closing number to the legendary “Singer Presents Elvis”, 1968 Comeback Special.
The origin of the song can be found in the assassination of civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King and the effect that it had on Elvis. In the original concept, the 68 special was to be closed with the seasonal “I’ll Be Home For Christmas”. However, following a conversation between Elvis and director Steve Binder, songwriter Walter Earl Brown was commissioned to write an alternative befitting the ending of the special.
Having knowledge of Elvis and his reaction to the assassination of Dr. King and his own personal feelings on the matter, Brown wrote “If I Can Dream” taking inspiration from King’s speeches. This was particularly poignant as Elvis recorded the song just two months after the assassination. After Elvis heard the demo, he proclaimed "I'm never going to sing another song I don't believe in. I'm never going to make another movie I don't believe in."
The song’s transition from composition to actually being recorded was not a simple one, as on hearing the aforementioned demo by Earl Brown, Col. Parker remarked "This ain't Elvis' kind of song." Elvis was also there, and he countered Parker’s argument, then he pleaded: "Let me give it a shot, man." Earl Brown said while Elvis recorded the song, he saw tears rolling down the cheeks of the backing vocalists. One of them whispered to him: "Elvis never sung with so much emotion. Looks like he means every word."
This song is unusual in that two masters were required, this often a process reserved for certain movie tracks, in that a record version and a version for the closing scene of the special was required. These are broken down as follows:
Record Version
The record version was recorded at Western Recorders’ studio one in Hollywood on 23 June 1968. It was recorded on the fourth day of pre-recordings of much of the production numbers that would be used in the show. Unlike Elvis’ normal recording sessions where he would record with just a basic rhythm group this recording took place with a full orchestra present. The fifth and final track was chosen as the master and Elvis would also lip sync to this version during the stand up shows at 6 and 8pm on 29 June 1968.
TV Soundtrack Version
After the record version was completed, Elvis’ vocals were removed and the remaining backing track would be used for Elvis to record his performance of the song whilst filming for the closing of the show. These recordings featuring Elvis in his iconic white suit, could be seen in the Deluxe version of the 68 Special. However, due to YouTube copyright issues, only the audio is contained in this video but this is in keeping with the spirit of this First take to Master series. Elvis recorded the final version on take four and this was used in the special with Elvis adding his infamous “Thank You…Goodnight” afterwards.
The Re-Recordings
Two re-recordings of the song were undertaken in 2014 and 2019 respectively, the first during the ill-conceived RPO project and the second with an ensemble cast in a tribute to the original show.
As with all of these videos, to get the most out of the audio, I highly recommend you use ear /headphones and turn the volume up as much as you dare!