It’s hard to imagine that a superstar such as Elvis ever had to stage a comeback of any kind, but that’s exactly the case. Between January 1967 to May 1968, only two of Elvis’ eight singles released charted in the Top 40. Needless to say, he was disappointed with his career, so he came up with a plan to reignite it.
That plan turned into what we now know as the ’68 Comeback Special, but was originally just called Elvis. The special aired on December 3, 1968, and featured staged studio productions, live performances with a band, and clips from the early phase of Elvis’ career.
Being so close to Christmas, Elvis performed a wide variety of Christmas songs and gospel classics during the special. One such performance was his version of “Blue Christmas,” and the footage from that performance is unlike anything you’ve ever seen of Elvis before.
Introducing the song, Elvis said it was his “favorite Christmas song out of all the one’s I’ve recorded.” As soon as he said that, the women went wild knowing what was in store, since Elvis’ version of “Blue Christmas” is arguably the most recognizable.
As Elvis powered through the song, the women in the crowd couldn’t contain their excitement, and many could be seen starring at him in awe. We can’t blame them, because Elvis proved with his performance that “The King” had returned.
There was almost a sense of magic hanging on each note Elvis sang, which is what makes this moment such a gem in his immense catalog of performances. Elvis was on the top of his game during the entire Comeback Special, and his popularity soared once more after it aired. It will be easy to see why when you watch his performance of “Blue Christmas” below.
No doubt about it, there will never be another like Elvis.
